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The Manse #2
Torments
Thought to have been destroyed with the house it once occupied, an evil presence survives on the empty lot, waiting to torment the occupants of a new condominium complex.
308 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 1, 2012
I thought this book better than the prequel The Manse. Scary setting, the ever present manse, terrifying things happening with characters known of the first part. Great showdown. Can't expect more of a pageturning horror book. Great language too. The first pages of the book belong to the best horror descriptions I've ever read. Stunning. Clear recommendation to anyone into horror, won't regret.
October 28, 2020
Torments came out at the end of the 80's heyday of horror fiction and it shows. This is a sequel to The Manse and in many ways is a rehash of that novel. Almost all of the characters were survivors of The Manse except for a few additions. A few years ago, the Jaycees put on a Halloween haunted house at an old victorian mansion in a small town, like they had been doing for the last 13 years. I did not read the Manse, but Cantrell recaps the highlights over and over in this, so you know what happened. Apparently, the house came alive with evil spirits, burned to the ground and took the lives of about 30 people.
Flash forward 2 years and the site of the Manse is now a condo development. Sonny, our lead, is something of a construction trouble shooter and investor; he knows the condo site has faced a series of delays and troubles and visits the site to check it out. He finds a town where many people are having nightmares/flashbacks to the Halloween from two years ago. Maybe something still lives at the site! Bodies are being stolen from the nearby graveyards-- those who died in the great fire-- as well...
This was pretty much over the top throughout, and I had a hard time keeping interest, especially with Cantrell's dreamscape images and prose. Not really much of a plot-- evil returns once again, for even though the house burned down, the evil spirits live on. Definitely grade B- pulp horror, and I can see why Cantrell faded from the horror scene shortly after this was published. It does have some tense scenes, but is more like a pile of cheap thrills and wooden characters all stuck together. 2.5 stars, rounding up as this is Halloween season!
Flash forward 2 years and the site of the Manse is now a condo development. Sonny, our lead, is something of a construction trouble shooter and investor; he knows the condo site has faced a series of delays and troubles and visits the site to check it out. He finds a town where many people are having nightmares/flashbacks to the Halloween from two years ago. Maybe something still lives at the site! Bodies are being stolen from the nearby graveyards-- those who died in the great fire-- as well...
This was pretty much over the top throughout, and I had a hard time keeping interest, especially with Cantrell's dreamscape images and prose. Not really much of a plot-- evil returns once again, for even though the house burned down, the evil spirits live on. Definitely grade B- pulp horror, and I can see why Cantrell faded from the horror scene shortly after this was published. It does have some tense scenes, but is more like a pile of cheap thrills and wooden characters all stuck together. 2.5 stars, rounding up as this is Halloween season!
December 10, 2020
This one may have just come at a bad time for me mentally, but it really didn't "pick up" until practically the end of the novel, in my opinion. A few really good scenes, but not as good as its predecessor.
October 18, 2023
A bit of a long slow burn. I kind of just wanted it to get to the point , but once the scary stuff started to come forward it was great.
September 25, 2024
1990's Torments revisits the Merrillville, NC real estate originally tramped-down and set alight in Cantrell's The Manse (1987).
Many who organized the previous novel's JC's haunted house, and its ticket-buyers, have also returned.
The bad news? They're dead!
All joking aside, Cantrell has found some new live ones to join the small-town nightmare.
Salem's Lot, IT, and Straub's Floating Dragon all cast long shadows here.
* * *
A comparative analysis of "Torments" by Lisa W. Cantrell, considering its connection to "The Manse."
"Torments" (1990)
Plot & How Plot Reveals: Resurrection of evil, small-town horror, psychological trauma, supernatural forces, mystery, and suspense. The plot unfolds through a series of interconnected events and character experiences, gradually revealing the dark secrets and the growing threat.
Setting: Primarily Merrillville, North Carolina, two years after the events of "The Manse." The setting includes the new condominium complex built on the site of the destroyed Manse, the town's cemetery, and other familiar locations. The atmosphere is eerie and suspenseful, with a focus on the lingering presence of evil.
Characters: Returning characters from "The Manse" like Samantha Evers and Ted Nathan, alongside new characters like Vince Colletti and the enigmatic Pearl Rollins. The characters grapple with psychological trauma, guilt, and the resurgence of past horrors.
Location: Merrillville, North Carolina, a small Southern town with a dark history.
Themes: The enduring power of evil, the consequences of past actions, the fragility of reality, psychological trauma, and the struggle for redemption
Style: Descriptive and atmospheric, building suspense and a sense of unease. The narrative delves into the characters' inner thoughts and emotions, creating a sense of psychological depth.
Point of View: Primarily third-person limited, shifting between different characters' perspectives to offer insights into their individual experiences and struggles.
* * *
Similarities and Differences between "Torments" and "The Manse"
Similarities:
Setting and Location: Both novels are primarily set in the same fictional town, Merrillville, North Carolina.
Characters: Several characters from "The Manse" reappear in "Torments," providing continuity and further exploring their development after the traumatic events of the first book.
Themes: Both novels delve into the themes of the enduring power of evil, the consequences of past actions, and the fragility of reality.
Style: Both novels employ a descriptive and atmospheric style, creating a sense of suspense and unease
Differences:
Plot & How Plot Reveals: While "The Manse" focuses on the immediate horror and the characters' struggle for survival during a single night, "Torments" explores the long-term psychological and supernatural consequences of those events, unfolding over a more extended period.
Characters: "Torments" introduces new characters who bring fresh perspectives and complexities to the narrative, expanding the exploration of the lingering trauma and the potential for redemption.
Themes: "Torments" delves deeper into the themes of psychological trauma and the struggle for redemption, as the characters grapple with the aftermath of the events in "The Manse."
Point of View: While "The Manse" primarily focuses on a single character's perspective, "Torments" employs a more expansive third-person limited point of view, offering insights into the experiences of multiple characters.
* * *
Many who organized the previous novel's JC's haunted house, and its ticket-buyers, have also returned.
The bad news? They're dead!
All joking aside, Cantrell has found some new live ones to join the small-town nightmare.
Salem's Lot, IT, and Straub's Floating Dragon all cast long shadows here.
* * *
A comparative analysis of "Torments" by Lisa W. Cantrell, considering its connection to "The Manse."
"Torments" (1990)
Plot & How Plot Reveals: Resurrection of evil, small-town horror, psychological trauma, supernatural forces, mystery, and suspense. The plot unfolds through a series of interconnected events and character experiences, gradually revealing the dark secrets and the growing threat.
Setting: Primarily Merrillville, North Carolina, two years after the events of "The Manse." The setting includes the new condominium complex built on the site of the destroyed Manse, the town's cemetery, and other familiar locations. The atmosphere is eerie and suspenseful, with a focus on the lingering presence of evil.
Characters: Returning characters from "The Manse" like Samantha Evers and Ted Nathan, alongside new characters like Vince Colletti and the enigmatic Pearl Rollins. The characters grapple with psychological trauma, guilt, and the resurgence of past horrors.
Location: Merrillville, North Carolina, a small Southern town with a dark history.
Themes: The enduring power of evil, the consequences of past actions, the fragility of reality, psychological trauma, and the struggle for redemption
Style: Descriptive and atmospheric, building suspense and a sense of unease. The narrative delves into the characters' inner thoughts and emotions, creating a sense of psychological depth.
Point of View: Primarily third-person limited, shifting between different characters' perspectives to offer insights into their individual experiences and struggles.
* * *
Similarities and Differences between "Torments" and "The Manse"
Similarities:
Setting and Location: Both novels are primarily set in the same fictional town, Merrillville, North Carolina.
Characters: Several characters from "The Manse" reappear in "Torments," providing continuity and further exploring their development after the traumatic events of the first book.
Themes: Both novels delve into the themes of the enduring power of evil, the consequences of past actions, and the fragility of reality.
Style: Both novels employ a descriptive and atmospheric style, creating a sense of suspense and unease
Differences:
Plot & How Plot Reveals: While "The Manse" focuses on the immediate horror and the characters' struggle for survival during a single night, "Torments" explores the long-term psychological and supernatural consequences of those events, unfolding over a more extended period.
Characters: "Torments" introduces new characters who bring fresh perspectives and complexities to the narrative, expanding the exploration of the lingering trauma and the potential for redemption.
Themes: "Torments" delves deeper into the themes of psychological trauma and the struggle for redemption, as the characters grapple with the aftermath of the events in "The Manse."
Point of View: While "The Manse" primarily focuses on a single character's perspective, "Torments" employs a more expansive third-person limited point of view, offering insights into the experiences of multiple characters.
* * *
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2022
The Manse was a partially enjoyable Halloween read about a haunted house and how various people in town react to it as the story takes form. Torments was a follow up and all I can say was that I was just bored.
Cantrell’s writing had improved and the first fifty pages grabbed me in with new and returning characters mixed in, but the rest just fell flat. There was too much backstory and just when something would get interesting, it would jump to someone else. Then, the moments where it did linger on a character just seemed way too long and drawn out. Glad to be done as much as I hate to say that.
Cantrell’s writing had improved and the first fifty pages grabbed me in with new and returning characters mixed in, but the rest just fell flat. There was too much backstory and just when something would get interesting, it would jump to someone else. Then, the moments where it did linger on a character just seemed way too long and drawn out. Glad to be done as much as I hate to say that.
November 7, 2020
The perfect culmination to its predecessor. Faster paced, and tightly connected. The climax The Manse deserved.
October 6, 2022
A great climax to a boring book. The horror was fantastic when it got going.
October 18, 2023
I enjoyed this more than The Manse
This seemed a bit more faster paced and had much more horror content
This seemed a bit more faster paced and had much more horror content
October 20, 2023
Not as good as the first one. Seems kind of anticlimactic. I don’t think there needed to be a sequel, but I feel that way about most sequels.
October 14, 2024
Another solid horror book but different from the first. This one is more post-trauma existential dread rather than fun Halloween horror. Which you like best will depend on your preference.
November 4, 2024
Full review here:
https://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/...
While this one is better written than the original, and remains a fun read, the multiple plot lines that get resolved a bit too quickly and one or two not so logical actions keep it from being a perfect Halloween read. Still fun.
https://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/...
While this one is better written than the original, and remains a fun read, the multiple plot lines that get resolved a bit too quickly and one or two not so logical actions keep it from being a perfect Halloween read. Still fun.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews