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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
That this book was unfinished and posthumously published is very clear. There are dropped threads and diversions scattered throughout. There are also bits that felt derivative of Cormac McCarthy, who Gay knew, especially Child of God (or was it homage?). However, this is still William Gay so there were plenty of brilliant passages, a bit of semi-meta-autobiography obsessed writer. And, unlike others, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect, though I don’t know whether it came from the author or from one of the many hands in this very creepy pie.
Suspenseful and at times disturbing but nowhere near as scary as I was led to believe it to be. Beautiful imagery in the writing and the lack of quotation marks for speech made the text flow better. Good book but not great and probably not one I'm likely to recommend.
A brilliant, literary story from a true genius. Not only that, but this is also a beautiful and deliciously creepy haunted house story. Second only to Shirley Jackson.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed parts of this book, but the ending was a bit abrupt. I loved the narrator's voice and would probably have dnf'ed it if I had been reading a paper copy. My favorite part was probably the introduction piece about the author. That was interesting.
Best endorsement I can give for this book is that I usually don't care for paranormal thrillers and such, but it is a pure pleasure to read anything by William Gay. After he passed a couple of years ago I figured that was it--then I found this new undiscovered novel of his at AWP and pounced. It is Gay at his best; creepy, poetic, Gothic. It owes a debt to The Shining--but King has long professed admiration for William Gay. The supplemental material in the book Tom Franklin's introduction and an essay about The Bell Haunting at the end) serve the novel very well. This is a good one!
Kept my attention throughout although it was sometimes confusing in place and timeline (but perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention as I listened during walks with my dog). The ending did seem a bit abrupt - I wanted to find out what happened with Binder and his family.
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes