The Lives of Shadows

What is this book? Is it a ghost story, love story, mystery, historical novel? it's all of the above and more. Very unique and unusual tale interspersed with beautiful drawings and photographs of old Damascus, this is a complete illustrated piece of art. I couldn't put it down before its unexpected conclusion. A must for literature lovers everywhere.

I was immediately impressed by the quality of this book--the thick paper, beautiful illustrations, and wonderful articles & pictures from the era in which the story is set. This is a beautifully told tale about a young man who finds his spiritual home in the Middle East and about his life there until the relatives of the family that sold it to him decide to fight to get it back. There is an element of mystery, romance and in the background is the fear that he will be ejected from the home that has become an extension of his own mind. I couldn't put it down!

Tonight I finished reading this gem and was immensely saddened that it had to end, albeit predictably as another reviewer noted. Still, what a lush, nuanced story, complemented with rich visual elements, providing a backdrop of artifact that actually serves the story rather than detracts from it. Though she can't really be compared to Nick Bantock, though they are both artists who can write well, Ms. Hodgson's latest seems to firmly ally itself with the genre most notably cultivated by the "Griffin and Sabine" series: visually pleasing epistolary with a twist of the fantastic. A most welcome diversion indeed.

This was my first attempt at reading one of Hodgson's books. I've seen her other books and picked them up several times but have never taken the plunge. I did this time and was extremely pleased. I suppose it was the combination of subject matter -- a house that inspires loyalty and love -- along with the intriguing illustrations that prompted me to read this book. The story is interesting and well done. Julian is well-drawn. He doesn't want to admit his shell shock and unwillingness to confront the world after his war experience but does so indirectly through his focus on the house. All of the characters are interesting and the slow revelation of "ghosthood" is interesting and subtle. Hodgson's emphasis is not on the ghastly but on the bittersweet aspects of ghost stories. I recommend this book to all who like a different kind of ghost story and enjoy a solid writing style.