Stephen Dobyns is the author of more than thirty novels and poetry collections, including "The Church of the Dead Girls, Cold Dog Soup, "and "Cemetery Nights." Among his many honors and awards are a Melville Cane Award, Pushcart Prizes, National Poetry Series prize, and three National Endowment for the Arts fellowships. His novels have been translated into 20 languages, and his poetry has appeared in the "Best American Poems" anthology. Dobyns teaches creative writing at Warren Wilson College and has taught at the University of Iowa and Sarah Lawrence College.
I've read some very good novels this year, but this one is the best
of the best. In a real sense, I didn't read it at all, after the
first five pages; I entered the small-town world Stephen Dobyns
creates with such affection, horror, and fidelity. I can imagine
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Sherwood Anderson, and--yes--Grace Metalious
rising to their feet in that special Writing Room of the Dead and
giving Dobyns a standing ovation.
Dobyns has always been good, but this book is authentically great.
The characters are vivid originals, not a stereotype among them,
and the story pulled this reader in so completely that I didn't
want the book to end, and actually did go back to re-read the first
chapter. One of the characters, Bingo Schwartz, loves opera, and
there's something operatic about this book. All the disparate
plot-threads draw together in a smashing, full-volume climax. This
one is the full meal, by turns terrifying, sweet, and crazily
funny. By God, there's even a sex scene so hot it makes those "50
Shades" books look like "Little Women." I've written some "secrets
of a small New England town" books, and in "The Burn Palace," it's
as if Stephen Dobyns is saying--very gently--"Hey Steve this is how
you really do it."One more thing. If ever there was a novel that
demonstrates why this mode of entertainment remains healthy and
vital more that 150 years after Charles Dickens did his thing, "The
Burn Palace" is that book. It is, simply put, the embodiment of why
we read stories, and why the novel will always be a better bang for
the entertainment buck than movies or TV. Great story, great prose.
Musical prose. You can't ask for more than this book gives. I loved
it. Stephen King
The latest from the prolific Dobyns is by turns an affectionate
portrait of small town life, a terrifying supernatural thriller,
and a sly horror comedy despite the novel s complexity, Dobyns
gives his many characters space to come alive and allows each of
the spooky subplots time to build maximum suspense Dobyns tone,
shifting from amused to sinister and back again, elevates the
material by buttressing the horror with pitch black humor. A tour
de force genre buster that could be a breakout. "Publisher s
Weekly," Starred review An utterly believable tale, and Dobyns isn
t above scaring the reader silly with surprise twists and turns
Nicely done and you may never look at doctors the same way again.
"Kirkus Reviews"
Dobyns peoples this literary chiller with a fully rounded cast of
memorable characters Expertly paced and smoothly written, this
should appeal to both thriller and horror fans. "Booklist "
[A]n intricate who-done-it with richly drawn characters, a superb
sense of place, and just enough otherworldly action to tantalize
Should appeal to readers of literary mysteries and lovers of New
England fiction. "Library Journal"
All of the characters are so well drawn that they seem like
familiar people from your own hometown. "Read Me Deadly"
Mysterious and engaging. -"New York Journal of Books"
A huge, seamless tapestry of narrative You can't wait to turn the
page to see what happens next, to what might be hiding right around
the next corner, or living quietly in that sleepy house next door
to yours. " Shelf Awareness"
With nods toNathaniel HawthorneandStephen King, two other writers
who know something about terrorizing small New England towns,
Dobyns has created a riveting work of the imagination. " San
Antonio Express-News"
A story that rocks along without a word wasted Dobyns writes a
straight thriller, but his mastery of language puts the reader into
empty streets swirling with bits of paper and dead leaves, makes us
feel at one moment hurried along and at the next expansive and
thoughtful Read slowly (if you can!) to enjoy his craftsmanship. "
Charlotte Observer"
Veteran novelist Stephen Dobyns reveals how easily people can get
worked up into hysterics about evil they can only imagine, even as
they miss the evil right in front of their eyes. Buy it. " New York
Magazine"
"The Burn Palace" is a blast one of those great, big, old-fashioned
doorstoppers It is highly recommended. "Bookgasm "
"The Burn Palace "is a big, meaty book that is by turns a police
procedural, a horror novel and a dark, dark comedy. It s also a
spellbinding argument for the novel as a uniquely entertaining
genre. This isn t an empty-calorie slasher-flick-in-print. Dobyns
has written an unhurried, old-fashioned novel, built out of
well-rounded characters who find themselves in horrific, barely
believable situations. "Richmond Times Dispatch "
A hard-hitting literary mystery-thriller Fear drives this novel,
but cleverly placed red herrings keep readers guessing as to the
mystery's outcome Dobyns delivers an engrossing story with a
satisfying spine-chilling mystery. "Winnipeg Free Press"
Though Stephen Dobyns s new work of fiction may move primarily as a
thriller, it punches and thrusts and bangs its shoulders hard
against the confines of the genre in ways as entertaining as any
new work of fiction you ll read this winter. However, the best part
of the book isn t the range of characters or the style which, to
borrow a metaphor that Dobyns himself uses to describe the mind of
a young boy who has just received his first deer rifle, is as
marbled with fantasy as a steak is marbled with fat it s the
unfolding of a complex plot that moves all of the characters about
in such fashion as to produce that frisson of American despair and
horror. "The Boston Globe "
In the space of a few days, a newborn disappears from the local
hospital, and a corn snake is left in its place; a stranger arrives
in town and is gruesomely murdered; and marauding packs of coyotes
start attacking civilians. When the focus turns to witchcraft, the
book briefly appears to be going off the rails, but the remarkably
grounded and totally hilarious characters keep everything engaging
["The Burn Palace"] is an exquisitely unexpected, delightfully
believable exploration of what normal looks like when it goes
through the (evil) looking glass. "Oprah.com ""
"I've read some very good novels this year, but this one is the
best of the best. In a real sense, I didn't read it at all, after
the first five pages; I entered the small-town world Stephen Dobyns
creates with such affection, horror, and fidelity. I can imagine
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Sherwood Anderson, and--yes--Grace Metalious
rising to their feet in that special Writing Room of the Dead and
giving Dobyns a standing ovation.
Dobyns has always been good, but this book is authentically great.
The characters are vivid originals, not a stereotype among them,
and the story pulled this reader in so completely that I didn't
want the book to end, and actually did go back to re-read the first
chapter. One of the characters, Bingo Schwartz, loves opera, and
there's something operatic about this book. All the disparate
plot-threads draw together in a smashing, full-volume climax. This
one is the full meal, by turns terrifying, sweet, and crazily
funny. By God, there's even a sex scene so hot it makes those "50
Shades" books look like "Little Women." I've written some "secrets
of a small New England town" books, and in "The Burn Palace," it's
as if Stephen Dobyns is saying--very gently--"Hey Steve...this is
how you really do it." One more thing. If ever there was a novel
that demonstrates why this mode of entertainment remains healthy
and vital more that 150 years after Charles Dickens did his thing,
"The Burn Palace" is that book. It is, simply put, the embodiment
of why we read stories, and why the novel will always be a better
bang for the entertainment buck than movies or TV. Great story,
great prose. Musical prose. You can't ask for more than this book
gives. I loved it." --Stephen King
"The latest from the prolific Dobyns is by turns an affectionate
portrait of small town life, a terrifying supernatural thriller,
and a sly horror comedy...despite the novel's complexity, Dobyns
gives his many characters space to come alive and allows each of
the spooky subplots time to build maximum suspense...Dobyns' tone,
shifting from amused to sinister and back again, elevates the
material by buttressing the horror with pitch black humor. A tour
de force genre buster that could be a breakout."--"Publisher's
Weekly," Starred review "An utterly believable tale, and Dobyns
isn't above scaring the reader silly with surprise twists and
turns... Nicely done--and you may never look at doctors the same
way again."--"Kirkus Reviews"
"Dobyns peoples this literary chiller with a fully rounded cast of
memorable characters... Expertly paced and smoothly written, this
should appeal to both thriller and horror fans."--"Booklist "
"[A]n intricate who-done-it with richly drawn characters, a superb
sense of place, and just enough otherworldly action to tantalize...
Should appeal to readers of literary mysteries and lovers of New
England fiction."--"Library Journal"
"All of the characters are so well drawn that they seem like
familiar people from your own hometown."--"Read Me Deadly"
"Mysterious and engaging."-"New York Journal of Books"
"A huge, seamless tapestry of narrative... You can't wait to turn
the page to see what happens next, to what might be hiding right
around the next corner, or living quietly in that sleepy house next
door to yours.""--Shelf Awareness"
"With nods to Nathaniel Hawthorne and Stephen King, two other
writers who know something about terrorizing small New England
towns, Dobyns has created a riveting work of the
imagination.""--San Antonio Express-News"
"A story that rocks along without a word wasted... Dobyns writes a
straight thriller, but his mastery of language puts the reader into
empty streets swirling with bits of paper and dead leaves, makes us
feel at one moment hurried along and at the next expansive and
thoughtful...Read slowly (if you can!) to enjoy his
craftsmanship.""--Charlotte Observer"
"Veteran novelist Stephen Dobyns reveals how easily people can get
worked up into hysterics about evil they can only imagine, even as
they miss the evil right in front of their eyes. Buy it.""--New
York Magazine"
""The Burn Palace" is a blast... one of those great, big,
old-fashioned doorstoppers... It is highly recommended."--"Bookgasm
"
""The Burn Palace "is a big, meaty book that is by turns a police
procedural, a horror novel and a dark, dark comedy. It's also a
spellbinding argument for the novel as a uniquely entertaining
genre. This isn't an empty-calorie slasher-flick-in-print. Dobyns
has written an unhurried, old-fashioned novel, built out of
well-rounded characters who find themselves in horrific, barely
believable situations."--"Richmond"" Times Dispatch "
"A hard-hitting literary mystery-thriller... Fear drives this
novel, but cleverly placed red herrings keep readers guessing as to
the mystery's outcome... Dobyns delivers an engrossing story with a
satisfying spine-chilling mystery."--"Winnipeg"" Free Press"
"Though Stephen Dobyns's new work of fiction may move primarily as
a thriller, it punches and thrusts and bangs its shoulders hard
against the confines of the genre in ways as entertaining as any
new work of fiction you'll read this winter. However, the best part
of the book isn't the range of characters or the style -- which, to
borrow a metaphor that Dobyns himself uses to describe the mind of
a young boy who has just received his first deer rifle, is as
"marbled with fantasy as a steak is marbled with fat " -- it's the
unfolding of a complex plot that moves all of the characters about
in such fashion as to produce that frisson of American despair and
horror."--"The Boston Globe "
"In the space of a few days, a newborn disappears from the local
hospital, and a corn snake is left in its place; a stranger arrives
in town and is gruesomely murdered; and marauding packs of coyotes
start attacking civilians. When the focus turns to witchcraft, the
book briefly appears to be going off the rails, but the remarkably
grounded and totally hilarious characters keep everything
engaging...["The Burn Palace"] is an exquisitely unexpected,
delightfully believable exploration of what normal looks like when
it goes through the (evil) looking glass."--"Oprah.com "
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