Ο Δαίμονας Ξαναζωντανεύει

by Graham Masterton

Ήτανε λοιπόν δυνατό να ξαναγυρίσει στή γῆ ὁ Ἰνδιάνος δαίμονας Κογιότ... στο ἴδιο ἀκριβῶς σημεῖο ὅπου αἰῶνες πρίν εἶχε ἐξορκιστεῖ τὸ μοχθηρό πνεῦμα του;
Ἔμοιαζε παράλογο... ὡς τή στιγμή που ἀκούσανε τοὺς παράξενους καί τρομαχτικούς ἤχους κι είδανε τα ματωμένα ἀπομεινάρια.
Τώρα, δέν ὑπῆρχε κανείς που ν' ἀρνιέται πώς ὁ πανάρχαιος δαίμονας εἶχε ἀναστηθεῖ, με κάποιον ἄγνωστο τρόπο ἀπό τὸν κόσμο τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ ξέσπαγε τὴν ἐκδίκησή του κάπου μέσα σ' αὐτό τό παλιό γεμάτο καταχθόνιο μυστήριο σπίτι.... καταστρέφοντας ζωές μ' ἀντάλλαγμα τήν αἰωνιότητα τῆς διαβολικῆς ψυχῆς του.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Supernatural, Paranormal, Fantasy, Demons, Native American

282 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Graham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.

At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.

Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.

Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.

He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.

Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.

He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.

Reviews

[Misty Marie Harms · Rating 4 out of 5]

My house is breathing

My next step would be to find a hotel and never look back. I would hire movers or say the hell with it, whatever is breathing is welcome to my granny panties. However, that would not be a good horror story, my granny panties besides. Masterton wrote one heck of a creature story that will give you nightmares. Well written and terrifying! Recommend!

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 3 out of 5]

John works at the sanitation department and gets a different kind of visit one day. Seymour Willis swears that his house is breathing.


John figures that there is rat party going on or something along those lines. He doesn't have much else to do that afternoon though so he and a buddy of his decide to go and check out the house to give the old man peace of mind.



That goes well.


Now that the 'thing' inside the house has everyone's attention John teams up with a doctor and an occult bookseller to find out more about what's going on.

The book was written in the seventies and it's completely perfect for that b-movie 70's time period. Where else are you going to find a doctor smoking cigarettes like a freight train?

Then the booger.


When are people going to learn? They always come back?

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review

[The Shayne-Train · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know, some 5-star reviews are because the work of literature changed your life. Some are because of the beauty and poignancy of the writing. Some are because of a novel's originality of story or perspective. And some are because they are just a plain old balls-out BLAST to read.



Uh, ok, ovaries-out blast to read works too, I guess. Geez.

Anyways, back in the day, when I just scarfed any old demonic horror novel I could find, I especially loved the "Evil House that Wants Ta Eatcha" trope. This book is the pinnacle of that genre, and filled me with a nostalgia so thick and rich it was like creme fuckin' brulee.

Everything about this is a nearly perfect throwback. The story structure, the exquisitely 70's dialog, the adorably casual racism and sexism. People smoke cigarettes in a business meeting, man. CIGARETTES! In CALIFORNIA!!!

My face hurt from smiling so much when I was reading this, even during the genuinely creepy parts that were making my skin crawl. Highly recommended for horror aficionados, or really anyone looking for a fast, fun, scary read.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Graham Masterton may lack in eloquence, he certainly makes up for in prolificacy. Author of over a hundred books---most of them horror novels---Masterton loves to tell a scary story full of blood and guts. And lots of weird sex. (Masterton's other favorite subject besides horror is sexual instruction books, with titles like "Isn't It Time You Did Something Kinky?" or "How to Make Love Six Nights a Week". [I'm not making these titles up, btw. These are actual books.] He has published over a dozen of these books over his career.)

"Charnel House", published in 1978, wasn't his first novel or published work. That would be "The Manitou", a best-seller published in 1976, which was made into a movie starring Tony Curtis and is a favorite late-night offering on some cable channels that nobody watches anymore. (For rent or purchase on Prime or Netflix.)

"Charnel House" is the first Masterton novel I have ever read. If you can find a copy of the 1988 Tor reprint paperback, take a look at the cover. It shows a naked man crawling through a window, except that he has four arms, four legs, a skeleton for a head, and a weird human face attached to his stomach. Now, being a fan of '80s paperbacks, I know that a lot of cover artists took some liberties by making some pretty gruesome covers that had very little if anything to do with the story.

Not in this case. What you see on that pretty horrific cover is an exact description of what occurs in the story.

I could go into detail about the plot---something about a Native American legendary creature commonly known as Coyote, the trickster demon, who, long ago, battled and defeated another creature simply called Big Monster---but it would just sound ridiculous, because it is. It's also pretty damn awesome in its pure silliness.

If you're looking for something that is just pure entertainment for entertainment's sake, you probably can't go wrong with Masterton. Yes, some of his depictions of Native Americans are borderline racist, and, yes, his portrayals of women are borderline misogynistic, but if you can get past that, it's fine.

Plus, there is a kaiju-like climactic battle in the end between two giant Native American demon-monsters destroying the shit out of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. It's kind of worth reading just for that, honestly.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Screaming Terror!

Backstory:

John Hyatt gets all kinds of clients walking through his door at the sanitation department in San Francisco, but when an elderly man (Seymour Willis) comes to see him complaining of hearing "breathing" in his house, John is thinking the man is a little looney. John tries to tell Seymour that he doesn't take care of breathing sounds, but the man is insistent to the point that John finally gives in.

When John and one of his co-workers (Dan) go to the house they finally realize that the man was not kidding - something was breathing as they could hear the sound to the point where it seemed the house was pulsing with it and then something happens to Dan which makes John wonder what is going on.

When John tries to find out more about what is in the house he realizes that he has stepped into something so evil that he could very well lose his soul as a demon lies in wait for the humans that have crossed the threshold into its lair!

Thoughts:

This book was awesome! The flow of the story just grabbed me from the get go and when I first started reading it I read a few chapters quickly as I just could not put it down. When things began to happen in the house is when the story broke wide open and I was just entranced with how quick I became involved in the storyline.

The pace became faster and I was turning pages quickly! This story with the demon became seeped with the occult themes and the story went into total overdrive. I would have read this book faster but I was reading it with some buddies so I slowed down to a crawl (lol) but I just loved this book as a haunted house theme with demons was one scary ride into the pits of hell! Giving this one five "Wicked Demon Scary" stars!

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun splatstick from Masterton, first published in 1978. Our main protagonist, John, works in the sanitation department in San Francisco when one day a guy comes in to complain that his house is breathing and it is driving him crazy. Later that day, John and an engineer go check out the house, and yes, there is a breathing noise! John gets mouthy at it and suddenly some type of explosion happens and John's engineer buddy is down for the count. The next day, the house has stopped breathing, but John's buddy is now breathing the same way...

Masterton treads a very fine line between horror and parody here and Charnel House feels like a script from a b-movie for sure, punctuated by non-stop one liners from John. This is classic Masterton; normal people going about their lives when one small, strange thing (the house breathing) rapidly turns into a tsunami of bizarre events as Masterton tosses in some native american demon foo! This was definitely more funny than scary, although it did have its gruesome moments.

I said another prayer for George Thousand Names right then, partly because I didn't want him to die, and partly because the Bear Maiden would wake up if he did. The last thing I wanted to do was fight a supernatural grizzly in the confines of a Ford Pinto.

Finally, while set in San Francisco, Masterton drops (as usual) lots of English phrasing here, like putting stuff in the boot of a car. Recommended for Masterton fans or lovers of B horror movies. 3 demon foo stars!

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Hyatt works for the Dept of Sanitation in San Francisco. One day, an older gentleman comes in with an unusual complaint - his house is breathing. Breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Hyatt wants to write the guy off as a kook, but there's something about his demeanor that tugs at his heart making him feel sorry for him. So, he decides to stop by his house after work to check out this mysterious breathing sound with his engineer friend in tow. At first, nothing happens. Then there's the sound and yes, it does sound like breathing. John doesn't believe in any of this hocus pocus and is convinced that the sound is a practical joke. When he attempts to confront the responsible party for the breathing sound, a blast of energy hits the room like a bomb. What happens next is the beginning of mysterious events that lead John to seek the help of an old Indian medicine man that might know a thing or two about what the heck is going on.

Charnel House is a fun read that actually ages well (It was originally written in 1978). Yes, there a few times during the course of reading the book that you kind of roll your eyes and chuckle - doctors smoking and drinking in their hospital office, a couple borderline sexist remarks by the male characters, attempting to call someone in the days of no cell phones or voice mail, etc. But, those are very minor and Charnel House has a nice creepy atmosphere with extremely good visuals and character development. The final scenes are a tad bland and slightly formulaic, but remember that this was the late 1970s. A very solid read and worth picking up.

4 evil coyotes out of 5

This ARC was provided my NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


You can also read my other reviews and author interviews at:

https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com

http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, early horror novel by Masterton. It starts out as an intriguing haunted-house escapade and morphs into a demonic story fueled by Native American mythology. (Which he constantly referred to as "Red Indian," 'cause it was, after all, 1978.) I was also bemused by a few lines such as: "I took a cigarette and lit it. It tasted like a Hungarian steelworker's instep, but I needed something to steady my nerves." That seems a little culturally inappropriate, not to mention odd that one would profess any expertise on the taste of any steelworker's instep, no matter their cultural heritage. And it's even a little odder that the doctors smoke cigarettes in the hospital anyway, even in 1978, but I digress.... Masterton had had a lot of success with his earlier book The Manitou, and this one follows it thematically. As are almost always found in his novels, there are quite a few phrases in the text that are peculiarly British, and it's fun to pick them out to note that no Californian would ever say such a thing. But all such anachronisms and dating aside, it's a well-paced and intriguing story with several real chills along the way and a clever use of the Golden Gate Bridge.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars: I liked the book and had a fun time reading it!

It's so wonderful that e-rights have brought back so many books that might otherwise slip into obscurity. This is a classic 70s horror novel, with all that implies: yes, there are 70s attitudes towards women and minorities here. It's also cheesy, campy, bloody, enthusiastic, and a lot of fun. I don't want to say a lot about the plot, but this story holds together well and provides plenty of chills. (And gore!)

And though "red Indian" (the book's words, not mine!) stereotypes abound here, I thought overall the native mythology was treated with respect, and the native characters were as layered as the white characters.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

CHARNEL HOUSE, by Graham Masterton is what I consider to be "vintage Masterton". That is, a story rich in folklore and the supernatural, blended together in a modern day setting where the average person holds credence only in science and things that can be proven in a laboratory.

The story begins with the unassuming scene of an elderly gentleman, Seymour Wallis, walking into the sanitation department office of John Hyatt. His simple statement of his complaint, however, is anything BUT average.

"It's my house. It's breathing."

After the initial bureaucratic talk, John somehow finds himself and colleague Dan Machin (who just happens to be a believer of supernatural manifestations) at the home of Mr. Wallis that evening. His interpretation of what they heard: ". . . this breathing, could make your skin prickle with cold. It was the breathing of someone who could never wake up. It had more to do with death than with life . . ."

Following that, disaster brings John in contact with Dr. Jim Jarvis who is overseeing Dan's new, unprecedented symptoms. After another colleague meets with a unique, grisly fate--Jane--John's one-time girlfriend--happens to make the connection to a particularly nasty Indian demon, known as the Coyote. Do these rational men seem a little too quick to believe in this supernatural entity? Yes. Is it a little too convenient that Jane can contact the leading Indian medicine man, George Thousand Names, and learn every single particular about this demon? Absolutely.

Does this change my opinion about the flow of the story?

No, it doesn't .

What Masterton has crafted here is a thrilling book about a vicious, all powerful Indian demon, that has managed to break his bonds and become flesh once more. Or rather, ". . . a spectral manifestation, a ghost made of eerie density and contorted flesh ." The atmosphere is further heightened by a plague of silent, large grey birds that no human can budge--harbingers of the Coyote.

While the characters didn't show a whole lot of "depth" in my opinion, Masterton more than makes up for that with a violent, gory story about one of the most ruthless, ferocious Indian demons ever to have been "created", and able to bring itself back to life.

Recommended!

*I received an e-copy of this book through NegGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Ethan’s Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 50 pages was scary and impossible to put down. After 100 pages I started to get bored. The last 150 pages just didn’t bring it home for me. But, I digress…

Not a bad story.

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charnel House was first published in 1978. Occasionally it shows, but it doesn't take away anything from the story.

If you've ever seen a film about an evil being coming back to life and there's only a small group of people standing in its way, then there's nothing here that will surprise you. However, with Charnel House you do know the type of the story you're getting and because of that it ends up an entertaining story.

Character development is almost non-existent but the focus is on whatever evil thing will happen next anyway. One of the strangest things in the book was how almost everyone accepted the supernatural without too much fuss. A couple of characters were there to act as non-believers but they weren't loud enough.

It is a fun and fast-paced story with an easier-than-expected resolution. I liked it.

ARC received from Open Road Integrated Media via NetGalley

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only my second Masterton novel but man I am a huge fan now! This man is amazing at writing a fucked up story and I love it!

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good vintage Masteton. I have a different edition. This one is neater. (2010)

Just revisited this oldie courtesy of Netgalley. It definitely holds up, aside from the very 70s racial epithets it isn't even that dated. Vintage Masterton, of course, implies a lean mean story that has to do with Native American folklore. But it is an original, it's entertaining and, above all, Masterton is just a natural storyteller and his books are fun, easy and enjoyable to read. Such a quick read too. I think my taste in the genre has matured to something more along the lines of psychological fiction/thriller/horror, but this was a fun throwback. For fans of scary stories this is a great way to spend a couple of hours. Recommended.

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the PERFECT reason why I LOVE vintage horror from the 70's and 80's!

Nobody wrote horror back in the days like Graham Masterton! And boy, oh, boy after not reading this in 40 years....it still has all the right stuff to make you look at a demon in the form of an ancient Native American spirit hell bent on revenge the same way ever again. Did that even make sense? lol. Seriously, if you have read Masterton's vintage HORROR Classic, 'The Manitou' and any of it's sequels, or his book 'The Djinn' then you know that when you crack open one of his books you are going to go on a horror filled trolley car ride down the streets of San Francisco (so many of his books take place there, I dont know why since he is a British author!) at high speed with no brakes! He starts the horror with a bang and always ends with an ever bigger bang, and this was no exception. Now, with his horror, this was written 42 years ago, and it shows in some of its descriptions of Indigenous people, that were commonly referred to as Indian, or Medicine Men sometimes, however if you can overlook these things, his writings are still some of the most horrific and gruesome to date.

Now, onto 'Charnel House'.

So, one day while at work in San Francisco at the Sanitation Dept. John Hyatt notices an elderly local neighbor man Seymour Willis come into the office with eyes of concern and fright. When asked if he can be helped with something, he tells John; 'It's my House! It's BREATHING!' What John finds out is that Seymour Willis is telling the truth.......his house is alive and breathing! Masterton weaves a quick paced, horror driven tale here that takes off and does not stop, but along the way of heads being skinned alive in chimneys, bodies becoming so bloated that they erupt, and demons taking over the Golden Gate Bridge, you will find your self saying; 'what the fuck is going on here, and how is this going to end'? That is always made his books so much fun to read. He always writes gruesome and very graphic scenes of possession by then called Indian Spirits, and demons, that were always being followed and tracked by 'Gitche Manitou' or Harry Erskine, but in this book the hero is George Thousand Names, and he is tracking down to kill and end the demonic reign of Coyote or the evils that follow 'the oldest devil to track the white man', and he is so bad assed in a way that is not written in horror today. Now with the 70's terms of slang, and the times before cell phones and computers, it was so much fun to read how the heroes race around the streets of San Fran in a.....ready for this.....a Ford Pinto!!! Masterton was a master of this type of horror and he is still one of my favorite authors to this day. In 'Charnel' there are some of the creepiest scenes involving demonic doorknockers that change faces and even growl and try to bite, newell posts on the bottoms of stairwells that have carved wooden figures that come alive, but some of the most scary to me were the 'big grey unknown birds' that flock all over the city and attack when called upon by Coyote.......the meanest demon from the pits of hell you ever cross in a vintage but still classic horror novel!! Just read it. And yes, this is a stand alone book, no connection to the 'Manitou' series, though Gitche Manitou is mentioned in the book twice.

4 Stabbys 🔪🔪🔪🔪 still after 40 plus years!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

When my buddy Kasia and I met in 2008, one of the first authors we discussed was Graham Masterton. Kasia's from Poland and Masterton was one of the first horror authors published in Polish after the fall of the USSR. I was familiar with his name, but upon looking at his extensive bibliography I had no idea where to begin. Kasia said, "Well, you could try Walkers. Walkers was really good. Oh, and Ritual! Ritual was sick. Or Flesh and Blood! That one's about the Green Man." "What's the Green Man?" I said. Kasia said, "You'll see." And I did. And I still have shuddering nightmares about him/it.

So far, I've read four Mastertons: Walkers, Flesh And Blood, The Pariah, Ritual. Without looking back, I think I gave half of those four stars and the other half five. Good reading, sounds like, right?

But all this time I've wanted to try an early one. There's something about early works, especially from prolific authors. If you begin with their later work, it's fun to compare with the beginning, see if/how the author's style changed, how he or she went about creating characters, building suspense in their early efforts.

Of my previous reads The Pariah is the earliest and, while good, is easily the weakest of the four. The scenarios were well done, the historical data was very convincing. But their were some minor annoyances that were also present in Charnel House, the primary one being a tendency for the narrator to refer to each character by his or her full name every time that character is mentioned or spoken to.

Charnel House is from 1978 and relies on the then hot topic of demonic possession. It opens with a man named Seymour Wallis coming to visit the offices of narrator, John Hyatt, who is an official for the sanitation department of San Francisco. It appears Seymour Wallis is having a problem with his house.

The house is breathing.

How awesome is that?? A breathing house? Fuck yeah! Where do I sign up?? Oh wait, I already did! Well let's read this sucker then!

We get to know Wallis, his breathing house, and temporally, the narrator. The first fifty to sixty pages are fine reading. For an early novel, the characterization is strong, though I never felt quite as connected to John the narrator as I did to the peripheral characters. Along the way we're introduced to several other characters who may or may not make it to the end.

This is a short novel, around 185 pages depending on the edition. By page 90 the novel takes a...I don't wanna call it boring...I don't think it was boring...but I didn't find myself as engaged with the scenes as I was in the beginning.

One of the neatest parts of the previous Masterton reads was all the research the characters did to find out what exactly it is they're up against. In this one, the characters have lucky hunches that kinda-sorta go along with their backgrounds, but it seemed way too convenient. In the other Mastertons, and this may drive some people batty but I loved it!, the characters drive and venture and finally find in some decaying tome just the information they were looking for. And usually, all the info is not conveniently located in one volume, but as in real life, spaced out all over the place. What I like about scenes like this is how much they remind me of one of my favorite authors, H.P. Lovecraft. Lovie, as I like to call him, loved to have his characters gather long forgotten bits of arcane lore in order and use these writings to help defeat (or more usually, try to defeat) some demonic or intergalactic entity.

Another problem is the novel is an undiagnosed schizophrenic. I mentioned earlier that this is a demonic possession novel. I know this from things I read on the net. The copy I read, an omnibus edition with three other novels, mentions on the back cover only the part about the breathing house. So one would think, Haunted House novel, I feel like a haunted house novel, cool. But the more you read, the haunted house and the demonic possession begin to copulate and spit forth a bastard child that's not nearly as hideously freakish as it should be. As the demonic possession element possesses the narrative, my level of interest went kaput. I wouldn't get out of my mind, Breathing house, breathing house, bring it back, the breathing house!

Still, if I had not read this, I would always wonder about it. Especially with such a badass opening chapter. The rudiments Masterton would go on to exploit are partially here. But if you'd like to try him at his best, pick up a copy of Walkers and be prepared for Druidic freak out!

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So frustrating! I am a massive fan of Graham Masterton and many of his books but this one just did not float my boat and I sadly admit that I had to give up on it at the 60% mark as it was just not holding my interest.

I found the writing style very different from anything I have read from this great horror author before, possibly as it's an earlier book that is being re-released, all authors grow in expertise I believe over time. I did not find the plot very interesting or terribly scary and that was the whole point of it being a horror story featuring a terrifying case of demon possession.

It's the ONLY book from him I have not absolutely loved and it won't put me off reading more. I would say to readers to check this one out for themselves, many may indeed enjoy this one very much. I fluctuated between 2 and 3 stars but pushed it up to 3 as it's not an absolutely terrible book or anything. Just fell very flat for me.

Many thanks to the publisher for an advance copy of this book to read and review.

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[Greig Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

'It's my house... it's breathing.'

With a killer opening line of dialogue like that, i was hooked. All writers (would) like to start with a bang, and Masterton does it here. Told in the author's distinctive first person narrative, he wonderfully blends Native American mythology, and draws it from the ancient to release it into our modern world. In Charnel House, something that starts innocently as a whisper in an old house, builds in suspense, and then terror, and then of course, finally to the usual Masterton gore crescendo.

I love all his work, but this one influenced me immensely.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graham Masterton's Charnel House is comfort food for the horror fan's soul. That may be the first time the words "comfort food" and "horror" have been used in the same sentence, but that's how this book made me feel: like coming home, putting on my pajamas, and curling up in my favorite corner of the couch. Charnel House is the kind of straightforward horror I grew up with in the 1970s (it was originally published in 1978). There is no question that the horror here is external and supernatural; no psychological terror, no convoluted back story, just an ancient evil come to life which must be stopped quickly, with the pacing to match.

Make no mistake: Charnel House is a creature of its time, blatantly politically incorrect with its talk of "Red Indians" and its archaic view of the role of women. For example, Masterton generously gives us a female doctor specializing in traumatic brain injury, but sexualizes and dismisses her immediately:

Nicely proportioned though she was, she spoke and behaved like a specialist in brain damage, and so I left well enough alone. One day, she'd find herself a good-looking neurologist and settle down.

Those who believe older books should be sanitized to reflect current social values would do well to steer clear.

There are times when I want ambiguity in my horror fiction, just as there are times when I want to savor complex flavors in a fine dining restaurant. But there are other times when I want a big ol' bowl of mac and cheese, and at those times, books like Charnel House are the ones I reach for first.

I received a free copy of Charnel House from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks go out to Open Road Media, which has apparently acquired the ebook rights to a stunning variety of older horror, mystery, and science fiction titles and is making them available at a reasonable price to a new generation.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is classic 1978 horror that is being re-released in June, though there is no cover on goodreads for the version I have... which can be seen here http://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/20...
I do remember reading it decades ago. In fact it was one of the first horror novels I ever snuck off my mother's book case when she thought I was too young to read them.

When an elderly gentleman complains that his house is breathing, John doesn't really know what to make of it. The gentleman does not seem like a crack pot and yet who ever heard of a breathing house? John reluctantly agrees to stop by and have a listen to this breathing, if he has the time later on that evening. He and a friend do indeed hear something that sounds like breathing, and against the owner's wishes try to communicate with it. This proves to be a fatal error, because when they leave the house a part if this evil goes with them.

This was a classic good against evil story. 4 out of 5 stars from me

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly good example of the short, straightforward gore/horror/monster novel of the ‘70s/’80s, this is a typical example of Graham Masterton at work.

A follow-up to his bestseller, The Manitou, this is very similar in origin, charting a hideous and indestructible monster that runs amok in a city, causing all manner of horrendous and sickening things to happen to the various people involved. Once again Masterton uses Native American folklore as a basis for his story and weaves in some pretty convincing mythology into the brew.

The tale is snappy, and straight to the point: a fine example of a lean, mean pretension-free pulp horror novel. Masterton’s writing is fluid, he creates at least one genuinely likable character (step right up, Doctor Jarvis), and the gore side of the story is sufficiently stomach-churning for the horror crowd, with bodies swelling up, being stripped off flesh, and plenty more macabre antics.

Worth a read for fans of this particular genre.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charnel House is pretty much every demonic possession story, except this time with a Native American twist. If you have even a basic knowledge of Native American mythology (or truthfully even just a knowledge of what animals live in the desert) then you'll know exactly who our bad guy demon is. Will this detract from your enjoyment? If you already know that you like demon stories and blood stories (not so much a ghost story) then you'll still have fun with every bit of this. As with any other horror novel there's less focus on the characterization of our main characters and more emphasis on our formidable opponent.

It's just a fun romp through your traditional possession story. I just found out that this was originally written in the late '70s, which totally makes sense once I started reading it. Good vibes here as long as you like your stories gory and supernatural!

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: CHARNEL HOUSE by Graham Masterson

The Emperor of Horror never disappoints. CHARNEL HOUSE is scary, spooky, and Implacable, not to mention dangerous [for the characters and eventually for humanity]. Based on actual Native American mythology and spirituality, the plot focuses on the return of the world's worst demon: Coyote. Banished underground for millennia, Coyote decides the time to return is at hand...Woe to humanity!!

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graham Masterton has been writing horror since the 1970s yet I haven't really seen too many of his books around. I believe he is still keeping up his Manitou series which remains the books what he is most known for. Masterton has a good grip on the horror genre. His novels usually feature a sufficiently horrible monster and it is not uncommon to have an sexual twist in the story.

Charnel House was his third horror novel to be published. it came out in 1978 and is now being reprinted by Open Road Media with a few other novels of his from the 70s and 80s. Charnel House starts out like a haunted house story. The man who owns the house comes to San Francisco Department of Sanitation worker John Hyatt with a strange complaint. His house is breathing. As John investigates, he discovers that the problem is more than just a haunted house. It may be infested with a malevolent spirit of Native American mythology that is trying to get out and, to make matters worse, is using the bodies of John's friends to materialize.

It is a pretty exciting story. John is allied with a native shaman to battle the evil. John's female friend who he wishes was his lover also becomes involved and that gives us a little love interest on the side. I really enjoyed this but it seems a little dated. The Native American Folklore comes with a little lecturing by shaman George Thousand Names about the faults of the white man. I'm not saying there isn't a little truth in it. I'm saying it is so 70s! Beside the dated 70s slant, there is no real development in the characters. They exist solely to move the plot and even John's love interest isn't all that interesting.

Fortunately the evil that preside in the house, and eventually escapes and thretens the world as we know it while having his way with the ladies, is sufficiently scary. There is a satisfying battle at the end whose only fault is that the twist in the battle has been telegraphed to the reader long before by our helpful shaman. But it remains satisfying as is many scenes including a eerie two person morph in the hospital and the appearance of an extra bonus; Bear Woman.

All in all, Charnel House is a good scary read and well worth the time. While it is typical of the post-King horror being turned out in the late seventies, it does manage to be one of the better horror books of the time and still packs a bit of a punch.

[Two Envelopes And A Phone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spitting and popping fast-fry Horror - Smith-to-Capaldi fast. Cousin to werewolf novels, but we’re talking slavering apples and rabid oranges. Plus, The Birds.

Weird cool thing: I happened to read two novels in a row that mentioned the works of Carlos Castenada...this novel, and Arlette, by Nicolas Freeling. All that really was was a reminder of how big a deal Castaneda was in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

An old man persuades a dubious rep of the Sanitation Dept. in San Francisco to come and listen to the way his house breathes. A third fellow invites himself along...and we’re away to the races! - this is not a book where we do several chapters of waiting for that house to start breathing, and then getting all charnel. This house is not like some singing frog that sits there doing nothing whenever there’s a crowd. This house loves crowds. This house eats crowds for breakfast.

At 185 pages (my edition), it’s no surprise that after maybe the first ten pages, slow-burn build-up to any bloody Horror scenes doesn’t extend much beyond the word ‘The’, or ‘We’, or ‘Soon’, or whatever disarming word leads off a chapter. Anything scary or gross can go off at any time. Even strange, clumsy but somehow charming, humour just pops into existence. It all links to a Native-American legend about The First One To Use Words For Force, and a woman who can transform into a bear. Plus, The Birds. (Did I say that already? Sorry, I’m like a parrot.) And it’s crucial that certain scattered pieces of a certain evil Thing stay scattered. Sure, when zombie pigs fly.

Weak on filling out, and making a reader really care about, characters (compared to, say, something like Stephen King’s The Mist), but fun, scary, gory, unpredictable, inventive, certainly not suffering pace problems (could barely move faster if the characters could teleport), and over before just about everyone dies, thank goodness. The humour, popping up in the darnedest places, does not always work, IMO, but I’ll stop nitpicking that scab, and just say go for the house, stay for the monsters. And if a paragraph seems slow...wait for it...

[Dannii Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

A terrified old man seeks answers when he believes the walls of his home are breathing. John Hyatt works at the San Francisco Department of Sanitation and has come across much in his career but this is too preposterous to pass up on investigating. He visits the home thinking to find a rat infestation but leaves it utterly terrified and knowing he has come near to the other side.

A was expecting thrills and chills but the horrifying elements were only ever briefly on the page. This story involved more dialogue between the characters and their concerns over what the horror might actually be, instead of the reader getting to witness new developments for themselves.

[Ravenskya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick Summary – an elderly man comes to the city sanitation department because his house is breathing, he’s been everywhere else and no-one can or will help him. Out of curiosity more than the intention to fix anything John Hyatt (the city sanitation worker – NOT a P.I.) takes a co-worker to the house to see if maybe it is a rodent problem. The infestation turns out to be much more than rodents as Native American Mythology takes a for-runner in this story. People start getting injured in strange ways as the group of “believers” who hope to do something about it grows to a Sanitation worker, a book seller, a Doctor and a Shaman/Witch Doctor, can they combat the ancient Native American evil before it destroys mankind?

Now for the review, as with all of Masterton’s books that I have read so far, the opening is VERY good. Creepy, chilling, the haunted “breathing” house is fun and positively frightening. The problem is that the house isn’t where we spend most of our time. As characters are added it seems that they are too quick to believe in the far-fetched and too willing to do something about it. All but one character that the “explanation” of the goings on was explained to almost immediately said – “Okay, I’m coming to help.” I know that this was one of his earlier works, and that he really hadn’t hit his writing stride yet, but it was still fun. And it is short (under 250 pgs), so if you don’t like it… you can finish it quickly and move on to something else.

My biggest complaint is that the second half of the book (away from the house) became WAY to far fetched for my brain to buy into. If the baddie was what they explained it to be… we never saw the carnage, we never saw its capabilities, and it wasn’t nearly as bright as they let on. There was a lot of talk and build up to something that really didn’t do what they expected. As far as I can tell the body count was about 7-8 (I’m not sure if the one guy made it or not) which isn’t very high for the build up of – “It’ll destroy mankind.” All in all, this was one of Masterton’s weaker novels, but still worth the read if you are bored. I would suggest borrowing it though rather than paying for it.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth star is for the short stories in this collection. I thoroughly enjoyed both Underbed and The Gray Madonna. Charnel House is like The House that Jack Built which I read just before reading this book in that they both concern a house that is haunted by a spirit that wants to return to life. However, the spiritual aspects that allow for the return of the spirits concerned in the books is very different. Charnel House concerns Native american legend while The House that Jack Built makes use of a fallen angel.

In any case, Masterton's stories are always original and interesting. They are always well researched and seem to be written by someone who has experience in the location about which he is writing. If you read very many of his books, you will notice how different his storytelling voice can be dependent on the material. He's written in every point of view from first person to third person omniscient. He seems to spit in the eye of every college professor who has ever admonished a student with, "You must write what you know" and I love that!

[Gaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in my teenage days and absolutely loved it. Since that was well over fifteen years ago, I decided to give it another bash. Surprisingly, and considering how much my taste in fiction has changed over the years, It's as good as I remember. Creepy set up, playful characters and a freaky Indian folklore legend to captivate and entertain. Yes, it's trashy and occasionally predictable (with an ending a tad on the absurd side) but who cares when it ultimately brings home the bacon in the spine-chilling department (especially the first half). I had a lot of fun re-reading this old todger and I plan on doing a few more Masterton novels in 2012, just to reacquaint myself ('Night Warriors' series. Eee!). Oh and there really should be a 'Charnel House' movie! As long as I'd get to play 'George Thousand Names'. He's hot.

[Juxian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even with my high tolerance for crap when it comes to horror, I have to DNF this book. The author was telling how writing this book made bad luck plague him; honestly, I doubt that writing that poor can make anything happen, bad luck including. Though I read in another review his other books are much better, so I'll try again a different one later.