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juushikaTitle: Threshold
Author: Caitlín R. Kiernan /![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
greygirlbeast
Published: New York: Roc, 2001 (2007)
Rating: 5 of 5
Page Count: 312
Total Page Count: 84,426
Text Number: 242
Read Because: personal enjoyment, reread, given to me bycalico_reaction
Short Review: When Chance and her friends break into a mountainside tunnel, they never expect to set into action a chain of events that lead to the appearance of Dancy, a young girl who claims to see monsters, or the discovery of impossibly old fossils, which may prove her right. Kiernan writes Lovecraftian horror of the finest sort, but her lyrical prose and carefully balanced novel are entirely her own. Threshold's narrative voice may not suit all readers, but for those with a love of lyricism and an appreciation for fear of the unknown, this book is a must read. I highly recommend it.
Kiernan is a child of Lovecraft in the purest sense, but unlike much of Lovecraft's writing and Kiernan's own short fiction, with Threshold she does more than show a glimpse of the terrible unknown—she explores the concept in depth and at length. Couching the story in paleontology which gives the fantastical horror a ring of authenticity that makes it all the more frightening, Kiernan explores the horror of the endless malignance which lies on the edge of comprehension, and she does so with aplomb. Her monsters are original and often surprisingly visceral, but there is always something beyond them—never so far away that the reader feels teased, but far enough that the reader can only glimpse its infinite vastness and darkness. It's a brand of horror that relies on the reader's imagination to intrigue and frighten, and Kiernan executes it with perfection. Fans of Lovecraft will be perfectly at home in this novel.
But, regardless of her predecessors, Kiernan remains unique. This book stands apart by expanding its concept through an entire novel; Kiernan's writing stands apart by the other aspects which compliment its horror: lyrical prose, flawed and finely nuanced characters, and a plot which balances character development, atmosphere, and action to end in a simply brilliant final chapter. These aspects may not appeal to readers in search of a transparent narrative or consistently likable characters, but they make for a complex and finely-layered story and they add that special something, a blend of inspiration and skill, which turns a strong novel into something truly remarkable. Threshold was my introduction to Kiernan, and upon this reread it remains my favorite of her oeuvre. It's a good place to begin reading her work and a wonderful book in its own right: intelligent, thoughtful, atmospheric, terrifying, altogether skillful, and greater than the sum of its parts, this is a book to remember. I highly recommend it.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Hardest ever book to summarize? I think so!
Author: Caitlín R. Kiernan /
greygirlbeastPublished: New York: Roc, 2001 (2007)
Rating: 5 of 5
Page Count: 312
Total Page Count: 84,426
Text Number: 242
Read Because: personal enjoyment, reread, given to me by
calico_reactionShort Review: When Chance and her friends break into a mountainside tunnel, they never expect to set into action a chain of events that lead to the appearance of Dancy, a young girl who claims to see monsters, or the discovery of impossibly old fossils, which may prove her right. Kiernan writes Lovecraftian horror of the finest sort, but her lyrical prose and carefully balanced novel are entirely her own. Threshold's narrative voice may not suit all readers, but for those with a love of lyricism and an appreciation for fear of the unknown, this book is a must read. I highly recommend it.
Kiernan is a child of Lovecraft in the purest sense, but unlike much of Lovecraft's writing and Kiernan's own short fiction, with Threshold she does more than show a glimpse of the terrible unknown—she explores the concept in depth and at length. Couching the story in paleontology which gives the fantastical horror a ring of authenticity that makes it all the more frightening, Kiernan explores the horror of the endless malignance which lies on the edge of comprehension, and she does so with aplomb. Her monsters are original and often surprisingly visceral, but there is always something beyond them—never so far away that the reader feels teased, but far enough that the reader can only glimpse its infinite vastness and darkness. It's a brand of horror that relies on the reader's imagination to intrigue and frighten, and Kiernan executes it with perfection. Fans of Lovecraft will be perfectly at home in this novel.
But, regardless of her predecessors, Kiernan remains unique. This book stands apart by expanding its concept through an entire novel; Kiernan's writing stands apart by the other aspects which compliment its horror: lyrical prose, flawed and finely nuanced characters, and a plot which balances character development, atmosphere, and action to end in a simply brilliant final chapter. These aspects may not appeal to readers in search of a transparent narrative or consistently likable characters, but they make for a complex and finely-layered story and they add that special something, a blend of inspiration and skill, which turns a strong novel into something truly remarkable. Threshold was my introduction to Kiernan, and upon this reread it remains my favorite of her oeuvre. It's a good place to begin reading her work and a wonderful book in its own right: intelligent, thoughtful, atmospheric, terrifying, altogether skillful, and greater than the sum of its parts, this is a book to remember. I highly recommend it.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Hardest ever book to summarize? I think so!
