Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Lost Souls
Book Review: A Lovely and Sensual Horror
Summary: 5 Stars
Lost Souls is my favorite vampire horror. It is more terrifying than Salem's Lot and definitely more alluring and bewitching than Anne Rice's Vampire Series. Lost Souls was written in 1992 but till today still transcends most contemporary horros in terms of plot and characters. Lost Souls shines with its own unique emotional intensity that most contemporary horrors sadly lack. Brite's Vampires are unique personalities and she did such a brilliant job describing and justifying their lusts that I sympathize with them - haunted Christian, amoral Zillah, mindless Molochai and Twig and of course Nothing who has to learn to live with his aloneness among his kind. I was hoping for a better ending for Nothing but I guess Brite knows best. Ghost is of course my favorite character and I seldom have any in horrors. I will remember Ghost because of his love for Steve, his care for Nothing and Anne and his genuine goodness and vulnerability. I only with there is more of Lost Souls but one is always wistful when a book is as great as Lost Souls... Lost Souls will remain my favorite as long as I continue to read...Book Review: A Pleasant Surprise
Summary: 4 Stars
When I was in middle school I worshiped this book. I had an old paper back copy that my friends and I traded around in an ever increasing circle where we wrote our own personal commentaries in the margins and highlighted parts we thought were particularly exciting or naughty. I thought Nothing was the voice of my gothed out alter ego, Zillah the hottest thing to hit vampire fiction since Lestat and I searched pages over and over again for irrefutable proof that might side on my argument that I bet Steve and Ghost had Done It. In short - I read the book but never really read it.
Then awhile ago I splurged and bought the 10th anniversary issue that came at quite a hefty price tag and promptly sat it on my shelf without so much as a glance at what was inside. Gradually I came to realize that I was afraid of this book - I was afraid that in opening it I would come face to face with my teenage self and realize just how much we had grown apart. I was afraid that the book that I had treasured so long might in fact not be any good. And then a few days ago, for apparently no real reason at all, I decided to go ahead and face my fears and reread the damnable, questionable and formidable Lost Souls again.
Much to my surprise . . . I liked it. Lost Souls is not a towering example of literary merit, but it doesn't have to be. It's got pizazz and it's got heart and that takes it a hell of a long way in my book. Yes, there were a few minutes where I found myself rolling my eyes and the prose but they were so few and far between that I found myself rereading chapters, convinced I must be missing something guffaw worthy somewhere.
The plot is at times both simple and refreshingly different - if you were secretly born a monster and given up for adoption would you be able to find a way to avoid the fate genetically encoded into since birth? And if you did decide to be a monster where would it take you? Could someone really come to accept being a psychopath and a serial killer? What had so fascinated me as a teenager with its slick, hypnotically shiny descriptions of people and places gradually grew into something that now terrifies me as an adult as I made my way through it's pages.
So what do I think all these years later? Has Lost Souls really always been this well crafted book, quietly waiting by the way side for someone other than mall goths to discover it? I think perhaps this book's greatest tragedy is that it's only found its niche in one demographic and that it's appeal as a solid piece of horror fiction is great enough that if most were willing to take the character's flowery prose with the grain of salt it deserves they would see that this really is a very fine, entertaining addition to the horror shelf in any collection.
Book Review: A Quick Read if Nothing Else
Summary: 2 Stars
When I first read the summary of Lost Souls I knew I had to get this book. So, on what would end up being an long journey, I phoned my local second hand book stores and after going to three finally found one that actually had a copy (despite the others that were 'supposed to have one, miss, sorry'). I couldn't wait to read it, and in two days I'd finished the book.
Now, perhaps it was because my sights had been set so high, or perhaps I expected a well written novel when there was none, but 'Lost Souls' disappointed me severely. As another reviewer said Nothing, the main character, is possibly one of the most selfish characters I've come across. I'm fine with selfish characters, I myself loved Lestat of the Vampire Chronicles, but only when they're well written. We're meant to sympathize with him but I found it impossible to do so. He is honestly a selfish teenager and even while reading this when I was a teenager I wanted Nothing to come to some revelation. I found the only character I felt bad for in the novel died early on. While the rest of the novel was supposed to be tense, or possibly filled with horror, I found I was flipping through without a true care as to what happened to the main characters. There were a few moments of suspense but nothing too frightful. In all honesty, the book reminded me of the countless horror stories that fill writing websites [...]
Overall, I would say it's worth a read if you've nothing else to do and are craving any type of vampire story. Just don't expect too much.
Book Review: A an excellent book...
Summary: 4 Stars
Poppy Z. Brite has to be one of the most intricate writers I know of. She creates such lush characters and vivid landscapes and scenarios. I feel as if I'm there. Lost Souls is one of the best vampire books I've ever read. It gave an interesting view into the lives of vampires, those who are becoming and even those who aren't either of the other two. I had only two problems with this book: The extreme homosexuality of almost every character and the lack of women characters and their portrayl. I have no problem with homosexuals, don't get me wrong. I can see two men together and it doesn't bother me in the slightest...but in this book, it just seems that every character is male, and they all have no interest for women. This is not a problem for homosexuals, bi-sexuals or open minded people. Thankfully I am the latter. It's just hard to identify with those parts when you are not gay or bi. I also like women characters and I think Mrs. Brite could write a very interesting woman character, besides someone like Ann. It seems to me that Poppy doesn't really care too much for women. True, this is only an assumption...not spreading "facts". It just seemed that she made Ann seem very dumb. She never knew what she was doing and every choice she made I wanted to slap her and lead her in a new direction. I don't know, this is just me talking, but those are the only two qualms I had with this book. Had this book had a mixture of sexuality and more colorful and powerful women characters I would have added an extra star, but, this is only my opinion. Take it or leave it.Book Review: A decent read but doesn't go far enough
Summary: 3 Stars
I read this book on the recommendation of a friend and I wasnt' disappointed. She takes the vampires in New Orleans theme started by Anne Rice and gives them an interesting twist. I like the idea of the Vampires not being undead things but a seperate race of beings. I also think that Ms Brite introduces us to some interesting characters. But it is here where I think the story is weakest. Most of the central charas in the book have the potential to be excellent. I particularly liked Ghost. However the author never really gets below the surface of these charas. They are all portrayed very 2D and that is what I found most frustrating. I kept looking for motivations and couldn't find them. I wanted to know how and why they think and act as they do and was left in the air. The charas were just thrown out as is. I think the problem with this novel is that it is a first novel from someone who comes from a short story background. But what works in a short story doesn't come thru as well in alonger work. That aside, I think most people who enjoy vampire homoerotic fiction will like this one ok. Let me warn the reader that it is also pretty graphic in nature and I found some scenes disturbing and a bit disgusting. This is not for anyone with a week stomach.