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Lädt ... December (1994)von Phil Rickman
Keine Lädt ...
Melde dich bei LibraryThing an um herauszufinden, ob du dieses Buch mögen würdest. Keine aktuelle Diskussion zu diesem Buch. Brilliant intro to this novel from http://brightjul.wordpress.com/tag/abbey-tapes-the-exorcism/ Without giving away too much of the story, here’s the gist: In December of 1980, four musicians were invited to the ancient Black Abbey in Ystrad Ddu, Wales, near the Skirrid (a mountain) to record an album as the band Philosopher’s Stone. It turned out to be an almost cruel trick by the record producer to exploit these sensitive, psychic artists. The Abbey itself had been haunted since the 12th century when the Welsh bard Aelwyn Breadwinner (Breuddwydiwr, Welsh for “Dreamer”) died there. And each of the musicians had his own ghosts or obsessions which all seemed to come into play that fateful night, December 8… the same night John Lennon was killed. The tapes for the notorious “Black Album” recorded that night were thought to be destroyed. The musicians scatter and live with the damage done that night. Fourteen years later, the tapes resurface and the group is persuaded to reunite for another session. For the group and their friend and producer, Prof Levin, it becomes a reluctant attempt to heal, exorcise perhaps, the evils which still haunt them, the Abbey, the town and the Skirrid. Plenty of fascinating characters, bits of Welsh history and mystery, and scary stuff goes on. December has been called “horror” and does have just enough blood, guts, and ghosts to satisfy that genre; but the depth of characterization and empathy elevate the novel beyond horror and in fact it works as a murder mystery/crime fiction. Rickman likes to call it a ghost story. Suffice it to say, if you are looking for cozy, you’d best look elsewhere. Especially alluring are Rickman’s sardonic humor, occasional eroticism, and tidbits about the inner workings of the music industry. The book opens in December 1980, a group of musicians, most of who are psychic as well as talented musicians, recording under the name ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’ are working overnight in a recording studio sited in an old abbey in rural Wales. The recording doesn’t go well and ends in tragedy, simultaneously, across the Atlantic, John Lennon is murdered. The story is then picked up 14 years later and explores how the events on both sides of the Atlantic have affected the various band members as they slowly come under pressure to reform and complete the unfinished sessions. This isn’t traditional horror, as always with Rickman’s writing the atmosphere is evoked in the spaces that he leaves in the narrative with the atmospheric abbey always situated at the heart of the story, Rickman roots this book in a landscape familiar to anyone who’s read any of his other books, for fans of the Merrily Watkins series – there’s even a fleeting reference to Ted Watkins – and the book does go some way to explaining some of the backstory to some events in that series. I really don’t understand why Rickman isn’t a bigger name in British fiction writing. keine Rezensionen | Rezension hinzufügen
In the ruins of a haunted medieval abbey, four musicians hope to tap into the site's dark history--an experience that almost destroys them Thirteen years ago on a cold December night, a rock band called The Philosophers Stone gathered in the ancient ruins of an abbey to record their new album.The evening ended in bloodshed and death. Now, the tapes from that fateful recording session have been released as The Black Album, and the scattered members of the band know it's time for a reunion. Time to return to that dark December night--for one final performance. Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Google Books — Lädt ... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999Klassifikation der Library of Congress [LCC] (USA)BewertungDurchschnitt:
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The premise is a clever one: a rock band made up of psychics put into an old abbey to see what they come up with, and it isn't pretty. As usual, Rickman walks the fine line between the supernatural and the believable very well. It's also a story that exposes why it's unfair to label Rickman's work with a genre 'horror' label - there is much more here than just the overarching supernatural plot, with portrayals of creative dynamics and responses to adversity that make the book worth persevering with beyond the slow start. Lovely to see some favourite characters such as Gwyn Arthur Jones popping up too.
In terms of Rickman's stand-alone novels, I think I probably preferred Candlenight for its tighter structure and more comic edge to lighten the tone occasionally. ( )