11th out of 367 books
—
347 voters
The House of Dead Maids
Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy. He is a savage little creature, but the Yorkshire moors harbor far worse, as Tabby soon discovers. The ghost of the last maid will not leave Tabby in peace, yet this spirit is only one of many. Why do scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House with a jealo...more
Hardcover, 146 pages
Published
September 14th 2010
by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
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Feb 12, 2012
karen
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
smotherings,
why-yes-i-ya
no.
that should be the whole review right there, just "no."
this is supposed to be the story of heathcliff as a ten-year-old boy. so you have two central characters: the real-life housekeeper of the brontes and the-boy-who-would-be-heathcliff, who was fictional, correct?? and you have the housekeeper character ultimately telling this story to her charges, the four young bronte children, with dear emily listening raptly. how clumsy is that? you can't market this as being a "prelude" to wuthering h...more
that should be the whole review right there, just "no."
this is supposed to be the story of heathcliff as a ten-year-old boy. so you have two central characters: the real-life housekeeper of the brontes and the-boy-who-would-be-heathcliff, who was fictional, correct?? and you have the housekeeper character ultimately telling this story to her charges, the four young bronte children, with dear emily listening raptly. how clumsy is that? you can't market this as being a "prelude" to wuthering h...more
2.5 stars. Just so you know...yes, I was screaming inside of my own head. The caps were indeed justified in this case.
Thoughts when I saw this book sitting on a thrift store shelf :
Oooohhhh...lookie...awesome cover girl with creepy black eyes. The title makes me want to know what's going on. IT'S A HOUSE OF DEAD MAIDS - HOW AWESOME!
Thoughts when I read the back cover :
OH HECK YEAH. It's a Wuthering Heights prequel in YA form. WITH LOTS OF GHOST ACTION!!!
Me after reading the book :
Sigh. At least...more
Thoughts when I saw this book sitting on a thrift store shelf :
Oooohhhh...lookie...awesome cover girl with creepy black eyes. The title makes me want to know what's going on. IT'S A HOUSE OF DEAD MAIDS - HOW AWESOME!
Thoughts when I read the back cover :
OH HECK YEAH. It's a Wuthering Heights prequel in YA form. WITH LOTS OF GHOST ACTION!!!
Me after reading the book :
Sigh. At least...more
Aug 10, 2010
Sara McClung
added it
Recommends it for:
anyone looking for a scare, lovers of Wuthering Heights
Shelves:
read-in-2010,
ya
Last night, I started and finished and ARC of The House of Dead Maids, by Clare Dunkle. And, um, WOW. The book releases on September 14th and is definitely something you want to read.
I wasn't sure what to expect. I read Wuthering Heights right before, to better acquaint myself with Heathcliff's story, and though I'm really glad I've finally read the book (Wuthering Heights is amazing and it shames me how long it took me to get around to reading it) it wasn't absolutely necessary to read beforeha...more
I wasn't sure what to expect. I read Wuthering Heights right before, to better acquaint myself with Heathcliff's story, and though I'm really glad I've finally read the book (Wuthering Heights is amazing and it shames me how long it took me to get around to reading it) it wasn't absolutely necessary to read beforeha...more
I read this last night in one sitting. It's a young adult ghost story and I couldn't put it down. It is the story of Tabby (the Bronte's housekeeper) when she was a young girl and how she met Heathcliff prior to the story of Wuthering Heights. It's a pretty outrageous tale but I love ghost stories and I got drawn into it. It's fiction, of course, and likely to have never happened but it made for a good story. Not sure that I would have thought of this story if I wanted to explain Heathcliff's or...more
This book was way out of my comfort zone. I wouldn't classify it as scary but instead Dunkle has a knack with creepy. This book is very creepy.
I think the idea behind the book is creative. It seems that Dunkle has been exposed to everything Bronte from a young age. Honestly, Wuthering Heights isn't my favorite novel. However, I think that Dunkle, because of her mother's influence, really captured Heathcliff. What she did with the novel and the character Himself was amazing to me. I think she re...more
I think the idea behind the book is creative. It seems that Dunkle has been exposed to everything Bronte from a young age. Honestly, Wuthering Heights isn't my favorite novel. However, I think that Dunkle, because of her mother's influence, really captured Heathcliff. What she did with the novel and the character Himself was amazing to me. I think she re...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.
THE HOUSE OF DEAD MAIDS acts as a prelude to WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Though THE HOUSE OF DEAD MAIDS may draw new readers to WUTHERING HEIGHTS, the audiences are somewhat different. The storyline is less complex and the language simpler. (I am truly thankful that Clare B. Dunkle used no dialect, even though the book is set in Yorkshire.)
Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to Seldom House as a maid and a young boy she calls Himself has been brought as the new master. They live there with the old maid, Mrs....more
Loosely based upon the character Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights, this book acts as a prequel to the Bronte novel.
Eleven-year-old Tabby Aykroyd, who would later serve as housekeeper for thirty years to the Brönte sisters, is taken from an orphanage to a ghost-filled house, where she and a wild young boy are needed for a pagan ritual.
This chilling ghost story has lots of atmosphere and echoes Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery" in the climactic scenes where Tabby and Heathcliff discover that they ha...more
Eleven-year-old Tabby Aykroyd, who would later serve as housekeeper for thirty years to the Brönte sisters, is taken from an orphanage to a ghost-filled house, where she and a wild young boy are needed for a pagan ritual.
This chilling ghost story has lots of atmosphere and echoes Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery" in the climactic scenes where Tabby and Heathcliff discover that they ha...more
Have you ever wondered what Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff was like as a child? Pick up The House of Dead Maids and you'll find out. Clare B Dunkle does a great job at bringing an Emily Brontë like voice to The House of Dead Maids. It reads as though Clare came from the early Victorian/ Emily Brontë's time. The style and language is very similar to Emily's and can, in my opinion be read as a prequel to Wuthering Heights. You don't need to read Wuthering Heights to understand what's going on in th...more
To be honest I have never read Wuthering Heights nor had I any idea what it was about, but after reading The House of Dead Maids and doing a little research on it, I am now looking forward to reading it in the near future.
Ms. Dunkle has created a very creepy and chilling tale of Heathcliff and Tabby, his young nursemaid. I would say that it gave me shivers, but not nightmares. The idea of the ghosts of dead maids with "great round sockets of shadow" for eyes is what gave my the creeps. The cover...more
Ms. Dunkle has created a very creepy and chilling tale of Heathcliff and Tabby, his young nursemaid. I would say that it gave me shivers, but not nightmares. The idea of the ghosts of dead maids with "great round sockets of shadow" for eyes is what gave my the creeps. The cover...more
Orphan Tabby is selected as a nursemaid for a young boy about to return with the Master of Seldom House. But as soon as Tabby enters the home she knows something is not right. The help is unusual and improper, the halls are winding and dark. And there are ghosts. Lots of them.
While The House of Dead Maids tells the story Heathcliff prior to his arrival at Wuthering Heights -- it says so right on the cover! -- it's an understatement to say that plays a minor roll in the plot. There's not even a h...more
While The House of Dead Maids tells the story Heathcliff prior to his arrival at Wuthering Heights -- it says so right on the cover! -- it's an understatement to say that plays a minor roll in the plot. There's not even a h...more
This cover grabbed me. I walked past the girl with no eyes probably a dozen times before I decided I just had to have a copy of this book. That girl on the cover is so enthralling. And a little disturbing. And she doesn't disappoint. This book is enthralling. And a more than a little disturbing. Tabby's life at Seldom House is odd, creepy, and plagued by ghosts, some seemingly kind and some openly menacing.
The House of Dead Maids has a wonderfully creepy and complicated set-up. It is hard to gue...more
The House of Dead Maids has a wonderfully creepy and complicated set-up. It is hard to gue...more
Clare B. Dunkle, The House of Dead Maids (Holt, 2010)
The current craze for revising and updating classic works of literature rolls on with Clare Dunkle's The House of Dead Maids, a prequel to Wuthering Heights with an intriguing twist. In this one, Tabby (the real-life maid of the Bronte family, mentioned by biographers as the source of Emily's gothic leanings), formerly an orphan at a knitting school, is chosen by an old biddy named Miss Winter to be the new governess at a secluded mansion. She...more
The current craze for revising and updating classic works of literature rolls on with Clare Dunkle's The House of Dead Maids, a prequel to Wuthering Heights with an intriguing twist. In this one, Tabby (the real-life maid of the Bronte family, mentioned by biographers as the source of Emily's gothic leanings), formerly an orphan at a knitting school, is chosen by an old biddy named Miss Winter to be the new governess at a secluded mansion. She...more
More reviews at Mrs. ReaderPants.
REVIEW: I went through this "read the classics" phase in 10th grade. Wuthering Heights was one of the books I read then, and I remember not really understanding it. I got the gist, but I'd probably enjoy reading it much more (and understand it better) as an adult. Though I wasn't a huge fan of WH at the time, The House of Dead Maids makes me want to try it again.
As far as reaching readers, Dead Maids has some challenges. It's not that I disliked it, but I think i...more
Oct 27, 2010
Sarah Maddaford
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Shelves:
arc,
can-be-read-alone,
fantasy,
historical,
mystery,
mythology-biblical,
mythology-misc,
prequel,
spirits,
supernatural
This book was weird. I'm uncertain as to whether this book is appropriate for juvenile fiction collection or young adult ones. The characters are clearly children, but children of the 19th century before children were cared for and treated as they are today. Also the gruesome and horrific qualities of the story are pretty hard to take. So, it may be too mature for readers the age of the characters, but older readers may hesitate to read a book about younger characters. The pacing is extremely sl...more
This book gets two stars and a waffle. I just can't convince myself to give it a full extra star.
Strangely I found this to be somewhat reminiscent of both The Wicker Man movies and The Scarlet Letter. Himself/Heathen Git/Heathcliff have the same mischeveious spark and fey nature that Pearl had, whereas some of the more spoiler plot points are similar to Wicker Man. Add in some general ghost story/scary movie points and you have The House of Dead Maids. It was by no means a terrible read, but Tab...more
Strangely I found this to be somewhat reminiscent of both The Wicker Man movies and The Scarlet Letter. Himself/Heathen Git/Heathcliff have the same mischeveious spark and fey nature that Pearl had, whereas some of the more spoiler plot points are similar to Wicker Man. Add in some general ghost story/scary movie points and you have The House of Dead Maids. It was by no means a terrible read, but Tab...more
Summary:
Young Tabby Aykroyd has just been employed as a maid in the spooky Seldom House. The house is empty, understaffed, and lacking a proper employer. Soon after her arrival, however, the master of the house returns with a boy for Tabby to care for. This boy, known to Tabby only as “Himself” is an immoral imp ruled by his own selfish whims. As Tabby and Himself form a shaky relationship, both children begin to notice ghostly occurrences in the forms of young maids and masters whose urgency s...more
Young Tabby Aykroyd has just been employed as a maid in the spooky Seldom House. The house is empty, understaffed, and lacking a proper employer. Soon after her arrival, however, the master of the house returns with a boy for Tabby to care for. This boy, known to Tabby only as “Himself” is an immoral imp ruled by his own selfish whims. As Tabby and Himself form a shaky relationship, both children begin to notice ghostly occurrences in the forms of young maids and masters whose urgency s...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
In Clare B. Dunkle’s young adult novel The House of Dead Maids, orphaned Tabby Aykroyd arrives at Seldom House to be a caretaker and playmate to the young “master.” She is immediately haunted by ghosts of her predecessors and tries to save herself and her young charge from a similar fate.
Dunkle’s novel is a fast, enjoyable read and maintains a consistently unsettling atmosphere throughout. The book cover is one of the creepiest I’ve seen, but it also claims the novel is “A Chilling Prelude to Wu...more
Dunkle’s novel is a fast, enjoyable read and maintains a consistently unsettling atmosphere throughout. The book cover is one of the creepiest I’ve seen, but it also claims the novel is “A Chilling Prelude to Wu...more
Original review posted on The Book Smugglers
Warning: this review contains spoilers.
The House of the Dead Maids is described as a prelude to Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. I was curious about this connection to one of my favourite novels and since I have enjoyed other books by Clare B. Dunkle (The Hollow Kingdom and By These Ten Bones), I decided to give this one a go.
It tells the story of orphaned Tabby Aykroyd as she is taken to the old mansion called Seldom House to be the nursemaid of an u...more
Warning: this review contains spoilers.
The House of the Dead Maids is described as a prelude to Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. I was curious about this connection to one of my favourite novels and since I have enjoyed other books by Clare B. Dunkle (The Hollow Kingdom and By These Ten Bones), I decided to give this one a go.
It tells the story of orphaned Tabby Aykroyd as she is taken to the old mansion called Seldom House to be the nursemaid of an u...more
How I coveted The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle once I saw its ghoulish cover (It reminds me of one of my favorite childhood series - Scary Stories with Stephen Gammell's nightmarish illustrations). And upon finding out that it was a prequel of sorts to Wuthering Heights - well it was just all over for me. Had to read it.
At 146 pages, The House of Dead Maids is a slim volume that's full of gothic creepiness. Not a word is wasted. You don't need to have read Wuthering Heights; this nove...more
At 146 pages, The House of Dead Maids is a slim volume that's full of gothic creepiness. Not a word is wasted. You don't need to have read Wuthering Heights; this nove...more
The House of Dead Maids
by Clare B. Dunkle
Sadly, the best part of this book is the cover—which is disappointing, because I really liked Dunkle's book The Sky Inside. The book is about a maid who is hired to work as a nanny in a haunted house. The boy she is brought to watch is supposedly the young version of a character named Heathcliff (a character who appeared in a classic novel, Wuthering Heights by Emile Bronte, which was published in 1847). After the two face numerous ghosts and possible dea...more
by Clare B. Dunkle
Sadly, the best part of this book is the cover—which is disappointing, because I really liked Dunkle's book The Sky Inside. The book is about a maid who is hired to work as a nanny in a haunted house. The boy she is brought to watch is supposedly the young version of a character named Heathcliff (a character who appeared in a classic novel, Wuthering Heights by Emile Bronte, which was published in 1847). After the two face numerous ghosts and possible dea...more
House of Dead Maids / 978-0-805-09116-8
I picked this book up without realizing that it's meant to be a precursor to "Wuthering Heights", and I would like to review it as such. I enjoyed this short novel very much as a "period piece" slash horror story, and recommend it highly to people interested in the genre.
When Tabby is pulled from her orphanage to serve as a maid in a distant house, she is initially confused by the disrepair of the house and almost complete lack of inhabitants - outside of a...more
I picked this book up without realizing that it's meant to be a precursor to "Wuthering Heights", and I would like to review it as such. I enjoyed this short novel very much as a "period piece" slash horror story, and recommend it highly to people interested in the genre.
When Tabby is pulled from her orphanage to serve as a maid in a distant house, she is initially confused by the disrepair of the house and almost complete lack of inhabitants - outside of a...more
Reviewed by Rusty Key Writer: Jordan B. Nielsen
Recommended for: Adult Bronte fans, and your strange niece who’s pretty advanced for her age and has read Wuthering Heights twelve times.
One Word Summary: Peripheral.
In a bizarre coincidence, my response to The House of Dead Maids is quite similar to what I expressed in my review of ‘The Book of the Maidservant’ (Is it something about Maids?). Dead Maids has strengths in its appropriation of the Victorian Gothic style and some affectingly frighteni...more
Recommended for: Adult Bronte fans, and your strange niece who’s pretty advanced for her age and has read Wuthering Heights twelve times.
One Word Summary: Peripheral.
In a bizarre coincidence, my response to The House of Dead Maids is quite similar to what I expressed in my review of ‘The Book of the Maidservant’ (Is it something about Maids?). Dead Maids has strengths in its appropriation of the Victorian Gothic style and some affectingly frighteni...more
If you ever wondered what happened before Wuthering Heights, Dunkle proposes to answer that in this prequel to Emily Brontë's masterpiece. The Brontës' real-life servant, who supposedly told many a ghost story to her young charges, serves as the model for Tabby Akroyd, an 11-year-old girl hired out to the mysterious, brooding manor, Seldom House. There, she is nursemaid to a young and imperious charge--a savage little boy she calls "Himself"--and discovers an unsettling truth about Seldom House:...more
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. Rather than open it at once when it arrived, I decided to set aside a time when I would be alone at night and could read it straight through. The book is intended for young readers and can be read in a couple of hours. Even so, the story is sure to be enjoyed by us older folks, too. House of Dead Maids is meant to be a prequel to Wuthering Heights, but holds its own as a stand alone chiller.
Tabitha Aykroyd is an eleven year old orphan who finds herse...more
Tabitha Aykroyd is an eleven year old orphan who finds herse...more
Tabby is a young orphan who is taken from the girl's home where she resides to live in Seldom House to work as a maid, but when she arrives, nothing is like it shoud be. She seems to have no responsibilities until the young master, another orphan, arrives. The only other inhabitants are the Old Master, the Old Maid, a cook, and a groudskeeper. The house is filled with dark and tristing passageways, and Tabby recieves ghostly visitations from the rotting corpses of other young maids. The young ma...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
ARC free giveaway through Goodreads First Reads~
I have longed mourned the absence of good gothic ghost stories. Vampires and the like have served their time, and if the trends shift back, all the better.
House of Dead Maids is the story of Tabby Ackroyd, an 11 year-old orphan who arrives at Seldom House as a nursemaid. But there is something not right about Seldom House. Almost from the beginning, there are odd occurrences. And Tabby's young charge is odder still. Tabby tries to figure out what...more
I have longed mourned the absence of good gothic ghost stories. Vampires and the like have served their time, and if the trends shift back, all the better.
House of Dead Maids is the story of Tabby Ackroyd, an 11 year-old orphan who arrives at Seldom House as a nursemaid. But there is something not right about Seldom House. Almost from the beginning, there are odd occurrences. And Tabby's young charge is odder still. Tabby tries to figure out what...more
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I was born Clare Buckalew in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up in Denton, Texas, a city north of Dallas. I earned my B.A. in Russian with a minor in Latin from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. After graduating from Indiana University with a master's degree in library science, I came back to San Antonio to work when my husband, Joe, joined the engineering staff at Kelly Air Force Base. I earn...more
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“I had no fear of the stream's perils, and I listened with the greatest contentment to the quiet slap of water on rocks, the running whisper of the current, and the taps and creaks and croaks that rose with the mist around me. Overhead swing the glittering stars, and the bright moon shone down and lit the curling ripples of the water. At no time in my life had I been in greater danger from the elements, and yet if I learned that heaven is such as that night was, I should deem it a joy worth the dying.”
—
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Feb 29, 2012 06:34pm
Feb 29, 2012 06:34pm