Sep 02, 2003 10:29 PM
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(Updated May 27, 2009 05:01 PM)
'Little Boy Lost' is by far the finest work of horror,i've come across till date,a terrifying spine chiller which won't cease to fascinate you at the same time.If you like your horror quiet and sudden,definitely the book for you.
THE MAIN PEOPLE
Miles Gale:The character around which the story revolves,an archaeologist by profession, an involuntury victim of mental torcher.
C.J.:Elder son of Miles,the story could definitely not have been narrated in the way it was without him.(Joan's son)
Joan Gale:First wife of Miles,who's murdered.
Marie:Second wife of Miles,she's very much human and at the same time more.......the reason why the story is a scary one.
Aaron:Son of Marie and Miles.
Lorraine Rabkin:Companion of Gale in his worst times, a true friend in every sense of the word.
The Basic Plot
Miles an archaeologist of modern times,is intrigued to find a skeleton of unbelievable symmetry amongst others completely out of sorts while rummaging through the remains of the Laurentian people on Frontenac Island. Fascinated by his discovery,he carries it home for further study.Little does he know then,it was the skeleton of a demonic spirit,a spirit of time who terrorised the Laurentian people years ago. A woman posessing the powers to be as real and unreal as she wanted to be and as evil as one can be.
Unfortunately for Miles,she takes a liking to him and decides to come alive and that is when the problems begin. She murders his 1st wife,consequently enticing him into marriage.Miles's son C.J. sees everything but Miles is in love,beyond reason and only turns a deaf ear to him.She conceives his second son Aaron.And when she's bored of her utterly human life,she disappears into her own time taking her son with her. Miles being a person associated with the disappearance of 2 and death of 1 within his family is held under suspicion by the cops and is separated from C.J.
In his distraught state,Miles finds a new companion in Lorraine but not for long.Marie wants both her lives in her own world of spirits. Shortly,Miles and C.J. find themselves victims of illusions,seeing trees everywhere,trees which were unreal and real a the simultaneously,trees similar to those on Frontenac Isla....They find their bodies withering away, transforming into almost..... nothing.It was as if they were being engulfed by another world.
Marie's other world
The more Miles and C.J. find themselves existent in the other world,lesser is their presence in their own world.However not being a resident of 2 worlds,they leave behind the memories of their lives.C.j. finds himself in a confused ,scared state of mind in a place where people talk only in mumbles and vanish and appear at will.A world where everyone is a foe,and where Marie is hell bent on finishing her only threat to her relation with Miles-C.J. Aaron ,being the son of Marie is a member of 2 worlds and is unaffected .However,he has begun to hate his mother for bringing him here,for who she is here,a clear picture of evil...... And of course I won't give away the most interesting part, nor the equally fascinating,unexpected ending to spoil your fun.It would only be fair if you read this mindrattling book on your own.
THE HORROR FACTOR
What can be so scary about such an abstract story?
Well,the fact that it is abstract is the very basis of the fright one feels on reading it.Every situation can be interpreted in many ways,which leads to uncertainty.And it is only when we misunderstand or don't understand do we feel the urge to fear a thing or situation,more often than not because we don't know how to prevent what we don't comprehend.
How T.M. Wright induces fright?
He has a gradual way of building up situations leading you to believe many things at one time when you know in your heart of hearts only one is true,being very descriptive at the same time making sure you absorb every detail and know the intensity of the prevailing circumstances.And when the one event occurs,the air of expectation and anticipation has mounted to such a degree that it is bound to make you gasp with relief or surprise.....is still a controversy for me.At the same time it will make you very aware of the consequences of the event whch has stirred you up,again building tension within you for the 'might be' forthcoming events.That tension is nothing but the fear which is overwhelming you.On the other hand you'll find yourself with nothing but awe for this master storyteller who consumes you with anxiety and fear also leavng you with a not very plausible satisfacton.He can do that......make you admire him for frightening you so.
FEATURES WORTH NOTING
1.The unique thing about the book is that T.M. Wright is fast and descriptive at the same time.He will make you believe that things have come to a standstill only to realise the next moment that the situation is actually racing with heavy momentum.
2.What must be clear by now is that if you are a heart patient or a person who can't tolerate tension,don't read it,not for you.
3.The buildups maybe gradual but when fear strikes,it strikes big.You won't know what hit you.
4.If you are a highly detached or insensitive person,it won't hold much value for you either.
5.It draws a fine picture of the turmoil one has to go through when one knows that he/she is innocent and is made scapegoat for wrongdoing with his own family,in the form of Miles.
6.This story is rich in situations where one gets to see the continuous change of emotions one feels for a given event,often realised in real life.
7.If you like Stephen King,you will really love this.
Ramsey Campbell appropiately describes Wright as, ''More than a master of quiet horror,a one man definition of the term'', and I wouldn't even dream of disagreeing with him.
