Review
The Gargoyle is one of those books that will thoroughly
annoy some readers, while leading others practically panting to convince their
friends to read it. It has received an unusual amount of pre-publication press,
particularly for a first-time novelist, and it is ambitious in its content,
spanning centuries and locales. Then there is the range of subject matter:
correlations to Dante's
Inferno, combined with tales of a medieval
scriptorium, mixed into the daily life of a modern day burn victim who was a
former porn king. Is it any surprise then, that this book already has plenty of
detractors as well as ardent fans?
The novel opens with a strong hook. The first person narrator, who is also the
story's protagonist, describes his horrendous (and utterly stupid) car accident
– a crash caused by drugs and alcohol and a vision of burning...
Beyond the Book
Grotesques vs Gargoyles
The theme of the grotesque
is prominent in
The Gargoyle. Marianne, a stone
carver, educates the narrator on the difference between
gargoyles and grotesques: A gargoyle is a decorated water
spout, from the French word
gargouille from which the verb gargle originates; whereas a grotesque can be decorative or weight supporting,
but is never a water spout. The Cornell University
Library provides a good
summation on the topic and a
gallery of gargoyles and grotesques, while this
website provides a leisurely video tour around the
grotesques of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
The grotesque in literature brings...
