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This is a
review of an
event I did at
the Edinburgh
Book Festival in
August 2000 --
my first ever
event at the
festival!! |
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Darren Shan: The
Vampire's
Assistant
Venue The
Lloyds TSB
Scotland
Children's
Theatre
Reviewer
Andrew McNeil
This man
possibly,
maybe-or will be
packing the
theatre in years
to come. Film
rights have been
sold to a
Hollywood studio
(not a cast iron
guarantee of
production) and
the vista of
TWENTY-FOUR
novels in total
awaits the
growing army of
readers. Darren
O'Shaughnessy
writes for
adults and used
his name for
that purpose-he
used it, in a
shortened
version, also
for the
eponymous hero
for his first of
the series
"Cirque du
Freak." A buzz
bomb of a
personality and
presenter the
author
immediately
involved eager
youngsters in a
re-enactment of
the Wolf Man
loose among
audience
members.
The scene
features in the
above novel and
"member" is the
operative word.
Leaping from
chair and
platform we were
whirled round at
acrobatic speed.
Going from the
genesis of the
story-recasting
the old in a new
light, the
author's
lifelong love of
writing and
daily work in
Limerick these
were all
detailed. This
after
interviewed by
another
individual
plucked from the
audience. Boys
featured but
there was a
healthy dollop
of girls also
present. The
ordinary boy in
extraordinary
circumstances is
cunningly
subverted and
enriched in the
c.du freak
novel. Readers
are intrigued by
the loose ends
and plot twists
(praised by one
Harry Potter
creator, no
less).
Evelyn Smith,
librarian at the
Royal High
School, shared
the word of
mouth popularity
of Darren Shan.
She introduced
the author who
was making his
first trip to
Edinburgh.
Movie, web site
and the third
novel, Tunnels
of Blood, due
out in November
things to die --
well, become
undead for. And
I have a copy
already….ha…ha..(evil
laughter
echoes)…
http://www.edinburghguide.com/festival/book/report.shtml
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