Black Body

by H.C. Turk

Book Overview

An historical novel originally published by Villard to rave reviews, BLACK BODY is the story of a white witch, Alba, and her struggles to survive 18th-century English society. BLACK BODY is a sweeping... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394577132
• ISBN13: 9780394577135
• Release Date: July 1989
• Publisher: Villard Books
• Length: 517 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Stunning and provocative

A million years ago when I worked in a mall bookstore, I got to bring home tons of stripped paperbacks. This one sat in a bag for ages because I didn't see how it could be interesting. Boy was I wrong. Black Body is a treasure. When I finally cracked it open and read this gorgeously great-humored and lovingly imagined story of witches, I couldn't put it down. My generic superlatives can't convey the sense of excitement and delight that I felt as I became immersed in the story of Alba the witch. Part of the fun of the novel is its historical and quasi-scientific plausibility. H. C. Turk's singular vision shouldn't be out of print. If you should run across a copy (and according to these reviews they seem to show up in the strangest places), pick it up, read it and cherish it.

Glorious!

I bought my first copy of this at an airport to help pass the time on a cross-country flight. That was over ten years ago, and in the intervening time I have read and re-read the novel about 12 times. I am an avid reader, yet it is difficult to find anything that is truly satisfying--hence my many returns to this beautiful piece of literature. The only modern works that I have enjoyed nearly as much are Foucault's Pendulum and The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. It is unfortunate that the work of H.C. Turk has not received the attention that is deserved. I am amazed at the people who hold up Hemingway and his ilk as the last writers of "Literature," when their tales cannot hold a candle to the writing of Mr. Turk. Luckily for me, I managed to locate a hardcover edition (I was told it was the last copy from the publisher). It is one of my most carefully guarded possessions! Please note: while the novel is out of print in standard format, it is available as an e-book from Mr. Turk's website (the e-book has the added benefit of Mr. Turk's original artwork accompanying the text).

Very unusual perspective.

I enjoyed this book for its sensual treatment of the subject of wiches, its beautiful phraseology, and the unusualness of the author's perspective.The writing style is teriffic . . . sentences that are detailed enough to bring the reader deep into the thinking of the author make this book special.I lost a valued copy of this book and regret that it is no longer in print.

A bizarre and fabulous love story

I could not put this book down. Two nights in a row, I read into the wee hours of the morning, until I finished the book. This book invents a new way of viewing witches; as a separate species, not intrinsically evil, whose magic costs them horribly. The writing is incredibly rich and dense, with old-fashioned, long, syntactically challenging, clause-laden sentences. Dialogue is full of subtle wit, and almost Shakespearean puns. The story is about a white witch, a sort of genetic sport among witches, who is incredibly beautiful (in contrast to Turk's standard witches, who are very ugly - a characteristic of the species). The white witch unfortunately has a horrifying physical anomaly; she is sexually irresistible to human men (though she is uninterested in sex) but sex with her is a great mistake. An expert on witches, the lady Amanda Rathel wants to use this white witch as a weapon. However, Alba, a very loveable white witch, attempts to surmount her physical self in the name of love. This book is simultaneously a black comedy, a horror story, and a historical romance, AND the best book I have read in at least a year

Exquisite sensual and unexpected horror fiction.

A completely new look at an old subject - witches, and their undeniable allure. Alba, the heroine, is an irresistable Victorian young lady who is no more human than a cat. Her tranformation from a wild thing to a member of society, all the while retaining her own very unusual outlook on life in England and relationships with human men and women were absolutely unforgettable. My only regret is that I haven't been able to find any other works by the author