Sleep, Pale Sister

First Joanne Harris I read two years ago, all I can say was best book I'd read in a long time. I agree, very goth, very sinister, but all the same brilliant composition and read. However not recommended for anyone who hasn't read or are into JH, but almost certainly one of her better books even if it was her earliest.

A spooky Gothic tale (3/3 people found this helpful)

Reading the introduction to the reprint of this early work of JH, you get the impression that she's a bit embarassed by Sleep, Pale Sister. There's no doubt that it stems from a time before her considerable skills were fully honed. It reads almost like a first draft and is a rather rambling, unwieldy novel. That said, I really did enjoy reading it. Not being much of a fan of the Gothic genre, I did find all the purple prose a bit over the top - but then that's the nature of Gothic, so I can't complain. One thing I always like about JH is that she doesn't shy away from darker themes and that's certainly the case here. Her protagonist is guilty of about the worst crime imaginable and she doesn't flinch from giving it to us both barrels. The same was true of the depiction of the rotten underbelly of rural France in 5 Quarters. So, all in all, fun, spooky, creepy and enjoyable, but only a taster of the better things to come from this excellent writer.

Sleep, pale novel (0/1 people found this helpful)

I am a great fan of Joanne Harris, and like many other readers I was keen to find out what this early work was like. As others have pointed out, Sleep, Pale Sister has many recognisable features which Harris develops in other books, but for me the interest ended there - at mere curiosity. I had to force myself to finish it, hoping with every page that it would reveal one of those famous twists of plot, but no.
I'm afraid this was the most boring book I have read for many years. I found the endless laudanum-induced dreams and sinister story-telling episodes tedious and repetitive.
If you are hoping for more along the lines of her other books - don't bother with this one.

A Lost Gem Rediscovered (5/5 people found this helpful)

I understand that this book disappeared without trace when it was first released. Goodness only knows why. Lacklustre promotion, I can only imagine because it's a wonderful book. Echoes of Dorian Gray but without the covert mysogyny. Darkly magical. Literate and hugely enjoyable.

Unlike a previous reviewer, I loved the device of having the four narrators and had no problem descerning which was which. Indeed, it simply increased my admiration for the author's skill and dexterity.

I loved Chocolat but I couldn't get on with Five Quarter's of the Orange at all. What does it matter? Sleep, Pale Sister is a stand-alone success.

Fantastic Gothic Tale (18/18 people found this helpful)

One of the author's earlier works and in my opinion the best I have read by her. Set in Victorian England it tells the tale of a painter who marries a beautiful 17 year old girl who is his favourite model. He has a dark shameful past and it all catches up with him to reach a fantastic conclusion. In this book we have death, love, obsession, sex, murder and magic. A tremendous read and one I fully recommend.

Joanne Harris

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