Friday, May 23, 2014

Carroll, Jonathan: Sleeping in Flame

Jonathan Carroll manages skilfully to combine the prosaic here and now with what can only be
called the supernatural.   On one level, the plot is straightforward - man meets woman, is instantly
smitten and falls in love which she reciprocates; after various adventures, they settle down together.
This completely ignores the supernatural elements which provide a multiple-layered environment
where past and present, reality and unreality all meet.   This book is now 26 years old and I recall
reading Carroll for the first time when the cover drawing of a Mont Blanc pen caught my eye at
least that long ago.   Since then I have read other of his books and have at least two unread ones -
a rare vintage that needs to be savoured sparingly.

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