Darkmans is an extraordinary novel that explores the intersection of history, present and identity. Set in a generic English town, the main characters are intertwined in interesting ways. Beede, the proper history scholar, activist and curmudgeon; Kane, Beede's slacker son with whom he has a strained relationship, and Dory, Beede's mentally unstable friend, married to his "crush". Things get weird when Dory seems to "channel" an evil 16th century jester. The book is long - over 800 pages, and I had actually started reading it some time ago but quit after about 50 pages. This time I resolved to stick it out, and after about 100 pages, things started to "fall into place", although it's a strange story indeed. The book is intriguing and entertaining, confusing, scary, funny and touching...quite a good read.
For a review of the book from The Guardian, click here: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/may/05/featuresreviews.guardianreview3
For a review of the book from The Guardian, click here: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/may/05/featuresreviews.guardianreview3
