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Answered Prayers #2
Sleeping in Flame
Walker Easterling is a retired actor turned successful screenwriter living in the Vienna of strong coffee, fascinating friends, and mysterious cafes. When he falls in love with Maris York, a beautiful artist who creates cities, his life becomes alive in fantastic and unsettling ways. As Walker's love for Maris grows, his life gets more and more bizarre-he discovers he can see things happening just before they happen, and at the same time feels an incredibly strong tug from his past-so a friend steers him to Venasque, an odd little man reputed to be a powerful shaman. Venasque helps Walker discover and unravel his many interconnected past lives, and it is soon clear that an unresolved conflict from these past lives has resurfaced, and now threatens to undo Walker and Maris's love.
At once lyrical, frightening, funny, and sexy, Sleeping in Flame is a spellbinding tale where reality and fantasy merge in astonishing convolutions of magic and suspense. It confirms that Jonathan Carroll is one of the very few novelists who-by constantly surprising us-give us an entirely new perspective on our world. It is no wonder that he is generally considered to be the most original and provocative novelist of his generation.
At once lyrical, frightening, funny, and sexy, Sleeping in Flame is a spellbinding tale where reality and fantasy merge in astonishing convolutions of magic and suspense. It confirms that Jonathan Carroll is one of the very few novelists who-by constantly surprising us-give us an entirely new perspective on our world. It is no wonder that he is generally considered to be the most original and provocative novelist of his generation.
304 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 1988
21 people are currently reading
1303 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Carroll
128 books1,166 followersJonathan Carroll (b. 1949) is an award-winning American author of modern fantasy and slipstream novels. His debut book, The Land of Laughs (1980), tells the story of a children’s author whose imagination has left the printed page and begun to influence reality. The book introduced several hallmarks of Carroll’s writing, including talking animals and worlds that straddle the thin line between reality and the surreal, a technique that has seen him compared to South American magical realists.
Outside the Dog Museum (1991) was named the best novel of the year by the British Fantasy Society, and has proven to be one of Carroll’s most popular works. Since then he has written the Crane’s View trilogy, Glass Soup (2005) and, most recently, The Ghost in Love (2008). His short stories have been collected in The Panic Hand (1995) and The Woman Who Married a Cloud (2012). He continues to live and write in Vienna.
Outside the Dog Museum (1991) was named the best novel of the year by the British Fantasy Society, and has proven to be one of Carroll’s most popular works. Since then he has written the Crane’s View trilogy, Glass Soup (2005) and, most recently, The Ghost in Love (2008). His short stories have been collected in The Panic Hand (1995) and The Woman Who Married a Cloud (2012). He continues to live and write in Vienna.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
May 17, 2008
i collect jonathan carrolls books in foreign languages. he is a wonderful writer, and his books always have great covers, regardless of language. which means i have about 50 books i will never be able to read. it also means that if anyone wants to buy me presents... im just saying...
June 12, 2012
i don't know if it's because this is the third jonathan carroll book i've read, or if i'm getting progressively crazier, but the ending of this one made sense to me. :)
it could also be that sleeping in flame is a little more straightforward than the other two i've read. there are curve balls still, non-sequiturs yes, but all-in-all i feel like he's much more focussed on love, as a prism, with facets of it everywhere. there is a primary improbable love story (carroll's protagonists are frequent fall-in-lovers) but there are also many other hearts to fill and break. there are letters of lust, and loss, and bereavement, old-fashioned romances, coquettish misrepresentations, and a grand unrequited love that is punishing to all involved. but there are also jealousies of other kinds, sacrifices, and near-misses, ones who got away, and ones who desperately try to get away. venasque says we are connected through time, returning to each other's lives, that we should be trying to understand ourselves, and each other, to learn how to live; once again he beguiles me, and makes me wish we had more time together, that he'd appear at my doorstep, and guide me to a better understanding of myself. as it stands, i put my balled fist on my chin, and nothing happens.
the book is charming in both senses of the word: this comes down to carroll's endlessly appealing voice, and the metaphysical-magical trappings of his alternate universe. added to that, is the fairy tale spin, a gilded anchor for all the thematic exploration in this beautiful book.
it could also be that sleeping in flame is a little more straightforward than the other two i've read. there are curve balls still, non-sequiturs yes, but all-in-all i feel like he's much more focussed on love, as a prism, with facets of it everywhere. there is a primary improbable love story (carroll's protagonists are frequent fall-in-lovers) but there are also many other hearts to fill and break. there are letters of lust, and loss, and bereavement, old-fashioned romances, coquettish misrepresentations, and a grand unrequited love that is punishing to all involved. but there are also jealousies of other kinds, sacrifices, and near-misses, ones who got away, and ones who desperately try to get away. venasque says we are connected through time, returning to each other's lives, that we should be trying to understand ourselves, and each other, to learn how to live; once again he beguiles me, and makes me wish we had more time together, that he'd appear at my doorstep, and guide me to a better understanding of myself. as it stands, i put my balled fist on my chin, and nothing happens.
the book is charming in both senses of the word: this comes down to carroll's endlessly appealing voice, and the metaphysical-magical trappings of his alternate universe. added to that, is the fairy tale spin, a gilded anchor for all the thematic exploration in this beautiful book.
December 13, 2011
Loved it, as I've found I do every book by Jonathan Carroll. This is the third of his I've finished in a row (the first being Land of Laughs and The Wooden Sea). I can't recommend his stuff enough. But I will say, now three books into his bib, my dreams are getting stranger. I looked up JC online and sent him a brief note saying I enjoyed his work but it's giving me strange dreams. He surprisingly wrote back, saying "strange dreams are good for the digestion. Carry on."
I dig this dude. A lot.
I dig this dude. A lot.
December 11, 2012
As I said in my review of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry now and again we read the perfect book at the perfect time in our lives. Sleeping in Flame was a similar serendipitous choice, given to me by my boyfriend as an early present.
Jonathan Carroll more than any other author lures me into the worlds he creates. The mixture of wonder and cynicism in his work draws me deeper and deeper into the magical realism of Vienna and Prague, Rondua and half-recalled dreams. The more I visit the mind of the author the more I get inspired to continue my own writing.
Sleeping in Flame touched me in a rather vital way, and reminded me of all the things I adore about Jonathan Carroll in the first place. His unusual use of language and his strange reality mixed and lodged within my brain until there was just one thing I wanted to say.
I know exactly who it is that I want to steal horses with.
Jonathan Carroll more than any other author lures me into the worlds he creates. The mixture of wonder and cynicism in his work draws me deeper and deeper into the magical realism of Vienna and Prague, Rondua and half-recalled dreams. The more I visit the mind of the author the more I get inspired to continue my own writing.
Sleeping in Flame touched me in a rather vital way, and reminded me of all the things I adore about Jonathan Carroll in the first place. His unusual use of language and his strange reality mixed and lodged within my brain until there was just one thing I wanted to say.
I know exactly who it is that I want to steal horses with.
December 9, 2011
A story of fairy tales and reincarnation, of the power of names and the power of love.
Nothing fantastical happens in the first third of the book, which concerns the budding romance between two expatriate Americans living in Vienna. But then Walker Easterling has a strange encounter in a cemetery, a flash of pre-cognition at an airport and is present when a mythological beast surfaces off the Californian coast, the story picks up pace.
I kept looking at Jonathan Carroll's books in the bookshop, but regretfully putting them back due to my self-imposed ban on buying any more books until Mount To Be Read is down to a sensible size. So I was very glad to see this book at a meet-up and quickly snatched it before anyone else had a chance. Now that I've read it, I'll be adding this author's other books to my Christmas list.
Nothing fantastical happens in the first third of the book, which concerns the budding romance between two expatriate Americans living in Vienna. But then Walker Easterling has a strange encounter in a cemetery, a flash of pre-cognition at an airport and is present when a mythological beast surfaces off the Californian coast, the story picks up pace.
I kept looking at Jonathan Carroll's books in the bookshop, but regretfully putting them back due to my self-imposed ban on buying any more books until Mount To Be Read is down to a sensible size. So I was very glad to see this book at a meet-up and quickly snatched it before anyone else had a chance. Now that I've read it, I'll be adding this author's other books to my Christmas list.
August 18, 2012
Only the guilty and the lovers really fear. The first because of what they are, the second for what they might lose.
E' davvero un peccato che in Italia si sia rinunciato a pubblicare Jonathan Carroll, un autore che meriterebbe un successo al pari di Neil Gaiman, Stephen King e persino Haruki Murakami, fosse solo per la comunanza di temi e per le influenze reciproche (magari non proprio lo scrittore giapponese, ma i primi sicuramente).
Sleeping in flame è il secondo episodio del Sestetto delle preghiere esaudite: un romanzo surreale ricco di tutti i temi tipici dell'autore. La vita del protagonista, un attore reinventatosi sceneggiatore, riceve una scossa dopo aver incontrato un'affascinante e stravagante artista - l'amore, passionale e improvviso, che ne deriva, apre nella sua vita nuovi, inimmaginabili e spesso terrificanti orizzonti. Mentre la realtà comincia lentamente a sgretolarsi, stranezza dopo stranezza, il protagonista affronta un viaggio alla (ri)scoperta di sé, che sorprendentemente si riallaccia alla tradizione favolistica dei Grimm, in una progressiva virata verso il fantastico che scomoda persino il racconto di Tremotino.
Di più non dico perché i romanzi di Carroll vanno assaporati e scoperti poco a poco. Mi sbilancio più tranquillamente, invece, sulle tematiche affrontate e sui topos dell'autore: un salvifico secondo matrimonio che ripara i danni di un divorzio sofferto, il conflittuale rapporto padre-figlio, il fantasioso e stravagante mondo degli sceneggiatori, artisti e scrittori (personaggi che ricorrono in tutti i sei romanzi del ciclo), immancabilmente arricchito di tinte horror, ma soprattutto, il potere delle storie narrate e scritte - il potere (letteralmente!) di modificare la realtà. Questi sono tutti elementi costanti nell'opera di Carroll, che subisce influenze e a sua volta ispira quegli autori di cui sopra; soprattutto l'idea che la scrittura abbia davvero qualcosa di magico e di potente (espressa a chiare lettere nel romanzo d'esordio di Carroll, Il paese delle pazze risate), rende molto evidenti le analogie con un autore come Gaiman.
Ciò che trovo esclusivo di Carroll, ed è davvero uno dei suoi pregi assoluti, è l'attenzione rivolta alla tradizione mittleuropea, qui certamente incarnata nelle storie raccolte dai fratelli Grimm, nonché nell'ambientazione austriaca e tedesca del romanzo (altra costante carrolliana). Da questo, come molti altri romanzi, trasuda l'amore per le storie e per i luoghi ad esse legati. Tutte le storie sono correlate tra loro, e così è anche per le storie di Carroll: letta una, non puoi fare a meno di leggere tutte le altre.
E' davvero un peccato che in Italia si sia rinunciato a pubblicare Jonathan Carroll, un autore che meriterebbe un successo al pari di Neil Gaiman, Stephen King e persino Haruki Murakami, fosse solo per la comunanza di temi e per le influenze reciproche (magari non proprio lo scrittore giapponese, ma i primi sicuramente).
Sleeping in flame è il secondo episodio del Sestetto delle preghiere esaudite: un romanzo surreale ricco di tutti i temi tipici dell'autore. La vita del protagonista, un attore reinventatosi sceneggiatore, riceve una scossa dopo aver incontrato un'affascinante e stravagante artista - l'amore, passionale e improvviso, che ne deriva, apre nella sua vita nuovi, inimmaginabili e spesso terrificanti orizzonti. Mentre la realtà comincia lentamente a sgretolarsi, stranezza dopo stranezza, il protagonista affronta un viaggio alla (ri)scoperta di sé, che sorprendentemente si riallaccia alla tradizione favolistica dei Grimm, in una progressiva virata verso il fantastico che scomoda persino il racconto di Tremotino.
Di più non dico perché i romanzi di Carroll vanno assaporati e scoperti poco a poco. Mi sbilancio più tranquillamente, invece, sulle tematiche affrontate e sui topos dell'autore: un salvifico secondo matrimonio che ripara i danni di un divorzio sofferto, il conflittuale rapporto padre-figlio, il fantasioso e stravagante mondo degli sceneggiatori, artisti e scrittori (personaggi che ricorrono in tutti i sei romanzi del ciclo), immancabilmente arricchito di tinte horror, ma soprattutto, il potere delle storie narrate e scritte - il potere (letteralmente!) di modificare la realtà. Questi sono tutti elementi costanti nell'opera di Carroll, che subisce influenze e a sua volta ispira quegli autori di cui sopra; soprattutto l'idea che la scrittura abbia davvero qualcosa di magico e di potente (espressa a chiare lettere nel romanzo d'esordio di Carroll, Il paese delle pazze risate), rende molto evidenti le analogie con un autore come Gaiman.
Ciò che trovo esclusivo di Carroll, ed è davvero uno dei suoi pregi assoluti, è l'attenzione rivolta alla tradizione mittleuropea, qui certamente incarnata nelle storie raccolte dai fratelli Grimm, nonché nell'ambientazione austriaca e tedesca del romanzo (altra costante carrolliana). Da questo, come molti altri romanzi, trasuda l'amore per le storie e per i luoghi ad esse legati. Tutte le storie sono correlate tra loro, e così è anche per le storie di Carroll: letta una, non puoi fare a meno di leggere tutte le altre.
September 14, 2015
I decided to try this author after hearing many recommendations from Neil Gaiman. After conducting some research this one came up as a good one to start with.
Our man character Walker is a divorced screenwriter who lives in Vienna and falls in love the minute he meets Maris. He feels connected to here instantly upon first meeting her. Only then do the most strange things start happening to him as he remembers things from past lives. To save his Fiancee he must come to terms with his past and it seems his Father could have a big part in his troubles.
This book is a modern telling of Rumplestiltskin the fairy tale. It has magic, midgets and reincarnation but these are not thrown at you in a far out fantasy they are injected slowly in to the story, magical realism at it's best!.. I loved Carroll's writing, he writes in such a way you find yourself re-reading passages and poising at his use of language. I did however feel a bit let down with the ending but I wouldn't let it put me off reading more by this author, no, I have two more novels of his already which I am eager to start!.
Our man character Walker is a divorced screenwriter who lives in Vienna and falls in love the minute he meets Maris. He feels connected to here instantly upon first meeting her. Only then do the most strange things start happening to him as he remembers things from past lives. To save his Fiancee he must come to terms with his past and it seems his Father could have a big part in his troubles.
This book is a modern telling of Rumplestiltskin the fairy tale. It has magic, midgets and reincarnation but these are not thrown at you in a far out fantasy they are injected slowly in to the story, magical realism at it's best!.. I loved Carroll's writing, he writes in such a way you find yourself re-reading passages and poising at his use of language. I did however feel a bit let down with the ending but I wouldn't let it put me off reading more by this author, no, I have two more novels of his already which I am eager to start!.
February 22, 2010
Another absolutely brilliant book by Carroll. For a minute there, I thought there was going to be a happy ending..
April 28, 2016
The fourth of Carroll's novels and the fourth I've read, but not the best. As with all of them it suffers from a rushed off-the-wall ending, probably more than most, but that's not my main problem with it. I found the story very uneven with lots of 'kitchen sink' things thrown in that didn't really gell with the story.
The protagonist, as in most of those I've read, is a man telling the story in first person. Walker is a small time film actor who has moved into screen writing with the help of his director friend, Nicholas. Nicholas introduces him to Maris, with whom Walker instantly falls in love, and she falls for him.
Certain things are set up in the book, for example, an expectation that Maris' abusive and violent boyfriend will cause big problems, Similarly, certain key characters are set up to appear important but fizzle out before their plotlines deliver. There are talking animals as in other Carroll novels, but they don't contribute much to the story.
The main story concerns Walker's real father, as he is adopted, and deals with the nature of reincarnation, but there are elements that don't make sense, for example
One feature of this novel not encountered before is that a minor character from the previous novel appears, and the protagonist of the same novel (Bones of the Moon) is referenced a couple of times, but there is no other obvious connection between the two, so it seems a bit pointless.
I was struck particularly in this novel, perhaps because the action in the real world moves between countries so much, that there is no real evocation/atmosphere of any of the places involved - somehow, none of the reality of life in Vienna or New York or California is brought to life. Thinking about it, this was a problem in the previous novel, Bones of the Moon, which featured Greece, Italy and New York as settings. They seem fairly nondescript backdrops despite the frequent mentions of street names and all the occasions when people sit in restaurants and coffee shops. I found it quite a struggle to finish this book, and I'm afraid to say was getting bored before things started happening in the last third or so. I have four other novels by Carroll and I'm not sure on this showing whether I won't just pass them on to the charity shop. I wouldn't normally give a book only 2 stars but there were just too many issues with this one for me.
The protagonist, as in most of those I've read, is a man telling the story in first person. Walker is a small time film actor who has moved into screen writing with the help of his director friend, Nicholas. Nicholas introduces him to Maris, with whom Walker instantly falls in love, and she falls for him.
Certain things are set up in the book, for example, an expectation that Maris' abusive and violent boyfriend will cause big problems, Similarly, certain key characters are set up to appear important but fizzle out before their plotlines deliver. There are talking animals as in other Carroll novels, but they don't contribute much to the story.
The main story concerns Walker's real father, as he is adopted, and deals with the nature of reincarnation, but there are elements that don't make sense, for example
One feature of this novel not encountered before is that a minor character from the previous novel appears, and the protagonist of the same novel (Bones of the Moon) is referenced a couple of times, but there is no other obvious connection between the two, so it seems a bit pointless.
I was struck particularly in this novel, perhaps because the action in the real world moves between countries so much, that there is no real evocation/atmosphere of any of the places involved - somehow, none of the reality of life in Vienna or New York or California is brought to life. Thinking about it, this was a problem in the previous novel, Bones of the Moon, which featured Greece, Italy and New York as settings. They seem fairly nondescript backdrops despite the frequent mentions of street names and all the occasions when people sit in restaurants and coffee shops. I found it quite a struggle to finish this book, and I'm afraid to say was getting bored before things started happening in the last third or so. I have four other novels by Carroll and I'm not sure on this showing whether I won't just pass them on to the charity shop. I wouldn't normally give a book only 2 stars but there were just too many issues with this one for me.
April 1, 2012
While this is a book review, it doubles as a happy anecdote for you lovely people.
I signed onto goodreads a day or so after Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods and the Sandman series, posted an article from his blog entitled: "Who is Jonathan Carroll and why should you care?"
Find the link here: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
It was a few weeks after I read American Gods when I read this article. I thoroughly enjoyed Gaiman's work, so I started to follow him on goodreads. This blog post is well written. But I wouldn't say it inspired me go out and buy a Jonathan Carroll book. It happened to be that I was killing time in a very small - but amazing - used book store in Ottawa, Ontario. There was nothing I was willing to invest time or money in. I am in my fourth year of an English undergrad - I have lots of reading to do as it is!
I was on my way out when a book from the bins outside the store caught my eye. It was a soft cover novel - this novel - that caught my eye. "Sleeping in Flame" for $1.99 at All Books. Usually, I wouldn't take a second glance at the crates of bargin books. I mean, come on, it was beside Botany for Dummies for Christ's sake!
But I opened it. The first page was well written. I decided to buy it. I put $1.99 on debit for this book. I walked to the Wine Rack thinking, I'm never going to read this book. It's going to sit on my shelf and rot.
But I was wrong. I started the book that night. I had zero expectations for it. Before I knew it, I was 65 pages in! Listen, when I say the first page is well written, what I mean is, it's because of Jonathan Carroll that I understand what a "lyrical author" is and how soothing he/she writes. He's poetic without being cheesy. I want you to read this book. I am man - with very little interest in romance novels (which it is, only in part) - and I must confess, I love this book! I love Vienna; I love Maris York; I love this genre of magical-realism. Gaiman is right, Carroll is a changer; he is special.
Read this book. Read all his books. I am going to join you. I am a university student that says, "Yes! Go out and find his books. Buy them at full price! They are worth it!"
I signed onto goodreads a day or so after Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods and the Sandman series, posted an article from his blog entitled: "Who is Jonathan Carroll and why should you care?"
Find the link here: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
It was a few weeks after I read American Gods when I read this article. I thoroughly enjoyed Gaiman's work, so I started to follow him on goodreads. This blog post is well written. But I wouldn't say it inspired me go out and buy a Jonathan Carroll book. It happened to be that I was killing time in a very small - but amazing - used book store in Ottawa, Ontario. There was nothing I was willing to invest time or money in. I am in my fourth year of an English undergrad - I have lots of reading to do as it is!
I was on my way out when a book from the bins outside the store caught my eye. It was a soft cover novel - this novel - that caught my eye. "Sleeping in Flame" for $1.99 at All Books. Usually, I wouldn't take a second glance at the crates of bargin books. I mean, come on, it was beside Botany for Dummies for Christ's sake!
But I opened it. The first page was well written. I decided to buy it. I put $1.99 on debit for this book. I walked to the Wine Rack thinking, I'm never going to read this book. It's going to sit on my shelf and rot.
But I was wrong. I started the book that night. I had zero expectations for it. Before I knew it, I was 65 pages in! Listen, when I say the first page is well written, what I mean is, it's because of Jonathan Carroll that I understand what a "lyrical author" is and how soothing he/she writes. He's poetic without being cheesy. I want you to read this book. I am man - with very little interest in romance novels (which it is, only in part) - and I must confess, I love this book! I love Vienna; I love Maris York; I love this genre of magical-realism. Gaiman is right, Carroll is a changer; he is special.
Read this book. Read all his books. I am going to join you. I am a university student that says, "Yes! Go out and find his books. Buy them at full price! They are worth it!"
October 25, 2009
German edition - German review:
Diese metatextuell-verspielte Neuerzählung des Märchens von Rumpelstilzchen ist meines Erachtens einer der schwächeren Texte Jonathan Carrolls. Das Buch lässt sich zwar gut in einem Rutsch lesen, plätschert aber in langen Teilen vor sich hin und es kommt nur selten die unheimliche Intensität auf, die Carrolls andere Romane auszeichnet. Das Phantastische bricht erst sehr spät in den Alltag ein und obwohl hier viel Potential für ein Gefühl der Bedrohung liegt, bleibt dies seltsam unausgeschöpft. Ich konnte nicht wirklich mit Walker mitfiebern bzw. -fühlen, selbst wenn seine Liebsten in akuter Gefahr schweben. Auch der psychopathische Ex-Liebhaber von Maris bleibt merkwürdig blass und wird dann in der zweiten Hälfte völlig fallengelassen, so dass man sich fragt, warum er überhaupt auftauchen musste, außer um Maris in Walkers Arme zu treiben. Selbst das (überraschende? zumindest aber) abrupte Ende weiß nicht recht zu überzeugen. Es wirkt aufgesetzt und bleibt letztlich vor allem eines: kryptisch.
Aber auch wenn Carroll hier weit hinter seinen eigenen Standards zurückbleibt - den Vergleich mit anderen Genrebüchern braucht auch dieser Roman nicht zu scheuen. Carrolls Sprache ist von flüssiger Eleganz und insbesondere der fernsehsüchtige Schamane Venasque ist eine gelungene, herrlich erfrischende Figur, der zu folgen sehr vergnüglich ist. Dass Carroll ein Talent dafür hat, verschiedene Realitätsebenen ineinander zu verweben, zeigt sich auch in diesem Roman, dessen postmodernes Verwirr- und Versteckspiel mitten zwischen Psychoanalyse des Unbewussten, Märchen, Literaturgeschichte, realistischem Liebesroman und phantastischen (Alp-)Träumen durchaus reizvoll ist.
Diese metatextuell-verspielte Neuerzählung des Märchens von Rumpelstilzchen ist meines Erachtens einer der schwächeren Texte Jonathan Carrolls. Das Buch lässt sich zwar gut in einem Rutsch lesen, plätschert aber in langen Teilen vor sich hin und es kommt nur selten die unheimliche Intensität auf, die Carrolls andere Romane auszeichnet. Das Phantastische bricht erst sehr spät in den Alltag ein und obwohl hier viel Potential für ein Gefühl der Bedrohung liegt, bleibt dies seltsam unausgeschöpft. Ich konnte nicht wirklich mit Walker mitfiebern bzw. -fühlen, selbst wenn seine Liebsten in akuter Gefahr schweben. Auch der psychopathische Ex-Liebhaber von Maris bleibt merkwürdig blass und wird dann in der zweiten Hälfte völlig fallengelassen, so dass man sich fragt, warum er überhaupt auftauchen musste, außer um Maris in Walkers Arme zu treiben. Selbst das (überraschende? zumindest aber) abrupte Ende weiß nicht recht zu überzeugen. Es wirkt aufgesetzt und bleibt letztlich vor allem eines: kryptisch.
Aber auch wenn Carroll hier weit hinter seinen eigenen Standards zurückbleibt - den Vergleich mit anderen Genrebüchern braucht auch dieser Roman nicht zu scheuen. Carrolls Sprache ist von flüssiger Eleganz und insbesondere der fernsehsüchtige Schamane Venasque ist eine gelungene, herrlich erfrischende Figur, der zu folgen sehr vergnüglich ist. Dass Carroll ein Talent dafür hat, verschiedene Realitätsebenen ineinander zu verweben, zeigt sich auch in diesem Roman, dessen postmodernes Verwirr- und Versteckspiel mitten zwischen Psychoanalyse des Unbewussten, Märchen, Literaturgeschichte, realistischem Liebesroman und phantastischen (Alp-)Träumen durchaus reizvoll ist.
August 5, 2010
Walker lives in Vienna and falls in love with a beautiful girl. But, slowly, mysterious things are happening to him and he is remembering incidents from past lives. How does this related to the mysterious Papa and what will happen to Walker's girlfriend as someone seeks to destroy Walker and his life?
Walker begins to develop some new magical powers - clairvonce and phoetic dreams and the like and he doesn't know what to do. As he dreams of old lives, he starts to wonder at who he really is and he starts on a trek with a shaman to find out more. But tragedy strikes whenever Walker looks for answers, but when he finally figures out what is going on, then the story takes on an interesting fairy tale aspect.
Written in 1988, this was one of my favorite books though it's been 14 years since I last read it. It is a bit dated as some of the references to computers and technology are laughable now. But that is a sign of the era in which it was written. I still love this book. It is so beautiful. The questions Walker and his girlfriend, Maris, ask each other and the philosophy intoned in each page. Lovely. It's written as a narrative so it's like Walker is speaking right to you. Sleeping in Flames is a Rumpelstiltskin re-telling and it is definitely an adult book. I see more in it now than I did when I was younger. Of the things that the Rumpelstiltskin character addresses and the solution that Walker comes up with. The how and the why and the who are so much more beautiful and sad.
The Little Bookworm
Walker begins to develop some new magical powers - clairvonce and phoetic dreams and the like and he doesn't know what to do. As he dreams of old lives, he starts to wonder at who he really is and he starts on a trek with a shaman to find out more. But tragedy strikes whenever Walker looks for answers, but when he finally figures out what is going on, then the story takes on an interesting fairy tale aspect.
Written in 1988, this was one of my favorite books though it's been 14 years since I last read it. It is a bit dated as some of the references to computers and technology are laughable now. But that is a sign of the era in which it was written. I still love this book. It is so beautiful. The questions Walker and his girlfriend, Maris, ask each other and the philosophy intoned in each page. Lovely. It's written as a narrative so it's like Walker is speaking right to you. Sleeping in Flames is a Rumpelstiltskin re-telling and it is definitely an adult book. I see more in it now than I did when I was younger. Of the things that the Rumpelstiltskin character addresses and the solution that Walker comes up with. The how and the why and the who are so much more beautiful and sad.
The Little Bookworm
September 15, 2012
Walker Easterling, divorced American screenwriter living in Vienna, meets the woman of his dreams, Maris York. Their attraction is immediate and goes far beyond physicality; they are connected on a deep level from the first minute of meeting. At the same time, some strange things start happening. Not just strange- things that should be impossible. But in this world of Carroll’s, magic is not only possible, but not even very remarkable. What alarms Walker and Maris is that bad things start happening, too. A friend knows a shaman, though, who can probably help Walker. A southern Californian, TV and sandwich obsessed shaman with a bulldog and a pot-bellied pig for companions.
It soon becomes obvious that Walker has lived previous lives, and that his father may be at the heart of his troubles. An adopted child, Walker doesn’t know who is biological father is. Finding out turns out to be key to saving his life and the lives of those he loves. And not only does Walker discover that not just magic and reincarnation are real, but some fairy tales are, too.
The book is modern magic, old fairy tales brought into the late 20th century. Walker is the knight on a quest, and Maris is the enchanted princess he must save. It’s a lovely, fun story to read, right up to the end. The end is good- it’s fairly unique- but it comes off as rushed, as though Carroll ran out of time to finish. All the pieces are there at the ending, really, but they’re just thrown together. Still, that isn’t enough to make me call it a bad book. Just not a perfect one.
It soon becomes obvious that Walker has lived previous lives, and that his father may be at the heart of his troubles. An adopted child, Walker doesn’t know who is biological father is. Finding out turns out to be key to saving his life and the lives of those he loves. And not only does Walker discover that not just magic and reincarnation are real, but some fairy tales are, too.
The book is modern magic, old fairy tales brought into the late 20th century. Walker is the knight on a quest, and Maris is the enchanted princess he must save. It’s a lovely, fun story to read, right up to the end. The end is good- it’s fairly unique- but it comes off as rushed, as though Carroll ran out of time to finish. All the pieces are there at the ending, really, but they’re just thrown together. Still, that isn’t enough to make me call it a bad book. Just not a perfect one.
March 4, 2008
Walker Easterling is an actor/screenwriter living in Vienna with his model-girlfriend, Maris. As time goes by, in typical Carroll fashion, the mundane turns bizarre as Walker begins to discover traces of his past lives and that he is more than a mere orphan. When Maris becomes pregnant he must find out the truths about his past lives and comes to terms with them in order to save the wife of his fiancee and their child.
Reincarnation stories often have a tendency to be a little too Carlos Castenada for my tastes, which Carroll even openly admits within the story; however, Carroll has the ability to create fun modern fantasy stories - Neil Gaiman has nothing on this man. While at first the reader is able to relate to at least a character in each book, the reader quickly finds the rug whipped out from beneath as the story suddenly veers off into a completely different direction. I find it fun a lot of times, and while his writing is rather hit-or-miss for me, I enjoy giving each of his books a try. Nothing compares quite like his White Apples, which was my first Jonathan Carroll book back in the day, but I will always give him the opportunity to win my heart all over again like he did that first time. There are few writers I will allow to screw up more than once like that, but when I come across them I suppose I remain as loyal as possible - without drooling or messing on the carpet.
Reincarnation stories often have a tendency to be a little too Carlos Castenada for my tastes, which Carroll even openly admits within the story; however, Carroll has the ability to create fun modern fantasy stories - Neil Gaiman has nothing on this man. While at first the reader is able to relate to at least a character in each book, the reader quickly finds the rug whipped out from beneath as the story suddenly veers off into a completely different direction. I find it fun a lot of times, and while his writing is rather hit-or-miss for me, I enjoy giving each of his books a try. Nothing compares quite like his White Apples, which was my first Jonathan Carroll book back in the day, but I will always give him the opportunity to win my heart all over again like he did that first time. There are few writers I will allow to screw up more than once like that, but when I come across them I suppose I remain as loyal as possible - without drooling or messing on the carpet.
May 30, 2012
Strangeness, magical realism, a complex, curious, surprising plot and some moments of beautiful insight and lovely expression. If that sounds alluring, you’ll probably enjoy the book, if you need more clarity up front about the kind of book it is and what the story is like, who the characters are, what kind of other books it could be compared to, this is probably not the book for you. It’s like a book you haven’t read before, even if you have read Carroll. It’s rather what he does. The unfolding of plot is part of what makes it work, and therefore I don’t want to talk about it at all. Any discussion would, to my mind, constitute a spoiler.
This is the third Carroll novel I’ve read, and also the earliest, and the one I like most so far. The books of his I was recommended and have not got to yet, were also early, which makes me wonder about the shape of this author’s writing life. This one has a hopefulness to it, and doesn’t get bogged down in trying to explain the inexplicable. There’s far less cynicism in the narrator’s voice than I found in the later books and a lot more hope for humanity. It even made me laugh. My favourite Carroll novel so far, I shall be looking out for the other earlier books, and trying to figure out when he changed, and why, which would be a bit like the kind of thing that happens to people in his stories, so if I discover some epic and supernatural plot as a consequence, we’ll be on to something.
This is the third Carroll novel I’ve read, and also the earliest, and the one I like most so far. The books of his I was recommended and have not got to yet, were also early, which makes me wonder about the shape of this author’s writing life. This one has a hopefulness to it, and doesn’t get bogged down in trying to explain the inexplicable. There’s far less cynicism in the narrator’s voice than I found in the later books and a lot more hope for humanity. It even made me laugh. My favourite Carroll novel so far, I shall be looking out for the other earlier books, and trying to figure out when he changed, and why, which would be a bit like the kind of thing that happens to people in his stories, so if I discover some epic and supernatural plot as a consequence, we’ll be on to something.
August 8, 2015
Walker Easterling falls in love w/ Maris only to find that he's in a timeless, endless loop of reincarnation, w/ a magic, jealous midget for a father. A modern sequel/retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin tale.
Unlike "Land of Laughs," which I loved, this story felt uneven. There were too many loose ends - why did Walker's magic manifest itself the way it did (for example, the sea monster)? Were we to believe his father tortured him from life to life because he was jealous of romantic love? What purpose did the character Nicholas serve in the novel - only as a way to bring Maris and Walker together? Maris was in touch enough to build a city from Walker's past - but why was she only magic in this life? If Walker's father was so powerful, why didn't he prevent Walker from meeting Maris in the first place? Why did he wait Walker's entire life to show up? Why did he plan for Walker to be an orphan?
Carroll attempts to write the modern sequel to Rumpelstiltskin - he tries to spin a new twist on why the magic man who could spin gold requested/bartered for the queen's child. This is a now-common theme - modern writers taking the perspective of little understood "bad guys" and showing how they are misunderstood (or at least not flat characters) - and often to great success. In this case, the premise was sound but the execution was not.
Finally, the dialog was painful - I struggled to figure out who was talking and why they switched topics mid-speech.
Unlike "Land of Laughs," which I loved, this story felt uneven. There were too many loose ends - why did Walker's magic manifest itself the way it did (for example, the sea monster)? Were we to believe his father tortured him from life to life because he was jealous of romantic love? What purpose did the character Nicholas serve in the novel - only as a way to bring Maris and Walker together? Maris was in touch enough to build a city from Walker's past - but why was she only magic in this life? If Walker's father was so powerful, why didn't he prevent Walker from meeting Maris in the first place? Why did he wait Walker's entire life to show up? Why did he plan for Walker to be an orphan?
Carroll attempts to write the modern sequel to Rumpelstiltskin - he tries to spin a new twist on why the magic man who could spin gold requested/bartered for the queen's child. This is a now-common theme - modern writers taking the perspective of little understood "bad guys" and showing how they are misunderstood (or at least not flat characters) - and often to great success. In this case, the premise was sound but the execution was not.
Finally, the dialog was painful - I struggled to figure out who was talking and why they switched topics mid-speech.
June 11, 2017
Sleeping in Flame by Jonathan Carroll
Answered Prayers Sextet Book #2
4 stars
What's it About?:
Walker Easterling is a retired actor turned successful screenwriter living in the Vienna of strong coffee, fascinating friends, and mysterious cafes. When he falls in love with Maris York, a beautiful artist who creates cities, his life becomes alive in fantastic and unsettling ways. As Walker's love for Maris grows, his life gets more and more bizarre-he discovers he can see things happening just before they happen, and at the same time feels an incredibly strong tug from his past-so a friend steers him to Venasque, an odd little man reputed to be a powerful shaman. Venasque helps Walker discover and unravel his many interconnected past lives, and it is soon clear that an unresolved conflict from these past lives has resurfaced, and now threatens to undo Walker and Maris's love.
What Did I Think?:
It was a fun modern fantasy story. This is not my usual genre but it never hurts to branch out...be a little adventurous. Actually the writing style and the story line reminded me somewhat of Neil Gaiman. I believe this book can best be described as a strangeness served with a complex, surprising plot, garnished with moments of insights and beautiful expressions. I did feel that the author rushed the ending somewhat but it won't deter me from sampling another by this author.
Answered Prayers Sextet Book #2
4 stars
What's it About?:
Walker Easterling is a retired actor turned successful screenwriter living in the Vienna of strong coffee, fascinating friends, and mysterious cafes. When he falls in love with Maris York, a beautiful artist who creates cities, his life becomes alive in fantastic and unsettling ways. As Walker's love for Maris grows, his life gets more and more bizarre-he discovers he can see things happening just before they happen, and at the same time feels an incredibly strong tug from his past-so a friend steers him to Venasque, an odd little man reputed to be a powerful shaman. Venasque helps Walker discover and unravel his many interconnected past lives, and it is soon clear that an unresolved conflict from these past lives has resurfaced, and now threatens to undo Walker and Maris's love.
What Did I Think?:
It was a fun modern fantasy story. This is not my usual genre but it never hurts to branch out...be a little adventurous. Actually the writing style and the story line reminded me somewhat of Neil Gaiman. I believe this book can best be described as a strangeness served with a complex, surprising plot, garnished with moments of insights and beautiful expressions. I did feel that the author rushed the ending somewhat but it won't deter me from sampling another by this author.
February 22, 2011
When I was first striking out on my own to figure out what I liked to read, I stumbled over a Jonathan Carroll rec on ChickLit. I read From the Teeth of Angels and became enchanted. Over the years I kept an eye out for Carroll novels in used bookstores and on book swap sites, and eventually managed to snag Sleeping in Flame.
I guess I was expecting the same kind of book-fog to roll over me as I read this one, but it never happened. It's still got the good bits I remember from Carroll's writing, and the story is interesting and has that fairy-tale quality I love -- actually, it IS part fairy tale, flat-out.
There's something about the characters that I don't like, though. The way Carroll describes Maris, the hero's love interest, reminds me of the way another author describes women. Hemingway, maybe? I'm not sure. I didn't fall for the characters. Didn't actively dislike them, just couldn't connect.
And the ending, wow, I hate the openness of it. It feels like it's trying to be mysterious or thought-provoking but what it actually comes off as is half-assed. Maybe because everything else is explained relatively well? I get the intention, but it doesn't work for some reason. At least not for me.
I feel like I can stop chasing Jonathan Carroll around now.
I guess I was expecting the same kind of book-fog to roll over me as I read this one, but it never happened. It's still got the good bits I remember from Carroll's writing, and the story is interesting and has that fairy-tale quality I love -- actually, it IS part fairy tale, flat-out.
There's something about the characters that I don't like, though. The way Carroll describes Maris, the hero's love interest, reminds me of the way another author describes women. Hemingway, maybe? I'm not sure. I didn't fall for the characters. Didn't actively dislike them, just couldn't connect.
And the ending, wow, I hate the openness of it. It feels like it's trying to be mysterious or thought-provoking but what it actually comes off as is half-assed. Maybe because everything else is explained relatively well? I get the intention, but it doesn't work for some reason. At least not for me.
I feel like I can stop chasing Jonathan Carroll around now.
March 5, 2018
old Up, Now HOld em UP. This book here has some of that special
meaning to me. Back in My nothing but Horror days. I gave this guy a
try. And how Barker let me know that there was reason to plan on
reading other books beside Kings 5 million pages of Phone books. This
here one, let me know that I wanted more then just SHock n Awe. Its a
Great Yarn and a Genre Buster, its that Good!
Its a Modern take on/and the true story of RumbleStilskin. But from
the view point of the stolen child. And reincarnated in modern times.
Only Ole RumpleBaby is a bit upset at this adopted childs lack of
Loving Respect. Hes one angry Short Dude. But not too bad a bloke over
all.
But that's not why I revisited and loved listening to this baby. Its
the Cool Romantic Goofy Beautiful Maris York and the Romance of
Vienna. And Carroll's lovely writing that puts this Pup up into Manna
territory.
Now Carroll was famous for his bad endings at this period of time and
he does throw us a doggie bone at the end of this one. Doesn't Matter.
The Music that led us to the Clang of a cowbell at the end, was truly
WonderBau!
This Here Wacky Beauty Gets a Slick Willy 4 and a half Crescent moons
outta 5.
meaning to me. Back in My nothing but Horror days. I gave this guy a
try. And how Barker let me know that there was reason to plan on
reading other books beside Kings 5 million pages of Phone books. This
here one, let me know that I wanted more then just SHock n Awe. Its a
Great Yarn and a Genre Buster, its that Good!
Its a Modern take on/and the true story of RumbleStilskin. But from
the view point of the stolen child. And reincarnated in modern times.
Only Ole RumpleBaby is a bit upset at this adopted childs lack of
Loving Respect. Hes one angry Short Dude. But not too bad a bloke over
all.
But that's not why I revisited and loved listening to this baby. Its
the Cool Romantic Goofy Beautiful Maris York and the Romance of
Vienna. And Carroll's lovely writing that puts this Pup up into Manna
territory.
Now Carroll was famous for his bad endings at this period of time and
he does throw us a doggie bone at the end of this one. Doesn't Matter.
The Music that led us to the Clang of a cowbell at the end, was truly
WonderBau!
This Here Wacky Beauty Gets a Slick Willy 4 and a half Crescent moons
outta 5.
March 27, 2015
I put this book on my "to read" shelf a long time ago, and when I needed to hurriedly choose something at the library, I picked it almost at random, without really remembering what it was supposed to be about. As it turns out, that was the perfect way to experience this book, so I'm not going to put too many spoilers in my review. At first I thought it was just a straightforward love story set in Vienna, and even then I was enchanted with it because of Carroll's great conversational writing style. Then things started to get strange and kept getting even stranger, until we were fully in the realm of the fantastic. (Two books that it reminded me of this regard were Mythago Wood and The Lathe of Heaven.) I really enjoyed it very much, and now I need to decide what Carroll novel I want to tackle next!
March 7, 2012
The whole book has a wonderful ambience. The love story is soft and sweet, the mood is rich and slightly dark, the plot unfolds slowly as you are drawn into the characters and mystery.
I loved everything about this book except for that last quarter of it where it felt like the author ran out of interest and started rushing things. The book lovingly meanders through the story and then suddenly things start happening and aren't explained. It's still a good fun read, and it's worth reading because the good bits are so good .. but the conclusion didn't live up to the rest of the book.
And what is with the final half page? It's like he had a cute idea and tacked it onto the end for no particular purpose?! It doesn't provide closure or suspense, it just adds wtf. Bah.
I loved everything about this book except for that last quarter of it where it felt like the author ran out of interest and started rushing things. The book lovingly meanders through the story and then suddenly things start happening and aren't explained. It's still a good fun read, and it's worth reading because the good bits are so good .. but the conclusion didn't live up to the rest of the book.
And what is with the final half page? It's like he had a cute idea and tacked it onto the end for no particular purpose?! It doesn't provide closure or suspense, it just adds wtf. Bah.
October 29, 2012
I really enjoyed this fairy-tale like book... well, I didn't really love the ending as much as the rest of the novel, but overall, I enjoyed all of the magic that made it up until the end. The ending was just a little too open-ended for my tastes and really made me wonder if he will write (or has written) a sequel. Also, for a story written twenty years ago, it felt very immediate and modern, which was quite nice. I loved Carroll’s writing style and will most definitely read his other books. I liked this Rumpelstiltskin-esque story quite a bit!
October 11, 2011
Incredible.
Carroll takes his time to work the knife in, quietly planting seeds of terror even as the first half of this book is taken up by a beguiling and quirky love story. Then, magic enters the story - and it's not a safe or beautiful thing.
Carroll takes his time to work the knife in, quietly planting seeds of terror even as the first half of this book is taken up by a beguiling and quirky love story. Then, magic enters the story - and it's not a safe or beautiful thing.
May 10, 2021
I first discovered Jonathan Carroll last year after reading Outside The Dog Museum. I loved that book so much that I declared him my favorite author and made it a goal to read the rest of the books in the series (which is easier said than done given that many of them are out of print). In some ways I think I set myself up because despite any attempts to enter with an open mind I'm sure I brought a lot of expectations with me as I started reading this one.
Enter Sleeping in Flame, the second in the “Answered Prayers” series of which the aforementioned book is a part of. To call it a series, though, is using the word in the loosest possible way as the two books (and I imagine the rest in the series) are only tangentially related by the magic within them and a few characters that seem to make an appearance in each. In this case, the shaman-esque Venasque who tries to teach our main character how to control or make sense of his burgeoning magic.
I hate to compare the two as it's really not fair but Dog Museum was so spectacular that I can't help but think about everything I loved about it that didn't happen here. The magic that was subtle enough to seem plausible in the world he created, the endlessly flawed psyche of the main character that made him more endearing, the moral that in the end made sense. None of those things are present here and instead have been replaced by ridiculously powerful magic (he's literally resurrecting people that have been dead over two hundred years by the end as if it's nothing), a main character that grows more and more unreachable as the story progresses, and a moral, if you can call it that, clouded by what I found to be a terribly convoluted plot.
I don't mean to rag on it too much because in the end, it's still Jonathan Carroll and a bad Jonathan Carroll book is still better than most of what I've read. And all of his trademarks that made me fall so deeply in love with his writing the first time are still there. The breath-taking descriptions of his beloved Vienna which he still describes as if it, rather than a person, is the love of his life. The profound truths about life, death, love, and the myriad of ways we can mess it up. Those small observations that can floor you with emotions as you recall your own experiences. This man is still the best writer I've ever read, no matter my lack of connection with this particular story.
And despite the convolution of the actual story, the theme is still breath taking. Because underneath the magic, the time travel, the fairy tales made real there is something incredibly powerful and true: love. The theme of this story is love. What it means when it's good: selflessness, caring, generosity, and people made better from it as well as what it means when it's bad: greed, jealousy, manipulation, and people ruined by it. Both are shown here in extraordinary ways and no matter how many developments took the story in a lot of difficult-to-follow directions the theme that runs underneath it is profound and haunting. And that's why Jonathan Carroll is my favorite writer.
But if I ever try to introduce someone to him, it won't be with this book.
Enter Sleeping in Flame, the second in the “Answered Prayers” series of which the aforementioned book is a part of. To call it a series, though, is using the word in the loosest possible way as the two books (and I imagine the rest in the series) are only tangentially related by the magic within them and a few characters that seem to make an appearance in each. In this case, the shaman-esque Venasque who tries to teach our main character how to control or make sense of his burgeoning magic.
I hate to compare the two as it's really not fair but Dog Museum was so spectacular that I can't help but think about everything I loved about it that didn't happen here. The magic that was subtle enough to seem plausible in the world he created, the endlessly flawed psyche of the main character that made him more endearing, the moral that in the end made sense. None of those things are present here and instead have been replaced by ridiculously powerful magic (he's literally resurrecting people that have been dead over two hundred years by the end as if it's nothing), a main character that grows more and more unreachable as the story progresses, and a moral, if you can call it that, clouded by what I found to be a terribly convoluted plot.
I don't mean to rag on it too much because in the end, it's still Jonathan Carroll and a bad Jonathan Carroll book is still better than most of what I've read. And all of his trademarks that made me fall so deeply in love with his writing the first time are still there. The breath-taking descriptions of his beloved Vienna which he still describes as if it, rather than a person, is the love of his life. The profound truths about life, death, love, and the myriad of ways we can mess it up. Those small observations that can floor you with emotions as you recall your own experiences. This man is still the best writer I've ever read, no matter my lack of connection with this particular story.
And despite the convolution of the actual story, the theme is still breath taking. Because underneath the magic, the time travel, the fairy tales made real there is something incredibly powerful and true: love. The theme of this story is love. What it means when it's good: selflessness, caring, generosity, and people made better from it as well as what it means when it's bad: greed, jealousy, manipulation, and people ruined by it. Both are shown here in extraordinary ways and no matter how many developments took the story in a lot of difficult-to-follow directions the theme that runs underneath it is profound and haunting. And that's why Jonathan Carroll is my favorite writer.
But if I ever try to introduce someone to him, it won't be with this book.
December 29, 2016
A modern fairy tale mixed with the metaphysical set firmly in the real world of the 1980s.
"Do you read mystery novels? Yes? It's the same with them. A fool can read ten pages and then turn to the end to see if the butler did it. But why ruin the whole process? The fun is trying to figure out the mystery yourself. If you get it right at the end then you really feel good and not a cheat."
Don't go in expecting The Land of Laughs. Lines between reality and fantasy are blurred in both stories, but Sleeping in Flame offers neither the whimsy nor the suspense found in The Land of Laughs.
Be prepared for some dated references and misogyny. Women are first introduced by their external appearance or behavior; men by their careers, accomplishments and social standing. For example, near the very end of the book, Walker is on a train in the first-class compartment by himself when "...a woman walked in. When I saw her I thought of a line my college roommate had once said when were gassing about women. 'Sometimes you see one on the street who's so beautiful you want to walk up to her, put your hand over her mouth, and just whisper 'Don't talk. Come with me.' You take her immediately to bed, never letting her say a word. Because no matter what she says, it's going to spoil that first beauty you saw in her. You know what I mean? Silent, she's perfect.' The woman across from me was that kind of perfect."
I'm still confused as to what was so special about Maris York, the woman Walker falls in love with at first sight. Other than being a former supermodel turned artist with the ability to read tarot cards, who is first introduced needing rescued from an abusive ex-lover, she seems like a regular woman to me. Yet every man she meets falls in love with her. Is it because, for her art, she builds LEGO cities then sells them for outrageous amounts of money?
Besides the way women are portrayed, there's an exchange between Walker and Elisabeth Benedikt about her son that seemed inaccurate to me. She asks Walker if he knows what being autistic is. He replies, "Schizophrenic?" To which Elisabeth responds, "More or less. Lillis lives in his own head." Of course, I'm no expert on either, but I have a relative with schizophrenia and he's very different from the autistic children and adults I've encountered.
Now let's get to the good stuff: the reason I enjoyed Sleeping in Flame...
"The only thing we can really know is what we're experiencing, or what we've already lived. Then we've got to study it like crazy till we understand."
It's revealed early on that Walker is an orphan. He was raised by the wonderful Easterling family, but he could never get over the fact that he was found as an infant in a dumpster by a homeless man. Soon after meeting Maris, Walker starts having strange experiences like seeing an accident before it happens and the appearance of a legendary sea creature. He also has vivid dreams in which everything he sees and does appears to have happened before. In an attempt to make sense of all the weirdness - magic, according to Maris - Walker goes to a shaman who wants to teach him how to fly and, slowly, Walker begins to unravel the mystery of his life.
Recommended to those seeking modern fairy-tale retellings who don't mind an ambiguous ending.
4 stars (but I don't see myself re-reading it in the next decade)
"Do you read mystery novels? Yes? It's the same with them. A fool can read ten pages and then turn to the end to see if the butler did it. But why ruin the whole process? The fun is trying to figure out the mystery yourself. If you get it right at the end then you really feel good and not a cheat."
Don't go in expecting The Land of Laughs. Lines between reality and fantasy are blurred in both stories, but Sleeping in Flame offers neither the whimsy nor the suspense found in The Land of Laughs.
Be prepared for some dated references and misogyny. Women are first introduced by their external appearance or behavior; men by their careers, accomplishments and social standing. For example, near the very end of the book, Walker is on a train in the first-class compartment by himself when "...a woman walked in. When I saw her I thought of a line my college roommate had once said when were gassing about women. 'Sometimes you see one on the street who's so beautiful you want to walk up to her, put your hand over her mouth, and just whisper 'Don't talk. Come with me.' You take her immediately to bed, never letting her say a word. Because no matter what she says, it's going to spoil that first beauty you saw in her. You know what I mean? Silent, she's perfect.' The woman across from me was that kind of perfect."
I'm still confused as to what was so special about Maris York, the woman Walker falls in love with at first sight. Other than being a former supermodel turned artist with the ability to read tarot cards, who is first introduced needing rescued from an abusive ex-lover, she seems like a regular woman to me. Yet every man she meets falls in love with her. Is it because, for her art, she builds LEGO cities then sells them for outrageous amounts of money?
Besides the way women are portrayed, there's an exchange between Walker and Elisabeth Benedikt about her son that seemed inaccurate to me. She asks Walker if he knows what being autistic is. He replies, "Schizophrenic?" To which Elisabeth responds, "More or less. Lillis lives in his own head." Of course, I'm no expert on either, but I have a relative with schizophrenia and he's very different from the autistic children and adults I've encountered.
Now let's get to the good stuff: the reason I enjoyed Sleeping in Flame...
"The only thing we can really know is what we're experiencing, or what we've already lived. Then we've got to study it like crazy till we understand."
It's revealed early on that Walker is an orphan. He was raised by the wonderful Easterling family, but he could never get over the fact that he was found as an infant in a dumpster by a homeless man. Soon after meeting Maris, Walker starts having strange experiences like seeing an accident before it happens and the appearance of a legendary sea creature. He also has vivid dreams in which everything he sees and does appears to have happened before. In an attempt to make sense of all the weirdness - magic, according to Maris - Walker goes to a shaman who wants to teach him how to fly and, slowly, Walker begins to unravel the mystery of his life.
Recommended to those seeking modern fairy-tale retellings who don't mind an ambiguous ending.
4 stars (but I don't see myself re-reading it in the next decade)
September 22, 2025
wattpad ass ending
June 13, 2018
Although Sleeping in Flame uses some of the same characters as Bones of the Moon, it is a thematic sequel that stands by itself. All of Carroll’s books seem to be variations on the theme of reality versus un-reality, and the Rondua novels are actually only separate from Carroll’s other novels because of their recurring characters.
Like Bones of the Moon, Sleeping in Flame starts out very realistically. We are introduced to our narrator, Walker Easterling, as he tells us of his marriage, divorce, and his subsequent fascination with a young Austrian girl named Maris York. Carroll shows us another wonderful yet marred relationship, different from the ones in his previous books, but just as true to life. Like Cullen, Easterling has strange dreams, although his are about growing up as the child of a Rumplestiltskin-like gnome. Mysterious things keep happening to him, like when old women refer to him as “Redaexnala” for no apparent reason, then deny having done so.
The story is basically a mystery about Walker trying to discover his own past, as this same past is returning to haunt him (shades of Voice of Our Shadow). The strange ways in which these pieces are revealed make up the majority of the novel, stemming from Walker’s role as an actor (he plays the part of Mr. Pencil in director Weber Gregston’s "Wonderful"), to Maris’ use of computers as design tools, to the old style storytelling of fairy tales. There’s also Venasque, the type of shaman that makes sense in this world, one whose affinity with animals is somewhere between Dr. Doolittle and James Herriott, and who likes nothing better than old movies on cable television.
Here, Carroll is in full command of his style, weaving in and out like a champion boxer, throwing well-timed punches into the reader’s face. There are no slips, trips or falls here, just an intoxicating bout of verbiage from someone with a story to tell and a unique way of telling it.
Sleeping in Flame’s climax serves well as a culmination of what came before. In this ending, Walker faces two elderly German ladies who plan to tell him the story of his father, but Walker has the true power in this story, and he is able to change it to suit his needs. Yet, with power comes great responsibility and even greater possibility for harm. Unfortunately, Carroll ends this novel on an ellipsis, leaving the reader to imagine….
Like Bones of the Moon, Sleeping in Flame starts out very realistically. We are introduced to our narrator, Walker Easterling, as he tells us of his marriage, divorce, and his subsequent fascination with a young Austrian girl named Maris York. Carroll shows us another wonderful yet marred relationship, different from the ones in his previous books, but just as true to life. Like Cullen, Easterling has strange dreams, although his are about growing up as the child of a Rumplestiltskin-like gnome. Mysterious things keep happening to him, like when old women refer to him as “Redaexnala” for no apparent reason, then deny having done so.
The story is basically a mystery about Walker trying to discover his own past, as this same past is returning to haunt him (shades of Voice of Our Shadow). The strange ways in which these pieces are revealed make up the majority of the novel, stemming from Walker’s role as an actor (he plays the part of Mr. Pencil in director Weber Gregston’s "Wonderful"), to Maris’ use of computers as design tools, to the old style storytelling of fairy tales. There’s also Venasque, the type of shaman that makes sense in this world, one whose affinity with animals is somewhere between Dr. Doolittle and James Herriott, and who likes nothing better than old movies on cable television.
Here, Carroll is in full command of his style, weaving in and out like a champion boxer, throwing well-timed punches into the reader’s face. There are no slips, trips or falls here, just an intoxicating bout of verbiage from someone with a story to tell and a unique way of telling it.
Sleeping in Flame’s climax serves well as a culmination of what came before. In this ending, Walker faces two elderly German ladies who plan to tell him the story of his father, but Walker has the true power in this story, and he is able to change it to suit his needs. Yet, with power comes great responsibility and even greater possibility for harm. Unfortunately, Carroll ends this novel on an ellipsis, leaving the reader to imagine….
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2014
“Oh darling, you will be good to me, won’t you?...Because we’re going to have a strange life.” –Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
A strange life indeed…That seems to be the way with every Jonathan Carroll novel. If you’re a character in one of his books, then you best expect the bizarrely magical and deeply personal.
This time around, Carroll’s focus is on Walker Easterling, a small-time actor and scriptwriter living in Vienna. It follows his romance with the beautiful sculptor Maris York after he saves her from a psychotic ex-boyfriend. It quickly zeroes in, however, on the story of his true origins and the magic hidden inside of him.
It’s a tale that twists and trips, relying heavily on the pattern of Carroll’s other novels, especially the ones predating this book (specifically Bones of the Moon which has a couple overlapping characters). There’s a talking animal. There are a variety of eccentric people. There’s an undertone of cosmic powers. And then there’s the interplay between personal realities and grander fictions. But formulates aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Given a set of circumstances, there are always endless possibilities.
That being said, this is not the best book I’ve read by Carroll. The supporting characters, while having plenty of quirks, seemed to also have only a minimal amount of dimension. The love story was oddly reminiscent the one in A Farewell to Arms (hence the quote), which I found a tad stilted and sappy. The continuity was a bit off, especially when it came to Walker’s magical powers and his belief in them.
However, the book still held that Carroll charm, which I fell in love with years ago. There’s just something in the way that he mixes magical absurdities with the absurdity of everyday life that is unique and powerful. The character never just stumbles into a pure fantasy world, with whimsical creatures and grand quests. Instead fantastic elements invade reality and embody the worries and miseries of normal life. I’ve yet to read anyone who does this with such craft and emotional depth.
So yes, there’s a reason why all of his characters have strange lives, but they also draw upon the very real strangeness of the everyday.
A strange life indeed…That seems to be the way with every Jonathan Carroll novel. If you’re a character in one of his books, then you best expect the bizarrely magical and deeply personal.
This time around, Carroll’s focus is on Walker Easterling, a small-time actor and scriptwriter living in Vienna. It follows his romance with the beautiful sculptor Maris York after he saves her from a psychotic ex-boyfriend. It quickly zeroes in, however, on the story of his true origins and the magic hidden inside of him.
It’s a tale that twists and trips, relying heavily on the pattern of Carroll’s other novels, especially the ones predating this book (specifically Bones of the Moon which has a couple overlapping characters). There’s a talking animal. There are a variety of eccentric people. There’s an undertone of cosmic powers. And then there’s the interplay between personal realities and grander fictions. But formulates aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Given a set of circumstances, there are always endless possibilities.
That being said, this is not the best book I’ve read by Carroll. The supporting characters, while having plenty of quirks, seemed to also have only a minimal amount of dimension. The love story was oddly reminiscent the one in A Farewell to Arms (hence the quote), which I found a tad stilted and sappy. The continuity was a bit off, especially when it came to Walker’s magical powers and his belief in them.
However, the book still held that Carroll charm, which I fell in love with years ago. There’s just something in the way that he mixes magical absurdities with the absurdity of everyday life that is unique and powerful. The character never just stumbles into a pure fantasy world, with whimsical creatures and grand quests. Instead fantastic elements invade reality and embody the worries and miseries of normal life. I’ve yet to read anyone who does this with such craft and emotional depth.
So yes, there’s a reason why all of his characters have strange lives, but they also draw upon the very real strangeness of the everyday.
April 19, 2012
man it's painful when a book starts out so good, and ends so... dumb.
ya, i know, that's harsh. and i don't like to be harsh, 'cause i know how hard it is just to write any frickin' book in the first place, let alone a good one. but the book is marvelously wonderful, until the dumb, dumb ending, and that kind of disappointment hurts.
Carroll gets some stratospherically high praise for his writing, both in the blurbs and in reviews. the one on the cover of this book says he "is a cult waiting to be born, a novelist of rare and terrifying power" (Pat Conroy). and he is! he is amazingly good at so many things.
his characterizations are enough to make a fellow writer swoon. his plots are tight and hole-free. his dialogue is interesting and not only suits but illuminates each character. places are visual; there are smells and sounds; we even get a long, lovely sunset or two.
and the story is one of those quasi-horror things that sort of turn the world sideways when you don't expect it, in ways you could not have predicted.
he even does that lovely thing that literary fiction writers are supposed to do: packs a paragraph with gently-placed observations on What It Is to Be Human (which is ultimately what a lot of people actually read for, including me).
so what am i bitching about?
the ending! dammit! i really felt like he got tired just about the time his protagonist flits to LA to meet a guru. the guru sits on a peak; after that, the book's all downhill. people become cardboard, events predictable, tropes abound.
i was terribly excited when i started this book. i thought, wow, i've found an author with a whole body of work i've not read, and he is really, really good. but this volume goes in the sell-it-to-the-used-bookstore bag, and i will be chary of buying another of his. i don't know, maybe this book was just his equivalent of a bad day and all his others are incandescent rocketships. but this one will leave you grrrrrr.
ya, i know, that's harsh. and i don't like to be harsh, 'cause i know how hard it is just to write any frickin' book in the first place, let alone a good one. but the book is marvelously wonderful, until the dumb, dumb ending, and that kind of disappointment hurts.
Carroll gets some stratospherically high praise for his writing, both in the blurbs and in reviews. the one on the cover of this book says he "is a cult waiting to be born, a novelist of rare and terrifying power" (Pat Conroy). and he is! he is amazingly good at so many things.
his characterizations are enough to make a fellow writer swoon. his plots are tight and hole-free. his dialogue is interesting and not only suits but illuminates each character. places are visual; there are smells and sounds; we even get a long, lovely sunset or two.
and the story is one of those quasi-horror things that sort of turn the world sideways when you don't expect it, in ways you could not have predicted.
he even does that lovely thing that literary fiction writers are supposed to do: packs a paragraph with gently-placed observations on What It Is to Be Human (which is ultimately what a lot of people actually read for, including me).
so what am i bitching about?
the ending! dammit! i really felt like he got tired just about the time his protagonist flits to LA to meet a guru. the guru sits on a peak; after that, the book's all downhill. people become cardboard, events predictable, tropes abound.
i was terribly excited when i started this book. i thought, wow, i've found an author with a whole body of work i've not read, and he is really, really good. but this volume goes in the sell-it-to-the-used-bookstore bag, and i will be chary of buying another of his. i don't know, maybe this book was just his equivalent of a bad day and all his others are incandescent rocketships. but this one will leave you grrrrrr.
April 21, 2013
I finished reading Sleeping in Flame this morning. This is the sixth book by Carroll that I’ve read, and I’ve enjoyed them all. It’s been a few years since I read the last one; for some reason they’ve just been stacking up on my “to read” shelves. But after reading three series books (2 of the new Doc Savage novels and a Dresden), I decided I wanted something completely different, and boy did I get it.
Sleeping in Flame starts as a pretty general non-genre novel. The characters are quirky and the main character is likeable; I’m enjoying it, but so far it’s nothing special. Even as Carroll slowly introduces possible fantasy elements, I’m thinking it’s still nothing really special, a solid 3 star book. I was hoping from something a little more from Carroll. The fantasy elements are fairly constrained, and I’m wondering if the fantasy is real or just in the over active imaginations of the characters (and reader).
But by the time the story starts building to its climax and the fantasy takes center stage I’m realizing this book is really good and I’m really into it. And then, post climax as the novel winds down it takes a left turn and comes to a sudden and abrupt end. Usually I like novels with ending that are, I dunno, endings? Something to give the reader a sense of closure. This one doesn’t have that, and I don’t know why, but I really like it. I still want to know what happened next and I still want to understand what the narrator meant by some of the early foreshadowing of disaster, but I don’t mind that I don’t.
Bottom line: Glad I read it and I hope I don’t wait quite so long before grabbing another of Carroll’s books from the "to read" pile…
Sleeping in Flame starts as a pretty general non-genre novel. The characters are quirky and the main character is likeable; I’m enjoying it, but so far it’s nothing special. Even as Carroll slowly introduces possible fantasy elements, I’m thinking it’s still nothing really special, a solid 3 star book. I was hoping from something a little more from Carroll. The fantasy elements are fairly constrained, and I’m wondering if the fantasy is real or just in the over active imaginations of the characters (and reader).
But by the time the story starts building to its climax and the fantasy takes center stage I’m realizing this book is really good and I’m really into it. And then, post climax as the novel winds down it takes a left turn and comes to a sudden and abrupt end. Usually I like novels with ending that are, I dunno, endings? Something to give the reader a sense of closure. This one doesn’t have that, and I don’t know why, but I really like it. I still want to know what happened next and I still want to understand what the narrator meant by some of the early foreshadowing of disaster, but I don’t mind that I don’t.
Bottom line: Glad I read it and I hope I don’t wait quite so long before grabbing another of Carroll’s books from the "to read" pile…
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