Shadowplay: A Novel by Joseph O'ConnorMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
"You must choose to step into the scene or remain in the wings."
Everything is grist, fodder to the mill of the creative genius for Bram Stoker.
Joseph O' Connor has written a memorable novel about the author of one of the most beloved horror stories of all time. Before reading this, I didn't know that Bram Stoker was a former theater critic turned manager of a West End theater that housed two of the greatest living actors in London: Henry Irving (who became the basis of Count Dracula) and Ellen Terry.
"An actor remembers every part ever played. There are times when he wonders why... What they call life is a ghost-ship. On the ship are many rooms. Small. Others grand. Some princely. Some poor. An uncountable number. There is always another. This is how they escape the prison of the self. To see the world through the windows of someone else’s room."
It's a tribute to creative artistry of writers and thespians. Joseph O' Connor writes dialogue like no other, and the pages with Oscar Wilde in them simply beg to be delivered out loud!
This is no horror book, but any theater lover will enjoy reading about the pains and joys of performing in the London of Jack the Ripper. The ending was especially touching, and brought a tear to my eye. For theater people are unafraid to challenge convention, loving more than what is wise and living more fully than most. And O'Connor brought these three theater greats to life in a delicious page turner that honors creativity and artistry in all its forms.
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