May 2014 Group Read: The Ritual by Adam Nevill

[K4tie]

I finally finished!!!! Although I didn't read this one very fast it was worth the time it took. I didn't know what was going to happen, which was awesome! :) I hate being able to predict what will happen. I would have liked for the ending to be more of an ending, but beggars can't be choosers I suppose.

[Zinge]

Finished this one today. Like many others, I thought the first half was better than the second half. It was ok overall, nothing to write home about. Looking forward to June's pick.

[Kasia]

This was so good that I'm definitely reading the June pick, experiencing a nice story with others is addictive.

[Marc-Antoine]

Kasia wrote: "This was so good that I'm definitely reading the June pick, experiencing a nice story with others is addictive."

I'm with you, bring on June!

[Katy]

Marc-Antoine wrote: "Kasia wrote: "This was so good that I'm definitely reading the June pick, experiencing a nice story with others is addictive."

I'm with you, bring on June!"

Looking forward to our next read as well.

[Latasha]

Me too!

[Sarah]

Amanda wrote: "I really enjoyed The Ritual and thought it was genuinely creepy, but I thought there were a couple of things off with it…

1. (My main gripe) I thought that the second half of the book with the tee..."

1. I like the literary function of these characters. They embody a certain kind of perversion, whereas the kith and kin of the old woman embody another kind of perversion altogether. It’s rare to see a powerful message in horror, a message that delves deeper than fear of the unknown. We can easily dismiss Norse folklore as being outdated, and we can dismiss degenerates as being inconsequential. But will it stop them?

2. Again, the book exposes perversion. The girl and the old woman are twisted; they are not representations of the right way to be.

[Amanda]

Sarah wrote: "Amanda wrote: "I really enjoyed The Ritual and thought it was genuinely creepy, but I thought there were a couple of things off with it…

1. (My main gripe) I thought that the second half of the bo..."

I agree with you that it plays upon perversion, but why does it mostly, if not only, appear to be expressed in female characters or figures in the book? True, some of the male characters are certainly creepy/gross/perverse/whatever, but the perversions in the female characters/beings go to their literal female physicality. (view spoiler)[ The female metal kid (can't remember her name and don't have the boook handy) in particular was what raised red flags with me. Not to get obnoxious and weird, but her genitals and breasts were mentioned repeatedly as objects of disgust. Also, specifically mentioned were the teats on the god/monster. I don't believe this is a novel meant to conger up any type of feminist, or anti-feminist debate. In fact, I'm sure this post will illicit some eye roles. It is just not typical for something like this to jump out at me, so I thought I would see if anyone else noticed. I doubt that all of this was even conscious, but I thought it was pretty strange all the same. Anyway, just my opinion. (hide spoiler)] Lookin forward to next month's read.

[K4tie]

Amanda - good point on exploring more than needed of the woman. I was nauseated by that portion, but at the same time it was obviously part of bringing the full force of what was happening alive for the reader.

[Amanda]

K4tie wrote: "Amanda - good point on exploring more than needed of the woman. I was nauseated by that portion, but at the same time it was obviously part of bringing the full force of what was happening alive fo..."

Yeah I think the nausea was what initially brought it to my attention too. Disgust is certainly part of the story, but I thought these particular bits (no pun intended) were a bit out of place. I still enjoyed reading this enough to pass along to a couple of my creepy friends though, so it obviously didn't bother me too much :)

[K4tie]

lol ya I know some people to recommend it to. :) Above all I loved the writers style. He definitely went lovecraft minus some things (like the bits we mentioned) but all in all not a bad creepy story with old gods.

[K4tie]

I cheer for the June book as well! (I would say that I second it, but I'm like 10th)

[Amanda]

Haha! I'll 11th? that? :)

[K4tie]

Nice, thank you Amanda! Lol

[Lori (Nattey)]

Just finished this. Excellent book.

[Anna]

Wayne wrote: "Anna wrote: "I've never read anything by Adam Neville and ordered the Kindle version of "The Ritual" two days ago. The first day I read until my Kindle's battery died. I immediately grabbed my phon..."

Thanks for the suggestion! Just added it to my TBR list.

[K4tie]

Anyone want to buddy read apartment 16? (No rush, but looks cool!)

[Cathie]

K4tie wrote: "Anyone want to buddy read apartment 16? (No rush, but looks cool!)"

Depending when, but sure!

[K4tie]

No timeframe, I'm flexible. So many books and so little time. :)

[Amiee]

So suuuuper late I'm starting but I have two whole days of doing absolutely NADA so bring it onnn

[Kasia]

Best day, reading and relaxing, true luxury in life.

[Paul]

Finished this tonight. "The Ritual" is a page turner that was hard to put down. The protagonist felt very real and relatable - and I wonder how much of Adam Nevill is in his Luke. The big turn at the midpoint worked for me, and the addition of black metal to an otherworldly Blackwood/Machen tale was simply fun to read. I wonder if the real Fenriz has read this? If so, his review would be as entertaining as this book ;) www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9-5urh814s

[Cindy]

I finished this last night, loved it! But I do prefer the first half of the book over the second. (view spoiler)[I couldn't stand the 3 kids, BUT I really liked the part where Luke sees the old lady's legs! :O (hide spoiler)]

[Latasha]

Cindy wrote: "I finished this last night, loved it! But I do prefer the first half of the book over the second. [spoilers removed]"

yeah, even though it was hinted at, I never saw it coming!

[[deleted user]]

The novel structure and content seems well suited to a film adaptation.

Why does Christian Bale come to mind to play the role of Luke...

[Natasa]

I'd like to join Apartment 16, its on my 2014. best horror books challenge list.

[Natasa]

I'd like to join Apartment 16, its on my 2014. best horror books challenge list.

[Tiffany]

The Ritual was an enjoyable read. I liked the first half of the book better though because I found it to be more mysterious and suspenseful.

[Mike]

This book was great. I dug the black metal references.

[Daniel]

I'm a little late here, but I just picked this up along with his other book, Last Days, on Kindle. They look good--I'm excited!

[Daniel]

I just finished this last night. I'm a bit torn in some regards. The beginning was absolutely flawless, and the first half as a whole was pretty great, but the second part dragged severely for me--though I thought the ending was really solid. I'm not sure if it was the plot that made the writing begin to feel obtrusive, or if the writing itself really thickened up in South of Heaven.

(view spoiler)[ There were some places where I wanted to be creeped out, like when he woke up to find the three figures standing over his bed, but the description got in the way of the emotion for me. It was the same with the old people in the attic. Perhaps the jumbled diction/writing was supposed to mirror his confusion, but it didn't really work for me, especially with as much of it as there was.

That, and the conversations with the three insane heavy metal folks weren't nearly as interesting for me as the conflicted talks Luke shared with his old friends in the first half.

I'd still give the book 4 stars though, if only because the idea was really awesome, and the beginning--oh man, the beginning--and the end were absolutely great. (hide spoiler)]

[Mariel]

Like most people on here I really liked the 1st half and didnt expect the second half to go in the direction it did. I dont think it dragged per se but, I would have preferred the wood setting. I did find the last few chapters to be really exciting and I wasn't sure if Luke was going to make it! I found a cool picture on google that I think represents the creature pretty well:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H-dtr-nNk0g...

[Latasha]

Lol krampus! I thought it was more of a baphomet looking scary beast.

[Tiffany]

I added more Adam Nevill Books to my TBR List!