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The Portent
A serene, isolated Colorado town falls prey to the uncontrollable forces of nature and its terrified, panicstriken inhabitants search the sinister wilderness for the real source of their tribulation
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
About the author
Marilyn Harris
40 books82 followersHarris was born on June 4, 1931, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the daughter of John P., an oil executive, and Dora (nee Veal) Harris. Harris was educated in her home state, attending Cottey College from 1945 to 1951, then transferring to the University of Oklahoma, from which she received a bachelor of arts degree in 1953 and a master of arts degree in 1955.
Harris's first collection of short stories, King's Ex, was published by Doubleday in 1967. After that Harris proved a prolific author, publishing seventeen books, including novels, short stories, romance/ historical fiction and children's fiction in a twenty-year period from 1970 to 1989. These works, in addition to those listed above, include In the Midst of Earth (1969), The Peppersalt Land (1970), The Runaway's Diary (1971), The Conjurers (1974), Bledding Sorrow (1976), The Portent (1980), The Last Great Love (1981), Warrick (1985), Night Games (1987), and Lost and Found (1991). Harris's work has received a wide readership; in 1983, nine million of her books were in print, and her work has been translated into many languages, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Japanese. She has also been an author in residence at Oklahoma's Central State University.
She died January 18, 2002.
Harris's first collection of short stories, King's Ex, was published by Doubleday in 1967. After that Harris proved a prolific author, publishing seventeen books, including novels, short stories, romance/ historical fiction and children's fiction in a twenty-year period from 1970 to 1989. These works, in addition to those listed above, include In the Midst of Earth (1969), The Peppersalt Land (1970), The Runaway's Diary (1971), The Conjurers (1974), Bledding Sorrow (1976), The Portent (1980), The Last Great Love (1981), Warrick (1985), Night Games (1987), and Lost and Found (1991). Harris's work has received a wide readership; in 1983, nine million of her books were in print, and her work has been translated into many languages, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Japanese. She has also been an author in residence at Oklahoma's Central State University.
She died January 18, 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 7, 2022
Harris was a popular writer of YA and romance, but she turned to horror in the late 70s/80s riding the wave of the horror tsunami. The Portent could have been a great novel-- the ideas where there, and the set up-- and did create an eerie aspect of building dread, but ultimately, it was too busy and ended before things really took off.
After a rather bizarre prologue, where two honeymooners explore an old ghost town outside of Durango, Colorado, and one of them gets absorbed into a tree (!), the story picks up roughly 20 years later, following two story arcs. We are introduced to the now revamped ghost town with its 50 or so permanent residents. Three couples (the Fire Fox Six) purchased the town and environs as something of a back to nature escape. They were not trying for a new age utopia, or commune, but a place to live and raise kids outside of the poisonous urban environments (this was first published in 1980). Meanwhile, we have a rather eccentric scientist and a cabal of researchers investigating the so-called "Hostile Earth Theory" (H.E. theory), where they are trying to prove that Earth has had just about enough exploitation by humanity and is about to strike back. The scientist, Roger, knows the townies and visits them often (he works outside of Denver).
Great set up to be sure! This is really a slow burn after the vivid prologue as we are introduced to a wide range of people who live in the town and their daily existence. Hal, one of the original Fire Fox Six and his wife are the two main protagonists in town, and after a harsh winter, spring is here and hopes are up. After four years of struggle, the town is on its feet and the future looks great; until people start dying in bizarre ways. Roger, the scientist, pays a visit, but gets an emergency call that takes him away (something to do with the H.E. theory) right when a multinational mining firm basically informs and then starts planning a major mine close to the town. So, Hal is trying to find ways to thwart the mine (which will overwhelm the town) when things turn to shit...
Harris tried to do a little too much here; she had a great set up, but and it just got too busy. It is interesting to read this today, given our climate crisis, and all the novels based on such, that over 40 years ago we see a similar thread here. Gaia fights back! Unfortunately, Harris did not really take us over the line and this read more like a set up for a sequel. Still a fun read, but good rather than great. 3 stars.
After a rather bizarre prologue, where two honeymooners explore an old ghost town outside of Durango, Colorado, and one of them gets absorbed into a tree (!), the story picks up roughly 20 years later, following two story arcs. We are introduced to the now revamped ghost town with its 50 or so permanent residents. Three couples (the Fire Fox Six) purchased the town and environs as something of a back to nature escape. They were not trying for a new age utopia, or commune, but a place to live and raise kids outside of the poisonous urban environments (this was first published in 1980). Meanwhile, we have a rather eccentric scientist and a cabal of researchers investigating the so-called "Hostile Earth Theory" (H.E. theory), where they are trying to prove that Earth has had just about enough exploitation by humanity and is about to strike back. The scientist, Roger, knows the townies and visits them often (he works outside of Denver).
Great set up to be sure! This is really a slow burn after the vivid prologue as we are introduced to a wide range of people who live in the town and their daily existence. Hal, one of the original Fire Fox Six and his wife are the two main protagonists in town, and after a harsh winter, spring is here and hopes are up. After four years of struggle, the town is on its feet and the future looks great; until people start dying in bizarre ways. Roger, the scientist, pays a visit, but gets an emergency call that takes him away (something to do with the H.E. theory) right when a multinational mining firm basically informs and then starts planning a major mine close to the town. So, Hal is trying to find ways to thwart the mine (which will overwhelm the town) when things turn to shit...
Harris tried to do a little too much here; she had a great set up, but and it just got too busy. It is interesting to read this today, given our climate crisis, and all the novels based on such, that over 40 years ago we see a similar thread here. Gaia fights back! Unfortunately, Harris did not really take us over the line and this read more like a set up for a sequel. Still a fun read, but good rather than great. 3 stars.
May 22, 2016
It took me forever to slog through this one. There were parts that were well done but most of it was boring and incredibly dated.
August 28, 2024
I had a good time reading this one. There are 49 short chapters, and something unpredictable happens in about 35 of them. Usually some random character gets squished by a boulder or chopped up by dirt that turns liquid under their feet so they sink part way down before it gets rocky again.
My best guess of what it's about: the Maiden the Crone and the Mother all battle it out in this tiny startup community on the side of a mountain where mother earth has some super-natural powers (due to ley lines or screaming rocks or something, IDK). The Maiden has been sent insane and furious due to an unfortunate incest-rape situation and subsequent statutory abuse in the town. Her rage keys into the feminine power of this place (where we saw a woman absorbed into a tree at the beginning) and sends the whole isolated community into an ecological disaster take on Silent Hill. But gorier and deadlier. I lost track of the body count but it's easily a few dozen. At one point the family dog is carrying around a decapitated head. Does it make any sense? It does not make any sense.
Also it is not really satisfying for a couple of reasons. The structure is a mess. There's a fantastic prologue that we wait the whole book to resolve but never follows through. All through the book the characters tease us about how the guy from the prologue smells awful now that he is a mysterious Mountain Man. So this character from the prologue hangs around through the entire book but never leads to any epiphany or payoff. Instead Harris introduces a completely unbelievable and extraneous character who occasionally turns up to bore our pants off with his endless scenes of nonsense explanations. Again and again he boils live shrimp and operates a robot pendulum to demonstrate his theory. No! Scrap this stupid character and just have the stinking Mountain Man offer the BS about ley lines.
But, what do I know? Harris is a prolific and acclaimed writer who obviously decided to use the horror genre to channel some truly offbeat but intense fantasies in this book and "The Diviner". This writer really has a knack for delivering vivid scenes in unusual locations, and this is an entertaining book that easily got me through two five hour flights. So I will just say Thank You Marilyn Harris.
My best guess of what it's about: the Maiden the Crone and the Mother all battle it out in this tiny startup community on the side of a mountain where mother earth has some super-natural powers (due to ley lines or screaming rocks or something, IDK). The Maiden has been sent insane and furious due to an unfortunate incest-rape situation and subsequent statutory abuse in the town. Her rage keys into the feminine power of this place (where we saw a woman absorbed into a tree at the beginning) and sends the whole isolated community into an ecological disaster take on Silent Hill. But gorier and deadlier. I lost track of the body count but it's easily a few dozen. At one point the family dog is carrying around a decapitated head. Does it make any sense? It does not make any sense.
Also it is not really satisfying for a couple of reasons. The structure is a mess. There's a fantastic prologue that we wait the whole book to resolve but never follows through. All through the book the characters tease us about how the guy from the prologue smells awful now that he is a mysterious Mountain Man. So this character from the prologue hangs around through the entire book but never leads to any epiphany or payoff. Instead Harris introduces a completely unbelievable and extraneous character who occasionally turns up to bore our pants off with his endless scenes of nonsense explanations. Again and again he boils live shrimp and operates a robot pendulum to demonstrate his theory. No! Scrap this stupid character and just have the stinking Mountain Man offer the BS about ley lines.
But, what do I know? Harris is a prolific and acclaimed writer who obviously decided to use the horror genre to channel some truly offbeat but intense fantasies in this book and "The Diviner". This writer really has a knack for delivering vivid scenes in unusual locations, and this is an entertaining book that easily got me through two five hour flights. So I will just say Thank You Marilyn Harris.
December 13, 2011
Gah, this book popped into my head recently, and I had to remember the title. Don't remember much, but it scared me to death 30 years or so ago!
October 20, 2014
Scary to think of the world fighting back after all we have done to it.
May 24, 2024
I don’t remember coming across any other book that dealt with this particular issue, not in the early 80’s, anyway. And having read and enjoyed some of her other books, I looked forward to this one. It didn’t disappoint. Not then, and not now.
Harris gives us a hint of what is to come, and then slowly builds the tension. The three main protagonists have their weaknesses; if they had been stronger, the outcome may have been different. But somehow it fits. Because the three couples are running away from the lives that weren’t working out all that well. Could a different place really change who they were?
There are some unanswered questions, mostly dealing with the fate of some of the townspeople, but it’s a minor quibble on my part. I guess its highest praise is that I’m keeping the book.
Harris gives us a hint of what is to come, and then slowly builds the tension. The three main protagonists have their weaknesses; if they had been stronger, the outcome may have been different. But somehow it fits. Because the three couples are running away from the lives that weren’t working out all that well. Could a different place really change who they were?
There are some unanswered questions, mostly dealing with the fate of some of the townspeople, but it’s a minor quibble on my part. I guess its highest praise is that I’m keeping the book.
June 28, 2023
This book has been on my shelf for decades. Finally read it and it feels timely. Well done, suspense, spooky, horrific, tender, quirky, interesting. Great read.
December 24, 2017
Ahead of its time!
April 28, 2015
This had some great moments, but some extreme silliness about witchcraft and witches in the middle sidetracked an otherwise good story. Still, it was a bit of a page turner. It's a shame that Harris had to be sidetracked on her story line to add something totally out in left field - - about a third less book would have served her better.
March 21, 2019
Read this a million years ago. Recently asked to suggest a horror story that was a favorite and this popped into my head. Hopefully the publisher will see fit to bring this back to us as a Kindle edition at least. This was one book that I read several times. Scary as heck.
March 13, 2012
I read this several years ago. It scared and fascinated me at the same time.
September 15, 2014
A Gaia world protecting itself from mankind's pollutions.
December 22, 2017
I was chilled by the premise of this book. I found it to be a real page-turner.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews