[REVIEW] Here Abide Monsters by Dame Andre Norton

[apachefirecat]

Title: Here Abide Monsters
Author: Andre Norton (Definitely recommend reading this woman's history/GoodReads biography!
Genre: Science fantasy
Review:





Like many avid readers, I have always heard the name Andre Norton. Unlike many fantasy lovers, I've never actually given the author a try... until this book came into my pathway. I was lucky in that the edition had a yellowed age that clearly suggested having been well-loved but considerably dated -- and indeed, reading the book was like a trip through the past, although there was no time travel involved! Given that the book was written over 50 years ago (1973), it definitely was like a little time capsule in and of itself!

My Father was born in 1947 and was a young biker himself before I came along (sadly). I've had to give his childhood and what shaped the man who I knew him as a lot of speculation to come to peace with certain things, and it may just be wishful thinking but the lead character in this book definitely makes me think of how I would have pictured my Dad at that time in his life, after he had escaped his own parents and cruel upbringing and before he became a (for the second time) married man. There are certainly such women as Nick reflects upon his stepmother, but there are also two sides to every story...

The leading character certainly gave me some considerable insight into his time period, as did descriptions given through the eyes and experiences of others amongst the main cast. There are parts in the book that will certainly make one take a long, hard look at the human spirit, and if you're anything like me, you may be surprised to find just how much we have funneled back and forth between war in the early days. People tend to fear war so greatly now -- yet, looking back, there's been such little time when there was not one war or another waging.

The title had originally grabbed me, but it was the history, not the monsters, that kept me seeking as much time as possible to read this tale. Admittedly, when I think of monsters, I tend to think of Vampires and Werebeasts, perhaps Witches, Zombies, ghouls, etc. There were none of the former involved, but the monsters the author did include, for the most part, were far more original in the making. Granted, I could have done without the aliens, but it is, again, in the details that this book really grabs. There are mentions of three main religions, all held in high regard, and the author definitely does do some digging in the human psyche and these three religions.

There is a cameo of a certain character at the end of the very book, very briefly, but it is a startling and very well-deserved cameo. Many of the characters are interesting and aid to their pieces of the history. It really is almost like an amalgam of different parts of history through mankind's existence, although there's also futuristic tech and characters.

What I loved the most, hands down, about this book, however, were two certain side characters, and it's for more writings with animal companions these that I'll be searching for from this author going forward. I've attempted reading many cat books over the years, and few of them do as well to capture the feline essence of the cats as one of the main sidekicks Lady Norton depicts them herein. There's also an adorable and loyal Peke for those with a canine preference. :)

And I do mean Lady Norton. Out of curiosity, I took a look at her profile here on GoodReads and was definitely blown away! She WAS a legend!

I rapidly devouring most of the book, hating to put it down and actually picking it up rather than a number of other things I could have (or even should have) been doing, but the author did seem to (sadly) begin to lose speed towards the end, in the last few chapters. Still, it is a journey I shall not forget soon, and would definitely recommend to anyone open to a fantasy meets sci fi adventure, or who perhaps just wants a little taste of what it was like back in the early '70s -- with a visit also of other time periods. This book is a gem that won't be leaving my collection, purely because of the travel through time it gifts its readers. <3

Comments

[luvbarryfefe]

Wow, that sounds good. I don't read much sci-fi but this sounds great. I'll see if I can find a copy.

[apachefirecat]

I DEFINITELY recommend! And if you can't find it, I'm sure you can find something else Andre Norton has written. I am EAGERLY keeping an eye out for more from her!