Falling Angel
William Hjortsberg
Millipede Press, 2006
Limited 300
300 pages
Although this is the fifth volume from Millipede I received it last; fortunately, the line of books is theme oriented and can be read or collected in any order, which is probably a good reason for not numbering the books. The dustjacket on this novel is nice, very nice. The black is a matte finish, whereas the devil and angel (which is on the back) are glossy—a great touch. The only thing that detracts from this limited is the typos—over a dozen; in one instance, an entire line has no spacing between words, which is inexcusable for a $65 dollar book. Now, the story . . . phenomenal! I wish I hadn’t seen the movie Angel Heart before I read this because it gives too much away. A first-timer to this story is in for a hell of an adventure. The writing is professional and creates the detective ambience most characteristic of noir. But this is a horror novel. There’s no mistaking that fact. It’s worth reiterating; this is a horror novel. Not only that, it’s a book you’ll comeback to. Harry Angel, Epiphany Proudfoot, Johnny Favorite, and Louis Cypher are unforgettable characters. Also included is an intro by Ridley Scott, a revealing but brief forward by James Crumely, a letter by Stephen King, and a short story. The story is the highlight of the extra material—a quirky, humorous tale of the old west that doesn’t have anything to do with the main novel, so I recommend reading it much later, after you’ve had time to absorb what Falling Angel, the novel itself, has to offer.
William Hjortsberg
Millipede Press, 2006
Limited 300
300 pages
Although this is the fifth volume from Millipede I received it last; fortunately, the line of books is theme oriented and can be read or collected in any order, which is probably a good reason for not numbering the books. The dustjacket on this novel is nice, very nice. The black is a matte finish, whereas the devil and angel (which is on the back) are glossy—a great touch. The only thing that detracts from this limited is the typos—over a dozen; in one instance, an entire line has no spacing between words, which is inexcusable for a $65 dollar book. Now, the story . . . phenomenal! I wish I hadn’t seen the movie Angel Heart before I read this because it gives too much away. A first-timer to this story is in for a hell of an adventure. The writing is professional and creates the detective ambience most characteristic of noir. But this is a horror novel. There’s no mistaking that fact. It’s worth reiterating; this is a horror novel. Not only that, it’s a book you’ll comeback to. Harry Angel, Epiphany Proudfoot, Johnny Favorite, and Louis Cypher are unforgettable characters. Also included is an intro by Ridley Scott, a revealing but brief forward by James Crumely, a letter by Stephen King, and a short story. The story is the highlight of the extra material—a quirky, humorous tale of the old west that doesn’t have anything to do with the main novel, so I recommend reading it much later, after you’ve had time to absorb what Falling Angel, the novel itself, has to offer.
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