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The Servants
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Talk about a protean career! The writer Michael Marshall, one might think, already has more than enough strings to his bow: As Michael Marshall Smith, he created some of the most inventive and quirky of cutting-edge science fiction novels; dropping the ‘Smith’ (as Michael Marshall), his bestselling crime fiction is among the most technically adroit and pulse-racing in the field. But here he is with yet another hat on – and as M M Smith, he proves to be just as accomplished a writer for younger readers. The Servants is an absolute spellbinder: a wonderfully engaging yarn that will rivet the attention of both younger readers and those adults lucky enough to pick it up.
11-year-old Mark is well aware – even at this tender age – of the fragility and insecurity of life. After his move from the bustle of London to the more bracing seaside air of Brighton in the winter, he finds he is not enjoying himself. His mother’s illness is distressing, and, worse, he cannot stand his new stepfather. The house he lives in is a strange place, with, what’s more, a strange elderly woman in the basement. The sands of reality are about to shift for the vulnerable Mark, and he may have to rely for help on some people who may not even be real.
Smith’s mastery of the fantasy genre is, thankfully, a skill he has not allowed to wither on the vine, and this is intelligent, allusive writing; both disturbing and evocative. Let’s hope MM/Michael/Marshall/Smith finds time to revisit the genre in between his flesh-creeping adult thrillers. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Review
'Superb, offbeat contemporary fantasy ! Smith portrays a child's irrational anger with devastating accuracy, and Mark's visits to the surreal and intensely symbolic world of the servants are powerfully depicted' Publishers Weekly, starred review
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining Ghost Story,
By
This review is from: The Servants (Hardcover)
'The Servants' is around 230 pages long, but such is the modern preoccupation with length (oo-er missus!) that it's classed as a 'short' novel or novella, rather than simply the `novel' it undoubtedly is.
MM Smith has previously written novel length science fiction under his full name Michael Marshall Smith, and conspiracy thrillers under the shortened name Michael Marshall. Last year's excellent 'The Intruders' - containing supernatural elements - was also published under the latter moniker. Now there's another variation on his name - MM Smith - which he's used for this modern-day ghost story. Michael himself has commented that this latest book is more akin to his excellent far-ranging short fiction than his longer stuff - hence the new name. Enough of my preamble - is this book any good? Well, yes. It's beautifully told in clear, simple prose and it won't take the reader long to finish it. Mark is an 11-year-old boy who's moved down to Brighton from London with his mother and new stepfather. Naturally he hates his step-dad, because like most boys of that age he clings to an idealised view of his birth father, that no other man could compete with. Once in Brighton, Mark leads a loner's existence, practicing his rudimentary skateboarding skills, until he meets the old lady who resides in the basement of the big property he lives in. She shows her rooms to him, reveals what lies behind an old locked door, and explains that the whole basement forms the old servants' quarters. Immediately Mark's curiosity is piqued. At this stage his mother's health is also deteriorating alarmingly... To give away any further plot details would be unfair so I'll leave it at that, but I will comment that the book unfolds at a perfect, just-right pace and has a very satisfactory ending - Michael doesn't believe in short-changing the reader! The portrayal of Mark is very perceptive and touchingly told. We gradually see his viewpoint towards the step-dad shifting, and if it never achieves a volte-face, he at least comes to appreciate him a bit more. Naturally we, the reader, can tell the step-dad is a decent man almost from the very beginning, but then we're not emotionally attached to him. Michael Marshall is a huge fan of Stephen King - another writer who has written the occasional subtle ghost story featuring a young protagonist. I hope he'll be flattered if I say this is almost a British equivalent of the lovely literary stuff King writes when in a certain mode. I wholeheartedly recommend this intelligent book to Michael Marshall Smith newcomers and old fans alike.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exquisite book, in all ways,
By Annalise (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Servants (Hardcover)
This is a clever, subtle, beautiful little book, somewhat reminiscent of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME, in that it's voiced by an engaging young protagonist and hides a dark, surreal and rather disturbing secret world inside what seems to be, very recognizably, our own. I won't spoil the surprise (which creeps up on you throughout the story) but must say I found it both haunting and touching, and it also made me laugh out loud from time to time. I recommend it for readers of any age. It's also a very beautifully packaged book, with head and tail bands, a ribbon and a classy cover, so it makes a lovely gift - and it's short, too, and SUCH an easy read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Coraline, but better,
By
This review is from: The Servants (Paperback)
If I had to describe The Servants in under ten words, I would say: "Coraline, but better, and I loved Coraline."
Michael Marshall Smith is known for his gritty science fiction and horror novels and short stories. I'm a fan and have read quite a few of his novels, such as Spares (plagiarized into the crappy film The Island) and Only Forward, and his collection of short stories, What You Make It, is one of my favourites. So I was interested to see how he would approach young adult fiction, and of course, he does it deftly and with finesse. Mark is a young boy of 11 who has just moved to Brighton from London with his mother, who is sick with a mysterious illness, and his new stepfather, David. Mark resents his stepfather for moving him away from bustling London to the ramshackle, old house painted Brunswick Cream. An old woman lives in the basement flat, and she has a key to a door that he unlocks, where the servants are. I would really like to get the opinion of a young adult who has read this and see what they think. There's a few layers of symbolism that is both blatantly obvious and yet subtle. Smith investigates the themes of family ties and family responsibility. The writing is deft and sparse, and the characterization is excellent for being such a short book. Michael Marshall Smith has turned out to be a talented young adult writer as well.
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