Sometimes, the books we look forward to the most leave us the most disappointed. *cries*
I’m sure I’m in the minority on this, but Melmoth has been put on my DNF list.
You all know about my 50-page rule: the book has 50 pages to suck me in, or I drop it. Melmoth was kind of a backwards read for me. I started off really into this book. It’s very atmospheric, and I flew past the first 50 pages without even realizing it.
I have no complaints about the author’s writing ability. Sarah Perry’s style is heavy but rich, and she excellently creates a moody, Gothic narrative shrouded in mystery. Her writing perfectly evokes the hopelessness of the main character, Helen, and the extreme sense of loneliness that ironically imbues in one of the most beautiful and popular cities in the world, Prague.
And, the skulking figure of titular Melmoth, at the onset, is quite foreboding. The reader is only allowed glimpses of her, just like the characters in the book. Long, dark robes; shuffling, bloody feet; a presence that simultaneously repels you yet draws you in. She’s definitely creepy, as is befitting a Gothic novel set in a dark, centuries-old town, and Perry solidly lands communicating the unease that Melmoth brings with her wherever she goes.
However…that’s really all you get. Or, at least, that’s all I got before I stopped reading. Yes, Melmoth is excellently described. About a million times. In the exact same fashion.
Nothing ever changes, and it’s only hammered home, once again, that she’s creepy, she’s lonely, and she’s kinda stalking you. Which, yes, is unnerving at first, but since nothing actually seems to happen, the intimidation factor is lost after the first fifty times you read this unvarying description.
Speaking of repetition, a small side note: What the eff is up with all the jackdaws??? Seriously. They appear on, like, every other page. I’m all for setting the mood and for symbolism, but after awhile, you’re just kind of annoyed that these damn birds are mentioned every five seconds.
Okay, back to Melmoth. You do get a bit more action in the flashback scenes, in which you read historic accounts of people’s encounters with Melmoth the Witness – who, if you’re wondering, is a Biblical character cursed to wander the earth and bear witness to humanity’s negativity due to her failure to believe that Christ rose from the dead.
Bummer, right? Yeah. However, it it’s all kind of…passive. You’re still never really afraid of Melmoth. I started reading this book hoping to be chilled to the bone by this mythological creature, and instead I was kinda ho-hum. Maybe because there’s really not too much to be scared of. Just don’t take her hand, and it seems you’ll be fine.
Obviously, I don’t know if this all changes later on in the book. Maybe Melmoth becomes an alarmingly terrifying creature. I tried to keep reading to find out, but I just lost my verve and didn’t care to wade through the same ol’ stuff anymore to find out.
Things started to drag for me around page 116. Nothing specifically happened on this page to cause it; it’s just where I stopped reading one night, and then it took 2-3 days to coax myself back to reading more. And, even then, it was at around 3:30am on a Thursday, and I needed something, anything, to try to help me fall back asleep. Reading Melmoth seemed as good an idea as any.
At page 136, I called a time of death. There was another flashback scene, this time a rather graphic WWII one, and that was the clincher for me. I reluctantly sent Melmoth back to the library and started on my next read.
My parting thoughts: this novel may just be a very slow burn. I definitely am not a slow burn type of person (even though I loftily like to think I am), and getting to “the good part” just wasn’t happening quickly enough for me.
Appreciators of classic Gothic literature, which often takes awhile to get going, and/or is very subtle in its depiction of horror and fear, will probably find this book far more compelling than I did. And, as I’ve said, Perry is an excellent writer; she paints a beautiful picture, so if you’re into lovely, albeit repetitive prose, this may be the book for you.
Sorry, guys. There won’t be a book-inspired recipe for this one. Unless I can find a recipe for all those freakin’ jackdaws…
“At page 136, I called a time of death. ” That’s an awesome phrase! I’d borrow it to use somewhere else some time 🙂 (which reminds me actually, though off topic, that I recently had to DNF a book you liked. I’ll post about it later).
Yes, you are totally right, sometimes (if not always) the books that you anticipate the most, are the fastest to disappoint you.
As you might remember, I LOVED Melmoth, I absolutely adored the book. Melmoth for me is so real, I often say “her” when I just want to talk about the book. Like, “I liked her” instead of “I liked it”.
But. I knew nothing about the book before I started reading it. It had been a while since I read any gothic at all by that point. Thus, the writing itself, and the atmosphere teleported me to a completely new realm that took my breath away.
Also, I wasn’t in for a spooky story, and so it did spook me at first. Very soon, though, I started being scared by something else. It’s the moment when a person decides to ruin someone’s life, and how at that moment those, irritating for you, jackdaws cry, and how Melmoth is watching … It’s not about Melmoth being scary or spooky, it’s about an action that will ruin someone, and about a creature, a being that would be able to show that person later what he has done. This idea … oh my… this idea chills me to the bone. I read it in Perry’s interview somewhere how she wishes that those guys from sex scandals of this year, those who abused kids and women using their position, would meet their own Melmoths in their lives. I would send Melmoth some other ways too, to witness something else, and to show those who were responsible what they have done. I think that’s also one of the gems of the book, that it lets you imagine such things.
Thus, as you can see, I’m not contradicting you at all. I see how this book could be irritating when you were expecting a spooky gothic story but received something that slow-burning and philosophical instead.
Hahaha, I did have suspicions that the true point of Melmoth was going completely over my head. I did look up some reviews, and many others mentioned what you have–that Melmoth represents much more than a creepy, skulking figure. I can def appreciate that, and that’s why I tried to keep reading, but I just couldn’t stay with it. Plus, WW2 brutality makes me twitch uncomfortably in a way I can’t take these days, so those flashbacks really forced me away from the story.
I’m glad you liked it so much, though! I thought I rememebered you being such a fan of this one–another reason I kept trying to read more!!
Intrigued to hear more about the book I liked and you didn’t. 😁 which one was it???
I feel bad for making you push through a book you weren’t enjoying. I think our tastes match when it comes to something heart-warming and fun, like A Man Called Ove or The Rosie Project, but I also love something slow-burning and dark. So next time I’m raving about something depressing, just ignore me :)) I had to DNF The Daughters Of the Lake… 🙈 It’s just really not my type. I posted about it already (in a joined post about several books), I hope I won’t spoil your mood with that post.
You never spoil my mood! I can see Daughters not being for everyone. Always stinks to DNF a book, though. I finally found one that I love reading, though it is not at ALL seasonally appropriate, haha. But I’ll take whatever I can get after this streak!