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The Bleeding Season
Alan, Tommy, Rick, Donald and Bernard were inseparable best friends living in the small, coastal Massachusetts town of Potter's Cove. A circle of five, their world was simple and happy until the day Tommy was struck by a car and killed. Nothing was ever the same. They were never the same.
Years later, as the four survivors-all unhappy, unsuccessful and marking time-approach their fortieth birthdays, Bernard suddenly commits suicide.
Within weeks of Bernard's death, one by one the mutilated bodies of murder victims are found in town, and as the three remaining friends attempt to solve the riddle of Bernard's suicide, they come to realize that he may not have been who or what they thought he was. His entire life may have been a lie, and rather than the sad, lonely and harmless person they believed him to be, he very well may have been a savage ritual killer, a bleeder of young women who conjured evil to fulfill his own demented dreams. To find the truth not only about Bernard, but themselves, they must delve into the darkness and those who inhabit it, a darkness that cradles an unspeakable evil so terrifying it could forever trap them in the shadows of the damned and shatter the very concept of their existence.
THE BLEEDING Evil is a state of mind.
Years later, as the four survivors-all unhappy, unsuccessful and marking time-approach their fortieth birthdays, Bernard suddenly commits suicide.
Within weeks of Bernard's death, one by one the mutilated bodies of murder victims are found in town, and as the three remaining friends attempt to solve the riddle of Bernard's suicide, they come to realize that he may not have been who or what they thought he was. His entire life may have been a lie, and rather than the sad, lonely and harmless person they believed him to be, he very well may have been a savage ritual killer, a bleeder of young women who conjured evil to fulfill his own demented dreams. To find the truth not only about Bernard, but themselves, they must delve into the darkness and those who inhabit it, a darkness that cradles an unspeakable evil so terrifying it could forever trap them in the shadows of the damned and shatter the very concept of their existence.
THE BLEEDING Evil is a state of mind.
408 pages, Nook
First published January 1, 2003
44 people are currently reading
4435 people want to read
About the author
Greg F. Gifune
81 books354 followersCalled "One of the best writers of his generation" by both the Roswell Literary Review and author Brian Keene, Greg F. Gifune is the author of numerous short stories, several novels and two short story collections. His work has been published in a wide range of magazines and anthologies all over the world, and has recently garnered interest from Hollywood. His novels include The Bleeding Season, Deep Night, Saying Uncle, A View From The Lake, Night Work, Drago Descending, Blood In Electric Blue and Dominion.
Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books.
The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer. Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.
The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats.
Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.
Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books.
The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer. Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.
The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats.
Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
February 9, 2017
Certain writers have muscle. Chandler. Hammett. Count Greg F. Gifune among them. Tough guys in old movies always carried rye in hip flasks, and they never seemed able to take a sip without killing the bottle. THE BLEEDING SEASON is like that. One slug and the reader won't leave a drop.
The detective fiction reference is germane. THE BLEEDING SEASON may be a horror novel, but – like all of Gifune’s fiction – it remains pervasively soulful, sporting an authentically gritty quality uncommon to the genre… while also being scary as hell. Never for a moment anything other than realistic, this is the landscape of film noir, virtually subterranean. No light penetrates. There are few comforts. Sex can be cold and miserable. Marriage empty. Even friendship can inspire dread.
It's not for the fainthearted.
Even before the horror elements take hold, these characters lead sad lives. Buddies since high school, they’ve endured all the hard knocks life can throw at them. (A good thing really: think of it as preparation.) It doesn't take much to inspire people in a world with so little warmth. One act of kindness, a single show of loyalty: of such frail elements are lifelong bonds forged.
And sometimes such links bind beyond the grave.
One of the friends dies in an accident that emotionally cripples them all. Or was it an accident? Years later, their lives are littered with abandoned dreams, failed relationships, ruined careers. Then one of them hangs himself in a basement. (Or does he?) In most novels, suicide would be the end of the story. The unseen presence of the dead has already isolated these friends, both from the world and from each other. And this latest blow seems like the worst thing that could happen.
Until the note arrives.
The chapter where the surviving friends gather to listen to the tape-recorded suicide note proves as harrowing as anything in contemporary dark literature. This message, apparently recorded in that dank basement, addresses each of them in turn. This is no litany of sorrows and excuses. There are no accusations here. Instead, the deceased offers a cold assessment of each man’s character, a catalogue of lifelong failures. It’s a gauntlet thrown down. Lies hurt. But truths can be inconceivably terrifying.
It starts them asking questions. And they discover things they'd rather not know. Was their friend really a ritual killer? Did he strike a bargain with forces beyond their comprehension? Is he back? Was he never gone? Guilt by association may be more than a merely abstract concept. And madness doesn't strike like a bolt of lightning… but creeps like fog, insidiously, inexorably. The possibility of redemption, however remote, offers only the cruelest hope.
Intelligence is an underrated quality, often in short supply within the genre. Not so with Gifune’s work. Most thrillers make the mistake of slamming the reader with big cinematic scenes, but Gifune traffics in more adult fare. Deadly words twine through this mature novel like cigarette smoke, the erotic charge sometimes just as palpable. So often the antecedents of modern horror lie too obviously in the quaintly decorous supernatural romances of another time and place. This bleak vision remains quintessentially American, tough, merciless, and as original as sin.
The detective fiction reference is germane. THE BLEEDING SEASON may be a horror novel, but – like all of Gifune’s fiction – it remains pervasively soulful, sporting an authentically gritty quality uncommon to the genre… while also being scary as hell. Never for a moment anything other than realistic, this is the landscape of film noir, virtually subterranean. No light penetrates. There are few comforts. Sex can be cold and miserable. Marriage empty. Even friendship can inspire dread.
It's not for the fainthearted.
Even before the horror elements take hold, these characters lead sad lives. Buddies since high school, they’ve endured all the hard knocks life can throw at them. (A good thing really: think of it as preparation.) It doesn't take much to inspire people in a world with so little warmth. One act of kindness, a single show of loyalty: of such frail elements are lifelong bonds forged.
And sometimes such links bind beyond the grave.
One of the friends dies in an accident that emotionally cripples them all. Or was it an accident? Years later, their lives are littered with abandoned dreams, failed relationships, ruined careers. Then one of them hangs himself in a basement. (Or does he?) In most novels, suicide would be the end of the story. The unseen presence of the dead has already isolated these friends, both from the world and from each other. And this latest blow seems like the worst thing that could happen.
Until the note arrives.
The chapter where the surviving friends gather to listen to the tape-recorded suicide note proves as harrowing as anything in contemporary dark literature. This message, apparently recorded in that dank basement, addresses each of them in turn. This is no litany of sorrows and excuses. There are no accusations here. Instead, the deceased offers a cold assessment of each man’s character, a catalogue of lifelong failures. It’s a gauntlet thrown down. Lies hurt. But truths can be inconceivably terrifying.
It starts them asking questions. And they discover things they'd rather not know. Was their friend really a ritual killer? Did he strike a bargain with forces beyond their comprehension? Is he back? Was he never gone? Guilt by association may be more than a merely abstract concept. And madness doesn't strike like a bolt of lightning… but creeps like fog, insidiously, inexorably. The possibility of redemption, however remote, offers only the cruelest hope.
Intelligence is an underrated quality, often in short supply within the genre. Not so with Gifune’s work. Most thrillers make the mistake of slamming the reader with big cinematic scenes, but Gifune traffics in more adult fare. Deadly words twine through this mature novel like cigarette smoke, the erotic charge sometimes just as palpable. So often the antecedents of modern horror lie too obviously in the quaintly decorous supernatural romances of another time and place. This bleak vision remains quintessentially American, tough, merciless, and as original as sin.
October 30, 2013
"After all, Goodness is a state of grace. Evil, is a state of mind".
The above is just one of the quotes from this book that I LOVED. This is my fourth Gifune novel/novella and it will not be my last.
The story is set in a small coastal town in Massachusetts. Alan and his friends are mourning the loss of their friend Bernard who committed suicide by hanging. They are shocked and confused. Then they find the suicide 'note' left by Bernard. And so begins their journey into the dark.
Mr. Gifune tells the story so well, I will leave the rest of the story and plot alone. I will say, the writing in this novel is so good, it's almost lyrical at times. I've read Heretics and The Rain Dancers,(among other things), by this author and in my opinion Mr. Gifune writes very well, especially when it is in reference to people who are damaged (and who isn't?).
One of my favorite quotes addresses this:
"We were all the same, it seemed to me, all of us dented and scratched and damaged, held together with pins and duct tape, the walking wounded making one last stand in the dark before giving in to the inevitable".
With a cast of well developed characters and an engaging story, this one is highly recommended! I can't wait to read more by this author because he is quickly becoming a favorite in my book.
The above is just one of the quotes from this book that I LOVED. This is my fourth Gifune novel/novella and it will not be my last.
The story is set in a small coastal town in Massachusetts. Alan and his friends are mourning the loss of their friend Bernard who committed suicide by hanging. They are shocked and confused. Then they find the suicide 'note' left by Bernard. And so begins their journey into the dark.
Mr. Gifune tells the story so well, I will leave the rest of the story and plot alone. I will say, the writing in this novel is so good, it's almost lyrical at times. I've read Heretics and The Rain Dancers,(among other things), by this author and in my opinion Mr. Gifune writes very well, especially when it is in reference to people who are damaged (and who isn't?).
One of my favorite quotes addresses this:
"We were all the same, it seemed to me, all of us dented and scratched and damaged, held together with pins and duct tape, the walking wounded making one last stand in the dark before giving in to the inevitable".
With a cast of well developed characters and an engaging story, this one is highly recommended! I can't wait to read more by this author because he is quickly becoming a favorite in my book.
April 9, 2022
I think I'm going to be in the minority on this one.
Beautifully written, no doubt about that. The first third of the book was gripping and intriguing, but then the story became mired in lengthy ruminations by the narrator (usually not a good thing in a first-person book) and rambling didactics by secondary characters whose eloquence inexplicably exceeded what it by all rights should have been given their descriptions.
There were several problems I had here, the main one being that the plot:length ratio was way off. What could have been an excellent novella is instead padded out into a full-length novel. Words, so many words - pretty words that flow and sparkle, but ultimately add little to the story. The actions of the protagonist throughout the story have a Deus ex Machina feel that I never was able to buy into as real, urgent or even likely, and this reduced the level of suspense to curiosity rather than excitement.
The other issue I had was with the complete seriousness of the proceedings. The ambition of the author to achieve "literary" or "meaningful" fiction status seems to be greater than what the product actually delivers, and the darkness and evil it intends to portray comes off to me about as menacing as a Nine Inch Nails video from the mid-nineties. A little fun never fails to hurt a work of horror in my opinion, and there is little in the way of fun here. Overly earnest writing in horror makes me snicker, sorry.
Several scenes in the book stood out as exceptionally realized in written word, but actual horrors were few and far between. Unfortunately, I found the money shots in this book to be highly reminiscent of things I've seen in many horror films over the years. Excellent chops, few truly original ideas.
I will read more by this author in the future, as I'm sure this book was in sync with the prevailing trends of horror at the time of release. Just not my cup of tea in the story and style department.
Beautifully written, no doubt about that. The first third of the book was gripping and intriguing, but then the story became mired in lengthy ruminations by the narrator (usually not a good thing in a first-person book) and rambling didactics by secondary characters whose eloquence inexplicably exceeded what it by all rights should have been given their descriptions.
There were several problems I had here, the main one being that the plot:length ratio was way off. What could have been an excellent novella is instead padded out into a full-length novel. Words, so many words - pretty words that flow and sparkle, but ultimately add little to the story. The actions of the protagonist throughout the story have a Deus ex Machina feel that I never was able to buy into as real, urgent or even likely, and this reduced the level of suspense to curiosity rather than excitement.
The other issue I had was with the complete seriousness of the proceedings. The ambition of the author to achieve "literary" or "meaningful" fiction status seems to be greater than what the product actually delivers, and the darkness and evil it intends to portray comes off to me about as menacing as a Nine Inch Nails video from the mid-nineties. A little fun never fails to hurt a work of horror in my opinion, and there is little in the way of fun here. Overly earnest writing in horror makes me snicker, sorry.
Several scenes in the book stood out as exceptionally realized in written word, but actual horrors were few and far between. Unfortunately, I found the money shots in this book to be highly reminiscent of things I've seen in many horror films over the years. Excellent chops, few truly original ideas.
I will read more by this author in the future, as I'm sure this book was in sync with the prevailing trends of horror at the time of release. Just not my cup of tea in the story and style department.
August 2, 2014
A persistent feeling of dread permeates this tale about the dark. Make no mistake - this is the real dark, a tangible entity. The shadows wait to swallow you whole. See the used car salesman's eternal smile, the man who is rotting from the inside out - convinced that no one starts living until he is dead. A variation on the theme that one man's trash is another man's treasure, but here, one man's hell is another man's Eden.
February 2, 2014
This was an atmospheric and moody read. The author gets into the minds of his characters and much of this book is psychologically compelling. At first the stream of consciousness type of third person characterization seemed a bit much; however, after the storyline progressed I found myself rereading segments that consisted of characters pondering the nature of good and evil.
This runs alongside the main plotline which takes several twists and turns that made it difficult to put the book down. The author is skilled at creating effective settings. Overall this was a great, disturbing read.
This runs alongside the main plotline which takes several twists and turns that made it difficult to put the book down. The author is skilled at creating effective settings. Overall this was a great, disturbing read.
June 20, 2018
Holy. Hell.
Alan, Donald, Rick, Bernard and Tommy are the kind of inseparable friends that have been together since grade school, and while they have very different personalities, they are always there for each other. This picture-perfect New England portrait of male friendship gets it's first crack when a careless driver hits Tommy as he gets off a school bus when the boys are in high school. Their friend's tragic death becomes a shadow hanging over the group that the four buddies can't seem to shake off, as if this premature ending had also snuffed out something in them.
They don't grow up to be successful adults, by any stretch of the imagination: Alan lands a security guard job and never tries to move beyond that, Donald drops out of college and develops a drinking problem, Rick ends up in jail for a stint, and after a knee injury, Bernard is discharged from the Marines and winds up selling used cars to make ends meet. They lead uneventful and mediocre lives in their small, run-down coastal Massachusetts town when another tragedy suddenly shakes them up: Bernard hangs himself in his cousin's basement, where he was squatting after his house got repossessed. The remaining three friends can't help but feel guilty, as Bernard had tried to reach them all in the week before his suicide, and none of them had bothered to return his calls. The motivations behind his act seem unexplained until Rick gets a cassette in the mail, a cassette Bernard sent him just before hanging himself.
On that tape, Bernard serves his old friends some really harsh truths, but also reveals some frightening truths about himself, letting them to wonder: was their old pall insane, or was he, as hinted, a killer? Will the changing of seasons shed some more lights on who Bernard really was, as promised by that disturbing recording? They knew he was a solitary man with a tendency to bend the truth a little bit, but did they really know him at all?
The story is told from Alan's perspective, and it is undeniable that he is a sad character from the first few pages: stuck in an unsolvable professional rut, married to a woman he loves but with whom he had no more chemistry, looking after his alcoholic friend but unable to truly help him. He is, in a way, waiting for something to happen, and when certain things come to the surface, he feels like he has no choice but to try and see what else is hiding in plain sight about his old friend's life, like figuring this mystery out might give him a sense of purpose he's never had.
Gifune creates a bleak and heavy atmosphere from the first few pages: wet New England winter, sad little broken town, pathetic characters that you feel disdain for, but that you also want to hug even if you know there's nothing that could possibly comfort those three. I was very impressed with those beautifully crafted yet horribly damaged characters: they felt completely believable, the blood and gut mechanisms behind stereotypes we know so well. They make this book much more sophisticated than a run-of-the-mill horror novel: this is not a comfortable read! I'm a wimp when it comes to that kind of stuff, so I kept it for daylight hours, but it was hard to look away when time came for me to switch reading gears.
The plot is also very cleverly structured, punctuated with glimpses into a perfectly normal-seeming past, suddenly tainted by a surreal present. I found the prose vivid, almost cinematic - which made the whole think extra-creepy with some creepy sprinkled on top because I had a detailed visual of the events as I read on. This was my first book by Gifune, but it definitely won't be my last! A very intelligent and powerful literary horror novel that I enthusiatically recommended!
Alan, Donald, Rick, Bernard and Tommy are the kind of inseparable friends that have been together since grade school, and while they have very different personalities, they are always there for each other. This picture-perfect New England portrait of male friendship gets it's first crack when a careless driver hits Tommy as he gets off a school bus when the boys are in high school. Their friend's tragic death becomes a shadow hanging over the group that the four buddies can't seem to shake off, as if this premature ending had also snuffed out something in them.
They don't grow up to be successful adults, by any stretch of the imagination: Alan lands a security guard job and never tries to move beyond that, Donald drops out of college and develops a drinking problem, Rick ends up in jail for a stint, and after a knee injury, Bernard is discharged from the Marines and winds up selling used cars to make ends meet. They lead uneventful and mediocre lives in their small, run-down coastal Massachusetts town when another tragedy suddenly shakes them up: Bernard hangs himself in his cousin's basement, where he was squatting after his house got repossessed. The remaining three friends can't help but feel guilty, as Bernard had tried to reach them all in the week before his suicide, and none of them had bothered to return his calls. The motivations behind his act seem unexplained until Rick gets a cassette in the mail, a cassette Bernard sent him just before hanging himself.
On that tape, Bernard serves his old friends some really harsh truths, but also reveals some frightening truths about himself, letting them to wonder: was their old pall insane, or was he, as hinted, a killer? Will the changing of seasons shed some more lights on who Bernard really was, as promised by that disturbing recording? They knew he was a solitary man with a tendency to bend the truth a little bit, but did they really know him at all?
The story is told from Alan's perspective, and it is undeniable that he is a sad character from the first few pages: stuck in an unsolvable professional rut, married to a woman he loves but with whom he had no more chemistry, looking after his alcoholic friend but unable to truly help him. He is, in a way, waiting for something to happen, and when certain things come to the surface, he feels like he has no choice but to try and see what else is hiding in plain sight about his old friend's life, like figuring this mystery out might give him a sense of purpose he's never had.
Gifune creates a bleak and heavy atmosphere from the first few pages: wet New England winter, sad little broken town, pathetic characters that you feel disdain for, but that you also want to hug even if you know there's nothing that could possibly comfort those three. I was very impressed with those beautifully crafted yet horribly damaged characters: they felt completely believable, the blood and gut mechanisms behind stereotypes we know so well. They make this book much more sophisticated than a run-of-the-mill horror novel: this is not a comfortable read! I'm a wimp when it comes to that kind of stuff, so I kept it for daylight hours, but it was hard to look away when time came for me to switch reading gears.
The plot is also very cleverly structured, punctuated with glimpses into a perfectly normal-seeming past, suddenly tainted by a surreal present. I found the prose vivid, almost cinematic - which made the whole think extra-creepy with some creepy sprinkled on top because I had a detailed visual of the events as I read on. This was my first book by Gifune, but it definitely won't be my last! A very intelligent and powerful literary horror novel that I enthusiatically recommended!
November 22, 2013
This is the first book I've read by Greg F. Gifune and to say I enjoyed it would be a massive understatement, totally blew me away, a horror that touches on the evil of man, how that evil manifests after death and the shocking tale of man with two lives. This is a book that doesn't rely on excessive descriptions of bloodshed and violence, that said it is horror and there are elements that tie it to the genre but the strength of this novel is the characterisation and the gripping story.
Alan, Tommy, Rick, Donald and Bernard were close childhood friends, inseparable as kids can be and absolutely devastated the day a tragic accident killed Tommy their leader. Life carried on, they endured but they never truly recovered each resorting to their own coping mechanisms, each to their own battle, each flawed in their own way.
Fast approaching 40 and with very little to show for their lives, dead end jobs the likes of used car salesman, security guard and bouncer, the friends are about to feel that shock again as Bernard, apparently down on his luck resorts to hanging himself.
All the possessions he had left were a duffel bag, address book and the picture of an unidentified woman, no suicide note, that arrives later in the post and it’s on a cassette.
The story is told from Alan’s point of view and it’s riveting as we listen to Bernard’s final words to his friends, a few home truths are laid bare but it’s what he alludes to that grabs their attention and I was hooked at this point
Bernard had always been the weak one, gifted with his mouth but rarely truthful, perhaps more morally sensitive than the others Alan has to discover why he killed himself and it soon becomes obvious that Bernard wasn't quite who they thought he was. Each of them recollect stories from their childhood, occasions where Bernard acted anything other than a normal kid but when they all dream the same dream and bodies start to appear, the terrifying darkness reaches out to them.
An intelligent and totally absorbing read that drags you in and doesn't let go (like any good horror villain), I will definitely be exploring more of Greg F Gifune’s work. Highly recommended.
Alan, Tommy, Rick, Donald and Bernard were close childhood friends, inseparable as kids can be and absolutely devastated the day a tragic accident killed Tommy their leader. Life carried on, they endured but they never truly recovered each resorting to their own coping mechanisms, each to their own battle, each flawed in their own way.
Fast approaching 40 and with very little to show for their lives, dead end jobs the likes of used car salesman, security guard and bouncer, the friends are about to feel that shock again as Bernard, apparently down on his luck resorts to hanging himself.
All the possessions he had left were a duffel bag, address book and the picture of an unidentified woman, no suicide note, that arrives later in the post and it’s on a cassette.
The story is told from Alan’s point of view and it’s riveting as we listen to Bernard’s final words to his friends, a few home truths are laid bare but it’s what he alludes to that grabs their attention and I was hooked at this point
Bernard had always been the weak one, gifted with his mouth but rarely truthful, perhaps more morally sensitive than the others Alan has to discover why he killed himself and it soon becomes obvious that Bernard wasn't quite who they thought he was. Each of them recollect stories from their childhood, occasions where Bernard acted anything other than a normal kid but when they all dream the same dream and bodies start to appear, the terrifying darkness reaches out to them.
An intelligent and totally absorbing read that drags you in and doesn't let go (like any good horror villain), I will definitely be exploring more of Greg F Gifune’s work. Highly recommended.
June 20, 2015
I am going to write a VERY in depth review of this book, which will hopefully be up tomorrow. There are no words for this book. Really. But I'll try to muster a few anyhow. :)
FULL REVIEW:
What is Evil? - The Bleeding Season (Review)
It has been so long since I wrote a good review on here that I think I've forgotten how. I know I really neglect my reading websites and just my reading in general these days, but I've been trying to get back in the hang of things. I started by reading two Richard Laymon books, which are good, easy, fun reads which I'll probably post reviews of later. I read these books rather quick and they helped me get out of my massive reading slump. I was going through my Kindle after I finished the second book trying to figure out what I was going to read next and happened upon The Bleeding Season. I tried reading The Bleeding Season last summer but I really couldn't handle it. I don't know whether it was due to my mind set at the time or what, but the book was too dark and slow-paced for me to really enjoy at the time. So I decided to try to finish it. I'm extremely glad I did.
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The Goodreads description of the book:
Alan, Tommy, Rick, Donald and Bernard were inseparable best friends living in the small, coastal Massachusetts town of Potter's Cove. A circle of five, their world was simple and happy until the day Tommy was struck by a car and killed. Nothing was ever the same. They were never the same.Years later, as the four survivors-all unhappy, unsuccessful and marking time-approach their fortieth birthdays, Bernard suddenly commits suicide.Within weeks of Bernard's death, one by one the mutilated bodies of murder victims are found in town, and as the three remaining friends attempt to solve the riddle of Bernard's suicide, they come to realize that he may not have been who or what they thought he was. His entire life may have been a lie, and rather than the sad, lonely and harmless person they believed him to be, he very well may have been a savage ritual killer, a bleeder of young women who conjured evil to fulfill his own demented dreams. To find the truth not only about Bernard, but themselves, they must delve into the darkness and those who inhabit it, a darkness that cradles an unspeakable evil so terrifying it could forever trap them in the shadows of the damned and shatter the very concept of their existence.THE BLEEDING SEASON: Evil is a state of mind.
Evil is a state of mind.
Remember that.
I've never read a book dealing more with what evil actually is than this one.
And this is definitely not your typical horror story. This story is sad and at times you will want to put it down. It gets that sad. There is no scene in this book that is too gory (is that how you spell that?) or disgusting. It just isn't that kind of horror novel. This book builds atmosphere. Fuck, it chokes you with it and then makes you care about these characters who it puts through hell, literally and figuratively, at every turn.
But what really disturbed me about this novel is that it actually made me feel vulnerable just like the characters in it. Do we really know the people we love? Are we born evil or influenced by it. Is evil a state of mind or is it like a disease? Is it both?
It's hard to talk about this book, but I highly recommend it.
5 glowing stars
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I probably won't be on here much for a while because I have to go to this six week university program after vacation this week, but I'll try to make updates from my phone (which is a pain in the ass to do). Sorry about the inactivity. I'm reading Boy's Life by Robert McCammon right now and I'm definitely going to try to review that book, even though it might be harder than this book to review. I love it so far. :)
FULL REVIEW:
What is Evil? - The Bleeding Season (Review)
It has been so long since I wrote a good review on here that I think I've forgotten how. I know I really neglect my reading websites and just my reading in general these days, but I've been trying to get back in the hang of things. I started by reading two Richard Laymon books, which are good, easy, fun reads which I'll probably post reviews of later. I read these books rather quick and they helped me get out of my massive reading slump. I was going through my Kindle after I finished the second book trying to figure out what I was going to read next and happened upon The Bleeding Season. I tried reading The Bleeding Season last summer but I really couldn't handle it. I don't know whether it was due to my mind set at the time or what, but the book was too dark and slow-paced for me to really enjoy at the time. So I decided to try to finish it. I'm extremely glad I did.
*****************************************
The Goodreads description of the book:
Alan, Tommy, Rick, Donald and Bernard were inseparable best friends living in the small, coastal Massachusetts town of Potter's Cove. A circle of five, their world was simple and happy until the day Tommy was struck by a car and killed. Nothing was ever the same. They were never the same.Years later, as the four survivors-all unhappy, unsuccessful and marking time-approach their fortieth birthdays, Bernard suddenly commits suicide.Within weeks of Bernard's death, one by one the mutilated bodies of murder victims are found in town, and as the three remaining friends attempt to solve the riddle of Bernard's suicide, they come to realize that he may not have been who or what they thought he was. His entire life may have been a lie, and rather than the sad, lonely and harmless person they believed him to be, he very well may have been a savage ritual killer, a bleeder of young women who conjured evil to fulfill his own demented dreams. To find the truth not only about Bernard, but themselves, they must delve into the darkness and those who inhabit it, a darkness that cradles an unspeakable evil so terrifying it could forever trap them in the shadows of the damned and shatter the very concept of their existence.THE BLEEDING SEASON: Evil is a state of mind.
Evil is a state of mind.
Remember that.
I've never read a book dealing more with what evil actually is than this one.
And this is definitely not your typical horror story. This story is sad and at times you will want to put it down. It gets that sad. There is no scene in this book that is too gory (is that how you spell that?) or disgusting. It just isn't that kind of horror novel. This book builds atmosphere. Fuck, it chokes you with it and then makes you care about these characters who it puts through hell, literally and figuratively, at every turn.
But what really disturbed me about this novel is that it actually made me feel vulnerable just like the characters in it. Do we really know the people we love? Are we born evil or influenced by it. Is evil a state of mind or is it like a disease? Is it both?
It's hard to talk about this book, but I highly recommend it.
5 glowing stars
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I probably won't be on here much for a while because I have to go to this six week university program after vacation this week, but I'll try to make updates from my phone (which is a pain in the ass to do). Sorry about the inactivity. I'm reading Boy's Life by Robert McCammon right now and I'm definitely going to try to review that book, even though it might be harder than this book to review. I love it so far. :)
April 13, 2014
When childhood friends discover that one of their own, recently deceased, was not who he they thought he was, they delve back into the past to uncover the mystery of who Bernard was, and in turn who they were. Disturbing memories, suppressed over the years begin to emerge. Memories of a burgeoning evil. An evil that didn't die with their friend but reaches for each of them from beyond the grave, come to drag them all back into the dark where dead things still live.
I like how Gifune straddles the line between psychological and supernatural horror. You can almost dismiss the unthinkable in this book as the psychosis of a disturbed mind. You can almost rationalize away the paranormal as mass halucination. Almost.
This is a well written, dark story. More than cheap thrills (as much as I like those) Gifune goes where a lot of horror writers fear to tread.
4 stars
I like how Gifune straddles the line between psychological and supernatural horror. You can almost dismiss the unthinkable in this book as the psychosis of a disturbed mind. You can almost rationalize away the paranormal as mass halucination. Almost.
This is a well written, dark story. More than cheap thrills (as much as I like those) Gifune goes where a lot of horror writers fear to tread.
4 stars
April 19, 2015
One of the more important (and under-appreciated) works of dark fiction to come out of the beginning of this current century. The protagonist's relentless introspection and depression can be a bit heavy, but the creepy and the uncanny build to an excellent conclusion.
February 13, 2014
A nightmarish tale that weaves psychological and supernatural horror into a tapestry of stunning power and depth. Unearthly warnings and cryptic clues send three friends on an journey that takes them into the shadows that dwell at the end of memory lane to uncover a deadly secret about one of their own......one that is far worse than they can imagine. Gifune's writing is both subtle and enigmatic, his characters so real you feel you know them, or someone very much like them in this chilling exploration of the question: How well do you really know your friends?
Highest possible recommendation.
Highest possible recommendation.
August 25, 2017
4.5 STARS
Well, well, well, can this guy write or what?!
I have never heard of this author until earlier this year and this is the first book I've read by him.
There are two things I have to mention -
The first is that this author is one of those very rare elite who can write absolutely beautifully. The words flow from the page as smoothly as a symphony, taking you on a magic carpet ride of the imagination. Superb!
The second is the pace of the story - and here I have to warn people: If you are one of those people who likes your horror to come as a full frontal assault of violence, with machine gun thrills every other page and lots of blood and gore, this story is probably not for you. This is more of a thinking man's horror, with the tension being built slowly, everything leading to that final confrontation between good and evil. The feeling of this book left me a bit nostalgic about those days when I first discovered Stephen King, taking on books that looked much too thick to ever finish, but being swept up in the story and taken on a ride where I didn't want to get off until it was over. Only quality writers have the ability to say so much without boring you.
Sadly, I can't give this a five because the ending felt a bit predictable and not nearly as explosive as I had expected it to be.
Well, well, well, can this guy write or what?!
I have never heard of this author until earlier this year and this is the first book I've read by him.
There are two things I have to mention -
The first is that this author is one of those very rare elite who can write absolutely beautifully. The words flow from the page as smoothly as a symphony, taking you on a magic carpet ride of the imagination. Superb!
The second is the pace of the story - and here I have to warn people: If you are one of those people who likes your horror to come as a full frontal assault of violence, with machine gun thrills every other page and lots of blood and gore, this story is probably not for you. This is more of a thinking man's horror, with the tension being built slowly, everything leading to that final confrontation between good and evil. The feeling of this book left me a bit nostalgic about those days when I first discovered Stephen King, taking on books that looked much too thick to ever finish, but being swept up in the story and taken on a ride where I didn't want to get off until it was over. Only quality writers have the ability to say so much without boring you.
Sadly, I can't give this a five because the ending felt a bit predictable and not nearly as explosive as I had expected it to be.
December 10, 2014
You can feel evil but can you see it?
Would your mind stay tied together if you did?
What if everything you thought you knew about everything around you was suddenly thrown into the shadows of uncertainty?
The narrator of The Bleeding Season might have even bigger problems when he discovers that one of his lifelong friends, Bernard, has committed suicide, apparently without leaving a note.
The tight-knit group of friends he leaves behind are conflicted, angry and resentful towards their buddy for offing himself, and they just can't make sense of it.
When they decide to retrieve any belongings Bernard may have left behind, they find out their friend hid a lot of thhings about himself from them.
As they dig into the past, darker and decidedly more secrets are exposed. Then the lines between real and imagined become blurred in a gripping and deftly plotted horror novel that easily burrows under your skin and and takes hold of you, leading you down into the darkness.
What more can I say? I could go on and on, but instead I will let this exceedingly creepy story speak for itself. I highly recommend this book to fans of subtle, yet deeply disturbing horror.
I will definitely be reading more of Gifune's books!
Would your mind stay tied together if you did?
What if everything you thought you knew about everything around you was suddenly thrown into the shadows of uncertainty?
The narrator of The Bleeding Season might have even bigger problems when he discovers that one of his lifelong friends, Bernard, has committed suicide, apparently without leaving a note.
The tight-knit group of friends he leaves behind are conflicted, angry and resentful towards their buddy for offing himself, and they just can't make sense of it.
When they decide to retrieve any belongings Bernard may have left behind, they find out their friend hid a lot of thhings about himself from them.
As they dig into the past, darker and decidedly more secrets are exposed. Then the lines between real and imagined become blurred in a gripping and deftly plotted horror novel that easily burrows under your skin and and takes hold of you, leading you down into the darkness.
What more can I say? I could go on and on, but instead I will let this exceedingly creepy story speak for itself. I highly recommend this book to fans of subtle, yet deeply disturbing horror.
I will definitely be reading more of Gifune's books!
March 20, 2014
One of the worst books I've ever read.
I only give it 2 stars instead of one, because I've already read even worse books than this one.
It was absolutely boring. This book doesn't have a story, everything is pointless in it.
No excitement, nor thrills. Not even the slightest action.
Many times after I just read another 50 pages of the book, I had to ask myself: "what exactly is the main character doing right now?"
And I couldn't answer the question!!
Because the main character doesn't do anything.
He just goes here and there, talks to people... not in a thrilling or interesting way as a detective would do. He does it in the most boring way without any consequence for the story. He's just wandering here and there, drifting in an absolutely pointless, stupid way.
I guess this cr@ppy book tries to be some kind of "dark philosophy" book, because there is no action in it.
But it's not deep enough to be that. There's no real deep philosophy in it. It's fake and unauthentic, and shallow.
There's no character (nor story) development in the book.
I'm telling you honestly: I abandoned this book at about 95%.
It was so boring and pointless to continue that I didn't have the slightest interest in the fate of the good characters. I wasn't interested in the ending at all.
I really regret to read 95% of it.
Reader beware! Read some other writer instead!
This is god-awful!
I only give it 2 stars instead of one, because I've already read even worse books than this one.
It was absolutely boring. This book doesn't have a story, everything is pointless in it.
No excitement, nor thrills. Not even the slightest action.
Many times after I just read another 50 pages of the book, I had to ask myself: "what exactly is the main character doing right now?"
And I couldn't answer the question!!
Because the main character doesn't do anything.
He just goes here and there, talks to people... not in a thrilling or interesting way as a detective would do. He does it in the most boring way without any consequence for the story. He's just wandering here and there, drifting in an absolutely pointless, stupid way.
I guess this cr@ppy book tries to be some kind of "dark philosophy" book, because there is no action in it.
But it's not deep enough to be that. There's no real deep philosophy in it. It's fake and unauthentic, and shallow.
There's no character (nor story) development in the book.
I'm telling you honestly: I abandoned this book at about 95%.
It was so boring and pointless to continue that I didn't have the slightest interest in the fate of the good characters. I wasn't interested in the ending at all.
I really regret to read 95% of it.
Reader beware! Read some other writer instead!
This is god-awful!
April 21, 2014
This was the first book I had ever read by author Greg Gifune, and I couldn't believe how incredible it was reading it for the second time! Gifune's characters have such depth to them that you'll find it nearly impossible to "remember" that they're fictional characters. This tale of childhood friendship, and what it leads to down the road is definitely NOT a light read. It's a story that will have you mentally immersed in its depths for days to come.
It doesn't get any more real than this.
Highly recommended!
It doesn't get any more real than this.
Highly recommended!
November 4, 2011
The Bleeding Season has a very enticing premise:
In the small town of Potter's Cove, five boys are best buddies. One day, young Tommy is struck by a car and killed. Fast forward to present day where the four men are pushing forty, and Bernard has committed suicide.
Now some weird shit is happening to the remaining three men, and revelations have come to light that Bernard had some very dark secrets.
Yeah. I am fully on board.
The first half or so of this novel had me very tightly in its grip. Gifune kept the pacing at a steady rate, drawing out the sense of mystery and dread to where I couldn't get through the pages fast enough.
This looked like a five star read for sure.
I had to dock about half a star for the pacing stutter-steps. Alan, our
protagonist, waxed philosophic just a bit too much, and I felt that towards the later part of the novel the story flow suffered for it.
These philosophic instances were warranted, sure. Early on they were present, but they seemed to support the flow of the narrative much better than in the second half of the novel, where they felt a little forced on me.
This is a very minor quibble in the grand scheme of things. The only reason I bring it up was because of the difference I noticed through the storyline.
This is the biggest problem I had with the book:
I wish there was a lot more time spent with when the men were kids, as
this laid the groundwork for what would happen later, and unfortunately this content was either edited out or he simply decided that this was the way it would be.
He could have easily fleshed this period out another hundred pages or so and the book would have been awesome.
And Tommy, we barely knew ye, it seemed that you would have been the most interesting character of the bunch.
So, four stars because it is a good story with some very fine parts. I will definitely read him again.
In the small town of Potter's Cove, five boys are best buddies. One day, young Tommy is struck by a car and killed. Fast forward to present day where the four men are pushing forty, and Bernard has committed suicide.
Now some weird shit is happening to the remaining three men, and revelations have come to light that Bernard had some very dark secrets.
Yeah. I am fully on board.
The first half or so of this novel had me very tightly in its grip. Gifune kept the pacing at a steady rate, drawing out the sense of mystery and dread to where I couldn't get through the pages fast enough.
This looked like a five star read for sure.
I had to dock about half a star for the pacing stutter-steps. Alan, our
protagonist, waxed philosophic just a bit too much, and I felt that towards the later part of the novel the story flow suffered for it.
These philosophic instances were warranted, sure. Early on they were present, but they seemed to support the flow of the narrative much better than in the second half of the novel, where they felt a little forced on me.
This is a very minor quibble in the grand scheme of things. The only reason I bring it up was because of the difference I noticed through the storyline.
This is the biggest problem I had with the book:
I wish there was a lot more time spent with when the men were kids, as
this laid the groundwork for what would happen later, and unfortunately this content was either edited out or he simply decided that this was the way it would be.
He could have easily fleshed this period out another hundred pages or so and the book would have been awesome.
And Tommy, we barely knew ye, it seemed that you would have been the most interesting character of the bunch.
So, four stars because it is a good story with some very fine parts. I will definitely read him again.
October 26, 2014
DNF
With only 100 pages to go I just couldn't force myself to finish this book. It's extremely well written but even so, I struggled to read as much as I did.
It started off well but then deteriorated with lengthy, rambling discourses that frankly bored me to tears.
I didn't really like any of the character and felt no connection to them. Maybe I would have if they just didn't ramble on...and on...an on.
I love horror books and always have, but there were no surprises for me here, just occasional glimpses of Stephen King's It.
Way too long, and way too wordy.
June 23, 2014
Not sure how I feel about this book. The writing is beyond what you'll find in 99.9% of any horror novel out there, and in that way, "this one goes to 11." The story crept into my dreams, especially in the beginning. The first parts were so good, that as it neared the climax I felt let down. Expectations may have been impossible to meet, but this is a longer investment than most darkfuse pieces of work.
April 8, 2021
Boy. This had been on my tbr for a long time and I read it in hopes of talking about it on an upcoming podcast, however, I won't be doing that. I can't recommend this 🤷 There was a lot that could have been explored here. A group of adult friends are brought together after one of their group dies by suicide. One of them receives a note and as bodies begin turning up they realize he was a murderer. They do for a moment take a moment to reflect how this could possibly be true of their friend. Except our narrator remembers that one time his friend excitedly talked about how easy it would be to r@pe a girl. Oh shit! Should we have done something? Should we have said something?? Should we have a discussion about holding other men accountable. Don't worry. We don't have to! Turns out it's all because his mom was slutty/ some kind of supernatural evil!
Also, every woman in here is described having sex, or in terms of their sexual attraction. You know like a real human person. Just drop this whole book in r/menwritingwomen.
Also, every woman in here is described having sex, or in terms of their sexual attraction. You know like a real human person. Just drop this whole book in r/menwritingwomen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2018
DNF @ 62%.
This novel — one that has earned 5-star reviews from friends — starts out well before totally dissolving into nothing. First I became disinterested, then bored, then annoyed . . . the main characters, at first intriguing and distinguished, began blurring together.
And for a horror book, this one just doesn’t have the bite, or edge, I seek. I wanted to like this; it was on my TBR for ages, and I am aware of its cult classic status. Sadly, I must give it one star.
This novel — one that has earned 5-star reviews from friends — starts out well before totally dissolving into nothing. First I became disinterested, then bored, then annoyed . . . the main characters, at first intriguing and distinguished, began blurring together.
And for a horror book, this one just doesn’t have the bite, or edge, I seek. I wanted to like this; it was on my TBR for ages, and I am aware of its cult classic status. Sadly, I must give it one star.
August 19, 2019
Ohhh! The best horror novel (and that`s only the surface of it) I`ve read this year so far, and maybe in the last several years, also.
Definitely a read not recommended to the fainthearted readers. I haven`t been so scared and mesmerized in some years now.
And on top of it all the novel doesn`t looses it`s threads, doesn`t misleap any of it paces, and has the same tone and feelings until the very end of it .
This is not only a horror novel, but has also a lot of feelings and remorses, it has a very well built story about friendship and deceit, about broken relationships and broken men, and on top of it all about the disappoinments in life and who we really are at heart when we aren`t in our circle of friends or we can`t or don`t want to leave our comfort zone to go further in life. For me the books had a lot of revelations about certain moments in life and I truly haven`t been so impressed in a while now.
The story has a simple premise, but after that, all the Hell break loose. And that`s not only a matter of speech. Yeah, the suicide of a friend blows up in to pieces all the tranquility and ordinary life of our three heroes.
Gifune looks like a great mix that has the dense complexity of the characters from Stephen King, all of that combined with the visceral, impressive and disturbed imagination of a young Clive Barker, just when his Books of the blood where the Biggest thing out there.
I`m so amazed that I found only now about this Gifune writer, I`ve read only a novelleta by him, with a nice subject, but not like this one in complexity, and I`m dumbfounded by the fact that he hasn`t yet achieved the fame that he definitely deserves.
So glad that he has published so much work in the past years. Yeah, you cand definitely feel it! Now, after this peculiar jewel, I can`t just wait to jump on all of his works!
Definitely a read not recommended to the fainthearted readers. I haven`t been so scared and mesmerized in some years now.
And on top of it all the novel doesn`t looses it`s threads, doesn`t misleap any of it paces, and has the same tone and feelings until the very end of it .
This is not only a horror novel, but has also a lot of feelings and remorses, it has a very well built story about friendship and deceit, about broken relationships and broken men, and on top of it all about the disappoinments in life and who we really are at heart when we aren`t in our circle of friends or we can`t or don`t want to leave our comfort zone to go further in life. For me the books had a lot of revelations about certain moments in life and I truly haven`t been so impressed in a while now.
The story has a simple premise, but after that, all the Hell break loose. And that`s not only a matter of speech. Yeah, the suicide of a friend blows up in to pieces all the tranquility and ordinary life of our three heroes.
Gifune looks like a great mix that has the dense complexity of the characters from Stephen King, all of that combined with the visceral, impressive and disturbed imagination of a young Clive Barker, just when his Books of the blood where the Biggest thing out there.
I`m so amazed that I found only now about this Gifune writer, I`ve read only a novelleta by him, with a nice subject, but not like this one in complexity, and I`m dumbfounded by the fact that he hasn`t yet achieved the fame that he definitely deserves.
So glad that he has published so much work in the past years. Yeah, you cand definitely feel it! Now, after this peculiar jewel, I can`t just wait to jump on all of his works!
June 2, 2014
Having heard so many positives about The Bleeding Season, I went in somewhat guardedly, having been burnt by high expectations before. Fortunately, I need not have been concerned.
A captivating and compelling read that creeps inexorably toward its less than neat conclusion, Greg F Gifune's The Bleeding Season is as much a philosophical reflection on the nature of evil as it is the story of a small group of friends trying to come to terms with one of their own having been a serial killer before he committed suicide.
Gifune teases the reader with possible supernatural origins for what protagonist Alan learns about his dead friend, Bernard, but refuses to commit to such a simple explanation for all that takes place within his novel. I'm torn as to whether this worked in The Bleeding Season's favour, but as I've not been able to stop thinking about it since I put it down this morning, it's clear it had a considerable effect on me.
A highly skilled writer, Gifune occasionally allows Alan to wax a little too lyrical about his circumstances, which caused the pace to stutter in the back half of the novel. But otherwise this is well worth the time and effort of any horror aficionado.
Do check out what all the fuss is about.
4 Lidless Eyes for The Bleeding Season.
A captivating and compelling read that creeps inexorably toward its less than neat conclusion, Greg F Gifune's The Bleeding Season is as much a philosophical reflection on the nature of evil as it is the story of a small group of friends trying to come to terms with one of their own having been a serial killer before he committed suicide.
Gifune teases the reader with possible supernatural origins for what protagonist Alan learns about his dead friend, Bernard, but refuses to commit to such a simple explanation for all that takes place within his novel. I'm torn as to whether this worked in The Bleeding Season's favour, but as I've not been able to stop thinking about it since I put it down this morning, it's clear it had a considerable effect on me.
A highly skilled writer, Gifune occasionally allows Alan to wax a little too lyrical about his circumstances, which caused the pace to stutter in the back half of the novel. But otherwise this is well worth the time and effort of any horror aficionado.
Do check out what all the fuss is about.
4 Lidless Eyes for The Bleeding Season.
February 20, 2016
Oh my goodness. Grabbed me from the start. This was an awesome read and I'm sorry it's over! One of the very best I've read in a while.
February 21, 2021
One summer in Potter’s Cove.. brothers, not blood brothers, pals, lifetime friends, have questions arise on ones strange death.
The band of brothers they were, “Bernard joined the Marines, Donald went to college, Rick wound up in prison, and I married my high school sweetheart.”
A case of death, then nightmares then...plot thickens ..unsettling and stirring minds to the past.
All the Nostalgia, recollections, mysteries, doings and undoing, things past, unsettling truths and more to come.
One in character in first person narration, Alan Chance, seeks out an answer behind, Is evil a concept or theory or something else?
Taking you by the hand in first person narration, deep into psychology and metaphysical states, with a well crafted voice and great storytelling in the realms of shadows of past and present.
Jigsaw pieces arising and converging of what one was, echoes arising and deciphering the past into the inevitable finished portrait, a descent into the disturbing and sinister, provoking and remaining, bleeding one.
Lurking in shadows of my kindle library was this from maybe 2012 and of which now has a new cover and new reissue and mentions, and so needed read. Something astonishing that big publishers haven’t snapped up. Beats many picked to be best reads that are not. Small press is fine but writers have bills too and big money for the right book is justified.
A tale uncovering the stuff that lays hidden, the nature and concept of evil, the shadows hidden, evil laying and waiting in the narrative.
There was an interview I hosted with the author @ https://more2read.com/review/interview-with-greg-f-gifune/
Review Excerpts @ More2rRead
The band of brothers they were, “Bernard joined the Marines, Donald went to college, Rick wound up in prison, and I married my high school sweetheart.”
A case of death, then nightmares then...plot thickens ..unsettling and stirring minds to the past.
All the Nostalgia, recollections, mysteries, doings and undoing, things past, unsettling truths and more to come.
One in character in first person narration, Alan Chance, seeks out an answer behind, Is evil a concept or theory or something else?
Taking you by the hand in first person narration, deep into psychology and metaphysical states, with a well crafted voice and great storytelling in the realms of shadows of past and present.
Jigsaw pieces arising and converging of what one was, echoes arising and deciphering the past into the inevitable finished portrait, a descent into the disturbing and sinister, provoking and remaining, bleeding one.
Lurking in shadows of my kindle library was this from maybe 2012 and of which now has a new cover and new reissue and mentions, and so needed read. Something astonishing that big publishers haven’t snapped up. Beats many picked to be best reads that are not. Small press is fine but writers have bills too and big money for the right book is justified.
A tale uncovering the stuff that lays hidden, the nature and concept of evil, the shadows hidden, evil laying and waiting in the narrative.
There was an interview I hosted with the author @ https://more2read.com/review/interview-with-greg-f-gifune/
Review Excerpts @ More2rRead
April 16, 2015
This book was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the in depth character study of the main protagonist as he attempts to unravel the mysteries around the death of a childhood friend. Mr. Gifune provided such detailed and colorful descriptions of the main character's mind's eye, if you will. The dream sequences were such strong and riveting depictions of past and present fears. My only drawback was that the climax came about too quickly and could have used a more fleshed out end result. Otherwise, this book is a strong recommend.
August 7, 2019
A fucking masterpiece. Horrific, but also the kind of book that makes you take a long hard look at yourself, and the world around you. Gifune deserves to be spoken in the same breath with all of the giants of the horror genre. Do yourself a favor and pick up one of his books. If you choose this one as your maiden voyage, and that wouldn’t be a bad place to start, don’t even bother reading the back of the book. Just dive in, and let him take you to the darkest places of his imagination.
February 22, 2018
Didn't like this at all. Nothing about this story had any appeal for me and I was left skimming through the last half just to finish it.
November 21, 2021
Wow! Wow! Fucking WOW!!!! That’s all I got for now!
Review coming soon.
Review coming soon.
June 20, 2015
What is Evil? - The Bleeding Season (Review) It has been so long since I wrote a good review on here that I think I've forgotten how. I know I really neglect my reading websites and just my reading in general these days, but I've been trying to get back in the hang of things. I started by reading two Richard Laymon books, which are good, easy, fun reads which I'll probably post reviews of later. I read these books rather quick and they helped me get out of my massive reading slump. I was going through my Kindle after I finished the second book trying to figure out what I was going to read next and happened upon The Bleeding Season. I tried reading The Bleeding Season last summer but I really couldn't handle it. I don't know whether it was due to my mind set at the time or what, but the book was too dark and slow-paced for me to really enjoy at the time. So I decided to try to finish it. I'm extremely glad I did.
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The Goodreads description of the book:
Alan, Tommy, Rick, Donald and Bernard were inseparable best friends living in the small, coastal Massachusetts town of Potter's Cove. A circle of five, their world was simple and happy until the day Tommy was struck by a car and killed. Nothing was ever the same. They were never the same.Years later, as the four survivors-all unhappy, unsuccessful and marking time-approach their fortieth birthdays, Bernard suddenly commits suicide.Within weeks of Bernard's death, one by one the mutilated bodies of murder victims are found in town, and as the three remaining friends attempt to solve the riddle of Bernard's suicide, they come to realize that he may not have been who or what they thought he was. His entire life may have been a lie, and rather than the sad, lonely and harmless person they believed him to be, he very well may have been a savage ritual killer, a bleeder of young women who conjured evil to fulfill his own demented dreams. To find the truth not only about Bernard, but themselves, they must delve into the darkness and those who inhabit it, a darkness that cradles an unspeakable evil so terrifying it could forever trap them in the shadows of the damned and shatter the very concept of their existence.THE BLEEDING SEASON: Evil is a state of mind.
Evil is a state of mind.
Remember that.
I've never read a book dealing more with what evil actually is than this one.
And this is definitely not your typical horror story. This story is sad and at times you will want to put it down. It gets that sad. There is no scene in this book that is too gory (is that how you spell that?) or disgusting. It just isn't that kind of horror novel. This book builds atmosphere. Fuck, it chokes you with it and then makes you care about these characters who it puts through hell, literally and figuratively, at every turn.
But what really disturbed me about this novel is that it actually made me feel vulnerable just like the characters in it. Do we really know the people we love? Are we born evil or influenced by it. Is evil a state of mind or is it like a disease? Is it both?
It's hard to talk about this book, but I highly recommend it.
5 glowing stars
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I probably won't be on here much for a while because I have to go to this six week university program after vacation this week, but I'll try to make updates from my phone (which is a pain in the ass to do). Sorry about the inactivity. I'm reading Boy's Life by Robert McCammon right now and I'm definitely going to try to review that book, even though it might be harder than this book to review. I love it so far. :)
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The Goodreads description of the book:
Alan, Tommy, Rick, Donald and Bernard were inseparable best friends living in the small, coastal Massachusetts town of Potter's Cove. A circle of five, their world was simple and happy until the day Tommy was struck by a car and killed. Nothing was ever the same. They were never the same.Years later, as the four survivors-all unhappy, unsuccessful and marking time-approach their fortieth birthdays, Bernard suddenly commits suicide.Within weeks of Bernard's death, one by one the mutilated bodies of murder victims are found in town, and as the three remaining friends attempt to solve the riddle of Bernard's suicide, they come to realize that he may not have been who or what they thought he was. His entire life may have been a lie, and rather than the sad, lonely and harmless person they believed him to be, he very well may have been a savage ritual killer, a bleeder of young women who conjured evil to fulfill his own demented dreams. To find the truth not only about Bernard, but themselves, they must delve into the darkness and those who inhabit it, a darkness that cradles an unspeakable evil so terrifying it could forever trap them in the shadows of the damned and shatter the very concept of their existence.THE BLEEDING SEASON: Evil is a state of mind.
Evil is a state of mind.
Remember that.
I've never read a book dealing more with what evil actually is than this one.
And this is definitely not your typical horror story. This story is sad and at times you will want to put it down. It gets that sad. There is no scene in this book that is too gory (is that how you spell that?) or disgusting. It just isn't that kind of horror novel. This book builds atmosphere. Fuck, it chokes you with it and then makes you care about these characters who it puts through hell, literally and figuratively, at every turn.
But what really disturbed me about this novel is that it actually made me feel vulnerable just like the characters in it. Do we really know the people we love? Are we born evil or influenced by it. Is evil a state of mind or is it like a disease? Is it both?
It's hard to talk about this book, but I highly recommend it.
5 glowing stars
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I probably won't be on here much for a while because I have to go to this six week university program after vacation this week, but I'll try to make updates from my phone (which is a pain in the ass to do). Sorry about the inactivity. I'm reading Boy's Life by Robert McCammon right now and I'm definitely going to try to review that book, even though it might be harder than this book to review. I love it so far. :)
October 12, 2018
Evil is always there, like a loyal companion; see what I mean? It’s always available to us, always there, waiting, tempting. The only thing evil requires is consent.
Alan, Rick, Donald and Bernard grew up as best friends living in a small American coastal town. Their childhood experiences - whilst not always easy - were for the most part a happy period in their lives. Their one blight was witnessing the death of Tommy, another of their friends who was struck by a car as he exited the school bus.
Those early life experiences helped forge the men they became, and although they grew to be very different people with unique sets of life-problems, they nevertheless remained close.
Thus, it comes as a shock when Bernard, who had always been the most private and withdrawn of the group, commits suicide by hanging.
Bernard leaves behind some old tape recordings, and the disturbing tone of the messages suggests that maybe they didn't really know their friend at all. This revelation is compounded by the strange nightmares and visions they begin to share, and within just a few short weeks the first of a growing number of bodies is discovered.
While the authorities begin a frantic search for the serial killer hiding in their mist, the three remaining friends begin digging into Bernard's background, convinced he was the real killer.
Honestly, I'm not totally sure how I feel about The Bleeding Season by Greg Gifune. For sure, the caliber of the writing is as topnotch as anything you'll come across within the horror genre today, and there are many memorable examples of fine prose; I'd expect no less given the quality of Gifune's other novels and novellas.
Nevertheless, and in spite of the fact that most of Gifune's work is character driven, and that he usually nails this aspect just as well as anyone I've ever read, The Bleeding Season did seem to plod in places. The pacing seemed off. To be fair, this is a book written some years ago now, and Gifune's later stuff has, for the most part, been top drawer.
I feel The Bleeding Season would have made an exceptional novella, but the pacing too often drops to snail-pace because of Alan's lengthy outpourings. Don't get me wrong, it's all beautifully written, but there were too many passages that felt overwritten.
The only other issues, and this may just be me, but I really didn't like - connect with, or care about - any of the characters. Therefore, I never experienced the threat or horror I was supposed to.
In spite of all I've just written, I did enjoy this book. I enjoyed reading the beautiful prose, but mostly I enjoyed seeing how much Greg Gifune has grown as a writer since first publishing The Bleeding Season. Not his finest work, but still a damn decent read.
Alan, Rick, Donald and Bernard grew up as best friends living in a small American coastal town. Their childhood experiences - whilst not always easy - were for the most part a happy period in their lives. Their one blight was witnessing the death of Tommy, another of their friends who was struck by a car as he exited the school bus.
Those early life experiences helped forge the men they became, and although they grew to be very different people with unique sets of life-problems, they nevertheless remained close.
Thus, it comes as a shock when Bernard, who had always been the most private and withdrawn of the group, commits suicide by hanging.
Bernard leaves behind some old tape recordings, and the disturbing tone of the messages suggests that maybe they didn't really know their friend at all. This revelation is compounded by the strange nightmares and visions they begin to share, and within just a few short weeks the first of a growing number of bodies is discovered.
While the authorities begin a frantic search for the serial killer hiding in their mist, the three remaining friends begin digging into Bernard's background, convinced he was the real killer.
Honestly, I'm not totally sure how I feel about The Bleeding Season by Greg Gifune. For sure, the caliber of the writing is as topnotch as anything you'll come across within the horror genre today, and there are many memorable examples of fine prose; I'd expect no less given the quality of Gifune's other novels and novellas.
Nevertheless, and in spite of the fact that most of Gifune's work is character driven, and that he usually nails this aspect just as well as anyone I've ever read, The Bleeding Season did seem to plod in places. The pacing seemed off. To be fair, this is a book written some years ago now, and Gifune's later stuff has, for the most part, been top drawer.
I feel The Bleeding Season would have made an exceptional novella, but the pacing too often drops to snail-pace because of Alan's lengthy outpourings. Don't get me wrong, it's all beautifully written, but there were too many passages that felt overwritten.
The only other issues, and this may just be me, but I really didn't like - connect with, or care about - any of the characters. Therefore, I never experienced the threat or horror I was supposed to.
In spite of all I've just written, I did enjoy this book. I enjoyed reading the beautiful prose, but mostly I enjoyed seeing how much Greg Gifune has grown as a writer since first publishing The Bleeding Season. Not his finest work, but still a damn decent read.
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