Two Envelopes And A Phone > Recent Status Updates

I had three books with the word ‘Ghosts’ in the title, that I thought I might get to in October. But, I only read Holy Ghosts. So I will read this Crime novel as a sort of chaser. The premise seems Hitchcockian, which works for me.

I did 80 pages of The Mysteries of Udolpho - thus wrapping it up - and then went to a graphic novel titled A Town Called Terror…so Halloween reads have been entertaining, if not spectacular. I decided to do the Intro of this book, and one story, before shutting down the reading until tomorrow. I jumped to ‘Monster’ by John Christopher, because I wanted something I knew nothing about. Good choice - I liked it.

Okay, Radcliffe…I’m onto you. I see your little game. Seriously, though - I have very much enjoyed this, and have no regrets about timing the last 80 or so pages for Halloween’s arrival. It has a shot at a 5-star rating from me, if the finale can make me lenient towards all the weeping and fainting, and all the mealy-mouthed natterings that defer helpful explanations until 50-100 pages later than needed. So Gothic!!

So, it looks like I will be finishing this on Oct. 31st, since I don’t think I can do 214 pages tomorrow. Maybe. But I doubt it. The print is small, the text is from 1794 and doesn’t exactly fly by, and I don’t want to annoy myself with pressure to rush things. Udolpho’s secrets do elude me, so I should be in for some surprising revelations. I have one hazy theory about something.

A mere 300 pages to go! I do like it, but it's long.

Emily, you’re a sweetheart, I love you - but you need to get a hatchet from Carlo, and - except for Carlo - hack your way through every male in the castle, and if necessary, hack every man blocking a path back to Valancourt. Being too submissive, good lady - I know it’s the 18th Century n’ all, but that’s as good a time as any to Atomic Blonde every one of these worthless jag-offs.

I had read her own book, The Italian, and stuff like Uncle Silas, not to mention Wieland - from around the same time, but from ‘across the Pond’ - so I knew I would probably be okay with this, once I stopped putting it off. And it’s great - really enjoying it. I would not want late 18th-Century Gothic on a regular basis…but a wonderful pick for the Halloween lead-up.

I could make my standard “I’m loving it more than anyone else” Ramsey Campbell comment. I guess I just did.

Decided to stop waffling and make this a priority. I have a good feeling. I did like The Italian, by her.

I love it. Y’know - I haven’t quite cured myself of just a little nervousness every time I order a Ramsey Campbell novel, and then see the mean rating for it at Goodreads. Always so low…but I’ve mostly learned to ignore the numbers, and just trust trust, always trust, my all-time favourite Horror author. I may be all alone, but no none does for me, like this guy. I’m hooked on this, like a repeating fish.

I expected this would remind me of THAT infamous story in Henry S. Whitehead's collection called West India Lights. These kind of fictions must have sent the casual reader, certainly anyone buttoned up prim and proper, into shock. I like knowing that back in the 1920s, and earlier of course, writers took chances (albeit sometimes under a pseudonym), even if I don't want this kind of reading that often.

An example of me waffling and wavering yet again…I had Ramsey Campbell all cued up as next after the Lockridges, but this has arrived, it’s only 74 pages, it’s SF from 1923, there’s a cheetah girl involved, and apparently the original printing of this was only 20 copies. For real!? Doesn’t that make it cool that it has even survived into 2024? Anyway, Ramsey Campbell, for sure, after whatever this is.

Absolutely loving it. It’s wonderful.

Off to a terrific start, and most fitting for spooky season. I remember that the only other one I've read by these authors - Death on the Aisle - had a very tense and creepy finale. This one has started like that.