SHADOWLAND - Buddy Read

[David]

I wonder if (view spoiler)[Lake the Snake was some kind of incarnation or, to use this book’s terminology, shadow of Collins. That was never made explicit, so I don’t know. (hide spoiler)]

Your Del spoiler, Char, is reasonable and feels right to me. (view spoiler)[Wasn’t there something about the light fading or turning black? (hide spoiler)]

The Blue Rose trilogy follows Ghost Story very closely for me. I read Floating Dragon a million years ago and remember thinking that he was trying to write a Stephen King. Mr. X was better the second time around (when I got all of the Lovecraft references). Everything else has left me pretty cold. Julia and If You Could See Me Now I especially hated.

[Char]

Wow, really? As far as I can recall, I've never read Julia or If You Could See Me Now.


I think I was disappointed in Floating Dragon because I wanted perfection, which is what I thought I had found in Ghost Story.

[David]

Char wrote: "I think I was disappointed in Floating Dragon because I wanted perfection, which is what I thought I had fo..."

It’s very likely that I hated those two books for the same reason. I should really try them again.

[Kerry]

It is interesting re-reading something. This had a very different feel reading this as an adult. Somehow it lost some of its magic for me.

[Melanie]

I'm over half-way but still not clicking the spoilers, I'm really confused by The Collector right now. I feel like I slept through who is or something.

[David]

Melanie wrote: "I'm over half-way but still not clicking the spoilers, I'm really confused by The Collector right now. I feel like I slept through who is or something."

I felt like that just came out of nowhere as well and wondered I’d so missed something too!

[David]

Kerry wrote: "It is interesting re-reading something. This had a very different feel reading this as an adult. Somehow it lost some of its magic for me."

It’s so sad, isn’t it?

[Melanie]

Finished finally! I know I'd read it years ago, and I didn't really 'get it' then, but enjoyed it more this time. It was a bit long and there are still a ton of questions.
(view spoiler)[I'm still pondering over Laker Broome, though 'Level 8' of the list Tom and Del got before arriving at Shadowland says Conjure Minor Devils. Maybe he was just being used as a puppet for Collins, or maybe it was Collins himself?

Why did both Skeleton and Tom have premonitions about Marcus Reilly's suicide? Was this just Collin's way of showing off his ability to see into the future, or showing Skeleton and Tom their ability to do so? This to me is the most interesting question, because if Marcus saw a bird/owl when the narrator met him as an adult, does this imply that Collins didn't die in the fire....? (hide spoiler)]

[David]

Melanie wrote: "Finished finally! I know I'd read it years ago, and I didn't really 'get it' then, but enjoyed it more this time. It was a bit long and there are still a ton of questions.
I'm still pondering over..."

I wondered about your second question as well! I can’t figure any narrative purpose for that happening, and so I feel like I must’ve missed something.

[Char]

Now that you mention it, Melanie, that is a good question...I hadn't really thought about it until now.