La Mansión Monroe

by Richard Taylor

A novel of love, redemption, and second chances."Lily died the day we signed the escrow papers," Theo Parker writes of his bride and of Monroe House, the bed-and-breakfast they'd just bought in the picturesque coastal town of Cambria. Theo soon learns he can no more bring his beautiful wife back than he can kill the thing that haunts his new home.Riddled with guilt but making the best of his recuperation from the car accident that killed Lily, Theo and his property manager, dowdy Eleanor Gacy, begin to investigate strange occurrences in Monroe House. And as they do, both Theo and Eleanor begin to see a bit of hope for a second chance at love and redemption.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Horror

316 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2007

About the author

Richard Taylor is a professor of English and currently serves as Kenan Visiting Writer at Transylvania University. A former Kentucky poet laureate, he is the author of six collections of poetry, two novels, and several books of non-fiction, mostly relating to Kentucky history. A former dean and teacher in the Governor's Scholars Program, he was selected as Distinguished Professor at Kentucky State University in 1992. He has won two creative writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and an Al Smith Creative Writing Award from the Kentucky Arts Council. He and his wife Lizz own Poor Richard's Books in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Reviews

[NotCaroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Nope. Nah.

There might be a decent occult presence story lurking here, but book/wall moments outweigh it. Putting it simply, this book is very much about the wet dreams or misogyny of menfolk.

Yes, the male MC admits he's chauvinist almost from the off, but that doesn't explain why the women characters oblige by behaving in a way chauvinists expect, from being ridiculously ( and exclusively) sexually competitive with each other to agreeing with all the misogynistic mythology of men. It seems that this book uses unpleasant and inauthentic views of women to push its narrative, and it gets old and ugly very quickly. I don't find it surprising that the author was a Hollywood exec.

Why I dislike it so much:

1. The book is tastelessly obsessed with the rape of women.
2. The women's looks are rated on introduction.
3. Some man calls a lawyer, 'Little Miss Attorney', and she doesn't punch him in the face. She actually sleeps with him later.
4. Women who don't compare with the skinny supermodel look are referred to as 'cows'.
5. Women's psychology is, according to this author, bound only to their sexual desirability, in which is bound their selfworth, naturally. Unsurprising, as the author/MC almost entirely sees women according to how attractive they are.
6. The women are only deemed worthy of love if they're beautiful. There is literally (and, sisters, I'm not kidding) a virgin and a slut (her own description of herself!).
7. A plain virgin blooms into a beauty when the MC sleeps with her! Yay! That's all she needed!
8. And she's described as sexually-repressed before that, which might have weight had she not also been adept with a vibrator for years, unconcernedly using it while living at home with her parents. How exactly in the entire hell is that repressed?!

9.One female character concurs with the old, inaccurate, MALE view of the adolescent female wielding sexual power with conscious skill and intent, when we all know teen girls are generally overwhelmed by this 'power' and do not see themselves as powerful, but prey. And THIS is a female character whose sister has been gang-raped! Honestly, does this writer know nothing about women, or even basic human psychology? This is truly repulsive, IMO.

10.Even uglier, this character, as a part of the 'possession', finds herself 'wanting' rape. There isn't a big enough YUK.

Part of the wet dream aspect is that all these women - cows, skinny-model, lawyer, stunningly beautiful heiress, etc etc - just find the gimpy, greying MC irresistible. There's even a cat-fight over him (*sigh*) And that 'wanting to be raped' nastiness. Yes, some of these things are presented as part of the 'haunting', but with what has gone before and the general tone of the work - NOPE. Male wet dream.

This author seems to have got his surmising of adult females from rubbish movie scripts. Real-life women are beyond his powers - or perhaps, most likely, interest.

The men? Not nearly as scrutinised, surprise, surprise. They're allowed to be drawn according to their job, personality, goal, not their looks or sexuality. (Although the one male who might compete with the MC has the 'is he gay?' speculation apportioned to him).

There is wit and there are grains of good ideas, and the writing itself is deft, but its primary focus squashes all that into what becomes an unpleasant, irritating read with characters you can't believe in. It's not often a book offends me, and keeps on doing so until I just hate it. This one did.

[Wendy Hines · Rating 3 out of 5]

First-time author, Richard Taylor, will have you begging for more of his haunting and beautiful writing. This original and well-executed idea will keep you interested throughout.

Theo's wife, Lily, died in a car accident the same day they signed the escrow papers of their new bed and breakfast, The Monroe House.

Devastated and guilt-ridden, Theo soon learns that he can't bring his wife back anymore than he can kill the thing that haunts his new home in a small quaint town, Cambria.

After some recuperation from the car accident that killed Lily, the realization that he still has purpose hits him and propels him forward. The bed and breakfast beckoned him to do something with it. The caretaker and property manager, Eleanor Gacy was also begging for something to be done with her.

This lonely man and mis-understood girl set out on a journey to remodel the bed and breakfast. The building, however, has different ideas. Over time, a secret that has been hiding since the 19th century emerges, and they find themselves in over their heads. With trial and error, perseverance, and the help of a few friends, they investigate the strange occurrences and attempt to solve the mystery of The Monroe House. As they do, Theo and Eleanor begin to see a bit of hope for a second chance of love and redemption.

I highly recommend this book. Don't be surprised if you find yourself seeing ghosts out of the corner of your eye while reading.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Best scary story I've read in a while with twists that I didn't expect and a very strong ending.
Caveat - Theo Parker, the first person POV for most of the book, is about as chauvanistic as they come. I almost put the book down several times in the beginning, and while I hoped that the character would grow out of this, he never did. Luckily the story started to take over and his commentary became background.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the cover design, I expected a brooding, atmospheric ghost story. It's not.. it's way more fun than that!

The Haunting of Cambria mixes a haunted house story with humor and romance. It moves along quickly, has a varied cast of characters, and a pretty original source of the haunting. This isn't great literature, but it sure kept me up late finishing "one more chapter" after another.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful read! The story was intriguing and the characters delightfully quirky. I know that sounds odd for a book with 'the haunting of' anything in the title but I couldn't put it down. That isn't to say, the entity wasn't sufficiently scary because it was. However the book was enjoyable from start to finish.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yea, um...no. I really like the style of writing and I thought I was going to love the book but by the time I realized what was going on, I was sorely disappointed. Must give him kudos for writing a very different kind of ghost story, but after finishing I'm a little upset I spent my free time doing so.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could give 3.5 I would. I really liked this book, up until a point. Those of you who have read it know what I mean. I did enjoy reading about all the local places in Cambria mentioned in the story. Anyone who has visited Cambria would get a kick out of all the local references.

[Nancy Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read and entertaining. However, Theo is one of the most self-centered, chauvinistic men I have "met" in quite some time. Certainly a unique ghost story with some interesting twists, but not one I would necessarily recommend.

[Valley Cottage Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMER READING REVIEW: "After his wife is killed in a car accident, Parks inherits her dream of making Cambria House into a bed and breakfast. The house appears to be haunted. He joins forces with Eleanor, the estate manager of the house, to discover what is causing theses phenomena. Paranormal experts hold a seance at the house with a strange finding. An old diary confirms the relevation. This book, although fiction, presents an intriguing possibility."

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly lively book. The jacket blurb focused more on the protagonist's loss of his wife and subsequent finding of love, but I most enjoyed how the characters solved the mystery of the Monroe House "ghost."

[Leila · Rating 1 out of 5]

The star of this book was reading about the real and neat places in Cambria ~ a destination I aim for once a year. The rest was too "Steven King-type' for me. If it were a movie it would definately be "R" or even "X".

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who likes ghost stories, this on is pretty good. The characters are well written, the atmosphere is chilling, the story line is convoluted enough to keep the reader guessing.
When they make the movie of this, Sandra Bullock should play Elenor.

[Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh come on! A murderous plant!! You have got to be kidding!!!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

More enjoyable than not.

[Dgolon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story, creepy read. Many reviewers hated the main character, but I got a kick out of his sarcastic wit and typical man thoughts, lol.

[scherzo♫ · Rating 1 out of 5]

misogynistic

[Denise Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different sort of ghost story. I enjoyed it.

[Heather Rosman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theo Parker finds himself with his late wife's dream house-Monroe House. But Monroe House comes with more than just the fixings for a bed and breakfast. The house is inhabited by something intelligent and evil-something that Theo and his new friend, Eleanor, will go to any lengths to destroy. This is an amazing human story set in a paranormal storyline that will scare your pants off.


Theo Parker might as well be dead inside when he comes to the small town of Cambria, California. Theo is now the primary owner of Cambria's local legend: Monroe House, a Victorian bed and breakfast with a haunting history. Monroe House was the passion of Theo's late wife, Lilly. Lilly died the day they were married-the same day they bought Monroe House, the day that was supposed to be the fulfillment of her dream and by extension, Theo's dream. Because Theo's dream was to see Lilly happy and losing her left him in a place worse than death-a world without her. Now Theo is only left with Monroe House, Lilly's fortune, and Lilly's cantankerous grandmother all of which he would trade to get her back.

Eleanor Glacy is the caretaker of Monroe House hired by the Parker estate to care for the property while Theo recovers from the car accident. Eleanor is stick thin, the ugly duckling in a family of swans. Her family thinks she's a lesbian but Eleanor is just a shy, insecure virgin who has yet to bloom into the spring of her life. Eleanor takes the job at Monroe House not knowing what was in store for her-the best and worst experiences she'll have in her lifetime.

When Theo comes to stay at Monroe House it is because he has nowhere else to go. After the car accident which stole his wife's life, Theo spent weeks in a coma only to revive to months of physical therapy and a permanently damaged body. On his first night in Monroe House, he first hears the wailing-the awful cry of something alive but not corporeal. The entity fast becomes the primary focus of Theo and Eleanor's lives-or more accurately, stopping the entity from hurting Eleanor, killing and feeding off their weaknesses.

This novel is a cross between science fiction and horror with some romance and human interest. The story is reminiscent of both John Wyndham's "The Day of the Triffids" and Jack Finney's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Monroe House is thought to be haunted but they find that something else is controlling the house-something far worse than a ghost or a poltergeist, something with intelligence and a will to stay alive at any cost.

Richard Taylor's debut novel is a gem. Filled with humor liking to train of thought, particularly of the male variety, Taylor tells the story of a hurt man dealing with a haunted house, the memory of his lost wife, and the possibility of new love. Taylor tells the story through Theo's eyes. Theo is a man with a sharp wit and self-deprecating humor combined with a strong obsession for breasts which he blames wholly on his gender. As a woman, I felt genuine pleasure and relief that a man with such a breast complex finds himself in love with an A-Cup woman. For that, I fell in love with Theo and his unfailing ability to see people for who they truly are. As well, the lack of explicit sex between characters makes it easier to see them as real people, terrified of what they are going through but appreciative of their chance to be together.

This novel is filled with Theo's masculine commentary on the male-female relationship, which is humorous and genuine. These feel like real people struggling with real relationships-people who I would want as friends in everyday life.

[Silvia G · Rating 1 out of 5]

A ver cómo explico este pastiche sobre cómo un tío de casi cuarenta años le cambia la vida a una virgen de veintitrés sólo con fijarse en ella, meses después que el amor de su vida muera en un accidente de coche (en el que él conducía) vestido de historia de terror en casa encantada.

(Por si alguien tiene pensado leerse este libro, alguno de los puntos siguientes están marcados como spoiler.)

1. No hay duelo igual a otro pero puedo asegurar que cuando se muere el amor de tu vida a los cuarenta, la persona con la que pensabas envejecer, no te enamoras locamente a los ocho meses como si, en vez de haberse muerto tu pareja, la hubieras encontrado en la cama con otro y hubieras tenido que seguir con tu vida. Sobre todo cuando has pasado seis de ellos en coma. Te hundes en un puto pozo sin fondo en el que la vida carece de sentido, no empiezas a tirarle la caña a la primera chica que se te cruza. Literalmente, la primera chica que se te cruza en el camino. Eso ya me parece increíble de cojones.

2. El hecho de que un tío ya madurito se fije con una chica de 23 años (repito, 23 años) y le dedique sus atenciones, resulta que tiene el poder mágico de hacer que pase de ser una chica del montón con un cuerpo de chico porque no tiene tetas (palabras del autor, no mías) hace que de repente empiece a ser guapa. No me lo estoy inventado, si es que le empieza a cambiar hasta el cuerpo. Que le crecen hasta las tetas y se le ensanchan las caderas, por el amor de Dios. Las hermanas y los padres de ella, que son todos guapísimos y la tenían condenada a ser el patito feo, de pronto empiezan a decir que parece una modelo y que nunca se habían dado cuenta de lo guapísima que era. Y todo gracias a que este señor que enviudó no hace ni un año, empieza a acostarse con ella. Ah, por cierto, ella era virgen. ¿Necesito decir algo más al respecto?

3. Resulta que TODAS las mujeres con las que interacciona el protagonista están buenísimas y tienen unas tetas enormes, a diferencia de la mujer a la que convierte en modelo con la varita mágica que tiene entre las piernas. Le echa ficha a todas y, además, todas lo encuentran irresistible y le siguen el rollo.

4. Hay más escenas de sexo y de bromas sexuales que de apariciones, espectros, poltergeist o cualquier cosa remota al terror.

5. Repito, una vez más: el protagonista consigue, en menos de un año, enterrar al amor de su vida, desvirgar a una veinteañera, transformarla de la fea oficial (que además no tiene habilidades sociales y es una solitaria) en una mujer carismática, abierta e incapaz de mantenerse vestida más de una hora seguida, casarse con ella y preñarla en la luna de miel. Ah, y hacerse multimillonario por el camino.

En fin, para no extenderme más (aunque podría, porque madre mía), diré que esto no es un libro de terror, es la fantasía pajera de un señor que, para que no lo parezca, le añade una casa en la que de vez en cuando pasan cosas extrañas y que todo el mundo sabe que está encantada. Fin.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le doy 4 estrellas aunque en realidad es un 3,5. La historia es interesante y es bastante ágil, encontrandote con que habrás leido varios capítulos sin darte cuenta.
Si bien es cierto que no es una historia demasiado terrorífica y que tiende más a centrarse en los sentimientos del protagonista, es muy disfrutable.
Ademas, el origen de los fantasmas de la mansion es muy original.
Pierde puntos por ciertos comportamientos del protagonista con las mujeres y por el giro de la trama que se produce bastante antes de lo esperable.

[Margaret]

This book doesn't deserve even 1 star. Very offensive treatment of women. Stupid plot. Poorly written. The only reason I kept reading was because I'm staying in Cambria, the small town where it takes place. Don't bother.

[Brianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started out promising but took a turn I wasn't particularly a fan of. I enjoyed it overall.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though I liked the writing for the most part, there were several times when I though "How did they get THAT idea?" when it came to the character's deduction skills. It was as if there were internal conversations going on that skipped right over the bulk of reason that lead to their ideas and decisions. There were also a few longer scenes that made me wonder if I was reading the same novel. Yes, the narrator is a pig as many reviews point out, but he claims it early so it's no surprise. So much so it becomes a bit of a schtick. I can say I like how the plot turned near the end, but the creepy factor was high here and there.

[Elizabeth]

Comic approach to classic haunted house story. A page turner, but hard to sustain the momentum of the tension, and an anticlimatic ending.

[Carolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

A clever writer but a completely unbelievable ending to this story.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off great, but fizzled towards the end. I would still recommend this book.