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65th out of 783 books
—
613 voters
The Good House
by
Tananarive Due (Goodreads Author)
The home that belonged to Angela Toussaint's late grandmother is so beloved that townspeople in Sacajawea, Washington, call it the Good House. But that all changes one summer when an unexpected tragedy takes place behind its closed doors...and the Toussaint's family history -- and future -- is dramatically transformed. Angela has not returned to the Good House since her so...more
Mass Market Paperback, 597 pages
Published
December 7th 2006
by Simon & Schuster
(first published August 25th 2003)
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I'd been craving some good horror recently and not that sci-fi, thriller wanna-be horror, but good traditional horror of the things that go bump in the night variety. I was perusing Audible, naturally looking for the longest books in stock to make my credits worth it, and I came across an author who was said to be the equal of Stephen King. Well, that clinched it for me.
If the summary had mentioned someone like Dean Koontz I would have kept perusing. If they had mentioned someone like Richard La...more
If the summary had mentioned someone like Dean Koontz I would have kept perusing. If they had mentioned someone like Richard La...more
Again a book that I rate on a subjective (I just didn't like it) scale. I mentioned in a couple of other reviews that I'm faced with the need to "thin out" my book shelves as I've moved to a much smaller place. (My wife passed away and I just didn't need the large place, the landlady wanted to sell it and so, so here i am.) I sold and traded a lot of books when I moved, but since I didn't have room for nearly all my book shelves here the ones I have are all double loaded or at least as tightly l...more
I wasn't sure what to expect from The Good House, but ended up really enjoying it. The mix of haunted-house themes, Vodou ritual and lore, and interesting characters kept it interesting, and for a longish novel it chugs right along at a frantic pace. Due can write, too. I read this back-to-back with Ghost Story, and she measures up nicely with Peter Straub.
In the beginning, especially, she assumes a bit too much of a chick-lit tone for my tastes, with the protagonist dishing with her actress pal...more
In the beginning, especially, she assumes a bit too much of a chick-lit tone for my tastes, with the protagonist dishing with her actress pal...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Tananarive Due is one of my favorite writers. I fell in love with her “Living Blood” series over ten years ago, and on occasion (as with this title) have strayed to some of her other works. The Good House is classified as “horror, and a terrifying story of supernatural suspense.” There wasn’t much horror in this book, so let’s go with supernatural suspense.
In a league of her own, I don’t believe Ms. Due could write a book that I would not enjoy. She is simply gifted at what she does. Her knack...more
In a league of her own, I don’t believe Ms. Due could write a book that I would not enjoy. She is simply gifted at what she does. Her knack...more
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Tananarive Due gets better and better with each release! Her latest novel, The Good House, examines the consequences of misusing magic and the power of heritage and family.
The story is set in the remote town of Sacajawea, Washington where in the early 1900's, Marie Touissant relocates from Louisiana guided by her inner voice to a place that can be described in modern terms as the "epicenter of the sprit world". Marie is a trained, experienced, favored vodou priestess and often uses her powers to...more
The story is set in the remote town of Sacajawea, Washington where in the early 1900's, Marie Touissant relocates from Louisiana guided by her inner voice to a place that can be described in modern terms as the "epicenter of the sprit world". Marie is a trained, experienced, favored vodou priestess and often uses her powers to...more
This book scaried the shit out of me, but I'm a wuss. It was really good. I don't do demon possession, period. I don't even watch those kind of movies. If this was eva made into a movie, no doubt it would be good, but I'd have to miss it.
I liked the herione Angela, I just felt that she needed to talk more w/ her son, Cory. There are lots of characters in this book and they all bring something to this book.
Ms. Due, I am now a fan.
I liked the herione Angela, I just felt that she needed to talk more w/ her son, Cory. There are lots of characters in this book and they all bring something to this book.
Ms. Due, I am now a fan.
this is a story about what happens when something goes wrong. in the aknowledgement the author tells use "i intended The Good House to be a story about the consequences of abusing magic." a simple premise. something that happens all the time. people get in over their heads and find themselves bogged down in putrid mud without any means of escape. that's what happened to angela. she grew up in a family that disconnected itself from its roots. unlike the walnut tree towering over the good house an...more
This goes in my top 10 books. It was truly amazing.
When I picked it up, I was expecting a standard haunted house book. But at first I thought I had misread it, because it seemed to be just a family drama, which is so *not* my genre. I nearly stopped reading it, but it was so well-written that I continued on, figuring that hey, maybe it's not supernatural, but maybe it will be the rare family drama that I actually enjoy.
Then subtle things started happening in the story, just around the edges. A...more
When I picked it up, I was expecting a standard haunted house book. But at first I thought I had misread it, because it seemed to be just a family drama, which is so *not* my genre. I nearly stopped reading it, but it was so well-written that I continued on, figuring that hey, maybe it's not supernatural, but maybe it will be the rare family drama that I actually enjoy.
Then subtle things started happening in the story, just around the edges. A...more
Narrated by Robin Miles
21 hrs and 37 mins
Audible Editor Reviews
A suspenseful must-listen, The Good House is about a haunted house originally owned by Angela Touissant's Haitian grandmother, Marie Touissaint. Angela tries to uncover the source of the evil plaguing the area and in the process discovers her own mystical powers. Read with great range by Robin Miles, it's a frightening experience that will keep you listening with the lights on.
Traveling back and forth in time, the listener is sucked...more
21 hrs and 37 mins
Audible Editor Reviews
A suspenseful must-listen, The Good House is about a haunted house originally owned by Angela Touissant's Haitian grandmother, Marie Touissaint. Angela tries to uncover the source of the evil plaguing the area and in the process discovers her own mystical powers. Read with great range by Robin Miles, it's a frightening experience that will keep you listening with the lights on.
Traveling back and forth in time, the listener is sucked...more
It's been a while since I finished a book that actually disappointed me. This one wasn't a total failure, but it left a lot to be desired. Pros: Good writing, good detail, good story structure, good character profiling, good basically everything. Cons: Nothing really stood out. The book outed itself as a horror novel early on, but didn't actually scare me at all. This is a short review because I really can't think of anything else to say... it started out well, and then slowly deteriorated as th...more
I am not a fan of horror. With that admission out of the way, I'll also admit that reading this book was quite a chore. The story contains many interesting tidbits that, in another configuration, might be perfect fodder for a nail-biter. But this particular arrangement of haunted house, Voudou, demon possession and murder just seemed to be lacking the necessary spark.
I hate to give a negative review and rarely do. In any other situation I would have realized the book wasn't for me and put it do...more
I hate to give a negative review and rarely do. In any other situation I would have realized the book wasn't for me and put it do...more
I'm officially a fan of Tananarive Due. She is a remarkable author and I find myself enjoying her characters ... her plots ... her themes ... and especially the fact that she writes from the perspective of a Black woman. There are too few Black women who write in science fiction or suspense genre.
All that said, 'The Good House' is a great book. I found myself drawn into this suspense (or horror?) tale as it is told with flashbacks and from the perspective of a variety of characters. The concepts...more
All that said, 'The Good House' is a great book. I found myself drawn into this suspense (or horror?) tale as it is told with flashbacks and from the perspective of a variety of characters. The concepts...more
A very gripping story complete with voodoo and interactions within a family and community. I found myself unable to put this book down. I'd never heard of this author before, but her writing style seems to be Stephen-King-ish, tho not quite as spooky. There could have been some better character descriptions in my opinion, as there are several black and white main characters, and I found myself wondering which race was which. I know it doesn't necessarily matter in the story, but I like to visual...more
Wow! This was a fantastic read! It had me in its grip from the very beginning. Scary, but good.
Publisher's Summary
Tananarive Due, author of The Living Blood won the American Book Award and is praised as Stephen King's equal by Publishers Weekly. In The Good House, Due sets a story of ancient powers and modern retribution in a small Pacific Northwest town. When a young woman returns to her grandmother's empty mansion, she is pitted against demonic forces that have poisoned her family for generati...more
Publisher's Summary
Tananarive Due, author of The Living Blood won the American Book Award and is praised as Stephen King's equal by Publishers Weekly. In The Good House, Due sets a story of ancient powers and modern retribution in a small Pacific Northwest town. When a young woman returns to her grandmother's empty mansion, she is pitted against demonic forces that have poisoned her family for generati...more
This is a book I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own, had it not been included in Novelist's "Haunted House" book list. Thankfully, I decided to give it a try, because this is one of the best horror novels I've read in a long time. (In fact, this review is being written after my second reading - it was so good, I had to experience it again!)
The main story follows Angela Toussaint, who is trying to cope with the suicide of her teenage son, Corey, two years previously. His death occurred in...more
The main story follows Angela Toussaint, who is trying to cope with the suicide of her teenage son, Corey, two years previously. His death occurred in...more
She's a creative writer this story is quite long but holds up in interest. This is good tight suspense. You are taken from present to the past as a mother tries to find why her son died. Ancestral secrets are discovered and need to be understood. A story comprising voodoo magic and evil spirits. Something goes wrong as a little knowledge can be dangerous! a few excerpts from the story can sum up what's at work.
"The closer you come to harming the baka, the more it will try to interfere with your...more
"The closer you come to harming the baka, the more it will try to interfere with your...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
After reading Due's The Living Blood , I was not disappointed by The Good House . Horror that rivals Stephen King, I was so absorbed and afraid that I forgot that I was at work! (I worked the night shift at the time...)
Pretty good. Prose functional rather than pretty, but it wasn't clumsy either, which I appreciated. Liked that the main character was a woman over forty -- this feels rare, but that may just be because I read the wrong sort of books.
Whew! I actually felt exhausted from the events in this book....but in a good way. Lots of twists and turns. And you definitely need to pay attention to the jumps from past to present. I was expecting this book to be very scary, but it only had a few chilling moments... enough to keep you reading, though. Overall, a great read.
This book had a few chapters that scared me senseless and when I passed it to my friend she got mad at me telling me that "Thanks, I can't sleep either." Hey misery loves company right. Very good read.
Nov 02, 2010
samuel johnson
added it
Spooky story! A real page turner. Due has mastered suspense. She can really weave a tale. The way she ties all the characters into the story and blends the past and present ending in an awesome climax.
Well-written book set in the Pacific Northwest. Creepy, engrossing, with only a few slow-moving chapters. Good plotting, characterization, and lots of twists. Ending is satisfying and neatly done.
Easily one of my favourite books, the Good House grabbed me straight from the first chapter, and didn't let go with almost every chapter seeming to end at some sort of cliff hanger.
I didn't consider it to be horror so much as a thriller with supernatural elements (although it does have one truly terrifying chapter that had me cringing the whole way through). I was wary at first of the twin threads of the story that develop throughout (I inevitably end up liking one over the other and rush throu...more
I didn't consider it to be horror so much as a thriller with supernatural elements (although it does have one truly terrifying chapter that had me cringing the whole way through). I was wary at first of the twin threads of the story that develop throughout (I inevitably end up liking one over the other and rush throu...more
I find Due's horror novels to be highly literate specimens. I'm also fascinated by their featuring of history behind the supernatural as well as their African-American casts.
Okay, as good as the writing is, the story is depressing and goes on for way too long. Hence, not so many stars.
Okay, as good as the writing is, the story is depressing and goes on for way too long. Hence, not so many stars.
I really thought this book was great. Besides it being scary it also carried a lot of history and tradition. At some parts of the book I felt it was dragged on and I anticipated for the conclusion. Also I wish that the character Angela would have had more importance in the story-line. In my opinion her son and husband had more parts than she did. Overall good book worth reading.
Very good. I would put her in the same category as Stephen King. Didn't surprise me at all to find out that Stephen King is a fan of hers as well. It has just the right amounts of horror and suspense.
This was a really odd book about a woman whose son becomes involved in voodoo with many bad things happening as a result. At times, this book is really scary but I found myself being unable to connect to it. The ending takes a very unusual positive turn also.
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Tananarive Due is a novelist and a creative writing teacher who has worked as a journalist. She won the American Book Award in 2002 for her novel The Living Blood.
More about Tananarive Due...
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