Fevre Dream - Somewhat disappointed, looking to hear opinions

[taoofjord]

As a fan of Martin's A Game of Thrones (haven't read the rest of the series yet) as well as Fevre Dream's concept (steamboats & vampires) I was really excited to dig into the book. The first half was pretty fantastic, though I had my reservations. I loved the atmosphere, the descriptions of the steamboat, Abner Marsh's character, and the dynamic between Marsh and Joshua York. But the chapters with Damon Julian frustrated me. He was just your typical evil vampire, one that didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the book's more thoughtful development and characters. Although I still have about 20% of the book left to read.

Once the action picked up we lost much of the interesting character development and were instead given b-movie dialogue and b-movie actions scenes.

A good example would be the part where Damon Julian tries to explain to Abner Marsh that they're "not so different" and would like Marsh to join him. Not only is that typically a goofy mechanic to use, it clashes with the world Martin created in the first half of the book (to me, at least). Some people may like the (perhaps intentionally?) campy style of storytelling no matter what, but I tend to prefer it when it's in a story that is meant to be pure fun, cheese. I wouldn't bat an eyelash when that sort of thing pops up in an episode of Xena or in a fun pulp adventure story.

This change in tone was enough for me to go from enjoying the book quite a bit to just trying to finish it and move on to something else. Perhaps I went into the book with different expectations, such as hoping for character's that weren't so morally black and white (having read GoT). Did anyone else feel the same way? If not, let me know. Or just let me know what you think of the book. I'm especially curious because fevre dream is included in the Fantasy Masterworks series. Not to mention that I haven't seen anyone talk about my issues with the book.

 

[Connavar]

Black and white thing was wrong with that ? This is not some fantasy series trying to be realistic this is vampire story inspired by classic vampire novels when the vamp was so black and the heroes was so white.

 

[Culhwch]

It's been a little while since I last read Fevre Dream, but it's one of my favourite novels - I've read it a few times now. I certainly never had any issue with the way the book unfolded. It's a different beast the Ice and Fire, which is to be expected - it was written much earlier, with a totally different concept and approach. As Connavar says, it does harken back to those classic vampire tales, but with a twist in the setting (which was the drawcard for me). I'll be interested to hear your thoughts once you've finished the book - whether or not Martin wins you back.

I'm also going to move this thread into the Martin sub-forum.

 

[Boaz]

Welcome, taoofjord. I see you've not yet finished Fevre Dream, so I'll add this caveat... SPOILERS!!!! Please do not read my post until you've finished FD.

I read Fevre Dream about three years ago. What can I say except that literature is art. Something that appeals to one person may rub another the wrong way. I know that sounds like a copout, but in this case I think it's very true.

Like you, I found the dynamic between Marsh and York riveting. But at the same time, I never really identified with either of them. I found both too easily identifiable from other literary sterotypes. So why did I find their relationship fascinating? Maybe I've read too little horror. But maybe it's how GRRM used his style of writing to try and replicate the verbiage and patois of the river and the times, how GRRM realistically portrayed his setting... as if I was reading Twain, Henry James, Dickens (whom I dislike), or Poe, i.e. the sitz im leben seemed authentice to me, or maybe it was how GRRM built and maintained the tension throughout the entire story.

Martin slowly built the suspicions and the search of Marsh without beginning a bloodbath. In contrast, Martin uses death in A Game of Thrones to surprise us... you know what I'm talking about if you've read it. He hooked me on AGOT by using death in a heroic fantasy. In Fevre Dream he hooked me by not devolving his horror story into a typical bloodbath. In fact, by not overly using death and gore, he kept my attention.

But also, by writing in a nineteenth century style, I was able to not be bothered by the fact that I did not identify with neither Marsh nor York. But the realistic dark drama that we now see so prevalent in books, tv, and the theatre was not really part of the American storytelling process until the last twenty years or so. Previously, if a story was dark, then it was not realistic... and vice versa. Going back to Huckleberry Finn, Huck and Jim may seem like absolute boy scouts... yet I think to the times, they appeared very much as grey characters. Marsh is a protagonist, yet he's aiding vampires. York is a vampire, but he's sworn to not kill anymore and he's trying to convince all vampires to follow his lead. They both seem like dangerous radicals to their own races... i.e. antagonists....

You've read AGOT, Eddard is the man of pure, noble principle. Cersei is a scheming, greedy slut. That seems pretty black and white to me. But now I'm just being devil's advocate. I agree that AGOT's lure is it's shifting views on who's good and who's evil. But again I'll plead the writing style that GRRM created to say that even though Marsh and York are the protagonists, they would appear as traitors to their own kinds.

Yes, the ending was different from the rest of the story. Martin held the tension throughout the story, but he had to resolve it somehow. And I agree that the story changes when the action picks up... and Martin does not handle it with the same finesse as the first part of the book, but it did not turn me off.

I'm not the most versed in vampire lore, so I don't know when the shift away from straight Stokerism began, but I felt that Martin did a great job of getting the feel right while being free to adjust the legend to suit his story. It seems that stories like Blade and Trueblood pick and choose freely from the vampire lore and legend, but I don't know if many people were doing that before Fevre Dream.

Fevre Dream also featured a number of interesting themes. Among these were What does it mean to be human?, What is community? i.e. How do we treat those around us?, How do we use our power?, and What is the line between sanity and insanity?

From these themes, I think it was fine that Julian tried to recruit Marsh. Think of how Julian had manipulated humans for centuries... most recently Billy. Billy served Julian for nothing, but lies. Julian's experience seemed limited to humans he could brutalize and those he could seduce... Marsh was neither.

taoofjord, Again I say "Welcome." I'd love to read your final thoughts on FD and your thoughts on the rest of A Song of Ice and Fire.

 

[jojajihisc]

I just read Fevre Dream in January, it was the first novel by Martin that I've read and I thought it was good. I think when "Julian" asks "Marsh" to join him he means to use him as somebody that can supply him with "cattle" and/or keep him safe by moving up and down the river and not as an invitation to become a vampire (which we are told by "Joshua" is not possible anyway). I thought the characters were actually pretty interesting. "Joshua" has killed numerous people and yet he strives to find a way to conquer his, and his "people's", thirst for blood. "Marsh" is a simpleton although a very deliberate and determined one who stops at nothing to get back his steamboat. "Sour Billy" is cunning, dangerous and deceitful but naive enough to believe he will be rewarded by being turned into a vampire someday.

I read the book hoping for something similar to Caleb Carr's The Alienist, whose atmosphere I really enjoyed, and it didn't disappoint. I read Fevre Dream more for the era and setting than for the vampire storyline and it ended up being entertaining in all three.