Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "john-saul"

Comes the Blind Fury by John Saul

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A vintage tale of classic, haunting horror.

Michelle moves to her new home in Paradise Point with her family, shortly starting at her new school. A happy and loving child, Michelle appears to be settling well into her new life.

At home she finds an old doll, christening it Amanda. But Amanda is no mere doll. Once, she was flesh and blood, a sweet, blind girl who suffered at the hands of bullies and met her death on the treacherous cliffs.

Amanda reaches out to Michelle through the mists from beyond the veil. Amanda's soul has been twisted by pain, intent on vengeance, and all will feel her wrath.

'Comes the Blind Fury' is a 1980 horror novel by John Saul, set in the US East Coast village of Paradise Point, a small community seemingly on the edge of civilisation. On one level, the novel is a light and breezy read, drawing you gently into the narrative, while the horrors linger beneath the surface in an intense and emotive plot; I love horror with psychological depth and an authentic feel, driven by the characters and slowly unravelling the mystery behind supernatural events.

Haunting every page is what remains of a sweet, tormented child, desolate and alone for decades in her death, becoming consumed by hatred and a desire for vengeance. Through another innocent, and living, child who is just looking for a friend, she wreaks her havoc. The characters of the children are all captured and developed brilliantly, driving the story while the adults fail to grasp the true nature of what's happening around them until it's too late. Michelle and even Amanda are especially relatable, the sting and the isolation as a result of bullying embedded in many of our psyches. The devastating impact of their actions, juxtaposed with this innocence warped and twisted out of shape by suffering, is tragic.

I adored the coastal setting, the rugged beauty of the cliffs and the ocean perfectly realised, while a deliciously gothic atmosphere pervades each chapter - through the creeping paranormal events and vivid settings, while secrets of the past threaten to reach from the grave. This is the sort of vintage horror story that may have made you fall in love with the genre in the first place, blended effortlessly with mystery and the macabre, building suspense and momentum until we dive headlong into a treacherous finale, secrets revealed and more tragedy unfolding before the final chilling moments.

The majority of Saul's books are now out of print. Discovering a long lost book feels like uncovering something from the past, much like the relics of the fiction itself. Digital publishing now lets you enjoy many of these, but there is nothing quite like the magic of the printed word. This certainly won't be the last I read of John Saul's work.

Devastating and thrilling, 'Comes the Blind Fury' is an example of paranormal horror at its finest.



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Suffer the Children by John Saul

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A disturbing tale of wrath and possession.

The sleepy coastal town of Port Arbello is shaken to the core by a series of child disappearances.

The Conger family are already contending with personal troubles, but come to fear the truth behind these disappearances is close to home.

Within the walls of their home, amongst the trees and along the treacherous rocks of the coast, something waits, an old tragedy unforgotten, revenge being sought from beyond the grave.

'Suffer the Children' is the debut novel by John Saul, originally published in 1977. A cocktail of supernatural horror and psychological thriller, in classic vintage style blending elements of mystery, crime, adventure and gothic, the narrative centres around a traditional American family – husband, wife and two daughters – with family strife and coming-of-age fragments, horror slashing through the veneer to expose the viscera beneath. Port Arbello is brought dramatically to life, its coastal setting both beautiful and treacherous, on the border between human civilisation and the wildness of nature, a sense of foreboding always lurking beneath the surface.

Well-written and atmospheric, the story is haunted by a vengeful spirit, eternally trapped by her trauma response of rage, depicting how an event can be so impactful and emotion so powerful that it can exceed the limitations and boundaries of life itself. Though we are never directly confronted by Beth, she lurks beneath the surface as keenly as she watches the family from her portrait, her name erased. She acts through teenager Elizabeth – even their communication limited as we only briefly witness use of the Ouija board; the question forever lingering, is this a case of possession or might it be descent into insanity?

Toying with some dark and powerful themes, including scenes of child abuse and animal cruelty, exploring mental health issues and contemporary perception, touching on the concept of prejudice – how traumatised, schizophrenic Sarah naturally finds herself carrying blame, while the beautiful, sane Elizabeth never falls under suspicion, Saul masterfully navigates the engaging plot to encourage just enough empathy with a cast of largely unsympathetic characters. Either through ignorance or complete disregard, the adults are entirely ineffectual at safeguarding their children, which raises some interesting social and cultural questions: is this simple naivety or blatant irresponsibility?

Saul probes the most depraved and twisted of desires and passions – and how some may question themselves, unaware of what they themselves are capable; asking, how well do we even know ourselves, let alone others? We bear witness to violence, secrets and lies, adultery, and the burden of guilt. Sarah, unable to effectively communicate, being used as a scapegoat, makes for the most tragic and endearing character, the story truly pivoting on her experience - sympathy for anyone else, whether that be her parents, her possessed sister or the deceased Beth, diminishing in light of their cruelty to her; to the very end, the Conger family curse inflicts its suffering upon the innocent.

Dark and provocative, ‘Suffer the Children’ is an absorbing horror thriller, perfect for fans of vintage 1970s and 80s horror.



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