Dragonfly

I met Fred Durbin at last year's World Fantasy Convention. I had the pleasure of hanging out with him for most of the con. He and I had never been to the convention before and didn't know anybody else. Fred's a great guy. I liked him so much that when he gave me a review copy of his book, I was terrified that I might not enjoy it. I needn't have worried. Not only did I greatly enjoy Dragonfly, I'm in awe of Fred's writing ability. The novel is not merely an author coming up with a neat twist on an old idea. It's a literary piece of art, and it's clear that Fred is in love with the English language. He creates metaphors and weaves adjectives in such a beautiful fashion that it's almost distracting, as someone who respects the English language, to read Fred in action. He spins gold out every sentence...he's that good. Dragonfly is about the encroachment of a Halloween town of nightmare-eaters on the real world. These beings, led by Sam Hain (look closely, you'll get it), include vampires, werewolves, witches and the walking dead. They're everything a child worries lurks under the bed or in the closet or behind a mirror. And truth be told, the bad guys really are that bad; child snatching, soul-stealing monsters who are unabashedly evil. Our heroine, ten-year-old Dragonfly, visits her Uncle Henry's house only to discover that there's someone digging their way up from the basement. Henry summons an old ally named Mothkin and before long all three are embroiled in a struggle of live, love, death, and dreams. Make no mistake: Fred's not pulling any punches. The bad guys do horrible things. People die. Our ten-year-old heroine suffers love and loss. Most refreshingly, Fred never portrays adults as complete morons who turn up their noses at superstitions. Every character has a life of his or her own and they fight to defend it, good and bad, with every breath. It's a wonder that the book isn't more successful. Dragonfly is a novel waiting to be turned into a movie in this day and age of tween stories that are read by adults. My suspicion is there are two problems hindering the book: 1) The cover. The cover, while evocative, is busy. The owl in the top left seems more important than the two tiny figures in the middle, and the crazy plants to either side are a distraction. While this is technically an accurate depiction of the novel (the moon is especially important), it's simply not very enticing to a reader looking for spooky thrills. 2) I have no idea why this book is titled Dragonfly. When I think of dragonflies, I do not think of little girls battling the forces of nightmare. And truth be told, I never quite got why the main character is named Dragonfly. Perhaps it's just me and I missed why the protagonist is named Dragonfly...but nevertheless, the title of the book should never have been "Dragonfly." How about "Night of the Harvest Moon" with a scarier cover? Don't let the title or the cover turn you off to this mag

This work has been mischaracterized by being labeled "children's fiction". (About children does not mean childish, simple or without deep resounding truths and emotions.) Rather like placing Mozart & his piano concertos in the jazz section, Mr. Durbin's tale has been horribly classified by his publishers. Not to fear, dear writer & readers, this tome was first on my Christmas list to those with depth, imagination & an awareness of the soul. It is currently being brought into the lives of many outstanding, thinking students who will spread this book like wildfire. This story is dark, powerful and haunting, much more than a view of Halloween, it is the perpetual night of the soul. My personal advise to the new reader-do not visit this book during the winter in the cold, lightless days. Mr. Durbin's voice(the printed words rapidly melt away)may not allow you to exit easily. His images evoke the lonely places we do not want to acknowledge; they are certainly not where we wish to linger and yet, they hold us without mercy until the end. Mr. Durbin, if you write it, they will come.

This is truly an amazing book! If you love the spooky atmosphere of October, put this on your must-read list. DRAGONFLY is to Halloween what A CHRISTMAS CAROL is to Christmas--a celebration of the essence of a holiday. I'll never carve a jack-o'-lantern again without thinking of Durbin's eerie settings and ramshackle buildings, of the wild ride he gives us through harrowing fights and flights, building the suspense right up until the climactic final scenes. He captures that enigma of Halloween: it scares us, but we also want to linger in it forever. I see the critics are divided as to whether this book is for children or adults. The simple answer is, it's for both, in the way that many classics are: it's for children with the courage to embark on a journey dark and perilous; it's for adults who have not forgotten the wonder and terror of things that scratch at the windowpane in the witching hour. Here is All Hallow's Eve by the cartload--calculating vampires, werewolves perhaps more human than the boy next door, and an unforgettable protagonist sooo much like the 10-year-old in all of us. DRAGONFLY leads us back to a time when we picked up our candy-buckets and stepped out into a night world of infinite possibility. I am looking forward to Durbin's next book!

I was a bit hesitant to plunge into this book, fearing yet another child-enters-into-a-faerie-land-and-saves-the-day scenario. But, hey, I'm a print junkie, so that hesitation was extremely brief. But even that slight pause was too long. This book is great. Unlike other mystical realms, the world our heroine Bridget Anne (or Dragonfly, as she's called) enters is dark and dangerous. As the tale progressed, I realized that Mr. Durbin might not be above killing off the good guys. But if the story wasn't a squeaky-clean fairy tale, it wasn't a dismal, souless slaughter-fest, either. There is love and hope and faith amidst the suffering and death. In the battle between good and evil, both sides take some hits. In addition to an interesting plot, the reader is also treated to a number of fine touches. Mr. Durbin's description of October in the first chapter resonated so well with me, I had to wonder if he had read my mind. (Probably not. I can't write that good.) I loved the characters, as well. They weren't your stereotypical fantasy folk, but seemed like real down-to-earth folk facing a fantastic and dangerous new world. The appearance of a couple of Dragonfly's relatives at the climax was a special treat. All in all, I was left wondering if Mr. Durbin has written anything else. If not, I guess I'll just have to settle for rereading this one again.

This was not a quick read for me. Some web sites list "Dragonfly" as a children's book, a categorization that surprises me. It was deep and there are some disturbing evildoers. Sometimes I had to stop and get back to reality for a while before I could pick it up again. I haven't read many horror or "scary fantasy" books (my own category for this). I can't say how typical of the genre this book is, but I think "Dragonfly" reaches beyond the frightening journey. Childhood fears that you thought were all behind you come back in "Dragonfly" as very real obstacles for the heroes. I found that I identified very closely with the characters that Frederic Durbin has written about. They are very real.All descriptions are lush with detail that makes you feel as though you know exactly what Dragonfly, the heroine, is going through. The book is written from her adult perspective, remembering events from her childhood. She lives with Uncle Henry who runs a funeral home. One seemingly normal October day when she's 10, strange sounds start rising from the basement. Uncle Henry calls on Mothkin, his unusual friend (priest or plumber?), for help. You see the affection Uncle Henry has for his niece as he tries to protect her. She, however, is impulsive and curious, and not willing to be protected.The book goes on to describe what is happening in that basement, and the adventure gets wilder and more frightening. The suspense builds as you read on and you start wondering about the permanence of the basement world. Will our heroes ever be able to leave, or will this be a new way of life? What about the others who populate the gloomy place?By the end of the book, you'll feel as though you have met all these people and had an intense experience together. Not an easy feeling when it comes to the villains, but the heroes are quite heroic yet human (well, a few are feline). My favorite new friends are Willie, his grandma (Clara), and all his cats.