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Remember when you were young and first discovering the magic of books which, combined with a young imagination, could transport you anywhere you wanted to go? Stanley Mitchel Jr. is thirteen, and from his discoveries of Edgar Rice Burroughs through to Arthur Conan Doyle, Joe Lansdale captures some of that magic and rekindles it for an older and sometimes jaded reader. A FINE DARK LINE, for all it's dark content, is a magical story, capable of transporting a reader back to the 1950's era of Rock 'n' Roll, drive-in movies, pony tails, soda jerks and much more. A FINE DARK LINE begins shortly after the Mitchels purchase a drive-in movie theater in the East Texas town of Dewmont. Young Stan discovers the burnt out ruins of an old mansion behind the drive-in, and learns of two murders which happened on the same night as the fire. Naturally Stan sets out to solve the murders, providing the mystery that this book revolves around. But A FINE DARK LINE is much more than a good mystery. It's a coming of age story as Stanley loses his innocence and learns the facts of life including the darker side of human nature. It's also a story of racism, as Lansdales books often are, told in a matter of fact way that doesn't preach, but instead allows the reader's imagination to fill in the horror at the prevailing attidudes of the time. The major theme though is one of familial abuse on many levels, counterbalanced by the Mitchel family, they're not always perfect, but the love and support that we associate with real families is always there. One of the great joys of Lansdale's writing for me is the way that he lifts his characters above their obvious stereotypes. The mom and pop and two kids living their American dream are all shown with flaws that make them much more real, notably Stan seniors violent streak. The black projectionist who befriends Stanley is no Uncle Tom, but has his own problems with drunkenness and undiagnosed mental disorder. The jolly black maid trying to educate herself is a great cook, but has a lazy streak with the housework and an abusive husband. And these are just a sample of the vivid characters that populate Lansdale's latest book, characters that will populate my mind for some time whenever I am reminded of this book, characters that transform a good story into a great one. As for the central mystery of A FINE DARK LINE, it's far from traditional, but still has plenty of possible suspects and an intriguing storyline. Stanley doesn't go it alone as the detective but involves his sister, best friend, and the projectionist in investigating what really happened on that night long ago. The 'investigation' builds to a final suspenseful showdown and a very satisfying resolution. A resolution which answers the major questions but still leaves some tantalizing what-ifs to ponder over long after the book is ended. Above all though A FINE DARK LINE is a compelling, sometimes sad, sometimes horrific, but ultimately uplifting tale of family life in an era that is past, but still within living memory. Lansdale seems to be revisiting his boyhood with the adolescent themes of his recent books, and with A FINE DARK LINE he certainly sparked many memories for this reviewer who vaguely remembers once being a teenager. A FINE DARK LINE is the best book I have read so far in 2003, very definitely a WOW book, and one that I wholeheartedly recommend.
Reviewed by Paul Richmond, April 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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