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Psychoville
Growing up in Invicta Cross was hell for Billy March. But ten years later a suburban nightmare evolves as one by one the neighbours start to disappear. Yet nobody suspects the smart young newlyweds might hold the key to the mystery.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 23, 2014
-Lo que sea y como sea por una buena venganza, aunque que tal vez no tenga ni sentido-.
Género. Novela.
Lo que nos cuenta. La reubicación de una familia, por razones ajenas a su voluntad, en una lujosa zona residencial de las afueras de Londres, supone el comienzo de su traumático martirio por parte de sus vecinos. Pero la venganza llegará, años después, aunque no es exactamente lo que pensamos.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers?
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Novela.
Lo que nos cuenta. La reubicación de una familia, por razones ajenas a su voluntad, en una lujosa zona residencial de las afueras de Londres, supone el comienzo de su traumático martirio por parte de sus vecinos. Pero la venganza llegará, años después, aunque no es exactamente lo que pensamos.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers?
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
October 17, 2012
Ok there is a twist to this tale - and I suspect there are those out there who saw it coming or feel its a cheap trick - not me I loved it - obviously I am not going to give away what that twist is but its enough for me to still sit here and grin thinking about it and give the book a full 5 stars for that alone. Now the rest of the story - a twisted urban thriller with equal amounts of terror and humour. I loved this book and cemented for me my appreciation of not only the creativity of Christopher Fowler but also the sheer range of material he is capable of creating.
January 16, 2015
Sometimes, finding a new author can be like falling in love. You just know, not far into the first book, that you've found someone you want to be spending a lot of time with, and that you'll be with them for life. And you remember that first meeting forever. It had happened to me before with Stephen King, and it's happened since with Christopher Brookmyre. But with Christopher Fowler it was different. It was love at first sight, and it was a love destined to last. This was true love, and I fell hard.
It happened in Ottakars bookshop in Enfield town on a cold Saturday afternoon in late November 1997. I was trying to get Christmas presents for family, and shouldn't have been spending money on myself. But there I was, already fairly laden, looking for something to read from the horror section. As usual, actually. They had no Stephen King books I hadn't already read at least twice, and nothing by Koontz really appealed at that point in time. But then I spotted this one. With its' bright cover and attractive sounding blurb, it seemed right. But then on the first page, I found the kick; a review quote from i-d magazine comparing Fowler to King. Sold, one!
But why was that enough for me to fall in love?
When you turn to the prologue of any book to find it entitled "How to increase the validity of your opinions with explosives", you feel that you're in for a fun time. First impressions can sometimes be wrong, but that wasn’t to be true in this case.
It's 1985, and the March family are down on their luck like never before. Forced to move from their family home in London by progress, in this case progress on a motorway, this working class family are dumped rudely into the distinctively middle class area of Balmoral Close, Invicta Cross, one of the new towns cropping up in the Southern heartlands. It is immediately obvious that they don't fit in, and everything they do seems to annoy the residents of their new town. Even their attempts to make friends are snubbed, or cursed by something going wrong. The March family don’t want to be in Invicta Cross and Invicta Cross doesn’t want the March family. Shunned by the neighbours, miles from their family and friends and short on money, their lives become a struggle to fit in and to make ends meet.
Billy manages to make a couple of friends, outcasts like himself. There is April, whose mother is thought to be a witch, and Oliver, who is the son of the local undertaker, and therefore treated with disgust by most. However, April moves away, Oliver is kept away from him, and his puppy is killed. Billy's grades start to fall while he is bullied and beaten by the rest of the town's kids. Billy knows who is responsible for the March family’s problems, but can’t get anyone to see that there is a conspiracy against them, even his father.
For Ray and Angela, Billy's parents, the situation is worse. They struggle to find work, and things become much worse when Ray is sacked and accused of theft, and Angela has a serious accident. Their car is vandalised, their fence knocked down, the house burgled. The whole street seems to be against them, trying to force them out, and when Angela takes an accidental fatal overdose, this is their cue to leave.
Ten years later, Billy March and April meet again. Together, they return to Balmoral Close with revenge at the very front of Billy's mind. He has allowed his grievances with the Marches old neighbours to fester and grow in his mind, and he knows only one way to put them to rest. The old residents of Balmoral Close are still there, trapped in their own unhappiness and negative equity. But, for Billy March, for them to be unhappy isn’t enough. They need to suffer, really suffer, the way that they made his family suffer ten years before.
As with other novels of his, the book concludes in the way you might expect a film to. Although, with Fowler's primary occupation being in the film industry, this is hardly a surprise. What is a surprise is that the ending is pretty impressive. Fowler’s major weakness, in my experience, is that he drags out a book for a few pages too long; usually weakening what might be an otherwise decent conclusion. There’s none of that here, which is great to see.
The comparison to Stephen King is not merited, as there is nothing traditionally horrific about this novel, and it concentrates more on the story than on character building. But then, Fowler's writing has always been more in the thrills and spills area of the spectrum, and not in character building or motivation. His interest lies in the story, in what happened, not in why it happened based on any given character’s past. Indeed, his style is perhaps more akin to Dean Koontz than Stephen King.
As ever, the horror here is not one of absolute terror and of being stalked by monsters, but in the knowledge this could happen to you. After all, are you always polite and helpful to the guy next door? Perhaps you might want to make a point of being so in future, as when they snap you're the person they will get to first.
The beauty of Fowler is in the detail. His feeling for the little things is immaculate. In the part of the novel that happens in 1985, he has made sure that nothing is out of place. The Tory government policies are there, as is the rapid expansion of housing in the countryside. In 1995, everyone has found themselves in negative equity, even in Invicta Cross. But it's the quotes from news report concerning neighbours' disputes at the start of every chapter in the first half that really give you an idea of the work behind this novel, and one little gem, which is bound to bring back memories for those of us old enough to remember... "Then a map of the Thames and a catchy tune; a new soap called 'EastEnders' was just beginning."
If I have to pick fault, and I suppose I should in the interests of fairness, it's that the characters are not terribly well balanced. I don't mean just mentally, as all of them seem to have problems, but in the way that they are separated from each other. There is no clear demarcation between good and bad in here. The Marches seem little more than doormats and moaners in the first half, and you can find little sympathy for the acts of revenge taken in the second half. You're glad to see people die, but more for the entertainment value of the deaths, not because they were people you wanted to see the back of. It's a common failing with Fowler, but is often hidden away under the gloss of the story itself, and never more so than here.
It seems noticeable here largely because there is a larger cast of supporting characters than in most of Fowler’s work. Whereas he usually sets his novels in London, and follows a very small number of people, frequently just one or two, across the city as main characters, here he had created a whole new fictional town, even if he has possibly based it on one of the new towns of the 1980’s. This is another area where he falls down slightly. Fowler knows London and his knowledge and appreciation of the city shine through in his work, giving new depths to a familiar place. Here, the town of Invicta Cross doesn’t have that rounded nature – it’s a two dimensional town and seems no more real than the model Billy March makes of it in his bedroom. It’s possibly been done as an attempt to reach a wider audience, as those outside London won’t have the great appreciation of what he does with the City in his other work. But in attempting to widen his view, he’s lost his focus.
However, that’s not to say that he has written a bad book in “Psychoville”. Everything that has become characteristic of Fowler's writing is in here, making this book the perfect introduction to his work. The chapters are short and sharp, and there is always something happening. It's a bit of no brainer of a book, in a sense, requiring little thought, just for you to hang on and enjoy the ride. And, like a rollercoaster, if you hang on tight enough, it's worth it for the excitement.
This novel should really have propelled Christopher Fowler to the top of the bestsellers list, but didn't. While it's a wonderful story, it's not a unique idea, coming a few years after the Michael Douglas film "Falling Down". It won't appeal to those looking for something well written, and Fowler is possibly too unknown a name for those not used to taking chances after being cosseted by King and Koontz for too long. There is also a problem of how to describe much of Fowler's work. Not scary enough for horror, and with not enough mystery for crime fans, and maybe a few too many messy moments for a standard thriller fan.
However, if you're willing to set your literary prejudices aside, this is one of the more easily obtainable Fowler novels in the offline world. Don't expect to find second hand shops selling Fowler's books, though, as he's not sold too many, and they're the kind of books you want to read over again, but do expect to find a cracking read if you decide to take a chance on an author who deserves to be better known than he is.
This review may also appear under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
It happened in Ottakars bookshop in Enfield town on a cold Saturday afternoon in late November 1997. I was trying to get Christmas presents for family, and shouldn't have been spending money on myself. But there I was, already fairly laden, looking for something to read from the horror section. As usual, actually. They had no Stephen King books I hadn't already read at least twice, and nothing by Koontz really appealed at that point in time. But then I spotted this one. With its' bright cover and attractive sounding blurb, it seemed right. But then on the first page, I found the kick; a review quote from i-d magazine comparing Fowler to King. Sold, one!
But why was that enough for me to fall in love?
When you turn to the prologue of any book to find it entitled "How to increase the validity of your opinions with explosives", you feel that you're in for a fun time. First impressions can sometimes be wrong, but that wasn’t to be true in this case.
It's 1985, and the March family are down on their luck like never before. Forced to move from their family home in London by progress, in this case progress on a motorway, this working class family are dumped rudely into the distinctively middle class area of Balmoral Close, Invicta Cross, one of the new towns cropping up in the Southern heartlands. It is immediately obvious that they don't fit in, and everything they do seems to annoy the residents of their new town. Even their attempts to make friends are snubbed, or cursed by something going wrong. The March family don’t want to be in Invicta Cross and Invicta Cross doesn’t want the March family. Shunned by the neighbours, miles from their family and friends and short on money, their lives become a struggle to fit in and to make ends meet.
Billy manages to make a couple of friends, outcasts like himself. There is April, whose mother is thought to be a witch, and Oliver, who is the son of the local undertaker, and therefore treated with disgust by most. However, April moves away, Oliver is kept away from him, and his puppy is killed. Billy's grades start to fall while he is bullied and beaten by the rest of the town's kids. Billy knows who is responsible for the March family’s problems, but can’t get anyone to see that there is a conspiracy against them, even his father.
For Ray and Angela, Billy's parents, the situation is worse. They struggle to find work, and things become much worse when Ray is sacked and accused of theft, and Angela has a serious accident. Their car is vandalised, their fence knocked down, the house burgled. The whole street seems to be against them, trying to force them out, and when Angela takes an accidental fatal overdose, this is their cue to leave.
Ten years later, Billy March and April meet again. Together, they return to Balmoral Close with revenge at the very front of Billy's mind. He has allowed his grievances with the Marches old neighbours to fester and grow in his mind, and he knows only one way to put them to rest. The old residents of Balmoral Close are still there, trapped in their own unhappiness and negative equity. But, for Billy March, for them to be unhappy isn’t enough. They need to suffer, really suffer, the way that they made his family suffer ten years before.
As with other novels of his, the book concludes in the way you might expect a film to. Although, with Fowler's primary occupation being in the film industry, this is hardly a surprise. What is a surprise is that the ending is pretty impressive. Fowler’s major weakness, in my experience, is that he drags out a book for a few pages too long; usually weakening what might be an otherwise decent conclusion. There’s none of that here, which is great to see.
The comparison to Stephen King is not merited, as there is nothing traditionally horrific about this novel, and it concentrates more on the story than on character building. But then, Fowler's writing has always been more in the thrills and spills area of the spectrum, and not in character building or motivation. His interest lies in the story, in what happened, not in why it happened based on any given character’s past. Indeed, his style is perhaps more akin to Dean Koontz than Stephen King.
As ever, the horror here is not one of absolute terror and of being stalked by monsters, but in the knowledge this could happen to you. After all, are you always polite and helpful to the guy next door? Perhaps you might want to make a point of being so in future, as when they snap you're the person they will get to first.
The beauty of Fowler is in the detail. His feeling for the little things is immaculate. In the part of the novel that happens in 1985, he has made sure that nothing is out of place. The Tory government policies are there, as is the rapid expansion of housing in the countryside. In 1995, everyone has found themselves in negative equity, even in Invicta Cross. But it's the quotes from news report concerning neighbours' disputes at the start of every chapter in the first half that really give you an idea of the work behind this novel, and one little gem, which is bound to bring back memories for those of us old enough to remember... "Then a map of the Thames and a catchy tune; a new soap called 'EastEnders' was just beginning."
If I have to pick fault, and I suppose I should in the interests of fairness, it's that the characters are not terribly well balanced. I don't mean just mentally, as all of them seem to have problems, but in the way that they are separated from each other. There is no clear demarcation between good and bad in here. The Marches seem little more than doormats and moaners in the first half, and you can find little sympathy for the acts of revenge taken in the second half. You're glad to see people die, but more for the entertainment value of the deaths, not because they were people you wanted to see the back of. It's a common failing with Fowler, but is often hidden away under the gloss of the story itself, and never more so than here.
It seems noticeable here largely because there is a larger cast of supporting characters than in most of Fowler’s work. Whereas he usually sets his novels in London, and follows a very small number of people, frequently just one or two, across the city as main characters, here he had created a whole new fictional town, even if he has possibly based it on one of the new towns of the 1980’s. This is another area where he falls down slightly. Fowler knows London and his knowledge and appreciation of the city shine through in his work, giving new depths to a familiar place. Here, the town of Invicta Cross doesn’t have that rounded nature – it’s a two dimensional town and seems no more real than the model Billy March makes of it in his bedroom. It’s possibly been done as an attempt to reach a wider audience, as those outside London won’t have the great appreciation of what he does with the City in his other work. But in attempting to widen his view, he’s lost his focus.
However, that’s not to say that he has written a bad book in “Psychoville”. Everything that has become characteristic of Fowler's writing is in here, making this book the perfect introduction to his work. The chapters are short and sharp, and there is always something happening. It's a bit of no brainer of a book, in a sense, requiring little thought, just for you to hang on and enjoy the ride. And, like a rollercoaster, if you hang on tight enough, it's worth it for the excitement.
This novel should really have propelled Christopher Fowler to the top of the bestsellers list, but didn't. While it's a wonderful story, it's not a unique idea, coming a few years after the Michael Douglas film "Falling Down". It won't appeal to those looking for something well written, and Fowler is possibly too unknown a name for those not used to taking chances after being cosseted by King and Koontz for too long. There is also a problem of how to describe much of Fowler's work. Not scary enough for horror, and with not enough mystery for crime fans, and maybe a few too many messy moments for a standard thriller fan.
However, if you're willing to set your literary prejudices aside, this is one of the more easily obtainable Fowler novels in the offline world. Don't expect to find second hand shops selling Fowler's books, though, as he's not sold too many, and they're the kind of books you want to read over again, but do expect to find a cracking read if you decide to take a chance on an author who deserves to be better known than he is.
This review may also appear under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
February 20, 2016
In 1985 London, 14-year-old Billy March and his working-class parents are 'evicted' from the city to make way for a new road network and are placed in a rented property in the new town of Invicta Cross. Billy is upset - no library to speak of, no cinema and nowhere to go or do - and the neighbours are all middle class families who keep themselves to themselves. His peers at school ignore him and he only finds two friends - funeral director's son Oliver and 'weird girl' April - both misfits like himself. The family's attempts to settle into their new life and involve themselves in the community are thwarted at every turn and it seems there is a conspiracy against the family. Laugh-out-loud moments of descriptions and speech blend with darker humour and spiteful acts perpetrated against Billy's family until the ultimate pain that affected Billy's life forever. The second part of the book is set in 1995 - 10 years on, most of the families are still resident in Invicta Cross but, although on the face of it everything is still harmonious, there are already undercurrents caused by the financial crisis and negative equity. When a good-looking new couple move onto the estate, they are instantly popular with everyone. But then the vicious pranks start, setting neighbour against neighbour, and the tale gets even darker as people start to disappear. A cracking tale of class differences, yuppies and revenge, darkly funny and vicious, wonderfully entertaining and very different - 10/10 for me!
September 7, 2020
This is one of those half-remembered books from long ago that I'm sure did a real number on me and my impressionable mind when I was a kid far too young to be reading this kind of thing. 10/10 five stars amazing.
I mean, nostalgia probably has something to do with it, too - maybe if I read it for the first time today it wouldn't have much to offer, let alone the level of shock value it probably had for a kid. Maybe books of this sort, edgy but comical and thoughtful, are a dime a dozen these days (if that's the case, feel free to recommend some).
I think it probably still stands on its own merit. Maybe. I actually finished re-reading it months ago but didn't get around to updating this, so the impression it made on me as an adult is perhaps not so fresh in the memory.
I was just pretty stoked to find and re-read a book I'd mostly forgotten about, in any case.
I mean, nostalgia probably has something to do with it, too - maybe if I read it for the first time today it wouldn't have much to offer, let alone the level of shock value it probably had for a kid. Maybe books of this sort, edgy but comical and thoughtful, are a dime a dozen these days (if that's the case, feel free to recommend some).
I think it probably still stands on its own merit. Maybe. I actually finished re-reading it months ago but didn't get around to updating this, so the impression it made on me as an adult is perhaps not so fresh in the memory.
I was just pretty stoked to find and re-read a book I'd mostly forgotten about, in any case.
July 18, 2017
I really quite enjoyed this one, an odd book but a very interesting one with sprinkles of dark humor it did cause some questioning of how easily led I am in books. It also showed me how easy it is to twist events to become something far more than they were. I didn't expect any twists so that was surprising in itself and expected a straight up horror/revenge sort of thriller novel but it was lot more than that and very entertaining for it too rather than being too full of different plot lines.
June 15, 2019
One of my favourite books of all time! Purchased haphazardly by my sister for its title as a gag gift for me while I was working in a remote area, I've since devoured Fowler's oeuvre--his writing style is rich, and his love affair with London fascinating.
Psychoville will appeal to anyone with revenge fantasies stemming from adolescent peer abuse ... and then turns it on its end!
Psychoville will appeal to anyone with revenge fantasies stemming from adolescent peer abuse ... and then turns it on its end!
January 10, 2026
Okay so I was really loving this book, and i had already read the blurb on the back so i just kept thinking how excited i was for billy to come back and take revenge. When the second half came i was loving it, then finding out it wasn't billy confused the hell outta me ! i really didnt like this twist when i first read it, but then i felt the more i read the more i understood and really appreciated that billy didnt stoop to revenge because thats not the type of guy he is. very wholesome. on the other hand, jesus christ the way that oliver/jack (but definitely not billy) slaughtered the townspeople made my stomach churn, except for the Diller kid, fuck that guy. april and billy walking off into the sunset together while oliver went to go sacrifice himself to the fire god or whatever was a fun ending to an absurd book. great writing and fun plot 10/10 (ps i still think that the town did plot to have the marches run out)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2019
Wonderful darkness
Terrific satire highlighting the narrow mindset of those who inhabit the pristine word's of suburbia. Bigotry and prejudice are shown with abandon towards those whose 'faces' don't fit. But those who sneer and condemn get their suitably bloody comeuppance.
Terrific satire highlighting the narrow mindset of those who inhabit the pristine word's of suburbia. Bigotry and prejudice are shown with abandon towards those whose 'faces' don't fit. But those who sneer and condemn get their suitably bloody comeuppance.
May 22, 2019
Outstanding satire/critique of post Thatcherite Britain and the social damage on the macro to the personal level caused by the British class system that is largely opaque, unspoken but which permeates all social interactions.
Moving, damming, thrilling.
Moving, damming, thrilling.
July 3, 2019
This is the third time I've read this book. I love it but become more saddened with each reading. How you solve the conundrum of such damaged people? I think this is a book that I'll keep reading my whole life.
January 22, 2018
quirky mystery with a nice flavor of revenge and lots of shots at suburbia.
December 30, 2020
With twists and turns this is a rather good book, but it feels rather dated. Nevertheless an enjoyable dark thriller comedy that looks at fitting in, conspiracies v coincidence, and the point of revenge, is it worth it or should the past be left alone?
May 30, 2021
This was quite a corker! Although a little dated, this was a good read, with a little revenge and shocks along the way. First book I’ve read by this particular author and I would certainly consider reading more from him.
October 26, 2024
Took me way too long to read because of being on holiday - no reflection of the book.
December 5, 2025
A book of 2 halves. A bloodthirsty and violent romp but enjoyable for all that!
September 16, 2009
Interesting that this isn't considered Fowler's best work,It is the only thing I have read by him so I can't comment on that however I did enjoy this book.
Being a child of the Thatcher years and seeing the rise of the yuppie and fragmenting of society I understood some of the comment on Suburbia, The book isn't that simple though no one is really a hero or villan at the end,the protaganist is equal part avenging angel equal part psychopath.
This can work as a social satire as much as a horror not neccessarily a 'must read' but a good holiday book.
Being a child of the Thatcher years and seeing the rise of the yuppie and fragmenting of society I understood some of the comment on Suburbia, The book isn't that simple though no one is really a hero or villan at the end,the protaganist is equal part avenging angel equal part psychopath.
This can work as a social satire as much as a horror not neccessarily a 'must read' but a good holiday book.
January 9, 2015
Psychoville is one part suburban satire, one part horror thriller. The former is a bit jaded and tiring, combining some slight truth with excessive exaggeration. However, the latter more than makes up for it due to Christopher Fowler's ability to weave a tale mixed with his rich prose. Throughout the novel, the continuous injustices wrought on the main character and his family make the reader anxious for some proactive retribution, only to have that desire extinguished because of a twist at the end and some outside justification.
October 14, 2017
I read this book some eleven years ago. I guess I didn't give this book a higher rating because I didn't like Billy March. I just couldn't feel sympathy for him. I get it that his family got a bad treatment for their new neighbors but I just couldn't like him.
February 5, 2008
Fowler has written some great books. This is not one of them.
January 25, 2016
I liked it. Dark and quirky
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews