Laymon Month: Richard Laymon's Heroines Examined by Lisa Mannetti

                                             

Opinions about Laymon's work often devolve into gripe sessions about whether or not the books are misogynistic, whether or not the characters and his heroines (especially the latter) are foolish or merely variations on stock types. Conversely, some long time fans posit that in Laymon's work the heroines encounter danger in order to grow and emerge stronger. I suppose a classic example of this plucky, resourceful type would be Slim in The Traveling Vampire Show which garnered Laymon a Bram Stoker Award.

A little research into this area and a rereading of Laymon's Into the Fire sent me into another direction, something a little more offbeat than the usual right and left hand sides of the spectrum.  

The novel itself is a wild tale that opens with its heroine, Pamela, having been abducted by a serial killer who's been fantasizing about her since his less than glorious days back in high school. He's murdered her husband and carried her off into the desert.  About to be killed, Pam is rescued by a very strange man driving a bus full of mannequins.

We're also introduced early on to a college boy named Norman who is shanghaied by an Elvis wannabe named Duke and these two 'characters,' in turn,  pick up a nymphomaniacal hitchhiker known as Boots. As a trio, none of them seem to be drop-outs from the Bonnie and Clyde school of derring-do.

Sound fantastic?

It is; but so was Voltaire's Candide, and it can be argued that Laymon's romp has much in common with both its more famous predecessor's picaresque mode and  its bildingsroman attributes. Viewed in that light, Laymon's treatment of action and motifs in Into the Fire can be seen as a kind of purposeful chaos. In which case, one would not expect to find the typical arc characters follow in more traditional--or even necessarily genre--literature. One would expect (and indeed finds) a series of adventures that increasingly head for over-the-top.

Into the Fire can also be seen squarely in that classical mode with its humor; and, its relentless eroticism could be considered derivative of milesian tales, notably the Decameron.

Dickens and Twain both wrote picaresque tales--but let's not forget Victorian sensibilities:  Sex was given a pass in books like Oliver Twist and Huckleberry Finn.

So, the next time that either/or question comes up about Laymon's characters (and heroines) you can come down on one side or another, or think about Lady Cunegonde (and yes, the name is meant to convey what it is nearly spelled like) and who knows, maybe you'll give Candide a whirl, or Moll Flanders, or The Golden Ass; or give Tom Jones a peek...you're sure to find plenty of action, outrageous plotting, and titillating sex.

Lisa Manneti is the 2008 Bram Stoker award winner for her first novel, The Gentling Box.  Her latest offering, Deathwatch, happens to be the best thing I’ve read all year.  She is a true master of the craft with a style that is both beautiful and heart-breaking.  I strongly encourage everyone give her work a try.  You will not be disappointed. You can find out more about Lisa Mannetti at her website.

Deathwatch by Lisa Mannetti

Deathwatch is Lisa Mannetti’s beautiful new collection of two novellas - Dissolution and The Sheila Na Gig.

Dissolution explores an evil mother’s power over her house, even from beyond the grave. The inhabitants of the house include conjoined siblings, an alcoholic father and a pair of servants. Stuart Granville, a would-be medical student from the South who's been expelled for drinking is hired to tutor the two young girls. Once at the house he realizes the true reason for his employment and it is much more grisly than he could have ever anticipated.

Mannetti is able to incorporate the medical horrors of early America with the timeless fear of the unknown. It is the stuff nightmares are made of. Mannetti attacks the reader from all angles. The horror is not isolated to the supernatural- instead she chooses to bring real world atrocities to the story. This leaves the reader with no safe haven as we follow Stuart’s descent into darkness. Dissolution is a brilliantly crafted story that will haunt you for days after finishing.

In The Sheila Na Gig, Tom Smith is seeking refuge on a ship bound for the New World. In his native Ireland, he has dealt with too much loss and tragedy which included the loss of his only love, avoiding his evil witch of a grandmother, and trying to save his sister, Delia, from the abuse of his father. Tom gets wrapped up in a strange state of mental anguish as he looks to the occult to make things right in his increasingly horrific world.

The Sheila Na Gig may have been the stronger of the two stories simply because the loss that Tom experiences is so completely depressing. We watch as any semblance of love and support is slowly stripped away from him by the evil forces that exist within his life. It is enough to bring the reader to tears. Tom finally believes that he has one last chance to redeem his life and make it all normal again but the result is the most heartbreaking tragedy of all. Mannetti’s varying flow in The Sheila Na Gig reflects the constant turmoil within young Tom Smith. At times the writing is urgent and frantic but Mannetti is also able to reign it in and produce an almost dream like quality when necessary. This is truly a testament to mastery of the craft.

Never have I been so enchanted while experiencing all engrossing horror. Lisa Mannetti’s Deathwatch has the rare power to draw the reader in with beautiful composition and then crush you with unflinching horror. She can take the most taboo subject and make it seem heartbreaking and tragic with her elegant prose. This really is where the power in Mannetti’s lies. She has this ability to make a reader weep in a situation where they would normally find themselves being repulsed thus causing a unique emotions within the reader’s heart.

There is absolutely no reason why Lisa Mannetti shouldn’t be a powerhouse within the genre for years to come. I know that she has officially made the list of authors whose work I would label as “Can’t Miss.”

Please, please, please go pick up Deathwatch now!