Fevre Dream

[Boaz]

I've not read many works on vampires or horror in general... I get too scared. For example, Stephen King's Hearts in Atlantis really scared me and I understand that to be one of his tamer works. But somewhere between Bela Lugosi and Kate Beckinsale a major shift in the presentation of the vampire mythos took place. Did Fevre Dream lead this change or was it merely part of the new vampire presentation?

[High Eight]

Originally Posted by Shacklock

Not that I've read this book but it sounds very simmilair in part to Interview with a Vampire.

It's set in the Deep South of the US but that's about it. Martin is by far the better writer and doesn't bother with all that 'gothick' stuff either.

[Slyde]

I'm about 3/4 of the way through Fevre Dream now, and enjoying it very much.

I have to agree with Boaz that there isn't really much suspense until the Eli Reynolds chase chapter and, like Boaz, I probably would've enjoyed the book even more if I'd read it before seeing all of the more recent vampire movies.

But, like ASoFaI, GRRM is constantly surprising me with each chapter. Nothing happens as I expect, so I really have no idea how it's all going to turn out.

I rate it 4 Stars (out of 5).

[that old guy]

I considered this work quite an entertainment, and a very pleasant surprise.

You see, over the past few years my tolerance for vampires in fiction has shrunk to just about zero. I cannot think of a sub-genre in more need of a stake through the heart followed by ritual decapitation than those gawdawful chick-detective-falls-for-mysterious-stranger-who-turns-out-to-be-a-vampire books that seemingly occupy more and more feet of shelf space at Barnes & Noble each time I set foot in the place. And that, complete with cover art of half-dressed standard issue hot chick ass or crotch shot (usually accesorized with handcuffs, for some bizarre and unknown reason) has by association set me in violent opposition to anything and everything to do with vampires. Unfair guilt by association? Perhaps. But life is short, and for several years now the word "vampire" in any connection with any novel has meant an automatic pass for me. (Excepting their rather peripheral use in King's Dark Tower books. But I rationalized that as a way to yank Father whosie from 'Salem's Lot into the series as much as anything else. Plus they're probably only in fifty or so pages of the 10,456,327 pages the DT books seem to add up to.)

And, also, to be perfectly honest, had I not picked up Dreamsongs at the library I probably wouldn't have had any interest in any of Martin's other fiction. I absolutely loathed the Wild Cards books, the two or three of them I struggled through. Yeah, I know he's not precisely the author there, but I figured I'd just stick w/ASOIAF, that the rest of his books would be stinkers in line with the Wild Cards stuff. But after getting through his short stories (several of which I remembered reading in Omni the '70s, but had long forgotten he'd authored) I decided to give the rest of his stuff a chance.

I guess the above is quite a discurssion to say I liked it, was surprised by it and would recommend it. I didn't get any sense that the work dragged, as some have alleged in this thread. Heck, at 359 pages total, this one is just about a short story by ASOIAF standards.

Warning some plot 'spoilers' follow

And what sort of buildup would have been preferable? Marsh wouldn't have dealt with the conditions York put upon him unless he was desperate, We needed to know how York became smarter than the average vampire by being cut off from them for all of his formative years, etc. The New Orleans scenes were extremely well done, though I confess I have very little knowledge as to how historically accurate they were. I liked the fact that one of the vampire cliches Martin junked was the business of a human being bitten by a vampire a certain way turning into one. That one has never made sense with me, on par with crosses and running water and garlic, but it seems to be one recent authors of vampire books refuse to give up.

If I found any part of the work unconvincing, it was the business at the end where they went back to the plantation and then split into two groups, one still drinking blood, the other using York's magic potion. They apparently lived this way for over twenty years with no one noticing? When being afraid of being noticed was such a huge concern for Julian's coven earliler in the book? That was a plot hole, for sure. I also went back and forth on "Sour Billy." After all, York flat-out told him he would never be a vampire, that Julian was lying to him, and he never thought to inquire about when and where the other vampires had been bitten to be turned into one? Seems he should have at least had a few suspicions. But he uncritically swallowed Julian's story.

[viZion]

Just finished reading Fevre Dream today and I think it's a great book. I especially liked Marsh's character. He reminded me a lot of Davos who is one of my favorite characters in ASOIAF. They could be (and possibly are) the same character but living in different worlds.

I'd say my biggest complaint is that the other characters weren't as fleshed out as Marsh. I never really felt like I knew Joshua York and he's the character we spend the most time with next to Marsh. The other characters seem a bit superficially developed. However, even this is only a minor complaint since the story had me engaged the entire time.