Name: Grotesque
Rating: 3.7 (4 reviews)

126 reviews5 followers

January 30, 2017

“The image of the gargoyle surfaces again and again, as if resurrecting itself by its own will through tortured human expressions…almost as if it existed, haunting man inwardly so that it could haunt mankind for eternity…” (excerpt from Grotesque).

Grotesque, which is a young-adult novelization of The X-Files episode of same name, is set in Washington, D.C. and explores both the essence of madness and the frailty of the human psyche. After a serial killer is arrested, who claims to have killed several young men while under the influence of a spirit demon, the murders inexplicably continue. A gifted criminal profiler, FBI Agent Fox Mulder’s involvement is requested in this case by his former mentor, Agent Bill Patterson. While Mulder suspects that the demonic entity has found someone new to perpetuate these hideous murders, his obsession with solving the case causes Agent Scully to question his sanity.

Gargoyles and grotesques figure prominently in this dark and intriguing story, which attempts to portray the concept of evil with a capital ‘E’—and possible demonic possession—through etchings and clay sculptures of gargoyles. Dark atmosphere, coupled with outstanding dialogue and dramatic character tension between Mulder and Patterson, makes “Grotesque” an instant favorite of mine. Here, author Ellen Steiber does a respectable job adapting this episode to print, deftly capturing both the episode’s psychological murkiness and sinister ambiance.

I especially like the Bill Patterson character, who possesses a strange blend of contempt and admiration for Mulder, his former protégé. Patterson's presence in the story and his connection to Mulder’s past didn’t feel like a contrived story element—which is more than you could say about the backstory characters found in earlier episodes like “Ghost In The Machine”, “Fire”, and “Lazarus.” Patterson is a fully realized character in his own right. Another compelling facet at the heart of this book is the well-crafted whodunnit mystery plot that teases the reader into believing Mulder, the central protagonist, has gone off the deep-end. Somehow, this minor red herring works in spite of the fact that no X-phile would ever really entertain the idea that Mulder has become a serial killer, demon possession notwithstanding.

Some additional scenes not found anywhere in the broadcast episode were included by the author that shed greater light on both the plot and the characters. For example, the opening pages of Chapter Four feature Mulder and Scully discussing the murder case whilst driving to Lorton prison where the suspected murderer is being held. Both the descriptions of the prison’s exterior and the expository dialogue were convincing and complemented the rest of the story. Another of these practical, added scenes is found in Chapter Six wherein Scully posits her theory of multiple personality disorder afflicting the apprehended murderer. This scene not only accurately depicts Mulder and Scully’s characters, but also provides readers with Scully’s rational insight into the case. The author makes a conscious effort to bequeath readers with more than just a superficial insight into the victims in Chapters One and Six, most notably the glassblower in Chapter Six who Steiber goes to great lengths to enlighten readers about the character’s unique profession. It’s clear that Steiber did some solid research into glassblowing—which is confirmed by her kind regards to the glassblowers at Philbaum Glass in the book’s Acknowledgements section.

Grotesque is a well-written adaptation of a well-conceived X-Files episode. I recommend it to both fans and casual readers, both young and old, though some of the violent content in this book might be unsuitable for the youngest of readers. Use caution, for here there be monsters.

fbi-agents fiction gargoyles

Carolyne

1 review

January 30, 2018

Grotesque is the twelfth book of Ellen Steiber, author of the novelization of the television series ‘’X-files’’ created by Chris Carter.
The narration is omniscient because there’s a third-person narration, which means the narrator seems to be the author. This book is mostly for young adults due to his dark fiction style like mystery,horror, fantasy, suspense, paranormal and spirituality subjects. Moreover, the plot is pretty catchy: a serial killer is slashing his victims' faces before killing them, but then after getting arrested he claims to be the victim of by an old spirit of a dangerous gargoyle and pretends that this spirit will find another body to use to continue killing even if he goes in jail. Special Agents Mulder and Scully shall find how it is possible that it never stops. Anyhow, the message of the book is pretty clear: ’’In order to catch a monster, you've got to become one yourself.’’

I like this book because there are many unexpected moments. The words used by the author really help to blend in with the story just as if I was one of the characters: ’’and we are left alone, staring into the abyss. . .Into the laughing face of madness’’. I can perceive how they feel; stress for example when they take some risks or when there’s going to be a dangerous situation: ’’Mulder knew it was crazy, but he was beginning to feel as though the grotesque faces were watching him’’. Furthermore, I don’t see time passing by when I’m reading this book. I would say yes if I had to read more of the same author because it’s mysterious, surprising, and most importantly, it catches my attention. I would recommend it to all the young adults who likes horror and paranormal subjects.