I enjoyed it as an okay, old school style horror novel. A palate cleanser from the literary or extreme horror stuff I've been consuming. It’s predictable in pacing and style like a Charles Dickens novel but I’ve never read Barker before. Literary eras are like that after you’ve read a ton for a few decades. Stories of the past also feel a little silly, hopefully in a fun way. This one wasn’t silly for me in any way until the climactic ending, which spoiled it for me. Lastly the book is repeatedly homophobic, not just in the characters’ thoughts but in who is homosexual and who is disgusted by it. Barker is sly with his wording which is why I put it under mild warning. I think marginalized people are well aware that reading these old books isn’t going to be like a modern reading experience. Btw the only black character (seen in one scene) is cast in a questionable light. A caution. I’m not of the melanin to comment further.