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mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was quite the thrill ride. I had to force myself to slow down because I was trying to fly through and find out what happened next. This book is utterly terrifying simply because of how realistic it is and how it could easily happen almost anywhere. No blood or gore or supernatural events- just human beings being human beings at their worst, that is, greedy, selfish, exploitative. This is one read that I'll remember for quite some time.
When we read horror pre-1980s it's important to remember the context that the idea of a horror novel was not the same as we view it today. Often at this point in time horror was considered more of a side element, a tool within to story to influence the emotions of the reader. There is no horror section at the bookstore, there are no top 10 lists of the best horror books of the year. When reading Poe or Jackson, even though by todays standards these works can be considered pure horror fiction, the reality was that the story was a narrative being used to make the reader feel uncomfortable or anxious or afraid in order to be more absorbed in the characters and atmosphere of the story. To say there was no such thing as horror fiction before its boom in the 1980s is wrong, to say that people actively sought out horror fiction before the 1980s is also, most of the time, wrong.
The Auctioneer, simply put, is one of the most effective horror-realism novels I have read. In horror realism we intend to create fear out of a situation that is plausible and perhaps probable. Most often these days we use a severe crime (The Girl Next Door - J Ketchum), a serial killer (Exquisite Corpse - P Brite), a disaster (The Stand - S King) or a physical/mental illness (We Need to Talk About Kevin - L Shriver). The problem that arises in creating fear in horror realism comes down the the reader- in whether they have experiences in the situation that makes them question whether the characters actions are 'correct' or 'realistic' which inevitably allows them to distance themselves from the plot, and therefore the fear. For example: if you are a serial killer buff who consumes A LOT of content on serial killers, exquisite corpse wont scare you, it'll probably just disgust you in the same way most serial killer stories do. You have been distanced from the content, and for horror to take root the soil must be fresh and ready for planting. For horror realism to work, you must acknowledge the readers intelligence and stop them from salting the earth.
So, in comes the Auctioneer. Simply put, the logical approach of it's characters, the situations slow spiral and the sudden movement from "this is a bad situation" to "I don't know what I'd do, I don't know what they will do, they are royally fucked" is a fantastic jump that few horror realism novels can achieve. That sense of dread that invades the gut is something few horror novels can achieve with all its tools at its disposal, let alone within the confines of horror realism. Samson has done something truly unique here and it is why this book is still being read 40 years later. Conjuring the atmosphere of helplessness that the books leaks on every page is no small feat.
This book isn't without its flaws though. There are small jumps of logic here and there, some janky dialogue in parts (but must be said is incredibly real in others), the ending feels a little rushed and probably most grievous of all is its portrayal of women, which considering the date the book was written is easy to forgive if it weren't for the fact that Samson was a strong next gen woman herself. These flaws however are common in nearly every debut fiction novel. These are flaws that take years of honing and practice to remove. I think I have said something to this effect on nearly every early works novel I have read. If this is a first novel, I cannot wait to see what Samons future work will bring. I have never felt this anticipatory of the authors next work since I read Greener Pastures (M Wehunt) or North American Lake Monsters (N Ballingrud). What makes this novel so good isn't actually the novel itself, but the potential of its author and the excitement of when they reach their finest, fullest form. I cannot wait for Samsons next novel, and I will be following her work extremely closely.
I wish what I wrote could be true.
The Auctioneer is Joan Samsons only work of fiction before her untimely death, and to be frank, may be one of the biggest tragedies in the horror fiction world. As horror teaches us, the question of What if? is a dangerous road, but what if this was Samsons debut instead of her finale? What if we looked at this novel as demonstrating Samsons potential, instead of her sole lifes work?
Much in the same way when you read Carrie (S King) or The Road Through the Wall (S Jackson) there is an air of potential in between the lines of the page. The book is good, but the question burns "If they did this well with this type of plot, I can't wait to see what they will do next". I wonder what Samons work would've looked like if she embraced the horror genre? If she had written short fiction collections and a magnum opus 1000 pager? What would she have to share in interviews? What advice could she give us?
The Auctioneer may be one of the best works of horror from the year it was published, and in 1975 we were actually seeing horror novels become a genre of its own. But the scariest thing about The Auctioneer is not written on the page. It's written on the epitaph.
"Here Lies Joan Samson; who went to the darkness before she could give it to us"
The Auctioneer, simply put, is one of the most effective horror-realism novels I have read. In horror realism we intend to create fear out of a situation that is plausible and perhaps probable. Most often these days we use a severe crime (The Girl Next Door - J Ketchum), a serial killer (Exquisite Corpse - P Brite), a disaster (The Stand - S King) or a physical/mental illness (We Need to Talk About Kevin - L Shriver). The problem that arises in creating fear in horror realism comes down the the reader- in whether they have experiences in the situation that makes them question whether the characters actions are 'correct' or 'realistic' which inevitably allows them to distance themselves from the plot, and therefore the fear. For example: if you are a serial killer buff who consumes A LOT of content on serial killers, exquisite corpse wont scare you, it'll probably just disgust you in the same way most serial killer stories do. You have been distanced from the content, and for horror to take root the soil must be fresh and ready for planting. For horror realism to work, you must acknowledge the readers intelligence and stop them from salting the earth.
So, in comes the Auctioneer. Simply put, the logical approach of it's characters, the situations slow spiral and the sudden movement from "this is a bad situation" to "I don't know what I'd do, I don't know what they will do, they are royally fucked" is a fantastic jump that few horror realism novels can achieve. That sense of dread that invades the gut is something few horror novels can achieve with all its tools at its disposal, let alone within the confines of horror realism. Samson has done something truly unique here and it is why this book is still being read 40 years later. Conjuring the atmosphere of helplessness that the books leaks on every page is no small feat.
This book isn't without its flaws though. There are small jumps of logic here and there, some janky dialogue in parts (but must be said is incredibly real in others), the ending feels a little rushed and probably most grievous of all is its portrayal of women, which considering the date the book was written is easy to forgive if it weren't for the fact that Samson was a strong next gen woman herself. These flaws however are common in nearly every debut fiction novel. These are flaws that take years of honing and practice to remove. I think I have said something to this effect on nearly every early works novel I have read. If this is a first novel, I cannot wait to see what Samons future work will bring. I have never felt this anticipatory of the authors next work since I read Greener Pastures (M Wehunt) or North American Lake Monsters (N Ballingrud). What makes this novel so good isn't actually the novel itself, but the potential of its author and the excitement of when they reach their finest, fullest form. I cannot wait for Samsons next novel, and I will be following her work extremely closely.
I wish what I wrote could be true.
The Auctioneer is Joan Samsons only work of fiction before her untimely death, and to be frank, may be one of the biggest tragedies in the horror fiction world. As horror teaches us, the question of What if? is a dangerous road, but what if this was Samsons debut instead of her finale? What if we looked at this novel as demonstrating Samsons potential, instead of her sole lifes work?
Much in the same way when you read Carrie (S King) or The Road Through the Wall (S Jackson) there is an air of potential in between the lines of the page. The book is good, but the question burns "If they did this well with this type of plot, I can't wait to see what they will do next". I wonder what Samons work would've looked like if she embraced the horror genre? If she had written short fiction collections and a magnum opus 1000 pager? What would she have to share in interviews? What advice could she give us?
The Auctioneer may be one of the best works of horror from the year it was published, and in 1975 we were actually seeing horror novels become a genre of its own. But the scariest thing about The Auctioneer is not written on the page. It's written on the epitaph.
"Here Lies Joan Samson; who went to the darkness before she could give it to us"
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape
Good conceptual horror... lacks something - just ends? Really relatable though.
dark
sad
tense
slow-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
I can see where this would be classified as horror, but it didn't quite make it there for me. The reactions of our main characters seemed disproportionate to what was happening, and disproportionate in that they reacted far too mildly.
The main characters are John and Mim Moore, who have a four year old daughter, Hildie. They live on the Moore's farm with John's mother. A former resident of the town, Perly Dunsmore, returns from years of travel and induces the sheriff, Bob Gore, to hold auctions in order to raise money for the fire department. Sounds noble, right? Each household donates an item to be sold in the auction, and the event is a success. Hooray!
But that's not the end of it. Each Thursday, Gore returns to the households of Harlowe and asks for more and more items for the auction. Who would begrudge the firefighters a new truck, or the sheriff another deputy? Certainly not the fine, upstanding citizens of Harlowe. So they keep giving.
Eventually, families who refuse to donate begin suffering tragedies. One woman has a dreadful car accident and end up paralyzed. Another man gets shot in the shoulder. A third gets run over by his own tractor and has both legs amputated. Hmm, funny how that works.
However: the townsfolk meekly accept their fate, and I find that hard to believe of an old-fashioned group of farmers whose whole focus in life is The Land. John Moore just gives away his farming equipment, his guns, and his cows. Perly and his lackeys don't make any outright threats. He certainly makes sexual overtures toward Mim Moore in front of her own husband and yet John does nothing except seethe quietly. I think if there had been a hint of a supernatural element behind Perly's compelling nature, I would have believed more in the responses of the townsfolk.
The majority of the book is Mim telling John "we have to leave" and John saying "no, this is my land and I'm not leaving it." Then, he'll cave and agree to leave. The next morning, they end up staying. Over and over and over again. Ma ping-pongs between yelling at her daughter-in-law for giving away furniture and yelling at her daughter-in-law for not wanting to give away furniture. Pick one!
The *twist* at the end may have been shocking in the seventies, but I think most thriller readers of today won't be surprised.
The most troubling aspect of this book, for me, was not the illogical actions of our main characters, but that John has sexually assaulted his (underage at the time) wife multiple times in the past.
"John got out of his chair and moved slowly toward her. She met his eyes in the mirror and stiffened with alarm. His two hands landed on her arms. She froze as she stood. He felt the power in his hands and closed his eyes to stop himself. She wouldn't struggle. She never struggled. She had let him have his way the first time he tried, when she was fifteen. Sometimes she had run away at first, into the darkness under the trees, but if he sat still, very still, she had always come back and let him have his way." (p. 48)
"He touched and she ran. He sat on the log and shivered until she came back. Then he took her tightly by the elbows and she let herself be forced onto the blanket he had spread." (p. 171)
And I'm supposed to sympathize with John? Bulldoze his whole dang farm for all I care.
The Auctioneer is certainly atmospheric, but all the atmosphere in the world does not a book make.
The main characters are John and Mim Moore, who have a four year old daughter, Hildie. They live on the Moore's farm with John's mother. A former resident of the town, Perly Dunsmore, returns from years of travel and induces the sheriff, Bob Gore, to hold auctions in order to raise money for the fire department. Sounds noble, right? Each household donates an item to be sold in the auction, and the event is a success. Hooray!
But that's not the end of it. Each Thursday, Gore returns to the households of Harlowe and asks for more and more items for the auction. Who would begrudge the firefighters a new truck, or the sheriff another deputy? Certainly not the fine, upstanding citizens of Harlowe. So they keep giving.
Eventually, families who refuse to donate begin suffering tragedies. One woman has a dreadful car accident and end up paralyzed. Another man gets shot in the shoulder. A third gets run over by his own tractor and has both legs amputated. Hmm, funny how that works.
However: the townsfolk meekly accept their fate, and I find that hard to believe of an old-fashioned group of farmers whose whole focus in life is The Land. John Moore just gives away his farming equipment, his guns, and his cows. Perly and his lackeys don't make any outright threats. He certainly makes sexual overtures toward Mim Moore in front of her own husband and yet John does nothing except seethe quietly. I think if there had been a hint of a supernatural element behind Perly's compelling nature, I would have believed more in the responses of the townsfolk.
The majority of the book is Mim telling John "we have to leave" and John saying "no, this is my land and I'm not leaving it." Then, he'll cave and agree to leave. The next morning, they end up staying. Over and over and over again. Ma ping-pongs between yelling at her daughter-in-law for giving away furniture and yelling at her daughter-in-law for not wanting to give away furniture. Pick one!
The *twist* at the end may have been shocking in the seventies, but I think most thriller readers of today won't be surprised.
The most troubling aspect of this book, for me, was not the illogical actions of our main characters, but that John has sexually assaulted his (underage at the time) wife multiple times in the past.
"John got out of his chair and moved slowly toward her. She met his eyes in the mirror and stiffened with alarm. His two hands landed on her arms. She froze as she stood. He felt the power in his hands and closed his eyes to stop himself. She wouldn't struggle. She never struggled. She had let him have his way the first time he tried, when she was fifteen. Sometimes she had run away at first, into the darkness under the trees, but if he sat still, very still, she had always come back and let him have his way." (p. 48)
"He touched and she ran. He sat on the log and shivered until she came back. Then he took her tightly by the elbows and she let herself be forced onto the blanket he had spread." (p. 171)
And I'm supposed to sympathize with John? Bulldoze his whole dang farm for all I care.
The Auctioneer is certainly atmospheric, but all the atmosphere in the world does not a book make.
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Phenomenal! This is an exercise in ratcheting up tension ever so slowly until you are ready to burst! Loved this work and stayed up all night to finish as the story is very engrossing. So very happy to give this work 5 stars. Strong characters, great dialog and a beautiful rural setting makes for a great escape. 100% recommend! Glad to see once again this Paperbacks from Hell re-issue series from Valancourt Books does not disappoint. Only great ones!