“Incidents Around the House” by Josh Malerman Buddy Read starts August 15th

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

This is a buddy read for Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. A couple of us from the Book combat horror team wanted to read it in advance of the movie “Other Mommy” coming out this fall, which is based on this book.

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[Becky, Protomodicule]

Yay! Let's go!

[Bethan]

I've just finished this one. I might drop into the discussion when it happens, but I won't spoil anything, promise.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Yeah, definitely welcome to add to the discussion Bethan!

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Sorry I’m late, had an all day drive this weekend. I’m going to start tonight! Looking forward to it!

[Becky, Protomodicule]

Sarah wrote: "Sorry I’m late, had an all day drive this weekend. I’m going to start tonight! Looking forward to it!"

No worries - I kinda bailed on my TBR challenge, when I agreed to read multiple books that weren't in it, so my "schedule" is out the window. LOL

I did technically start this and read a few pages... definitely a different style!

[Becky, Protomodicule]

Sarah, I'm sorry that I've been such a terrible slacker on this BR so far! I'm hoping to get some reading in this weekend though. I'll be visiting family, but will (theoretically) have downtime at night. THEORETICALLY. LOL

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

No worries! I’m planning to get through it this weekend just because it’s reading pretty quickly. (Lots of white space with this format.)

I’m only about a hundred pages in.

I haven’t posted because I don’t have a whole lot to say right now? Hopefully I’ll have more to say soon lol.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I am on page 238/ chapter 34.

Feels like I’m flying through it, which isn’t a bad thing. I do sort of question sometimes how authentic Bela’s voice feels as a child. Sometimes he feels spot on and sometimes her voice feels fairly adult.

(view spoiler)[I do think there have been some genuinely creepy moments. I sometimes struggle with supernatural horror, so this has been a pleasant surprise. The whole bathroom sequence with Other Mommy and the silhouette and the shower and then sitting on someone’s legs. Nothing even really happened but I thought it was well done. (hide spoiler)]

[Nicol]

I am listening to the audio and Bela’s voice is adding another layer of creepiness. Which objectively makes no sense, children’s voices aren’t scary but in this setting it’s certainly unsettling, like in horror films when they have children singing or chanting.

I am still at a point where I’m wondering (view spoiler)[ if Other Mommy is a ghost, a demon, an alien, from another dimension or a manifestation of her parent’s problems (hide spoiler)]

I am not sure if I will watch the movie, I prefer my horror in book form. This is my first Malerman book.

[Becky, Protomodicule]

Finally digging into this one. Better late than never, right?

I’m 12% in.

I agree that Bela’s voice feels inconsistent. Sometimes VERY young and obliviously innocent, and other times quite adult and insightful. I just read a section of her recounting, verbatim, a couple LONG stories from her dad, and I don’t know if I believe she’d recall it that well.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Nicol wrote: "I am listening to the audio and Bela’s voice is adding another layer of creepiness. Which objectively makes no sense, children’s voices aren’t scary but in this setting it’s certainly unsettling, l..."

Or Option F: (view spoiler)[All of the above? (hide spoiler)] I’ll be curious to know what you think of this when you finish the book!

Becky wrote: "Finally digging into this one. Better late than never, right?

I’m 12% in.

I agree that Bela’s voice feels inconsistent. Sometimes VERY young and obliviously innocent, and other times quite adul..."

Yeah definitely. For me it was when she was (this should be relatively safe to click for where you’re at I think Becky, it’s very general about the plot/themes of the book) (view spoiler)[navigating her parents marital issues. (hide spoiler)]

[Becky, Protomodicule]

OK I'm finished. I dunno... this is my second Malerman book, and I haven't loved either one of them.

(view spoiler)[I feel like he really likes the whole "unknown as horror" thing, and, while there's certainly something to that, I just need more THAN that. I feel like this was half a story, and the ending was particularly frustrating and annoying to me. Were the parents dead? Just unconscious? Bela is now "possessed"? Her "spirit" goes where? What is "Other Mommy"?

I think there's some merit to the idea that OM is a manifestation stemming from the parents' issues, but if so, I don't think that it's from the PARENTS themselves, I think it's more likely that Bela conjured OM from deep insecurity in herself. Even at the beginning of the book, Bela knows that there's an unhappiness and uncertainness to her parents' marriage - she fixates on it a lot. She has no friends her own age. Her parents involve her way too much in "adult" issues, like the parties and such, and someone please tell me that Bela dancing for these adults at parties creeped them out too, for completely non-supernatural reasons.

And her parents' habits of speaking over her while she's sleeping is... disturbing. There's a lot to be said about the knowledge of the subconscious mind, and what the brain is still able to learn while sleeping. So even if she WAS sleeping, there's a chance that the parents were imprinting their anxieties and worries and misbehaviors and such on her, and she needed a stabilizing force. And so often kids tend to feel responsible for their parents' failures - and clearly Bela feels at least some of that - she is overly concerned with whether they are happy or not, and wanting to make them happy, and so she likely feels that if they aren't, it's something to do with her.

So then when she learns the "secret" of who she really is, and how she was conceived, etc, I imagine that that only solidified that feeling in her.

But I don't know if I believe that. Nothing explains why other people could see OM or be impacted by her if she was just manifested by Bela. So it seems that she must be "real" in some sense of the word. If manifested, then Bela must have the ability to manifest other things, too, and there was no indication of that. So I don't know.

Honestly, I'm fine with the unresolved aspect of what OM actually is. What really annoyed me throughout the book was Ursula's behavior, and I don't mean her cheating. I mean, she literally sees OM on the bed with Bela and freaks out, but doesn't think to TALK to her kid about it, to ask questions, to find out what she can about it. It's like she's in complete denial, complete refusal, despite the fact that this is clearly real and not going away. When she slaps Lois on the beach, I was like WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU? She is the only person who is trying to help in ANY way, and she is trying to warn you that the danger isn't over, but your reaction is to lash out? Great job.

I do understand why she did that. She explained in the car how badly she is struggling in her life and as a parent, but dang. PRIORITIZE.

I dunno. I feel like it was just too much left insubstantial to this book. I needed more substance. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Becky wrote: "OK I'm finished. I dunno... this is my second Malerman book, and I haven't loved either one of them. ..."

Sorry it wasn’t for you! I think you make a lot of valid points although a lot of what didn’t work for you is probably what made it work for me.

(view spoiler)[I think I mentioned somewhere that supernatural horror is not my thing and I think that’s because a lot of the time it does get over explained. As soon as it gets explained it’s not scary anymore? Nothing like shining a flashlight on that dark corner to show you it was only a shadow, you know?

This book gave me enough that I felt I knew what happened but also left enough to the imagination that I didn’t feel like I was completely inventing an ending.

I saw a booktube review mention they’d never experienced “jump scares” in a book in relation to this one, and I think that summed it up perfectly. Even when I knew it was coming (as you often do in a movie) it still got me. lol.

Ursula was 100% a loathsome character. Frustrating to read through out - completely agree. But I think that just adds to the horror. Here’s a girl with a mom so bad she invented a demon other mommy to be her mother. I think it added to the horror of the book.

And then the ending, I personally felt like the parents were dead and Bela was possessed, but. I can’t help but wonder if it’s somehow worse if they are all alive and living with possessed Bela instead. (hide spoiler)]

Anyway- you’re definitely not alone. I think a lot of Malerman’s work seems to be an acquired taste. I’ve actually read more of his short fiction than his novels but I usually enjoy them (the past couple ones have been duds though).

Will you see the movie do you think?

[Bethan]

Nicol wrote: "I am not sure if I will watch the movie, I prefer my horror in book form. This is my first Malerman book."

I usually don't watch movie versions of books I've enjoyed. There are exceptions, but in general, I always find them disappointing the minute they change something.

[Bethan]

Becky wrote: "OK I'm finished. I dunno... this is my second Malerman book, and I haven't loved either one of them.

I feel like he really likes the whole "unknown as horror" thing, and, while there's certainly ..."

For what it's worth, I agree with you. I won't quote as it's a hidden spoiler but you pretty much sum up my own take on this.

[Becky, Protomodicule]

Sarah: (view spoiler)[ I do agree with you, to a degree. Not knowing what something is can be terrifying. It's quite effective in House of Leaves (god will I EVER finish that book?? LOL), and I think it was more effective in Malerman's Bird Box than I think it was in this one. In that one, we know that we CAN'T know what the true nature of the things are - just looking at them has dire consequences, and it's not worth the risk. So stay in the dark, stay ignorant, stay safe. That aspect DID work for me in BB. There was enough for me - we knew it was worldwide, that it was dangerous, but we didn't know WHAT it was, or how it came to be, or how it did whatever it was that made it dangerous, etc. We know nothing about it really other than it is dangerous because of its effect on humans.

But in IATH, I felt like I needed more. Maybe that's because IATH was told from Bela's perspective, and SHE wasn't curious about what OM actually was. But the fact that almost NOBODY was... irked me for some reason. The fact that Ursula actively rejected any discussion of what it was, or WHY it was, from the few people who were interested and trying to get to the bottom of it, really irked me. LOL I'm not a parent, but I am an aunt, and if that was happening to my nephew, I can't imagine not wanting to know EVERYTHING from him. How long have you been seeing OM? What do you talk about? What kinds of things does/can OM do? What does it look like? How does it make you feel? When does it show up? Every night? Or just when you "need" it? Etc.

------
You said: "Here’s a girl with a mom so bad she invented a demon other mommy to be her mother. I think it added to the horror of the book."

Well... I might agree with you on this, but in a different way than I think you mean. LOL I'll explain.

First... WAS Ursula really that bad?
She was present. She wasn't abusive. She wasn't neglectful. They had stable work, and a stable home. Bela never worried whether she was loved. She never worried where her next meal would come from. She never had to walk on eggshells to avoid emotional or physical abuse. She wasn't molested. She wasn't locked up in a basement, or intentionally isolated, or mistreated in any way. She seemed secure in the fact that her parents loved her. By all accounts, up until the point where Ursula sees OM herself, she was a pretty decent mother. She was a bad WIFE. And all of Bela's anxieties were wrapped up in whether Ursula and Russ were "happy" together - in their marriage, not about them in the capacity of being her parents.

I know that we're supposed to believe that Ursula was a bad mother, that she felt trapped and wanted freedom and fun, not responsibility and boredom with a stable marriage... but that was also MY parental dynamic. My mom was young (she had me at 17), and had affairs while my dad was away in the military. This is something I knew from a very young age. But I never conflated any of that with her as my MOM. Those were always separate things to me, even as little as I was. My mom was my mom, she was constant, eternal. She just WAS. My point here is that, even if Bela was as perceptive as she was to pick up on the marital issues... I don't really believe that she would interpret that as "Bad Mommy" and manifest a new one.

And honestly, I don't think that adds up anyway, because OM DIDN'T replace her mother... she replaced BELA. And Bela knew that was what she wanted for a long time. She wanted to go into BELA's heart, not Ursula's, and if OM was a "bad mommy" replacement wouldn't that be more the case?

Anyway, I'm rambling now. LOL Back to why I do agree with your statement - There's a trend around mothers/mothering BEING horror that I find fascinating. It ties into patriarchal normality, and usually the rejection of it being the "horror" element. So, as you say (though I disagree with), Ursula was a bad mother, and that caused Bela to manifest OM, that ties in perfectly. Ursula rejected the "role" she was assigned - the woman who drops her own dreams and aspirations to put her family first. Ursula still wanted freedom and a life, not one shackled to the "wife" and "mother" duties that require her to lose her entire self. And that could not be permitted. There are consequences.

Perhaps Ursula unknowingly manifested OM and not Bela. Perhaps OM is the part of Ursula that wants to dedicate her entire being to being the mother that she SHOULD be, but Ursula knows she's not able to be. OM is singularly focused on Bela in the way that society and patriarchy says that a Good Mother (tm) should be. She listens to Bela, and watches her, and does things for her that she thinks will make Bela happy, or happier.

The more I think about it, the more I like this interpretation!
[Edit to add: I keep thinking about this aspect, and it keeps reinforcing my thought that OM was part of Ursula - like, the "gift" that OM gives Bela is actually not about or "for" Bela at all. It's a punishment for Ursula. It is exactly the type of thing that a "Good Mother" version of Ursula would think would "solve" the issue of Ursula's infidelity - remove the other man, and Ursula will come back to the family and be the mother that OM/Good Mommy thinks is the RIGHT mother. And she does come back, though she's not capable of the rest because the Ursula she is is the selfish one. When OM asks to go into Bela's heart, it's a reversal of the dynamic of the perfect mother who feels like their child is part of them, and she wants to be part of Bela again - to always be within her, always be close.]

Regarding the movie, I have seen the trailer. Definitely more horror/scary than the book was! (But movies usually are like that for me - something about seeing other people's interpretations of horror, and being more in the moment/urgent in movie form than book form makes it more effective as horror for me.) I probably will see it eventually.

Interestingly, in the movie, OM is literally a "doppelganger" of Ursula, not a dark/blue, shapeshifting, hairy, "thing". Maybe they are going for my interpretation! ;) (hide spoiler)]

[Becky, Protomodicule]

Bethan wrote: "Nicol wrote: "I am not sure if I will watch the movie, I prefer my horror in book form. This is my first Malerman book."

I usually don't watch movie versions of books I've enjoyed. There are excep..."

I don't mind adaptations... I usually just think of them as separate from the source material. I do try to read books first though, so the actors aren't who I picture.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Becky wrote: "Sarah: I do agree with you, to a degree. Not knowing what something is can be terrifying. It's quite effective in House of Leaves (god will I EVER finish that book?? LOL), and I think it was more ..."

Aw House of Leaves. lol. A 3 star read that I will never stop thinking about.

This is an interesting theory and point about replacing (view spoiler)[Bela, not Ursula. Maybe I’m being unfair but I maintain Ursula, if she’s not a bad mother, at the very least, wasn’t a good mother. While Bela is going through this horrific thing Ursula up and disappears to be with her affair partner.

I don’t remember exactly how long she was gone but it seemed like it was awhile. I am a mother and if it was my kid going through it there’s no way in hell I’d be leaving her side. And I don’t think that means mothers should never think of themselves or have “me” time, and I don’t think having affairs automatically equates to being a bad mom. I just think Ursula in particular is selfish and emotionally neglectful, which is still a form of neglect even if Bela’s other needs are met.

I also think a lot of the caretaking Bela received came from her dad. Not being locked in a basement is a pretty terrible standard for being a decent mom, no? You also mentioned being isolated, and I thought being in Bela’s head often felt like she was the isolated one of the group. It could just be the nature of being the only child in a sea of adults but there was definitely an awareness of being separate from them.

All that being said, I do think the theory you propose is very interesting. I especially like the idea that this is an entity that Ursula conjured. I feel like probably every mom has been there before. Maybe when I go to see the movie something to look for.

My kid is the only one brave enough to see it with me, so we’ll see how that goes. 🤣 (hide spoiler)]

[Becky, Protomodicule]

Sarah wrote: "Aw House of Leaves. lol. A 3 star read that I will never stop thinking about.

This is an interesting theory..."

LOL I had such high hopes for HOL... in January... and here it is SEPTEMBER and I'm still stalled out. If I can finish it this year, it'll be a miracle. I probably should just DNF it... but I don't wanna! (YET)

Anyway... Again, I agree with you regarding Ursula. I don't think you're being unfair, I think the expectations placed on mothers are somewhat unfair though. (view spoiler)[Maybe she's not a "bad mother", but also she's not necessarily a good one. My list of abuse things was of course not definitive, and pretty extreme - it sets the bar for being "decent" very low, and I absolutely agree that Ursula was, in her way, neglectful at BEING a parent, but not necessarily a neglectful parent. In my mind, I liken this to parents who are drug or alcohol addicted, who are still doing their best, and technically meeting their child's needs, but aren't exactly "present" emotionally and mentally, despite being there physically. They are TRYING, and they aren't necessarily bad parents intentionality-wise, but their addictions/needs end up being put ahead of their obligations and responsibilities. And I think there's a certain amount of resentment (even if denied) that the obligations and responsibilities exist in the first place.

With Ursula, her addiction is definitely freedom, particularly sexual freedom, and it seems like it was easy for her to separate that from her life as a parent, and justify not being as present - in part because she knows Russ will be.

I think she is something of a creature of circumstance (of her own making). She's never been faithful in her relationships with men, and felt trapped with Douglas, just as she feels trapped with Russ. The grass is always greener on the other side - she's always going to be looking for the next exciting man to be her greener pasture - but now she has a child that would be impacted by that and so she does put Bela first there by staying with Russ.

I think also that there may be an element of resentment toward Bela that she is NOT Russ's child, and that Douglas, her biological father, got to just walk away, while she ended up stuck. I can see her feeling like sharing a child with Russ would be a much different situation than Russ stepping up to raise HER child. I can see her thinking that a child with both their blood would create a bond that would make her feel more fulfilled with the smaller life with him. But she likely sees this dynamic as the men having the ability to choose, and her losing that, and that only adds to her frustration. (Which is, of course, the situation women are always in under a patriarchy.)

But she knows the mother she should be, or at least is EXPECTED to be... and I think that's where OM comes in. I think her revelations in the car to Russ, about never being thankful or happy or grateful for what she has is telling. She knows she is the problem, that her perspective is one of selfishness, but I think she's separated her "self" from her role of "mother" (except in the basest terms) that she's no longer able to reconcile the two, and the more she tries to step into the Mom/protector role during this crisis, the scarier it gets for her, and it overwhelms her and she runs. And again, I agree with you that this is something I could never do, even not being a mom, but maybe she does that partly BECAUSE (I think) Ursula manifested OM, meaning that she doesn't have that strong mothering/protective urge to stand between her kid and the danger that she "should". All of that got split off into OM, leaving Ursula to her selfishness and self-interest. She tries, but when it gets heavy, she runs.

I guess this is a very longwinded way of saying that, yes, Ursula isn't a good mom (or person) - but I think that's something that adults would recognize far more than a child. I doubt that Bela would feel like Ursula wasn't a good mom. It isn't until she runs, and then is forced (basically) to return, and then tells the story of Douglas that BELA feels any negative way about either of her parents. Her perception of them prior to this is that they are either happy or unhappy together, but that never manifests in relation to her as their daughter, but more of an interested observer who loves them both and wants the people she loves to be happy.

Or maybe OM is simply a demon trying to possess a body and is fixated on Bela. Could go either way. :P (hide spoiler)]