Rating: 5/5 stars
Plot:
"When
Dionysus, god of theatre and wine, manipulates the lives of two struggling
performers, the results are as dramatic as theatre itself.
Struggling
to overcome his history as a drunk, Broadway star Taylor O'Neal lives a guarded
life and seeks escape from the man who made him a star. His benefactor and
former enabler, Dionysus, has another script in mind for Taylor--not a drama
for the stage, but one to be played out in Taylor’s life.
During a
summer blackout, Dionysus meets Kristen, and finds her ideal for a role that
will rock Taylor’s marriage and tear at his precarious sobriety. When he
orchestrates a meeting, Kristen falls in love with Taylor as he hoped.
Dionysus
concocts a series of wicked scenes while Taylor and Kristen move toward one
another and into his trap. But how far do the powers of the god of wine extend?
Do either of them have any hope of breaking free before their inevitable climax
leads to tragedy?
God of
Wine, set under the bright lights of Broadway, is an allegorical tale of a
potent but deadly ménage a trois:
As Taylor
passed the bar, the colored bottles glimmered like jewels. Thirst, from his
core, raged so strong he feared for his life. At the door, he sensed Dionysus
scrutinizing him. For a second, feeling the tightening of the cord connecting
them, Taylor feared he was still Dionysus’ puppet, pulling to break free.
He grappled
with what he knew were black desires, and yet they rose like beacons of light.
Past and new sensations. The bottles, yes. They called, offering a reprieve
from his anxiety. A meeting with Dionysus triggered temptation, but tonight
went beyond the flashbacks he expected. The girl, Kristen, complicated
everything."
Review:
Anyone who
knows me will have no trouble in realizing what attracted me to this book.
Anything from mythology tends to catch my interest and a novel exploring the
duel nature (multiple natures) of Dionysus seemed right up my street. I
certainly didn’t pick this book by its cover which, despite being based on a
good idea, looks rather unattractive and, no matter what the old adage says,
might have put me off reading the novel… yep, I’m pretty fickle! The book
itself, the important bit, was quite wonderful. I enjoyed almost every aspect
of the novel and I could see this becoming one of my favourite books, assuming
it stands up to the test of time!
The story
follows several actors as their lives are woven together and torn apart by the enigmatic
Dionysus. The characters are not always likable, not always possible to relate
to but they are always interesting and engaging. They fit perfectly within the
plot.
The only
part of the novel I struggled with was the fact it’s split into two main
halves. I’m not good with books that do this and I tend to drift away. ‘God of
Wine’ had much the same effect on me but, to be fair, I feel that this is more
because of my personal preferences as opposed to any failings within the book.
In fact, I appreciated the idea of splitting the novel into Acts, Scenes etc.
It was an extension of the metaphors of theatre and life that run throughout
the plotline and this worked really well.
As for the
writing style itself, I found it to be beautiful. It’s quite flowery and
embellished but elegant. It seems to give the story a certain spiritual weight
away from the modern setting. There are also some rather profound moments
regarding human nature and life in general.
I think
that was why I enjoyed this novel so much. It’s a study of human nature, of
life in general. I feel that the plot could be interpreted in so many different
ways and has many different nuances that I look forward to exploring when I
read the book again. Add to this the fact that it’s beautifully written and what’s
not to like?
You can buy the kindle edition of this book here... it's well worth the money!
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