No, this is definitely not in the horror section. It might be squeezed into the thriller genre, but my blog my rules. This one's a must simply because it has created such a controversy in Italy, especially in the Vatican. It's not the first time I'm intrigued with reading examinations of conspiracy theories, and it's not the first time Umberto Eco examines them. His latest takes on freemasonry, antisemitism and the forgery of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
The last conspiracy theory based novel I read was Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, which I loved. A lot of people found it overrated, irrational or even a blasphemy. I found it immensely interesting.
1. Because since I studied physics in high school I've always been fascinated with Sir Isaac Newton.
2. Because I've always believed that Jesus did have a woman, just like any other normal guy.
3. I love reading about secret societies.
4. I generally love conspiracy theories (Nope, I don't believe Armstrong walked the moon in 1969).
And even though I've read numerous contradictions, amongst them The Da Vinci Code and the Secrets of the Temple, which I bought from the writer, Robin Griffith-Jones, who's the Master of the Temple at the Temple Church in London, I was never thrown off. It's too damn interesting.
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion documents the late 19th-century meeting between Jewish leaders discussing their plan to control the press and the world's economies. The Prague Cemetery presents the main character Simone Simonini who's fueled by antisemitism and concocts the ultimate conspiracy theory; a mythic meeting of the Elders of Zion taking place in Prague's Jewish cemetery to plan the rule of the world. And it's supposed to be downwards from that.
Critics have said that Eco describes the Jews as so disgusting, plotting and ill-natured that they fear that the book will raise more antisemitism. That readers will forget that this is a novel, and look at it as a scientific book where the characters seem certain of this crime.
It can't be other than brilliant!
Människohamn (Harbour) by John Ajvide Lindkvist
”It was a beautiful winter's day. Anders, his wife and their feisty six-year-old, Maja, set out across the ice of the Swedish archipelago to visit the lighthouse on Gavasten. There was no one around, so they let her go on ahead. And she disappeared, seemingly into thin air, and was never found. Two years later, Anders is a broken alcoholic, his life ruined. He returns to the archipelago, the home of his childhood and his family. But all he finds are Maja's toys and through the haze of memory, loss and alcohol, he realizes that someone - or something - is trying to communicate with him. Soon enough, his return sets in motion a series of horrifying events which exposes a mysterious and troubling relationship between the inhabitants of the remote island and the sea.”
”It was a beautiful winter's day. Anders, his wife and their feisty six-year-old, Maja, set out across the ice of the Swedish archipelago to visit the lighthouse on Gavasten. There was no one around, so they let her go on ahead. And she disappeared, seemingly into thin air, and was never found. Two years later, Anders is a broken alcoholic, his life ruined. He returns to the archipelago, the home of his childhood and his family. But all he finds are Maja's toys and through the haze of memory, loss and alcohol, he realizes that someone - or something - is trying to communicate with him. Soon enough, his return sets in motion a series of horrifying events which exposes a mysterious and troubling relationship between the inhabitants of the remote island and the sea.”
This one’s not new, I just haven’t come around to read it yet. Based on the fact that I've loved everything I've read from Lindqvist so far, this sure won't be an exception. I'm mostly interested in seeing how he incorporates the very distinct and characteristic feeling of the Swedish archipelago. If you haven’t been there (to either west or east coast) you can’t really imagine how very tranquil and, at the same time, terrifying it can be. I’m betting the scenery will go perfectly hand in hand with the subject of loss and grief that Lindqvist so gallantly masters. That, and the fact that he always seems to be able to personify the subject of horror, and make it an everyday and familiar acquaintance.
Lilla Stjärna (Little Star) by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Little Star is John Ajvide Lindqvist’s latest physically published novel (Tjärven is newer, but have only been released as audio book and e-book), that has not yet been released in English. The story reflects the failure of adults and the fragility of the young, in a story that reintroduces horror in everyday Sweden. Readers have said that this is by far his darkest (and best!) book so far so I’m excited to read it!
As mentioned above, I love finding an author who interprets local and familiar places or events that you, as a reader, have a personal relation to. When I lived in Oregon I loved reading Chelsea Cain’s Heart-trilogy, ‘cause it takes place in Portland and along the I-84, where I lived and worked. (Also the book series stars a female serial killer, which is awesome!!) Lilla Stjärna (Little Star) supposedly has a terrifying twist of the very much loved (and by me visited) summer event of “community singing” at Skansen in Stockholm.
Little Star is John Ajvide Lindqvist’s latest physically published novel (Tjärven is newer, but have only been released as audio book and e-book), that has not yet been released in English. The story reflects the failure of adults and the fragility of the young, in a story that reintroduces horror in everyday Sweden. Readers have said that this is by far his darkest (and best!) book so far so I’m excited to read it!
As mentioned above, I love finding an author who interprets local and familiar places or events that you, as a reader, have a personal relation to. When I lived in Oregon I loved reading Chelsea Cain’s Heart-trilogy, ‘cause it takes place in Portland and along the I-84, where I lived and worked. (Also the book series stars a female serial killer, which is awesome!!) Lilla Stjärna (Little Star) supposedly has a terrifying twist of the very much loved (and by me visited) summer event of “community singing” at Skansen in Stockholm.
Whilst out mushrooming, has-been Swedish pop singer, Lennart, makes an unpleasant discovery. He finds a lifeless infant in a plastic bag. The baby is resuscitated and turns out to have a beautiful and rare voice. Lennart takes her home and decides that she must remain untouched, undisturbed. Locked up in the basement, the girl Teres, must represent pure music and the purpose of his life.
At the same time another young girl grows up in a small village in another part of Sweden. Teresa finds it difficult to make friends and her only way to escape loneliness is via the internet. One day she sees a girl who calls herself Tora Larsson on the Swedish version of pop-idol and is immediately transfixed by her. Teresa tries to get in touch and it turns out to be Teres who has performed under a false name. The girls become inseparable and start making music together. They get a MySpace hit and slowly their relationship changes. Teres starts seeing other girls who have seen her in the video.
Soon the girls gather outside the fence at Skansen, the local stage. Teres is the focal point, the girl they all worship, their idol. The group starts seeing themselves as a pack of wolves and display wolf like behavior."
The Bride of Frankenstein: Pandora’s Bride by Elizabeth Hand
“Attempting to create life through dreadful experiments, Henry Frankenstein and Dr. Pretorius instead created unspeakable horror: two misshapen monsters, a brutish male and his female mate, stitched together from the bodies of cadavers. Crafted to be the monster's bride - an undead Eve to an equally accursed Adam - the female creature was destroyed mere minutes after taking its first breath - or was it?”
“Attempting to create life through dreadful experiments, Henry Frankenstein and Dr. Pretorius instead created unspeakable horror: two misshapen monsters, a brutish male and his female mate, stitched together from the bodies of cadavers. Crafted to be the monster's bride - an undead Eve to an equally accursed Adam - the female creature was destroyed mere minutes after taking its first breath - or was it?”
We all know the story plot. And usually it’s the other way around – you take a really good book (preferably older and almost forgotten) and turn it into a movie. In this case we have Mary Shelley's Frankenstein published in 1818 inspiring the first movie Frankenstein's Monster from 1931, with its sequel Bride of Frankenstein from 1935, which is also inspired (but not based on) the novel. Instead we have a reinterpretation (Dark Horse Comics, 2007) of Universal Picture’s classic 1935 film by detailing the bride of Frankenstein’s secret story. This could be just a novelization of the film or something that actually renews, reinterprets and retells in a challenging and surprising way.
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