With his characteristic black humour, Matt Haig tells a story of distorted love. It is a nightmare of gothic proportions, with chilling resonance f...
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reviews
Aug 31, 2011
Cedar
rated it: 
An Obsession... A Death... A Princess... A Villain... A Hero...
Again Matt Haig approaches death, grief and the boarders of insanity. I enjoyed this book, and loved the concept, loved that it was grey, decisions were left to the reader... originally, then it swapped, suddenly its spelt out, we, the reader, know for sure, and even are made to slightly empathize, and feel sorry for the father, the ultimate sacrifice and having to get there. And I didn't like that. I liked it being a bit More...
Again Matt Haig approaches death, grief and the boarders of insanity. I enjoyed this book, and loved the concept, loved that it was grey, decisions were left to the reader... originally, then it swapped, suddenly its spelt out, we, the reader, know for sure, and even are made to slightly empathize, and feel sorry for the father, the ultimate sacrifice and having to get there. And I didn't like that. I liked it being a bit More...
May 25, 2010
Paula
rated it:
‘The Possession of Mr Cave’ begins with the main character, Terence Cave, father, widower and antiquarian describing the day his son Reuben dies in the most tragic of circumstances, giving into peer pressure by bullies, he falls to his death, his last words to his father being ‘don’t go’, from that point begins Terence’s obsession with his daughter, Bryony, Reuben’s twin sister and his slow descent into possessing Bryony and everything in her life.
Terence Cave is a man who has loss More...
Terence Cave is a man who has loss More...
Mar 18, 2009
Anna
rated it: 
The very first book I reviewed for Watermark, last March 13, was Matt Haig’s “The Labrador Pact.” (btw, anybody else notice that best-seller “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” which came out months later, has nigh the same plot as “The Labrador Pact”? Although from perusal of online reviews, as is typical for an American shall-we-say-retelling of a British original, “Racing in the Rain” appears to have a happy ending.)
So I think it’s appropriate, a year later (I know! A whole year! It’s like More...
So I think it’s appropriate, a year later (I know! A whole year! It’s like More...
Jan 01, 2010
Janelle
rated it:
There were certainly creepy elements to this book but at times I found it a bit dramatic and over-plotted. I felt that there were too many similarities between some of the deaths and at certain points it was somewhat hard to tell what was actually happening and what was only occurring within Terence's mind.
I found myself being mostly interested in Rueben's death and what Bryony knew about it, but somehow all of that information was broken up into smaller bits and dispersed at you pi More...
I found myself being mostly interested in Rueben's death and what Bryony knew about it, but somehow all of that information was broken up into smaller bits and dispersed at you pi More...
Oct 25, 2009
Allison
rated it:
Matt Haig's writing keeps getting better and better. This is the story of a man who has so much loss in his life, it's almost as if he has no choice but to let it take over every thought he has. His teenage daughter is testing him and his reaction to it is purely based on his previous experiences, much to his daughter's dismay. Between the lies, the mistrust, the family betrayals, and the helplessness felt by both, the book wraps up with a great twist I didn't see coming.
Jun 27, 2011
Triscia
rated it:
I randomly selected this one at the library. I appreciated the England setting, the writing style of the English author, and the author's edits of all swearing by using "----" in the text. (so clean!) It was curious to watch Mr. Cave fall into his psychosis and simultaneously become more protective of his daughter. It was haunting (in a non-ghost kind of way) without scaring me. I wouldn't read it again though. And I will still let my kids leave the house!
Apr 19, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
While at times I found this 'mystery' a bit overdramatic and filled with obvious metaphors which are overly drawn out, eventually Haig touches on a very real and very poignant issue -- how far will a parent go to protect his children and at what cost? If one reads this bizarre story as a metaphor for the anguish, fear, and eventual acceptance of a parents' coming to terms with his child's entry into the teenage/adult world, this is a strong novel. But if read as a 'mystery', I found it lacking a
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Aug 24, 2009
Alex
rated it:
This novel is a quick and suspenseful psychological portrait of a man who has lost both his wife and his son and becomes overly possessive of his daughter, to the point of engaging in behavior such as stalking her. Mr. Cave definitely was creepily portrayed; his interest in his teenage daughter had many uncomfortable sexual overtones. I enjoyed this book, but didn’t find it an incredibly memorable must-read.
Nov 24, 2009
Michael
rated it:
Interestingly written story of obsessive behavior of a father towards protecting his daughter from the world after loss of her twin brother and earlier death of his wife. His behavior is affected by his feeling of guilt due to the negligent affection he had for his son in favor of his daughter. The book is mostly a narrative description of the father's thoughts about his perception of his daughters actions and gradually give way to hallucination. This is an interesting twist at the end.
Mar 17, 2010
Victoria
rated it:
I just wasn't that impressed with this book. Though short, it was hard to connect with the ramblings of this overprotective father - and it was equally hard to feel sympathy for his bratty teen daughter... If anything, the book was over-crafted, and all-in-all, disappointing - especially after how much I enjoyed The Labrador Pact. That feeling of narrative ingenuity and creativity was really lacking here...
Nov 21, 2009
Nunn
rated it:
Recommended through my book club. The widowed father is obsessed with keeping his 15 year-old daughter safe from harm. In so doing, he ruins their relationship and many other lives. I liked the British voice of the story but some of the otherworldliness of the story was hard to follow or respond to.
Jun 09, 2011
Shawna
rated it:
Dysfunction without the fun. Dark. Morbid.
I'm just not a Matt Haig fan, I guess. This book was OK. If you enjoy going into the mind of the nutjob, this would be a good book for you.
Mr. Cave misses his dead family members so he becomes super controlling of his only child. He has spells where he thinks things are happening (ie: hearing his daughter scream when she doesn't, or he sees her horse running around their town when it isn't) and they cause him to become even more More...
I'm just not a Matt Haig fan, I guess. This book was OK. If you enjoy going into the mind of the nutjob, this would be a good book for you.
Mr. Cave misses his dead family members so he becomes super controlling of his only child. He has spells where he thinks things are happening (ie: hearing his daughter scream when she doesn't, or he sees her horse running around their town when it isn't) and they cause him to become even more More...
Feb 03, 2010
Daphne
rated it:
Grim little British psychological thriller about a single father whose twin son falls from a lamppost and dies and he gets obsessive about protecting the daughter that remains. Won't say more, but this was a ripping quick read that was engrossing and very believable.
Feb 26, 2010
Susan
rated it:
I thoroughly enjoyed all but the last 20 pages of this book. It starts off strong, the imagery is vivid, the story is well told. The ending was abrupt, I thought. Perhaps it's just me. Recommended for all of my friends - I think everyone would like this book.
Jul 03, 2011
Vicki
rated it: 
I'm not sure what to think of this book. First off, I really didn't like it but thinking about it more I guess I enjoyed the way it was written but didn't like the story. The writing is clear and beautiful; the story is way too depressing for me.
Apr 18, 2011
Maybaby
rated it:
Not terribly original...I had such high hopes after The Radleys and The Labrador Pact.
Some of the scenarios were written in such a cryptic manner it left me shaking my head in puzzlement.
Some of the scenarios were written in such a cryptic manner it left me shaking my head in puzzlement.
May 03, 2009
Your Excellency
rated it:
A rough story - well written (but very British), but harrowing in its subject matter - the effects of multiple deaths on a father and his daughter, especially how he becomes so over-protective of her that he borders on madness and obsession.
Dec 24, 2010
Graham
rated it:
Loved this book. Found it very difficult to put down. The author builds the tension really well allowing the short story to unfold.
Nov 01, 2010
Dianna
rated it:
In “The Possession of Mr. Cave,” Matt Haig seizes on the terrible panics. If truth be told he stacks the knock over with them: the narrator’s mother dead by suicide, his wife dead at the hands of a burglar as well - in the terrifying, spellbinding, tear-jerking scene that unlocks the novel - his son, Reuben, dead by a brainless effort to curry favor with bullying go over. What is left? Moreover how to uncover a explanation to go on with living in the face of pain? These are the primary issues th
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Oct 19, 2009
Beata
rated it:
A pulpy page turner. One of those guilty pleasures. You can't put it down, but once it's done you feel a little cheap...
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Dec 14, 2011
Allison
rated it:
This was an odd little read. A bit predictable, but interesting to see how the mind works and leads itself down the wrong path sometimes.
Dec 04, 2011
Derek
rated it:
The father of a teenaged girl (whose twin brother's death he witnessed) becomes insanely protective of her, with dire consequences.... The eponymous Mr Cave's obsession is depicted very well, but the parts of the text in the voices of other individuals are wholly unconvincing and didn't seem that necessary to me in advancing the narrative. This is gloomy and not especially fun to read, but thought-provoking and worth a try - it's pretty short after all.
Nov 16, 2009
Philippa 'Nef'
rated it: 
I really enjoyed this dark, bleak account of parental love gone wrong. I'd previously read The Dead Father's Club by the same author and hadn't really been that impressed with it. However, Possession is really quite interesting and I adored the writing style. Perfect for overbearing parents and people who were troublesome teenagers :)
Oct 04, 2010
Margaret
rated it:
Read this mainly because I so enjoyed another novel by the same author, but didn't like this as well. Although "Possession of Mr. Cave" takes a few rather admirable steps down a psychological fiction rabbit hole, I'd say skip it; read his other book "The Dead Father's Club" instead.
Sep 08, 2011
Beth
rated it:
I liked this one. But for some reason I just couldn't get into the characters. I didn't find any of them likable. But I did get through it and there were some twists that I didn't see coming.
I would say this is worth a try if you come across it.
I would say this is worth a try if you come across it.
May 21, 2010
Andrew
rated it:
Got this in the bargain bin and thought I'd give it a shot. Worthwhile, with a few interesting "psycho" elements.
Sep 21, 2008
Amanda
rated it:
Haig's best yet! Also, the best book I have read in a long time speaking in general terms. Highly recommend reading this one.
