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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
Blackwater is a series written by Michael McDowell in 1983, long before Stephen King wrote his own novel-in-serial-form with The Green Mile. It's an ambitious piece of work, covering fifty years of the Caskey family, who have owned one of the mills in Perdido, a small, river-bound Alabama town, following a catastrophic flood in 1919. From that flood appears Elinor, a mysterious woman with a hidden past who isn't completely human, and begins to worm her way into the family.
McDowell was raised in Alabama, and if The Elements didn't prove that he understood the South and its culture, Blackwater certainly does. This is a piece firmly embedded in the South, in its language, manners, humor, and atmosphere. Even the names of the characters -- Sister, Mary-Love, Early, and Danjo (Daniel Joseph), to name just a few -- reflect a culture that's purely Southern.
Additionally, the story itself is told in a Southern way, in that the aberrations of the culture are never explicitly stated, but instead hints at them to allow the readers to draw their own conclusion. One character is introduced as having "the stamp of femininity", seemingly in a whispered voice with raised eyebrows. The meaning is clear, even if the words aren't spoken aloud, and this style is used when referring to Elinor. It's not just that the characters speak around what makes Elinor different; the narrative itself dances around it. Characters in the story gossip, as does the narrative itself.
The story covers a long time, over multiple generations, and as such, sympathies shift from character to character as time progresses. McDowell creates a subtle air of menace and otherworldliness with Elinor, suggesting she'll be the antagonist here, when in truth the matriarch of the family is the one to watch. This is another Southern characteristic, of the women, despite being considered to be less than the men, being the ones in control.
The way McDowell creates the family is brilliant. They span the emotional gamut with pettiness, honor, deceit, manipulation, and love despite the antagonism. It's all there, and it feels real and genuine. It certainly helps that McDowell has 900 pages to spend developing them, but what makes the story shine is that despite there being at least a dozen main characters, none of them are dismissable or forgettable.
The story does have a supernatural element, enough for it to be considered horror, but its Southern-ness is its true charm. When you examine all the pieces of the story that make it Southern, though, it's no surprise this is a horror novel. At the end of book four, I felt my heart beating faster, and rubbed down the chills on my arms. It wasn't just that McDowell had created a genuinely creepy moment; it was a palpable reaction to the dread, fear, loss, and relief that went along with the scene. It's a perfect, perfect moment that's possible thanks to McDowell creating his characters with such care.
The atmosphere of both the horror and Southern genres complement each other perfectly, and since McDowell eschews violence and viscera for moments that elicit shivers, I can see this being a book as much for lovers of Southern fiction as for fans of horror. Either way, this is a brilliant, effective story that deserves a much wider audience. I can see this being a great story for creating a television series.
McDowell was raised in Alabama, and if The Elements didn't prove that he understood the South and its culture, Blackwater certainly does. This is a piece firmly embedded in the South, in its language, manners, humor, and atmosphere. Even the names of the characters -- Sister, Mary-Love, Early, and Danjo (Daniel Joseph), to name just a few -- reflect a culture that's purely Southern.
Additionally, the story itself is told in a Southern way, in that the aberrations of the culture are never explicitly stated, but instead hints at them to allow the readers to draw their own conclusion. One character is introduced as having "the stamp of femininity", seemingly in a whispered voice with raised eyebrows. The meaning is clear, even if the words aren't spoken aloud, and this style is used when referring to Elinor. It's not just that the characters speak around what makes Elinor different; the narrative itself dances around it. Characters in the story gossip, as does the narrative itself.
The story covers a long time, over multiple generations, and as such, sympathies shift from character to character as time progresses. McDowell creates a subtle air of menace and otherworldliness with Elinor, suggesting she'll be the antagonist here, when in truth the matriarch of the family is the one to watch. This is another Southern characteristic, of the women, despite being considered to be less than the men, being the ones in control.
The way McDowell creates the family is brilliant. They span the emotional gamut with pettiness, honor, deceit, manipulation, and love despite the antagonism. It's all there, and it feels real and genuine. It certainly helps that McDowell has 900 pages to spend developing them, but what makes the story shine is that despite there being at least a dozen main characters, none of them are dismissable or forgettable.
The story does have a supernatural element, enough for it to be considered horror, but its Southern-ness is its true charm. When you examine all the pieces of the story that make it Southern, though, it's no surprise this is a horror novel. At the end of book four, I felt my heart beating faster, and rubbed down the chills on my arms. It wasn't just that McDowell had created a genuinely creepy moment; it was a palpable reaction to the dread, fear, loss, and relief that went along with the scene. It's a perfect, perfect moment that's possible thanks to McDowell creating his characters with such care.
The atmosphere of both the horror and Southern genres complement each other perfectly, and since McDowell eschews violence and viscera for moments that elicit shivers, I can see this being a book as much for lovers of Southern fiction as for fans of horror. Either way, this is a brilliant, effective story that deserves a much wider audience. I can see this being a great story for creating a television series.
I have only one fellow reader in my new hometown. She recommended this, and I was reaaaaaaaally nervous. Not only was I unsure of the genre, it was 30+ hours on Audible! Yikes.
It was fantastic. Ya'll. My house is SO CLEAN right now because I would listen for hours a day and needed something to do with my hands.
It's a character-driven epic Southern Gothic horror serial novel reprinted in a single volume. The central character is not quite human, strategic, and cunning. It's mostly a family drama with surprising little murders sprinkled throughout.
As one reviewer (Justin Tate) states here, "It's a quiet, creeping horror that doesn't exactly feel supernatural. After grounding the reader so firmly in realistic, earthy characters, how can anything--even water monsters and vengeful apparitions--be unreal?"
The narrator on Audible was exceptional. He had a different subtle affectation for every character so I had no trouble knowing who was who in a story that covered 50 years.
It was fantastic. Ya'll. My house is SO CLEAN right now because I would listen for hours a day and needed something to do with my hands.
It's a character-driven epic Southern Gothic horror serial novel reprinted in a single volume. The central character is not quite human, strategic, and cunning. It's mostly a family drama with surprising little murders sprinkled throughout.
As one reviewer (Justin Tate) states here, "It's a quiet, creeping horror that doesn't exactly feel supernatural. After grounding the reader so firmly in realistic, earthy characters, how can anything--even water monsters and vengeful apparitions--be unreal?"
The narrator on Audible was exceptional. He had a different subtle affectation for every character so I had no trouble knowing who was who in a story that covered 50 years.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
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. ❤
This was an incredibly satisfying read. Unexpectedly so. A bit slow in the beginning and a bit frustrating because I expected horror. There was some creepiness but in the end it was just a story of an interesting family full of great characters. The middle part was especially great; that one brief moment when everything was OK.
Incredible book. Absolutely recommend to everyone.
Awesome character growth, a rich setting that skillfully blends horror and the mundane. McDowell is an incredible author and we lost him too soon
Awesome character growth, a rich setting that skillfully blends horror and the mundane. McDowell is an incredible author and we lost him too soon
The Blackwater Saga is essentially a saga of three generations of the Caskey family, a wealthy family in a normal town in 1919 that is suddenly rocked by a sudden new addition to the town after a quick and rare flood. The saga focuses heavily on the family as well as familial dynamics between members (all centered around Elinor - the new face - to her hateful and demanding new mother-in-law to family members who represent her in the books) and the paranormal aspect around Elinor.
McDowell's horror writing carries deep into the southern gothic while still maintaining a subtlety of it to lace in the paranormal aspects without completely overpowering the story with it. The saga is about a family with paranormal ties rather than a paranormal story. It carries in traditional southern gothic elements of not rather hauntings and in-you-face fear like in European gothic stories, but rather a tale of 'there is something not quite right here' gothic, where you feel the hair on your arms immediately stand up while staring at something or checking over your shoulder without knowing exactly what it is you're afraid of.
Mixed in with a family focus, McDowell also writes in very dynamic family matters of odd things the family does that slowly go to show how different they are. Slowly, with every new generation, the family grows through additions of sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews, but still encloses around itself through marrying into each other and trading off children to each other first as types of settlements, then through children wanting to hold a sense of familial love by taking care of another member. Slowly, the rather normal rich family becomes like one of those that you whisper about. How they act very normal, that they hold an important part in the community, but that there are stories about them that you gossip about, give space to when walking by, or mention around a campfire. They become the family out on the hill, who are nice and alright but not exactly wanting to get to close to.
The fourth and fifth books were a little slow and you can tell that they were filler books for McDowell's main plot that you knew how the saga would end (based on what Elinor said), and you can especially tell this because the books started strong, and then the saga ended strong. The paranormal elements of the fourth and fifth books mostly surround what type of mysterious being Elinor and her children are and Frances finding out about it and the books essentially fill in what happens to the family between a generation to get to the planned end. While what Elinor, Frances, and Nerita are and the ambiguity of it is a part of the paranormal aspects of the saga, having two books surrounding that with no other paranormal-esk aspect was rather boring to read. However, by the last book McDowell definitely went back to the roots of the first three books through ghosts, rituals, and the idea of things coming back for you.
All in all it was a good saga and in a few years once I've forgotten some details of it I will likely come back to it (though likely skipping books four and five). McDowell is an excellent storyteller and I loved the subtle aspects of writing through the southern gothic genre. It's paranormal without getting in your face that still manages to send a shiver up your spine. Even if a little weird of lesbian cousins living together and other cousins marrying into each other, still enjoyable and a great read. If you enjoy southern gothic, this is one of the best.
McDowell's horror writing carries deep into the southern gothic while still maintaining a subtlety of it to lace in the paranormal aspects without completely overpowering the story with it. The saga is about a family with paranormal ties rather than a paranormal story. It carries in traditional southern gothic elements of not rather hauntings and in-you-face fear like in European gothic stories, but rather a tale of 'there is something not quite right here' gothic, where you feel the hair on your arms immediately stand up while staring at something or checking over your shoulder without knowing exactly what it is you're afraid of.
Mixed in with a family focus, McDowell also writes in very dynamic family matters of odd things the family does that slowly go to show how different they are. Slowly, with every new generation, the family grows through additions of sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews, but still encloses around itself through marrying into each other and trading off children to each other first as types of settlements, then through children wanting to hold a sense of familial love by taking care of another member. Slowly, the rather normal rich family becomes like one of those that you whisper about. How they act very normal, that they hold an important part in the community, but that there are stories about them that you gossip about, give space to when walking by, or mention around a campfire. They become the family out on the hill, who are nice and alright but not exactly wanting to get to close to.
The fourth and fifth books were a little slow and you can tell that they were filler books for McDowell's main plot that you knew how the saga would end (based on what Elinor said), and you can especially tell this because the books started strong, and then the saga ended strong. The paranormal elements of the fourth and fifth books mostly surround what type of mysterious being Elinor and her children are and Frances finding out about it and the books essentially fill in what happens to the family between a generation to get to the planned end. While what Elinor, Frances, and Nerita are and the ambiguity of it is a part of the paranormal aspects of the saga, having two books surrounding that with no other paranormal-esk aspect was rather boring to read. However, by the last book McDowell definitely went back to the roots of the first three books through ghosts, rituals, and the idea of things coming back for you.
All in all it was a good saga and in a few years once I've forgotten some details of it I will likely come back to it (though likely skipping books four and five). McDowell is an excellent storyteller and I loved the subtle aspects of writing through the southern gothic genre. It's paranormal without getting in your face that still manages to send a shiver up your spine. Even if a little weird of lesbian cousins living together and other cousins marrying into each other, still enjoyable and a great read. If you enjoy southern gothic, this is one of the best.
I really liked this book but in no way would I consider it a horror story as it was described. It's a good multigenerational story with about 5 episodes of unusual/sci-fi/paranormal action. It was used in critical parts of the story but overall was such a small part. Almost as if the author needed a way to move the story so decided to create something unnatural to explain it. Like I said it's a good book which is why I gave it four stars but don't expect scares or even creepiness.
Absolutely incredible! New all time favourite. Highly recommend the audible version.