Just Finished
"Over the last ten years or so I've enjoyed a few of Patricia Highsmith's books, Strangers on a Train, Deep Water, People Who Knock on Doors (my favorite so far) and This Sweet Sickness. I find her writing style unique and her mysteries very interesting. Carol has been a different experience for me when I think back on her other stories.
Carol (also published as The Price of Salt) was her second novel published originally in 1952. It is a love story in its simplest form. Therese Belivet is a stage designer trying to get herself established in the business. She is forced to work of the Christmas period as a store clerk in the toy department in a department store in New York. One day she sees Carol Aird, an attractive woman shopping for a doll for her daughter.
A connection is made almost immediately and a relationship commences. After spending time together, Carol invites Therese on a road trip across the US. She is going through a divorce with her husband and needs to get away. Therese agrees to accompany her and on this trip, their relationship grows. They discover as well that Carol's husband has a detective trailing them, trying to get 'dirt' on her so that he can get sole custody of their daughter.
That is the basic story but there is so much more to this story. It is a coming-of-age for Therese, as she finds out more about her personality and feelings. Highsmith presents their relationship delicately and intelligently. She also highlights the use of same-sex relationships at the time to ruin people's lives by those who object to them. There you have Carol's husband's feelings and also those of Therese's ex-boyfriend. But at the same time there are those who accept the relationship easily and comfortably.
It's an interesting story and quite different from those others books of Highsmith that I've enjoyed. Well worth reading. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
"All the world’s a stage—and nowhere more so than at Abbey Grange, an all-girls’ high school where a scandal has just erupted. When news spreads of a teacher’s relationship with one of his students, participants and observers alike engage in an elaborate show of concern and dismay. But beneath the surface of the teenage girls’ display, there simmers a new awareness of their own power.
Although no one knows the whole truth, the girls have their own ideas about what happened. They obsessively examine the details of the affair with the curiosity and jealousy native to any adolescent girl, and they confide in their saxophone teacher, an enigmatic woman who casts a withering eye on the dramas that unfold—both real and imagined.
When the local drama school decides to use the scandal as the basis for its year-end show, the real world and the world of the theatre collide. As the story moves back and forth between the two schools—and characters slip in and out of different personas—the boundaries between public and private, fact and fantasy begin to dissolve."
The Science Fiction Novel - Colin Wilson
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| Colin Henry Wilson |
Wilson was associated with the 'angry young men' of England, in his non-fiction writings. He explored his ideas on human potential and consciousness in his mystery and science fiction stories.
While searching for some of Wilson's mysteries, I discovered his The Space Vampires and decided to give it a try. Since that time I've also read another of his Sci-Fi books and purchased one of his mysteries and one of his non-fiction novels. I'll highlight the two Sci-Fi novels in this entry.
"The Space Vampires was my first exposure to British writer Colin Wilson. I have a couple of other books of his on my book shelf; The Schoolgirl Murder Case (1974) and Order of Assassins: The Psychology of Murder (1972). I found The Space Vampires by chance and the plot line sounded interesting.
The space ship Hermes is deep in space and discovers a derelict space ship that appear abandoned and ripped open by a meteor. When some of the crew, led by Captain Carlsen go onboard to explore the ship, the discover 30 humanoid beings in apparently deep sleep. They take three of the bodies, one male and two female on board the Hermes and bring them back to Earth.
In the lab where the bodies are kept, Carlsen brings a reporter in to view them. The young man is killed by one of the females, basically drained of his energy. The female then walks away. Her body is later discovered but it appears she may have taken over another. Thus begins a search for what appear to be space vampires. The other two bodies also die but their spirits also seem to have escaped the laboratory by taking over other humans.
Carlsen and vampire researcher Falladar travel to northern Sweden to discuss the case with another vampire researcher, one with a strange story. While there we discover that Carlsen might also have a secret. Is he connected with the first female vampire?
The story is somewhat scientific (Wilson has written non-fiction books and essays about the occult) but moves along as well at a nice pace. There are definitely sexual elements to the story and about the vampires influence on their subjects. The story picks up speed and tenseness as Carlsen and Falladar and other helpers search for the escaped vampires and discover their threat to mankind. Not a perfect book by any means but different and ultimately interesting and satisfying. (3.5 stars)"
"The Mind Parasites by Colin Wilson was definitely interesting. I had previously read another of his Sci-Fi books, The Space Vampires, which was another intriguing story. What to say about The Mind Parasites???
It's a story that moves between horror and Sci-Fi and there are many influences (unless it's more that he has influenced others) or themes explored within the story. It moves from an archeological horror story with HP Lovecraft aspects, both intrinsic and explicit and ends with a spacey type story. As I read through it I was reminded of the aforementioned Lovecraft theme, John Wyndham's hive mind children of The Village of the Damned, Robert Heinlein's Puppet Masters and E.E. Doc Smith's Lensman SciFi books.
Let's take a quick look at the story itself. Professor Gilbert Austin makes a discovery while exploring an archeological dig in Turkey. As well, a close friend of his commits suicide and leaves his papers for Austin.
The two events become related. What has he found in Turkey? Why are the incidents of suicide in the world increasing so dramatically? What is this presence that he senses when he explores his friend's documents and what is hampering his efforts in Turkey? Along with his friend, fellow scientist, Prof Reich, they begin both an archeological and psychological exploration of these invaders, the Mind Parasites of the book's title. It's an intriguing story of this threat to mankind and also interesting how these two scientists, along with an increasing group of fellow scientists, increase their mental capabilities to enable themselves to combat these 'aliens'.
The story is written almost in a documentary fashion and develops slowly. It takes awhile before the enemies that are affecting mankind so much are recognized as they are secretive and have inserted themselves within the mental framework of mankind and have basically taken over. These few scientists may be the only hope to save mankind. As a twist of sorts, maybe these selfsame scientists don't really feel the need to do so as their powers increase and they also sort of look down on the normal people of the world.
Funnily I did find myself getting irritated by Mr. Austin. As his mental powers increased, his interest in the 'average' human decreased. There were some funny lines, one in particular caught me... As part of the effort to destroy the 'mind parasites' they had to remove the moon. This was the line; 'The earth lost its moon, to the accompaniment of violent protests from sentimentalists, which we ignored'... I number myself as one of those sentimentalists.. ;0).. Anyway, all in all it was an interesting, unique story. Worth trying. (4 stars)"
The complete listing of Wilson's writings can be found at this link.
Enjoy your weekend!
