| Title | : | Slave of My Thirst |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 067154053X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780671540531 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 432 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1996 |
Dr. John Eliot's search for a missing friend leads him to the seductive Lilah--who will not rest until she has coaxed Eliot's most monstrous impulses out into the open--in this mesmerizing tale set in the back streets of 19th-century London.
Slave of My Thirst Reviews
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-Técnicamente elaborado, con fondo potente pero sin ser redondo.-
Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Los enredos de El Gran Juego llegan a la India, donde el doctor John Eliot ha sido parte de una misión secreta para proteger los intereses del Imperio Británico. Pero cuando vuelva a Londres traerá con él conocimientos que le atormentan, aunque le podrían ser de utilidad cuando tenga que buscar a un amigo perdido.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com... -
This book has left me speechless. Right off I have to mension that this book has beautiful writing, it also has a creepy, haunting vibe, with Alice in Wonderland/acid trip feel. The story is told in journal entries, letters, and reports. So you see the story unravel and the mystery come together through the current narrators eyes. Which means the fear, unease, confussion, and emotion is easily felt. The story takes place in the Regency time period, when England is still in the high of Emperial power. You first start out with Captain Moorfield in the frontier of India, and the return back to London where the drama really starts. While in India we meet our main narrator of the book Dr. Eliot who leads us through the main body of the story. We not only encounter interesting and uniuqe characters, but it also brings in such literary characters as Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron,and Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with finding the legend and start of vampires. And along with that we get to find out how Jack the Ripper came to be. Overall anamazing book, while a haunting story that was a slow creepy trip, that makes you think about what makes someone a monster, what is right and wrong, can humans ever understand the devine, and what ia a god, and what is a devil. And most importantlly what is life and death. And can you be alive if your mind is lost. This book makes you question a lot of things and is a total insanity ride, I couldn't help but love this book.
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An original, thrilling vampire saga set in London 1888 and in the Himalayas.
The story begins on the remote borderlands of the Himalayas where vampires wreak havoc. One survivor is a doctor who indulges in solving mysteries. Back home in London a body is found drained of blood and a friend disappears. The doctor uses a clinical approach to try and solve the mystery (whilst referencing Sherlock Holmes for encouragement during the tricky parts).
The story is a slow build and is told mostly through letters and diary entries.
I really enjoyed the slow introduction of pivotal information and the twists and turns. The first part gives you all the blood and gore. The middle lays out all the hows and whys. The ending provides more gore.
The style of writing was such that it felt like reading an Agatha Christie mystery. Nothing is as it seems. And the answers are in the power of observation and deduction. It was like reading a vampire mystery.
One striking negative is the author’s excessive and unnecessary use of the words “at length”. Those words are repeated every several pages to describe things that were not actually done at length.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes vampires and mysteries/murder mysteries. -
Tom Holland seems to be the rare author who can write both fiction and non-fiction with equal skill. I picked up Slave of My Thirst after reading his book, Persian Fire. I was intrigued by the premise and, as I really enjoyed his writing, I was curious to see how he handled a Vampire book. The last one I tried was the Historian, which I hated, so I figured he couldn't do as bad as that, although I admit the cover seemed slightly hokey.
I am simultaneously reading his book The Sleeper in the Sands, and enjoyed seeing the parallels in both plots. Overall I am giving it 4/5 stars. The last 50 pages became a bit overwhelmingly grisly for my taste, but the reason for including it later made sense. I enjoyed it enough that I will be hunting down Lord of the Dead and any of his other fiction I can find. I wish his books were easier to find here in the US- particularly on Audible. It's nice finding a versatile author to add to my lists. -
This book did take me a very long time to read, but definitely one of the best vampire books I’ve read in a while. Also really good to enjoy a different style of book that I haven’t really been reading this year
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The closest my experience compares to the experiences of the characters in Slave of my Thirst was visiting the Gateway of Indian monument in Mumbai (once known as Bombay). Even that was dedicated some years after the events recounted in the first section of this book, but the monument was built during the British Raj. This section describing events on the frontier of the Raj began as a solid pulp adventure, told in first-person by a British officer but introducing two major characters who would continue in the final two portions of the book. One character was Dr. John Eliot, an agnostic medical doctor (former classmate of A. Conan Doyle), while the other was a professor of Sanskrit at Calcutta (now Kolkata) University with a penchant for occult investigation, Professor Huree Jyoti Navalkar. This first portion of the novel reveals to the reader the strange phenomena discovered in the rare and mostly avoided region of Kalikshutra, mostly avoided because of the slavish devotion to the destroyer deity, Kali. Much of this section reads like the offspring of something Robert E. Howard, August Derleth, or H. P. Lovecraft would have written mating with something H. Rider Haggard or Edgar Rice Burroughs would have written.
The second portion of the novel is much more ingrained with the tropes and descriptions of gothic horror. This makes perfect sense because author Tom Holland is known as a scholar who specializes in the life and work of Lord Byron. To make things both more interesting and ironic, Holland introduces the stage manager of Henry Irving’s and Ellen Terry’s theater, the Lyceum. Abraham Stoker, aka Bram Stoker, allegedly receives his inspiration for both the play and novel, Dracula, from the investigations conducted in the last two portions of the book. However, one might only recognize a couple of names from the famous gothic horror novel: the head of an asylum named Renfeld, an actress named Lucy with a surname beginning with West (but not the same as Lucy in the classic novel), and a doctor named John (though that takes quite a different direction than that of Seward in the classic).
To further enhance the gothic feel, the second portion is entirely narrated in the form of journal entries and correspondence. This is a very appropriate conceit for a gothic novel and I generally enjoyed how well-written and compelling it was. Alas, though, the conceit had one other effect on me. Unfortunately, the shorter entries gave me lots of exit points to put the book down. So, as a result, I took a lot longer to read this novel than I would normally have taken.
Yet, the description of one vampire’s mental state sounded hauntingly like some folks I know (including myself) with Attention Deficit Disorder: “…the desire for mental exaltation had always been a feature of my character; yet now I was becoming its absolute slave, for the more I sought to banish the threat of boredom from my brain, the more my search for fresh excitements would grow.” (p. 389) I should warn the squeamish, though, that the final portion of the story is rather replete with descriptions which make it a rather modern horror story. There is overt lewdness and more than enough blood and gore to satisfy any slasher movie fan. It’s quite disconcertingly effective in one way, but it rather decreases the artistry in the conceit that the novel is written contemporary to its era.
Now, while it is awkward to speak of these without overtly giving away any spoilers, I have to say that the identities of some of the monsters (for so there would have to be in a gothic horror story would there not?) were rather unexpected. One particularly twisted manifestation was very expected by me because I have learned not to trust the seeming innocent in such stories. Of course, that general mistrust might apply to more than one seeming innocent in Slave of my Thirst. These twists are fascinating, but when I consider the entire work, I feel ambiguity in evaluating it.
Slave of my Thirst was an intriguing book, but it is not my favored genre. As a result, it was probably not as satisfying for me as it would have been for another. -
I read halfway through the book and decided to put it down. It may not be the right time for a book such as this but I will give it two stars for the beginning. I very much enjoyed the story line and gory details as my usual genre of choice is true crime but I wanted something more fictional for now. As the book transitioned overtime I felt it became redundant about the vampire characters.. such as she was overwhelming beautiful but also repulsive.
Anytime the author mentioned her or any other vampire characters its was oh so much beauty but such grotesqueness of their pale skin, over and over and over.
The other factor of the book I didn't like was that he portrayed women negatively. Women are to be seen (objectified) not heard. Women are hysterical, over emotional, dramatic, and bothersome. Women were whores and prostitutes while men go for and walk about the earth to multiply...Oh how I disliked George Mowberley. Even a powerful vampiress was reduced to nothing but a man's play thing... I will give the author credit though, the book is set in the 1800s so I can understand the dismissiveness of women. -
This I give 3.5 stars but rounded, begrudgingly to 4. I have carried this book around for years. I originally bought this book in 1996 when it first came out, and I am not going to lie I bought it for the cover. It is traveled around with me from house to house and has stayed in storage for years. I also at one time started it and didn’t get past 50 pages.
You follow through the book , Dr Jack Eliot, Bram Stoker and a small amount of a Professor Huree. The story is told from journal entries and letters written back and forth between characters in the book. It really is a fantastic tale of Lilith, Dracula and Jack the Ripper rolled into one. It has an old British feel to the writing style which I think may have been most of my troubles, but in the end I admit it was a good story. Will I read it again? No. -
This book was a roller-coaster for me.
It started off in fantastic horror fashion in the depths of the Himalayas. It then slowed down considerably once the main characters return to London. What follows afterwards is a hallucinatory and sometimes primordial mystery thriller involving vampires and some real-world characters.
It starts off being a straight-forward vampire novel, but quickly escalates into something I did not see coming. -
Love it absolutely, completely. The way Tom Holland is toying with our common knowledge of this folklore and literature classics and create something totally addictive. I should be fully ashamed to discover this author/historian so late, but « mieux vaut tard que jamais » and he is now on my stalking list 😇
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Otra novela de vampiros. Empieza genial, como una gran novela de aventuras, estilo Indiana Jones en el Templo Maldito, pero pronto degenera en un pastiche de novela de misterio y novela gótica clásica, para acabar en un galimatías total. Me ha costado acabarla.
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DNFd for now. I'm not sure if I'll ever pick it up again...
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I read this book back in 1998 and it still haunts me.
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originele invalshoek, pageturner
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Immersive, well written, and the ending makes it all worth it.
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When I first read this, I was really impressed - so much so that I tracked down a lot of the author's other novels. Strangely enough, when I started reading it for the second time, I could barely remember anything about the story! Maybe I was being mesmerised by an ancient vampire goodness? Or maybe the book wasn't as good as my first impressions!
I loved the first part - the journey through the Indian jungle, the worship of Kali in the ruined city, the 'jolly hockey sticks' attitude of the officers. But then it kind of looses focus. Don't get me wrong, I still liked the story - the introduction of Bram Stoker, the menace of Lilah, the mysterious science behind the vampire's 'curse'. But the nature of writing in letters and diary entries, is that the story then becomes a bit disjointed. Still good, but just as you got into the action, another missive from a different character pops up. I also didn't get Eliot's attitude and the way he seems to ignore his experience in India, while occasionally musing on it, and not recognising what is happening around him...almost as if the author were reminding the reader, rather than our heroes sorting through their problems!
But there was a lot to like to. The whole discussions on the nature of Byron's blood and how the vampire's condition was caused was great. I liked the echoes of the DNA structure in the double helix staircases in Lilah's lair too. The identity of Lucy's tormenter is a nice twist and is the discoveries at Whitby. So in all, an enjoyable read. Maybe after liking 'Lord of the Dead' so much, this one just made me overly picky! -
Slave of My Thirst is an engaging trip through a number of narrative styles, from an hilariously oafish British colonial officer, to Bram Stoker's journal, to the diary of the Sherlock Holmes-like hero, Jack Eliot, and beyond. Each voice is distinctive, advancing the plot from its own point of view, making for an interesting journey from the remote mountain passes of India to the slums of London, from the vampiric worshippers of the goddess Kali, to the prostitutes and opium addicts of Whitechapel. Although overall I would say this is a "ripping good yarn," it transforms itself over the course of its varied narratives from a 19th century adventure story into something else, quite rich and strange.
Jack Eliot, accompanied by Bram Stoker, tries to rescue one of Jack's old friends, and also to protect a young actress of Stoker's acquaintance from a web of intrigue which boggles the rational, Victorian minds of the two men. Holland has written passages of almost hypnotic sensuality (which were also interesting in his other vampire novel, Lord of the Dead), interspersed with a claustrophobic sense of being trapped in a life not of one's choosing, and with deliciously amorale characters. Slave of My Thirst seduces with a plot which masquerades as a linear adventure story, then broadens out into nearly hallucinogenic fantasy, and ultimately returns to being a thriller. Dr. Jack Eliot and friends may start off as fearless vampire killers, but they end up being transformed by their experiences—sometimes quite literally. -
A sensationalistic title and cheesy book jacket nearly made me pass this excellent novel by. I'm so glad I ignored my instincts and read it though, because Tom Holland has created here a true gothic masterpiece. The vampire myth is so overused, it's amazing to think anyone could freshen it up, but Holland does it by weaving Indian legends and characters familiar to vampire aficionados into one impressively complex story. Slave of My Thirst held my in its blood-soaked talons from start to finish and actually surprised me with a cleverly designed end that though shocking at first, in retrospect, shows itself to have been building all along and to be almost inevitable. SO good. I must read his other vampire book, Lord of the Dead.
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Once again, a book with great voice and much to recommend it, but -- doh! -- it's a vampire book. This is what comes of dropping into the library just before closing time and without one's glasses! The title grabbed me, so I grabbed the book and ran for the checkout. Anne Rice more than satisfied my taste for this genre, but someone else might find it more satisfying.
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I found this a real struggle to get through. I found the part one probably the best, I found India atmospheric and eerie but felt that once the novel moved to London it lost its pace and intrigue. Just not the novel for me, not enough action, I did however like the format of the novel which was told from many characters points of view in the form of letters and diaries.
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As a whole, I really enjoyed this book. On the negative, I couldn't seem to really get into it until I was over half way through it. For me, it didn't really get good until around page 240 out of 420 pages. The ending made me somewhat sad, but was a fitting one nonetheless. I am glad to have read it, but it took me a while to get through.
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Interesting how the author tried to tie in all sorts of dark historical/mythical/religious figures, but it could've used a little more cohesiveness. I thought it was pretty cool as a young teen discovering the horror genre, but in retrospect it earns only a half-hearted 'meh.'
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Everything but the kitchen sink Victoriana, plus Byron as a vampire. Sometimes it feels like "Name That Reference", but it's a lot of fun, and quite a bit better written than the first in the series.
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read 12.13.06
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awesome!!!!!!!!
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difficult to follow as the perspective constantly changes but otherwise intriguing.
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The book is really made for people who like the paranormal world but the book is really good and intersting.
