"Satyr" by Linda Crockett Gray is not the story I expected it to be. The publisher's name made me think it would be an erotic novel; it's quite far from that.
This story centers around Martha Boozer, a woman who helps run a rape crisis center and hotline. Through her work, she comes across women who have evidence of being raped but do not remember the exact incident. Later, the women have haunting nightmares that drive them mad, some to the point where they drown themselves. With little information to go on and unusual circumstances, catching this serial rapist is nearly impossible.
We find out that the man behind these acts isn't a man at all: he's a satyr, or a decendent of the creatures originally known as satyrs. Creatures of his kind have withdrawn from the world and cut off human contact, living quiet lives until their race becomes extinct. The satyr in question rebelled against his family and culture, against the teachings to help and not harm humans. After moving to the United States, he began his quest to defy every law and rule from his past, which includes his indecent acts against innocent women.
With the background of the story in mind, this is not a tale for those who are upset by such topics. It's quite a well-written account of things, though some of the attitudes displayed by the characters could be more appropriate for the time when the book was written (early 1980s). The narrator describes women being attacked (not in bloody detail), as well as how the crisis center helped various victims.
While the book wasn't the story I expected, I did learn a bit about satyrs and human-animal creatures through various cultures' histories. I saw this book as an introduction to explore more about mythological creatures.
If you don't mind the detailed discussion of rape and assaults, and you are looking for a bit of background about satyrs, along with a bit of suspense with the storyline itself, then the book is worth reading. I'm not sure I would've chosen the book had I known this beforehand, but I can say it was a good read. I actually got about halfway through it by the end of the second day after it arrived in the mail.
Conclusion: suspenseful story for those who have a tough stomach for indecent acts, mainly violence against women. Otherwise, no one would get past the first chapter.
This story centers around Martha Boozer, a woman who helps run a rape crisis center and hotline. Through her work, she comes across women who have evidence of being raped but do not remember the exact incident. Later, the women have haunting nightmares that drive them mad, some to the point where they drown themselves. With little information to go on and unusual circumstances, catching this serial rapist is nearly impossible.
We find out that the man behind these acts isn't a man at all: he's a satyr, or a decendent of the creatures originally known as satyrs. Creatures of his kind have withdrawn from the world and cut off human contact, living quiet lives until their race becomes extinct. The satyr in question rebelled against his family and culture, against the teachings to help and not harm humans. After moving to the United States, he began his quest to defy every law and rule from his past, which includes his indecent acts against innocent women.
With the background of the story in mind, this is not a tale for those who are upset by such topics. It's quite a well-written account of things, though some of the attitudes displayed by the characters could be more appropriate for the time when the book was written (early 1980s). The narrator describes women being attacked (not in bloody detail), as well as how the crisis center helped various victims.
While the book wasn't the story I expected, I did learn a bit about satyrs and human-animal creatures through various cultures' histories. I saw this book as an introduction to explore more about mythological creatures.
If you don't mind the detailed discussion of rape and assaults, and you are looking for a bit of background about satyrs, along with a bit of suspense with the storyline itself, then the book is worth reading. I'm not sure I would've chosen the book had I known this beforehand, but I can say it was a good read. I actually got about halfway through it by the end of the second day after it arrived in the mail.
Conclusion: suspenseful story for those who have a tough stomach for indecent acts, mainly violence against women. Otherwise, no one would get past the first chapter.
