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willrefuge's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/08/26/in-the-shadows-of-men-by-robert-jackson-bennett-review/
In the desolate wastes of West Texas, In the Shadows of Men finds two brothers down on their luck, looking to cash in on the oil boom. To do this they need to renovate the old Moon and Stars Motel, sold to them by a cousin who wanted nothing to do with the place. As the younger Pugh and his brother, Bear wade into the wreck, they find its dusty halls and empty rooms strangely comforting, at least at first. But after a while, little Pugh begins to notice a disquiet about the place. Apparitions haunt his dreams; a looming man in white, young Mexican women, and an almost palpable feeling of lust and desire. Soon these thoughts begin to infect more than just his dreams—and that’s when things get stranger still.
The brothers find a hatch in one of the rooms: a steel door padlocked from the outside. As neither can discern the combination lock, they try to forget about it and move on. But once unearthed, it proves to be a mystery that just won’t die. Especially when the local sheriff comes by, teasing them with information on the history of the place and its owner—their great-uncle—Corbin Pugh.
Their own father was a devil of a man, but supposedly his uncle was something else entirely. What kind of man was Corbin Pugh, and what was the secret he was hiding? And how badly do the brothers want to find the truth, when it means they can never unlearn it?
My first question is what kind of person would think that moving to Texas would solve all their problems?
Well as they’re both from Texas, I guess this point is moot. West Texas is far removed from Houston, which the younger Pugh has just left. The story takes place in a small, lonely town, a suitable setting for just such a ghost story. And while little Pugh isn’t a terrible narrator, he’s not not the best lead, either. In fact, as neither brother is a conversationalist, the story often skips ahead days or weeks at a time, even after unearthing some new piece of the puzzle. While he’s pegged as the less inquisitive of the two, Bear seems to be more interested in solving the puzzle than his brother, who typically finds something curious and then goes and doesn’t think about it until a week later. Who finds a golden puzzle piece only to wait until a week later to see where it might fit?
Though the stoicism of the narrator works against the story, I felt it also prolonged the mystery in a way, which helped the atmosphere surrounding it. There was a greater sense of anticipation, a bigger building of tension. Though while the build was more enjoyable, I would’ve liked it to’ve been longer, or more intricate. Also, the conclusion itself was slightly underwhelming. So, yes, it hurt in some ways, but helped in others. All in all, the story evened out. Definitely a good read—though it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression.
On an unrelated note: I really hate when we don’t learn the narrator’s name. We learn his brother’s name, his uncle’s, his wife’s and daughter’s—but not his own. Annoying. And harder to write a completely coherent review.
TL;DR
In the Shadows of Men was an entertaining enough read, considering a sped through it in less than a day. It’s the mystery, if nothing else, that drove me through it, as neither the story nor the premise are particularly original or interesting enough to carry all the weight. But a dark tale, full of supernatural elements, a mystery that needs solving, and a man whose life is in desperate need of an escape—all combine to make this an enjoyable (at least in some ways) horror-thriller. It’s a good read, just don’t expect it to leave much of a lasting impression.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/08/26/in-the-shadows-of-men-by-robert-jackson-bennett-review/
In the desolate wastes of West Texas, In the Shadows of Men finds two brothers down on their luck, looking to cash in on the oil boom. To do this they need to renovate the old Moon and Stars Motel, sold to them by a cousin who wanted nothing to do with the place. As the younger Pugh and his brother, Bear wade into the wreck, they find its dusty halls and empty rooms strangely comforting, at least at first. But after a while, little Pugh begins to notice a disquiet about the place. Apparitions haunt his dreams; a looming man in white, young Mexican women, and an almost palpable feeling of lust and desire. Soon these thoughts begin to infect more than just his dreams—and that’s when things get stranger still.
The brothers find a hatch in one of the rooms: a steel door padlocked from the outside. As neither can discern the combination lock, they try to forget about it and move on. But once unearthed, it proves to be a mystery that just won’t die. Especially when the local sheriff comes by, teasing them with information on the history of the place and its owner—their great-uncle—Corbin Pugh.
Their own father was a devil of a man, but supposedly his uncle was something else entirely. What kind of man was Corbin Pugh, and what was the secret he was hiding? And how badly do the brothers want to find the truth, when it means they can never unlearn it?
My first question is what kind of person would think that moving to Texas would solve all their problems?
Well as they’re both from Texas, I guess this point is moot. West Texas is far removed from Houston, which the younger Pugh has just left. The story takes place in a small, lonely town, a suitable setting for just such a ghost story. And while little Pugh isn’t a terrible narrator, he’s not not the best lead, either. In fact, as neither brother is a conversationalist, the story often skips ahead days or weeks at a time, even after unearthing some new piece of the puzzle. While he’s pegged as the less inquisitive of the two, Bear seems to be more interested in solving the puzzle than his brother, who typically finds something curious and then goes and doesn’t think about it until a week later. Who finds a golden puzzle piece only to wait until a week later to see where it might fit?
Though the stoicism of the narrator works against the story, I felt it also prolonged the mystery in a way, which helped the atmosphere surrounding it. There was a greater sense of anticipation, a bigger building of tension. Though while the build was more enjoyable, I would’ve liked it to’ve been longer, or more intricate. Also, the conclusion itself was slightly underwhelming. So, yes, it hurt in some ways, but helped in others. All in all, the story evened out. Definitely a good read—though it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression.
On an unrelated note: I really hate when we don’t learn the narrator’s name. We learn his brother’s name, his uncle’s, his wife’s and daughter’s—but not his own. Annoying. And harder to write a completely coherent review.
TL;DR
In the Shadows of Men was an entertaining enough read, considering a sped through it in less than a day. It’s the mystery, if nothing else, that drove me through it, as neither the story nor the premise are particularly original or interesting enough to carry all the weight. But a dark tale, full of supernatural elements, a mystery that needs solving, and a man whose life is in desperate need of an escape—all combine to make this an enjoyable (at least in some ways) horror-thriller. It’s a good read, just don’t expect it to leave much of a lasting impression.
sausome's review against another edition
5.0
This book was a beautifully dark and horrific tale. It felt like returning to Bennett's earlier "Troupe" novel, which I loved. Dark, gritty, violent, but some earnest and true grappling with core elements of good and evil. There is a supernatural element of a place legitimately haunted by evil, and it was a slow and terrifying creep of a read.
What makes a man; how does he grow to fill his own life when his father and his father's father took it away through violence and anger? Is he doomed to repeat atrocities of his forebears, or can he hope to find a small bit of light through the cracks in his tumbled down life? These are the true issues of this story, though it is told through truly creepy, terrifying means. Descriptions of sexual violence are found in the book, but how Bennett ultimately treats this topic is with the weight it deserves.
This book was haunting, scary, and dark, and that Robert Jackson Bennett wrote so beautifully of such horrors is a testament to his true talent as an author. His descriptions evoke a desolate, gritty, dirt-filled place, full of men desperate to make it in this life. It feels like a place on the outer edges of society, wreaking of desperation, where little is monitored, and bars are filled with rough, grime-covered day laborers who always end up in a brawl.
If you have enjoyed his canon, from "Mr. Shivers" and "The Troupe" to "American Elsewhere" and his growing fantasy works, such as the "Divine Cities" and "Foundryside" series, you are sure to appreciate this dark, powerful work.
What makes a man; how does he grow to fill his own life when his father and his father's father took it away through violence and anger? Is he doomed to repeat atrocities of his forebears, or can he hope to find a small bit of light through the cracks in his tumbled down life? These are the true issues of this story, though it is told through truly creepy, terrifying means. Descriptions of sexual violence are found in the book, but how Bennett ultimately treats this topic is with the weight it deserves.
This book was haunting, scary, and dark, and that Robert Jackson Bennett wrote so beautifully of such horrors is a testament to his true talent as an author. His descriptions evoke a desolate, gritty, dirt-filled place, full of men desperate to make it in this life. It feels like a place on the outer edges of society, wreaking of desperation, where little is monitored, and bars are filled with rough, grime-covered day laborers who always end up in a brawl.
If you have enjoyed his canon, from "Mr. Shivers" and "The Troupe" to "American Elsewhere" and his growing fantasy works, such as the "Divine Cities" and "Foundryside" series, you are sure to appreciate this dark, powerful work.
kevinscorner's review against another edition
5.0
I am not a reader of horror so I went into In the Shadows of Men a newbie, and this was certainly a horrific read. It follows two damaged brothers who attempt to fix up an old rundown motel, but what they find in its rooms tell of a more terrifying history and that the motel may not be as abandoned as it seems. From the opening pages of this supernatural horror novella, Robert Jackson Bennett somehow wrote atmosphere that was immediately oppressive and tense. The book was heart-pounding and suspenseful and carries a surprising level of depth for such a short novella. In the Shadows of Men certainly packs a punch, and the horror is delivered exquisitely and with care so the message is not lost.
pbanditp's review against another edition
4.0
The story is told by the unnamed younger brother of Bear Pugh. Bear buys an old run down motel in west Texas off a cousin who had inherited it. Bear invites the younger brother to help gut the place and and refinish it. They end up uncovering a history that should have remained in the past, but old ghosts and visions won’t stay quiet.
“It was not supposed to be like this. Nothing was supposed to be like this. Everything was not supposed to be so goddamned hard.”
This is an ominously compelling book with very good writing. You can feel the depressed vibe of the men as they use hard work to hide the horrors of their past only to end up pulling the horrors of the past from the motel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.
“It was not supposed to be like this. Nothing was supposed to be like this. Everything was not supposed to be so goddamned hard.”
This is an ominously compelling book with very good writing. You can feel the depressed vibe of the men as they use hard work to hide the horrors of their past only to end up pulling the horrors of the past from the motel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.
spestock's review against another edition
5.0
Haunting (literally and figuratively), and beautifully written, this novella masterfully explores the inheritance of trauma, the cyclical nature of violence, and the crisis many men face in finding their place in the world today. A lot of depth to this piece, but it functions perfectly well as a surface-level spooky horror story, as well.
vsbedford's review against another edition
5.0
Robert Jackson Bennett plants his whole foot in this novella - this is a small package that carries a lot, lot, lot of weight. There's a very cinematic quality to it? There's not much writing that spools out like this; it's very tangible, and economic, and clear in its vision and Bennett's ability to pick the very right word makes me JEALOUS. He is working in a very particular area of American Southern (or rather Texan) Gothic ghost story (with a tinge of horror) and I don't think there's much to be improved upon in his take and its exploration of manhood/manifest destiny. Fans of his Divine Cities series or of Foundryside may sort of bounce off this (it's without a scrap of light or humor) but it's very much in the vein of his earlier work like Mr. Shivers or American Elsewhere. A strong recommend but with a trigger warning for abuse, sexual violence, VAW, and drug addiction; it's not overly graphic but it's there.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
iwb's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
3.25
So, I liked the story. The themes are serious, disturbing, and important.
But one thing just really bothered me:
Told from the perspective of the main character.
So, the main character is an upper lower class/lower middle class blue collar worker; think someone who drives an F-150, has tools, with experience doing labor, installation, maybe even rigging, etc.
Someone like this from the South typically talks in a way that reflects that sort of life and experience. When the main character is engaging in dialogue, he basically comes off that way (though it could have been far more convincing than it was); but when the main character is narrating to himself and the reader, the language is way off the mark--it's stylistically inconsistent. Additionally, I kept stumbling over the narration because it annoyingly lacks contractions. No one talks this way, in their own head or to others. Even in the most academic of situations, in which one generally does not contract in formal writing, there is less of this than in the narration by the main character. The lack of contractions in the book made the reading so choppy.
I'm still going to check out other works by this author; but if we are similarly contraction deficient, I'll just call it a day.
But one thing just really bothered me:
Told from the perspective of the main character.
So, the main character is an upper lower class/lower middle class blue collar worker; think someone who drives an F-150, has tools, with experience doing labor, installation, maybe even rigging, etc.
Someone like this from the South typically talks in a way that reflects that sort of life and experience. When the main character is engaging in dialogue, he basically comes off that way (though it could have been far more convincing than it was); but when the main character is narrating to himself and the reader, the language is way off the mark--it's stylistically inconsistent. Additionally, I kept stumbling over the narration because it annoyingly lacks contractions. No one talks this way, in their own head or to others. Even in the most academic of situations, in which one generally does not contract in formal writing, there is less of this than in the narration by the main character. The lack of contractions in the book made the reading so choppy.
I'm still going to check out other works by this author; but if we are similarly contraction deficient, I'll just call it a day.
bookinvasion's review against another edition
5.0
This was an amazing and horrible horror book. Horrible in the best way that a horror book can be. It's actions are so egregious that you HAVE to find out what happens and the way that Bennett spins this tale and buid the suspense is masterful. 2 brothers purchase an old motel that their father used to run but after some renovations and some discoveries, visions, and sounds, and even secret doors start to unveil themselves.
This was a great story that keeps you guessing around every corner and doesn't let up on the pain inflicting onto the main character.
I felt that this does have many of the same steps as a horror haunting story yet the remote atmosphere and the small outskirts of lawless Texas put this in a setting familiar yet terrifying. Bennett's characters are real and their story seems real and authentic.
This was a great story that keeps you guessing around every corner and doesn't let up on the pain inflicting onto the main character.
I felt that this does have many of the same steps as a horror haunting story yet the remote atmosphere and the small outskirts of lawless Texas put this in a setting familiar yet terrifying. Bennett's characters are real and their story seems real and authentic.