The Land of Laughs

Jonathan Carroll's first novel is a very accomplished mix of fantasy and horror, laced with dark humour. The story of Thomas Abbey, son of dead Hollywood actor Stephen Abbey, who makes a living as an English teacher while harbouring a deep resentment towards his famous father. A chance meeting at a bookstore leads him to a woman named Saxony and the possibility of writing a biography of dead children's author Marshall France, a figure of obsession for both Thomas and Sax.

Seeking permission for the book from France's daughter Anna, Thomas and Sax, by now lovers, wash up in Galen, hometown of Marshall. And slowly things begin to get weird. The town seems preserved in Amber, it's citizens reacting strangely to tragedies. Anna and Thomas become lovers, the biography progresses and slowly Galen's secrets are revealed to Thomas.

Carroll's prose is very easy to read and the spiral down into strangeness and horror is very well handled. The characters are well drawn and a creeping sense of horror pervades the latter stages of the novel. The ending is surreal and disturbing.

Superb storytelling and a great introduction to the work of Mr Carroll. Recommended.