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At Fall of Night
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B077WGPFL3
A supernatural slice of seasonal Victorian Gothic.
Monsieur Benoit Lavarnier, toast of the Parisian art world and a man of cultured accomplishments, remains, for all of his polished veneer, a son of the Breton soil, with all that this implies with respect to his superstitious beliefs. Commissioned to paint a portrait of renowned beauty, Lady Helena Brocklington, he arrives in the autumn of 1843 not only with the accoutrements of his trade, but also with something sinister lurking in his train. He soon finds himself so smitten with his subject, and so invested in his work, that the resultant piece becomes imbued with an essence that could, perhaps, be construed as something akin to a life force. Could it be, that so many decades after its completion, something beyond the paint itself endures?
An understated ghostly novelette, Victorian in sensibility and style, that immerses the reader in a tale of obsession, and terror.
A supernatural slice of seasonal Victorian Gothic.
Monsieur Benoit Lavarnier, toast of the Parisian art world and a man of cultured accomplishments, remains, for all of his polished veneer, a son of the Breton soil, with all that this implies with respect to his superstitious beliefs. Commissioned to paint a portrait of renowned beauty, Lady Helena Brocklington, he arrives in the autumn of 1843 not only with the accoutrements of his trade, but also with something sinister lurking in his train. He soon finds himself so smitten with his subject, and so invested in his work, that the resultant piece becomes imbued with an essence that could, perhaps, be construed as something akin to a life force. Could it be, that so many decades after its completion, something beyond the paint itself endures?
An understated ghostly novelette, Victorian in sensibility and style, that immerses the reader in a tale of obsession, and terror.
- GenresHorror
61 pages, ebook
Published February 1, 2018
57 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
H.E. Bulstrode
40 books31 followersThe author's childhood and formative years were spent in the English West Country, a region in which reality and fantasy are frequently confused, and where what elsewhere would be taken as peculiar, regarded as nothing more than an everyday occurrence. Soaked in myth, folklore and cider, his imagination eventually whirred into life and prompted him to pen, or at least type, a number of understated tales of the uncanny, drawing upon his wry observations of esoteric subcultures and beliefs, and the rich store of lore that seems locked into the land itself.
From the mist, the frost, and the wind, comes something ambling through the murk, seeking to ensnare the unwary: a village cunning man; a malignant Jacobean mannequin; a psychedelic Crowley wannabe; the sickle-wielding spirit of old Dorset; a pious guide who emerges from the fabric of a venerable minster; a mediaeval animalistic heretic with a still beating heart. Ghost stories, bizarre rites, and mental disintegration populate a world in which the living and the dead meet in an eternal present, and the author dares - the most horrific thing of all - to use adverbs where appropriate.
His tales have frequently been compared to the likes of those encountered in Tales of the Unexpected and The Twilight Zone, but the Bulstrodian world, as you will discover, is a realm unto itself, and quite distinct from either.
He is currently working on a number of future publications, including a 1970s ghost story set in the Somerset Levels, a novel set in 17th-century Cornwall in which the reader will encounter a heady mix of superstition, piracy and religious fanaticism, and a third anthology of supernatural fiction.
From the mist, the frost, and the wind, comes something ambling through the murk, seeking to ensnare the unwary: a village cunning man; a malignant Jacobean mannequin; a psychedelic Crowley wannabe; the sickle-wielding spirit of old Dorset; a pious guide who emerges from the fabric of a venerable minster; a mediaeval animalistic heretic with a still beating heart. Ghost stories, bizarre rites, and mental disintegration populate a world in which the living and the dead meet in an eternal present, and the author dares - the most horrific thing of all - to use adverbs where appropriate.
His tales have frequently been compared to the likes of those encountered in Tales of the Unexpected and The Twilight Zone, but the Bulstrodian world, as you will discover, is a realm unto itself, and quite distinct from either.
He is currently working on a number of future publications, including a 1970s ghost story set in the Somerset Levels, a novel set in 17th-century Cornwall in which the reader will encounter a heady mix of superstition, piracy and religious fanaticism, and a third anthology of supernatural fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 3, 2021
Definitivamente este libro no es para mí, y no era lo que esperaba. Me aburrí demasiado, esperando una historia de fantasmas que no fue, me pareció más un dramon romántico que abarca generaciones que una historia para disfrutar en Halloween.
June 12, 2019
Eerie little story.
June 14, 2019
If Books were colors, this one would be grey.
This book didn't get even remotely interesting until around 80%. The fact that it ends at 90%, should give you some idea of how this book drags on and on. This is not a story about ghosts. It's more like how love went wrong for for several generations of a family. It's trying to be to many things and ended up being about nothing. I don't think that I've ever given a 1 star review before. I have too much respect for how hard authors work. This book, while written with few errors, just never came together for me. Cardboard characters. Flat world building. Being told how characters felt, instead of letting them tell the reader directly. If this book was a color, it would be a muted grey.
This book didn't get even remotely interesting until around 80%. The fact that it ends at 90%, should give you some idea of how this book drags on and on. This is not a story about ghosts. It's more like how love went wrong for for several generations of a family. It's trying to be to many things and ended up being about nothing. I don't think that I've ever given a 1 star review before. I have too much respect for how hard authors work. This book, while written with few errors, just never came together for me. Cardboard characters. Flat world building. Being told how characters felt, instead of letting them tell the reader directly. If this book was a color, it would be a muted grey.
March 1, 2018
Interesting but very strange.
Well written, but not my favorite genre. The character development was well done. All of the characters were either nasty, unpleasant, evil or weak and lacked morals and good character. Even Alex who seemed almost likeable was easily possessed by evil. I didn't entirely understand the ending, but it seemed the curse was fulfilled. If you like horror stories and psychological mysteries you will like this book.
Well written, but not my favorite genre. The character development was well done. All of the characters were either nasty, unpleasant, evil or weak and lacked morals and good character. Even Alex who seemed almost likeable was easily possessed by evil. I didn't entirely understand the ending, but it seemed the curse was fulfilled. If you like horror stories and psychological mysteries you will like this book.
June 1, 2018
Well done, if a bit too short
The author strives for a gothic tale, but this story falls short, with too little character development, in either the humans or the house in which the tale takes place. Pity, really, for with a tad more effort this book could have taken its place beside classics like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. As it is, it is an evening's mild entertainment. B+, chiefly because it is well edited.
The author strives for a gothic tale, but this story falls short, with too little character development, in either the humans or the house in which the tale takes place. Pity, really, for with a tad more effort this book could have taken its place beside classics like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. As it is, it is an evening's mild entertainment. B+, chiefly because it is well edited.
November 17, 2020
Interesting novel that took some getting into with the tone of the language. Once I got used to the way it reads, it made for easier reading. The storyline itself I enjoyed, although the ending is very abrupt. It felt like the author could have expanded on it, taking me on a bit further of the journey. Another short read, but pleasant enough.
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February 28, 2018This review was not written by me, but by a UK Amazon reviewer. His opinion was as follows:
By Amazon Customer on 4 December 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
Five Stars
Cracking read!
Absolutely first rate ghost story that I can't recommend highly enough, best read on a winter's evening when the winds blowing, but with a strong drink handy.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-...
By Amazon Customer on 4 December 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
Five Stars
Cracking read!
Absolutely first rate ghost story that I can't recommend highly enough, best read on a winter's evening when the winds blowing, but with a strong drink handy.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-...
May 17, 2018
GOTHIC GHOST STORY? check... SCARED SO ITS HARD TO GET TO SLEEP... check.....OLDE ENGLISH VOCABULARY.. check.. this was literally a thrilling read, but the manner of Olde writing may have caused me to miss a few things! I recommend this read ;-)
July 26, 2019
Unfulfilled
So the book could have been good but I felt unfulfilled and a little confused at the end. Everything is only hinted at no closer I actually forced myself to finish the book.
So the book could have been good but I felt unfulfilled and a little confused at the end. Everything is only hinted at no closer I actually forced myself to finish the book.
August 22, 2018
Brilliant. Highly recommended.
June 3, 2019
Family trouble
A well written traditional ghost story featuring both a scandal and a curse. A very nice and concise read to enjoy.
A well written traditional ghost story featuring both a scandal and a curse. A very nice and concise read to enjoy.
Want to read
June 12, 2019TheFussyLibrarian
September 4, 2019
Cliche
Blessed only by its brevity, but still too long, this novel is a cliche of vengeful ghost stories, riddled with unnecessary filler.
Blessed only by its brevity, but still too long, this novel is a cliche of vengeful ghost stories, riddled with unnecessary filler.
January 6, 2022
Very cliched and rather dull
August 31, 2018
A deliciously atmospheric ghost story, written in an authentic Victorian gothic style, using language that was, at times, sumptuously poetic. I particularly enjoyed the subtle links to Breton folk lore and the haunting climax.
December 20, 2017
This was a remarkably good read. Bulstode through the often neglected medium of the short story tells us a nuanced multi-generational ghost story set in Victorian England. Can a painting be imbued with the spirit of its creator and its subject , so that long after they are both dead the painting affects the lives of the generations to come?
The language used by the author is modern yet it has a flavour of Victorian dialect. This is so very difficult to do yet Bulstrode has pulled it off. Add to the the imagery of Victorian times and it all adds up to a surprisingly good read. What this proves is that there are unsung authors out there.
The language used by the author is modern yet it has a flavour of Victorian dialect. This is so very difficult to do yet Bulstrode has pulled it off. Add to the the imagery of Victorian times and it all adds up to a surprisingly good read. What this proves is that there are unsung authors out there.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews