The Gargoyle, Andrew Davidson

When the narrator of The Gargoyle suffers through a horrific car accident thanks to a drug hallucination, he loses his entire life in one shot.  His career as a porn star is gone and he can no longer indulge himself by seducing beautiful women because nearly his entire body is covered in burns – and he has been emasculated thanks to the extensive damage.  He goes so far as to plan out his suicide in the most elaborate way possible, just to ensure he’ll be gone, as he is suffering.  That all changes when Marianne Engel enters his life, a girl with a mental disorder who is convinced she’s been alive for the past 700 years and that she loved the narrator in another life.  As she spins tales for him of love, he finds possibility of redemption.

I loved this book.  I’m not surprised by that because it seems nearly everyone else has too.  The first fifty pages are bit much, in all honesty, and reading about how he was burned and the different ways they set about curing him made me wonder just what everyone was raving about.  Then, of course, Marianne Engel appears and sets all sorts of changes in motion.  I loved her chapter-long stories of past loves and even more so her descriptions of the past between her and the narrator.  Well, it’s only natural that I would, given that it is set in medieval Germany.  The whole story might sound unlikely and strange, but it works.

I love the sardonic narrator in particular.  I think if this book tried to be entirely serious, it would fall on its face, but it has a wonderful edge of humor despite the frequently dire situations.   Taken in summary, it sounds ridiculous, but somehow it all combines to create a beautiful tribute to the unending power of love.  I couldn’t put this book down.  It has been released today and I highly recommend you go pick it up if you haven’t already. Buy this book on Amazon.

For more information and associated media for The Gargoyle, visit the book’s website at Doubleday.