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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I consider Herbert's book THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL to be a solidly entertaining book. It follows the typical pattern for a haunted house story: scary looking house abandoned years in the past due to a tragic event, new family moves in, spooky things happen, events are ignored, big spooky things happen and everything comes to a conclusion. It's a comfortable pattern and Herbert follows it.
In this case, it is the Caleigh family that moves to the new location for the husband's job and to escape the dread due to their son being missing for almost a year. The family experiences weird happenings which are generally ignored or rationalized away by the father until they can no longer be ignored.
Unfortunately while the haunted house story is a comfortable pattern, it is also a familiar one. It means that the author has to go beyond the normal and do something to pull the reader's in further. It could be character depth to make everyone real or something to break the normal pattern, but something is needed. While Herbert is more than talented enough to provide that something, he does not in this case. Instead we're left with a solid story that is entertaining but which does not grasp us as much as it should. The spooky isn't quite spooky enough. We don't quite care enough for the characters. And the one surprise that does occur was not enough. I would still recommend the novel but I would also be sure to reduce your expectations so that you aren't disappointed.
In this case, it is the Caleigh family that moves to the new location for the husband's job and to escape the dread due to their son being missing for almost a year. The family experiences weird happenings which are generally ignored or rationalized away by the father until they can no longer be ignored.
Unfortunately while the haunted house story is a comfortable pattern, it is also a familiar one. It means that the author has to go beyond the normal and do something to pull the reader's in further. It could be character depth to make everyone real or something to break the normal pattern, but something is needed. While Herbert is more than talented enough to provide that something, he does not in this case. Instead we're left with a solid story that is entertaining but which does not grasp us as much as it should. The spooky isn't quite spooky enough. We don't quite care enough for the characters. And the one surprise that does occur was not enough. I would still recommend the novel but I would also be sure to reduce your expectations so that you aren't disappointed.