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The Angel Maker

by Stefan Brijs, Hester Velmans (Goodreads Author) (Translator)

3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 · rating details · 1,459 ratings · 163 reviews

A literary page-turner about one man's macabre ambition to create life-and secure immortality

The village of Wolfheim is a quiet little place until the geneticist Dr. Victor Hoppe returns after an absence of nearly twenty years. The doctor brings with him his infant children-three identical boys all sharing a disturbing disfigurement. He keeps them hidden away until Charlo...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published December 30th 2008 by Penguin Books (first published 2005)

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Nov 25, 2008 Katherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Dec 31, 2011 elidesc rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wat een verhaal! Vanaf de eerste bladzijden zoog Stefan Brijs mij mee in de historie van Victor Hoppe... Eigenlijk weet je doorheen het ganse boek dat een happy end afbreuk zou doen aan de opgebouwde spanning. Een als kind debiel verklaarde en later geniaal bevonden dokter met een vertekend wereldbeeld en dito geloofsovertuiging door een gebrek aan moeder- en vaderliefde die aan het klonen slaat. Eerst met muizen, later met mensen. Iemand die God het nakijken wil geven. Dat moet naar een dramati...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Arjen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dutch

Nice book.

This is the story of a genius doctor who thinks he is challenged by God in the creation of life. Set in a small village in the German speaking part of Belgium, close to the Dutch and German border, the story unfolds as the doctor returns to his childhood place with his three newborn sons. Early in the story there are subtle (well, actually not that subtle) hints which immediately set the whole thing in a creepy, eerie atmosphere. That atmosphere is gradually expanded up onto the point...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Katieeoh Lacanlale rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: creepy, engrossing, mysterious

One word to describe this book: MYSTERIOUS.

It’s the first time I’ve heard of the title and the author himself, Stefan Brijs. A year ago, when I was shopping for books and was looking for “The Child Thief”, I encountered this book that was actually beside the one that I was looking for. The cover intrigued me, since that is also one of my factors in getting a good book. I liked the super short summary at the back, and since it was a wide book, hard bound but it’s not that really expensive, I thin...more

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Mar 11, 2009 Jenna rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Hmm.. Chandra

Recommended to Jenna by: Kraig

This is one of those few books I read and quite quite figure out what to make of it. I think it was good-- really good, in fact, and so disturbing that I don't think I got very much sleep last night. But did I like it? Not so sure.

I never really connected with any of the characters, to tell the truth. Maybe that's why some of the time I didn't feel I was quite as sad as I ought. I was so dissimilar from every last one of them, and I'm not trying to say that this book should be "normalized" so I...more

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Feb 10, 2009 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: borders-original-voices

A quote on the cover from "de Volkskrant" (Amsterdam) describes this book as "An exciting novel about the dangerous and tempting possibilities of creating life." Another quote on the back, from "Stijl" (Belgium), says "An intelligently composed page-turner." Neither of these quotes lies! This novel, excellently translated from the Dutch, is amazingly well written, skillfully plotted, and wonderfully paced. It kept me awake this weekend while suffering from a killer cold - anything less terrific...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Nicholas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Horrifically bleak Gothic chiller is a page turner that keeps you hooked until the very end. The story unfolds via a structure that goes backwards and forwards in time, peeling away the macabre layers of this gruesome little story. The town of Wolfheim is something out of the 1931 Universal Frankenstein movie, a sleepy hamlet that is steeped in old superstitions despite it being the modern day, the 1980s to be exact. Victor Hoppe is one of the most twisted characters I've read in a long time. Su...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Majanka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Before you start reading The Angel Maker, get some tissues ready. Even if it’s just to wipe the sweat of your brow when you’re reading through some of the most suspenseful passages ever written. Or if it’s to wipe your eyes dry when reading a particularly sad part of the book reflecting on the protagonist’s childhood.

The main star of this book is Victor. First claimed to be mentally retarded, under the ‘care’ of nuns in a strict school, he slowly grows to become a genius. While nobody ever under...more Before you start reading The Angel Maker, get some tissues ready. Even if it’s just to wipe the sweat of your brow when you’re reading through some of the most suspenseful passages ever written. Or if it’s to wipe your eyes dry when reading a particularly sad part of the book reflecting on the protagonist’s childhood.

The main star of this book is Victor. First claimed to be mentally retarded, under the ‘care’ of nuns in a strict school, he slowly grows to become a genius. While nobody ever understood him in the first years of life because of his erratic behavior, by the time he turns twenty, nobody understands him because of his genius. Eons ahead of others, he wants to devise a way to make clones of himself, to prove to the world that he can, and for a bazillion other complex, psychological reasons. He succeeds, returning to his home village and bringing with him three identical toddlers with a deformity. While the villagers’ opinion ranges from wildly enthusiastic about the new doctor, and applauding him for taking care of his three sons singlehandedly, others have far less approving opinions about the good doctor. When he saves some villager’s lives, he’s gradually accepted into the community. But what the villagers don’t know is the doctor’s dark secret, about where the toddlers came from, and why they’re slowly deteriorating.

I can’t really say anything more out of fear of spoiling the book for you, but let me tell you that The Angel Maker is, above all, a thriller. It poses the question how far we’re willing to go to achieve our goals. How far brilliance and genius can take and individual, and how easily it can destroy them. It asks about what is allowed and what isn’t, and if human life is a too high price to pay. The doctor, Victor, is one of the most intriguing, complex, multi-dimensional characters I’ve ever read about. His childhood is so tragic and sad it made my heart weep for him. Gradually, I began to understand the reasons behind his actions, and the consequences of what he’d done. There is no true villain here. I couldn’t bring myself to see Victor as a true villain. More like a man misled by beliefs and convictions and his own doubts in humanity.

The triples were…adorable. Even if they were weird and creepy, even if they learned at strange rates, even if I’d probably have goosebumps standing in one room with them, they were adorable all the same. Especially when we got to see more of them. That’s what’s so truly sad about this novel. Nobody is happy. Nobody leaves the stage feeling even remotely content. Victor’s experiment comes back to haunt him, the triplets who were meant to be perfect are slowly withering away like flowers wasting away in the sun. Even the nanny isn’t happy, because she’s grown to love these children and she sees what’s happening to them, although she doesn’t understand it completely. Dark and disturbing, that’s how I’d describe The Angel Maker, although it’s a lot more.

I rated this book a three because it’s so darn pessimistic. There’s no positive message anywhere although, if you dig deep enough, there is. The author just fails to touch upon it, or doesn’t want to mention it. The general feeling I had after reading this book was one of sadness. The thriller aspect of it is great though. The book is even downright creepy at times; but it’s an atmospheric eeriness, like you come across in gothic horror novels. It’s not horror as such, but it’s still delightfully creepy. The kind of disturbing feeling that creeps up on you when you least expect it, that sneaks out from under the covers and stares at you in the middle of the night. I read this book on the train and kept glancing at my fellow passengers, half and half expecting some of them would’ve turned into monsters by the time I was finished.

Overall, this is a great book. Ideal to read during a chilly winter night. Give it a try. It’s not thriller-like in the sense of immediate danger, but it’s when you really start to think about it that you’ll feel truly disturbed – at least I did.(less)

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Feb 08, 2010 Marc rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://bibliotheca.skynetblogs.be/pos...

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Dec 09, 2009 Monica rated it 3 of 5 stars

I can’t remember why I picked up this book but there it was on my hold list at the library and so I started reading it, thinking that if it didn’t grab my attention in the first 50 pages I would put it down. And here I am, a couple of days later, just having finished it.

The back cover of the book describes it as, “A chilling story that explores the ethical limits of science and religion, a haunting tale in the tradition of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. It was well written and flowed...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Nike rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Waw zeg, wat is dat? Brijs heeft me even van m'n sokken geblazen. Wat een verhaal. Ik heb het boek in een week uitgelezen en dat is een recordtempo dezer dagen (al moet ik ook wel challenge in de gaten houden, ik hink een beetje achterop). Dus ja, het is een goed boek. Het vervult je met afkeer en toch blijft het boeien (lees: blijft je nieuwsgierigheid geprikkeld). Ik hou ook van het steeds wederkerend citaat: 'Soms is wat onmogelijk lijkt, alleen maar moeilijk.'

1 like · like · see review

Feb 15, 2013 Elsje rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: maandboek-boekgrrls, read-2013

Eerst Stefan Brijs - De engelenmaker.

Wat een zieke geest moet je hebben om een dergelijk verhaal te verzinnen, grrls. Ongelofelijk. Gruwelijk en afstotelijk, maar wat heeft Brijs een pageturner geschreven. Een pageturner die je nog wel even laat nadenken over alle genetische experimenten die toch overal ter wereld worden uitgevoerd...

Even kort voor diegenen die het niet kennen: Doktor Victor Hoppe komt vlakbij het drielandenpunt wonen, in het dorpje waar hij opgegroeid is. Hij komt niet alleen,...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Mkeirsbi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: r-52-books

For a novel that deals with religion, genetic engineering and delusion, this novel remains awfully shallow.

It"s the story of Victor Hoppe. Years after his departure, he returns to his small hometown, together with his triplets.
He hides the kids from the community, supposedly because they're frail and ill. Rumors start to spread, and Victor Hoppe is scrutinized in suspicion. When he more or less by accident starts his private practice as the town's doctor, and people get sneak peeks of the childr...more For a novel that deals with religion, genetic engineering and delusion, this novel remains awfully shallow.

It"s the story of Victor Hoppe. Years after his departure, he returns to his small hometown, together with his triplets.
He hides the kids from the community, supposedly because they're frail and ill. Rumors start to spread, and Victor Hoppe is scrutinized in suspicion. When he more or less by accident starts his private practice as the town's doctor, and people get sneak peeks of the children, they start accept him in the community and sympathize with him as a single father of 3.

Gradually we get to learn that the good doctor is in fact a specialist in the field of fertility studies with Aspergers syndrome.
Coupled with a Messiah complex, he's determined to give life - even when God determined differently.

All the ingredients to make this a great novel infused with theological and moral reflections are present.
Unfortunately the author doesn't deliver at all.

This novel pretends to be Literature, but is in fact nothing more than a cleverly built thriller story.
That's fine in its own right, but this novels pretends to be much more.
It isn't. And it's a bloody shame. This really could've been a novel that mattered. Yet, it remains utterly shallow.
Managing to cut out all theological or moral dilemma's when you're writing a story like this is no small feat, yet Brijs succeeded in creating a novel that's devoid of any deep thought.

I'm actually really annoyed. As a thriller it's really well constructed. You keep on reading and turn page after page.
The comparison with Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code springs to mind. So when you read it at that level, it's a very rewarding read.
But, this book is advertised as something completely different. It isn't. Nobody in his right mind would classify The Da Vinci Code as contemporary literary classic. It's a decent thriller at best.
So is The Angel Maker. And it's very annoying if a book falls short of the expectations it created.

To be read absent-mindedly. If you'd want to read a book that profoundly deals with the right of life and death, read for example John Irving's The Cider House Rules instead. If not, you're in for a huge disappointment.
(less)

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May 20, 2012 El rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21st-centurylit, science-and-medicine

Babies are creepy enough to begin with, and Stefan Brijs has made them even creepier. But it's not the kids' fault, not in this story. These aren't your run-of-the-mill jam-handed sorts of kids, the ones with Kool-Aid around their mouths. Oh, no. No, no. Give me one of those any day. Just keep these kids from this book away from me.

And, yes, that's absolutely, totally unfair of me to say. It's not their fault, as I already mentioned. They're just as innocent as I am here, but they really creeped...more Babies are creepy enough to begin with, and Stefan Brijs has made them even creepier. But it's not the kids' fault, not in this story. These aren't your run-of-the-mill jam-handed sorts of kids, the ones with Kool-Aid around their mouths. Oh, no. No, no. Give me one of those any day. Just keep these kids from this book away from me.

And, yes, that's absolutely, totally unfair of me to say. It's not their fault, as I already mentioned. They're just as innocent as I am here, but they really creeped my shit out.

That being said, the book is really only so-so. The story combines religion and science and some Asperger's, all of which should really come together to produce something pretty neat-o, but I felt it lacked in places.

I'm also not going to lie - I caught a mistake in the early pages that stuck with me the entire time. It had to have been an mistake by the author, and it wasn't caught by an editor, and dude... that's just sloppy all the way around. I'll put it behind a spoiler link so you can skip it if you don't want to know: (view spoiler)

So all that aside... the story was fine, but just wasn't as thrilling as I had hoped. The back cover compares this to Frankenstein or The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales of Terror, and believe me, the comparison isn't lost on me. They're all stories that mix science and religion, though some are more subtle than others. (Hint: The Angel Maker is not subtle.) I think, really, what it comes down to is that Brijs wanted his story to be like those others. And he might have tried too hard. I believe Brijs is a highly intelligent fellow, and clearly did a lot of research for this book... but at times it felt too forced, less of a story. He had a point and he was bound and determined to drill it into my head.

I won't write off this Brijs got entirely. I've been to his homeland of Belgium, and I want to read more Dutch literature. If he has other books I'll check them out, but won't rush to do so. He had a good idea with The Angel Maker, but it could have been even better.

And, again, I'll just say it again. Babies are effing creepy. Even if they don't say much. Or maybe that just makes them creepier. Ack.(less)

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Nov 14, 2012 Cath rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Eerlijk? Dit boek was niets voor mij. Ik las het enkel omdat het moest voor school.
Alleen al de voorkant vond ik schrikwekkend en leek niet in overeenstemming te zijn met de titel. Dit bleek een foute inschatting, want de titel is goed gekozen en die vreemde vlek kan je ook verbinden met het klonen.

Het is een soort science-fiction in het verleden. Het verhaal speelt zich af in de jaren 80’ in een zeer gelovige gemeenschap en daar botsen de christelijke waarden met die van de wetenschap. Ook de d...more

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Jul 02, 2009 Stuart rated it 4 of 5 stars

A modern re-imagining of FRANKENSTEIN, this book hits all the right notes when it comes to capturing the modern gothic aesthetic. Where it might leave you a little wanting is in the character department. Though there are many interesting personages in the story, most have very little actual stage time and the central character, Victor, is kind of high functioning autistic- fascinating, but not exactly easy to relate to. The book as a whole is a bit cold, but if you can look past that (or it does...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Katie Grainger rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was probably one of the best books I have read this year. It was atmospheric, tense and disturbing, novel about human cloning and one man's vision to beat God and create life. The novel focuses on the life of Victor Hoppe, doctor in a small village, born there he re-appears in the villagers lives with three identical triplets. The novel comprises of three distinct sections the first explaining the doctors return followed by his early years.

The final section of the book is probably the most...more

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May 09, 2009 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

I'd like to give this one 3 and a half stars but when forced to round I went up to 4. I usually shy away from books with religious themes but the promise of a good creepy story got me hooked. Victor Hoppe is a scientist with Aspergers who was raised in an asylum/convent. This combination of religious upbringing and emotionless science drives him to try to beat God at his own game by creating life. The book gives you several different perspectives - the housekeeper who lives with him, the doctor...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Trang rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, mixed-feelings

Truth is I had mix feelings about this book. It's not what I like but the story had definitely drawn me in from the beginning, and as it slowly unraveled, the truth and the past of Dr. Hoppe came to light. While I found those scientific theories confusing and foreign, Dr. Hoppe's background provoked quite a lot of emotions from me. I sympathized with him and understood why he became what he was later. His life was a struggle to do the right things, to get acknowledged but was always failed by co...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars

The inability to rate this book at three and a half stars forces me to choose to round up. That generosity aside, this novel tackles the religious zealot's argument against genetic engineering. It's the worst-case scenario of a deranged man who decides he can play God, particularly in the area of creating human life. The difference between this story and others you may have heard with similar intonations? He SUCCEEDS. It's a topsy-turvy study on good versus evil, genius versus madness.

Part stunn...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Laurel rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was a bit of a strange one, it had undertones of Gothic fiction (Frankenstein being an obvious parallel/influence) with a modern twist, although it felt kind of timeless primarily due to the setting. It takes place (apart from a few flashbacks) in a remote Belgian town on the border with Germany and the Netherlands, and despite it being set in the 1980's, the community seemed very insular and superstitious and this made it feel more old-fashioned. The pace is quite slow and the inevita...more

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Dec 30, 2010 ilse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Getwijfeld of ik 3 of 4 sterren zou geven. Puur 'Vlaams' gezien verdient het er 4, maar vergeleken met internationale kleppers kom ik toch 'maar' op 3 uit - heb ik met veel andere Nederlandstalige literatuur ook.
Het verhaal is totaal onmogelijk, maar door de manier waarop het gebracht wordt, sta je daar geen seconde bij stil en geloof je het allemaal.
Ik hou van 'Vlaamsche' literatuur genre Louis Paul Boon, Geertrui Daem, Erik Vlaminck, Simone Lenaerts... die de katholieke kneuterigheid en schij...more

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Apr 01, 2009 Americanogig rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book gave me nightmares. It's hard for me to give it more than two stars, because I really couldn't say I liked it. It was well written, but I felt like parts of it were missing. Of course that simply added to the disturbing feeling this book engenders. It is based in the small fictional Eastern European village of Wolfheim, it harkens back to the days and thoughts of Shelley's Modern Prometheus (Frankenstein). I find it hard to like, but also difficult to completely hate Herr Dokter. Mons...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Femke rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ik twijfel tussen 3 en 4 sterren voor dit boek. 4 sterren voor het verhaal, dat zeker. Misschien is het een beetje beroepsmisvorming, maar het is een flink staaltje wetenschapsethiek gecombineerd met spanning, dat zorgt voor een echte page-turner. Echter, drie sterren door de overdaad aan verwijzingen met God. Echt, serieus. Victor Hoppe waant zich Jezus, we get it. Daarom is het niet nodig om een kwart van het boek te vullen met verwijzingen naar de bijbel. Ergens veronderstel ik dat de auteur...more

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Apr 17, 2008 Lilith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Compleet geweldig, dit boek.
Het was al weer een hele tijd geleden dat ik nog eens triest was omdat een boek uit was. In drie dagen, dan nog wel...

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Apr 11, 2011 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

I ended up not finishing this one. Just wasn't my cup-o-tea

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Mar 11, 2013 Christina added it

Rubbish. Possibly the most poorly written book I've ever read. Lumbering from one predictable plot point to the next, with ham fisted religious debate and simplistic character superstitions that seem more befitting of a tale from the 18th century than the late 1980s. Any resemblance to the far superior Never Let Me Go begins and ends with the topic of cloning and the rights of the clones, but where that novel is haunting and beautifully written, The Angel Maker is grotesque and laughably amateur...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Marlinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I definitely liked this book! I had some troubles at the beginning, goes I didn't get what the story was about but I continued reading anyway and from somewhere in the middle I understood what was going on and all and read it a whole lot faster. There are so many nice symbols and references in this book to think about and as a reader you try to understand Victor's behaviour and way of thinking... I really liked the book. If you're stuck at the beginning I recommend you to read further anyway, it...more

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Mar 20, 2009 Rich Cresswell rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at the library and wasn't sure what to expect. It ended up being a good read, if somewhat disjointed. Brijs showed an impressive amount of scientific knowledge in writing it, as well. Basically it tells the tale of a scientist who works on cloning and the surrounding ethical issues, as well the story of his upbringing and what led him to reach such levels of success. A potent commentary on science, religion, and the dangers of rationalizations, it was an entertaining if str...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Whatsername rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Premetto che non è proprio il mio genere e che ho fatto molta fatica a finirlo!!
Pesante l'argomento e poi questo Doktor Hoppe era troppo "inumano" pur essendolo, senza sentimenti pur dovendoli avere; insomma uno psicolabile!
Pure i figli mica scherzavano...
Non lo rileggerò comunque!Essendo credente questo "dottorino" parlava troppo male di Dio e ne parlava come un "deficiente" e come un incompetente; poi arrivava sempre lui che sapeva fare tutto, meglio e senza errori. Insomma non mi ha entusi...more

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Wonderful book, story beautifully told	1	23	Aug 23, 2007 05:15am

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About Stefan Brijs

Stefan Brijs is een Vlaamse schrijver.

Stefan Brijs werd geboren op 29 december 1969 in Genk (Belgisch-Limburg), waar hij ook jarenlang woonde en naar school ging. In 1990 studeerde hij af als onderwijzer en begon als opvoeder aan zijn vroegere middelbare school te werken. Van 1994 tot 1997 woonde hij in Zonhoven, daarna vestigde hij zich opnieuw in Genk.

Sinds 1999 schrijft Stefan Brijs voltijds –...more

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“Soms is wat onmogelijk lijkt, alleen maar moeilijk.” — 2 people liked it

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