Reviewed by Jeanne
A young man in a Gentlemen’s Club in England makes the
acquaintance of Sir James Monmouth, an older member who asks that he read a
manuscript about certain events in Sir James’ life. This request comes about after a discussion
among some of the younger members regarding ghosts. Most of the rest of the
book is the manuscript, a first person narrative by Sir James about an
experience in his youth. As the story begins,
Monmouth is newly arrived in England after being reared abroad by a guardian. He’s traveled in many exotic lands, but the
death of his guardian has left him in want of direction. Accordingly, he has come to London in search
of material on the mysterious Conrad Vane, a travel writer whose adventures
excited young Monmouth’s imagination. He
has been able to find very little in the way of autobiographical information on
Vane, so he hopes to find enough to write an article or perhaps a book on the
man.
His inquiries about
Vane seem to draw uneasy responses from those who knew of him, but the
fascination remains strong and he sets off for a school Vane attended. He is cordially received but instead of
answers he seems to find more questions. Vane seems as elusive as ever. Then he
begins to experience a series of somewhat unsettling events. . . glimpses of a
pale young boy, sounds of sobbing from an unknown source, and strange dreams—or
are they dreams?
Hill wrote the (to my mind!) classic Woman in Black, and
this book reminds me very strongly of that title, as it uses a similar framing
sequence for the main story and is written as if it were a Victorian memoir. Also
like that title, the book doesn’t wrap things up in a neat little package at the
end. There’s a lot to ponder and things
alluded to but no cut and dried resolution.
This is not a complaint. I rather
prefer it to easy answers, especially given the subject matter. After all, the supernatural is all about
mysteries and questions, not certainties. Her characters are memorable, even those
playing small roles, and the settings are extremely vivid.
If you’re not in
the mood for long, descriptive sentences or if you’re hankering for action,
this isn’t the book for you. On the
other hand, if you like lots of atmosphere, dank halls and meager fires,
strange weeping in the night and fevered dreams, mahogany tables and baize
doors, then this might just be your cup of Earl Grey. I must say it cooled down my perception of a
humid July day quite nicely, what with the snow and cold winds beating against
windows. I almost got out a quilt.
(Yes, I had to look up to see what a “baize door” was. Apparently at one point doors were covered
with cloth to help soundproof them; green baize is often used on gaming tables,
such as those for blackjack or billiards.)
No comments:
Post a Comment