In the fall of 1789, on the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales, a dense, persistent fog enshrouds the village of Ingleton. Shadowed spirits hide in the mist and bedevil the townsfolk, heralding a tragedy that has befallen one of their own.
Edmond continues to search for Alexandra, his fiancée, who disappeared the same night that the mist set upon their town. Presumed dead by all others, he visits Alexandra’s empty grave, desperate for any hint of what has become of her. Weary from the sleepless nights on his quest, no longer able to stay awake, Edmond falls into a dream before her headstone and there obtains clues from Alexandra as to her whereabouts.
Haunted all the while by a malevolent spirit, Edmond follows the trail that Alexandra left for him and enters the underworld, only to learn that he has been there before, and in fact, quite often. But more, he discovers how he is to blame for Alexandra’s disappearance.
A dark literary novel rich in imagery, Discussion of a Decent Dream unearths the consequences of a child’s decision to surrender his heart in exchange for unholy power and transcendent knowledge.
Discussion of a Decent Dream is a Finalist in Britain’s Wishing Self Book Awards in the Adult category.
We ignored the portent that crept into the countryside the day she disappeared. But in the weeks that followed, with no answers as to what had befallen her, with no assurance that she still lived, we came to understand, and most saw the worst in the blanket of mist that stopped time and shut us out from the rest of the world.
I had just turned twenty-one the summer of 1789 when Alexandra went missing. And after all our fruitless searching, in need of some direction, I snuck, under the cover of night, into the yard where her parents had laid their sorrow to rest. Falling to my knees before the stone of her empty grave I spoke with reverence, not for the hallowed ground, but for the call that brought me, as though somehow she could hear me.
Review
This story is a skillful use of words from beginning to end. The prose is almost poetic. With the word “dream” in the title, this seems very fitting. I often found myself caught up in the words to the point where I’d snap out of a sort of trance and realize I wasn’t sure what had happened. All I knew was that it was masterfully written about.
So, I guess that brings me to the other side of the coin. I had a tough time following the main plot of this story. This is due in part to the alluring flow of the language. The words are this book’s best and worst quality. They are lovely, but they were flowery and lost me in some places. At the end, I could say that thoughts were worked out and goals were accomplished. I can’t tell you exactly how I got there, but there I was.
I think anyone seeking a thought-provoking read and a book that sends you to the dictionary to double check meanings of words (to ultimately get to meanings of sentences and scenes) would thrive on this book. There is a fair amount of talk regarding enlightenment, so those of a more open mind may find ideas to challenge and fascinate them here. If you want a standard fantasy adventure with battle scenes, explosive magic, and political intrigue, this isn’t the right book. This is the kind of story I could learn something new every time I read.
E. Curtis draws on personal experiences of the otherworldly for his writing. Through dreams, visions, and waking encounters, his exposure to darkness has motivated him to detail what he has come to know of the preternatural. While a few short pieces have been published on an online literary magazine, Discussion of a Decent Dream is his first novel. Find him online at http://discussthedream.com/
To check out other stops on this tour, visit the tour page here.
All the opinions expressed in this review are my own. Read the full disclosure here.