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A Quiet Belief in Angels
In 1939 in the small, rural community of Augusta Falls, Georgia, twelve-year-old Joseph Vaughan learns of the brutal assault and murder of a young girl. It is the first in a series of killings that will plague the community over the next decade. Determined to protect the town from the evil in their midst, Joseph and his friends form the Guardians to watch over the community. But the murderer evades them, and they watch helplessly as one child after another is taken. Ten years after the first killing, one of Joseph's neighbors is found hanging from a rope, surrounded by belongings of the dead girls; the killings cease, and the nightmare appears to be over. Nevertheless, a shadow of fear follows Joseph for the rest of his life. He sets out to start a new life in New York, but the past won't stay buried, and, fifty years later, Joseph must confront the nightmare that has overshadowed his entire life.
13 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 718 reviews
February 18, 2009
Finally! I have finished this book. I thought I never would. It's SOOO slow-moving, but the prose is just brilliant. It reads like an enchanting, on-going poem. Don't read it for the story, read it for the words, because the latter far surpasses the former.
However it is a good story as well, slightly marred by the fact that there was no mystery in it for me as two of my relatives let slip the murderer's name in front of me before I started reading. People like that should be hanged.
But even that didn't ruin it for me, because this isn't a plot-led book. The words take on a life of their own. Magic.
However it is a good story as well, slightly marred by the fact that there was no mystery in it for me as two of my relatives let slip the murderer's name in front of me before I started reading. People like that should be hanged.
But even that didn't ruin it for me, because this isn't a plot-led book. The words take on a life of their own. Magic.
May 1, 2012
I have no idea why everyone likes this book so much, as it's clearly crap. Not only that, but it takes an unnecessarily long time about being crap.
The protagonist, Joseph Vaughan, appears to be suffering from some type of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Or at least that's the only explanation I can come up with for his turgid prose, literary pretensions and ability to focus the story resolutely on himself for a full 400 pages. The reader is told of roughly 30 murders (it's hard to be precise, as the uniformity of victim and circumstance leaves little material with which to differentiate them), a series of tragic deaths, a false imprisonment, the destruction of at least two families and the tale of Joseph's mother's descent into madness. All of this is related exclusively and entirely as it directly personally affects Joseph. All the most memorable facts from a child's history of Early-Mid 20th Century USA are trotted out as a backdrop to the fascinating life and terrible suffering of our hero. Civil Rights protests and a Holocaust of which the characters are oddly well-informed at a very early stage serve as stage-dressing to Joseph's single-minded obsession with catching the man apparently responsible for the death of every female he has ever met. A constant stream of girls and women enter his life as combination muse/breeding instrument, and are summarily dispatched for increasingly spurious reasons. At no time do we get any inkling of what any of these characters think or feel. They are essentially just extra building-blocks in the ever-growing and incredibly boring wall of pain and suffering that makes up Joseph's life.
To compound the all-round awfulness Joseph is that most horrifying of creatures, the protagonist-author. We are forced at regular intervals to read extracts of his turgid prose, as well as to hear the encouragements of all his friends, family and acquaintances as they eagerly await his production of the next Great American Novel. This confluence of the author’s and his protagonist’s narcissism results in several instances of such epic self-regard that I began to feel quite embarrassed to be privy to Ellory’s private ego-stroking.
Meanwhile the story drags on, its twee faux-American language and bloated self-love dragging it down at every turn. Finally the author, having obviously decided that the length and pomposity of his work has now reached a sufficient level for it to be declared classic, hurriedly bashes out a nonsensical dénouement, before concluding with a pathetically self-regarding ending in which Joseph is lauded as a Great American writer, presumably meaning that all those women and girls didn’t suffer in vain, as they are immortalised as weeping ciphers whose cries of pain provided the chorus in the operatic melodrama that was the life of Joseph Vaughan. The end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2023
Pressé, impatient, s'abstenir. C'est long, la période de narration, de la montée du nazisme, vécue avec le regard lointain de l'Amérique, à Kennedy et Martin Luther King, et même un petit saut dans le XXIe siècle. Une écriture superbe, parfaite, tant est que cela soit possible. Immersion en Géorgie, USA, profonde, inculte, brutale, à Brooklyn aussi, pétaradante de moteurs n'ayant jamais entendu parler de normes anti-pollution, un peu dans les Etats jalonnant, en bus inconfortable et sale ou en train un peu moins éreintant, le chemin de Géorgie vers le New Jersey. Fragrances, puanteurs, on les savoure, on en vomit, RJ Ellory nous en inonde avec ses mots riches, ciselés. Des morts sordides, des fillettes que le héros de la saga, Joseph, veut transformer en anges, pour les libérer de leurs atroces souffrances au moment de la mise à mort. Beaucoup de fillettes assassinées. Des adultes sacrifiés également. Et Joseph le maudit en quête éternelle de la vérité, unique but, semble-t-il, de son chemin de croix sur Terre. Un roman magnifique. Et une traduction, une adaptation française (même si je n'ai pas lu la version anglaise, c'est une certitude) de Fabrice Pointeau à la hauteur de ce romancier que je viens seulement de découvrir. Et que je vais inviter encore dans ma bibliothèque, certitude.
May 24, 2023
I’ve been too busy to review the last few books I’ve read, but I want to make the effort and start again.
OK, so I picked this off the shelf mostly because of the title. It’s a nice, lyrical title and the backcopy said it was about a young group of boys who band together to discover who is killing little girls in their home town.
Sounds exciting, right?
I’m really torn about this book. On the one hand I think it’s really well written, even if the prose does get a little purple and overly descriptive at times – that’s just my personal taste, but the real failing is the plotting and storyline.
Contrary to what the backcopy says, this book is NOT about a bunch of young boys trying to track a killer Famous Five style. The Guardians, as these boys call themselves, only meet twice and are caught and bawled out the second time by the local Sherriff, so they never meet again. That’s it. That’s the end of that storyline. What the backcopy would lead you to believe is the whole theme of the book is actually begun and ended in a few pages.
So what happens the rest of the time? Well, that I think is the book’s biggest problem, our hero, Joseph Vaughan, for ninety-five percent of this book doesn’t do anything. He gets on with his life and has the same trials and tribulations (though a few more tragedies) as anyone while these murders continue in the background. He feels bad, but he doesn’t go out and seek the killer. He doesn’t do anything about it.
**SPOILERS**
There are also some huge plot holes in this book. Joseph is obsessed with these killings, but when his mother – who has had a breakdown – offers to tell him who did it, he walks out. I think he does that twice. Surely you would want to hear every theory, no matter who it came from. This seemed really stupid and out of character.
Another thing that annoyed me is after a certain death in the book, there are only two people who could be the killer! And no one figures this out. It’s obvious!
Joseph goes to jail at one point and I have many problems with this. Firstly, there are so many holes in the case it could strain vegetables. People must have been very unaware of their rights in the 50s because even I, with no legal training, could have got this case dismissed. As it is, Joseph is sent to jail for ten years, which I think only takes a chapter to get through and this does somewhat undermine just how long he is falsely imprisoned, until his case is reheard by the Supreme Court and his conviction overturned. I must also mention his idiot lawyer, who I would have fired ten minutes after meeting him. Again, were people really so unaware of their rights that they just took the first schmuck lawyer they were given?
And finally the ending, which also seems rushed and gives no real explanation of why the killer did these unspeakable things to young girls. Who the killer is seems to be just put in for twist value and doesn’t really make any sense.
A promising beginning, but an unsatisfactory middle and ending.
OK, so I picked this off the shelf mostly because of the title. It’s a nice, lyrical title and the backcopy said it was about a young group of boys who band together to discover who is killing little girls in their home town.
Sounds exciting, right?
I’m really torn about this book. On the one hand I think it’s really well written, even if the prose does get a little purple and overly descriptive at times – that’s just my personal taste, but the real failing is the plotting and storyline.
Contrary to what the backcopy says, this book is NOT about a bunch of young boys trying to track a killer Famous Five style. The Guardians, as these boys call themselves, only meet twice and are caught and bawled out the second time by the local Sherriff, so they never meet again. That’s it. That’s the end of that storyline. What the backcopy would lead you to believe is the whole theme of the book is actually begun and ended in a few pages.
So what happens the rest of the time? Well, that I think is the book’s biggest problem, our hero, Joseph Vaughan, for ninety-five percent of this book doesn’t do anything. He gets on with his life and has the same trials and tribulations (though a few more tragedies) as anyone while these murders continue in the background. He feels bad, but he doesn’t go out and seek the killer. He doesn’t do anything about it.
**SPOILERS**
There are also some huge plot holes in this book. Joseph is obsessed with these killings, but when his mother – who has had a breakdown – offers to tell him who did it, he walks out. I think he does that twice. Surely you would want to hear every theory, no matter who it came from. This seemed really stupid and out of character.
Another thing that annoyed me is after a certain death in the book, there are only two people who could be the killer! And no one figures this out. It’s obvious!
Joseph goes to jail at one point and I have many problems with this. Firstly, there are so many holes in the case it could strain vegetables. People must have been very unaware of their rights in the 50s because even I, with no legal training, could have got this case dismissed. As it is, Joseph is sent to jail for ten years, which I think only takes a chapter to get through and this does somewhat undermine just how long he is falsely imprisoned, until his case is reheard by the Supreme Court and his conviction overturned. I must also mention his idiot lawyer, who I would have fired ten minutes after meeting him. Again, were people really so unaware of their rights that they just took the first schmuck lawyer they were given?
And finally the ending, which also seems rushed and gives no real explanation of why the killer did these unspeakable things to young girls. Who the killer is seems to be just put in for twist value and doesn’t really make any sense.
A promising beginning, but an unsatisfactory middle and ending.
March 28, 2008
A great big 5 STARS! Was blown away by this book, more by the style of writing than the story. Loved it!
December 9, 2020
Me ha resultado pesadísimo acabar el libro. He intercalado 3 lecturas en medio porque me estaba dando pereza continuar.
La historia en sí no está mal pero me ha resultado tediosa en algunas partes, demasiado larga en otras e interesante en algún punto. Una combinación no demasiado prometedora.
La historia nos sitúa en Augusta Falls, en el que tenemos como protagonista a Joseph Vaughan. En su pueblo comienzan a sucederse una serie de asesinatos que los traen a todos de cabeza y que se prolongan en el tiempo. Paralelamente nos va narrando la vida de Joseph y como los asesinatos no sólo marcaron su infancia sino también su vida adulta. Y han sido estas partes las que me han resultado más tediosas y pesadas. Y al final esa pesadez es la que ha ido envolviendo a toda la historia y la que ha ido haciendo que en vez de disfrutarla sólo quisiera acabarla.
La historia en sí no está mal pero me ha resultado tediosa en algunas partes, demasiado larga en otras e interesante en algún punto. Una combinación no demasiado prometedora.
La historia nos sitúa en Augusta Falls, en el que tenemos como protagonista a Joseph Vaughan. En su pueblo comienzan a sucederse una serie de asesinatos que los traen a todos de cabeza y que se prolongan en el tiempo. Paralelamente nos va narrando la vida de Joseph y como los asesinatos no sólo marcaron su infancia sino también su vida adulta. Y han sido estas partes las que me han resultado más tediosas y pesadas. Y al final esa pesadez es la que ha ido envolviendo a toda la historia y la que ha ido haciendo que en vez de disfrutarla sólo quisiera acabarla.
September 17, 2009
How exactly does a person move beyond a childhood filled with death? Death that seems to take form and follow... yet stay in front all the while, taunting with it's ability to control the very life one tries to escape?
This story begins in early 1900's with the death of a young boy's father - and what follows is a not so sweet serial killer mystery in surrounding Georgia country where everyone is suspect and one boy is destined to be haunted - if not hunted - forever.
I'll admit, I do like for stories to move a bit faster than 'Angels' did, but the way this one was told totally captivated me. I was more than impressed with the brillant prose contained on it's pages and there was just enough mystery to keep me guessing most of the way. It was a good story - and the reminder of fashions and placement of historical facts thrown in here and there definitely made you feel as if you were in that era - looking through that young boy's eyes and feeling the harsh life that surrounded him and his townspeople.
The most striking thing about this book, to me, was the way in which it was written - even more than the story itself. The rough, painful - even the morbid scenes - were described in a beautiful fashion. One can only admire someone with such a way with words and want to receive that presentation. I most certainly will be looking for more stories from Ellory.
This story begins in early 1900's with the death of a young boy's father - and what follows is a not so sweet serial killer mystery in surrounding Georgia country where everyone is suspect and one boy is destined to be haunted - if not hunted - forever.
I'll admit, I do like for stories to move a bit faster than 'Angels' did, but the way this one was told totally captivated me. I was more than impressed with the brillant prose contained on it's pages and there was just enough mystery to keep me guessing most of the way. It was a good story - and the reminder of fashions and placement of historical facts thrown in here and there definitely made you feel as if you were in that era - looking through that young boy's eyes and feeling the harsh life that surrounded him and his townspeople.
The most striking thing about this book, to me, was the way in which it was written - even more than the story itself. The rough, painful - even the morbid scenes - were described in a beautiful fashion. One can only admire someone with such a way with words and want to receive that presentation. I most certainly will be looking for more stories from Ellory.
March 3, 2019
2.5 звездички
"Историята е като послание, различно за всеки, който го получава. "
" Победата не е единствената причина човек да прави нещо. Понякога правиш нещата, за да експериментираш, или просто за удоволствие. Друг път ги правиш, за да докажеш на себе си, че можеш, независимо какво мислят или казват другите."
" Невежеството е щитът на глупака. "
" С годините цинизмът и горчилката се натрупват и губим детската си невинност, но заедно с това идва и знанието, което ни позволява да надникнем в сърцата на хората. Взри се в очите им, казвах си, и ще видиш истината за това кои са. Очите са прозорец на душата; вгледай се по- внимателно и ще видиш отражението на тъмните ѝ страни. "
Историята ни връща в спомените на главният герой, Джоузеф Воон, и обхваща период от около 30 години. Малкото, пълно с мечти момченце, копнеещо да стане писател, за пръв път се сблъсква със суровия свят, когато смъртта отнася баща му, а след това едно по едно и малки момиченца от Огъста Фолс. В градчето се вихри сериен убиец, а всички са безсилни да го спрат, защото се е дегизирал много добре.
Джоузеф Воон е чувствително дете с поетична душа, което се опитва да извади страховете, болката и яростта си пишейки. Но и това не може да спре кошмарите му. Години наред сянката на ужаса от детството му го преследва и единствения начин да се освободи от нея е да намери убиецът и да го спре...на всяка цена.
Книгата се откроява с динамично начало, мудна среда и предсказуем финал.
��ма доста неща, които е можело да се изпипат по- добре. Някои детайли са претупани, други пък са абсолютно логични; описанията, целящи да се задълбочи атмосферата са леко неглижирани. Като цяло ми липсваше плътност, дълбочина, напрежение(каквото очаквам от един криминален трилър). Психологическият аспект също издиша.
Джоузеф Воон хем е разказвач, хем главен герой в историята, а стои някак си като страничен наблюдател. Просто, липсва тръпката, живецът, онова нещо, което да те разтърси и да те накара да почувстваш нещо, докато четеш. В по- голямата част от повествованието, историята сякаш ме остави равнодушна. А фактът, че се досетих рано- рано кой е убиецът, ми отне цялото удоволствие.
Като цяло- средна работа, но пък имаше някои моменти, които ми допаднаха.
"Историята е като послание, различно за всеки, който го получава. "
" Победата не е единствената причина човек да прави нещо. Понякога правиш нещата, за да експериментираш, или просто за удоволствие. Друг път ги правиш, за да докажеш на себе си, че можеш, независимо какво мислят или казват другите."
" Невежеството е щитът на глупака. "
" С годините цинизмът и горчилката се натрупват и губим детската си невинност, но заедно с това идва и знанието, което ни позволява да надникнем в сърцата на хората. Взри се в очите им, казвах си, и ще видиш истината за това кои са. Очите са прозорец на душата; вгледай се по- внимателно и ще видиш отражението на тъмните ѝ страни. "
Историята ни връща в спомените на главният герой, Джоузеф Воон, и обхваща период от около 30 години. Малкото, пълно с мечти момченце, копнеещо да стане писател, за пръв път се сблъсква със суровия свят, когато смъртта отнася баща му, а след това едно по едно и малки момиченца от Огъста Фолс. В градчето се вихри сериен убиец, а всички са безсилни да го спрат, защото се е дегизирал много добре.
Джоузеф Воон е чувствително дете с поетична душа, което се опитва да извади страховете, болката и яростта си пишейки. Но и това не може да спре кошмарите му. Години наред сянката на ужаса от детството му го преследва и единствения начин да се освободи от нея е да намери убиецът и да го спре...на всяка цена.
Книгата се откроява с динамично начало, мудна среда и предсказуем финал.
��ма доста неща, които е можело да се изпипат по- добре. Някои детайли са претупани, други пък са абсолютно логични; описанията, целящи да се задълбочи атмосферата са леко неглижирани. Като цяло ми липсваше плътност, дълбочина, напрежение(каквото очаквам от един криминален трилър). Психологическият аспект също издиша.
Джоузеф Воон хем е разказвач, хем главен герой в историята, а стои някак си като страничен наблюдател. Просто, липсва тръпката, живецът, онова нещо, което да те разтърси и да те накара да почувстваш нещо, докато четеш. В по- голямата част от повествованието, историята сякаш ме остави равнодушна. А фактът, че се досетих рано- рано кой е убиецът, ми отне цялото удоволствие.
Като цяло- средна работа, но пък имаше някои моменти, които ми допаднаха.
June 15, 2021
The scenes from Joseph’s childhood are vivid and immersive. The writing flows and, especially in the early parts, conjures incredible imagery. It really keeps you invested.
From the plot description, you’d think the majority of it was about a group of kids battling a serial killer, but this takes up a very brief amount of the book, strangely. It’s there and gone in a matter of pages.
As it goes on, however, things become slightly overblown. There are times when the writing becomes so purple that it threatens to derail the scene. Ellory has a tendency to describe and describe and describe, his writing evoking Ray Bradbury or Thomas Wolfe on a tangent. He reminds me of John Connolly, except Connolly has more of a reign on his writing; with Ellory, every moment needs a simile or a metaphor attached to it, needs the weight of a premonition of some sort, which ends up muddying the images he’s trying to convey. He will also compare things to “a watercolour painting” which, for me, conveys nothing at all; I can’t see that. Sometimes I felt my eyes glazing over when all the description kept passing me by.
The story becomes increasingly over the top as it continues, as well. Seemingly everyone Joseph gets close to ends up on a collision course with Death. There were times when I was thinking “Wow, really? Again?” and the denouement, after all we’ve seen, doesn’t really make any sense. It’s rushed and odd.
It reaches for a lot of things but I also think it tries to be too many things at once, which adds a fractured and rushed feeling to proceedings, especially towards the end.
From the plot description, you’d think the majority of it was about a group of kids battling a serial killer, but this takes up a very brief amount of the book, strangely. It’s there and gone in a matter of pages.
As it goes on, however, things become slightly overblown. There are times when the writing becomes so purple that it threatens to derail the scene. Ellory has a tendency to describe and describe and describe, his writing evoking Ray Bradbury or Thomas Wolfe on a tangent. He reminds me of John Connolly, except Connolly has more of a reign on his writing; with Ellory, every moment needs a simile or a metaphor attached to it, needs the weight of a premonition of some sort, which ends up muddying the images he’s trying to convey. He will also compare things to “a watercolour painting” which, for me, conveys nothing at all; I can’t see that. Sometimes I felt my eyes glazing over when all the description kept passing me by.
The story becomes increasingly over the top as it continues, as well. Seemingly everyone Joseph gets close to ends up on a collision course with Death. There were times when I was thinking “Wow, really? Again?” and the denouement, after all we’ve seen, doesn’t really make any sense. It’s rushed and odd.
It reaches for a lot of things but I also think it tries to be too many things at once, which adds a fractured and rushed feeling to proceedings, especially towards the end.
September 6, 2010
A book with a lot of promise that fails miserably. What captured my attention in the beginning was the prose style...it was very evocative but then it came to drown in its over reliance on similes...that repeat themselves over and over and over.
The story itself started good but became unendingly episodic and cliche. The serial killer narrative and coming of age narratives never gelled. Characterizations were a little interesting but this was lost in a story that went nowhere, I stopped reading when he met Brigid (I just could not take anymore), and a style that was too heavy and too loaded with similes...more interesting metaphors would have helped break it up some.
The slow pace would have been more interesting if the introspection went beyond the obvious...almost cliche in its nature.
It was a disappointing book because I had such high expectations after reading the first chapter...but it faded quickly after this.
Not recommended...but I did not hate it either....luke warm is my appraisal.
The story itself started good but became unendingly episodic and cliche. The serial killer narrative and coming of age narratives never gelled. Characterizations were a little interesting but this was lost in a story that went nowhere, I stopped reading when he met Brigid (I just could not take anymore), and a style that was too heavy and too loaded with similes...more interesting metaphors would have helped break it up some.
The slow pace would have been more interesting if the introspection went beyond the obvious...almost cliche in its nature.
It was a disappointing book because I had such high expectations after reading the first chapter...but it faded quickly after this.
Not recommended...but I did not hate it either....luke warm is my appraisal.
February 24, 2020
First person narrator Joseph Vaughan in a small town in 1940s Georgia, believes a white feather on his father's death bed pillow was his father's angel. Not long afterwards a serial killer begins a spree of vicious murders of young women, so Joseph friends form 'the Guardians' to protect the women.
The extensive use of descriptive prose makes it feel like Ellory wants to tells the reader how smart and clever he is, in my opinion. Not as good as the book sounds, 5 out of 12.
The extensive use of descriptive prose makes it feel like Ellory wants to tells the reader how smart and clever he is, in my opinion. Not as good as the book sounds, 5 out of 12.
December 30, 2018
3,5/5
En general es un thriller/drama que me ha gustado. Tiene una historia interesante y muy bien hilada. Lo que pasa es que se me ha hecho muy lenta en algunas ocasiones y el final no me ha gustado nada. Para pasar el rato.
En general es un thriller/drama que me ha gustado. Tiene una historia interesante y muy bien hilada. Lo que pasa es que se me ha hecho muy lenta en algunas ocasiones y el final no me ha gustado nada. Para pasar el rato.
January 12, 2012
This wouldn’t have been a bad crime thriller, had it not been ruined by the author’s apparent belief that he’s a much better writer than he actually is. He aims for the lyrical and poetic and falls flat because he doesn’t apparently understand the value of restraint or economy, and that constant repetition of an idea will diminish its impact.
I suspect that many editors today aren’t ruthless enough, and are too ready to swallow their authors’ self-hyping. A good editor might have suggested that Mr Ellory put less effort into the elaboration of his style, and more into ironing out the flaws and implausibilities of his story. Of the latter there are unfortunately quite a few: no insight into the motives of the killer, no satisfactory explanation of the narrator’s obsession with and irrational feelings of responsibility for the murders; inadequate acknowledgement of the traumatic legacy a series of such horrific crimes would surely have had on a small town where nearly everyone knew each other. And too many anachronisms in the dialogue - “enough already”, “enjoy”, etc – that’s just lazy writing!
Despite this, I really think that as a story-teller, he does have some talent: I read the book to the end because I was keen to see the resolution of the mystery, and the identity of the culprit. But as a writer, sadly, he doesn’t have a great deal to say.
I suspect that many editors today aren’t ruthless enough, and are too ready to swallow their authors’ self-hyping. A good editor might have suggested that Mr Ellory put less effort into the elaboration of his style, and more into ironing out the flaws and implausibilities of his story. Of the latter there are unfortunately quite a few: no insight into the motives of the killer, no satisfactory explanation of the narrator’s obsession with and irrational feelings of responsibility for the murders; inadequate acknowledgement of the traumatic legacy a series of such horrific crimes would surely have had on a small town where nearly everyone knew each other. And too many anachronisms in the dialogue - “enough already”, “enjoy”, etc – that’s just lazy writing!
Despite this, I really think that as a story-teller, he does have some talent: I read the book to the end because I was keen to see the resolution of the mystery, and the identity of the culprit. But as a writer, sadly, he doesn’t have a great deal to say.
April 1, 2012
Read it and WEEP!!!!!!!!
Maybe or maybe not physically, but sure enough you'll weep inside at Joseph Vaughan's life in Augusta Falls and beyond.
Such a damaging life, as fear and outrageous violence takes away a normal upbringing, surrounding him with the ghosts of lost children, forever haunting his nightmares, as this beautifully crafted novel progresses.
You find yourself not so much identifying with the various characters in Augusta Falls, as becoming one of the townsfolk yourself, sharing their fears, understanding their bigotry, living their dramas, the despair, and the ignorance.
After reading a hundred pages or so I felt like I'd read a complete book already, such was the skills of Ellory's decription and character building.
Not so much a book, more a total experience.
Not so much a murder story, more a journey through one man's tormented soul.
Not so much a great book, more a memory that can never be eradicated.
It left me utterly gobsmacked.
I put the book down and just sat there stunned.
Maybe or maybe not physically, but sure enough you'll weep inside at Joseph Vaughan's life in Augusta Falls and beyond.
Such a damaging life, as fear and outrageous violence takes away a normal upbringing, surrounding him with the ghosts of lost children, forever haunting his nightmares, as this beautifully crafted novel progresses.
You find yourself not so much identifying with the various characters in Augusta Falls, as becoming one of the townsfolk yourself, sharing their fears, understanding their bigotry, living their dramas, the despair, and the ignorance.
After reading a hundred pages or so I felt like I'd read a complete book already, such was the skills of Ellory's decription and character building.
Not so much a book, more a total experience.
Not so much a murder story, more a journey through one man's tormented soul.
Not so much a great book, more a memory that can never be eradicated.
It left me utterly gobsmacked.
I put the book down and just sat there stunned.
July 28, 2017
Исках да й дам 4 звезди, наистина, защото въпреки, че историята е твърде мрачна, подтискаща и драматична за моя вкус, не може да й се отрече майсторския стил и интригуващия характер, който те държи под напрежение до самия край и предизвиква шеметното разлистване на всяка следваща страница. Обаче силно ме разочарова решението на автора за края на историята - 460 страници градация, а накрая всичко свърши за два реда и толкова много въпроси останаха без отговори. Защо?! Предполагам е част от замисъла книгата да продължи да преследва читателя и след финала й, но за моя читателски вкус това бе твърде неудовлетворително! Та от там и 3те звезди.
February 24, 2014
Here is a man with “a quiet belief in angels” a man who is both persistent and intrepid; I found this book hard to put down, a beautifully written book, the prose illuminating and the story startling. Never once was I tempted to skip the long passages so confidently written. The author writes an Incredible and disturbing account of the long, long hunt for a child killer, and in so doing relates the poignant, heart wrenching story of the boy who became that man. Brilliant.
October 26, 2018
Le roman commence par le monologue d'un homme au soir de sa vie.
Il se souvient....
Nous sommes en Géorgie, dans les années 30.
Joseph Vaughan perd son père à l'âge de 11 ans. Il se retrouve seul avec sa mère.
Son enfance est jalonnée par l'école où son institutrice, Mademoiselle Alexandra Webber prend le rôle de mentor en découvrant les dons du petit garçon pour l'écriture, mais aussi par les meurtres de petites filles, meurtres sanglants, obscènes et terrifiants de brutalité qui surviennent dans le comté puis dans les villes avoisinantes.
Joseph et quelques amis décident de créer un clan appelé les "Anges gardiens" qui se veut être le protecteur de toutes ces gamines menacées par un tueur en série.
Projet illusoire puisque les meurtres continuent et sont de plus en plus terrifiants.
La communauté toute entière, par peur de l'étranger, terrifiée par la seconde guerre mondiale dans laquelle les américains sont entrés de plein pied, voit dans un des leurs un coupable parfait. En mettant fin à ses jours, le coupable désigné assoit sa culpabilité, les meurtres s'arrêtent.
Joseph va expérimenter plusieurs drames dans sa vie : un drame personnel terrible dont je ne vous dirai rien et l'état de santé qui se dégrade de sa mère.
Il décide donc de déménager à New York, ville gigantesque dans laquelle il a toujours rêvé de vivre pour enfin avoir à portée de main la culture, un niveau intellectuel supérieur à ce qu'il connaît et les possibilités qui l'aideront à évoluer.
Sauf que... La ville ne lui apporte pas que des satisfactions. Même si les rencontres qu'il y fait sont primordiales à son évolution, un autre drame effroyable va avoir des conséquences tragiques sur sa vie. Parallèlement, il découvrira que les meurtres de petites filles perdurent et que le coupable court donc toujours.
De ce drame, naitra quelque chose de sublime, un aboutissement, une révélation.
Tout d'abord, j'aimerai préciser que le titre original de ce roman est
"A quiet belief in Angels".
Seul le silence n'est pas une traduction adaptée lorsqu'on a lu ce livre.
Il n'évoque pas "les Anges gardiens" omniprésents dans la première partie du roman, ni le titre du livre édité dans la seconde partie.
Incontestablement, nous sommes ici en face d'un roman noir et non d'un thriller.
Oui, il y a bien un tueur en série, oui il y a bien une enquête pour découvrir son identité, mais l'essentiel ne réside pas là.
Joseph est un héros qui s'en prend plein la gueule, je ne peux pas l'écrire autrement.
C'est d'ailleurs terrifiant de se dire qu'un être humain peut encore parvenir à se relever en ayant pris autant de coups.
Sauf que, R.J Ellory se sert de cette souffrance, de cette douleur pour sublimer son écriture.
Il entrelace des moments d'espérance qui s'approchent de la perfection du bonheur au sens philosophique du terme, et des moments d'une noirceur de puits sans fond où mettre fin à ses jours serait la seule option encore envisageable.
Parce qu'il faut absolument parler de la puissance de son écriture !!
Quelle écriture !
Pour être tout à fait honnête, en débutant la lecture, j'ai eu un peu peur.
Dans les premières pages, nombreux étaient les mots à chercher dans le dictionnaire, mots que je n'avais jamais entendus de ma vie.
Le langage est soutenu, comme une volonté d'expliciter parfaitement, en employant les bons termes, des idées précises, pour que le lecteur entre véritablement dans l'esprit des personnages avec une justesse qui ne prête aucun doute sur ce qu'il souhaite transmettre d'émotions.
Ses phrases sont longues, précises, travaillées, riches en vocabulaire vous l'aurez compris, et tellement poétiques, notamment lorsqu' il décrit la nature, le décor ou l'exaltation de ses personnages.
Ses digressions lors des retours dans le passé, pour appuyer un propos ou apporter un éclairage nouveau sur un personnage ou un fait, sont de toute beauté.
Il plonge le lecteur avec brio dans le moi profond de Joseph avec une grande finesse d'analyse, l'envoûtant dans un tourbillon d'émotions profondes et vraies, faisant souffler le chaud puis le froid, pour développer avec plus de justesse encore le large panel des émotions humaines.
Nous ne sommes pas dans un thriller à péripéties, où l'on trouve une action par page.
Ici, nous sommes dans le domaine de l'intime, dans l'introspection, presque dans le peau à peau, entre le lecteur et Joseph. C'est extrêmement troublant comme sensation et c'est la première fois que je le ressens avec autant de force.
Son écriture vous ensorcèle tellement que vous avez parfois envie d'arrêter la lecture parce qu'elle est trop dure dans ce qu'elle fait vivre aux personnages mais vous ne pouvez pas parce qu'il a réussi à vous happer, à vous hameçonner, à vous prendre dans ses filets tant et si bien que continuer est le seul choix possible.
C'est un raconteur d'histoire, qui prend son temps en peignant le dureté d'un destin, en parvenant à faire apparaitre une ultime substantifique moelle : le but d'une vie, résoudre une équation, s'affranchir d'une promesse faite, livrer au monde un témoignage.
L'écriture est résolument à consonance américaine. Pas vraiment étonnant puisque dans une partie de sa vie passée à l'orphelinat, R.J Ellory découvre Truman Capote (dont le livre lui est d'ailleurs dédié), Harper Lee, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner.
Artiste aux multiples talents : il joue de la trompette, fait des études d'arts et se passionne pour la photographie.
Aujourd'hui encore, je suis souvent admirative devant les clichés qu'il poste sur sa page Facebook, photos de toute beauté dans lesquelles on sent toujours l'oeil avisé du photographe et les émotions incroyables qu'elles provoquent en moi en tout cas, d'ambiance feutrée, d'esprit apaisé ou au contraire d'une atmosphère terriblement inquiétante.
Comme son écriture, sa photographie démontre une sensibilité extrême à ce qui l'entoure.
Il fait également partie d'un groupe, les Whiskeys Poets dont le dernier album "Low Country" a des résonances singulières.
Tous les éléments sont réunis pour que ses livres deviennent des films tant la conscience de ce qui l'entoure est forte, en plus du texte et des mots qui semblent primordiaux à ses yeux, l'environnement dans lequel il est plongé semble nécessaire, voir vital à son oeuvre.
Ici, le contexte historique, la seconde guerre mondiale à laquelle les Etats-Unis finissent par prendre part, constitue le socle d'une histoire qui révèle une frange de la nature humaine, celle de la peur de l'Autre : un américain ne pourrait commettre ces meurtres, seul un étranger en serait capable !
Les thèmes abordés sont multiples. Je n'en aborderai que quelque-uns qui m'ont marqués parce qu'omniprésents :
La vie :
"Et lorsqu'on nous en donne une, nous en souhaitons deux, ou trois, ou plus, oubliant si facilement que celle que nous avions a été gaspillée."
La mort :
"La Mort vint ce jour-là. Appliquée, méthodique, indifférente aux us et aux coutumes ; ne respectant ni la Pâque, ni la Noël, ni aucune célébration ou tradition. La Mort vint, froide et insensible, pour prélever l’impôt de la vie, le prix à payer pour respirer. Et lorsqu’Elle vint je me tenais dans la cour sur la terre sèche parmi les mauvaises herbes, le mouron blanc et les gaulthéries."
La lecture et l'écriture :
"Tu veux écrire, alors écris, mais rappelle-toi toujours d'écrire la vérité telle que tu la vois, et non comme les autres veulent qu'on la voie."
"Ecrire peut servir à exorciser la peur et la haine ; ça peut être un moyen de surmonter les préjugés et la douleur. Au moins, si tu sais écrire, tu as une chance de t'exprimer... Tu peux offrir tes pensées au monde, et même si personne ne les lit ou ne les comprend, elles ne sont plus piégées au fond de toi. Si tu les gardes... si tu les gardes en toi (...), un jour tu risques d'exploser."
L'enfance :
"Ce que nous nous rappelons de notre enfance nous nous le rappelons pour toujours - fantômes permanents, estampés, écrits, imprimés, éternellement vus." Cynthia Ozic
Les relations entre les êtres sont spécialement étoffées. J'ai particulièrement aimé cette relation incroyable avec sa mère, si lucide, si pleine de philosophie de la vie, si clairvoyante, dont l'humour parfois grinçant, toujours décent fait de son personnage un être d'exception.
"Crois-moi, Joseph Vaughan, toute Américaine vivant en Géorgie qui a entendu parler d'Adolf Hitler et de la guerre en Europe, je te dirai que cette femme est une personne cultivée et intelligente."
De même, les liens qui unissent Joseph à ses mentors, d'abord son institutrice, puis, plus tard, Hennessy sont bouleversantes de sincérité et d'authenticité. C'est grâce aux autres aussi qu'un être peut se construire.
Ce roman noir est au fond le chemin d'une vie, l'introspection nécessaire et l'analyse de ce qu'un être peut vivre tout au long de sa construction pour aboutir à ce qu'il est, à la fin.
Ne cherchez pas ici les motivations du tueur dont vous connaitrez l'identité en fin de roman, ce n'est pas le plus important et finalement tout sauf nécessaire.
Il se souvient....
Nous sommes en Géorgie, dans les années 30.
Joseph Vaughan perd son père à l'âge de 11 ans. Il se retrouve seul avec sa mère.
Son enfance est jalonnée par l'école où son institutrice, Mademoiselle Alexandra Webber prend le rôle de mentor en découvrant les dons du petit garçon pour l'écriture, mais aussi par les meurtres de petites filles, meurtres sanglants, obscènes et terrifiants de brutalité qui surviennent dans le comté puis dans les villes avoisinantes.
Joseph et quelques amis décident de créer un clan appelé les "Anges gardiens" qui se veut être le protecteur de toutes ces gamines menacées par un tueur en série.
Projet illusoire puisque les meurtres continuent et sont de plus en plus terrifiants.
La communauté toute entière, par peur de l'étranger, terrifiée par la seconde guerre mondiale dans laquelle les américains sont entrés de plein pied, voit dans un des leurs un coupable parfait. En mettant fin à ses jours, le coupable désigné assoit sa culpabilité, les meurtres s'arrêtent.
Joseph va expérimenter plusieurs drames dans sa vie : un drame personnel terrible dont je ne vous dirai rien et l'état de santé qui se dégrade de sa mère.
Il décide donc de déménager à New York, ville gigantesque dans laquelle il a toujours rêvé de vivre pour enfin avoir à portée de main la culture, un niveau intellectuel supérieur à ce qu'il connaît et les possibilités qui l'aideront à évoluer.
Sauf que... La ville ne lui apporte pas que des satisfactions. Même si les rencontres qu'il y fait sont primordiales à son évolution, un autre drame effroyable va avoir des conséquences tragiques sur sa vie. Parallèlement, il découvrira que les meurtres de petites filles perdurent et que le coupable court donc toujours.
De ce drame, naitra quelque chose de sublime, un aboutissement, une révélation.
Tout d'abord, j'aimerai préciser que le titre original de ce roman est
"A quiet belief in Angels".
Seul le silence n'est pas une traduction adaptée lorsqu'on a lu ce livre.
Il n'évoque pas "les Anges gardiens" omniprésents dans la première partie du roman, ni le titre du livre édité dans la seconde partie.
Incontestablement, nous sommes ici en face d'un roman noir et non d'un thriller.
Oui, il y a bien un tueur en série, oui il y a bien une enquête pour découvrir son identité, mais l'essentiel ne réside pas là.
Joseph est un héros qui s'en prend plein la gueule, je ne peux pas l'écrire autrement.
C'est d'ailleurs terrifiant de se dire qu'un être humain peut encore parvenir à se relever en ayant pris autant de coups.
Sauf que, R.J Ellory se sert de cette souffrance, de cette douleur pour sublimer son écriture.
Il entrelace des moments d'espérance qui s'approchent de la perfection du bonheur au sens philosophique du terme, et des moments d'une noirceur de puits sans fond où mettre fin à ses jours serait la seule option encore envisageable.
Parce qu'il faut absolument parler de la puissance de son écriture !!
Quelle écriture !
Pour être tout à fait honnête, en débutant la lecture, j'ai eu un peu peur.
Dans les premières pages, nombreux étaient les mots à chercher dans le dictionnaire, mots que je n'avais jamais entendus de ma vie.
Le langage est soutenu, comme une volonté d'expliciter parfaitement, en employant les bons termes, des idées précises, pour que le lecteur entre véritablement dans l'esprit des personnages avec une justesse qui ne prête aucun doute sur ce qu'il souhaite transmettre d'émotions.
Ses phrases sont longues, précises, travaillées, riches en vocabulaire vous l'aurez compris, et tellement poétiques, notamment lorsqu' il décrit la nature, le décor ou l'exaltation de ses personnages.
Ses digressions lors des retours dans le passé, pour appuyer un propos ou apporter un éclairage nouveau sur un personnage ou un fait, sont de toute beauté.
Il plonge le lecteur avec brio dans le moi profond de Joseph avec une grande finesse d'analyse, l'envoûtant dans un tourbillon d'émotions profondes et vraies, faisant souffler le chaud puis le froid, pour développer avec plus de justesse encore le large panel des émotions humaines.
Nous ne sommes pas dans un thriller à péripéties, où l'on trouve une action par page.
Ici, nous sommes dans le domaine de l'intime, dans l'introspection, presque dans le peau à peau, entre le lecteur et Joseph. C'est extrêmement troublant comme sensation et c'est la première fois que je le ressens avec autant de force.
Son écriture vous ensorcèle tellement que vous avez parfois envie d'arrêter la lecture parce qu'elle est trop dure dans ce qu'elle fait vivre aux personnages mais vous ne pouvez pas parce qu'il a réussi à vous happer, à vous hameçonner, à vous prendre dans ses filets tant et si bien que continuer est le seul choix possible.
C'est un raconteur d'histoire, qui prend son temps en peignant le dureté d'un destin, en parvenant à faire apparaitre une ultime substantifique moelle : le but d'une vie, résoudre une équation, s'affranchir d'une promesse faite, livrer au monde un témoignage.
L'écriture est résolument à consonance américaine. Pas vraiment étonnant puisque dans une partie de sa vie passée à l'orphelinat, R.J Ellory découvre Truman Capote (dont le livre lui est d'ailleurs dédié), Harper Lee, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner.
Artiste aux multiples talents : il joue de la trompette, fait des études d'arts et se passionne pour la photographie.
Aujourd'hui encore, je suis souvent admirative devant les clichés qu'il poste sur sa page Facebook, photos de toute beauté dans lesquelles on sent toujours l'oeil avisé du photographe et les émotions incroyables qu'elles provoquent en moi en tout cas, d'ambiance feutrée, d'esprit apaisé ou au contraire d'une atmosphère terriblement inquiétante.
Comme son écriture, sa photographie démontre une sensibilité extrême à ce qui l'entoure.
Il fait également partie d'un groupe, les Whiskeys Poets dont le dernier album "Low Country" a des résonances singulières.
Tous les éléments sont réunis pour que ses livres deviennent des films tant la conscience de ce qui l'entoure est forte, en plus du texte et des mots qui semblent primordiaux à ses yeux, l'environnement dans lequel il est plongé semble nécessaire, voir vital à son oeuvre.
Ici, le contexte historique, la seconde guerre mondiale à laquelle les Etats-Unis finissent par prendre part, constitue le socle d'une histoire qui révèle une frange de la nature humaine, celle de la peur de l'Autre : un américain ne pourrait commettre ces meurtres, seul un étranger en serait capable !
Les thèmes abordés sont multiples. Je n'en aborderai que quelque-uns qui m'ont marqués parce qu'omniprésents :
La vie :
"Et lorsqu'on nous en donne une, nous en souhaitons deux, ou trois, ou plus, oubliant si facilement que celle que nous avions a été gaspillée."
La mort :
"La Mort vint ce jour-là. Appliquée, méthodique, indifférente aux us et aux coutumes ; ne respectant ni la Pâque, ni la Noël, ni aucune célébration ou tradition. La Mort vint, froide et insensible, pour prélever l’impôt de la vie, le prix à payer pour respirer. Et lorsqu’Elle vint je me tenais dans la cour sur la terre sèche parmi les mauvaises herbes, le mouron blanc et les gaulthéries."
La lecture et l'écriture :
"Tu veux écrire, alors écris, mais rappelle-toi toujours d'écrire la vérité telle que tu la vois, et non comme les autres veulent qu'on la voie."
"Ecrire peut servir à exorciser la peur et la haine ; ça peut être un moyen de surmonter les préjugés et la douleur. Au moins, si tu sais écrire, tu as une chance de t'exprimer... Tu peux offrir tes pensées au monde, et même si personne ne les lit ou ne les comprend, elles ne sont plus piégées au fond de toi. Si tu les gardes... si tu les gardes en toi (...), un jour tu risques d'exploser."
L'enfance :
"Ce que nous nous rappelons de notre enfance nous nous le rappelons pour toujours - fantômes permanents, estampés, écrits, imprimés, éternellement vus." Cynthia Ozic
Les relations entre les êtres sont spécialement étoffées. J'ai particulièrement aimé cette relation incroyable avec sa mère, si lucide, si pleine de philosophie de la vie, si clairvoyante, dont l'humour parfois grinçant, toujours décent fait de son personnage un être d'exception.
"Crois-moi, Joseph Vaughan, toute Américaine vivant en Géorgie qui a entendu parler d'Adolf Hitler et de la guerre en Europe, je te dirai que cette femme est une personne cultivée et intelligente."
De même, les liens qui unissent Joseph à ses mentors, d'abord son institutrice, puis, plus tard, Hennessy sont bouleversantes de sincérité et d'authenticité. C'est grâce aux autres aussi qu'un être peut se construire.
Ce roman noir est au fond le chemin d'une vie, l'introspection nécessaire et l'analyse de ce qu'un être peut vivre tout au long de sa construction pour aboutir à ce qu'il est, à la fin.
Ne cherchez pas ici les motivations du tueur dont vous connaitrez l'identité en fin de roman, ce n'est pas le plus important et finalement tout sauf nécessaire.
August 11, 2017
Рядко ми се случва една книга да тръгне изключително добре, но след това с всяка страница да започне да затъва все повече в клишета и авторово безсилие. Случаят с "Тихата вяра в ангели" се оказа точно такъв. Романът обещава да е много повече от разказ за жесток масов убиец като същевременно държи интереса и с криминалната нишка.
След наистина чудесните първи 50-60 страници обаче действието почти спира, нови улики за жестоките убийства на малките момиченца практически липсват, а труповете продължават да валят. И така в продължение на 30 години. (Забелязвам, че чудното приложение на GR за телефон явно не поддържа HTML, така че функцията скрит текст там я няма). За четящите през телефон, следва СПОЙЛЕР.
С две думи романът не е достатъчно добра криминална история, а изпипаният психологизъм, заради който бих простила всякакви пробойни на трилър фронта, липсва.
След наистина чудесните първи 50-60 страници обаче действието почти спира, нови улики за жестоките убийства на малките момиченца практически липсват, а труповете продължават да валят. И така в продължение на 30 години. (Забелязвам, че чудното приложение на GR за телефон явно не поддържа HTML, така че функцията скрит текст там я няма). За четящите през телефон, следва СПОЙЛЕР.
С две думи романът не е достатъчно добра криминална история, а изпипаният психологизъм, заради който бих простила всякакви пробойни на трилър фронта, липсва.
April 29, 2008
When I first started reading R.J.Ellory’s, A Quiet Belief in Angels, I thought,
"This is a con.....this can't be right.....this is a joke!"
I was convinced I was reading the works of the Master, Steinbeck.
Right from the opening lines, Ellory had me drawn in, taken under the influence of, and then totally intoxicated by his verbal skills and mastery over phrase, paragraph and perfect prose.
‘Sat at my window, chin almost touching the sill, and looked out into the night. Sky as hard as flint, the scudding clouds thin and fragile, like they’d disperse with nothing more than a fingersnap, but all of it beautiful in a broken-up, haphazard kind of way; the ghosts of day-clouds, backlit afterthoughts to remind you of morning. The morning gone, the morning on its way…which one it didn’t seem to matter. In the air the crisp snap of lodgepole pine and bitter juniper made the taste of breathing sour and electric.’
Pure poetry!
‘Tried not to think of my father, the sound of his voice, the smell of him – bitter apples, coal tar, sometimes cigars. I closed my mind down to nothing. Waited and watched, and then waited some more. Tried to breathe deep and even and slow. Tried to close out the sound of bugs and trees, of wind and the stream. Tried to hear other things. Things that came from darkness.’
More impeccable prose!
Added to his power over words, was R.J.’s inimitable expertise as a story teller. I read with eagerness and yet uneasiness, the unfolding of the heinous, extraordinary crimes that disturbed and haunted the ordinary, hard-working, everyday folk of Augusta Falls, Georgia; commencing in 1939.
As I travelled with him, sometimes coaxed, sometimes running ahead, I couldn’t help but feel perturbed that the road in front might not be going the way in which I wanted to walk……at times, as a reluctant traveller, he forced me to tread the path that he had beaten out and I became timorous, totally disquieted that the destination we were heading for was not one I would choose to aim for; not a place I would seek to visit.
R.J. Ellory forcibly delivers, he will not disappoint!
He is a Writer to be reckoned with and bears a name that one day, I am confident, will be reckoned up amidst the All Time Greats!
Are we sure he did not sit and learn at the foot of John Steinbeck?
Carrie King
"This is a con.....this can't be right.....this is a joke!"
I was convinced I was reading the works of the Master, Steinbeck.
Right from the opening lines, Ellory had me drawn in, taken under the influence of, and then totally intoxicated by his verbal skills and mastery over phrase, paragraph and perfect prose.
‘Sat at my window, chin almost touching the sill, and looked out into the night. Sky as hard as flint, the scudding clouds thin and fragile, like they’d disperse with nothing more than a fingersnap, but all of it beautiful in a broken-up, haphazard kind of way; the ghosts of day-clouds, backlit afterthoughts to remind you of morning. The morning gone, the morning on its way…which one it didn’t seem to matter. In the air the crisp snap of lodgepole pine and bitter juniper made the taste of breathing sour and electric.’
Pure poetry!
‘Tried not to think of my father, the sound of his voice, the smell of him – bitter apples, coal tar, sometimes cigars. I closed my mind down to nothing. Waited and watched, and then waited some more. Tried to breathe deep and even and slow. Tried to close out the sound of bugs and trees, of wind and the stream. Tried to hear other things. Things that came from darkness.’
More impeccable prose!
Added to his power over words, was R.J.’s inimitable expertise as a story teller. I read with eagerness and yet uneasiness, the unfolding of the heinous, extraordinary crimes that disturbed and haunted the ordinary, hard-working, everyday folk of Augusta Falls, Georgia; commencing in 1939.
As I travelled with him, sometimes coaxed, sometimes running ahead, I couldn’t help but feel perturbed that the road in front might not be going the way in which I wanted to walk……at times, as a reluctant traveller, he forced me to tread the path that he had beaten out and I became timorous, totally disquieted that the destination we were heading for was not one I would choose to aim for; not a place I would seek to visit.
R.J. Ellory forcibly delivers, he will not disappoint!
He is a Writer to be reckoned with and bears a name that one day, I am confident, will be reckoned up amidst the All Time Greats!
Are we sure he did not sit and learn at the foot of John Steinbeck?
Carrie King
September 7, 2017
Убиецът на тихата вяра в ангели
(Цялото ревю е тук: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
Доста книги за серийни убийци ми се събраха. Повечето не са никак леки за възприемане, ако се наблегне на частите с описания на мъчения и смърт. Но въпросът е в драмата и как светът на героите се срива, подхранван единствено от жестокости, за които от време на време чуваме и по новините. Всяка подобна книга е вдъхновена от нещо, макар и поукрасена тук-там, за да има по-голям ефект. „Тихата вяра в ангели“ („Пергамент Прес“, 2017, с превод на Силвана Миланова) е драматична до висините, ако мога така да се изразя. Героят тук буквално е абониран за страховете в живота, които го преследват десетилетия наред, без да му дадат и миг спокойствие. Започва се още в детството му и не престава до края на самата книга. Винаги съм искал четените от мен книги да ме вълнуват и стъписват, да ми влияят почти физически. Накрая съм доволен, ако съм плувнал в пот и съм се разчувствал или стресирал по някаква причина. И не е само заради прожектиращите се в главата ми картини, а и това, че може де се изживеят всички тия терзания от страниците. Книгата на Елъри е пълна с душевен смут и това ме направи нестабилен, нервен и дезориентиран. Ако човек се остави да изживее всичко, без да опира до спасителния пояс, че това е просто една книга, ще спечели доста повече от кратко разсейване в часовете за почивка. Ако всичко това се случи, значи книгата си е свършила работата. Разказът от първо лице прави всичко още по-въздействащо.
(Продължава в блога: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
(Цялото ревю е тук: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
Доста книги за серийни убийци ми се събраха. Повечето не са никак леки за възприемане, ако се наблегне на частите с описания на мъчения и смърт. Но въпросът е в драмата и как светът на героите се срива, подхранван единствено от жестокости, за които от време на време чуваме и по новините. Всяка подобна книга е вдъхновена от нещо, макар и поукрасена тук-там, за да има по-голям ефект. „Тихата вяра в ангели“ („Пергамент Прес“, 2017, с превод на Силвана Миланова) е драматична до висините, ако мога така да се изразя. Героят тук буквално е абониран за страховете в живота, които го преследват десетилетия наред, без да му дадат и миг спокойствие. Започва се още в детството му и не престава до края на самата книга. Винаги съм искал четените от мен книги да ме вълнуват и стъписват, да ми влияят почти физически. Накрая съм доволен, ако съм плувнал в пот и съм се разчувствал или стресирал по някаква причина. И не е само заради прожектиращите се в главата ми картини, а и това, че може де се изживеят всички тия терзания от страниците. Книгата на Елъри е пълна с душевен смут и това ме направи нестабилен, нервен и дезориентиран. Ако човек се остави да изживее всичко, без да опира до спасителния пояс, че това е просто една книга, ще спечели доста повече от кратко разсейване в часовете за почивка. Ако всичко това се случи, значи книгата си е свършила работата. Разказът от първо лице прави всичко още по-въздействащо.
(Продължава в блога: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
January 23, 2011
J’avais adoré Les Anonymes en octobre dernier, mais là c’est un cran au-dessus !
Encore plus sombre, Seul le silence est un roman avant tout psychologique, un genre de thriller sans réel suspens ni enquête. L’enquête menée pas Joseph Vaughan est principalement intérieure. Traumatisé par la Mort en général et celle de son père et des premières victimes en particulier, Joseph restera lié à une fatalité qui le hante depuis l’enfance. On est fasciné par l’enchainement des événements, on assiste au déroulement de la vie de Joseph totalement hypnotisé. Les personnages sont tous passionnants, celui de Joseph est particulièrement recherché, fouillé. Si vous cherchez un thriller d’action passez votre chemin, celui-ci est bien plus profond et palpitant que la moyenne. On suit Joseph durant plusieurs décennies, poursuivi par des tragédies qui le touchent directement et qui le dépassent. Le temps qui passe, le passage à l’âge adulte, l’intégration et la différence, sont des thèmes majeurs du roman, le tueur en série ne devenant au bout du compte qu’un prétexte. Démasquer le tueur devient une question de survie pour Joseph, et pour le lecteur, le cheminement deviendrait plus important que le dénouement. Celui-ci peut paraître un peu brutal, mais reste cohérent.
Le style est efficace et magnifique, au service de grands personnages et d’une grande histoire.
Encore plus sombre, Seul le silence est un roman avant tout psychologique, un genre de thriller sans réel suspens ni enquête. L’enquête menée pas Joseph Vaughan est principalement intérieure. Traumatisé par la Mort en général et celle de son père et des premières victimes en particulier, Joseph restera lié à une fatalité qui le hante depuis l’enfance. On est fasciné par l’enchainement des événements, on assiste au déroulement de la vie de Joseph totalement hypnotisé. Les personnages sont tous passionnants, celui de Joseph est particulièrement recherché, fouillé. Si vous cherchez un thriller d’action passez votre chemin, celui-ci est bien plus profond et palpitant que la moyenne. On suit Joseph durant plusieurs décennies, poursuivi par des tragédies qui le touchent directement et qui le dépassent. Le temps qui passe, le passage à l’âge adulte, l’intégration et la différence, sont des thèmes majeurs du roman, le tueur en série ne devenant au bout du compte qu’un prétexte. Démasquer le tueur devient une question de survie pour Joseph, et pour le lecteur, le cheminement deviendrait plus important que le dénouement. Celui-ci peut paraître un peu brutal, mais reste cohérent.
Le style est efficace et magnifique, au service de grands personnages et d’une grande histoire.
August 3, 2017
Тихата вяра в ангели не помага срещу дявола: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...
Джоузеф Воон е човекът, обречен да губи от първата до предпоследната страница на тази книга. От момента, в който губи баща си, до края, когато губи и илюзиите си. Елъри го преследва безпощадно и не го оставя да си поеме дъх – два пъти го дарява с любов, два пъти му я отнема безпощадно. Отнема му майка му, но бавно, перфидно, болезнено. Отнема му човека, който поема бащински функции в живота му – и го отнема пак на части, разделени от годините. Детската любов, приятелите, мечтите… накрая му отнема и малко над десетилетие от живота. Но пък му дарява литературния успех, това, за което мнозина биха платили скъпо. Но не чак толкова скъпо със сигурност.
Издателство "Пергамент Прес"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...
Джоузеф Воон е човекът, обречен да губи от първата до предпоследната страница на тази книга. От момента, в който губи баща си, до края, когато губи и илюзиите си. Елъри го преследва безпощадно и не го оставя да си поеме дъх – два пъти го дарява с любов, два пъти му я отнема безпощадно. Отнема му майка му, но бавно, перфидно, болезнено. Отнема му човека, който поема бащински функции в живота му – и го отнема пак на части, разделени от годините. Детската любов, приятелите, мечтите… накрая му отнема и малко над десетилетие от живота. Но пък му дарява литературния успех, това, за което мнозина биха платили скъпо. Но не чак толкова скъпо със сигурност.
Издателство "Пергамент Прес"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...
August 23, 2018
You can write a lyrical book. You can write a brutal book about girl murderers. Or one could even if one had to write a book about a oddly pretentious country boy growing up. I did not care for the combination of all three at all. It all tasted like ersatz.
NTrip
NTrip
May 13, 2018
Il est des destins auxquels il est impossible d’échapper. Seul le silence nous conte celui de Joseph Vaughan, jeune garçon vivant dans une petite ville du sud des Etats-Unis, où une série de fillettes entre huit et douze ans sont assassinées dans d’horribles circonstances. Écrivain en herbe, le jeune garçon vient de perdre son père et il se sent très concerné par ce qui se passe. A l’heure où toute la ville se lance dans une véritable chasse aux sorcières pour trouver l’assassin, lui voudrait juste pouvoir protéger ces petites filles. Une histoire qui le hantera toute sa vie…
Connu pour ses polars et ses thrillers, ce premier roman traduit en France de R. J. Ellory est atypique et déroutant, mais plein de finesse et de pudeur. Les premiers temps de ma lecture ont été un peu laborieux, je le reconnais. Je ne voyais pas du tout où l’auteur voulait en venir, à nous raconter par le menu la vie de Joseph, la moindre de ses pensées à propos de ses parents, son institutrice, ses voisins, et les petites filles enfin. Et puis peu à peu, je me suis surprise à aimer ça. Joseph est un personnage très attachant, un bon garçon auquel sa mère a inculqué nombre de belles valeurs, un chevalier au sens noble du terme. Comme une flagrante injustice, le destin, à moins que ce ne soit le tueur, va s’acharner contre lui.
La plume de R. J. Ellory dans ce roman est juste extraordinaire. L’auteur se place dans la peau de ce jeune homme et il nous livre son histoire comme un témoignage, comme si Joseph était là, assis en face de nous, et nous contait sa terrible histoire. Alors certes, le texte n’est pas dénué de certaines longueurs et j’avoue être passée à côté de quelques références historiques américaines (sur certaines personnalités essentiellement), mais c’est aussi cette lenteur qui fait qu’on se sent si concerné par ce arrive à Joseph. Cela rend le dénouement d’autant plus brutal et certains l’ont reproché à l’auteur. J’ai personnellement trouvé qu’il collait tout à fait à l’état d’esprit de Joseph à la fin de sa vie.
Ne vous attendez pas à de grands frissons. C’est plus un roman noir qu’un thriller, mais R. J. Ellory excelle dans la création d’une ambiance noire et oppressante, sur laquelle plane l’ombre d’un tueur sans merci, par opposition à la foi et à la ténacité d’un jeune homme extrêmement attachant. C’était le second livre que je lisais de cet auteur, et je suis d’ores et déjà convaincue d’en lire bientôt d’autres. Un roman à découvrir, vraiment.
Connu pour ses polars et ses thrillers, ce premier roman traduit en France de R. J. Ellory est atypique et déroutant, mais plein de finesse et de pudeur. Les premiers temps de ma lecture ont été un peu laborieux, je le reconnais. Je ne voyais pas du tout où l’auteur voulait en venir, à nous raconter par le menu la vie de Joseph, la moindre de ses pensées à propos de ses parents, son institutrice, ses voisins, et les petites filles enfin. Et puis peu à peu, je me suis surprise à aimer ça. Joseph est un personnage très attachant, un bon garçon auquel sa mère a inculqué nombre de belles valeurs, un chevalier au sens noble du terme. Comme une flagrante injustice, le destin, à moins que ce ne soit le tueur, va s’acharner contre lui.
La plume de R. J. Ellory dans ce roman est juste extraordinaire. L’auteur se place dans la peau de ce jeune homme et il nous livre son histoire comme un témoignage, comme si Joseph était là, assis en face de nous, et nous contait sa terrible histoire. Alors certes, le texte n’est pas dénué de certaines longueurs et j’avoue être passée à côté de quelques références historiques américaines (sur certaines personnalités essentiellement), mais c’est aussi cette lenteur qui fait qu’on se sent si concerné par ce arrive à Joseph. Cela rend le dénouement d’autant plus brutal et certains l’ont reproché à l’auteur. J’ai personnellement trouvé qu’il collait tout à fait à l’état d’esprit de Joseph à la fin de sa vie.
Ne vous attendez pas à de grands frissons. C’est plus un roman noir qu’un thriller, mais R. J. Ellory excelle dans la création d’une ambiance noire et oppressante, sur laquelle plane l’ombre d’un tueur sans merci, par opposition à la foi et à la ténacité d’un jeune homme extrêmement attachant. C’était le second livre que je lisais de cet auteur, et je suis d’ores et déjà convaincue d’en lire bientôt d’autres. Un roman à découvrir, vraiment.
November 10, 2021
Be sure to visit my Favorites Shelf for the books I found most entertaining.
When I got to the halfway point of A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS, something tragic happened. My chaotic outside life, the life I live away from reading got in the way. Nothing irritates me more. I kept thinking about the book, wondering what sick SOB was killing young girls, but be darned if I could clear my head for five minutes to read. Finally, after having to abandon the book for a week, I finished.
This is my first time reading the author. I really enjoyed the story, especially the first half when the main character, Joseph Calvin Vaughan is just a child of twelve years old. I often find children make the best narrators; they're humorous and innocent and I love how that comes out on a page.
"She was a sweet enough child I'm sure, but to a twelve-year-old boy, a nine-year-old girl seems the worst kind of harpy. Her voice was shrill, like a rusted spike jabbing my ears, and though later she would mellow and soften, and in her own way become really quite sensitive and beautiful, at the time she was like bitter-tasting medicine for an illness long gone."
I found myself chuckling at Joseph and his buddies when they formed, The Guardians, a neighbourhood watch. Like six young boys would be able to catch a killer. To me, it felt like The Hardy Boys meets Stand By Me.
I loved the small-town feeling and the tidbits of World War II history. As you read further into the book, young Joseph Calvin Vaughan grows into a man with the most tragic life ever. I didn't enjoy the latter half of the book. Honestly, I just wanted to know who the killer was. And, when it was all revealed and I closed the book, I had one big nagging question.
Why?
What drives a person to kill so many girls? and to do so in such a brutal fashion. I wanted an explanation, one wasn't given, so this book gets a four-star rating rather than five.
When I got to the halfway point of A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS, something tragic happened. My chaotic outside life, the life I live away from reading got in the way. Nothing irritates me more. I kept thinking about the book, wondering what sick SOB was killing young girls, but be darned if I could clear my head for five minutes to read. Finally, after having to abandon the book for a week, I finished.
This is my first time reading the author. I really enjoyed the story, especially the first half when the main character, Joseph Calvin Vaughan is just a child of twelve years old. I often find children make the best narrators; they're humorous and innocent and I love how that comes out on a page.
"She was a sweet enough child I'm sure, but to a twelve-year-old boy, a nine-year-old girl seems the worst kind of harpy. Her voice was shrill, like a rusted spike jabbing my ears, and though later she would mellow and soften, and in her own way become really quite sensitive and beautiful, at the time she was like bitter-tasting medicine for an illness long gone."
I found myself chuckling at Joseph and his buddies when they formed, The Guardians, a neighbourhood watch. Like six young boys would be able to catch a killer. To me, it felt like The Hardy Boys meets Stand By Me.
I loved the small-town feeling and the tidbits of World War II history. As you read further into the book, young Joseph Calvin Vaughan grows into a man with the most tragic life ever. I didn't enjoy the latter half of the book. Honestly, I just wanted to know who the killer was. And, when it was all revealed and I closed the book, I had one big nagging question.
Why?
What drives a person to kill so many girls? and to do so in such a brutal fashion. I wanted an explanation, one wasn't given, so this book gets a four-star rating rather than five.
August 17, 2012
This is a somewhat difficult review to begin as I have quite mixed feelings having just finished the book. My conclusion is probably best summarised by saying that I really enjoyed the novel and am glad to have read it, despite some flaws that became more evident as the story developed.
The prose was excellent, with some descriptive passages that are pure poetry. This rich prose became a little formulaic as the book went on, and there was a noticeable increase in repetition of similes later in the book that made me wonder if the author was simply rushing. The pace is quite slow but for me the writing style was able to carry this and I never found myself bored. In short, the prose is the best feature of this book, giving life to a plot and characters which otherwise might have seemed flat, and making this read worthwhile.
The plot and characterisation were engaging and there were enough twists to keep me guessing to the end. Having reached the end however, there are some aspects that I find unsatisfying -- not enough explanation of the motives of the eventual child killer, some lack of clarity about why our protagonist first takes such an active role (responsibility?) for stopping the killings, some odd decisions and actions which are not explained within the plot. Similar to my feelings about the quality of prose, I also had the feeling that the plot quality suffered as the book went on, and that despite the length of the novel there were plot elements and characterisations later on which were rushed compared to those earlier in the book.
As with 'A Simple Act Of Violence' which I also recently finished, Ellory has clearly put significant time and effort into researching the historical, geographical and political setting for this novel and that shines through as a positive for me in both works.
The prose was excellent, with some descriptive passages that are pure poetry. This rich prose became a little formulaic as the book went on, and there was a noticeable increase in repetition of similes later in the book that made me wonder if the author was simply rushing. The pace is quite slow but for me the writing style was able to carry this and I never found myself bored. In short, the prose is the best feature of this book, giving life to a plot and characters which otherwise might have seemed flat, and making this read worthwhile.
The plot and characterisation were engaging and there were enough twists to keep me guessing to the end. Having reached the end however, there are some aspects that I find unsatisfying -- not enough explanation of the motives of the eventual child killer, some lack of clarity about why our protagonist first takes such an active role (responsibility?) for stopping the killings, some odd decisions and actions which are not explained within the plot. Similar to my feelings about the quality of prose, I also had the feeling that the plot quality suffered as the book went on, and that despite the length of the novel there were plot elements and characterisations later on which were rushed compared to those earlier in the book.
As with 'A Simple Act Of Violence' which I also recently finished, Ellory has clearly put significant time and effort into researching the historical, geographical and political setting for this novel and that shines through as a positive for me in both works.
February 24, 2019
I do not have the right words to describe my absolute love of this amazing and wonderful book. It is simply stunning. I have not been able to put it down and just loved Joseph Calvin Vaughan: I just wanted to hug him and take away all his pain and the terrible tragedies that dogged his life from an early age.
I have read some amazing books this year and had just finished a terrific book before moving onto one of my favourite authors, R J Ellory and this heartbreaking novel.
All I can describe it as is a little like Shawshank Redemption with all the heartache that book delivered.
My only questions would include why the murderer killed his victims in the brutal fashion that he did? Had something happened in his past? - but that didn't spoil the plot for me and didn't detract from my joy of reading it.
I would dearly love this to be made into a movie and I would be right at the front of the queue wanting to watch it.
Simply amazing, beautifully written (as always) and addictive read. I will never forget this story - ever.
I have read some amazing books this year and had just finished a terrific book before moving onto one of my favourite authors, R J Ellory and this heartbreaking novel.
All I can describe it as is a little like Shawshank Redemption with all the heartache that book delivered.
My only questions would include why the murderer killed his victims in the brutal fashion that he did? Had something happened in his past? - but that didn't spoil the plot for me and didn't detract from my joy of reading it.
I would dearly love this to be made into a movie and I would be right at the front of the queue wanting to watch it.
Simply amazing, beautifully written (as always) and addictive read. I will never forget this story - ever.
December 10, 2019
Mooi geschreven.
Deed me qua inhoud een beetje denken aan 'De kraaien zullen het zeggen' van Ann-Marie MacDonald en ook aan 'De kleine vriend' van Donna Tart. Denk dat ik deze kortelings nog eens ga lezen.
quote over lezen:
Mijn vader zei altijd tegen me dat het een van de belangrijkste dingen was die je kon doen. Hij zei dat je je hele leven in een hutje kon wonen in een dorpje van anderhalve man en een paardenkop, maar als je kon lezen, kon je in gedachten de hele wereld over reizen. (p26)
over rouwen:
Je moet niet langer rouwen dan bloemen vers blijven en dan moet het over zijn. Het leven gaat verder. (79)
Deed me qua inhoud een beetje denken aan 'De kraaien zullen het zeggen' van Ann-Marie MacDonald en ook aan 'De kleine vriend' van Donna Tart. Denk dat ik deze kortelings nog eens ga lezen.
quote over lezen:
Mijn vader zei altijd tegen me dat het een van de belangrijkste dingen was die je kon doen. Hij zei dat je je hele leven in een hutje kon wonen in een dorpje van anderhalve man en een paardenkop, maar als je kon lezen, kon je in gedachten de hele wereld over reizen. (p26)
over rouwen:
Je moet niet langer rouwen dan bloemen vers blijven en dan moet het over zijn. Het leven gaat verder. (79)
April 21, 2013
A slow-paced crime novel set in rural Georgia before the First World War. Little girls are gruesomely murdered, impacting the life and future of Joseph Vaughan, precocious teenager. It is slow going. A better writer would have gotten away with it, but Ellory's prose is over-the-top and repetitive, trying too hard to be poignant and poetic. Joseph's obsession with the murders and subsequent navel gazing might have been interesting had there been som depth to it, but he remains a two-dimensional character and the endless dwelling grows infuriating after a few hundred pages. The novel tries to be something it is not, and would have been better off as a straight-forward crime story.
February 5, 2024
Given the title, it was not quite what I expected.
It starts off with this kid, Joseph Vaughan, who's 11 going on 12, and in love with his teacher and half in love with the girl who sits next to him in class. But his father dies and the girl is murdered, and someone tells him about dead people becoming angels so he gets interested in the topic and tells his teacher all about the Celestial Hierarchy -- the works. Like he's read Dionysus the Areopagite (Pseudo, if you insist) and all that stuff, but he says he got it from the Bible.
But after that there's not much mention of angels, apart from a few feathers. A lot more girls get murdered, and Joseph and his friends vow to protect them, but fail to do so, and his friends grow up and forget their promise, but Joseph persists, and his life is pretty sad. It's a sad story, but worth reading, only not for the reason I thought.
It starts off with this kid, Joseph Vaughan, who's 11 going on 12, and in love with his teacher and half in love with the girl who sits next to him in class. But his father dies and the girl is murdered, and someone tells him about dead people becoming angels so he gets interested in the topic and tells his teacher all about the Celestial Hierarchy -- the works. Like he's read Dionysus the Areopagite (Pseudo, if you insist) and all that stuff, but he says he got it from the Bible.
But after that there's not much mention of angels, apart from a few feathers. A lot more girls get murdered, and Joseph and his friends vow to protect them, but fail to do so, and his friends grow up and forget their promise, but Joseph persists, and his life is pretty sad. It's a sad story, but worth reading, only not for the reason I thought.
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