The Chinmey Sweeper's Boy

I discovered Barbara Vine through this book while living in Hampstead this summer, a location that is featured in many of her other books. It was so compelling that having recently completed about 10 of her Barbara Vine novels (which I believe are superior to the Ruth Rendell novels by the same author), I read this book again. It is truly fascinating, and a total page-turner, stay-up-late-until-you-finish it experience. Having read almost all of her novels now, I think it holds up as one of the best. She writes almost cinematically, although the flashbacks would make it hard to transfer to the big screen. Her characters (even Gerald, who is primarily described through his disillusioned wife) is made to be sympathetic in the end. I highly recommend this book.

I have been reading my way through all the Barbara Vine books, and I've only got two left, so this one was my tenth or so. This book is a crowning achievement. It is certainly much more than a mystery. It is an extraordinary novel with real characters, a great plot and awfulness running through. As you read the book you know that something terrible is going to happen, but that does not prepare you for the shock of the ending! It all starts witht the death of a famous novelist, and from there we meet his family - a wife who he barely tolerates and two daughters that he adores. One of the daughters wants to write a story of her beloved father's life, but as she begins she finds ancient secrets and mysteries that no one in their family dreamt of. But even then she can't let herself get the whole story, but we the readers are given that story at the very end, and it's a deep and dark place that Ms. Vine takes us to. This is such a rich novel and it deals with some issues that are still kept in closets and behind closed doors. Ms. Vine hits us in the face with our prejudices and our pre-conceived notions, and she does it so skillfully. The book is compelling and totally un-put-downable. I dare you to read it!

It is evident that people have strong reactions to this book. I liked it more than any other Rendell/Vine book, with the possible exception of "Dark Adapted Eye." One of the most fascinating features of the book is the way in which forms of sexual pathology get repeated, with variations, through three generations of a family. Gerald's mother's relationship with her second husband gets echoed in Gerald's relationship with his wife, and Gerald's two daughters act it out in their own peculiar ways, until the very end, when one of them wakes up. There's great insight into what might be called the erotic lives of families, and the writing is first rate.

A friend gave me her copy of "The Chimney Sweeper's Boy" and I was hooked from page 1. The numerous characters are all complex and fascinating--even the minor ones; the plot, although I guessed the "mystery-surprise," unfolds beautifully--I certainly do not want to tell you any of the twists and turns ( & there are plenty)of this "psychological mystery;" the writing is graceful, but never calls attention to itself. This is a truly terrific story told wonderfully. I have already purchased my second Barbara Vine book and cannot wait to start it.

Barbara Vine is arguably one of the most prolific of contemporary writers and her creative genius is never more obvious than in "The Chimney Sweeper's Boy." (Vine is the pseudonym of author Ruth Rendell.) And in this novel, Vine departs from her "regular" thrillers and embarks on a different route from what we've come to expect from her. Granted, Vine's ability to capture her reader totally, as in her thrillers, is once again to the fore. In this book, famed writer Gerald Candless early on suffers a fatal heart attack and one of his daughters, Sarah, is persuaded to write a biography, a memoir of what it was like to be the daughter of such a famous writer. Thus begins the odyssey: she quickly discovers that Candless is not her father's real name. And what she unearths is at once chilling, emotionally trying, sentimental, and tragic. Sarah is in for a long haul. And Vine is at her best as she lays bear the souls of her principle characters. Perhaps what keeps the book alive--and the reader so absorbed--is Vine's penchant for capturing her audience completely. And while "Chimney's Sweeper's Boy" is not a Rendell-mystery, complete with police procedural revelations, it is a book that is compelling, almost impossible to put down. That is the beauty of the work, the genius of Vine's writing ability. Vine scores easily in this scholarly, sophisticated, yet readable, missive. The characters, in addition to Sarah, are complete and believable. Early on, Candless and his Girls play The Game, an esoteric, snobbish parlor contest. No rules are explained but the object is for the players to pass a scissors a certain way and to be able to explain the move, thus the "solution" to the riddle. Few solve it and Candless and company make buffoons of their guests (which is basically why they play it), belittling them for their inability to solve The Game. This turns out to be a metaphor for his own life and for Vine's intricately written and cleverly presented work. One of Vine's chief characteristics is the pace she applies to her works. There is never a doubt whether the author is in control of the plot development, her characters, or any other literary aspect. Nothing goes awry as she orchestrates the book's denouement and the reader's reactions. It is a treat to see such writing and to see such a writer display her command of her prose. In the Inspector Wexford novels, Rendell is content to stay within the bounds of police investigation and solution--and feels quite comfortable in doing so--and has created one of the best of current British mysteries, but when she lets loose her writing psyche as Vine, watch out! And in "Chimney Sweeper's Boy," she leaves no ash unturned!