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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
I'm giving this one 5 because it was just a damn good story. Like a soap opera, but in a way you're not embarrassed about. I don't know what else to say about it. I'm sad it's over.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
East of Eden plus classic ghost stories plus Lovecraft. Enjoy the ride.
*audiobook review*
I went into this book thinking it was going to be some kind of Gothic horror, but instead, I found myself glued to a multi generational drama with a sprinkling of strange.
As a massive horror fan, this would normally have bothered me, but instead I found myself needing to know more and more about each character, and became deeply invested in each story line, to the point I was still awake at 3am, wanting to know what happened next.
The audiobook was fantastic; the narrator was great and distinguished each character's voice, and overall, it was a fun listen
I went into this book thinking it was going to be some kind of Gothic horror, but instead, I found myself glued to a multi generational drama with a sprinkling of strange.
As a massive horror fan, this would normally have bothered me, but instead I found myself needing to know more and more about each character, and became deeply invested in each story line, to the point I was still awake at 3am, wanting to know what happened next.
The audiobook was fantastic; the narrator was great and distinguished each character's voice, and overall, it was a fun listen
It’s incredible. So very little of it is “horror”, but the horror scenes are vivid and skin crawling.
There’s such a clear theme here of queerness, of the “horrible other” that’s outside of “polite society”. Yet the other is all around and inside the home and perhaps an open secret. I would love to re-read this with a queer analysis lens and also, a rise of the AIDS epidemic lens (the author passed in the nineties from an AIDS-related illness). The whole Caskey clan is in their way very queer, very different from everyone around them. They have the luxury and buffer of money to do as they wish.
That’s another complicated reading for the 2020s - the unabashed pleasure of generational wealth. Most of our current media is either skewering or condemning the ultra wealthy (or both). Rooting for a family to become more and more wealthy with each book was a bit of a conflict for me, which feels like a very 2022 reaction to the “greed is good” 80s. Complicated, complicated.
There’s such a clear theme here of queerness, of the “horrible other” that’s outside of “polite society”. Yet the other is all around and inside the home and perhaps an open secret. I would love to re-read this with a queer analysis lens and also, a rise of the AIDS epidemic lens (the author passed in the nineties from an AIDS-related illness). The whole Caskey clan is in their way very queer, very different from everyone around them. They have the luxury and buffer of money to do as they wish.
That’s another complicated reading for the 2020s - the unabashed pleasure of generational wealth. Most of our current media is either skewering or condemning the ultra wealthy (or both). Rooting for a family to become more and more wealthy with each book was a bit of a conflict for me, which feels like a very 2022 reaction to the “greed is good” 80s. Complicated, complicated.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is so strange.
I didnt feel like I was reading a book. I felt like I was living in Perdido and the lives of the Caskeys felt like a part of my life. Omg, once again, I'm blown away by McDowell. So much is woven into this series. He always serves horror and heart. ❤
I didnt feel like I was reading a book. I felt like I was living in Perdido and the lives of the Caskeys felt like a part of my life. Omg, once again, I'm blown away by McDowell. So much is woven into this series. He always serves horror and heart. ❤
I was so fucking wrong first time around. Masterful. A pillar of character driven horror.
I listened to the Complete Blackwater Saga on Audiobook. The narration was outstanding, and the more the story progressed, the better the performance became. If I'm being completely honest, I'm not sure I would have picked this book up if I knew it was going to focus more on the family relationships, with the horror/supernatural elements intertwined. I'm a big fan of Michael McDowell's other works, The Elementals being one of my favorite books of all time.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I found myself speaking in a Southern accent the more I listened, and felt very connected to the characters. McDowell knows how to paint an atmosphere. From beginning to end, this book has a somber tone, but seems oddly uplifting at times.
There are many relevant political/social elements in this book. The Caskey family is completely ruled by the women of the family, as is the city of Perdido Alabama. The characters grow stronger throughout the saga, and develop such realistic identities.
I would venture to say that this is more American Literature than Horror. Well worth the read!
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I found myself speaking in a Southern accent the more I listened, and felt very connected to the characters. McDowell knows how to paint an atmosphere. From beginning to end, this book has a somber tone, but seems oddly uplifting at times.
There are many relevant political/social elements in this book. The Caskey family is completely ruled by the women of the family, as is the city of Perdido Alabama. The characters grow stronger throughout the saga, and develop such realistic identities.
I would venture to say that this is more American Literature than Horror. Well worth the read!
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Blackwater is an 800 page southern gothic epic that starts with a devastating flood in Perdido, Alabama and a mysterious woman found in the partially flooded hotel where no-one should reasonably be. It only gets more interesting from there. This book is generally considered horror because of some of the supernatural elements in it, but to me it feels like a soap opera or family epic. This is one of the very few times that I think a book would be better as a TV serial then as a novel. McDowell is a master at writing family dynamics and characters and I was genuinely sad when I had to leave them behind at the books end. I recommended it to anyone who wants a slower read that they can really sink their teeth into and enjoy.