Saturday 17 January 2009

Thank you, Nymeth! New book from Dan Simmons...

After I wrote my apology in my last post, Nymeth came back in the comments and left me the news that Dan Simmons of The Terror fame (see my favourite books for 2008!), has a new book coming out Feb 9,


and this is what it is about:

"From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY --
Drood Dan Simmons. Little, Brown, $26.99 (784p) ISBN 978-0-316-00702-3

Bestseller Simmons (The Terror) brilliantly imagines a terrifying sequence of events as the inspiration for Dickens's last, uncompleted novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, in this unsettling and complex thriller. In the course of narrowly escaping death in an 1865 train wreck and trying to rescue fellow passengers, Dickens encounters a ghoulish figure named Drood, who had apparently been traveling in a coffin. Along with his real-life novelist friend Wilkie Collins, who narrates the tale, Dickens pursues the elusive Drood, an effort that leads the pair to a nightmarish world beneath London's streets. Collins begins to wonder whether the object of their quest, if indeed the man exists, is merely a cover for his colleague's own murderous inclinations. Despite the book's length, readers will race through the pages, drawn by the intricate plot and the proliferation of intriguing psychological puzzles, which will remind many of the work of Charles Palliser and Michael Cox.
"
link to rest here of the publisher's early reviews, from Dan Simmon's Website. Thank you so much, Nymeth, for the link and to telling me about this book.

so, Nymeth springs to the top of the Bad Blogger list for me :-) and I am a little bit amazed at the synchronicity: here I was reviewing The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, which talk about Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens and how the murder inspired both their subsequent books, and here is Dan Simmons, writing a book about both of them as main characters! And it sounds an absolutely fascinating book, perfect for a February winter read. I don't often buy hardcovers, though I think in this case, I will make an exception. I've been a Dan Simmons fan for a very long time, and early reviews make this book sound like possibly the read for 2009. Though, some may want to hold off reading this until Carl's RIP4 challenge later this year, I don't think I can wait!

A new book to read!

9 comments:

DesLily said...

you are lucky I can't add to my list until I actually BUY the book but this did go on the wish list so you are "pending" lol

Ana S. said...

lol, you're most welcome :P I think I'll start with The Terror, but I definitely also want to read this. It sounds so so good!

Kailana said...

This sounds really good, huh? One of these days I will get to it!

chrisa511 said...

I haven't read anything by Simmons yet, but this sounds so good! In fact, it's going straight onto my wishlist right now! And if I buy it....guess who gets a point? ;)

jspeyton said...

I just read about Simmons's new book a few days ago and I'm incredibly excited! Since I just finished reading "The Woman in White" and I love the idea that this one is narrated by Wilkie Collins. I'm with you - I'll probably be getting the hardback for this one. =)

Bybee said...

I'm interested in this book as well.

Susan said...

Deslily: 'pending', I like that! lol since I know I'm going to buy it, Nymeth went straight on the list!

nymeth: The Terror is so good, I do hope you enjoy it. Drood sounds so good too. I really can hardly wait for Feb 9! when will it come out in Portugal, is it the same time roughly, or is there a delay for you? I wonder if I should try getting The Mystery of Edwin Drood first (like next week!) so I have an idea what Simmons is doing.....if you can bear to put of The Terror until later, do you want to try reading this one at the same time?

Kailana: It's not out yet! And usually I wait for the paperback, but since i've just been reading about them, well, it is one I think I really can't wait to read! Lol I'm not sure how often my husband will let me get away with that one, so I have to be careful and make sure they really are must-reads first!

Chris: you haven't read anything by him....oh my.....A Haunting by him scared my friend who reads everything horror; Carrion Comfort I couldn't read because it scared me while I was pregnant long ago! I started dreaming from it. He's so good! The, there is The Terror.....last year's top 10 read for me. Oh, I hope you get to read him one day! I'm curious to know if you like him as much as I do. Hmm, maybe if you review a few more books and edge Nymeth out of the top post, I'll buy you one of his books!! lol as your prize...

jspeyton: I know, I really am counting down. Having just been to London, reading about the Road Hill murder that affected both of them, and now a horror novel with both characters! Yum!!! Hurry up Feb 9!! We'll have to see which one of us reads it first!! Did you like Woman in White?

bybee: how long will it be before you can get it over there? Are books on the shelves around the same time they are published over here, or is there a delay? I like that you want this book too :-) I wish we could read it together!

Book Lover Lisa said...

I just got this book in the mail today for review. Looks incredible, though no one warned me that it is over 770 pages.

Ana S. said...

Susan, publication delays here can go from just a month to, oh, 5 years. Very popular things get translated fast, but I'm often baffled by how many things are never translated at all. Especially when it comes to fantasy. For example, only the first 5 or 6 Discworld books are available here, only very few books by Ursula Le Guin and Diana Wynne Jones, etc. But as I hate translations anyway, I just buy the original versions online :P Or in a bookshop in town that has a section with books in English. But it's a not very large one.

Anwyay, I'd love to read this with you, but I think I'd better try some Dan Simmons before I invest in a hardcover :P We should read The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop together, though!