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A review by the_enobee
Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
4.0
I really enjoyed this book because of the pitch-perfect writing, slow build of tension, and truly horrible revelations. I definitely have mixed feelings about some events and character behavior. The fact that the main character, Ned Constantine, became a non-sympathetic protagonist for me actually added to my enjoyment of the story.
****Spoilers Follow***
Okay, so what the heck was with the scene between Ned and Tamar on the riverbank toward the end? I am still wondering what this added to the story. It didn't reveal anything to me about Tamar or the Mother Earth deity, which I have a feeling was the author's intent. Instead it revealed that Ned was willing to betray his family for a rut in the mud with Tamar. Maybe that was actually the purpose, but I think Ned's total disregard of his family's safety in favor of his pursuit for the truth would have completed his downfall nicely without the icky mud sequence.
What really worked for me was the Widow and trying to guess if she was good or bad throughout the story. I envisioned several possible endings with her making a stand against the town in order to save the Constantine family, and while I also envisioned her turning out evil, I did not imagine how far things would go.
Ned's downfall was complete, and in a way deserved. He was a fool (as many stated), and his shock at Beth's involvement with Harvest Home only proved it. He can romp in the mud with Tamar, but oh my, it's time to lose our mind when Beth enjoys herself some Justin Hooke. And his complete lack of caring where Kate was during the ending sequence cements that his priorities were wrong, and while the ending is brutal for him, I still don't feel 100% sympathetic.
Overall, this was a great foray into the land of "country village is not what it seems". I kinda wish I had saved this for later in the fall, but there's something about the summer that makes it hard for me to resist a good spook story, and I had this on the back burner for awhile. I had never read Thomas Tryon before, and I came away impressed and felt that I was in the hands of an expert. I would recommend this to any horror fan, particularly if they're in the mood for a good secret cult/pagan worship story.
****Spoilers Follow***
Okay, so what the heck was with the scene between Ned and Tamar on the riverbank toward the end? I am still wondering what this added to the story. It didn't reveal anything to me about Tamar or the Mother Earth deity, which I have a feeling was the author's intent. Instead it revealed that Ned was willing to betray his family for a rut in the mud with Tamar. Maybe that was actually the purpose, but I think Ned's total disregard of his family's safety in favor of his pursuit for the truth would have completed his downfall nicely without the icky mud sequence.
What really worked for me was the Widow and trying to guess if she was good or bad throughout the story. I envisioned several possible endings with her making a stand against the town in order to save the Constantine family, and while I also envisioned her turning out evil, I did not imagine how far things would go.
Ned's downfall was complete, and in a way deserved. He was a fool (as many stated), and his shock at Beth's involvement with Harvest Home only proved it. He can romp in the mud with Tamar, but oh my, it's time to lose our mind when Beth enjoys herself some Justin Hooke. And his complete lack of caring where Kate was during the ending sequence cements that his priorities were wrong, and while the ending is brutal for him, I still don't feel 100% sympathetic.
Overall, this was a great foray into the land of "country village is not what it seems". I kinda wish I had saved this for later in the fall, but there's something about the summer that makes it hard for me to resist a good spook story, and I had this on the back burner for awhile. I had never read Thomas Tryon before, and I came away impressed and felt that I was in the hands of an expert. I would recommend this to any horror fan, particularly if they're in the mood for a good secret cult/pagan worship story.