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slush pile –noun Informal. A collection of unsolicited manuscripts submitted to a publisher. (Source: Dictionary.com 12 Aug. 2007).

Faust's Butterfly

By: William Holt

Rank: 5

Backcover Text:

Near southern Indiana's underground Lost River, plants and animals are dying around the home of a reclusive entomologist who may, some neighbors think, be a criminal. Biology teacher Nora Easterly, having been told of the strange blight, investigates and finds a scene worse than was described.

Meanwhile the underground river, where it surfaces, discloses yet another unusual phenomenon. Tiny pieces of human bodies are catching the attention of Nora's colleague Wilbur Tuggle, who confides his discovery to her. They speculate that one of the limestone caves along the waterway may conceal criminal activity. 

Nora, Wilbur, and two other unlikely manhunters eventually begin a dangerous mission to seek and destroy a murderer who calls himself Faust. The murderer is aided by a creature that looks like a tropical butterfly, seemingly harmless and beautiful, but in fact deadly and unknown to science.

Where it has come from no one can tell;

Another dimension, the dark pit of hell,

Or a planet where such beings commonly dwell

Anatomy various,

Motives nefarious,

Beauty so bright it holds all in its spell.
Stage: Completed work
Branch: Fiction
Major form: Novel
Primary age group: Grownup
Genres: Popular science, Religion & Spirituality, Mystery & Thrillers, Literary fiction, Horror, Crime
Classification: For everyone




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Karma: 2 
CarolynJ wrote on 2010-08-24 14:15:13
This is tremendous: gripping, with understated writing that is suffused with menace.  The quaility of the prose is excellent and the nuances of descriptive scenes are lovely.  The only negative I found was some of the chapter titles, which I sometimes found didn't do justice to the chapter or gave too much away - eg Don; The most frightening person.  One destined for publication, surely? Carolyn
 
Karma: 0 
Ron wrote on 2010-06-06 15:58:12
Chilling.

This is a spine chiller and it does not let up.  A gripping well paced novel.  I found it mesmerising in a strange way.

When this is published it will do very well.

R

 
Karma: 8 
Suzannah wrote on 2010-05-27 04:54:43
A butterfly by any other name.
The pervading sense of evil does not let up. I have had the pleasure of reading much of this book before. I found myself just as rivetted this time, and picked up things i had missed connecting with the first time around...Fluffy the cat being deaf is important as I recall. I like the voice used in this very much, almost detached as our MC tries to distance herself from the darkness around her. her training giving her the clinical edge. So when she expresses fear it is utterly believable, and all the more shattering. I look forward to reading beyond chapter 5, and very soon.
 
Karma: 7 
dendrina wrote on 2010-05-26 12:41:28
Irresistible

The allusion to Goethe's Faust had caught my attention some time ago. Since then I've been circling around Faust's Butterfly, horror not being one of my favourite genres. Today I thought, well, the sun is shining and the birds are singing, why not have a quick look at the first chapter, er ..., three chapters, ... five ...

As a newbie fiction writer, I'm not yet able to comment on story, plot, conflict, etc. What I did notice however (perhaps because it's one of my biggest problems) is the admirable ease and confidence with which you switch POV.

Thank you for posting this book - I might very well be one of those requesting the last chapters, horror or not :)

 
Karma: 4 
bugdoctor wrote on 2010-05-23 03:15:06
Re: Selestiele's comment
You're right about that.  He's off in another dimension now, creating mayhem on a grand scale--possibly in that other world referred to in Stephen King's creepy book From a Buick 8.
 
Karma: 9 
selestiele wrote on 2010-05-22 12:53:38
Publish this book, post-haste! I don't even *like* horror. But this is one of those books that grabs hold and won't let go and damn the fact that you get nightmares. The Butterfly doesn't care.
 
Karma: 22 
nakiacap wrote on 2010-05-10 11:24:23
nice
I am glad to see your almost to your goal. This is truly entertaining.
 
Karma: 4 
bugdoctor wrote on 2010-04-27 20:25:05
Re: Sandra's comment

It's good to get a minority viewpoint.  Not many have found it boring.  Far more have found it too frightening to continue reading.  And far more than those have found it a fun ride.

Lots of dialogue in later chapters.

 
Karma: 1 
Sandra wrote on 2010-04-25 16:27:00

The backcover text intrigued me, but the way the story is presented is rather boring.  Having read the first three chapters, the only dialog presented was a few words between the little girl and her mother.  The author tells us too much all at once about a character's thoughts and dreams and it deadens the interesting premise of the story.  Instead of telling us, please show us, so we can draw our own conclusions.  For example, recalling a conversation between the husband and wife that illustrated his indifference to having more children is much more interesting than just stating that he was indifferent.  The first three chapters read like a report, rather than the rousing story that the backcover text promises.

 

 
Karma: 10 
TheLoriC wrote on 2010-04-12 13:20:29
Book of the Week 4/12/10

Check out "Faust's Butterfly" as Book of the Week for April 12, 2010:

http://newandgoodreading.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-of-week-41210.html


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