March 28, 2006

Book of the Week:Nightlife by Rob Thurman

Rob Thurman’s first novel, Nightlife, is definitely an interesting entry in the supernatural genre. Set in a New York that normal humans don’t see, “Nightlife” is about a half-Auphe (elf) named Caliban, and his totally human but very skilled brother, Niko. Cal owes his life and sanity to his brother Niko, who has kept Cal safe from a mother who might kindly be described as neglectful. When Cal’s dark half, his Auphe father, abducts Cal to be part of a plot to overthrow humanity so the Auphe can regain their position as the dominant race, Niko despairs until Cal fights his way back. Then their life is spent trying to conceal their tracks from the Auphe; but of course, the Auphe inevitably find them.

This is a really fast-paced and engrossing book, and I look forward to reading more of Thurman’s work. It has a couple of problems. When Cal is inhabited by a spirit even more evil than the Auphe, his inner voice remains much the same. Of course, this may be Thurman’s way of showing that Cal is still alive inside his own body, and struggling to get out. And it does seem odd that a spirit so ancient and vile can’t seem to beat the good guys, at least partially.

But on the whole, I really enjoyed this book. It’s a paperback, and definitely worth a read. Give it a shot.

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I’ll be leaving today because I have a speaking engagement in Oxford, Mississippi, tomorrow, at the public library. It’ll be nice to be in my home state for a change. Sometimes I think of Mississippi as The Land That Time Forgot, and sometimes I am very optimistic that Mississippi will one day catch up economically and socially with the more prosperous southern states.

I certainly believe one depends on the other. Mississippi’s depressed economy has always dragged down a beautiful state. In many ways, Mississippi never got over the Civil War; not that it’s ever been a rich area. It’s largely agricultural and rural. Those are not bad things at all, in fact I love agricultural and rural, but in this day and age they are not indicators of a chance for bustling growth. The devastation on the coastal area (Mississippi’s sole source of tourism bucks) has made the state’s situation even more precarious.

I grew up in the Mississippi Delta, the poorest area of the United States. It’s spectacularly beautiful, if you like flat and hot. This does not impress a lot of people as a happy combination, but it strikes a deep chord in me. The flatness of the land led me to the belief that God could see me anywhere since there was no where to hide, a conviction that has lasted to this day.

--Charlaine Harris