It seems appropriate that THE GARGOYLE came to me when it did...just around Valentine's Day. It is a very non-traditional romance but a love story nonetheless. After reading the first few pages, I was hesitant about what lay in store for me. The book opens with a horrific car crash where the narrator is burned over the majority of his body. Following this inauspicious beginning, we hear about what a licentious life the narrator lead before his accident and then an almost unbearable description of his burn wounds and their treatment. The narrator explains that he plans to kill himself upon his release from the hospital. But then he meets Marianne.
Marianne shows up in the narrator's hospital room and tells him they have been lovers for centuries through many lifetimes. She begins to tell him their story and slowly transforms him in the process. This is where the book started to pick up and from that point on, I was hooked.
This is not a pretty love story. We are taken through time and space to witness great tragedy and suffering. We are even literally taken through Hell. Yet, there is great hope within this story as we see how love can be transcendent and liberating. In THE GARGOYLE, love is a true meeting and connection of souls.
BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. While some of the depictions in the novel may be difficult for some readers, the story makes it all worthwhile. In the midst of the darkness and tragedy, there is great beauty. A highly satisfying read.
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