George R.R. Martin - Fevre Dream - Review

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Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Short Review: Grisly at times, but one hell of a page turner with a fantastic ending.

Long Review:

This read was a departure for me -- away from the FR/DL books that I have become entrenched in as of late -- but the author's name is what drew me in. And I was not disappointed.

This book takes place on the fascinating waterways of the Old South in the mid 1800's. The Mississippi, the Missouri, the Ohio -- all tell of the legends of the old steamboats, their wily captains and their unforgettable passengers. Martin brings these legends to life, with all the color that the Old South has to offer -- the beauty and grandeur of the old plantations to the squalor and misery of the slave camps. He follows the story of one steamboat captain -- his successes, his failures, his enemies and his, oh so odd associates. But this isn't a story of just one man -- it's a story of good and evil, of misconception and truth, of creatures born out of legend -- it is a story about vampires.

From the first page to the last, Martin spins his yarn so deftly that the reader is sucked into this world -- page after page -- an immersion, through which you experience the totality of the mystery, the horror of "feasting", the sadness of the innocent. This book is not for the timid. On the surface it is indeed a vampire story, with a few grisly scenes that make you swallow hard and breathe deep, but it also delves into many unpleasant issues that call into question our humanity, our history and our purpose. Martin weaves his words so well, you find yourself holding your breath as you turn the page, even though your stomach churns at the thought.

What I particularly like about Martin's work (and this book is no exception), is his ability to be a master of subtlety and explosive drama both. Subtle nagging questions arise throughout this reading regarding character and plot that he doesn't answer right away -- but that come eventually. Yet you can turn any page and catch your breath at the force of his graphic realism displayed.

While I am not a fan of the horror genre, I found this book to be much more than that. I found it to be a book of passion, of undying friendship and of honor. I did, however, read it with every light on in the house.


[ July 25, 2005, 17:48: Message edited by: Spellbound ]

 

good review spelly

i have it and was thinking of letting it collect a bit of dust before i got to it but i think i'll be fast tracking it to the top of my reading list now

 

Interesting stuff. I'd like to read it one day.

I wonder when we will get our first really negative book review.

 

if i get around to doing a review on "lady of poison" we might worst FR book i've ever read

 

Well, I'm tempted to write a negative review for The DaVinci Code - but it's a while since I read it now, and the strength of my lack-of-feeling about it has somewhat faded.

 

Just got this book delivered from Amazon yesterday, after this review I'll be reading it very soon!

 

I didn't like it as much as Spellbound seems to have - I would have rated it three and a half stars myself.

I was somewhat bored by the vampire content in the first half of the book. The vampire content becomes somewhat more interesting around the middle of the book but I still can't help but think that it would have been a lot more interesting if the vampire elements had been left out and the book had just been about Captain Marsh's adventures as a riverboat captain. I really enjoyed the sections of the book that were about the Captain, the boats, and life along the river.

WARNING: Some spoiler content below.

I DID like how the book ended. The final confrontation itself wasn't anything special but the lead-up to it and the epilogue were great in their bitter-sweetness. From almost the very beginning Martin telegraphs a standardly happy cliche ending and when you realize that this ending is not going to happen you can't help but feel a little sorry for Captain Marsh.

 

I would be glad to write a negative review on any of the two books by Martin that I've read (it's been awhile). But to be really fair, I would have to re-read one of them, and I just don't want to put myself through that torture again. But Spelly and Apeman have written nice reviews, so I can't fault the reviews themselves.

 

If you really want a negative review I am sure that I could write one - I have always found that it is much easier to carp about a piece of garbage than it is to suitably praise a piece of art.

The worst book that I have read recently would have to be The Elder Gods which I would give one star. Or I could read the sequal and report on whether it is equally as bad.

Otherwise there is the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series which I would probably give two stars.

 

I just finished it and have to disagree with some of your points JSBB. While the portions about life on a steamboat were pretty interesting, I preferred the vampire parts. Also, while I agree with this:

*SPOILER*


I found the part when they were separated towards the end kind of draggy and the book kind of lost it's steam for me at that point. It regained it at the end though. I guess it's really because I was more into the vampire portions. I liked the ending though. Kinda reminded me of the recent movie version ending of The Phantom of the Opera.

 

It's been about 5 years since I read "Fevre Dream", but I thought it was a fascinating story that was excellently told. Good on ya, Spellbound!