Book 2 of 52: The Gargoyle

 

The Gargoyle begins with one of the most stunning opening scenes of any book that I've ever read. As I sat in the parking lot of the Canadian Tire starting this book, I desperately hoped the rest of the family would be stuck in a very long line up at the cash register. I actually think I ended up neglecting them for most of the afternoon once we got home.

I'd like to be able to describe this as a historical novel, or suspense/thriller, but I really can't categorize it. The plot crosses many genre lines and deals with a multitude of issues: from pornography to past lives. The story is about a man that is burned in a care accident and while in hospital meets a women, Marianne Engel, who is a sculptor of gargoyles. During the course of his recovery (with his burns described in rather horrific detail) Marianne revels to him a number of stories about love and past lives. Marianne herself is suffering from mental illness and goes through manic episodes of producing her gargoyle sculptures. To go into much more detail may give away parts of the story.

Personally, I really related to the main characters' time in hospital. Having worked in a transitional care unit that prepared long-term hospitalized patients for re-integration into the 'real world' I can tell you the author did an excellent job of explaining what it was like for a patient to undergo painful rehab sessions, learning to walk again, and eventually being released from hospital.

I will say that I while I usually get emotionally engaged with the novels I read, this one really drew me in. During the last couple of chapters I was on the verge of tears. The ending didn't quite wrap itself up in a nice neat package, but we were left with questions. This type of ending often bothers me, but in this case it was the right way to end it. I highly recommend this book and wonder if book 2 of 52 this year may be my top pick. We shall see.