From a Whisper to a Scream (thoughts)

As much as I love challenges, sometimes it’s delicious to just ignore all of those books and grab something just because. :) I first discovered Charles de Lint a couple years ago, when I read Widdershins-one of the latest of his Newford books (Newford is a made-up city that provides the common setting for them all). Since then, I’ve been slowly reading the Newford books in the order suggested by his website. So that’s how I came to check From a Whisper to a Scream out from the library.

This book was originally published under a pseudonym-Samuel M. Key. de Lint explains in his preface that he did so not to keep it a secret, but to distinguish his darker novels for readers. Also in the preface, he said that this was “the first full-length Newford novel.” (Before it came a short story collection and novella.) I was more than a little curious to see what a self-described de Lint horror novel would be like…and for those who have hesitated to read, let me re-assure you that it still reads like de Lint. There are still people who have to confront things from their past, Newford is still a magical place, and the culture of itinerant musicians and waifs is still a big part of the book.

What’s different, for me, was the level of darkness; while other Newford characters come from abusive backgrounds, in this book a child molester is front and center. And not only that, but small sections of the book are told from his point of view; those chapters were very disturbing but fortunately short. And the rest of the book is filled with strong, good people trying to do the right thing, so I’d still recommend this one. I didn’t find it particularly scary, but then it’s difficult for books to really frighten me.

A brief plot summary, so you get an idea of the ‘horror’ involved (the summary on the back cover is just wrong, lol). In 1988, Native American cop Thomas Morningstar ends up shooting and killing Teddy Bird while conducting a routine traffic stop; when they search Bird’s trunk, they find three children’s bodies. Two years later, the police are stymied by a series of brutal murders taking place in the sketchy side of Newford. Not only are there no clues, but each victim shows signs that the perpetrator is getting stronger and stronger. The case draws together a group of disparate people, including Morningstar and his brother (future chief of the tribe), newspaper photographer Jim McGann, teenage runaway Chelsea, and Papa Jo-el, a voodoo priest. And as it becomes more clear that the murderer has supernatural powers, they must figure out how to battle an evil from beyond the grave. (See-that’s what they should have put on the back cover; it’ll draw people in.)

I loved this book for the two reasons I love all of the de Lint I’ve read so far: the characters and a feeling of spirituality and magic that just pervades the book. The characters are the kind of arty, edgy cool people who you desperately want to be friends with but feel they’re so much better than you. Or maybe that’s just me. ;) Anyway, within just a few chapters I cared deeply about the characters, so I had to keep reading to find out what happened to them. Isn’t that the mark of a great book?

And while this book doesn’t have faeries, which seem to be the hallmark of urban fantasy, it does include both Native American and voodoo beliefs, as well as of course a malevolent ghost. And there’s a definite sense of good vs. evil in the book, which I think is interesting in today’s grey-loving society.

I’m not selling this one too well, am I? But despite the at-times horrific subject matter, I loved reading this book, and I wish it had been about a hundred pages longer. Definitely one to try out. However, if you haven’t read any Charles de Lint before, may I suggest starting with The Little Country? It’s a standalone novel, and it’s just perfect.

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