Review: Is it a man or is it a monster?  You decide.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 12, 2011
4.5 starsIs it possible that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a true story, do we dare believe it?  When a man is discovered frozen in ice, Dr. Sergio Carerra a cryobiologist, is called in to test to see if there is any viable living organisms left. Soon, Dr. Carrerra discovers that not only are there living organisms left, but that the whole man is still alive and functioning. Back in his lab in Florida where the body has been transported, Sergio and his wife Sophie, a noted psychologist, soon discover that it is possible they have found the real thing, Frankenstein.This is the story of their journey to discover the truth behind the myth, and along the way, they just might discover more truth than they bargained for.Told in both current time and flashbacks to 200 years earlier, Back From the Dead is a story of love, human failings and triumphs, and the ability of one man to impact all he comes in contact with. What can one say about Mr. Land's writing style that has not already been said? I've compared it to a masterpiece of art, I've compared it to the style of a lost breed of author, it's complicated at times and simply easy at others.The characters here are also both complicated and simple. Sergio and Sophie are truly soul mates in every sense, to use a cliché, they complete each other. They give us moments of intense feelings from laughter to tears, to anger, to lust. Sergio is driven in his search for Frankie's beginnings and how he functions, sometimes so driven he loses sight of what's really important. He is balanced out by Sophie's true shining spirit; the woman is just a good person.Then there is Franstein's creature (Frankie to his friends) is he a man or a monster? Is he human or inhuman? I think he is all of the above, he laughs, he loves, he feels pain and he feels joy. The three of them make up an odd sort of family and like all families they have their issues. These people will make you rethink what you consider right and wrong, good and bad, truth and lies. There are a number of side characters in the book, all of whom are interesting in their own right and make the story come to life.I have read three of Mr. Land's books, they are all different from each other, but all contain what I've come to consider his trademark style. He will throw complicated themes at you, and take you to the brink of no return, then throw some silly something at you to break the tension. I did have a tiny problem with the style of this book; I felt at times Mr. Land wandered into the world of "literature", not a bad thing, but I'm not sure what audience he was striving for. Let me give you an example. "The view gave them entry into a heavenly wilderness of ethereal luster, accented by glimpses into treacherous glacial gashes." In the vernacular of my people (southerners) them sure are purty words. My point, maybe we can find a point somewhere between the two to land - no pun intended. I'm thinking for a complaint about a book, "it is written too well" isn't bad.This book had it all and I ran the gambit of emotions while reading it. I actually laughed out loud at points, I really did cry big ole tears, I got angry at the attitude of people and in the end I was exhausted but satisfied, and more than a little sad. While I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did the other two of Mr. Land's works I have read, it just gave me a sense of melancholy while I was reading it, I say well done once again.Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team