- Paperback: 216 pages
- Publisher: Overlook Press (27 April 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0879517999
- ISBN-13: 978-0879517991
- Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13.7 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,575,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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After the storm the wrecked ship lay on the beach, against the bright broken gray of the sea. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
After the storm the wrecked ship lay on the beach, against the bright broken gray of the sea. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Tanith Lee writes some strange stuff, the strangest I've ever read... This is up to her usual brilliant standard and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
It was confusing in places and not all my questions were answered by the end of it, although all the plotlines were tied up by the end (-I just wanted more!). It keeps your mind actively involved as you are carried along in the, almost, dreamlike style of writing that she has.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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9 reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Fourth/Final Book in The Secret Books of Paradys Series
8 Oct 2003
Format:Hardcover
Tanith Lee is a tremendously talented writer, and in "The Book of the Mad" she wows her fans once again. This is the fourth and final book in The Secret Books of Paradys series (preceded by "The Book of the Damned" [#1], "The Book of the Beast" [#2], and "The Book of the Dead" [#3]), and it is, without a doubt, my favorite book in the group. It alternates between three various-spelled parallel cities:
--Paradise, where Felion and Smara (homicidal twin outcasts), travel through their uncle's space-altering ice labyrinth, in order to kill an unknown cousin for their own personal gain.
--Paradis, where Leocadia, a 30-year-old alcoholic, bisexual painter, is blamed for her lover's murder and is sent to an asylum by her conniving relatives. Leocadia is devilishly witty, though Felion and Smara still win out for me.
--Paradys, where Hilde, a 15-year-old virgin, is raped by Johanos Martin, an actor she adores. She becomes hysterical afterwards and is sent to an asylum by her parents, who can't cope. This is the least memorable of the three stories, at least it was for me, but it's still interesting enough.
These three well-crafted stories tie-in to one another as the book progresses, culminating in a terrific ending. Fans of this series will enjoy rereading this book over again, if not to just pick up pieces of the puzzle, which are skillfully strewn around. It's mesmerizing, and dark fantasy at its best. Highly recommended.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Loved it?
25 Oct 1999
Format:Paperback
The final book of Paradys is undoubtedly the best, drawing the reader into three alternate, related worlds. Parallels abound, as well as subtle suggestions that say the three worlds are more closely related then one might think. Smara and Felione, two sociopathic murderers, are in the book. Interestingly, I actually felt empathy for them by the end of the book... Very well written, with excellent charecterization.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
An exotic, Gothic fairytale, beautifully written
3 July 1998
Format:Paperback
Fans of the other three Secrets Books of Paradys should enjoy this one, too. Told in Lee's usual style, blending veracity with imagination and hiding truth behind what the characters know, this is the most ambitious of the Paradys books. Lee carefully draws in ties between three stories, and the result is a masterpiece; the interweaving of themes, characters, places, and objects improves each individual novella. I'll stay away from plot here (the synopsis by Kirkus Reviews is excellent if you want one, though), other than to say of it that it is very carefully crafted, brilliantly woven together, and a true pleasure to read. Lee's genius is apparent when one considers some of the tricks she can pull off (I won't give them away because they would make the book sound stupid; Lee makes them work). This book is certainly comparable to the others in the Paradys series (although it is probably a little better), but I would also say that Lee's writing reminds me of Faulkner: the tone is similar to that of "A Rose for Emily" and the weaving of ideas, themes, and plot occurences recalls "The Sound and the Fury". A must for fans of the Paradys series and a very good idea for any fan of dark fantasy.
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