Horror - Part 4 - Top Ten (ish) Non - Series

It's a cloudy Saturday morning and I'm achy from my run. Clyde is sleeping in his bed. His glucose levels have been fairly good since we've had a new glucose monitor installed. Jo is relaxing on the couch, so it's a nice quiet start to Saturday.

So for today's BLog I'm going to look at the non-series books I've enjoyed and try to provide a Top Ten list... maybe a couple more. We'll see. They're not in any particular order, mostly from 5 - star ratings down to some 4 - star books.

1. Necronomicon: The Best Weird Tales by H.P. Lovecraft (2008). I found this book in a used book store in Kingston, ON.

"An excellent collection of the stories of H.P. Lovecraft, from Dagon, originally published in 1919 to The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, 1943. There are themes throughout, the Old Ones, the area of Arkham, Mass, the Miskatonic University, the Cthulu, etc. The stories are creepy, more so than outright terrifying, but still, leave you feeling nervous and chilled. Some are excellent; the Mountains of Madness, The Dunwich Horror, the Haunter of the Dark, the Thing on the Doorstep. Excellent to be provided the opportunity to explore Lovecraft's worlds and stories under one book. (5 stars)"

2. Boy's Life by Robert McCammon (1991). I tried this finally after reading other folks' reviews of the book. They weren't kidding. It was excellent.

"Boy's Life by Robert McCammon ranks up there with books by other authors; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. All great coming of age books that draw you in, tug at your heart, leave you emotionally drained.

This is the story of Cory Mackenson, a young boy growing up in Zephyr, Alabama. It's basically a year in the life, commencing when he and his father (a milk delivery man) see a car drive into Saxon Lake. Jake's dad jumps into the 'bottomless' lake to try and save the driver and discovers that the man is not only dead but handcuffed to the steering wheel and had been beaten up.

This incident with haunt both Cory and his father throughout the book. Cory will try to discover who murdered the man. His father will be haunted by dreams of the man. We follow Cory and his friends, Johnny, Ben, and Davy Ray as they go to school, get involved in boyhood adventures and deal with many traumas.

It's a fascinating, rich, tense, excellent story. McCammon draws you into Cory's life and grabs your heart strings and also keeps it pumping when things get tense. There are normal events that many of us experience growing up but it is also a very gritty story, with violence and ratcheted tension that will strain Cory, his friends and his family. Lovely characters make the story even richer, with my personal favorite being The Lady. There is too much going on to get into any real detail. Just know that you will fall into the life of Cory and be somewhat bereft when the story ends. But still glad that you got to experience it. (5.0 stars)"

3. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (1954). This book has been used as the basis for at least two movies.

"I Am Legend is a collection of horror short stories and one novella by author Richard Matheson. I am Legend was the basis for at least two movies; The Omega Man (1971) and I Am Legend (2017). Other stories remind me of episodes of The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery. Prey was made into a TV movie (part of Trilogy of Terror) starring Karen Black as Amelia, in a truly terrifying story of a young woman terrorized by an African tribal doll.

Every story was interesting; some very scary and even some humorous (The Near Departed and The Funeral).

It was interesting to finally read I Am Legend. I found it closer to The Omega Man, which starred Charlton Heston. Robert Neville is, as far as he knows, the last man on Earth. The rest if peopled by either vampires and people who still live but suffer from the effects of a virus that make them 'seem' like vampires; they aren't dead but still need blood and suffer from many of the effects of vampirism. Neville lives in a world of nightmare, trying to drown the memories of his past with drink and spending days killing these creatures. His life is turned upside down when he meets Ruth. (I'll leave you to read the story to find out about this incident). It was an excellent story and interesting to compare to my memories of the movies.

The other stories included stories with killer dolls, voodoo spells, strange funerals, haunted houses, etc.; all interesting and page turners. A pleasantly satisfying and enjoyable read. (4 stars)"

4. Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton (2004). This was a bit of a change of pace from The Outsiders.

"S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders has long been a favorite book of mine. I've read it 4 or 5 times over the years. The movie based on the book was also excellent, one I can watch again and again. Since that time I've not read any others of her books until recently when I tried quite a different novel, Hawkes Harbor. I'd seen a review of the book by a member of my Goodread's book group and it sounded quite interesting.

Hawkes Harbor in some ways is light years away from The Outsiders but at the same time you can see S.E. Hinton's writing style in this story, the character driven story-telling, the growth of the characters, the touching quality of the story itself.

The story revolves around Jamie who finds himself in a mental hospital in 1965. Through the course of the story we learn of Jamie's past, from his life as a sailor / pirate (in some ways) and as an adventurer. He is a companion and compatriot of Kell who is a crafty, imaginative fella who always has a plan to get money. He's somewhat successful and seems to have money all over the world. At the same time, there is a more current story from Jamie's past and it is a jump to the left in genres, from psychological story to a vampire-driven story.

It's all quite fascinating, especially Jamie's relationships with Kell, with Dr. McDevitt, the psychiatrist treating him at Terrace View Asylum, Delaware and with It (aka Grenville Hawkes), his 'mentor' and boss at Hawkes Harbor. It's a somewhat difficult story to describe; is it a vampire led story or is it a personal odyssey of a troubled, damaged but wonderful character in this story.

The novel is at times frightening, dramatic and touching. I found it pleasantly surprising as I went through the novel, how successfully this transition between moods and genres was accomplished. It was a great novel to enjoy and by the end it left me feeling sad and happy at the same time as the story was resolved for Jamie and even Grenville. I'm so glad to have discovered this excellent novel. Thank you, S.E. Hinton (4.5 stars)"

5. The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886). I read this back in 2011. It stands the test of time.

"I'd never read before and can't say that I actually have ever seen the movie from beginning to end. So I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the story and smoothly it flowed. It was a very quick read and held my attention. I was surprised that the story was actually told for the most part from the perspective of Mr. Utterson, a friend of Dr Jekyll, and that Jekyll and Hyde for that matter for the most part are somewhat peripheral to the story. Until the end. On the whole, a very enjoyable story and I highly recommend if you've never read before. (4.5 stars)"

6. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Boot (2006). A surprisingly good book. Nothing at all like the movie.

Another book I read before I started doing reviews. This is the synopsis.

"It began with rumors from China about another pandemic. Then the cases started to multiply and what had looked like the stirrings of a criminal underclass, even the beginnings of a revolution, soon revealed itself to be much, much worse. Faced with a future of mindless, man-eating horror, humanity was forced to accept the logic of world government and face events that tested our sanity and our sense of reality.

Based on extensive interviews with survivors and key players in the 10-year fight-back against the horde, World War Z brings the very finest traditions of American journalism to bear on what is surely the most incredible story in the history of civilization." (4.5 stars)

7. The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert (2006). This was the first book by Herbert that I tried. I got it after Jo and I had enjoyed watching the TV mini - series based on the book. (Just as an aside. I've enjoyed any book I've tried by Herbert thus far)

"Very enjoyable ghost story. Not perfect by any means; somewhat too long maybe, but it read nicely, there was tension, an interesting concept and I enjoyed the characters. It built slowly at first, but found its pace quickly and built to an excellent climax. I'd seen the BBC adaptation first and wanted to find the book to see if it was as enjoyable. Happily, it was. A nice Hallowe'en month book. (4.0 stars)" Definitely one of my earlier reviews. LOL

8. The Troop by Nick Cutter (2014). A Canadian story.

"A good, solid horror story a la Stephen King's earlier books. 5 boys and their scout master leave their town on Prince Edward Island to spend the weekend on a smaller island off the coast. It's to be a scouting adventure weekend, hiking, map reading, etc. Unfortunately for them, another boat lands on the island, bringing an escapee from a lab who is infested with experimental worms. That is the gist of the story; the army and navy are involved in sealing off the island, the boys are isolated, trying to fend off the worms and a psychotic member of their troop. Interesting story, good solid horror. (4.0 stars)"

8. The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum (1989). This one really gave me the creeps.

"I really don't know how to review The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum. I had similar feelings about it as I did In Cold Blood and it left me asking the same question... Why??

So the basic story, it's based on a true story. It's set in a small neighborhood in small town New Jersey, like Happy Days or Leave it to Beaver, where all the families and kids know each other. Except these kids sometimes play The Game.. 

Into this mix are thrown are thrown Meg (the oldest) and Susan (the youngest), survivors of a car crash that killed their parents. Susan has been crippled by the accident, bearing the scars and also forced to wear braces on her arms and legs.  They are moving in with their aunt Ruth, single mother of Willie, Donny and Woofer. Ruth is world weary, a lady who the kids like because she gives them beer and cigarettes and treats them like adults.

The story is told from the perspective of Davey, next door neighbor and Donny's best friend. Davey's parents are in the process of breaking up (not relevant or relevant?) and he has a crush on Meg. He becomes aware that Ruth seems not to like either Meg or Susan and these feelings are echoed by her sons.

The story escalates from here, quite quickly and in a graphic, violent way. Under Ruth's guidance the boys and other neighborhood kids begin to abuse and torture Meg, locking her in the basement and taking turns committing increasingly violent acts on her. Davey is both an unwilling and willing participant, an observer more than anything.

It's a horrifying story with intimations of Lord of the Flies about it. The story was so very well written and the tension is ratcheted right from the very beginning. But it also left me feeling numb and cold and like In Cold Blood, left me wondering how people can be such monsters and even why the story needs to be told? But it drew me in at the same time, almost like Davey in some ways, one of those observers who slow down at traffic accidents. If you like horror, this story has it all. (4 stars)"

9. The Other by Thomas Tryon (1971). 

"The Other is my first exposure to the work of American author, Thomas Tryon. It was originally published in 1971. Based on this story, I'm now looking forward to reading more of his books. I currently have Harvest Home on my bookshelf and have heard it's also quite excellent.

So let's see. The Other follows twin boys, Niles and Holland Perry as they grow up in their family's ancestral home in Connecticut. As the story progresses, we discover that it's a home of many tragedies. Their father died in 'mysterious' circumstances. Their mother, Alexandra, is isolated in her bedroom, suffering from her husband's death and is rarely seen, other than by Niles who brings her books, spends time with her.

Also living and working at the home are grandmother, Ada, a Russian immigrant, their uncle George and Aunt Valeria and son Russell, plus pregnant sister Torrie and her husband Rider. Working there are Winnie, chief cook and bottle washer and Leno, their gardener. There are many secrets that we begin to come aware of as the story progresses. Was Holland involved in his father's death? Was Holland involved in the death of Ada's cat? We see the story mostly from Niles' and Ada's eyes. Niles seems the 'normal' twin, but what is in the tin box he carries around in his shirt? Why does he have his father's ring? While Holland seems to be plotting things at all times, to satisfy his 'boredom?', Niles is a follower, or is her really? Ada and Niles seem to have a close relationship; they play a game of trying to see inside objects.... it's difficult to explain.

As the story progresses, there are other tragedies which I won't describe so you can discover them yourself. The question is always.. were they accidents or not? There is an underlying tension and creepiness throughout the story, leaving you in a constant state of unease, wondering what will happen next... Oh, and who is the older individual who is in some sort of 'institution' and is an alternate narrator... Mysterious...

It's a fascinating story, nebulous at times as you try to grasp what is actually happening, but so well written and described. The characters, especially Niles and Ada are well-presented and made so very interesting. The story moves along nicely, alternating between 'normal' daily life and increasing the tension slowly but steadily. Excellent story. I'm looking forward to reading more of Tryon's work. (4.5 stars)"

10. The Mystery of the Sea by Bram Stoker (1902). An early classic of the genre.

"Bram Stoker is most famous for his classic, Dracula. I have to say I've never read it as I've been kind of intimidated by the look of it. (Silly reason). I had previously read his Jewel of the Seven Stars, a mummy story. The Mystery of the Sea is my 2nd attempt at his work and I quite enjoyed.

The story starts off on one tangent, very mystical / ghost story, with the protagonist, Englishman Archibald Hunter, followed by a strange Scottish spiritualist, Gormala MacNeil. Archie sees the ghosts of sailors who have died off the coast of Cruden Bay, where he vacations and plans to have a house built. Amongst these spirits are ghosts of the Spanish Armada. Archie also saves Marjory Drake, a wealthy American, and her companion, Mrs Jacks. 

The story slowly changes into an adventure and romance as Archie and Marjory begin a search for hidden Armada treasures. It's a slow burn as Archie tries to break down the code of a document he has found, so he can try to locate the treasure. As well, a group of kidnappers are on the hunt for Marjory and Archie must fend them off as well as American detectives trying to protect Marjory.

It sounds a bit convoluted but as the story wanders about at the first portion, it quickly begins to take off. The search for the Armada's treasure is fascinating and dangerous. The threats from the kidnappers quickly endangers Marjory's life. The story moves from mystical (although even that plays a part later on) to a thrilling adventure, a la John Buchan's best. The characters are excellent. I liked Archie's ability to break down codes, his loyalty and love for Marjory and his steadfastness and dependability. Marjory is a joy, a strong, independent, intelligent woman. Gormala is difficult to understand with her strong Scottish accent and is somewhat a caricature, but she comes through very much in the end. All in all, I was surprised how the story turned out, pleasantly so. It was an excellent adventure. Maybe I'll try Dracula some day. (4 stars)"

11. The Magician by Somerset Maugham (1908). Maugham is an excellent story teller, no matter what genre.

"I've enjoyed a few books of W. Somerset Maugham, ever since I tried The Razor's Edge one of my all-time favorite books. He's got a varied catalogue, excellent fiction, spy novels, etc. The Magician was originally published in 1908 and is an interesting horror novel.

Set in Paris, English surgeon Arthur Burdon, a man who believes in facts, has come to Paris to learn the French surgery techniques. Also in Paris are his fiancé, Margaret Dauncey and her companion, Suzie Boyd.. As well an old friend Dr Porhoet lives in Paris. Porhoet is very different from Arthur as he is a man who delves into the old alchemists and magicians, keeping an open mind on fantastical concepts and practices. Arthur does not believe in things that can't be proven scientifically. As this group interacts, into their mix comes Richard Haddo.

Haddo is a larger than life character, both in size and personality. Neither Arthur nor Margaret like him on initial contact. Dr Porhoet knows him from his research as Haddo is a self-proclaimed magician who has researched many of the same people. There are many odd things about Haddo, particularly the negative power over animals. Haddo seems to show up in their lives on a daily basis, insulting people, telling fantastical tales.

An incident at Margaret's apartments causes the story to take a strange twist. Haddo is bitten by Margaret's dog and strikes it, thereby causing injury to the dog. Arthur takes exception and reacting to Margaret's shock and anguish, he strikes Haddo and gives him a sound beating. Haddo's reaction will cause pain and anguish to both Arthur and Margaret and the story will degenerate from there into fantastical realms.

It's a slowish paced story with excellent description and character development. As the story moves into Haddo's actions against Arthur and Margaret, the pace picks up and the tension ratchets until a final explosive conclusion. It's quite a different story from what I'm used to by Maugham but you still get a flavor of his excellent writing style, character development and story-telling. An excellent horror story and an excellent story. (4 stars)"

12. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin (1967). Great movie and an excellent book.

"I've seen the movie a couple of times and I found it was very respectful to this book. The book seemed very familiar but it didn't make it any less interesting. Basically, Rosemary and her husband, Guy, a budding actor, move into the Bramford, an old apartment building in New York. An old friend tells them that the building has a bad history but they move in anyway. Shortly after their arrival, a new acquaintance of Rosemary commits suicide by jumping from her apartment. The young couple make friends with the Castevets, old neighbours on their floor and strange things begin to happen; Guy suddenly becoming successful, Rosemary becoming pregnant (having strange 'dreams' during the sex act), etc. The book has a eerie feel to it, even thought it is told very matter-of-factly and this feeling gets stronger as the book progresses. Excellent story, one you won't really want to put down. Even if you've seen the movie, it's worth reading (4.0 stars)"

13. The Bad Seed by William March (1954). This has also been a play and a movie.

"I've been reading The Bad Seed by William March as part of my October Hallowe'en horror selections. It's a book I'd not heard of. There was a movie based on the book and when I read the intro, I discovered that there was also a play. The Bad Seed was March's most well-known book and he died shortly after its publication.

Basically the story is about Rhoda Penmark and her mother Christine. They live in a town in Alabama while Richard, Christine's husband, is away in South America on business. Rhoda is a strange girl, acquisitive, seemingly without emotion. One of her schoolmates, a young boy, who won a penmanship pin that Rhoda felt she should have received, dies while the class is on a school picnic. This is the incident that starts Christine on a journey of doubt and suspicion towards her daughter. Did Rhoda kill the boy?

We also meet Christine's friends her landlady, Mrs. Breedlove, and Leroy, the irritating janitor / handyman, who has an ongoing battle of wills with Rhoda. The people surrounding Christine are all somewhat strange in their own right. Christine's voyage of discovery includes research into serial killers and she finds out things about her own past that further disturb her. 

While the story is not terrifying in any right, it still has an overriding creepiness and uneasiness. It is difficult to put down as you want to discover further about Rhoda and Christine and also to find out how the story will be resolved. Very interesting and spooky. Appropriate for Hallowe'en month. (4 stars)"

14. The Fog by James Herbert (1975). This is the 2nd book by Herbert.

"I have previously read James Herbert's The Secret Of Crickley Hall, a tense, spooky ghost story and enjoyed very much. I started The Fog as one of my October month horror stories. It didn't disappoint. 

Firstly, the movies of the same name have nothing to do with this book. The story is simply that an earthquake strikes a village in rural Wiltshire and as an after-effect, releases a deadly fog. This fog affects people caught in its midst, affecting their brains, making them insane. 

One man, Holman, a government Environmental inspector, survives the catastrophe and the effects of the fog and works with the government; firstly, to discover why he survived and, secondly, to explore the fog to find out where it came from and why it strikes people and animals in such a manner. The story is so well-paced and also so creepy and scary that you will fly through its pages. Some of the scenes are graphic but effective. Excellent thriller. I can see why Herbert is England's number one chiller writer. I will definitely check out more of his work. (4 stars)"

and...

15. Classics of the Macabre by Daphne du Maurier. An excellent collection of short stories, including The Birds.

"Classics of the Macabre is a collection of short stories by Daphne du Maurier. I had previously read another collection; The Blue Lenses and other books by du Maurier; The House on the Strand and Rebecca and the more I read, the more I've enjoyed her stories and writing style.

Classics of the Macabre contained a couple of stories I'd already read from The Blue Lenses, but I scrolled through them again to remind myself about how much I'd previously enjoyed them. This book contained 6 of her short stories; Don't Look Now, The Apple Tree, The Blue Lenses, The Birds, The Alibi and Not After Midnight. I was particularly interested reading The Birds as I've enjoyed the movie many times. It didn't disappoint and had a similar theme to the movie (obviously, I guess), but was more focused on one particularly family in England. The ending was also not quite so optimistic.

 

Each story was interesting, not scary really, just odd and strange. Don't Look Now is set in Venice and tells the story of a young couple getting over the loss of their daughter and people they meet who seem to have the ability to see spirits. The Apple Tree tells of a husband who ignores his wife even to her death and is haunted by an apple tree (his wife's spirit?????). The Blue Lenses (a favourite) tells of a woman who has an eye operation with interesting after effects. The Birds tells of an invasion of England by birds, birds and more birds. The Alibi is another tale of a husband is tired of his life and wants something more exciting... and finds it. Not After Midnight is the story of a man's visit to Crete on a solitary vacation who is caught up in a strange situation.

du Maurier is an excellent story teller and her tales are always unique. Well worth trying (4 stars)"

So there you go. I could have added others to the list and I'm sure you could as well. But hopefully this will give you a few ideas if you want to explore the horror genre. Looking at some books on my bookshelves that I might try in October as  my next post. Enjoy your weekend.