It was expecting them.
Conrad and Joanna Harrison, a young couple from Los Angeles, attempt to save their marriage by leaving the pressures of ...
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reviews
Feb 18, 2011
Alexis
rated it: 
The Birthing House: Worst comes the book you can't even finish.
I got halfway through and just gave up.
Forget this book, let it be lost within the rest of the built to fail readings of the horror genre.
I'll never get the stain this novel has left on my love for books out.
I'll never again buy any book without reading countless reviews before hand (i mean the truthful reviews!).
Before we even begin to get into the book and start reading we as read More...
I got halfway through and just gave up.
Forget this book, let it be lost within the rest of the built to fail readings of the horror genre.
I'll never get the stain this novel has left on my love for books out.
I'll never again buy any book without reading countless reviews before hand (i mean the truthful reviews!).
Before we even begin to get into the book and start reading we as read More...
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Dec 31, 2009
Laura
rated it:
Pardon the pun, but this book was stillborn: the horror factor was lukewarm, the gratuitous swearing and sex (I'm sure some readers may think that they weren't gratuitous but they really do feel that way, like they were added for effect rather than organically coming from the book), and the prose were just not doing it for me. I got flashes of The Others (the Nicole Kidman movie, not the Tyrone book), Amityville Horror, Stephen King, Mickey Spillane and Horror Writing for Dummies. Not even hal
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(9 people liked it)
Aug 27, 2011
Mark
rated it:
So, a first novel, published by a major Brit house, marketed as horror and freely available in supermarkets and coming complete with great blurbs and a very favourable comparison to Stephen King and “The Shining”. Does it live up to any of that? No, I don’t think so. The story is fairly straightforward, a marriage is in crisis and in an effort to reinstate the status quo, the protagonists move to the Mid-West. Except Conrad, a failed everything whose father has also just died, isn’t particularly
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(4 people liked it)
Mar 02, 2009
Mark
rated it:
Unintelligent, poorly written drivel.
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(9 people liked it)
Feb 23, 2009
Zippy
rated it:
I was really disappointed in this book. It is fairly well written and the premise sounded really interesting but it just didn't deliver.
I didn't find anything scary at all in it, maybe this is becuase I didn't connect with any of the characters so didn't actually care what happened to them, but I found the so called "horror" parts boring.
Disappointing, I had high hopes for this book, but I will probably try more by the author at another time, because I feel h
I didn't find anything scary at all in it, maybe this is becuase I didn't connect with any of the characters so didn't actually care what happened to them, but I found the so called "horror" parts boring.
Disappointing, I had high hopes for this book, but I will probably try more by the author at another time, because I feel h
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(3 people liked it)
Oct 22, 2011
Jessica
rated it: 
I read this because I was looking to read a scary story and this book seemed interesting. And it was scary and well written. But it also was pretty creepy in a weird way- but I guess that is what you should expect in a scary story. The title itself gives away that the book is going to involve birth and the birth/life cycle but still the story went in a direction I wasn't expecting- again, what a scary story or a good story should do - but it went even farther out there than I thought it would
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Oct 22, 2011
Ken
rated it:
TWO AND THREE QUARTER STARS
THE BIRTHING HOUSE is an attempt at, 'The Haunted House' genre of fiction, however, there are serious flaws in the execution of Ransom's tale.
Conrad Harrison receives an inheritance from the death of his father, and he buys an ancient Victorian farm house in the small and isolated village of Black Earth, Wisconsin. Conrad had been working part-time in a Los Angeles book store, and living with his much more successful wife, Joanna, and he impulsivel More...
THE BIRTHING HOUSE is an attempt at, 'The Haunted House' genre of fiction, however, there are serious flaws in the execution of Ransom's tale.
Conrad Harrison receives an inheritance from the death of his father, and he buys an ancient Victorian farm house in the small and isolated village of Black Earth, Wisconsin. Conrad had been working part-time in a Los Angeles book store, and living with his much more successful wife, Joanna, and he impulsivel More...
Oct 16, 2011
Megan
rated it:
(Re-posted from http://theturnedbrain.blogspot.com)
A lot of horror, not that I'm any kind of expert in the genre, but it seems to me that a lot of horror is concerned with taking something familiar and twisting it. Making unsafe what was safe, making awful what was loved. Think clowns, or sweet little girls possessed by demons, or the quiet man next door turned into a zombie. And, of course, that old horror stalwart; the haunted house.
Because where are you supposed to be safe More...
A lot of horror, not that I'm any kind of expert in the genre, but it seems to me that a lot of horror is concerned with taking something familiar and twisting it. Making unsafe what was safe, making awful what was loved. Think clowns, or sweet little girls possessed by demons, or the quiet man next door turned into a zombie. And, of course, that old horror stalwart; the haunted house.
Because where are you supposed to be safe More...
Jul 19, 2011
Farrah
rated it:
Firstly, i think for a debut book, this one showed alot of promise. it is by no means a masterpiece and has many flaws, but there really is some solid ground for this author
Likes
- i enjoyed the concept, there were plenty of times where it was unclear if the true horror was within the main character conrad, or an actual supernatural presence
-the writing style was quite casual, but very much suited to the narrative of the character conrad, the suble changes in style matched More...
Likes
- i enjoyed the concept, there were plenty of times where it was unclear if the true horror was within the main character conrad, or an actual supernatural presence
-the writing style was quite casual, but very much suited to the narrative of the character conrad, the suble changes in style matched More...
Jun 02, 2011
Sally
rated it: 
I wanted to like this book. The cover was suitably atmospheric. The first sentence was compelling, so I had high hopes. Read it in two days but at the turn of the last page I was left unsatisfied and *meh*.
On the back cover, the book is compared favourably with The Shining. While I could see this was the sort of effect the author was striving for (dread, fear, huge revelations) it was not a successful outcome for me.
The character of the wife was far too vague, her motivati More...
On the back cover, the book is compared favourably with The Shining. While I could see this was the sort of effect the author was striving for (dread, fear, huge revelations) it was not a successful outcome for me.
The character of the wife was far too vague, her motivati More...
Apr 08, 2011
This is a superb, creepy, suspenseful, thriller that I could not put down. I had to stay up and finish it! Conrad and Jo’s marriage is in shambles. Jo is always away on her traveling assignments with the pharmaceutical company. Conrad is unemployed and has come into quite a lot of money after his father’s death. The both of them suspect the other of cheating. Conrad tries to give them a fresh, new start, by buying a house in Wisconsin, moving them out of L.A. Conrad will learn the history
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Feb 26, 2011
Matthew
rated it: 
Christopher Ransom has burst from the blocks with one of the most astonishing debuts to emerge in recent years. He has created, with The Birthing House, a distinct and homely voice that will no doubt find a devoted readership. Although the story falls within a genre that goes beyond well-established, Ransom here defies the tropes with a kind of writing that only the most gifted writers can tap into.
Initially, I must admit to nearly bypassing this one. Etched on the bottom is the kind o More...
Initially, I must admit to nearly bypassing this one. Etched on the bottom is the kind o More...
Feb 17, 2011
Paul
rated it:
Conrad Harrison and his wife, Joanna, live in Los Angeles and are having problems keeping their marriage together. In an attempt to strengthen their marriage Conrad purchases an old mansion in Black Earth, Wisconsin. Conrad feels that getting away from Los Angeles and starting over in a small town will be the answer to their problems.
The house he has purchased is over 140 years old and was a "birthing house", a house that young girls with unwanted pregnancies would go to More...
The house he has purchased is over 140 years old and was a "birthing house", a house that young girls with unwanted pregnancies would go to More...
Feb 08, 2011
Jimmy
rated it:
This is such a superb, creepy, suspenseful, thriller that I could not put down. I had to stay up and finish it!
Conrad and Jo’s marriage is in shambles. Jo is always away on her traveling assignments with the pharmaceutical company. Conrad is unemployed, and has come into quite a lot of money after his father’s death. The both of them suspect the other of cheating. Conrad tries to give them a fresh, new start, by buying a house in Wisconsin, moving them out of L.A. Conrad will learn t More...
Conrad and Jo’s marriage is in shambles. Jo is always away on her traveling assignments with the pharmaceutical company. Conrad is unemployed, and has come into quite a lot of money after his father’s death. The both of them suspect the other of cheating. Conrad tries to give them a fresh, new start, by buying a house in Wisconsin, moving them out of L.A. Conrad will learn t More...
Sep 11, 2010
Hil
rated it:
This book deserves a higher rating if only for the line "It was like dancing in a cave with a wet seal", which made me laugh out loud!
I feel the need to try and boost the overall rating for this book as so many people have given it 1 star. I didn't find it THAT bad, and it was his first book so let's give him a chance. Some of the best writers take a while to develop their style and if they didn't persevere maybe we'd never see their masterpiece in the future. I had the adv More...
I feel the need to try and boost the overall rating for this book as so many people have given it 1 star. I didn't find it THAT bad, and it was his first book so let's give him a chance. Some of the best writers take a while to develop their style and if they didn't persevere maybe we'd never see their masterpiece in the future. I had the adv More...
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Aug 22, 2010
Linda
rated it:
Perusing the shelves in the used bookstore at my local library, I had to pinch myself when I stumbled upon Christopher Ransom's The Birthing House a month before the official release. "The Birthing House Delivers" on the back cover with all the recommendations from other authors made it sound wonderful. Warning: save your money!
A first novel usually falls into one of two categories. It is uncommonly bad and full of first-timer errors. Sometimes it includes brain-blackout b More...
A first novel usually falls into one of two categories. It is uncommonly bad and full of first-timer errors. Sometimes it includes brain-blackout b More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jun 13, 2010
Sensitivemuse
rated it:
Oh my. Where to start. There were plenty of parts where the hair on the back of my neck stood to one end. It hit me by surprise too. (If any of you have read it, remember the popsicle doll part? argh!) I had the misfortune of reading that part at night right before bedtime. So, there is plenty of horror and suspense. The thing is, although the horror parts are very well written and enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, the storyline and characters don't really give the story substanc More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jun 09, 2010
Denise
rated it:
3.0 out of 5 stars What happened in this house?, June 28, 2009
This review is from: The Birthing House (Hardcover)
I like some horror. I'm a fan of Koontz, King, Langan, and Saul. I've read Clive Barker and Scott Sigler so I'm not a newbie to the genre. That said, I have to admit that I'm not sure what the heck this book was about!
It grabbed me right away -- man on way back from dad's deathbed takes a wrong turn and ends up buying a restored Victorian in Blac More...
This review is from: The Birthing House (Hardcover)
I like some horror. I'm a fan of Koontz, King, Langan, and Saul. I've read Clive Barker and Scott Sigler so I'm not a newbie to the genre. That said, I have to admit that I'm not sure what the heck this book was about!
It grabbed me right away -- man on way back from dad's deathbed takes a wrong turn and ends up buying a restored Victorian in Blac More...
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(1 person liked it)
Nov 03, 2009
Ian
rated it:
This was chosen because it was constantly on the best seller list in airport bookshops when I was travelling earlier in the year. I thought there must be a reason and the blurb on the back about it being the best horror since the shining convinced me to read.
About 2/3rds of the way through, I was going to give this poorly written book the benefit of the doubt that the poor reviews here and on amazon were simply due to that comparison - it wasnt scary but plodded along. However, hav More...
About 2/3rds of the way through, I was going to give this poorly written book the benefit of the doubt that the poor reviews here and on amazon were simply due to that comparison - it wasnt scary but plodded along. However, hav More...
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(4 people liked it)
Oct 13, 2009
Rachel
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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0 comments
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(4 people liked it)
Jul 23, 2009
Lizzy
rated it:
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2 comments
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(7 people liked it)
Jul 07, 2009
Sara
rated it:
Huh? Hmm… Well, um… I’m not sure how to explain this one. Basically Conrad Harrison is on the verge of a breakdown (marriage strained, barely employed, dad just died) and to push him over the edge, he buys a haunted house. Conrad knows it is haunted, and the readers know it is haunted, and yet Conrad makes no effort to leave. His bitchy but beautiful wife, Jo, leaves (on an extended business trip), his friendly but negligent neighbors leave (to rekindle the romance in their marriage) More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jul 01, 2009
Alyson
rated it:
What I Learned from this Book: Christopher Ransom likes iced tea a LOT! So the protagonist drinks a lot of iced tea in this novel, which is supposed to be a scary one full of ghosts, hauntings (real and imagined ones, literal and figurative ones), twists and turns, and who knows what else. The only thing that works in this novel is that it was only JUST interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. When I got to that final part, the one that explains everything to us, dear readers, I was
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Jun 27, 2009
Sharon
rated it: 
I have to start out by saying this: I can't remember the last time I stayed up all night reading a book. I did so last night, with Christopher Ransom's outstanding debut novel, "The Birthing House."
Ransom's protagonist, Conrad, is dealing with marital problems. His father passes away, and Conrad sees his inheritance as a chance to get a new start far away from the big city stresses of Los Angeles. So, he purchases a rambling Victorian house in Black Earth, Wisconsin, an More...
Ransom's protagonist, Conrad, is dealing with marital problems. His father passes away, and Conrad sees his inheritance as a chance to get a new start far away from the big city stresses of Los Angeles. So, he purchases a rambling Victorian house in Black Earth, Wisconsin, an More...
May 09, 2009
Dreadlocksmile
rated it:
First published in 2008, Christopher Ransom’s debut novel ‘The Birthing House’ was massively publicised with a considerable amount of hype around its release and subsequent reprinting.
Set in the quiet and somewhat quaint town of Black Earth (with the geographical liberties stretched for fiction’s sake), Ransom introduces the novel’s principal character Conrad Harrison, who decides to purchase an old property in this subdued town, in order to start off a new life with his wife Jo. More...
Set in the quiet and somewhat quaint town of Black Earth (with the geographical liberties stretched for fiction’s sake), Ransom introduces the novel’s principal character Conrad Harrison, who decides to purchase an old property in this subdued town, in order to start off a new life with his wife Jo. More...
Sep 29, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
Greatest line "The kid was as quiet as... something pretty quiet."
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone! I have been struggling through this for a few days now, and I wish more than ever that I had the ability to just give up on books! Christopher Ransom tries too hard to come across as deep through over the top metaphors that simply comes across as shallow and poorly worded. Not only have I found this book to be poorly written across the board, it is full of gratuitous More...
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone! I have been struggling through this for a few days now, and I wish more than ever that I had the ability to just give up on books! Christopher Ransom tries too hard to come across as deep through over the top metaphors that simply comes across as shallow and poorly worded. Not only have I found this book to be poorly written across the board, it is full of gratuitous More...
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(3 people liked it)
Oct 01, 2011
Kristy
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
May 29, 2011
Ape
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Feb 01, 2011
Louise
rated it:
I'm giving it two stars because of the couple of times it actually gave me chills. It's a gooey mess. By gooey I mean not just violent; it has a couple of decent gruesome bits, but what I mean by gooey is that it feels like the author picked a few plot elements, mixed them up into a big blog and just sort of stuck them together with his own emotional problems. At first I found the protagonist to be believably flawed, but midway through the book I stopped believing his motivations and narrative.
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Mar 06, 2010
Nancy
rated it:
This is a first novel by Christopher Ransom and I found it to be uneven.
The story centers around Conrad Harrison who buys an old Victorian birthing house in Wisconsin. Birthing houses were used at one time as a place of refuge for unwed mothers.
Conrad is married, but his wife doesn't figure much in the story as she only appears often in the last part. Her work takes her away for most of the story and Conrad is left to his own devices in trying to cope with the mayhem that ensues. More...
The story centers around Conrad Harrison who buys an old Victorian birthing house in Wisconsin. Birthing houses were used at one time as a place of refuge for unwed mothers.
Conrad is married, but his wife doesn't figure much in the story as she only appears often in the last part. Her work takes her away for most of the story and Conrad is left to his own devices in trying to cope with the mayhem that ensues. More...
