Darren Shan’s famous vampire saga is especially well suited to being abridged and retold. The fact that Shan and his character share the same name allowed for an enthralling first-person perspective. This was an innovative piece of storytelling but it was, at over two hours, much too long. An excellent speaker, Shan paused, raised or put on a voice whenever the occasion demanded and he skillfully relieved the scares with jokes tailored specifically to his young audience. After five books, however, that young audience became restless and when finally, after the twelfth book, the end came, a collective, thankful sigh accompanied the enthusiastic applause. While this was an interesting concept, it would undoubtedly be more suited to shorter sagas.
RBS Main Theatre, 21 Aug, 10.30am (12.30pm), £7.00, eibfpp69.
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Sections: by Camille Burns - ED2011 Book Reviews | Tags: Darren Shan, Edinburgh International Book Festival
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