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blackbirdexe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
interghost's review against another edition
3.0
I thought I'd better pick up a Herbert book next as I've been 'collecting' them slowly over the past couple of years but not really reading them. - I've read all the 'Rat' books in the past which were pretty good, and 'The Fog' more recently, which I didn't really like very much, and I think had put me off reading his other stuff... however, this one felt so different to those I've read before. This really wasn't full of gross out gore, or people getting their genitals eaten, as in the pre-mentioned books. This was a stright up haunted house story. And... it was pretty good.
I really liked the main character, and his co-workers, and I enjoyed the setting and the pace was good too. - However, I saw the ending coming a mile off! I don't know if this is because he might had been one of the first to do this 'twist', but I've seen this many times before and it was not a suprise at all.
That said, other than the book ending VERY quickly, the final few pages did give me a couple of goosebump moments, so it did it's job.
Worth a read for sure, and makes me interested to see how some of his other books are, as thought they were all like 'Rats'! - A solid 3.5 stars.
I really liked the main character, and his co-workers, and I enjoyed the setting and the pace was good too. - However, I saw the ending coming a mile off! I don't know if this is because he might had been one of the first to do this 'twist', but I've seen this many times before and it was not a suprise at all.
That said, other than the book ending VERY quickly, the final few pages did give me a couple of goosebump moments, so it did it's job.
Worth a read for sure, and makes me interested to see how some of his other books are, as thought they were all like 'Rats'! - A solid 3.5 stars.
mike_68's review
5.0
This novel was originally written as a screenplay, commissioned by the BBC, but ultimately it was scraped. Not wanting the work to be wasted, Herbert re-wrote the screenplay into a full-length novel, and James Herbert does not fail, developing good character depth of David Ash, the typical anti-hero epitome that Herbert is known for. James Herbert knows how to build tension and does so with minimal padding. Occasionally the book is interrupted with flashbacks, which succinctly gives more detail to the Davis Ash character and is no way disruptive to the story. James Herbert does a wonderful job with setting and character to establish a dark and eerie tone. This novel delivers the goods in abundance. So successful was his development of Ash that James Herbert wrote two more stories about him (Ghosts of Sleath and Ash (Herbert's final novel before his untimely death)), something James Herbert never did for any of his other novels.
David Ash is an investigator of psychic phenomena at the Psychical Research Institute. Despite a slight alcohol dependency, Ash is a thorough yet skeptical individual, constantly debunking fabricated supernatural phenomena, there’s a logical explanation behind these supernatural occurrences. Ash is haunted by a past that includes the drowning death of his sister.
Taking a case in rural England, he meets the siblings Simon, Christina, and Robert, and their aunt, Nanny Tess Webb. Mrs Webb is terrified of what she believes to be hauntings that take place within their residence, a decaying mansion full of mysterious happenings: noises, drafts and fires. Ash is cynical but agrees to monitor the situation whilst taking up temporary residency in the house.
This an excellent example of traditional Gothic Literature; A desolate, haunted setting, with a dark and mysterious atmosphere, which is affiliated with supernatural forces that cause melodrama. Edbrook is perfect for this atmospheric novel, bounded by ornate, 16th century gates and dominating the landscape, "Edbrook was imposing in its greyness and, despite swelling apses and well-rule bay windows, somewhat disconcerting in its bleakness.” An isolated and outcast anti-hero with nightmares and hallucinations which demonstrate the characters’ fears and guilt of past sins, causing psychological instability of the self. There is no ambiguity in this story, unlike others in the gothic category, and is fast paced making it hard to put down.
David Ash is an investigator of psychic phenomena at the Psychical Research Institute. Despite a slight alcohol dependency, Ash is a thorough yet skeptical individual, constantly debunking fabricated supernatural phenomena, there’s a logical explanation behind these supernatural occurrences. Ash is haunted by a past that includes the drowning death of his sister.
Taking a case in rural England, he meets the siblings Simon, Christina, and Robert, and their aunt, Nanny Tess Webb. Mrs Webb is terrified of what she believes to be hauntings that take place within their residence, a decaying mansion full of mysterious happenings: noises, drafts and fires. Ash is cynical but agrees to monitor the situation whilst taking up temporary residency in the house.
This an excellent example of traditional Gothic Literature; A desolate, haunted setting, with a dark and mysterious atmosphere, which is affiliated with supernatural forces that cause melodrama. Edbrook is perfect for this atmospheric novel, bounded by ornate, 16th century gates and dominating the landscape, "Edbrook was imposing in its greyness and, despite swelling apses and well-rule bay windows, somewhat disconcerting in its bleakness.” An isolated and outcast anti-hero with nightmares and hallucinations which demonstrate the characters’ fears and guilt of past sins, causing psychological instability of the self. There is no ambiguity in this story, unlike others in the gothic category, and is fast paced making it hard to put down.
titus_hjelm's review against another edition
2.0
Basic Herbert, ie. max 2 stars. There's an attempt at three-dimensionality with the main character, but it doesn't quite happen--as is often the case with Herbert. I can't quite bring myself to be afraid if I can't care about the characters. That's why there's a difference between horror and supernatural adventure (or whatever you want to call it).
gen_zea's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
id173's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Haunted was my first James Herbert book and I wouldn't say I disliked it but I didn't love it either. I would certainly give his other books a chance as I did enjoy his writing style. However, I don't think this was necessarily scary. Here's hoping his others are scarier.
Haunted was my first James Herbert book and I wouldn't say I disliked it but I didn't love it either. I would certainly give his other books a chance as I did enjoy his writing style. However, I don't think this was necessarily scary. Here's hoping his others are scarier.
andipants's review
1.0
Disappointing. As much as I enjoyed The Secret Of Crickley Hall, I was surprised by how much I didn't enjoy this one. The characters are pretty much all boring and/or terrible people. I didn't like any of them, I didn't care what happened to them, and I didn't like reading about them. The scares weren't very scary, and I saw the twist coming a mile away. I only bothered finishing it because it was so very short, but I won't be continuing with the other books in this series.
lightlarkanddivergent's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0