(Originally published 2003, Paperback edition 421 pages)
Mr. Pearl's debut novel is quite an accomplishment. Beyond Dante's trip with
Virgil through whatever numbered circles of Hell, I knew nothing about "The
Divine Comedy." "The Dante Club" takes place in 1865 Boston, shortly after the
death of President Lincoln and a country still coming to grips with the horrors
left behind because of the Civil War. The story told in the third-person
narrative is a heavily male-driven enterprise. Women have but brief cameos in
this dark, contemplative work. If you're hoping for a few chuckles from this
baby, you're going to be disappointed big time. The author has a knack for
fleshing out the central characters and making them come alive on the page. Even
the murderer's motivations are explained.
The four main protagonists, Henry Wadsworth Longellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell and J.T. Fields, are scholars who immerse themselves in the belief that "great" art such as Dante's "The Divine Comedy" will change society for the better. However, the relationships are occasionally strained due to different temperaments, personal issues and outsized egos. They have a high-minded passion and artsy attitude that is somewhat delusional and rings true to me in my dealings with many artists. A warning must be also be given about the flavor of Mr. Pearl's story. Within the first ten pages, my stomach did a backflip at the nature of the death of the first victim. To say the antagonist put his heart and soul into recreating Dante's punishments is putting it mildly. After each murder, I never failed to mutter "holy crap" at the utter brutal nature of the victims' demise. If you have a weak stomach and a vivid imagination, walk away... walk away now.
At heart, Mr. Pearl has done an excellent job showing the conflicts which arise between art and religious piety as well as the scars left behind by war. Even the issue of race and equal rights is covered. The book is not only a murder mystery and an introduction into a masterpiece of literature but a deep examination of the human condition. The story was entertaining and thought-provoking. That's about as good as any book can get.
The four main protagonists, Henry Wadsworth Longellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell and J.T. Fields, are scholars who immerse themselves in the belief that "great" art such as Dante's "The Divine Comedy" will change society for the better. However, the relationships are occasionally strained due to different temperaments, personal issues and outsized egos. They have a high-minded passion and artsy attitude that is somewhat delusional and rings true to me in my dealings with many artists. A warning must be also be given about the flavor of Mr. Pearl's story. Within the first ten pages, my stomach did a backflip at the nature of the death of the first victim. To say the antagonist put his heart and soul into recreating Dante's punishments is putting it mildly. After each murder, I never failed to mutter "holy crap" at the utter brutal nature of the victims' demise. If you have a weak stomach and a vivid imagination, walk away... walk away now.
At heart, Mr. Pearl has done an excellent job showing the conflicts which arise between art and religious piety as well as the scars left behind by war. Even the issue of race and equal rights is covered. The book is not only a murder mystery and an introduction into a masterpiece of literature but a deep examination of the human condition. The story was entertaining and thought-provoking. That's about as good as any book can get.
(Meyers - A
few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the
Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent
review #298)
No comments:
Post a Comment