Book Review: The City of Doctor Moreau by J.S. Barnes
The City of Doctor Moreau
J.S. Barnes
Released 14th September, 2021 by Titan Books.
The story of the island and its inhabitants didn’t end with Moreau’s death. Not according to author J.S. Barnes, anyway.
Last year, I received a copy of Dracula’s Child by Barnes, and absolutely loved it. In that, it was immediately apparent Barnes was very well versed in classic literature, and he made Dracula’s Child really stand out for the use of the same sort of language and style Stoker himself used. Barnes achieves the same with this sequel to H.G. Wells’ 1896 The Island of Dr Moreau.
It's hard to explain too many elements of the plot, mainly because it covers such a vast space of time and a variety of different characters. From the group of men who originally discover Moreau’s experiments, thereby driving him to escape to the island, to a young woman who discovers an interesting guest in her mother’s boarding house, to an assassin stalking a twentieth-century train looking for her prey, Barnes expertly crafts a story spanning decades, and moves us seamlessly from one character to the next.
The book acts as a history of the islanders, from their beginnings through to what seems a new dawn for the whole world. Barnes carefully stacks the pieces up, allowing us to gain an understanding of every character, every motivation, and the type of world each lives in, and he combines various genres, blending them together to create something that really does read as if it could come from Wells.
It also shifts the world just ever so slightly, weaving in the alternative history aspect with sci-fi and fantasy elements, keeping it overlayed with a dose of horror. Barnes zeros in on the key moments, gradually introducing us to each character who plays a vital role in the story, sometimes leaving it a while before showing exactly the impact they have. It’s a technique he does really well, and one that stands out as reading more like an older book than something contemporary. Definitely one of Barnes’ strengths in these books.
I admit, I haven’t read Wells’ novel, and most of my knowledge of The Island of Dr Moreau comes from the Simpsons parody, so I can’t compare it to the original. But it was easy enough to read up on the plot prior to reading Barnes’ continuation, and it served well enough, but I would expect those who have read the original will get even more out of it.
Barnes has a real talent for this kind of writing, and of taking a classic and updating some of the ideas and themes while keeping grounded in the original, and it’s something he does excellently here. Both this and Dracula’s Child are well worth checking out.
Grade: A
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter & Instagram: @elleturpitt
I received this ebook from publisher Titan via NetGalley for review consideration.