Gilded Needles: Valancourt 20th Century Classics

A while ago, I read my first Michael McDowell novel, and was pleasantly surprised. The plaudits heaped upon the (now deceased) novelist (and Beetlejuice scriptwriter) were truthful, and his strain of subdued horror enchanted me.So it’s interesting that the second title I’ve read features none of the author’s signature supernatural forces at all. The evil and machination within Gilded Needles are all resolutely human, and are knotted around a basic drive: for revenge.The novel, set in Gilded Age New York, is a tale of haves and have-nots. It’s rooted in reality, where corruption and graft are part of political ambition, and families are either dirt-poor or Masters of the Universe. Set in ritzy enclaves and the squalid Black Triangle, the story that’s told is one of what happens when the ruling class (the Stallworths) bring judicial authority to bear on the criminal class (the Shankses).What happens is a story of revenge served cold: how one woman can rise from failure and poverty to a position of influence, gathering an army. It’s a commentary on class difference – on tenacity versus the laxity that comes with privilege. It’s about how the apparent rulers of the city can be undone by criminals; those who are assumed to be lower than low. And importantly, it’s about how failings, however small, can be taken and turned to advantage by the observant.It would be churlish to spoil any more of the story than that. The many parts of the plot are clockwork: they snap together with a most pleasing thunk as the pages pass. There’s a lot to be said for McDowell’s portraiture, too: between sapphic pugilists, pawn-shop geniuses and judicial curmudgeons, it’s hard to pick which character is best drawn.How this thing hasn’t been turned into a film yet is absolutely beyond me. The novels has a distinctly cinematic feel, and offers the reader plenty of “wait, what?” and “no you didn’t!” moments. It’s a story which had me fully invested from the outset, and one which comes to an excellently satisfying crescendo.McDowell referred to himself as someone who wrote for next month, not for the ages. His outlook was distinctly commercial, yet within Gilded Needles (and, I suspect, much of his other work) there’s a surehandedness that will ensure his creations live far beyond the pulp cycle of their genesis. This is a masterly novel of period revenge, and is very much worth your time.

I read Gilded Needles in a single weekend and was completely fascinated with it - I adored it! Here we have the Black Triangle, a meeting of poor neighborhoods in Victorian-era NYC, at war with the wealthy, educated local aristocracy of the affluent upper crest. There are two families at the center of this war: the Stallworths, of the well-positioned elite, and the Shanks, a criminal family of the Black Triangle.I would count this book as a horror novel, although it's not supernatural like some of McDowell's other works (Elementals, Cold Moon Over Babylon). The horror in this book is somewhat Dickensian, with the plight of poverty examined in morose details of disease, dark alleys, vermin, desperation, and crimes and death that will haunt you. However, no Dickens work I ever read contained this kind of horrific detail. Despite there being no supernatural element, there was something very haunting and atmospheric about this book that FELT supernatural. It's a dreamy piece, also sharply rooted in dismal reality.Juxtaposed to the dark alleys of the Black Triangle is the affluent upper crest. Their world is rooted in society, showmanship, smart connections, and being known as ethicists. The Stallworths are obsessed with their image, as politicians, as a judge, a lawyer, a preacher, a lady of genteel society clubs, and perfectly-poised children among their lot. However, like many families, theirs has a dark underbelly, where weak moral fiber hides behind their guise of perfection.In a balanced society, both families can co-exist, with one ignoring the other. But when the Stallworths target the Shanks, the two families will come together in an epic, complicated game of cat and mouse.I highly recommend this read if you love dark, Victorian-era reads; realism horror; and tales of revenge. Be warned, this is not a light story, but the kind that will haunt you long after you finish. The characters in this book really come to life, and I was attached to members of both families. It was a touching, emotional read, with witty commentary and relief in the form of a community gossip and newspaper reports.

I've really come to enjoy the offbeat Gothic sensibility of Michael McDowell, who always delivers novels that don't really feel like anything else out there. Gilded Needles is no exception - it's a historical fiction set in 1882 New York City, where a political dynasty decides that, for their own gain, it's time to make a move against an entrenched family of fences and criminals. McDowell spends equal times on both sides of the law, and while it's clear that his sympathies are slightly more with our criminals than the self-righteous pols and social pillars, he humanizes both sides wonderfully, helping us see the series of entirely understandable choices that lead to a violent tragedy - a tragedy that sets up a ghoulish, Grand Guignol plot of revenge that goes to some wild places. McDowell knows how to write his characters flawlessly, but the historical touches here go such a long way to making the book all the more memorable - even before he pulls back the curtain on the vicious plot of payback. Another great read from an underrated and fascinating author.

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Its a great book. Lots of characters but they all have the right amount of time devoted to them. The pace of the story is great as is the plot. Really fun read.

Cheio de reviravoltas...bem escrito, prende do começo ao fim.

Love his books. Cold Moon Over Babylon, Katie so sad that he is dead.