Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
475th out of 819 books
—
1,036 voters
The Narrows
by
Ronald Malfi
The town of Stillwater has a very unwelcome resident. The town of Stillwater has been dying—the long and painful death of a town ravaged by floods and haunted by the ghosts of all who had lived there. Yet this most recent flood has brought something with it—a creature that nests among the good folks of Stillwater...and feeds off them. The children who haven't disappeared w...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
September 4th 2012
by Samhain Publishing
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
343)
spooooky!
i am still trying to find a horror novel that scares me, because my fatal flaw is an inability to be scared by books. if you are sick of hearing me say this, we must have been friends for a while, so instead of being bored by my repetition, you should be grateful we are so close.
as far as scary books go, this one was one of the better ones. some horror novels are all about the payoff, the splatter, the quicktime monster jump-out. this one is more about building atmosphere to better get...more
43 likes · like · see review
view all 24 comments
The small town of Stillwater, Maryland is dying a slow death. Each year the population decreases because of the floods. Store close up and people move away. A small boy is found wash up in the Narrows. This is the beginning of a plague that strikes this small town. Cows and goats were found with their heads decapitated. Their heads were nowhere to be found. What type of creature inhabits this town? Ronald Malfi weaves this tale of vampires like only he can. Malfi is an excellent storyteller and...more
This was my first experience with Malfi, and I must say I’m rather pleased. I picked up this book after reading his free short, “The Boy in the Lot”, which serves a prequel to The Narrows, and was just vague and intriguing enough to pique my interest.
So this is a vampire story. OMG SPOILERS! Yeah, that’s not really a spoiler to anyone who’s read anything about vampires before. However, I’m pleased to say that Malfi has taken the theme and created something new, and very creepy, with it. The vamp...more
So this is a vampire story. OMG SPOILERS! Yeah, that’s not really a spoiler to anyone who’s read anything about vampires before. However, I’m pleased to say that Malfi has taken the theme and created something new, and very creepy, with it. The vamp...more
1 like · like · see review
This book was not as expected!
It was recogmended although the person hadn't actually read it. At the beginning I expected vampires and the like but what I did find I didn't expect! Ronald Malfi draws you in with strong description and interesting town folk. He has a masterary of language and the ability to give you the right feeling. Attention to detail of each character make reading this book more like watching a movie,at one point reading the full names of the characters got on my nerves. But...more
It was recogmended although the person hadn't actually read it. At the beginning I expected vampires and the like but what I did find I didn't expect! Ronald Malfi draws you in with strong description and interesting town folk. He has a masterary of language and the ability to give you the right feeling. Attention to detail of each character make reading this book more like watching a movie,at one point reading the full names of the characters got on my nerves. But...more
In The Narrows the dying town of Stillwater, located in the mountains of Maryland, sets the tone of desolation and hopelessness that permeates the novel. Floods have ravaged the town for a number of years, causing most of the residents to leave and the industry that once supported the town to shrink away. The floods also brought in a monstrous entity that is killing the townspeople and taking possession of its children.
The Narrows is a brilliantly written novel written by Ronald Malfi. The novel...more
The Narrows is a brilliantly written novel written by Ronald Malfi. The novel...more
Ronald draws the reader in with strong description and interesting characters. I am a big fan of Horror, but not so when it relies on cheap tricks and bland characters. Ronald has a poet's mastery of language and the ability to evoke the right feeling. His pinpoint details make reading this book more like watching a movie, and it's instantly and thoroughly chilling. He makes all of his characters interesting and rich. The combination compels you to read on. I really enjoyed it.
I picked this book...more
I picked this book...more
The Narrows by Ronald Malfi worked for me on a couple of levels. First, as a growing mystery of exactly what was happening to the missing boys, and how those events may connect to the odd slaughter of livestock on nearby farms; second, as a snapshot of a dying middle-American. The author uses the events that “overrun” the town of Stillwater as a metaphor for the state of middle-America, with the decaying plastics factory looming over everything. The rising dark waters of the Narrows, the floodin...more
Well, I did like it, but it was only ok, it was a 'meh' book, if you know what I mean. I would say almost three stars.
I thought it was very similar to Stephen King's novel, Salem's Lot. As in, plot pace, progression and overall story line: There are some kids that get into trouble, an adult who teams up with a child to make it all okay, the town is full of characters with individual stories and the ending is open. 'Oooh! What happens next?'
I thought that Malfi is in actual fact quite an effectiv...more
I thought it was very similar to Stephen King's novel, Salem's Lot. As in, plot pace, progression and overall story line: There are some kids that get into trouble, an adult who teams up with a child to make it all okay, the town is full of characters with individual stories and the ending is open. 'Oooh! What happens next?'
I thought that Malfi is in actual fact quite an effectiv...more
My first ever book won in a goodreads giveaway, how exciting! 3.5 stars on this one for me. Interestingly enough, this came just at the right time - the beginning of October, the month I normally set aside for my all-month-horrorthon. Even more interestingly, its arrival also happened to coincide with finishing Sarah Langan's The Keeper, a book with very similar themes to this one by Ronald Malfi.
Both novels center upon an ancient evil that takes over a small, dying town in the middle of nowher...more
Both novels center upon an ancient evil that takes over a small, dying town in the middle of nowher...more
Someone call ChillerTV. Option this for a movie or mini-series. Basically, the best book I've read all year.
One thing you come to expect with Ron Malfi is, well, not to be cliche: but the unexpected. And by that I mean that Malfi has shown great skill in turning and twisting and adapting horror conventions and turning them into new, fresh stories. His characterization is excellent, and, at the bottom of it all, his stories are just as much about human nature as anything else.
For example, yes - a...more
One thing you come to expect with Ron Malfi is, well, not to be cliche: but the unexpected. And by that I mean that Malfi has shown great skill in turning and twisting and adapting horror conventions and turning them into new, fresh stories. His characterization is excellent, and, at the bottom of it all, his stories are just as much about human nature as anything else.
For example, yes - a...more
1 like · like · see review
A vampire book? Really? This book has all the elements of a fine small town horror stage, but it winds up becoming this strange mix of horror/science fiction. It fell flat for me. What made it a solid three stars are the characters. Very good development. I can appreciate the new take on the overworked vampire theme, but in my personal opinion it went a little too left field for it to be a keeper. All that said, I’m intrigued with this guy and plan to give his other writing a try.
With "The Narrows," Malfi has crafted a perfect blend of foreboding atmosphere and brazen, creature-feature horror that will live on in the memory of the reader. The Maryland town of Stillwater is convincingly rendered as a once idyllic place that has been abandoned by industry and is embroiled in long, slow death throes. But something has come to finish the job.
It's an excellent read; a good old-fashioned small town horror story set in the Autumn as Halloween approaches, which - for me, having...more
It's an excellent read; a good old-fashioned small town horror story set in the Autumn as Halloween approaches, which - for me, having...more
Much thought went into this novel. The characters were fully fleshed out, and Ronald takes enough time with each of them to make sure you, the reader, feel like you know them personally. The atmosphere rings true. The town of Stillwater has a sense of real-ness. Malfi knows how to create that comfy -- and sometimes not-so-comfy -- small town feel. The monster in this novel comes straight from the realms of the B-movie Creature Feature, and its placed within the context of strong literary style,...more
Malfi's work is stuff that sucks you into the story and keeps you there until the last page. THE NARROWS is a much needed jolt to the system for vampire fiction in these dark days of the romantic, sparkly type vampires. A book worthy to sit on the shelf amongst SALEM'S LOT and I AM LEGEND.
loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to read it...the only fall back was how they number it on the nook...it was like skip numbers...but it was awsome and i am willing to lend books to people if they are good thanks
I love Stephen King, but the older I get, the harder it gets to read some of his more intense books. This was like Stephen King lite, so it was easier for me to read. I enjoyed it. Definitely worth reading.
This is one fantastic book!
Wonderful characters.... great story... sigh... a true pleasure to read this book! The author is so talented. His descriptions were perfect, and when I was done reading the book I felt as I had actually been in that little disappearing town with the closed down factory, stores boarding up, farmers refusing to give up and move on.... a portrait of the very familiar, perfectly drawn for me with words.
It's Stephen King with a heart... and a better read!
Wonderful characters.... great story... sigh... a true pleasure to read this book! The author is so talented. His descriptions were perfect, and when I was done reading the book I felt as I had actually been in that little disappearing town with the closed down factory, stores boarding up, farmers refusing to give up and move on.... a portrait of the very familiar, perfectly drawn for me with words.
It's Stephen King with a heart... and a better read!
Scared me pretty good. Had me worried to go out in the dark while I was reading it. Spooky read.
Excellent book. Small town facing awful horror, but believable at the same time.
Fantastic literary horror. Gorgeous prose, great story, and wonderful characterization.
I didn't think he could beat Floating Staircase for such a haunting story. And then he comes out with this one.
Yet another fantastic novel from Malfi!
Yet another fantastic novel from Malfi!
.would make an ammmmazing movie.... too detailed for me a 30yr old to enjoy.
Not here nor there. Flat dialogue with boring characters. Bleh…
Jun 18, 2013
Sarah Z
marked it as to-read
Jun 16, 2013
Craig
marked it as to-read
Jun 06, 2013
AmandaSOTP
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Ronald Malfi is an award-winning novelist and short fiction writer whose most notable works include the novels Via Dolorosa and Shamrock Alley. His short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and collections throughout the US and abroad. Most recognized for his haunting, literary style and memorable characters, Malfi writes fiction that transcends genres to gain wider acceptance among readers...more
More about Ronald Malfi...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
