The blurb: ‘A literary page-turner about one man’s macabre ambition to create life—and secure immortality’.
The reviews: ‘...has superglue-soaked covers; you can't put it down... compulsive reading... This is a great big clunking fist of a book. Prepare to be knocked speechless.’ (SFX Magazine ), ‘a tall tall of angelic sons and and lofty ideals’ (The Independent), and ‘compelling... succeeds in immersing the reader in a chilling tale’ (Glasgow Evening Times).
The book: The Angel Maker, the UK edition of Flemish writer Stefan Brijs’ novel De Engelenmaker, translated by Hester Velmans and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in July 2008.
The facts: A gripping story about Victor Hoppe, a village doctor with a desire to correct the mistakes of nature that leads him to eventual ruin and disgrace. As one reviewer remarked, Brijs has created multiple deep characterisations across the main protagonists and bit-players of his novel, and a very personal, morally clouded world of scientific experimentation, flavoured with a gleeful faux-gothic feel which lingers about the whispering town of Wolfheim and its gossipy & God-fearing residents:’recommended to those who fancy a decent and timely discussion on the neverending uneasy stand-off between science and faith, and especially to those who like their villains secretive, moody, desperately driven and inscrutable’
The future: out soon (30 December 2008) in the US and available from Penguin USA.
The blurb (revisited): ‘A chilling story that explores the ethical limits of science and religion, The Angel Maker is a haunting tale in the tradition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. Brought to life by internationally bestselling author Stefan Brijs, this eerie tale promises to get under readers’ skin.’
The conclusion: recommended reading
Enough said already.
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