I understand that this was listed as a horror story when it was first released, and in that sense, I can understand that some readers would have been I understand that this was listed as a horror story when it was first released, and in that sense, I can understand that some readers would have been disappointed, because the story perhaps does not contain the usual plot devices to satisfy some horror fans.
Nevertheless, for those looking for dark fiction, I think there is a great deal of psychological horror here, in the way the two parts of the story play out within the characters' heads (and, by reading, in our heads too). I also feel that Yrsa Sigurðardóttir's talented writing has made it easy for us to really get into the heads of Aldis and Odinn as they struggle through their lives as they occur nearly 40 years apart.
The setting of Krókur, the care home for delinquent boys, is bleak and one is immersed in the fear and trepidation that Aldis carries with her every step in this cold, eerie desolate place with its own secrets.
Odinn's life is also bleak in a modern day setting. His new workplace is depressing and his task is to take over the work of a dead colleague. His new flat is cold and anything but homely. And he has taken on the flat and the new job so that he can care for his young daughter Run, who is traumatised by her mother's recent death. Add to this bumps in the night and some creepy folklore shared by a neighbour, and we can see that Odinn has his work cut out trying to maintain his sanity.
I could write a lot more about the plot, all the well-studied characters, and the twists and turns of the storyline in both cases, but to do so would mean adding spoilers which I do not want to do.
What I will say though is that, for me, this is an outstanding, well-written, expertly-plotted piece of dark, mystery/crime fiction, that reels you in and doesn't let go.
Personally, I found the story more unsettling than 'I Remember You', but perhaps because I found that it flowed better. I certainly found it more 'unputdownable' than the two Thóra Guðmundsdóttir series novels I have read so far.
In fact, I was sad to come to the end of this book, I enjoyed it so much ('enjoyed' is probably not the best word though :) ).
This is the third novel in the Conny Sjöberg series (I am hoping that this series continues to be translated to English and available in the UK...). WhThis is the third novel in the Conny Sjöberg series (I am hoping that this series continues to be translated to English and available in the UK...). When I began to read Carin Gerhardsens's books with Conny Sjöberg as the main character, I realised that this would be an ongoing experience, as the main characters and their involvements in the main plots and in sub-plots of their own keep on developing throughout each book and beyond, so you always want to read the next one to find out more. This particular story has a very sad plot which (view spoiler)[involves one of the main characters from previous stories in an, at first, very unexpected way (hide spoiler)], while also developing a very strong sub-plot for a female character and a more confusion for Sjöberg and his life. These novels are harsh; the crimes are often incredibly cruel; and plot intricacies abound, but we still get to know the characters personally (although sometimes with Conny Sjöberg's character, I often just want to shake him), but this, nevertheless, does not produce the 'soapy' feel that some books by similar writers tend to produce and I think they are all the better for that. I recommend The Last Lullaby and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 4 stars not 5 because I think that Gerhardsen still has more to give as the characters develop further. However, please be aware that this story is not a happy one and some of the scenes depicted are cruel and incredibly sad....more
Ruth Rendell's Thirteen Steps Down was published (in 2004) under the 'Ruth Rendell' name, rather than the 'Barbara Vine' persona. However, for me thisRuth Rendell's Thirteen Steps Down was published (in 2004) under the 'Ruth Rendell' name, rather than the 'Barbara Vine' persona. However, for me this book crosses a line between the two 'authors'. I see Ruth Rendell as writing crime/mystery novels with easily recognisable characters, some nice, some nasty, while I see Barbara Vine as writing deeper, psychological mysteries with many troubled (and often deeply unlikeable) main characters.
But Thirteen Steps Down crosses the line.
We do have a build up to and aftermath of murder and within a recogniseable crime thriller framework - obsession, stalking, loss of reality for the main character. And the plot is very well framed, with all the parts coming together in a satisfying way (as per most of Rendell's crime thrillers).
The setting of the novel - a run-down, seedy boarding house, owned by Gwendoline, a 'Miss Haversham' like character is depressing, but really sets the scene for the psychology of the characters.
But the characters in the novel are pure Barbara Vine - troubled, disturbed, completely self-interested, obsessive and sometimes unsavoury. I found it hard to sympathise, leave alone root for any of them. In fact, I would have been happy to leave them all in that seedy place and walk away...but I really wanted to find out if I was correct about what happened in the end :)
Overall, Thirteen Steps Down is very worth reading, especially for those of us who like to read everything by Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine. But for me it was not a satisfying read. I don't mind seedy settings; I don't mind unsavoury characters; I certainly don't mind reading about obsessions. But put them all together, with no real light on the horizon, and it all gets a little too depressing. Recommend you read it though :)....more
Another very readable book from Linwood Barclay, Bad Guys is part of the 'Zack Walker' range of thrillers and it follows the usual pattern: our 'hero'Another very readable book from Linwood Barclay, Bad Guys is part of the 'Zack Walker' range of thrillers and it follows the usual pattern: our 'hero' who is (as always) in the wrong place at the wrong time (and, as usual, makes some pretty stupid decisions...); the family - as always part of the plot; and a range of 'good' and 'bad' guys, some well-drawn, others not so much. The humour in the face of adversity, is also pretty good (in fact, I think 'Bad guys' does this better than most Barclay books). As said at the beginning, this is a very readable book, and for fans of Linwood Barclay, a 'must read'. I have read more 'thrilling' stories and stories which are better-crafted, but Bad Guys is okay - not great, but definitely worth a read. ...more
I've been reading a lot of Linwood Barclay lately, mainly because I had a set of his books on my kindle... and he was recommended... Bad Move is an easI've been reading a lot of Linwood Barclay lately, mainly because I had a set of his books on my kindle... and he was recommended... Bad Move is an easy read, but for me also a frustrating read. We spend over half the book waiting for something to happen, while we amble along meeting our 'hero' Zack Walker's family and neighbours, meandering through his tales of misdeeds, and understanding very clearly why he is such an asshole! I stuck with this book simply because I was too lazy to find something else to read at the time, but I'm actually glad I did as, once we finally get into the action, it comes thick and fast and a lazy read suddenly becomes a gripping (if a little far-fetched)thriller! Just wish we could have got to the point a whole lot quicker!...more
The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories is an atmospheric read. Particularly with The Empty House itself, I was immediately taken to an age of dim strThe Empty House and Other Ghost Stories is an atmospheric read. Particularly with The Empty House itself, I was immediately taken to an age of dim street lamps and fog, where men had to be strong and upstanding and women were allowed to be weak and suffer palpitations at the slightest fear. Nevertheless, on closer inspection, the young Jim Shorthouse has real problems maintaining his strength of purpose in an allegedly haunted house, whilst his elderly aunt, despite her frailty, strikes me as a very strong character indeed.
Like some other readers, I grew a little tired in these stories of our Jim being so horrified he is sapped of strength. I can go for this once, or twice, but I required a little more hints of the ghostly atmosphere to scare me as the reader.
Having said that, I did enjoy reading The Empty House (and some of the other stories), mainly for the sense of times gone by. And, unlike some of his contemporaries, I found Blackwood an easy and enjoyable read....more
I wont write down the story line of The Red Tree as it's been done already.
This is the first Caitlín R. Kiernan book I have read. The author was recomI wont write down the story line of The Red Tree as it's been done already.
This is the first Caitlín R. Kiernan book I have read. The author was recommended to me as someone who writes dark literature which is creepy and builds a sense of dread, rather than being blood thirsty. Just the kind of dark or weird literature I like.
However, I found myself seriously un-creeped-out by this story. Nevertheless, I kept reading, mainly because I enjoyed Kiernan's writing.
Sarah, the main character: I did get to like her for her scattered thoughts and in your face attitude, but I also wanted to shake her at times to get her to see others' points of view, if only to make life a little easier for herself. Sarah's descent into madness was keenly drawn and I did sympathise with her, a lot.
Sarah's ex, deceased lover Amanda and Constance the artist who takes over the attic in the house, I felt at times to be one and the same character (or the second character a figment of Sarah's imagination), but when the revelation about Constance appeared, I have to admit I was a little disappointed, because by this point in the story, I was expecting something more...possibly horrific (but probably should have known better).
In fact, as others have pointed out, the whole premise of the horror (or darkness) in this book is made out of suggestions, some of which the new reader will get, others which may take longer to filter down. Most of the time we are left to make up our own minds about what is really happening or has happened and the reality of it all. And, as we have such an unreliable narrator in Sarah, the only way we can get a clue is to follow her in her descent into madness and not look for any ironclad conclusions, even about Sarah's demise itself, otherwise we will be sorely disappointed.
Unlike some other reviewers, I was happy to go along with the journal-style writing and the insertion of the so-called research journal. I liked the references to other literature, especially when it opened up more suggestions and relationships, but found it a little tiresome in places when all I wanted was to get back to what was actually happening.
Many have said that The Red Tree reminds them of House of Leaves in its written style, so I'm off to read that next, if I can find a hard copy (as the ebook version evidently loses a lot of the feel of the book).
As to Kiernan, I will definitely read more of her work, but possibly after a break :)
One note for Kindle readers: I read The Red Tree on my Kindle and on first opening, the novel opened just past the editor's preface. You need to scroll back to read the preface. It is part of the story :)....more
This is the first John Connolly novel I have read and I was a little disappointed, because the author was so highly recommended to me by those whose fThis is the first John Connolly novel I have read and I was a little disappointed, because the author was so highly recommended to me by those whose favourite authors I usually agree with. Every Dead Thing is a big, unruly beast of a novel. It is dark, bloody and quite depressing in parts (actually, more like a large part of the novel...).
The story is a wild mix of characters and tales, all overshadowed by Connolly's Charlie Parker character's tragic past. I was reading this on a kindle, so it was difficult to flick backwards and forwards to make sure I hadn't missed a crucial part of the plot, but I don't think I did anyway - it was just poorly organised.
I kept waiting for the moment when I felt that I couldn't put the book down, because the plot was getting so tense, but it took me until the last chapters of the novel to feel even a little that way.
Nevertheless, I will read more John Connolly novels because there is something intriguing about the darkness of his writing style and, because, after telling those who recommended his books to me that I was disappointed, they all told me "but this was the first book - he get's so much better!" So eventually I will begin the next mammoth JC book...and hope it grabs me more than this one has....more
This book lingered on my to read shelf for quite a while, but I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. Shirley Jackson doesn't disappoint with theThis book lingered on my to read shelf for quite a while, but I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. Shirley Jackson doesn't disappoint with the build up of tension and the placing of very ordinary folk into tense and dangerous situations. The Lottery in particular, reads a little too much like 'what could happen if...' for comfort, especially considering modern times, media power, the compliance of crowds and the choosing of 'outsiders'. It also makes us think about relationships within our own families and how we would cope in such an horrific situation.
Three stars, because the idea behind The Lottery didn't read completely 'new' to me. I'm guessing this is a little unfair as this story probably came first, but I am marking as the story resounded with me at the time of reading....more
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