Sleeping in Flame
Encyclopedia
Sleeping in Flame is a novel
by the American
writer Jonathan Carroll
. Originally published in 1988, the novel was nominated for a World Fantasy Award the following year.
of Nicholas, who (after seeing Luc off in style with the help of a couple of actor friends) is tragically killed at an airport in a terrorist raid.
Although that is one literal translation of the book's title, it could also have a number of other meanings, along the lines of the fairy tale imagery throughout the novel. The oxymoron of the image—to sleep in fire—is like something out of a Grimm Brothers tale. Also, phoenix imagery comes to mind as well, in that a being emerges reborn from flames.Carroll often has very vivid titles to his novels but they don't always make sense literally, even if they come from direct quotes from the novels themselves. In many ways like Symbolist poetry, they are meant to stick in the reader's mind and stimulate their imagination, rather than guide it to a specific place or idea.
.) Through an acquaintance, screenwriter Philip Strayhorn, Walker meets Venasque, a mystic and teacher who appears in several other Carroll books. With Venasque's help, Walker learns to control his talent, but inadvertently causes Venasque's death because of the strength of his powers. He is contacted by his real father, a little man with no genitals whose name he does not know. The little man is an immortal (and the real-life source of the Rumpelstiltskin
legend) who has murdered all Walker's previous incarnations, the last of whom was Moritz Benedikt, because they kept falling in love with women and repudiating the little man's sterile immortality. His father tries to persuade Walker to leave Maris by telling him that she'll mourn him forever and never love anyone else; this above all persuades Walker that his father is selfish and evil. Thanks to his and Maris' complete understanding of each other, Walker is able to discover his father's name in a city which Maris is building him as a birthday present. Walker uses his magic powers to call up the two sisters who originally told the Rumpelstiltskin story to the Grimm brothers. The sisters retell the story, changing it to end with the little man's death. Soon after Maris' and Walker's son is born, a little girl (apparently the original source of the Little Red Riding Hood
story) appears on the doorstep and tells Walker: "You're dangerous." As Walker observes that "nothing in life is done without regret", it seems that his and Maris' son has been affected in some way by the vengeful immortals.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer Jonathan Carroll
Jonathan Carroll
Jonathan Samuel Carroll is an American author primarily known for novels, which can be characterized as magic realist, slipstream or modern fantasy...
. Originally published in 1988, the novel was nominated for a World Fantasy Award the following year.
Explanation of the novel's title
The book's title is a reference to the cremationCremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
of Nicholas, who (after seeing Luc off in style with the help of a couple of actor friends) is tragically killed at an airport in a terrorist raid.
Although that is one literal translation of the book's title, it could also have a number of other meanings, along the lines of the fairy tale imagery throughout the novel. The oxymoron of the image—to sleep in fire—is like something out of a Grimm Brothers tale. Also, phoenix imagery comes to mind as well, in that a being emerges reborn from flames.Carroll often has very vivid titles to his novels but they don't always make sense literally, even if they come from direct quotes from the novels themselves. In many ways like Symbolist poetry, they are meant to stick in the reader's mind and stimulate their imagination, rather than guide it to a specific place or idea.
Plot summary
The narrator, Walker Easterling, is a film actor and screenwriter. His director friend Nicholas Sylvian introduces him to Maris York, a sculptress who makes model cities and who is freeing herself from Luc, her abusive partner. On the day Maris and Walker meet, Luc has just threatened to kill her, so Walker and Nicholas take her away to Vienna, where Maris and Walker commence a relationship. Walker, who knows nothing about his parents or family background, discovers that he can perform magical acts and has dreams of inhabiting another identity, that of an Austrian named Moritz Benedikt who fought in the First World War and was subsequently murdered. After Maris' brother Ingram loses his lover in an earthquake, Walker is able to foretell, or induce, Ingram's meeting with a certain Michael Billa, who will be a significant person in Ingram's life. (The consequences of Ingram's and Billa's friendship are recounted in Black CocktailBlack Cocktail
Black Cocktail is a fantasy novella by American author Jonathan Carroll.-Plot introduction:The novel follows the activities of Ingram York, a disc-jockey in Los Angeles. The book deals with the Platonian concept that everyone was originally joined to another human being and spends their lives...
.) Through an acquaintance, screenwriter Philip Strayhorn, Walker meets Venasque, a mystic and teacher who appears in several other Carroll books. With Venasque's help, Walker learns to control his talent, but inadvertently causes Venasque's death because of the strength of his powers. He is contacted by his real father, a little man with no genitals whose name he does not know. The little man is an immortal (and the real-life source of the Rumpelstiltskin
Rumpelstiltskin
Rumpelstiltskin is the eponymous character and protagonist of a fairy tale which originated in Germany . The tale was collected by the Brothers Grimm, who first published it in the 1812 edition of Children's and Household Tales...
legend) who has murdered all Walker's previous incarnations, the last of whom was Moritz Benedikt, because they kept falling in love with women and repudiating the little man's sterile immortality. His father tries to persuade Walker to leave Maris by telling him that she'll mourn him forever and never love anyone else; this above all persuades Walker that his father is selfish and evil. Thanks to his and Maris' complete understanding of each other, Walker is able to discover his father's name in a city which Maris is building him as a birthday present. Walker uses his magic powers to call up the two sisters who originally told the Rumpelstiltskin story to the Grimm brothers. The sisters retell the story, changing it to end with the little man's death. Soon after Maris' and Walker's son is born, a little girl (apparently the original source of the Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....
story) appears on the doorstep and tells Walker: "You're dangerous." As Walker observes that "nothing in life is done without regret", it seems that his and Maris' son has been affected in some way by the vengeful immortals.
External links
- Sleeping in Flames at Worlds Without End