Rating: 4/5
Review:
Thoughtful and involving
I thought this was a very engrossing and thoughtful book. Although it uses elements of the vampire myth, this is a long way from the current glut of teen vampires. It is intelligent and subtle, it doesn't stray into the supernatural and is more of an exploration of the nature of guilt, desire, evil and the abuse of power than a horror story.
There are elements of horror, but they are very well done. The story is narrated in the first person by Charles Jackson, a brilliant haematologist, who becomes obsessed with and then in deadly conflict with a man whom he glimpses apparently drinking the blood of a young woman in Paris at the end of the Second World War. It is generally a considered rather than an action-packed tale, although there was more than enough action and suspense to keep me reading avidly. It's Hitchcock rather than Hammer Horror and it is excellently done.
Marcus Sedgwick is a very fine writer. I tried this because I have enjoyed his work on the past very much (his recent She Is Not Invisible is terrific, for example) and he didn't disappoint here. He catches the voice of a post-war academic extremely well and creates a terrific sense of place throughout; I found his oppressive portrait of Avignon quite brilliant, for example, and he conjures equally convincing and involving backgrounds in the many different settings for the action.
Even if you're utterly allergic to vampires I would suggest giving this book a try. It's involving, plausible, exceptionally well written and has some important things to say about human nature. Warmly recommended.
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