What a Surprise!

During the Christmas break, I decided to treat myself to a monster movie marathon. 

I started with Guillermo del Toro's Mimic. Then I followed it up with the cult-classic Tremors, which showed us Steven Keaton of Family Ties could be a badass survivalist.  Then the Blob (the 1988 version with Kevin Dillon. While Dreamscape is not technically a monster movie, it does have a snake man that meets the criteria and a pre-Inner Space Dennis Quaid.  The last film on this list is The Relic. 

Now I'm one of those people who likes to look in Wikipedia to see the history of a film after viewing and did just that with The Relic.  I was curious to learn whatever became of Penelope Anne Miller, an actress who seemed to be a staple of '90s cinema but faded away with the new century.  To my surprise, I came away from this bit of web surfing not only appraised on the doings of Ms Miller, who apparently had quite an interesting career but discovering The Relic was based on a book.  

Thus with more than ten days remaining in my lockdown vacation, I decided to use my Audible credits and listen to the audiobook version of The Relic,  written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. 

While the movie version kept the basic premise of the book intact, wherein a famous metropolitan museum is menaced by a prehistoric monster, I was dismayed to see the best elements of the book gutted. The film never reached the success it intended, but I do give credit to Peter Hyam's producing an entertaining film nonetheless.  Still, the elements removed from the film denied audiences a story that could have been far more interesting and complex than what we ended up viewing. 

The Relic begins in the South American jungle with Doctor Julian Whittlesey embarking on an ill-fated mission whose tragedy does not fully unfold until the last act. Those who have seen the film know what I'm talking about, but if you haven't, treat yourself by waiting to the end of the book.  The novel grips the reader right from the beginning with the mystery of Whittlesey's expedition unfolding like Japanese origami from chapter to chapter.  

Playing as large a part in the story as the creature called the Mbwun roaming its halls, is the New York Metropolitan Museum.  The institution is painted with such vivid imagery it's an exercise in world-building, from its catacombs of forgotten artifacts to the stygian tunnels connecting it to the rest of New York's underground world.  The result is a gothic, atmospheric labyrinth that provides plenty of room for Mbwun to do its worst. 

The biggest surprise for someone who discovered the film before the book, is the absence of key characters. While Margot Green and Lt. Vincent D'Agosta are constants in both versions, I can't imagine what outrage must have been felt by the book's fans to discover the omission of one Special Agent Pendergast.  As someone who has since read the other books in the series (there are quite a few), Pendergast's absence was baffling. 

Picture the movie adaptation of Thomas Harris's Red Dragon with the character of Will Graham being discarded. This is the level of disservice the film does to the book by removing Pendergast from the narrative. He arrives midway in the story but is so pivotal to the plot of The Relic, I won't be able to watch the film again without missing his presence. Worst yet, Special Agent Pendergast is one of the most interesting fictional characters I've had the pleasure to discover in recent years and since reading the Relic, I've been devouring the rest of his adventures. 

It would be a mistake to think this is just another creature feature, it isn't.  The book's science is reminiscent of Michael Crichton's work, with efforts to make the fantastic seemed entirely plausible.  The twist about the creature is hardly given any real attention in the film, but the book takes pains to reveal a picture of horrific tragedy and one cannot help but feel some sympathy for Mbwun when its all said and done. . 

So do yourself a favour if you're after a tense, exciting read with enough intelligence to elevate it beyond the standard horror fare, The Relic is just the thing.  Like Mbwun, you never know quite what you're dealing with until it has you in its grip. 

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1 person found this helpful

Fright night in a museum

An enjoyable monster story. The characters are well thought out and likeable. The mythology behind the creature is also well reasoned. This book has an excellent performance. Special vocal effects (echo/reverb/distortion) are employed to further enhance the experience.

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The greatest and most suspenseful book ive ever read (or rather , listened to) ever

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One of my favourites

Relic is one of my favourites in the thriller/adventure/action genres. The setting of the museum feels so alive, and the descriptions of the exhibition are suitably spine chilling. One I'm sure to listen to again.

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Gripping and entertaining, couldn't put it down

Child & Preston delivered a thoroughly entertaining book. Memorable characters & brilliant, interesting story telling. David Colacci's performance was phenomenal, goving the characters a life of their own. I couldn't put it down.

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great story

this is a story that 'sucks you in' well told well performed. will be very interested to download the next book by this author.

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Excellent

I thoroughly enjoyed this story after stumbling across this. The narration enhanced the story no end, I even had a look at the movie which loosely followed the book to some extent with the exception of the characters. I look forward to the next book. I'm hooked.

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Loved it

I’ve read the book 3 times but this was the first time listening to the audiobook and I loved it just as much probably more
Don’t miss the second book reliquary it’s just as entertaining

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An exciting scientific fiction read.

Hopefully it is fiction as it is possible to see how such a thing could happen. I listened to this book over a few days staying up late as it was hard to switch off. Enjoy. Narrator was excellent.

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