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A review by posies23
Maplecroft by Cherie Priest
4.0
In MAPLECROFT, Cherie Priest combines two apparently disparate elements -- Lovecraftian horror and accused (but not convicted!) axe murderer Lizzie Borden -- and creates a cohesive, compelling thriller.
From a writing standpoint, Priest is firing on all cylinders here. Multiple POV characters, diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings tell the story of Lizzie, her sister Emma, and their attempts to save their townspeople from mysterious creatures who may (or may not) be the result (or cause) of the strange transformations and murders happening around them. Priest's prose is amazingly well-polished, with each voice sounding unique and with each new POV change adding to and shifting the narrative.
The narrative itself is an updating of Lovecraft's "cosmic monsters," and while it deals with the same ideas as Lovecraft, Priest avoids many of Lovecraft's weaknesses, while still achieving the same "creeping horror" that Lovecraft was capable of when he was at his best. (Honestly, Priest's is one of the best of the recent glut of "Lovecraftian" novels.)
Beyond the Lovecraftian angle, though, the novel deals with all sorts of issues that add depth and suspense to the overall effect of the book. Without giving too much away from the overall plot, the characters deal with social mores and gender roles, issues of chronic illnesses, PTSD, and more. Priest is a talented enough writer that these themes develop naturally over the course of the novel, and are naturally worked into the character's development and the overall storyline.
On the down side, the novel felt a little long to me, and there were a few sections that dragged a bit. Nothing damaging to the overall novel, but just a bit of tightening up here and there. (And actually, now that I think about it, this might have been a nod to Lovecraft's writing and plotting, which frequently did the same thing. So . . . maybe it's more of a 4.5 out of 5?)
From a writing standpoint, Priest is firing on all cylinders here. Multiple POV characters, diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings tell the story of Lizzie, her sister Emma, and their attempts to save their townspeople from mysterious creatures who may (or may not) be the result (or cause) of the strange transformations and murders happening around them. Priest's prose is amazingly well-polished, with each voice sounding unique and with each new POV change adding to and shifting the narrative.
The narrative itself is an updating of Lovecraft's "cosmic monsters," and while it deals with the same ideas as Lovecraft, Priest avoids many of Lovecraft's weaknesses, while still achieving the same "creeping horror" that Lovecraft was capable of when he was at his best. (Honestly, Priest's is one of the best of the recent glut of "Lovecraftian" novels.)
Beyond the Lovecraftian angle, though, the novel deals with all sorts of issues that add depth and suspense to the overall effect of the book. Without giving too much away from the overall plot, the characters deal with social mores and gender roles, issues of chronic illnesses, PTSD, and more. Priest is a talented enough writer that these themes develop naturally over the course of the novel, and are naturally worked into the character's development and the overall storyline.
On the down side, the novel felt a little long to me, and there were a few sections that dragged a bit. Nothing damaging to the overall novel, but just a bit of tightening up here and there. (And actually, now that I think about it, this might have been a nod to Lovecraft's writing and plotting, which frequently did the same thing. So . . . maybe it's more of a 4.5 out of 5?)