Review: A STRONG CHARACTER DRIVEN NOVEL THAT WAS LONGWINDED AT TIMES!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 7, 2012
Tim Curran is probably my favorite author, along with Michael McBride. However, I thought this novel was a bit of a disappointment. It's not bad, but it just doesn't reach that level of greatness I've come to expect from Curran. I've read quite a bit of Curran's work, both short form and long form, and this is my least favorite. Still, it's a pretty good read if you don't mind a few flaws.This is a heavily driven character novel. Normally, I'd be happy as a lark with a story like that, but Curran did something that I think has gotten ahold of Stephen King and Dean Koontz in the last 10 to 15 years. Longwindedness.  If something is pertinent to the plot or character I don't mind reading it, and for the most part Curran does that. But I think he does it too much, especially in the first one-third of the novel. There were times when I was wondering if Curran was ranting about his belief system by channeling it through the main character, Johnny "Bree" Breede. There was too much ranting about organized religion and government being corrupt and crooked. Same goes for the working man getting the shaft by the rich. Then there's the near constant partying by Bree and his buddies to the point where they are either stoned or drunk or both most of the time. It got a tiresome.I just thought all of this ranting was a bit much and should have been cut back. In fact, I think this novel would have been better suited as a novella. When I read a story, I don't want to read about the state of world affairs, even if the author is trying to get the reader to understand his characters, which is what I think Curran was attempting. The main problem with this excess is that it took a LONG time for the novel to get going. This may not bother some people, but that's just how I saw it. Normally, unless it's dull boring or downright uninterresting, I can finish a novel in at least 3 or 4 sittings. It took me about 8 to 10 sittings to finish Long Black Coffin, not because it was uninteresting or boring, but because I got tired of reading about nonplot related stuff(religion, politics, drugs, alcohol, etc.)Now, I don't want that gripe to sound like this is a bad novel or that it's unreadable because it is a really good read, overall. This is probably the quietest(is that a word?) story I've read by Curran. Not that Curran is all about blood and guts. He's not and his stories always have much substance to them, but he also usually adds in a some splatter. So, I guess my main gripes are too much granting and slow pace. However, the slow pace, later on, adds to the story because, I believe, this is intended as a slow build horror novel. Fortunately, the ranting mostly stops in the last two-thirds of the novel.I really like that Curran added layers of mystery and intrigue to the story. In other words, not everything is revealed at once. This is novel is more creepy than horrifying, but there are subtle moments of horror. Curran provides shock but it's more of the quiet variety. Kind of like in a mystery novel when you figure out who the killer is. The main character, Johnny Breede, is one of those types of characters that you either like or you don't. At first, I didn't care for him because of all his boozing and bad attitude, but he becomes more redeeming later on in the novel. I wanted to say something else about another character that I didn't like, but it would give too much away. I like the chemistry between Bree and Stella, and the relationship that develops from it.This story reminded me vaguely of another haunted car novel, Stephen King's Christine. But there is a big difference between the two stories. I've read that some reviewers believe Curran is only a B level writer. I disagree with that. I don't think he's A+ level, but probably a solid A level writer. Here, he's crafted a very good story full of great descriptions and first rate character development that is mired down only by some rantings(personal?) that slows down the pace of the story. Once the story gets going you'll be putting the pedal to the metal to finish this absorbing and creepy haunted '67 GTO story.Actually I give it 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4 since Amazon doesn't have halves. Not a bad score and not a great score.