Stimmen in einem leeren Haus

by Joan Aiken

Der schwer kranke Jugendliche Gabriel verschwindet von Zuhause. Eine Flucht vor den lieblosen Eltern? Oder handelt es sich vielleicht doch um eine Entführung? Die Suche beginnt.

Genres: Literature, Mystery, British Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Joan Aiken was a much loved English writer who received the MBE for services to Children's Literature. She was known as a writer of wild fantasy, Gothic novels and short stories.

She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).

Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.

Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.

Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.

Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.

Reviews

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book, firstly because it received the prestigious “A” rating in Elsa J. Radcliffe’s Gothic Novels of the Twentieth Century (1979), and secondly because it is by Joan Aiken, one of my favorite authors. Professor Radcliffe writes, “This is not a Gothic, but those who like Joan Aiken, or a very good suspense story with wonderful characters, shouldn’t miss this.”
Joan Aiken was probably incapable of writing poorly, but I found this book a little disappointing. The characters were very good, but they should have been explored even more. Although that would make the book longer, and these days it's harder for me to finish books, so maybe not.
There were hints of subplots that should have been explained more thoroughly. Did Bo and Gabriel have an incestuous, pedophiliac affair? What happened to James? What started the fire? And why the cliffhanger ending? Will Gabriel live or not? I think he will. But why make me guess? And how am I supposed to feel about Bo drowning Bella and then himself? They were bad, but they died not knowing Gabriel was still alive, and that feels wrong. They died under false pretenses. And why oh why did Thomas, who seemed so decent, deliberately hit Gabriel with his car? It was really disappointing, finding that out. But I suppose thrillers are like that, tricking you into thinking someone can be trusted, then upending your expectations.