The problem with reading an old classic book is that sometimes the story and plot developments that were revolutionary at the time end up feeling out of date. Even though you are looking at a prototype it feels like old hat.
So it was with this book, which really is a great haunted house story. The scares here are effective and elegant, there is some great psychological terror going on, and the resolution was very satisfying. I was so glad that I hadn’t heard anything about this book before reading it.
Besides the story the author writes characters really well. One character early on is introduced by the nameless narrator as a liar. This throws the whole thing into unclear territory, and just this simple fact kept me on my toes for the rest of the book.
I don’t read a lot of horror, but this elegant and more cerebral approach was definitely worth the read.
Next I am reading Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews.
