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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Well, this was a journey!
It's pretty much a family history in a very Southern Gothic vein. It starts in 1919 with a flood. We follow the fortunes of the Caskey family of southern Alabama through the next six or seven decades.
I saw that this book was categorized as horror. But there's not really a lot of horror. Well, yes, there is SOME. But it's mostly the family's story - the good and the bad, and the slightly uncanny.
I listened to the audiobook. I can't say enough good things about the narration! I listened for hours at a time, because I was ENGROSSED.
Good stuff. I've had this audiobook forever, glad I finally listened to it.
It's pretty much a family history in a very Southern Gothic vein. It starts in 1919 with a flood. We follow the fortunes of the Caskey family of southern Alabama through the next six or seven decades.
I saw that this book was categorized as horror. But there's not really a lot of horror. Well, yes, there is SOME. But it's mostly the family's story - the good and the bad, and the slightly uncanny.
I listened to the audiobook. I can't say enough good things about the narration! I listened for hours at a time, because I was ENGROSSED.
Good stuff. I've had this audiobook forever, glad I finally listened to it.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
3 is probably too low but 4 is too high. This book is about atmosphere and the lulling comfort of watching a family through the ages with sharp contrasts as moments of horror descend. Like think of any historical family saga you've ever read and then add malicious ghosts and terrifying sea creatures and you've got Blackwater. It follows the family saga template well, and you do grow attached to some of the characters, but always a bit on the periphery (which is much how i feel about most family sagas in all honesty, aside from East of Eden)
It was good, and it was compelling and kept me reading, and i recommend it, but there are definitely flaws and moments where things felt forced (particularly the end)
It was good, and it was compelling and kept me reading, and i recommend it, but there are definitely flaws and moments where things felt forced (particularly the end)
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was pretty sure I was really going to like this. It came enthusiastically recommended from quite a few people.
I, and those people were right.
This was originally serialized as 6 books, but like others, I think it works better as one novel, and that narratively it makes more sense to read it in one concentrated effort. (You can still count it as 6 on Goodreads if you need to hit your reading goal). This book is shelved as a horror novel, but it spends about 5% of the time being a horror novel, if that. It is really a generational saga about everyone in a family that lives in Perdido Alabama for about 60 years. I would primarily describe it as a slice of life book, with fantastical/horror elements.
Sometimes when reading a novel, I can tell I will love it almost instantly, like on page 5. This was not the case here. 50 pages in I was unsure the extent to which I enjoyed the novel. What ended up standing out more than anything is McDowell's ability to make me feel seemingly whatever he wants me to feel for each character, without ever feeling emotionally manipulative.
For contrast, do you know the feeling, when you are reading a novel, and the author just makes someone overly sympathetic, and you can tell something bad is going to happen, and they are trying to manufacture it into being as emotionally damaging as possible? It is always disappointing to me, because I feel the authors hand, the illusion created by my brain that these are real people dies, and I become consciously aware that this is all a construct from one mind.
The best explanation I can give of what makes Blackwater awesome is it gives the exact opposite of that feeling. It truly feels like this novel is just telling me what happened, not trying to guide me to one conclusion or another. And what happened just happens to be extremely compelling, and didn't need to be forced in any one direction to cause emotional investment. Despite not feeling the authors hand at all pushing me, while reading it I still found myself illogically cheering for people who had done horrible things, probably even what could be described as evil things. While at the same time cheering against someone who was flawed in very normal, mundane ways. I got to an emotional position that I logically knew was untenable, and yet that emotional conviction was strong enough that that realization did not break it. It was a weird feeling, I do not know how it was pulled off.
All that is to say that Michael McDowell is one of the best character writers I have every personally read. He joins a short list of people who, if someone told me they are the best character writer to every write a fantasy novel, I would not think that is some weird hot take.
He definitely has a show and tell style. Sometimes the narration will just tell you who people are, which I know bothers some people. But it is a novel covering an entire family over 60 years, and it doesn't take away anything to me it is not replacing McDowell showing you who everyone is. It is supporting it. Who everyone is bleeds through the page, through their actions, thoughts, and words. The narration guides it. The characters have both the consistency, the contradictions, the flaws, and the growth to make them feel truly real. So there was never any feeling at all that McDowell was resorting to telling me who these people were because he was unable to show it.
While it is not a fast book, or a thriller, or anything like that by any means, it moves very steadily. There were maybe some sections that lacked narrative tension for me, and maybe that is caused by structure of a lack of a single overarching conflict. But at no point did I ever veer close to boredom.
One other consequence of this being such a widespread book, is that it was always going to be hard to give it something that feels like a true ending. About 2/3rds in I asked myself how could this book ever come to an end. There is no protagonist, there is no set overarching conflict, life goes on, and it due to the nature of the story, hard to ever get to a point where it truly felt like the story was truly over. I think McDowell did about as well as he could, and he got to a place that feels right. But if I were to compare to my other favorite stand alone's ever, the ending did not quite leave me with a sense of catharsis. It was satisfying, but did not leave the good empty feeling I have gotten from my other favorites.
The people who recommended this were right.
9.3/10
I, and those people were right.
This was originally serialized as 6 books, but like others, I think it works better as one novel, and that narratively it makes more sense to read it in one concentrated effort. (You can still count it as 6 on Goodreads if you need to hit your reading goal). This book is shelved as a horror novel, but it spends about 5% of the time being a horror novel, if that. It is really a generational saga about everyone in a family that lives in Perdido Alabama for about 60 years. I would primarily describe it as a slice of life book, with fantastical/horror elements.
Sometimes when reading a novel, I can tell I will love it almost instantly, like on page 5. This was not the case here. 50 pages in I was unsure the extent to which I enjoyed the novel. What ended up standing out more than anything is McDowell's ability to make me feel seemingly whatever he wants me to feel for each character, without ever feeling emotionally manipulative.
For contrast, do you know the feeling, when you are reading a novel, and the author just makes someone overly sympathetic, and you can tell something bad is going to happen, and they are trying to manufacture it into being as emotionally damaging as possible? It is always disappointing to me, because I feel the authors hand, the illusion created by my brain that these are real people dies, and I become consciously aware that this is all a construct from one mind.
The best explanation I can give of what makes Blackwater awesome is it gives the exact opposite of that feeling. It truly feels like this novel is just telling me what happened, not trying to guide me to one conclusion or another. And what happened just happens to be extremely compelling, and didn't need to be forced in any one direction to cause emotional investment. Despite not feeling the authors hand at all pushing me, while reading it I still found myself illogically cheering for people who had done horrible things, probably even what could be described as evil things. While at the same time cheering against someone who was flawed in very normal, mundane ways. I got to an emotional position that I logically knew was untenable, and yet that emotional conviction was strong enough that that realization did not break it. It was a weird feeling, I do not know how it was pulled off.
All that is to say that Michael McDowell is one of the best character writers I have every personally read. He joins a short list of people who, if someone told me they are the best character writer to every write a fantasy novel, I would not think that is some weird hot take.
He definitely has a show and tell style. Sometimes the narration will just tell you who people are, which I know bothers some people. But it is a novel covering an entire family over 60 years, and it doesn't take away anything to me it is not replacing McDowell showing you who everyone is. It is supporting it. Who everyone is bleeds through the page, through their actions, thoughts, and words. The narration guides it. The characters have both the consistency, the contradictions, the flaws, and the growth to make them feel truly real. So there was never any feeling at all that McDowell was resorting to telling me who these people were because he was unable to show it.
While it is not a fast book, or a thriller, or anything like that by any means, it moves very steadily. There were maybe some sections that lacked narrative tension for me, and maybe that is caused by structure of a lack of a single overarching conflict. But at no point did I ever veer close to boredom.
One other consequence of this being such a widespread book, is that it was always going to be hard to give it something that feels like a true ending. About 2/3rds in I asked myself how could this book ever come to an end. There is no protagonist, there is no set overarching conflict, life goes on, and it due to the nature of the story, hard to ever get to a point where it truly felt like the story was truly over. I think McDowell did about as well as he could, and he got to a place that feels right. But if I were to compare to my other favorite stand alone's ever, the ending did not quite leave me with a sense of catharsis. It was satisfying, but did not leave the good empty feeling I have gotten from my other favorites.
The people who recommended this were right.
9.3/10
I wasn't planning on finishing this book today because I wanted one more day with it, but I couldn't help myself. What an absolute masterpiece! I love horror and generational family sagas and this is the perfect blend of both. You are lulled with 50 years of Caskey family drama (which is anything but boring) and then hit with an occasional horrific scene. It's full of interesting characters that you can care about. I know I definitely cried when several met their end.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2025, Book 41: Blackwater: The Complete Saga, by Michael McDowell. I recently discovered Michael McDowell, and this is the third book of his I have read. It was originally published as six novella-length chapters, so it's quite a tome (even in ebook form). I'm a little obsessed with this book, which is sort of like Steel Magnolias meets The Shape of Water. Blackwater is the multigenerational saga of the Caskey family of Perdido, Alabama, and the eventual head and family matriarch, Elinor Dammert Caskey. But Elinor is more than what she seems. This is billed as horror, but I honestly didn't think it was scary at all. The more horror-y scenes are interspersed with lengthy descriptions of the Caskey family's activities, interactions, and struggles; if you're looking for horror that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this isn't it. I would even venture that aspects of the book approach magical realism rather than horror. Like the characters in McDowell's book The Elementals, the Caskeys are vividly drawn; if there is a flaw in the characterization, it is in the depth of the portrayals of the Black characters, pretty much all of whom are devoted servants/employees of the Caskeys. For example, I would love to have heard more of Zaddie's thoughts/point of view about all that went on from the time she was hired to rake sand in the yard and run messages as a child through 50+ years of cooking and keeping house for the Caskeys. Overall though, the book had me riveted.
DNF 50%
After listening to half of this story, and 'nothing' really happens, I just.... no.
After listening to half of this story, and 'nothing' really happens, I just.... no.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated