Blood of a Righteous Man (Darkness Comes - Dean Koontz)

Member Name: Ophelia

Product:	Darkness Comes - Dean Koontz
Date:	07/07/03 (92 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Scary

Disadvantages: Supernatural, discrepancies

It has always been my contention that a story involving ghosts and goblins will always be less scary than that concerned with the terrors and dangers of the real world.

As one turns the pages of a book and reads of horrific demons, one might be frightened by a strange noise but will quickly remind oneself that these things don?t exist and the fear vanishes in the light of that knowledge. As one reads about the deranged actions of a psychotic killer, one lies awake in the dark listening to the small movements of the house at night, imagining a murder creeping up the stairs. The fear cannot be vanquished entirely because it is possible, just possible that it could happen.

This book is about demonic beings summoned from Hell. Does it suffer because of this?

THE PLOT

Jack Dawson, detective and single father after the death of his wife, is investigating some strange murders. Bodies are being found, strangely mutilated and appearing as though they have been bitten to death. The bites are not recognisable as those of rats, cats, dogs or ferrets and it would seem that even a gun was no use against the assailants.

As Dawson and his partner, Rebecca Chandler, investigate the killings further they discover that these are no ordinary murders. The deaths are being caused by a Bocor (a Voodoo priest proficient in evil magic) called Baba Lavelle, who has opened the gates of Hell by a crack to allow small demons to come to the physical dimension and do his terrible bidding.

As Dawson persists in following the Voodoo lead, Lavelle threatens him and his own children, Penny and Davey, are soon in danger themselves.

CREDIBILITY

Willing suspension of disbelief is often needed in horror novels in order for the story to scare. Never is this more true than when supernatural beings are in play. However, in this book the reader?s task is slightly easier; it may be hard to believe that there are goblins and imps h
iding at the bottom of our gardens waiting to wreak havoc but in this book, there is a logical explanation for their presence: Voodoo.

Koontz is not asking us to believe in things that go bump in the night but in Voodoo and the possibility that strong magic can summon demons from Hell. With an open mind it is easier to think that this could happen; hundreds of thousands of people believe in Voodoo and millions more around the world believe in the existence of Heaven and Hell. This being the case, it should be easy for the reader of a horror novel to accept these truths and put scepticism aside and take Koontz?s tale at face value.

The book, therefore, does scare. At first when Penny begins to hear muffled noises in their house and eerie glowing silver eyes in the dark, we are as scared as she. We can imagine the untold horrors that may be lurking. However, as the book continues these horrors are no longer untold and start to reveal themselves to the sight of men. As Koontz begins to describe the demons in detail our powers of suspending disbelief are pushed to their limit. It is easier to accept devils in our imagination if we can form them to our own expectations but once their shape is proscribed it is harder to accept as their appearance may seem ludicrous and may not conform to our range of believable possibilities.

This book tests the reader?s ability to accept the supernatural. It is possible but some may find it hard and, therefore, find the book more laughable than terrifying.

FIGHTING EVIL

Within the book various methods are used in an attempt to battle the forces of Evil. Some are more successful than others but they were not necessarily in accordance with the strength I would have imagined and, therefore, once again stretch our credibility.

Dawson enlists the help of a Houngon (a Voodoo priest proficient in the use of Good magic). The Houngon, Carver Hampton, is terrified of the powers of the
Bocor and he knows that he cannot possibly battle against him successfully. However, he explains that a truly righteous man cannot be touched by the powers of Evil and, luckily for our hero, Dawson is a righteous man. It seems ludicrous that a Voodoo priest who has dedicated his life and studies to the power of Good can have less effect on demonic powers than a man with no experience or knowledge of those powers. Yet Dawson is untouchable and his own blood has more power than even those of the Good spirits of the supernatural dimension.

Just one jar of holy water seems to have the ability to fight all the creatures of Hell. While the sanctuary of a cathedral cannot keep out demonic beings and the prayers of a priest and all the protection of Good spirits within the boundaries of the cathedral can do little to prevent their onslaught. These facts seem irreconcilable.

RELIGION

Dawson gets a glimpse of Hell itself:

?He looked into the pit and he knew. Hell was not a mythical place, and there was nothing supernatural about demons and gods, nothing holy or unholy about them. Hell ? and consequently Heaven ? were as real as the earth. After absorbing that realisation, it seemed as easy to believe in Voodoo or Christianity or any other religion as it was to believe in the existence of the atom.?

It is this sudden insight that gives Dawson the inner strength to fight against the Evil. However, this seems unfair and infinitely wrong. Dawson has been provided with physical evidence of the existence of Heaven and Hell. It was not even a Paul on the way to Damascus like moment that provided him with this insight. It was physical proof.

This is not the way in which heroes should gain their psychological strength. Millions of people around the world have to rely on FAITH to sustain their beliefs in their religions, in the accompanying philosophies and various existences and yet Dawson is handed this ability on a
plate. Surely a hero should have to make more of an effort in order to gain such enlightenment?

HORROR OR JUST HORRIBLE?

The book certainly scared me to start with. While the murders are a mystery and while we are just beginning to encounter signs of the vehicles of the destruction we are easily scared; our imaginations race with infinite possibilities and the darkness is fuelled by our lack of knowledge and results in fear.

As we learn more and see more it becomes harder and harder to believe and we become less and less scared. The book is an enjoyable read but not as terrifying as you might like!



OTHER INFORMATION

Publisher: Headline Book Publishing
Price: £5.99
ISBN: 0-7472-3520-1

Summary: