Old Soul
by Susan Barker
Not all monstrous immortals in literature conform to the trope of the sharp-toothed, bloodsucking vampire. The female protagonist of Susan Barker’s Old Soul is a case in point. Born (or resurrected) in the 18th century, the “old soul” of the title lives on at the bidding of a demonic entity called the Tyrant, for whom she procures sacrificial victims in return for a new lease of life. She goes by many names – Vera, Eva, Marion, Katherina – but perhaps the title which suits her best is “the woman”, at once anonymous and universal, suggesting her shadowy, elusive character. Around this figure, Barker builds a novel which combines elements of supernatural/Gothic/cosmic horror and crime/mystery fiction with a “literary” edge.
The novel starts enigmatically, with a brief introductory chapter featuring a dialogue between two lovers, whose significance will only become evident later in the book. The main body of the novel is made up of two narrative strands. The segments titled “Testimonies” follow Jake as he investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of his close friend Lena, and particularly the figure of a beguiling thirty-something photographer who insinuated herself into Lena’s life before Lena’s sudden descent into madness. Jake has a serendipitous (is it?) encounter at Osaka airport with a woman called Mariko, whose twin brother also died in similar circumstances. Jake pursues the pointers provided by Mariko and meets other acquaintances of the enigmatic woman’s victims. Their chilling stories are presented in the “Testimonies” chapters.
These segments alternate with the chapters entitled “Badlands”, in which the focus is on the immortal as she leads her latest victim to her sacrifice while desperately battling the decomposition process eating her from within. The two storylines eventually combine in the fast-paced finale.
Barker has an impeccable control over narrative pace. This work is far from being a “thrills-only” novel. We get insights into the tragic characters, particularly the protagonist herself who, while inspiring revulsion, still manages to elicit some sympathy from the reader – always a challenging feat to bring off. Yet, this never slows down the momentum of the narrative, which doesn’t up.
Some readers have favourably compared Old Soul
to Barker’s earlier novel The Incarnations – which I need to look up and
read. Its structure and basic premise reminded me of two other books I read and
enjoyed – Sarah Perry’s Melmoth (based, in turn, on Maturin’s Gothic
classic) and Marc Joan’s Hangdog Souls (also highly recommended, by the
way). But it also hearkens back to the Gothic classics of yore with their merger
of literary and genre elements. Under its slick, contemporary voice, this novel,
much like its protagonist, hides an “old soul” and is so much the better for it.
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