A picture of August on the microfleece blanket.

I'm sort of all over the board right now, emotionally, for reasons that seem to be more painful than cathartic to discuss, so forgive my brevity as I just give you a picture of:


August watching out the window while lying on her beloved microfleece blanket.
(Aren't the colors in this house beautiful?)

Book Review: Prince of Darkness by Barbara Michaels

Title: Prince of Darkness
Author: Barbara Michaels
Published: New York: Meredith Press, 1969
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 230
Total Page Count: 105,104
Text Number: 303
Read Because: author recommended by veriloquently, borrowed from the Corvallis library
Review: Peter Stewart comes to the New England town of Middleburg with impure intentions, but finds a city that makes even him nervous: beneath its sleepy, wealthy exterior, Middleburg hides a penchant for the occult and perhaps something even darker than that. Stewart's point of view is a pleasant surprise—bad guy outclassed by a worse town, and with a bit of a mouth on him too, he offers a unique view of Middleburg; his nefarious goings-on, rendered with just enough detail to make them realistic, are outright interesting, as well as a refreshing change from the sort of tentative exploration one expects in a gothic novel. Unfortunately, Stewart's point of view denies many of the traditional gothic indulgences which build atmosphere, and so while Middleburg has its moments it never quite becomes haunting. The book changes protagonists at its midway point, but does itself no favors. The second protagonist has a weaker voice and character, and the second half of the book is given over to a lengthy climax which leaves little room for character development. Nonetheless, the protracted climax is engaging: Michaels retains her eye for detail, the action is strong, and dwelling on it for half the book renders it grand instead of dull. Except that the point of view switch robs the climax of its emotional import, it's a satisfying conclusion.

And "satisfying" is an apt descriptor for Prince of Darkness. The book is by no means high art, but it is solid entertainment. Oblique to a glaring degree, the prose is a little tortured, and not in the way one would expect from a gothic novel—but it serves the same purpose, creating a style that's affected and suitably lush. The setting may not be haunting but it's still strong, and autumnal, picturesque, menacing Middleburg is a delight. There's some compelling intrigue, but this is stripped of impact with the point of view change and so it's action which sustains the book—and there's plenty of that, vivid and suspenseful. Prince of Darkness isn't quite an inversion of the gothic genre, but it's just unusual enough to stand out, and rewards reader interest with a compelling tale. To another reader, I imagine that this sort of book could be addicting; personally, I wish for something of more emotional or thematic substance to compliment the plot. Still, I moderately recommend Prince of Darkness: it's just what it sets out to be, and in this case that's enough.

Review posted here on Amazon.com.