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Book Review: The Dry Salvages by Caitlín R. Kiernan
Title: The Dry Salvages
Author: Caitlín R. Kiernan
Published: Burton: Subterranean Press, 2004
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 123
Total Page Count: 68,891
Text Number: 199
Read For: fan of the author, checked out from the library
Short review: An old woman recounts a long-ago journey with a small crew to investigate distant abandoned ruins, humanity's first proof of alien life. The mission brought the crew to madness and prompted a government cover-up; now, the narrator is the last record of what they really found in the ruins. At only novella-length, The Dry Salvages suffers from too much build up and not enough delivery. Nonetheless, the build-up and atmosphere are top notch, a combination of psychological and Lovecraftian horror, and on the whole this is an intriguing and enjoyable, if brief, read. I recommend it.
I've previous read and adored Kiernan's Threshold , and the aspects I loved of that book reappear here: Lovecraftian horror of the endless and threatening unknown, slow-building tension, and a wealth of scientific detail which makes the supernatural events all the more believable. The Dry Salvages also adds psychological horror—this brief book has little room for plot; instead, character interactions make up most of the action, following the crew's slow descent towards madness. All of these elements are skillfully rendered and incredibly enjoyable, creating a book which grips the reader and builds the sort of horror which I actually find frightening—a rarity, in literature, and something that I cherish.
And yet the book offers little more than that. The build up does lead somewhere, but it doesn't lead to a destination quite big enough for all that precedes it. At just over 100 pages, this book simply feels too short: there's enough time for foreshadowing but not enough time for action, and the conclusion is a miserably short ten pages. Things end as soon as they seem to begin, and it's simply frustrating. The anticipation is still delicious, and the short conclusion is a wonderful balance between madness and horror, but I wish there were more to this book. As a result, I prefer her novel-length works by a long ways, simply because they strike a better balance and have more to offer. But I did enjoy and do recommend The Dry Salvages. It's not perfect, but it's short and sweet and still worth the time it takes to read.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Caitlín R. Kiernan
Published: Burton: Subterranean Press, 2004
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 123
Total Page Count: 68,891
Text Number: 199
Read For: fan of the author, checked out from the library
Short review: An old woman recounts a long-ago journey with a small crew to investigate distant abandoned ruins, humanity's first proof of alien life. The mission brought the crew to madness and prompted a government cover-up; now, the narrator is the last record of what they really found in the ruins. At only novella-length, The Dry Salvages suffers from too much build up and not enough delivery. Nonetheless, the build-up and atmosphere are top notch, a combination of psychological and Lovecraftian horror, and on the whole this is an intriguing and enjoyable, if brief, read. I recommend it.
I've previous read and adored Kiernan's Threshold , and the aspects I loved of that book reappear here: Lovecraftian horror of the endless and threatening unknown, slow-building tension, and a wealth of scientific detail which makes the supernatural events all the more believable. The Dry Salvages also adds psychological horror—this brief book has little room for plot; instead, character interactions make up most of the action, following the crew's slow descent towards madness. All of these elements are skillfully rendered and incredibly enjoyable, creating a book which grips the reader and builds the sort of horror which I actually find frightening—a rarity, in literature, and something that I cherish.
And yet the book offers little more than that. The build up does lead somewhere, but it doesn't lead to a destination quite big enough for all that precedes it. At just over 100 pages, this book simply feels too short: there's enough time for foreshadowing but not enough time for action, and the conclusion is a miserably short ten pages. Things end as soon as they seem to begin, and it's simply frustrating. The anticipation is still delicious, and the short conclusion is a wonderful balance between madness and horror, but I wish there were more to this book. As a result, I prefer her novel-length works by a long ways, simply because they strike a better balance and have more to offer. But I did enjoy and do recommend The Dry Salvages. It's not perfect, but it's short and sweet and still worth the time it takes to read.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.