Mulengro

Rating:
Summary: Edge-of-your-seat horror
Review: Mulengro, a long out-of-print novel by Charles de Lint, has been reissued -- and it's about time. The story focuses on the Rom, modern gypsies living in Canada, who -- despite some modern adaptations, such as big, gas-guzzling cars instead of caravan wagons -- continue to live outside the mainstream: secretive, mysterious and distrustful of strangers.

But, insular or not, de Lint has written about the Rom society like a native, delving deeply into customs, traditions and psyches -- and mysticism, an exotic belief system very different from the Celtic and Native American mythologies more frequently tapped in de Lint's work.

The novel unfolds as a killer stalks Rom and Gaje alike; the murders grow increasingly horrific and bloody, and a solution to the threat he presents seems increasingly elusive. The climax is a whirlwind of violence -- readers may be shocked by some plot developments along the way -- but the ultimate closure comes abruptly. The final twist is startling and is not the ending I expected -- but de Lint knows what he's doing, and the desperation of the concluding pages feels appropriate to the circumstance.

Rating:
Summary: Rarely have I had a chill rundown my spine while reading
Review: This book has made me think of Charles De Lint in a whole new fashion. His typical, if you can say that word towards this man, style of light/comidic/fantasy is nowhere to be seen in this novel. He takes the concepts of horror and twists them to meet his own needs and desires.

Rating:
Summary: Gypsy Catharsis
Review: This book stands out from most of de Lint's canon of work by being mainly a horror novel. Okay, dark fantasy really, but it scares you badly and reminds you why you love being alive, because it could disappear so quickly.

This book, first released in 1985, predates Newford, but one could imagine it fitting in with that setting. When Ottawa's close-knit Gypsy community begins dying violently, several independent story threads originate, convering on a cabin in the woods where an apocalyptic showdown determines whether the punishments of the Third Reich continue into the contemporary world.

Briggs and Sandler, Ottawa municipal police, want to bring the killer to justice. Janfri la Yayal, a Gypsy fiddler, wants to clear his name. Ola Pifer knows she's an imminent target. Jeff Owen, Dr. Rainbow, and Yojo la Kore want to stand up for the people they love. And the mysterious Mulengro wants to purge his people.

This reads like something Stephen King might have written back before his work became tiresome and repetetive. The further along you get, the harder it becomes to put the book down. Nothing feels extraneous, nothing feels like a misfire. This is a prime book for people who have never touched fantasy, horror, or Charles de Lint in their lives.

The substantial Gypsy content is key to the story. Many people demand accuracy in this sort of thing, but the Gypsies are so notoriously secretive that fact-checking isn't an issue. What matters is this: I can imagine these characters, in these situations, performing exactly these actions.

It's amazing, with the slim amount of narrative and the beautifully cinematic characters and situations, that this hasn't been adapted before now. Perhaps soon. Modern technology could turn this into the most beautiful dark fantasy film in history, no problem.

Easily readable and worth a second look, this book is one that will become a treasured part of your library in short order.

Rating:
Summary: Enthralling!
Review: This will never be Charles de Lint's defining or best-loved work, but it really is extremely good. If you're a fan of his later work, and haven't read his darker stuff originally published under another nom de plume, the graphic - well, gore - especially right at the beginning may be a bit shocking. But the book itself is not terribly gory - just compelling, like a decent thriller, though it's not that, either. The glimpse into the world of the Rom makes for fascinating backstory, the characters are mostly well fleshed-out and believable (even the aging stereotypical hippie - but not, unfortunately, the aging stereotypical hard-boiled cop), and the story is strong and unpredictable. Hurray for unpredictable! Bless de Lint's publisher for re-releasing this older work under the de Lint banner, or we might have missed it. BUY THIS ONE!

Rating:
Summary: Enthralling!
Review: This will never be Charles de Lint's defining or best-loved work, but it really is extremely good. If you're a fan of his later work, and haven't read his darker stuff originally published under another nom de plume, the graphic - well, gore - especially right at the beginning may be a bit shocking. But the book itself is not terribly gory - just compelling, like a decent thriller, though it's not that, either. The glimpse into the world of the Rom makes for fascinating backstory, the characters are mostly well fleshed-out and believable (even the aging stereotypical hippie - but not, unfortunately, the aging stereotypical hard-boiled cop), and the story is strong and unpredictable. Hurray for unpredictable! Bless de Lint's publisher for re-releasing this older work under the de Lint banner, or we might have missed it. BUY THIS ONE!