Carroll Jonathan 09

Reviews & Overviews by Rod Cameron

From the Teeth of Angels – Jonathan Carroll

It is intriguing to look at how different authors have tackled the character of Death. A number of vastly different characterisations spring to mind, varying from Terry Pratchett’s almost friendly scythe wielding skeleton who talks in CAPITALS in the Discworld series; Piers Antony’s technically complex character who is living backwards in On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality Book 1); or even the bemused innocent (Brad Pitt) in the film Meet Joe Black. But, however nice it would be to imagine that Death is basically a “nice guy”, realistically he is almost certainly going to be far less pleasant. Jonathan Carroll meets the challenge of portraying just such a character head on, and succeeds splendidly in From the Teeth of Angels.

The story concerns three people whose lives converge over the course of the novel. Ian McGann goes to sleep one night and meets Death in a dream, who promises to answer any of his questions. But if he fails to understand the answers he will pay with his life. To Wyatt Leonard, a former kids’ TV star who is dying of leukaemia, death appears as the ghost of a friend. To Arlen Ford, a burnt-out Hollywood actress who has escaped to Europe, he appears as the sexy war correspondent Leland Zivic. The novel describes the ends of their lives as they struggle towards an understanding of why and what Death wants with them.

Anyone who is familiar with my reviews will know that I believe Jonathan Carroll to be one of the greatest living authors of dark (horror) fiction. From the Teeth of Angels is just such a thoughtful, dark and very strange tale, and it is well worth tracking down.

Publisher: Out of Print?
Date: 1994
Pages: 283 Pages
Price: ---
ISBN: ---
Format: Paperback
Reviewed by: Rod Cameron
Date Reviewed: October 2006

From the Teeth of Angels – Jonathan Carroll
It is intriguing to look at how different authors have tackled the character of Death. A number of vastly different characterisations spring to mind, varying from Terry Pratchett’s almost friendly scythe wielding skeleton who talks in CAPITALS in the Discworld series; Piers Antony’s technically complex character who is living backwards in On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality Book 1); or even the bemused innocent (Brad Pitt) in the film Meet Joe Black. But, however nice it would be to imagine that Death is basically a “nice guy”, realistically he is almost certainly going to be far less pleasant. Jonathan Carroll meets the challenge of portraying just such a character head on, and succeeds splendidly in From the Teeth of Angels. The story concerns three people whose lives converge over the course of the novel. Ian McGann goes to sleep one night and meets Death in a dream, who promises to answer any of his questions. But if he fails to understand the answers he will pay with his life. To Wyatt Leonard, a former kids’ TV star who is dying of leukaemia, death appears as the ghost of a friend. To Arlen Ford, a burnt-out Hollywood actress who has escaped to Europe, he appears as the sexy war correspondent Leland Zivic. The novel describes the ends of their lives as they struggle towards an understanding of why and what Death wants with them. Anyone who is familiar with my reviews will know that I believe Jonathan Carroll to be one of the greatest living authors of dark (horror) fiction. From the Teeth of Angels is just such a thoughtful, dark and very strange tale, and it is well worth tracking down.
Publisher: Out of Print? Date: 1994 Pages: 283 Pages Price: --- ISBN: --- Format: Paperback Reviewed by: Rod Cameron Date Reviewed: October 2006