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3.0 out of 5 stars
Unsettling., April 6 2001
There is something uncomfortable, squirmy, and even a bit repulsive about Mimi's Ghost, despite the fact that it's a lot of fun to read. Morris Duckworth, the main character, you see, is a serial killer. Though Parks presents him in broad strokes and with some sense of absurdity, he also comes across, unfortunately, as someone the author finds quite amusing, a "delightful killer" of sorts. At the outset of the novel, Morris has already killed at least three people--Mimi, the only woman he has ever loved and two characters named Giacomo and Sandra, and there are hints that he has also killed his mother. A good-looking, blonde Englishman living in Italy, Morris has quickly married Mimi's sister Paola and hopes to be in charge of the family winery soon. What he has not expected is that he will begin communicating with Mimi on his cell phone, that he will hear her voice talking to him at unexpected moments, that he will see her wink at him in photographs, and that he'll recognize her face as the Virgin in Renaissance paintings. As Morris tries to ensure his position in the family business, he resorts to homicide again, but he also becomes a born-again Christian, decides to establish a residence for homeless immigrants who have been living in the local cemetery, and tries to embark on an introspective life of good works. Morris may well be a schizophrenic and/or psychopath. I was never sure, however, exactly what point of view the author wanted to convey about him. Though Morris's actions are repulsive and show absolutely no remorse, many parts of the book are almost slapstick funny, and there is a great deal of satire-of the British character, of Italian police procedures, of business practices, and of bribery and graft. Mimi's Ghost, however, is not clearly a satire, nor is it clearly a horror story. It lacks the control and tongue-in-cheek tone which allows satire to flourish at the same time that the reader shares the author's seeming horror at the action. As a result, there is no conclusion here about which the reader can say with relief, "Whew! That was close!" as the main character gets his comeuppance. Instead, one wonders here if Parks is planning yet another installment in the murderous saga of Morris Duckworth.
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