I love a book that explores the edge between our world and the dream world and The Sleeping Man does not disappoint. With an intriguing titular main character and a stark landscape the first chapter reminds me slightly of the first book in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I am curious to see where this story goes and how far in the Dreamscape the Sleeping Man will take the reader.
The Sleeping Man truly emulates the wispy, floating quality of a dream state. Carignan is able to grasp and describe abstract concepts to the reader in a way that makes sense to advancing the story. His descriptions of beings such as the Cannoi and fellow dreamers are both beautiful and horrifying. The world Carignan paints is lonely and mysterious -- one which I look forward to exploring further. Dream-based novels are near and dear to my heart, and I envy Carignan's uncanny ability to recreate the intricacies of how we experience dreams.
Interesting concept, seems to incorporate both original thought and ancestral memory. Extensive movement detail hampers pacing somewhat, and inserted explanations take us outside of the story's flow. I think The Sleeping Man's strength lies in its synesthetic descriptions; those moments of counter-intuitive imagery heighten our awareness. I would come back for more of those.Best of luck, Stephen!
The reader is immediately immersed in a thorough, complex world with lots of promises of what's to come. The prophetic verses are a real draw - they're intense and create a great sense of meaning and excitement for the coming story.
Interesting concept, seems to incorporate both original thought and ancestral memory. Extensive movement detail hampers pacing somewhat, and inserted explanations take us outside of the story's flow. I think The Sleeping Man's strength lies in its synesthetic descriptions; those moments of counter-intuitive imagery heighten our awareness. I would come back for more of those.Best of luck, Stephen!
Very rich in details. I love having to be immersed into a book as you have done right from the beginning. I couldn't stop reading.
The Sleeping Man truly emulates the wispy, floating quality of a dream state. Carignan is able to grasp and describe abstract concepts to the reader in a way that makes sense to advancing the story. His descriptions of beings such as the Cannoi and fellow dreamers are both beautiful and horrifying. The world Carignan paints is lonely and mysterious -- one which I look forward to exploring further. Dream-based novels are near and dear to my heart, and I envy Carignan's uncanny ability to recreate the intricacies of how we experience dreams.
Well-written, great pacing, heavy with suspense, a memorable introduction to a truly-interesting character in the Sleeping Man...