Voice of Our Shadow ($14.95)

Rating:
Summary: A weak effort from Carroll
Review: Having begun reading Carroll at the beginning, I found "Land of Laughs" to be very entertaining, with a natural, gradual, though late-beginning integration of the supernatural element into the story. Surprises encountered along the way only deepened that integration, as if periodically, the reader is made to see, "Ok, it's even more than that." The sense of something being wrong is pulled along and twisted this way and that until at the end, with the necessary understanding possessed by the hero (and the reader) at last, the final turns of the story result in what can appropriately be termed a denoument, with an accompanying, bonus twist of sorts added on.

Newly impressed by this author whom I'd heard and read much about, and liking authors often grouped with him (and since his books take about two days to read), I picked up a few more novels. What I found, for the most part, and "Voice of Our Shadow" is the prime example, is what amounts to a bunch of shaggy-dog stories. Notwithstanding the overwhelming similarity of the first-person narrative voices in Carroll's books, whether male or female, the main problem seems to be the sufficiency, for Carroll, in simply revealing a magical element to said narrative. One gets an intimate life story with a supernatural element creeping in roughly halfway through the story, and then there is a big revelation near the end, and that's all. The very existence of the magical element is the sum total of the reason for the existence of the story. In "Bones of the Moon," it's "Oh, her dream-world impinges on reality;" and here, it's "Oh, right, if there's one dead person who's 'returned' there can be another." That is all. One couldn't meaningfully say that we are forced to reevaluate what has gone before, any more than we search for deeper meaning once someone has concluded telling us a joke. The twist is just that and nothing more; any reevaluation of what has gone before is one and the same with recognition of the surprise. Most importantly, nothing takes place afterward, so there is no subsequent development of plot or hero, and we are left with only the dull idea that things will be different now. All of this only underscores the shaggy-dog structure of his middle novels. Beyond even this is the fact that in "Voice of Our Shadow," the final shock does nothing to change the hero's predicament, it is merely a redundant twist on his story.

Some of Carroll's later works, like "The Marriage of Sticks," which is even more similar than usual to "Sleeping in Flame," at least are wrapped more vividly in a package of self-revelation, with a more gradual, suspenseful working-out of the mysteries surrounding the hero's (self-) discoveries. But the stories, and problems with them, remain. The heroes are flawed, emotionally needy people, and are magically taught a lesson about who they are. It is unfortunate that someone who showed as much promise as Carroll, and who, it must be fair, still shows flashes of his ability, has essentially become a factory for "product," churning out increasingly familiar and redundant work. So do not read this one, and instead begin with "The Land of Laughs" and proceed cautiously from there.

Rating:
Summary: stunning
Review: Having read and enjoyed Outside The Dog Museum, I sat down with this book one Sunday evening knowing nothing about it except author and title - I didn't even read the back cover. And I did not leave my chair until I had finished. Seriously. Riveting, suspenseful, unexpected: few books have drawn me in to this extent.

Rating:
Summary: Family Friendship Love Jealousy Deceit Crime and Punishment
Review: Short but intense novel on hardships of growing up, even later in life as an adult. Carroll's first book is one powerful account of an anti-hero, who is bullied and ignored in his childhood as a weak, unimportant character, left to envy others and hate himself. As suspected, his past catches up eventually, even in Vienna, thousands of miles away from home. The story drives its power from the honesty of its narrator, ringing so true that one thinks it is possibly relying on some real-life experience: a.k.a. first novel being biographical. Very interesting, original in its ideas on misperception and mistreatment of others and of oneself. I compare this one favorably against the critically appraised, award winning Carroll book "Land of Laughs".

Rating:
Summary: Carroll at his best
Review: The first Jonathan Carroll book I read was "After Silence" after which I was determined to get hold of everything else he had written - unfortunately this is far from easy! (Just a little gripe here - why is it that the best authors are always out of print while the shops are full of trashy bestsellers?)

I would recommend this to anyone who likes fiction that can still surprise and confound you - no-one in this book is who or what they seem to be and the conclusion quite took my breath away. I was particularly impressed as I can usually spot the ending before the last ten pages of a book. I really can't understand why libraries and bookshops aren't full of this guy's books - still there's no accounting for taste ...

Rating:
Summary: one of Carroll's darkest
Review: This book completes my quest (almost) to finish all of Carroll's books. It has taken me months to find out of print copies. The only one left for me is The Land of Laughs which is his first novel and so rare that copies sell for $200 and up! The author himself emailed me though and said that it will be reissued next year, so I guess I'll have to wait. Anyway, this is a much scarier book than most of his other books. The beginning is superb as we travel back to the narrator's childhood and his relationship with his sadistic brother Ross. Carroll as usual does an excellent job fleshing out the characters -- this is the first time I can think of when he focuses so much on kids and he does a great job. The narrator tells us how Ross was killed by the third rail of a train -- but then later admits that he pushed him because his brother was about to reveal an embarrassing secret. So, he feels guilty about his brother's death. Then, like a true horror novel, Ross comes back to haunt him in later relationships the author has with women in Vienna where he moves. This theme of death coming back to bother the living is continued in a more recent novel, From the Teeth of Angels which is also excellent. If you can acquire a copy of this book, definitely read it. I liked Bones of the Moon better because I'm scared too easily, but this does give the reader insight into Carroll's darker side.

Rating:
Summary: Insightful and disquieting
Review: This is a wonderfully original and understated novel: a coming-of-age story with a mystery at its heart, embellished with fantasy elements that become stronger and more integral as the book heads to its conclusion. Unlike much fantasy writing these days, there's no unnecessary padding here; rather, you're left wanting more.

The setting (predominantly Vienna) is evoked with a nicely economic style, while the (few) characters come to life naturally through their words and actions. The creeping unease builds gradually, and is never overdone - and the ending packs a considerable punch. I enjoyed it immensely, although if you like your fiction strictly explicable and grounded in reality you may find some of the developments a touch difficult to swallow.

This recently came back into print in the UK; if you can get hold of a copy, do: you can read it in an evening and you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book!
Review: This was the second book by Jonathan Carroll I was fortunate enough to read, after the spectacular Land of Laughs. I had expected to be disappointed, because how could he possible live up to the first book? Thankfully, I was wrong, Voice of Our Shadows is just as good as his first book. They both start out innocently and turn creepy by the end, and if you enjoy Carroll's work, this one is worth tracking down.