Speaks the Nightbird

Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster)

Speaks the Nightbird
Robert McCammon
2002

The Summary
Matthew Corbett, following Magistrate Woodward as his duly devoted clerk, arrives in Fount Royal under the unenviable duty of investigating witchcraft.  Rachel Howarth has been accused of murder, witchcraft and other sundry crimes, and she is all but sentenced for her perceived crimes; however, a greater evil lurks in Fount Royal - one that will test Matthew's resolve to seek truth and endanger the very foundation of his faith.

The Good
For the most part, I really enjoyed Speaks the Nightbird.  It's incredibly precise and beautifully detailed, depicting Fount Royal and Matthew's subsequent exploration with such grace and detail as to make it feel real.  I simply love the realism Robert McCammon affords his novel:  it gives Speaks the Nightbird a life entirely of its own.

While I can't say it's a lovely tale - in fact, it's filled with cruelty, danger, murder, violence, abuse and tragedy (among other grotesque things).  It isn't a novel for the faint of heart, that's certainly assured - it has been so lovingly crafted that it creates a unique experience.  It's not necessarily a thrill-a-minute, but it keeps a decent pace and lays out enough bread crumbs as to entice readers.

Additionally, I like that McCammon makes careful note of of Matthew's emotional and physical state as his investigation proceeds, pinpointing great moments of change, remarking on his intellectual and emotional evolution.  Matthew is such a critical character to Speaks the Nightbird.  You spend so much time dedicated to his investigation, watching as he searches for answers and asks just the right questions, that it feels appropriate that we, as readers, get to see the full range of his growth.

Full of adventure, intrigue, suspense and mystery, Speaks the Nightbird is truly an amazing piece of work.  It's a massive undertaking, but I've found that finishing it brings a feeling of accomplishment that rivals that of Matthew's by the end.

The Bad
Truthfully, I have no real complaints about McCammon's stylistic approach or his choice of literary subjects.  McCammon is an excellent writer, fully immersing his readers in the world he seeks to create; however, I found that Speaks the Nightbird does broach subjects of an unsavory origin and touches upon the incredible cultural differences between the modern world and Carolina Territory in 1699.

For instance, I discovered mention of wasps used as pest control.  Wasps were allowed to build nests in homes, in order to control the population of mosquitoes and other insects, which I find incredibly terrifying - and, of course, mystifying.  Likewise, I stumbled upon instances of bloodletting and "blistering" (don't ask) in medical treatments.  It's difficult, almost frustrating when presented with such things when we have the benefit of modern medicine.

You'll find a bevy of similar and strange cultural differences that range from superstitions that make no sense to judicial proceedings and decisions that seem agonizingly arbitrary and medical advances that serve little good except to prolong suffering.

The Ugly
Let me say up front that Speaks the Nightbird is not an excellent choice if you find yourself made squeamish by blood or if you find you dislike any number of unpleasant things, including but not limited to murder, brutality, bestiality, abuse, lust, sexual depravity, greed, torture, or any number of scandalously terrible things.

I'll be honest, I was scandalized by Fount Royal and its superstitious citizenry.  Surprised, horrified, disgusted, sickened - scarred may even be accurate - just to name a few.  I mean, certainly you have the utterly horrible dean of the almshouse where Matthew lived as a child and you have Shawcomb, neither of whom is technically a citizen of Fount Royal; however, I think that is beside the point.  There really is no respite from the terrible things that just seem to keep happening.

Speaks the Nightbird is an excellent book.  I was emotionally invested for so long that I simply had to find out the truth, like Matthew; however, I would recommend reading this novel in moderation and keeping one warning in mind:  expect the absolute worst to happen, because it will.