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Peter Straub writes horror the way P.D. James writes mystery --- that is to say, both
of these authors rise above their genres by virtue of complexity and style. In MR. X,
Straub returns to the chilling world of the supernatural with an intensity his readers
have not seen in his novels since GHOST STORY and THE TALISMAN (co-authored with Stephen
King). Others may argue the point, but I think MR. X is his finest book yet.
Think about this: What if you were looking at the world through the eyes and mind of
Rosemary's Baby as that baby grew up into manhood, not knowing his true identity, having
to figure it out by himself in a world where his father is absent and his mother doesn't
understand him? There you have the title character, MR. X, who talks to us in first person
from time to time throughout the book. So we DO get to look through those eyes, and quite
a bone-numbing and nerve-shredding experience it is, too. It ain't easy being mean!
Readers of horror fiction have become accustomed to the first person voices of sympathetic
vampire characters; Mr. X is so far above all that, so superior to any vampire in every
way, there is simply no comparison. Mr. X could vanquish any old vampire just like blowing
out a match. He can turn a human being into a puddle with no more consequence to himself
than a slight headache. Of course, he's a creature entirely of the Dark Side --- you might
say he's our galaxy's Darth Vader. He's not the Devil, he's a direct descendant of the
Elder Gods. The Old Ones.
Then there is Ned, a young man who is the real protagonist of this book. Ned is the son of
Star Dunstan. Ned doesn't know who his father is, nor does he know anywhere near as much
as he needs to about his mother's entire family, when the book begins. Star is dying. She
has always protected him from the Dunstans --- who are all more than a little peculiar.
Star --- such a sympathetic character that I wished she could have stayed around longer
--- was so determined to protect Ned that she gave him up to be raised by a foster family
rather than allow his aunts to get close to him. Nevertheless, Ned can no more escape his
fate than Luke Skywalker. Ned has strange dreams and visions, especially on his birthdays;
and all his life he has been haunted by a sense that someone is right behind him, maybe
his own shadow. But try as he may, he can never catch this shadow no matter how hard he
tries, how quickly he turns his head or how fast he runs.
MR. X is the story of Ned's attempt to find his father and his shadow, and how Mr. X
stalks his own fate. It is shot through with Lovecraftian imagery and references, but one
does not have to be a Lovecraft fan (I can attest to this, because I'm not one) in order
to become deeply engrossed in the book. There is true terror here; imagery that reaches
deep, deep into the human psyche and touches the places we think we can hide from our
nightmares.
--- Reviewed by Dianne Day, author of the Fremont Jones mystery novels,
http://www.dianneday.com
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