Drood

Dan Simmons

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historical literary mystery

friendship and rivalry

19th century london

mysterious figure named drood

intrigue, darkness, and madness

dickens' unfinished work

complexities of dickens and collins' relationship

immersive portrayal of the victorian era

historical facts mixed with imaginative fiction

rich and multifaceted characters

uneven pacing

elaborate descriptions

exciting start losing momentum

psychological thriller

'Drood' by Dan Simmons is a captivating historical literary mystery that delves into the friendship and rivalry between Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins. The story is narrated through the eyes of Wilkie Collins, who recounts the final years of Dickens' life after a near-fatal train accident and his obsession with a mysterious figure named Drood. The novel weaves a tale of intrigue, darkness, and madness, exploring the complexities of Dickens and Collins' relationship and the haunting inspiration behind Dickens' unfinished work, 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood.'

Characters:

The characters are rich and multifaceted, particularly Collins and Dickens, who embody both brilliance and flaws, adding depth to the narrative.

Writing/Prose:

Simmons' writing style is characterized by elaborate descriptions and an immersive portrayal of the Victorian era, crafting a compelling atmosphere.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot mixes historical facts with imaginative fiction, focusing on Collins' and Dickens' intertwined lives and the enigma of a character named Drood.

Setting:

The setting immerses readers in the eerie and complex world of 19th-century London, enhancing the story's tension.

Pacing:

The pacing is uneven, with an exciting start that loses momentum at times due to excessive detail and repetitiveness.

I was out of town on the day of my friend’s disaster at Staplehurst, so it was a full three days after the accident that I received a message from my younger brother, Charles, who had married Dickens’...

Notes:

"Drood" is written as if it is a memoir by Wilkie Collins, sealed until after his death.

The memoir discusses events in the lives of Collins and Charles Dickens during Dickens' last five years.

The mysterious Drood is related to Dickens' unfinished novel, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood."

Simmons attempts to mimic the sensational style characteristic of Collins' works.

The narrative is deeply interwoven with themes of friendship, rivalry, insanity, and creativity.

The book features Collins as an unreliable narrator due to his laudanum and opium addiction.

It explores London's underbelly, including opium dens and criminal activities.

Simmons' portrayal of Dickens shows him as both a literary genius and a troubled figure.

Contrary to what some readers expected, the book blends historical fiction with supernatural elements.

The writing is rich, with vivid descriptions of Victorian England, strengthening the atmospheric quality of the novel.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book includes themes of drug addiction, mental illness, gore, and violence, reflecting Dickens's darker explorations of Victorian life.

From The Publisher:

On June 9, 1865, while traveling by train to London with his secret mistress, 53-year-old Charles Dickens - at the height of his powers and popularity, the most famous and successful novelist in the world and perhaps in the history of the world - hurtled into a disaster that changed his life forever.

Did Dickens begin living a dark double life after the accident? Were his nightly forays into the worst slums of London and his deepening obsession with corpses, crypts, murder, opium dens, the use of lime pits to dissolve bodies, and a hidden subterranean London mere research . . . or something more terrifying?

Just as he did in The Terror, Dan Simmons draws impeccably from history to create a gloriously engaging and terrifying narrative. Based on the historical details of Charles Dickens's life and narrated by Wilkie Collins (Dickens's friend, frequent collaborator, and Salieri-style secret rival), Drood explores the still-unsolved mysteries of the famous author's last years and may provide the key to Dickens's final, unfinished work: The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Chilling, haunting, and utterly original, Drood is Dan Simmons at his powerful best.

Ratings (10)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (7)
Liked It (2)

Reader Stats (19):

Read It (10)
Want To Read (6)
Not Interested (3)

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