| Freezer Burn by Joe R. Lansdale |
| A short time ago, I was introduced to the world of Joe R. Lansdale by a good friend of mine. It might be some time before I can fully repay him. I haven�t been this enthralled by an author since I first cracked open Necroscope many years ago. Lansdale really makes it all seem effortless; his voice is perfect for creating despicable characters and making them seem identifiable. Maybe that�s not quite an accurate statement, since not all of his characters are despicable, but they are definitely different enough to seem peculiar. The stylistic prose that he uses to bring his characters to life is even for creating a one of a kind atmosphere. Even in these early stages I can readily identify that �Lansdale Country� that I�ve heard people talk about. Combine these elements with a well-paced and interesting story and you have a definite winner. Although I�ve only read Freezer Burn once at this point, I can already tell I�ll be coming back for more eventually. |
| Before I get too far ahead of myself, I�ll start with the characters. With very few exceptions, I find this to be the most important part of the foundation of a good story. Interesting characters can make everyday events exciting; the same can�t be said in reverse. With my limited experience with Lansdale, I can already tell that he is extraordinary with his depiction of characters. His characters in all his stories are magnificent clich� busting heroes (and I use the term heroes in the loosest sense possible). Freezer Burn is no exception. |
| The focus is on Bill, a rotten sort of guy who keeps his mother�s corpse hidden so he can continue to collect her social security checks. Unfortunately he�s paranoid that he can�t forge her signature adequately and that he�ll get caught if he tries to cash the checks. The checks pile higher and higher, and mom� corpse gets stinkier and stinkier. Eventually Bill is forced to make a decision, and he makes a bad one. He decides to rob a fireworks stand by his house for some extra cash. I�ll try to spoil as little of the story as possible by saying that the robbery goes poorly and Bill ends up lost in a nasty swampland. |
| Eventually he comes across a travelling freak show that takes him in. This is where the bulk of the story takes place. With my experience with Lansdale I�ve come across many a peculiar character, but this is the first time I�ve been assaulted full on by a gaggle of actual freaks! On the surface, I would be a little wary of a scenario like this, fearing it would either be played for straight out comedy, or as a soapbox device. Lansdale does get quite a few laughs out of the peculiarities of the folks in the show, as well as make a social comment or two. He does this in moderation though, and never forgets that before all, he�s supposed to be telling an interesting story. As far as constructing an interesting story Lansdale uses his well crafted characters and this lively environment to set up the ensuing events. To be honest, I think he�s such a strong storyteller he probably could have the characters picking out dingleberries and I would have had a great time. It�s hard to the atmosphere of Lansdale�s story justice in such a short review. Suffice it to say, he can make a 24 year old from Massachusetts that has never been further down south than Washington D.C. feel completely at home in travelling freakshow in East Texas. For fear of falling into complete redundancy, I�ll keep my summary here brief. Freezer Burn is a tight and tense story in every way. More important than the entertaining chain of events, the lively atmosphere, or the humorous prose is that fact that when stripped down to its most basic elements, this story is an excellent character study. Lansdale picks apart many stereotypes, but in an almost objective way. Never in a condescending or self righteous manner that is all to common in stories of this sort. It�s difficult to use examples without ruining this great experience for anyone who hasn�t read it yet. I give this book a wholehearted recommendation. This was the kind of story that I found I had a hard time putting down (how clich�d is that praise!). In all seriousness though, I found this book to be almost flawless. It�s the perfect length to sit down and spend an entire rainy day with. |
| review by Joe Canistro 2/9/03 |
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