I nestled down with Leviathan, expecting to be drawn into a world of hold-on-to-your-seat thrills. First, the novel was written by Tim Curran, and the guy never disappoints. The cover also displayed a prehistoric marine reptile – you don’t get many of them in stories these days. I am a long time dinosaur-fanatic, dating back to pre-school. I have always held a special place in my heart for plesiosaurus and ichthyosaurus, those prehistoric monsters residing in the depths of the ancient oceans. I also love beaches on the Atlantic. So, prehistoric marine reptiles invading a small island on the eastern seaboard? What’s not to like?
The book surpassed my anticipated pleasure. The reptiles were superbly described, the seaside descriptions had the right feel (although, I think Mr. Curran was envisioning a Pacific beach with rock cliffs when he wrote the book – not the smooth sandy beaches of the southeastern United States where the action was taking place), and the plot was downright creative. He had to get these reptiles appearing in the present day – and he came up with a doozy of an explanation for their appearance. The description of the creature doing battle with a lighthouse was reminiscent of the classic short story The Fog Horn by Ray Bradbury. Then, of course, is the mandatory attack on the village… a dinosaur lover’s dream, and the description is to “die for”. Is the plot fairly predictable? Sure, but the ride to get there is a blast.
The book surpassed my anticipated pleasure. The reptiles were superbly described, the seaside descriptions had the right feel (although, I think Mr. Curran was envisioning a Pacific beach with rock cliffs when he wrote the book – not the smooth sandy beaches of the southeastern United States where the action was taking place), and the plot was downright creative. He had to get these reptiles appearing in the present day – and he came up with a doozy of an explanation for their appearance. The description of the creature doing battle with a lighthouse was reminiscent of the classic short story The Fog Horn by Ray Bradbury. Then, of course, is the mandatory attack on the village… a dinosaur lover’s dream, and the description is to “die for”. Is the plot fairly predictable? Sure, but the ride to get there is a blast.
RSS Feed
