Drood
Dan Simmons
'I am in awe of Dan Simmons' Stephen King
This story shall be about my friend (as at least about the man who was once my friend) Charles Dickens and about the accident that took away his peace of mind, his health, and, some might whisper, his sanity...
In 1865 Charles Dickens, the world's most famous writer, narrowly escapes death in the Staplehurst Rail Disaster. He will never be the same again. A public hero for rescuing survivors, he slowly descends into madness as he hunts the individual he believes to be responsible for the carnage: a spectral figure known only as Drood.
His best friend, Wilkie Collins, is enlisted for the pursuit. Together they venture into Undertown, the shadowy, lawless web of crypts and catacombs beneath London. Here Drood is rumoured to hold sway over a legion of brainwashed followers. But as Wilkie spirals ever further into opium addiction and jealousy of the more successful novelist, he must face a terrifying possibility: is Charles Dickens really capable of murder?
Readers are loving Drood
'Beautifully written, fiction heaven!' *****
'One of my favourite reads ever' *****
'A masterpiece' *****
'Epic adventure' *****
'Surprising - I enjoyed every page' *****
Product Details
About Dan Simmons
Reviews for Drood
Stephen King
Peopled by characters worthy of Dickens novel .... a fascinating book that adds to the speculative writings about the Victorian author's last and unfinished work. A must-read for all Dickens and Wilkie Collins admirers
Daily Mail
A rich and strange book... the pages fly by
Daily Telegraph
A dazzling journey through a crooked, gaslit labyrinth and a tenebrous portraiture of the tortured minotaurs that dwell within. Genius is the true mystery, and at its edge - the abyss
Guillermo del Toro, film director
A manic energy that compels shock and awe
Independent
Readers will race through the pages, drawn by the intricate plot and the proliferation of intriguing psychological puzzles
Publisher's Weekly