I believe the novel would have been more stellar had Marten intertwined the stories of Edina and Michael and switched back and forth to stretch the suspense. The past-life regression into Edina's life feels too long, drawn out, and tiring. The main con to Visions of the Damned is the fact there are zero breaks within Edina's 11th century life story to revisit Michael during the present time. I blame this on the year 1979 though not Jacqueline Marten. Don't get me wrong, I love aggressive, sexy men, but Reed is completely over the top. From a character standpoint, I love Michael but I hate Reed because he is too creepy and domineering. The prose of Visions of the Damned is very beautiful, and it is incredibly easy to envision Michael's "Ladies", a duo of women from Edina's life in the 11th century who provide premonitions to Michael - Edina being Michael's alter-ego in the past.
Of course everyone in the present has a doppelganger in the past, so we can pretty much guess who is who along the way.Īlthough Visions of the Damned is a swell enough novel to stand on its own, I can't help comparing it to Lady of Hay because of the similarities! Both books were written during an era where male chauvinism and masculinity still ran dominant in our culture, and the pompousness of the male characters in both novels will make modern women of today absolutely gag. Like Jo in Lady of Hay, Michael (our female protagonist, ladies and gentlemen) undergoes hypnosis and discovers she existed in a past life alongside a few of her lovers. Sound familiar? Revisit my review on Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine here: Dreamworld Book Reviews - Lady of Hay.
Visions of the Damned is Jacqueline Marten's debut novel released in 1979, and combines elements of reincarnation and undying love.
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