Dante's Heart
A Tour of the Gothic Hot on the Werewolf's Trail:
A Review of Cherie Priest's Dreadful Skin
The questions which Dreadful Skin inspires as it paints good, evil, the
foreign, and not-quite-so-familiar character types in refreshing shades of
grey are not resolved, but offer interesting food for thought, and a good
excuse to ruminate over and return to the novel. This is far less problematic
than the very end of the novel, which becomes slightly muddled as Priest
barrels into the chaos of a great Western showdown in a boarded up
Church. Though the climax appears about to taper neatly into a
conclusion, the last few sentences are the exception to the usual
succinctness and precision of Priest’s word choice and clear explication of
her unique vision. Never the less, Dreadful Skin is a highly enjoyable
contribution to the canon of werewolf tales and the Gothic genre, with
fresh twists and turns that send shivers up your spine.
A Review of Cherie Priest's Dreadful Skin
The questions which Dreadful Skin inspires as it paints good, evil, the
foreign, and not-quite-so-familiar character types in refreshing shades of
grey are not resolved, but offer interesting food for thought, and a good
excuse to ruminate over and return to the novel. This is far less problematic
than the very end of the novel, which becomes slightly muddled as Priest
barrels into the chaos of a great Western showdown in a boarded up
Church. Though the climax appears about to taper neatly into a
conclusion, the last few sentences are the exception to the usual
succinctness and precision of Priest’s word choice and clear explication of
her unique vision. Never the less, Dreadful Skin is a highly enjoyable
contribution to the canon of werewolf tales and the Gothic genre, with
fresh twists and turns that send shivers up your spine.
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