Michelle Herbert reviews The Fireman by Joe Hill…
This is Joe Hill’s take on an end of the world scenario, in this case, the apocalypse doesn’t come with a bang, rather the whole world will burn. Slowly a virus commonly known as Dragonscale starts infecting people first they get the scale on their bodies and then later the infected spontaneously combust. At the start of the novel, there is a lot of conjecture as to what is causing Dragonscale and how it is being passed from one host to another, at this stage there are no real facts people know that once you start showing signs of Dragonscale it is only a matter of time before you die.
Harper is our point of view character ,when we first meet her she is working as a school nurse and living with her husband, Jakob who believes he will be able to write the great American novel, he knows is within him. It is very obvious from the start that Harper has quite a submissive personality and has based her actions on Julie Andrews character Mary Poppins who she identifies with. After the Dragonscale becomes more prevalent, Harper volunteers to work with the infected in the local hospital. Harper is a people pleaser who believes that she is happy in her relationship and her life because she has never thought that her life could be better. I found that it takes some time to get used to Harper’s character, but as the book progresses, Harper becomes a stronger as she deals with the chaos that becomes her life. At her core taking the tenants of Mary Poppins, she is a survivor.
The book itself is split into different parts, each chronicling Harper’s experiences before and after she is infected. Apart from Harper, there are a number of people she interacts with apart from Jakob. First, there is Renee, a woman who was quarantined in the hospital when Harper volunteered there. Renee is always full of joy, whether she is trying to help ease other peoples fears or if she is continuing helping children to read. There is also the titular Fireman, he harbours many secrets, but as he atones for his past, he is also helping the infected get to the relative safety of Camp Wyndham where most of The Fireman takes place.
Camp Wyndham, in its previous incarnation, was a children’s camp where Father Storey would spend his summers helping run the camp. Once he and his family become infected they move there to get away from the craziness of the outside world. When Harper is told by the Fireman that she should take care of herself in Camp Wyndham, it becomes quite ominous as the story progresses, but from the moment Harper arrives she is made to feel welcome, as the infected in the camp have found a way to control the Dragonscale so that they do not burn, but by singing songs, they are able to glow, which gives them a sense of belonging as a group.
In terms of horror, there are not many jump scares, it is more that the tension keeps building so that you know that something bad is going to happen. What makes The Fireman truly terrifying is that all the bad things that do happen are based solely on human nature and the need to feel part of a larger group. Any individuality and free thinking is frowned upon as it affects the group. The Fireman continually confronts the worst of humanity, whether it is Jakob’s bullying nature, or the way groups form to eradicate the infected, dehumanising them so that they can easily be destroyed. The mob mentality is shown throughout the book, as it is always easier for people to look to what are familiar to themselves and use any means to suppress the unknown.
If you are a fan of Stephen King’s The Stand or even M. R. Carey’s The Girl with All the Gifts you will find similarities in how human nature works in its darkest hour. There is also the feeling in both Hill’s The Fireman and Carey’s Girl with All the Gifts that there is hope however small, that humanity or a version of it, may just be worth saving, these books are also connected as they deal with the same issue of what happens when an unknown pathogen slowly eradicates the world as we know it.
The ignorance about Dragonscale is seen time and time again, this allows for the paranoia between those affected and those not to really grow and allows us to see the portentousness of Harper’s predicament play out. The pop references throughout the book are reminders of the world that was. This can be seen in the use of masks, as they give you anonymity, but also make you feel more alive. As well as the songs sung by the group in Camp Wyndham connecting them to their past, although it also means that you may come away with a new appreciation of Dire Straits Romeo and Juliet or the soundtrack to Mary Poppins.
I found The Fireman to be an intense read, where there were moments that I had to put the book down and walk away as although I wanted to know what happened next, I wasn’t sure I wanted to put myself through the trauma. Although the reward for getting through those scenes to find out what happens next is well worth it. I had some issues with some of the relationships in the novel, but who doesn’t want to see a love story in the face of adversity. If you like reading grim post-apocalyptic novels then add this to your reading list now.
Michelle Herbert
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