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Nazareth Hill
The emotional turmoil of a teenage girl's adolescence is matched by her father's midlife crisis, and it becomes clear that this battle is only one stage in a centuries-old war between authority and rebellion, innocence and suspicion.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
14 people are currently reading
1247 people want to read
About the author
Ramsey Campbell
858 books1,593 followersRamsey Campbell is a British writer considered by a number of critics to be one of the great masters of horror fiction. T. E. D. Klein has written that "Campbell reigns supreme in the field today," while S. T. Joshi has said that "future generations will regard him as the leading horror writer of our generation, every bit the equal of Lovecraft or Blackwood."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
April 30, 2023
Lo que más me gustó de la historia es lo bien que está descrita la impotencia de ser adolescente (y por encima gótica) en un mundo de mayores que no te hacen ni puto caso, de cómo esos mismos adultos, supuestamente funcionales, escurren el bulto y normalizan situaciones horrorosas, por no lidiar con ellas, o por no admitir que hay algo que se les escapa.
Y creo que aquí hay una muy buena peli.
Y creo que aquí hay una muy buena peli.
March 15, 2015
The very long version is here; otherwise read on.
If you're looking for an average haunted house novel with ghosts and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night, do not look here. What you get in Nazareth Hill is a great story where the supernatural provides a backdrop for an intense psychological examination of a man as he sinks into his own madness. Sadly, he drags his daughter right along with him.
I don't understand the negative reviews of this novel -- some people didn't find it scary enough, some thought it was too long and too clunky in terms of how Campbell writes. Okay, each to his own, but I found it exceptionally frightening on a very human level. And while I'm a huge fan of the author's short stories, he manages to keep the tension not only flowing but also building throughout the entire length of this book. A lot of authors I've read can't make that transition and do it well, but in this case, I was hopelessly lost in this story until the ending. Actually, the ending was what I found not so great about this novel, but for me it's usually about the journey anyway. I have zero qualms recommending this book.
If you're looking for an average haunted house novel with ghosts and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night, do not look here. What you get in Nazareth Hill is a great story where the supernatural provides a backdrop for an intense psychological examination of a man as he sinks into his own madness. Sadly, he drags his daughter right along with him.
I don't understand the negative reviews of this novel -- some people didn't find it scary enough, some thought it was too long and too clunky in terms of how Campbell writes. Okay, each to his own, but I found it exceptionally frightening on a very human level. And while I'm a huge fan of the author's short stories, he manages to keep the tension not only flowing but also building throughout the entire length of this book. A lot of authors I've read can't make that transition and do it well, but in this case, I was hopelessly lost in this story until the ending. Actually, the ending was what I found not so great about this novel, but for me it's usually about the journey anyway. I have zero qualms recommending this book.
June 30, 2020
En este libro seguiremos la historia de la familia Priestley que llega a vivir a su nuevo hogar.
Así, el escenario principal será este edificio, que tiene un pasado que todos se niegan a aceptar, y que los que lo descubren o presencian serán protagonistas de extraños sucesos.
Una historia llena de tensión, con momentos muy espeluznantes y unos personajes que transmiten mucho sus pensamientos y diferentes sentimientos terror, desesperación, miedo, enojo, soledad, incomprensión, locura, entre muchos otros.
Aquí, habrá violencia, inexplicables cambios, una historia de brujas, presencias extrañas, muertes sobrenaturales, entre otros elementos que la hacen una historia muy entretenida, y que por momentos hace dudar al lector de qué es lo que está pasando y quien esta siendo afectado.
El manejo del suspenso en la narración, hace que por momentos uno sienta empatía por un personaje, pero después en otro momento uno dudaba del mismo.
Me gustó mucho la historia, es el segundo libro que leo del autor, además de unos relatos, y debo decir que me encanta su pluma, crea atmósferas y personajes creíbles en escenarios muy bien logrados, sin la necesidad de excesiva cantidad páginas logra una narración visual excelente.
No le doy 5 porque, a pesar de poseer escenas muy envolventes, siento que una parte de el desarrollo estuvo algo lineal y monótono.
Así, el escenario principal será este edificio, que tiene un pasado que todos se niegan a aceptar, y que los que lo descubren o presencian serán protagonistas de extraños sucesos.
Una historia llena de tensión, con momentos muy espeluznantes y unos personajes que transmiten mucho sus pensamientos y diferentes sentimientos terror, desesperación, miedo, enojo, soledad, incomprensión, locura, entre muchos otros.
Aquí, habrá violencia, inexplicables cambios, una historia de brujas, presencias extrañas, muertes sobrenaturales, entre otros elementos que la hacen una historia muy entretenida, y que por momentos hace dudar al lector de qué es lo que está pasando y quien esta siendo afectado.
El manejo del suspenso en la narración, hace que por momentos uno sienta empatía por un personaje, pero después en otro momento uno dudaba del mismo.
Me gustó mucho la historia, es el segundo libro que leo del autor, además de unos relatos, y debo decir que me encanta su pluma, crea atmósferas y personajes creíbles en escenarios muy bien logrados, sin la necesidad de excesiva cantidad páginas logra una narración visual excelente.
No le doy 5 porque, a pesar de poseer escenas muy envolventes, siento que una parte de el desarrollo estuvo algo lineal y monótono.
August 2, 2018
Sin duda una novela muy bien escrita sin ninguna falla, ni huecos en la historia, sin embargo, a mí sentir, tardó mucho en arrancar, los personajes fueron trazados tan lentamente que en algún momento dejan de interesarte. La historia se hace muy interesante y espeluznante desde la mitad hacia el final. Me gusto a secas, creo que sus cuentos cortos son muchos mejores que sus novelas
September 17, 2016
After the death of his wife, insurance salesman Oswald Priestly hopes for a fresh start when he moves himself and his teenaged daughter Amy into Nazarill, a centuries-old hulk of a building newly renovated into "luxury apartments." Unfortunately the renovations haven't entirely effaced Nazarill's bloody past, which lies closer to the surface than either Priestly is prepared for. When fifteen year-old Amy's adolescent (and totally normal) rebellions start to puzzle, then annoy, and finally infuriate Oswald, Nazarill's dark heart begins to beat.
The story is told in alternating narrative voices, and readers are privy to the perspectives of both Oswald and Amy, which begin to warp as the house goes to work on them. While Amy struggles against childhood nightmares come to life, she also becomes driven to uncover the secrets of her new home; put simply, Oswald becomes obsessed with stopping her at any cost. We can only watch helplessly as their lives absorb the taint of old violence from Nazarill's walls.
Nazareth Hill puts me in mind of The Shining, in that it tells of a house that feeds on poisoning its tenants' minds (and fathers in particular), but its vibe is more a a very British old-school ghost story. It relies heavily on a classic slow build of suspense -- strange noises, bad lighting, doors just barely cracked open, and shapeless revenants glimpsed but not-quite seen. All this it does excellently , so when the shocks do come, they are really shocking. OMG-gasp-out-loud shocking.
Where Nazareth Hill falls a star short of perfect is in the unevenness of its characterization: who knew a middle-aged man could write a more nuanced teenaged girl than he could a middle-aged man? Obviously, readers are meant to sympathize with Amy, but it's a shame that Oswald, who starts out as a hapless widower coping with the mysteries of adolescence, becomes an entirely repulsive, over-the-top character. It feels plain lazy to make the heroine's father a total monster; even Jack Torrance retained a shred of humanity to the end.
4 out of 5 stars for excellence in atmosphere peopled by unevenly executed characters.
The story is told in alternating narrative voices, and readers are privy to the perspectives of both Oswald and Amy, which begin to warp as the house goes to work on them. While Amy struggles against childhood nightmares come to life, she also becomes driven to uncover the secrets of her new home; put simply, Oswald becomes obsessed with stopping her at any cost. We can only watch helplessly as their lives absorb the taint of old violence from Nazarill's walls.
Nazareth Hill puts me in mind of The Shining, in that it tells of a house that feeds on poisoning its tenants' minds (and fathers in particular), but its vibe is more a a very British old-school ghost story. It relies heavily on a classic slow build of suspense -- strange noises, bad lighting, doors just barely cracked open, and shapeless revenants glimpsed but not-quite seen. All this it does excellently , so when the shocks do come, they are really shocking. OMG-gasp-out-loud shocking.
Where Nazareth Hill falls a star short of perfect is in the unevenness of its characterization: who knew a middle-aged man could write a more nuanced teenaged girl than he could a middle-aged man? Obviously, readers are meant to sympathize with Amy, but it's a shame that Oswald, who starts out as a hapless widower coping with the mysteries of adolescence, becomes an entirely repulsive, over-the-top character. It feels plain lazy to make the heroine's father a total monster; even Jack Torrance retained a shred of humanity to the end.
4 out of 5 stars for excellence in atmosphere peopled by unevenly executed characters.
October 25, 2021
Mostly great stuff, influenced by some flaws. The core stuff, though? Delicious. An ostensible haunted house story presents itself as the stage for where two lead characters involved in an intensely emotional and personal psychological duel engage in a conflict which completely breaks each character down to their fundamentals. Oswald Priestley has moved his daughter Amy (and only remaining family) into a newly renovated mansion in a small English settlement, said mansion of which has coincidentally been the source of Amy's nightmares for the past her-entire-childhood. As things grow stranger and things do indeed go bump in the night, tensions mount as Amy does what she can to unearth the mystery, much to the dismay of her father who is convinced his daughter is going mad. It's a by-the-numbers premise, but Campbell elevates its status by relegating plot to the second tier of this story: this is a character study through the lens of the uncanny, as much horror as it is a slow-boiling psychological drama with supernatural elements. The scariest thing about this book is not the monsters (which are a bit dated descriptively and not entirely evocative, but they serve their purpose), but the evil a human being can dole out toward the ones they claim they love if they believe that their actions can be justified.
The thing I most loved about this book was its portrayal of an abuser in the form of Oswald Priestley. He's a richly detailed character, one driven by his hypocritical adherence to "godliness" as much as he is completely motivated by his own narcissism and desire to control. He almost never has actual outbursts (there's a strong keyword there) and is polite and considerate to basically everyone except Amy, his target/supply, who he constantly infantilizes, attempts to control, disrespects, blames, and treats as essentially an extension of himself rather than an individual. He's a walking, boiling pot simmering at its anxious edges every moment, and his politeness only serves to make him more frightening. The dread that occurred in me whenever he and Amy spoke was palpable, and seeing as there's a *lot* of those moments in this book, and that this is a horror novel, there's no way this couldn't be a success.
This doesn't always hit the mark though - while the slow trawl of the narrative is tantalizing, I still think this book could have benefitted from a good ol' bloat-repellant trim. The other problem is that for the most part the side characters are varying shades of uninteresting or insufferable (though the latter is obviously purposeful on the part of the author), leading to some unnecessary (if thankfully scant) diversions from the main points of view that seriously could have stood to be edited.
I feel like this book has enough material that it will sate two camps: those going in looking for a slow burn haunted house story and those looking for something a bit more character-focused. Considering I love both of those things, "Nazareth Hill" was *almost* made for me, though it falls short in a few places. A good October read if you still haven't found anything to sate that itch over the past few weeks.
P.S. Campbell's style here kind of reminds of my own. Gotta keep note of that for at least something, right?
The thing I most loved about this book was its portrayal of an abuser in the form of Oswald Priestley. He's a richly detailed character, one driven by his hypocritical adherence to "godliness" as much as he is completely motivated by his own narcissism and desire to control. He almost never has actual outbursts (there's a strong keyword there) and is polite and considerate to basically everyone except Amy, his target/supply, who he constantly infantilizes, attempts to control, disrespects, blames, and treats as essentially an extension of himself rather than an individual. He's a walking, boiling pot simmering at its anxious edges every moment, and his politeness only serves to make him more frightening. The dread that occurred in me whenever he and Amy spoke was palpable, and seeing as there's a *lot* of those moments in this book, and that this is a horror novel, there's no way this couldn't be a success.
This doesn't always hit the mark though - while the slow trawl of the narrative is tantalizing, I still think this book could have benefitted from a good ol' bloat-repellant trim. The other problem is that for the most part the side characters are varying shades of uninteresting or insufferable (though the latter is obviously purposeful on the part of the author), leading to some unnecessary (if thankfully scant) diversions from the main points of view that seriously could have stood to be edited.
I feel like this book has enough material that it will sate two camps: those going in looking for a slow burn haunted house story and those looking for something a bit more character-focused. Considering I love both of those things, "Nazareth Hill" was *almost* made for me, though it falls short in a few places. A good October read if you still haven't found anything to sate that itch over the past few weeks.
P.S. Campbell's style here kind of reminds of my own. Gotta keep note of that for at least something, right?
March 26, 2007
A father and daughter move into a building that once housed a mental institution and the former occupants wreck havoc on the new tenants. This is one of the scariest books I have ever read. There were a couple of passages that frightened me so badly, I had to put the book down. The setting is divinely creepy and the characters are interesting and well-developed.
August 11, 2017
Laboriously, the crazy, abusive father is crazy and abusive. Too bad, a haunted house makes things even worse, the end. I didn't find this one fun at all, skimmed. It was one awkward, at first emotionally then physically abusive scene after another. Just...no.
June 28, 2021
History repeats... indeed, seems desperate to do so, as the long-dead but far from quiescent patients of an burnt-out-sanitorium-turned-residentional-appartments seek, if not exactly justice, then at least some recognition for their suffering.
The style is prime Campbell, wonderful off-kiltre desctiption, full of ambiguity even when concerned with the most mundane. The horrors, when they come, are breathless, panic-y things with the power to enthral and rivet the reader in place in broad daylight. And the penultimate chapter is a thing of surprising beauty.
But there is too much of the commonplace, too much of the everyday, between the thrills - more than was necessary to set scenes and engage with characters. The pacing was thrown off for long spans of the novel. A leaner version would be a better version.
Yet, as it stands, THoNH is Good Campbell... which makes it excellent Horror.
The style is prime Campbell, wonderful off-kiltre desctiption, full of ambiguity even when concerned with the most mundane. The horrors, when they come, are breathless, panic-y things with the power to enthral and rivet the reader in place in broad daylight. And the penultimate chapter is a thing of surprising beauty.
But there is too much of the commonplace, too much of the everyday, between the thrills - more than was necessary to set scenes and engage with characters. The pacing was thrown off for long spans of the novel. A leaner version would be a better version.
Yet, as it stands, THoNH is Good Campbell... which makes it excellent Horror.
June 15, 2016
I've been meaning to read something by Ramsey Campbell for a while, since I love dark fiction and horror, but every time I've tried, I was stymied by his plodding and overly ornate writing style. For the first 100 pages of Nazareth Hill, I was sure I was embarking on yet another Campbell DNF, but other reviews assured me that there would be some payoff by the end, so I persevered.
The story concerns a father and daughter, Oswald and Amy Priestly, who move into a creepy former asylum turned into apartments. The place starts playing with their minds, and Oswald soon goes completely round the bend. The author does a good job of creating a mood of claustrophobic doom, but otherwise, I found this one just an OK read.
The story concerns a father and daughter, Oswald and Amy Priestly, who move into a creepy former asylum turned into apartments. The place starts playing with their minds, and Oswald soon goes completely round the bend. The author does a good job of creating a mood of claustrophobic doom, but otherwise, I found this one just an OK read.
February 22, 2013
Drawn out, garbled prose leading to a bummer conclusion. I simply didn't enjoy reading it. It took too long for me to figure out what the author was trying to say - it may be an issue of personal taste, but I found his writing style cluttered and difficult to follow. I believe other people have had the same problem.
The two other main issues I had:
1. Too many characters (and too much time spent describing people who didn't matter); and
2. Unrealistic characterization. I realize he was trying to make a point, but I have difficulty believing the girl would've been treated the way she was by the others in the apartment. The people in this book were like caricatures of sitcom idiots with the daughter as the only voice of reason.
Not interested in his other work at this point.
The two other main issues I had:
1. Too many characters (and too much time spent describing people who didn't matter); and
2. Unrealistic characterization. I realize he was trying to make a point, but I have difficulty believing the girl would've been treated the way she was by the others in the apartment. The people in this book were like caricatures of sitcom idiots with the daughter as the only voice of reason.
Not interested in his other work at this point.
March 23, 2011
I have become spoiled by fast-paced thrillers. Novels like Nazareth Hill remind me to stop and feel the dread. toward the end of the read, I literally had my jaw drop in horror y
April 29, 2018
This is the story of the disintegration of a relationship between father and daughter, and its descent into insanity and horror, with supernatural elements woven in. I found it rather a disappointment after some of Campbell's other novels, especially since the setting - a block of flats created from the derelict remains of an old building which had a past as offices and before that a lunatic asylum - and the cast of newly arrived flat owners did have potential. However, the involvement of the other characters is perfunctory and they hardly figure at all in the story.
The behaviour of the sixteen year old daughter who is aware of the psychic disturbances in the building is characterised well, with the allowance that this was written well before the use of internet, mobile phones etc, so her attempt to research the history of Nazarill, as the building is known, has to rely on secondhand bookstalls and the willingness or otherwise of a history teacher. But the father's disintegration as he becomes increasingly like an abusive former governor of the asylum comes across as so over the top at times, it cannot be taken seriously. Even at the time this book was written it is also unlikely that every adult - with the exception of someone who runs an "alternative" shop and is soon encouraged to leave - demonises the girl for using the odd rude word and approves of her being beaten.
The ending is truly horrific, but inevitable given what has gone before, although there is a slight ray of hopefulness in her ultimate fate. But if the ghosts of former inmates were looking to her for release from their imprisonment, it seems unlikely that they would terrorise her in the way they do. That, and the attempt to shoehorn too much into the story - the former inmates were also descendants of witches who used to worship on the hill where the house is built - rather muddles the story, so for me this only merits 2 stars.
The behaviour of the sixteen year old daughter who is aware of the psychic disturbances in the building is characterised well, with the allowance that this was written well before the use of internet, mobile phones etc, so her attempt to research the history of Nazarill, as the building is known, has to rely on secondhand bookstalls and the willingness or otherwise of a history teacher. But the father's disintegration as he becomes increasingly like an abusive former governor of the asylum comes across as so over the top at times, it cannot be taken seriously. Even at the time this book was written it is also unlikely that every adult - with the exception of someone who runs an "alternative" shop and is soon encouraged to leave - demonises the girl for using the odd rude word and approves of her being beaten.
The ending is truly horrific, but inevitable given what has gone before, although there is a slight ray of hopefulness in her ultimate fate. But if the ghosts of former inmates were looking to her for release from their imprisonment, it seems unlikely that they would terrorise her in the way they do. That, and the attempt to shoehorn too much into the story - the former inmates were also descendants of witches who used to worship on the hill where the house is built - rather muddles the story, so for me this only merits 2 stars.
March 17, 2017
Aah, that was so good!
The House on Nazareth Hill is a creepy and nostalgic story that is an absolute must for fans of slightly cheesy, traditional style horror.
Ramsey Campbell's narrative style reminds me of James Herbert, who is responsible for my love of the horror genre as I read The Dark when I was knee high to a grasshopper, and it hooked me right in. That's where my horror journey started and I've never looked back.
Initially, this had a slow start, with lots of character development and description, but once it got going, this dark and eerie tale *seeped into my mind and stuck like dusty cobwebs in a dark, unknown corner.
On occasions, there was serious overuse of the word 'rebuke', it just kept coming again and again which was a tad irritating, but other than that (and the slow start), this was a really great read.
It's cool to read a story where there's no mobile phones, everyone has a VCR player, and books and the library is the 'Google' equivalent to finding out about the mysterious past of Nazarill.
Overall, a highly entertaining and spooky read which tapped in to a lot of my personal fears, particularly spiders....! Recommended for lovers of traditional horror, where the sinister and cheesiness combine without too much eye~rolling by the reader.
4 stars out of 5, only lacking in full marks due to the first 100 pages being a little bit slow, *like wading through a pool of congealed blood with your socks off, feeling each minced body part squelch up between your toes!
(*my rubbish attempts at describing the 'feels' like the author!)
The House on Nazareth Hill is a creepy and nostalgic story that is an absolute must for fans of slightly cheesy, traditional style horror.
Ramsey Campbell's narrative style reminds me of James Herbert, who is responsible for my love of the horror genre as I read The Dark when I was knee high to a grasshopper, and it hooked me right in. That's where my horror journey started and I've never looked back.
Initially, this had a slow start, with lots of character development and description, but once it got going, this dark and eerie tale *seeped into my mind and stuck like dusty cobwebs in a dark, unknown corner.
On occasions, there was serious overuse of the word 'rebuke', it just kept coming again and again which was a tad irritating, but other than that (and the slow start), this was a really great read.
It's cool to read a story where there's no mobile phones, everyone has a VCR player, and books and the library is the 'Google' equivalent to finding out about the mysterious past of Nazarill.
Overall, a highly entertaining and spooky read which tapped in to a lot of my personal fears, particularly spiders....! Recommended for lovers of traditional horror, where the sinister and cheesiness combine without too much eye~rolling by the reader.
4 stars out of 5, only lacking in full marks due to the first 100 pages being a little bit slow, *like wading through a pool of congealed blood with your socks off, feeling each minced body part squelch up between your toes!
(*my rubbish attempts at describing the 'feels' like the author!)
November 29, 2025
Miren, este libro lo inicie y pospuse quizás unas tres veces. No es, hasta este mes que me dije: ¡Debo terminarlo!
Quiero decir: ¡Que experiencia! Me recuerda estos libros que tenemos en nuestra biblioteca por años, y hasta que le damos la oportunidad descubrimos la joya que son.
No es una simple historia más de casas encantadas (o edificios en este caso). La profundidad psicológica de la relación de abuso entre padre e hija, al quedarse viudo el uno y huérfana de madre la otra, es sumamente triste y al final inhumano. Y no sólo eso, la poca empatía de las personas que rodean a nuestros personajes. ¡ay no! lo recuerdo y me conmueve el corazón.
Es una historia que recomiendo mucho. También es una historia que depende de la perspectiva y de cómo se lea, puede o no gustar.
La copia que leí tenía errores en la traducción, pero, puede notarse que me encanto.
Quiero decir: ¡Que experiencia! Me recuerda estos libros que tenemos en nuestra biblioteca por años, y hasta que le damos la oportunidad descubrimos la joya que son.
No es una simple historia más de casas encantadas (o edificios en este caso). La profundidad psicológica de la relación de abuso entre padre e hija, al quedarse viudo el uno y huérfana de madre la otra, es sumamente triste y al final inhumano. Y no sólo eso, la poca empatía de las personas que rodean a nuestros personajes. ¡ay no! lo recuerdo y me conmueve el corazón.
Es una historia que recomiendo mucho. También es una historia que depende de la perspectiva y de cómo se lea, puede o no gustar.
La copia que leí tenía errores en la traducción, pero, puede notarse que me encanto.
March 3, 2024
3.5 stars.
Richly atmospheric and suspenseful gothic haunted house novel elevated by the psychological clash between father and daughter. The final act was bloated (a sequence involving screws seemed to go on for aeons), but the ending managed to move me.
Richly atmospheric and suspenseful gothic haunted house novel elevated by the psychological clash between father and daughter. The final act was bloated (a sequence involving screws seemed to go on for aeons), but the ending managed to move me.
June 30, 2015
I really enjoyed this story. I don't think it's one I'd ever read twice, but I did like it.
I struggled through some characters' perspectives and found myself at constant internal conflict over my opinion of a few of them. I can't honestly say that I actually liked any of them completely. Personally, I just didn't know what to feel while I was reading, other than aggravation and distress. The reason that this book didn't get five stars is because this is a review from what I experienced and what I experienced was a struggle mixed with yearning for more story. Even at the end, my mind was telling me how awesome it would be for certain perspectives to be continued at some later book, all while being up set for reasons that I don't want to spoil for future readers.
This book does deserve five stars. If I were far more fair and judged the book for it's writing, I would give it five stars. The writing is terrific - suspenseful yet detailed. There were scenes that made me uncomfortable to be in dark hallways and rooms for a while. Well, far more uncomfortable that I usually am. I just wanted to scream at the characters, all of the characters, but each of them has quite a bit of depth.
I wasn't very keen on most of the names in the story, but I could see why they were chosen. They were nice choices, but I felt like some were very on-the-nose and others were very plain. The setting was lovely and easy to fall into. Everything was just detailed enough to paint a picture for me. It was also really fun to read to the point where certain themes really tie everything into a nice bow on top of a very pretty package.
I couldn't manage to give this one five stars though because I can't see myself picking it up for a second read through. It was well worth the first read and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys psychological thrillers or horror novels. I just can't deal with the fact that reading it made me want more and made me grumpy about everything at the exact same time.
I struggled through some characters' perspectives and found myself at constant internal conflict over my opinion of a few of them. I can't honestly say that I actually liked any of them completely. Personally, I just didn't know what to feel while I was reading, other than aggravation and distress. The reason that this book didn't get five stars is because this is a review from what I experienced and what I experienced was a struggle mixed with yearning for more story. Even at the end, my mind was telling me how awesome it would be for certain perspectives to be continued at some later book, all while being up set for reasons that I don't want to spoil for future readers.
This book does deserve five stars. If I were far more fair and judged the book for it's writing, I would give it five stars. The writing is terrific - suspenseful yet detailed. There were scenes that made me uncomfortable to be in dark hallways and rooms for a while. Well, far more uncomfortable that I usually am. I just wanted to scream at the characters, all of the characters, but each of them has quite a bit of depth.
I wasn't very keen on most of the names in the story, but I could see why they were chosen. They were nice choices, but I felt like some were very on-the-nose and others were very plain. The setting was lovely and easy to fall into. Everything was just detailed enough to paint a picture for me. It was also really fun to read to the point where certain themes really tie everything into a nice bow on top of a very pretty package.
I couldn't manage to give this one five stars though because I can't see myself picking it up for a second read through. It was well worth the first read and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys psychological thrillers or horror novels. I just can't deal with the fact that reading it made me want more and made me grumpy about everything at the exact same time.
November 5, 2018
Nazareth Hill is a powerful and moving novel featuring many of the qualities that make Ramsey Campbell so good. Compassionate social commentary, clever wordplay, and a tightening sense of dread and unreality frolic on the pages between a flawed, but idyllic, home and a towering inferno of madness. It goes a bit off the rails at the very end in a way that makes sense thematically but not as much in a dramatic sense. Even then, there are some very good bits at the end. But the best stuff is the lead up, the sensitive language and the symbolic parallels between witch burnings and ghost stories with modern mob mentality and inter-generational conflict.
The older generation is shown confusingly passing down their own pain and torment onto a young generation that doesn't see why it needs it. Compassionate to both sides, the story portrays this kind of cruel language as a sort of disease of society; the same sort of disease which lead to mass hysteria and the murders of so many innocent young women.
It isn't one of Ramsey Campbell's best works but it is a fine one. I've almost managed to read the lot of his novels and each one shows a lot of thought and understanding. The first half is fantastic and parts of the last few chapters are extremely well done but the two don't quite mesh as well as I'd like. Thematically, that dialogue though. I can understand it if people don't find the wordplay and uses of irony as much fun as I do, but this has many fine moments of it. Campbell seems to want to point out the cruelty in social and religious judgmental as well as show that it is often passed on with what one might think are good intentions. Soon you might start seeing the twist on the words and self righteous bully uses, thinking they're just doing what they have to do to preserve a status quo oblivious to it's own disease.
The older generation is shown confusingly passing down their own pain and torment onto a young generation that doesn't see why it needs it. Compassionate to both sides, the story portrays this kind of cruel language as a sort of disease of society; the same sort of disease which lead to mass hysteria and the murders of so many innocent young women.
It isn't one of Ramsey Campbell's best works but it is a fine one. I've almost managed to read the lot of his novels and each one shows a lot of thought and understanding. The first half is fantastic and parts of the last few chapters are extremely well done but the two don't quite mesh as well as I'd like. Thematically, that dialogue though. I can understand it if people don't find the wordplay and uses of irony as much fun as I do, but this has many fine moments of it. Campbell seems to want to point out the cruelty in social and religious judgmental as well as show that it is often passed on with what one might think are good intentions. Soon you might start seeing the twist on the words and self righteous bully uses, thinking they're just doing what they have to do to preserve a status quo oblivious to it's own disease.
September 14, 2008
Will someone tell me what I’m missing about Ramsey Campbell? I’m being serious here. I haven’t been able to finish one of his novels yet. I tried to read his newest, “Grin in the Dark,” which features an evil clown that unleashes a nameless evil on the world. Stephen King did the same thing a thousand times better when he wrote “It,” and at the time he was coked out of his mind.
Anyway…Nazareth Hill came highly recommended by a fellow librarian who also happens to be a horror connoisseur. I figured it would be good. It wasn’t. Here’s my review: the story starts slowly and builds to a grisly, sadistic end which any discerning reader can see coming from the first chapter.
People talk about Ramsey Campbell like he’s the Bill Shakespeare of the horror genre. If that’s true the horror genre is in trouble. Horror writers seem to have a love-hate relationship with literary fiction, which either stems from a chip on the shoulder or an inferiority complex. Campbell has a style that I’ve heard described as both psychological and poetic, phrases I’ve heard used to describe writers of literary fiction. To me it comes across as padded, as in – get to the point, please. Yes, the phrase ‘spider house’ is poetic; yes, you do spend lots of time describing your characters’ inner thoughts & feelings. Give yourself a cookie!
I have to say that I think Campbell’s short stories are very good; maybe it’s because they’re short. But I just don’t get his novels.
Anyway…Nazareth Hill came highly recommended by a fellow librarian who also happens to be a horror connoisseur. I figured it would be good. It wasn’t. Here’s my review: the story starts slowly and builds to a grisly, sadistic end which any discerning reader can see coming from the first chapter.
People talk about Ramsey Campbell like he’s the Bill Shakespeare of the horror genre. If that’s true the horror genre is in trouble. Horror writers seem to have a love-hate relationship with literary fiction, which either stems from a chip on the shoulder or an inferiority complex. Campbell has a style that I’ve heard described as both psychological and poetic, phrases I’ve heard used to describe writers of literary fiction. To me it comes across as padded, as in – get to the point, please. Yes, the phrase ‘spider house’ is poetic; yes, you do spend lots of time describing your characters’ inner thoughts & feelings. Give yourself a cookie!
I have to say that I think Campbell’s short stories are very good; maybe it’s because they’re short. But I just don’t get his novels.
April 24, 2013
I .can see why this book received so many poor reviews on Goodreads. It is terribly unweildy, taking forever to get to the point, and that is in nearly every paragraph.
However, it was hard for me to hate it because the IDEA, the story was so compelling to me. I'm going to say, it was tedious to read at times. Okay, most times. It left me feeling some how less intelligent. As if me not connecting and diving in was my fault.
But then I reminded myself of my book enjoyment rule. "If there is a good story and people would rather do anything but read, it is the story teller's fault.
Bottom line;The idea snd the story is quite good. The execution leaves much to be desired.
However, it was hard for me to hate it because the IDEA, the story was so compelling to me. I'm going to say, it was tedious to read at times. Okay, most times. It left me feeling some how less intelligent. As if me not connecting and diving in was my fault.
But then I reminded myself of my book enjoyment rule. "If there is a good story and people would rather do anything but read, it is the story teller's fault.
Bottom line;The idea snd the story is quite good. The execution leaves much to be desired.
November 19, 2010
This might have been a decent read if it was half as long. The extremely one-dimensional characters were its undoing. A short list of evil people: the religious, authority figures, anyone working in an office, old people. The good: people who have multiple facial piercings, do drugs, ride around in psychedelically painted vans. I thought I was maybe being oversensitive, but then came the part where her father's co-workers, who otherwise seem to simply be normal people at a small-town insurance office, start openly encouraging him to beat her.
March 15, 2008
A chilling story... As a child, Amy was afraid of the old building on the hill, called Nazerill by the town's inhabitants. Now, at fifteen, she and her father have taken up residence in that same building, which has been converted into luxury apartments. But the house on the hill holds dark secrets, and they are worming their way to the surface...
January 21, 2008
This guy's books are fabulously written and one of the few authentically scary authors out there... so much so that I actually don't recommend reading him. Pleasurable disquietude that has too much disquietude and not enough pleasure. Sorry, ramsey!
May 28, 2015
Pretty good horror novel. Campbell does a great job of building the suspense throughout the novel. The relationship between the father and daughter is fascinating. And the ending will blow you away!
June 19, 2015
Abundancia de palabras sin objetivo. Ramsey tiene una fama no merecida, tan sólo dada por su prematura escritura y charlas con Howard y Lovecraft.
December 23, 2019
Una vez más, no es lo que esperaba pero me gustó bastante.
Review pendiente.
Review pendiente.
July 17, 2023
En ocasiones, creo que algunos lugares te hacen ver lo que ocurrió en ellos, o sentir las sensaciones de aquel momento. Es solo que la gente debería ser capaz de eliminar esas sensaciones al vivir en un sitio y ser felices en él, ¿no te parece?
Desde que era niña, Amy ha tenido miedo de la casa de la colina Nazareth, o la casa de la araña, como ella la llama. Pero ya no es una ruina, sino un moderno edificio de departamentos, donde su padre la lleva a vivir. Ella intenta demostrarle a su padre que hay algo siniestro que se mueve entre las sombras de los departamentos, y que ha ocasionado el par de muertes que han ocurrido desde que se mudaron, pero todos los adultos a su alrededor tachan sus revelaciones de rebeldía adolescente. ¿Cómo puede lograr que la escuchen cuando su propio padre piensa que está poseída por el diablo?
Este libro en principio me recordó bastante a The Graveyard Apartment por el edificio moderno y la dinámica de mostrarnos a los distintos habitantes del edificio y cómo se ven afectados ellos por los fenómenos extraños que ocurren allí. Pero aunque esos vistazos a la vida de los vecinos nos muestran ya en el primer 25% del libro unas escenas escalofriantes, que satisfarán a quien venga buscando un susto fácil, es muy distinto al verdadero drama que está desarrollándose en el hogar de la familia Priestley, que se cuece lentamente y no explota sino hasta el último tercio del libro.
La premisa no es nueva. Una vivienda construida sobre un lugar con pasado trágico, tan remoto que a nadie le importa o directamente no lo recuerdan. Lo que es diferente en Nazareth Hill es la forma insidiosa en que la malignidad del lugar afecta directamente solo a ciertos individuos, y específicamente al padre de Amy. Porque una cosa es que alguien fallezca de un paro cardíaco por ver a uno de los espectros, herencia de la cámara de tortura que era el hospital psiquiátrico 300 años antes, y otra cosa muy diferente es que Oswald Priestley se vuelva un fanático religioso demasiado parecido a los torturadores de la antigüedad, y más cuando se vuelve contra su propia hija.
Hasta el 60 % del libro todavía podríamos pensar que sencillamente es un padre odiosamente sobreprotector ante una adolescente demasiado rebelde... pero entonces cruza un límite invisible para todos a su alrededor, pero no para la hija presa de sus maquinaciones. Ese límite que lleva el horror a un nuevo nivel, y opaca a los espectros que eran lo peor hasta entonces, en un clímax estremecedor que no deja a nadie indiferente.
Una lectura excelente si buscas un horror que se toma su tiempo en desatarse, porque tiene un par de partes lentas que parecen innecesarias en su momento, pero en su conjunto construyen la psicología de los personajes.
Nunca hubiera podido saber lo que le pasaba, ¿no? Uno nunca piensa que se comportarán como él cuando están locos. Uno nunca piensa que puedan ser tan convincentes y astutos como para que nadie se dé cuenta de lo que les pasa.
¿Qué Disfruté?
La tensión constante y el ansia compartida de Amy por descubrir qué se ocultaba en el pasado del lugar... aunque descubrirlo revuelve el estómago.
¿Qué Prefiero Olvidar?
Tuve que parar la lectura en cierto punto durante la recta final (los que lo hayan leído, sabrán exactamente cuál) porque era demasiado pesado psicológicamente. Los escalofríos que causan los espectros no son nada comparados con ESO.
Los monjes y los otros nos quieren aplastar
Pero el poder de la colina nos liberará.
DISPONIBLE EN NEXTORY
October 7, 2021
C'è sempre una prima volta per tutto: anche per leggere un romanzo di Ramsey Campbell, figura chiave della letteratura horror contemporanea, scrittore, critico, editor, insomma uno che se ti piace l'horror lo devi leggere per forza.
La casa a Nazareth Hill l'ho scelto un po' per caso, mettendolo dentro un megaordine fatto tempo fa da Independent Legions, casa editrice che per quanto mi riguarda non ha ancora sbagliato un colpo: a dirla tutta, mi sa che ne ho letto bene proprio su Guida ai migliori 150 libri horror, una preziosa guida scritta guarda caso da Alessandro Manzetti, la mente dietro Independent Legions - beh Alessandro, finchè i libri che pubblichi sono su questo livello, continua pure a promuoverli come meglio credi e io continuerò a seguirti.
Tornando al romanzo, che dire se non che è una di quelle robe che bruciano a fuoco lento e che da metà in poi decollano e ti fanno venire il groppo in gola fino alla fine? Se cercate azione e frattaglie volanti potete fare dietro front: qua l'orrore vero non è tanto in Nazarhill, l'inquietante edificio dentro e attorno al quale si svolge la vicenda, quanto nella mente dei protagonisti. Che poi, come insegna bene la Shirley Jackson di The Haunting of Hill House ma anche lo Stephen King di The Shining (che non a caso è sempre stato un grande sostenitore della scrittrice statunitense), un luogo - la proverbiale casa stregata con tutte le sue varianti, in casi come questi - può avere effetto sulla psiche di tutti quelli che vi ronzano intorno, TUTTI, fattorino compreso. E così, quando il gioco riesce (e qua riesce alla grande), il lettore è costantemente costretto - stimolato - a chiedersi quale sia la realtà e quale la fantasia e quanto i comportamenti, le reazioni e le emozioni dei personaggi siano, per così dire, viziate da "quel" luogo. Non a caso, una delle critiche a La casa a Nazareth Hill che ho letto parla proprio di comportamenti inverosimili e poco credibili dei personaggi che fanno di contorno alla vicenda, gli altri inquilini di Nazarhill insomma. Secondo me, invece, questo è uno dei tanti punti di forza di questo formidabile romanzo: per vedere chi ha ragione basta che prendiate in mano il libro e cominciate a leggerlo.
La casa a Nazareth Hill l'ho scelto un po' per caso, mettendolo dentro un megaordine fatto tempo fa da Independent Legions, casa editrice che per quanto mi riguarda non ha ancora sbagliato un colpo: a dirla tutta, mi sa che ne ho letto bene proprio su Guida ai migliori 150 libri horror, una preziosa guida scritta guarda caso da Alessandro Manzetti, la mente dietro Independent Legions - beh Alessandro, finchè i libri che pubblichi sono su questo livello, continua pure a promuoverli come meglio credi e io continuerò a seguirti.
Tornando al romanzo, che dire se non che è una di quelle robe che bruciano a fuoco lento e che da metà in poi decollano e ti fanno venire il groppo in gola fino alla fine? Se cercate azione e frattaglie volanti potete fare dietro front: qua l'orrore vero non è tanto in Nazarhill, l'inquietante edificio dentro e attorno al quale si svolge la vicenda, quanto nella mente dei protagonisti. Che poi, come insegna bene la Shirley Jackson di The Haunting of Hill House ma anche lo Stephen King di The Shining (che non a caso è sempre stato un grande sostenitore della scrittrice statunitense), un luogo - la proverbiale casa stregata con tutte le sue varianti, in casi come questi - può avere effetto sulla psiche di tutti quelli che vi ronzano intorno, TUTTI, fattorino compreso. E così, quando il gioco riesce (e qua riesce alla grande), il lettore è costantemente costretto - stimolato - a chiedersi quale sia la realtà e quale la fantasia e quanto i comportamenti, le reazioni e le emozioni dei personaggi siano, per così dire, viziate da "quel" luogo. Non a caso, una delle critiche a La casa a Nazareth Hill che ho letto parla proprio di comportamenti inverosimili e poco credibili dei personaggi che fanno di contorno alla vicenda, gli altri inquilini di Nazarhill insomma. Secondo me, invece, questo è uno dei tanti punti di forza di questo formidabile romanzo: per vedere chi ha ragione basta che prendiate in mano il libro e cominciate a leggerlo.
February 15, 2022
Devo dire che questo libro è stato difficile, almeno all'inizio. Personalmente non amo lo stile di Campbell, soprattutto nei dialoghi e la prima parte del libro (fino al capitolo 6, più o meno) l'ho davvero sofferta. Molto lento, molto descrittivo fino in ogni minimo particolare, infodump di personaggi abbastanza pesante (e un po' inutile perché quasi tutti compaiono solo in poche frasi).
Superato questo scoglio però il registro cambia e mi sono immerso completamente nell'atmosfera cupa e spettrale di Nazarill, nei complicati rapporti dei personaggi e la voglia di leggere leggere leggere! è cresciuta a dismisura.
La trama è semplice: c'è una casa stregata e la protagonista, Amy, ha una fifa boia di questa casa. Anni dopo ci si trasferisce. Yuppy!
La casa infestata ha sempre il suo fascino, ma qui c'è di più, qui assistiamo ad una vera e propria discesa all'Inferno (e non parlo di Amy - non dico altro per evitare spoiler-) fino ad un finale tanto orribile quanto inevitabile.
COSA MI È PIACIUTO
- Discesa nella follia
- Sinistro/creepy
- Rapporti tra personaggi
COSA NON MI È PIACIUTO
- Molto lento e molto molto descrittivo
- Infodump personaggi
Superato questo scoglio però il registro cambia e mi sono immerso completamente nell'atmosfera cupa e spettrale di Nazarill, nei complicati rapporti dei personaggi e la voglia di leggere leggere leggere! è cresciuta a dismisura.
La trama è semplice: c'è una casa stregata e la protagonista, Amy, ha una fifa boia di questa casa. Anni dopo ci si trasferisce. Yuppy!
La casa infestata ha sempre il suo fascino, ma qui c'è di più, qui assistiamo ad una vera e propria discesa all'Inferno (e non parlo di Amy - non dico altro per evitare spoiler-) fino ad un finale tanto orribile quanto inevitabile.
Lei non riusciva a parlare – nemmeno a muoversi. Il dorso della sua mano destra aveva toccato il muro, percependone i mattoni nudi e freddi. Per questo era barcollata via da là, ma non era quella la ragione per cui adesso era paralizzata. Le pareti in penombra della stanza senza finestre erano scrostate e chiazzate di umidità, così come la faccia della figura che si era sollevata sotto la lampadina spenta.
Era più alta di suo padre, e così magra da sembrare di non possedere altro che ossa. Attraverso un varco negli stracci che aveva addosso, che forse erano i resti della sua stessa pelle, Amy scorse una fessura avvizzita e capì che quella creatura doveva essere stata una donna. Una massa, che poteva essere di capelli o ragnatele, penzolava dal suo scalpo brunastro e vaiolato. Il suo occhio sinistro luccicava, o meglio, quello che conteneva la sua orbita, che poi si spostò volando attorno alla testa, per poi infilarsi nell’altro occhio. Anche se la creatura non poteva vedere Amy, lei era certa che essa fosse conscia della sua presenza, perché il suo braccio, orribilmente lungo, ondeggiò all’insù indicando la propria faccia.
Agitò un dito sulla fronte crepata, dove descrisse una croce, o qualche altro tipo di segno. Forse adesso avrebbe parlato: un oggetto annerito stava cominciando a protendersi tra i denti privi di labbra, ma poi la mandibola si aprì ricadendo contro la gola fibrosa, mimando una risata oppure un grido tanto silenzioso quanto disperato, mentre quell’oggetto ruzzolava fuori per poi strisciare tra due costole esposte.
COSA MI È PIACIUTO
- Discesa nella follia
- Sinistro/creepy
- Rapporti tra personaggi
COSA NON MI È PIACIUTO
- Molto lento e molto molto descrittivo
- Infodump personaggi
May 10, 2018
Ramsey Campbell is one of my favorite authors in any genre for his exquisite prose style which imbues everyday life with ferocious menace in the same intense fashion that Vladimir Nabokov imbued everyday life with brightness and magic. There's really no one like him in his skill at turning the world inside out through his black magic prose and his portrayals of loneliness and alienation ring true. Like the great VN, he is truly "trippy" as he twists reality around to make us see it all a little differently.
That said, though, I've found his best work to be in short fiction, less so his novels: take NAZARETH HILL, which contains much of what makes Campbell so fabulous and a lot of what doesn't. NH is full of beautiful prose and den with atmosphere but it's an often ungainly book: It opens by dumping over a dozen characters out on the table in one long paragraph and then leaving the poor reader to sort through them (I had to dog-ear the page so I could keep the characters sorted.)
The narrative often bogs down. Campbell has close links with the great ghost story writer M.R. James, but often--especially here--he's more like Henry James: ornately detailed to the point where the novel is swamped with obfuscation. The book sometimes chokes on its prose, especially toward the end with the final confrontation between father and daughter. It only breathes in the last two chapters.
Another unique Campbell trick is how he handles dialogue: his characters are intensely vulnerable and lonely--loneliness is one of the author's major themes--and so stricken that they can barely talk to each other and when they do, it's in the most indirect, roundabout way. Even offering a cup of tea can lead to a deadly unpleasantness. Rarely ever do they lay their cards on the table. It's a brilliant idea, but in execution things plunge into deep awkwardness. Campbell's people communicate in such a roundabout way, that they don't sound convincing at all, even as morbidly shy and inarticulate types. There's got to be a better way of showing how people *don't* talk to each other!
I've liked other Campbell novels better, such as ANCIENT IMAGES and THE DARKEST PART OF THE WOODS. This one for me, though, fell short.
That said, though, I've found his best work to be in short fiction, less so his novels: take NAZARETH HILL, which contains much of what makes Campbell so fabulous and a lot of what doesn't. NH is full of beautiful prose and den with atmosphere but it's an often ungainly book: It opens by dumping over a dozen characters out on the table in one long paragraph and then leaving the poor reader to sort through them (I had to dog-ear the page so I could keep the characters sorted.)
The narrative often bogs down. Campbell has close links with the great ghost story writer M.R. James, but often--especially here--he's more like Henry James: ornately detailed to the point where the novel is swamped with obfuscation. The book sometimes chokes on its prose, especially toward the end with the final confrontation between father and daughter. It only breathes in the last two chapters.
Another unique Campbell trick is how he handles dialogue: his characters are intensely vulnerable and lonely--loneliness is one of the author's major themes--and so stricken that they can barely talk to each other and when they do, it's in the most indirect, roundabout way. Even offering a cup of tea can lead to a deadly unpleasantness. Rarely ever do they lay their cards on the table. It's a brilliant idea, but in execution things plunge into deep awkwardness. Campbell's people communicate in such a roundabout way, that they don't sound convincing at all, even as morbidly shy and inarticulate types. There's got to be a better way of showing how people *don't* talk to each other!
I've liked other Campbell novels better, such as ANCIENT IMAGES and THE DARKEST PART OF THE WOODS. This one for me, though, fell short.
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