StephenKingman's thread of HORROR!

[Tralala]

Ack! There are spoiler alerts on this page, so I have to close my eyes while I scroll down....the screaming's just for my own amusement. Kinda like driving through a roundabout.
I finally read Oil of Dog! Yikes! I had a weird Hansel-and-Gretel-in-reverse nightmare; I blame Bighuey and Ambrose Bierce. In that order.

Whoops. I started a new page. I can still do the eyes closed/screaming thing for sentimental reasons, I guess.

[Bighuey]

Ack! There are spoiler alerts on this page, so I have to close my eyes while I scroll down....the screaming's just for my own amusement. Kinda like driving through a roundabout.
I finally read Oil of Dog! Yikes! I had a weird Hansel-and-Gretel-in-reverse nightmare; I blame Bighuey and Ambrose Bierce. In that order.

Whoops. I started a new page. I can still do the eyes closed/screaming thing for sentimental reasons, I guess.

Great story, wasnt it. Next time you get prescription meds you might wonder if theres a little bit of Fido or Ma and Pa in it.

[RuqeeD]

I've finished reading Before I go to Sleep by SJ Watson. It was a good read, not brilliant and tbh I had higher expectations. It started off pretty great, the concept of a woman who loses herself every time she goes to sleep to be told over and over again who she is and where she is etc etc is frightening. Not only did I feel for the protagonist but I felt for the people around her, in particular her husband who has to deal with this over and over again.

Then you slowly start to find out that there are still a lot of things that can't be taken at face value and although it becomes pretty obvious to the reader who can and cannot be trusted, it takes Christine a while to get there but that was fine, because it was interesting to see how she would eventually get there with no past to rely on. The second part of the book fell a little flat for me in places and there were points I was urging the author to get a move on but then it began picking up towards the end of the second part and into the third part.

Now the third part I liked! It was much more keeping with what I consider a thriller to be, breathless and suspenseful. The tension high, the momentum fast all of which - sadly - was just lacking in the first two thirds of the book. But at least it all culminated into a pretty good revelation which I only guessed moments before it happened. I also was glad the ending was left ambiguous although there was a point where I thought it was going to be a bit too pat, but the author pulled out of it at the last second so kudos to her

I guess I couldn't help making a lot of comparisons with the movie Momentum and finding it come up short because that was just so much more edgier and filled with suspense than this book but overall I thought it was a good effort and I really did think the author managed to portray a life like the one Christine goes through realistically and which does make you feel for her. I would give it 3.5/5.

[StephenKingman]

^ Great review there, RuqueeD and im glad you enjoyed it. Personally, i didnt see any lull or drop in quality over the sections of the book but then i did read it almost in one sitting! Like you, i didnt really see the twist coming until the last moment and it floored me when i finished it. Lets hope the movie is good.

[Gannon]

@SKM

Sorry to jump a little bit off topic but knowing that you have read the books and watched the movies I am dying to know if you have seen the hollywood version of "The Girl with the Dragon tatoo". I was not going to watch it because I thought the originals were so good, but it has been getting rave reviews and a friend said they liked it better than the original film. Have you seen it or are you going to see it?

[Tralala]

Ack! There are spoiler alerts on this page, so I have to close my eyes while I scroll down....the screaming's just for my own amusement. Kinda like driving through a roundabout.
I finally read Oil of Dog! Yikes! I had a weird Hansel-and-Gretel-in-reverse nightmare; I blame Bighuey and Ambrose Bierce. In that order.

Whoops. I started a new page. I can still do the eyes closed/screaming thing for sentimental reasons, I guess.

Great story, wasnt it. Next time you get prescription meds you might wonder if theres a little bit of Fido or Ma and Pa in it.

Sure was! Ambrose Bierce's mind was kinda twisted, huh?

[Bighuey]

Bierce was kind of weird. He was some kind of an investigative reporter in San Francisco, he exposed city corruption, stuff like that. He had death threats, fought in duels, and according to some, an all-around asshole. Read his Civil War stories, they are really graphic and depressing. Or for really weird stuff read his fables. I dont understand a lot of them, they relate to his own time but most of them put his point across pretty good.

[StephenKingman]

@SKM

Sorry to jump a little bit off topic but knowing that you have read the books and watched the movies I am dying to know if you have seen the hollywood version of "The Girl with the Dragon tatoo". I was not going to watch it because I thought the originals were so good, but it has been getting rave reviews and a friend said they liked it better than the original film. Have you seen it or are you going to see it?

Hi Gannon, I have not seen the Hollywood version of the movie yet as i was planning to see it in our local cinema when it came out but it only stayed for 2 weeks and was gone so i missed out. I will be getting it on DVD though as soon as it is released as i am curious to see how it compares to the Swedish movie.

[Tralala]

Bierce was kind of weird. He was some kind of an investigative reporter in San Francisco, he exposed city corruption, stuff like that. He had death threats, fought in duels, and according to some, an all-around asshole. Read his Civil War stories, they are really graphic and depressing. Or for really weird stuff read his fables. I dont understand a lot of them, they relate to his own time but most of them put his point across pretty good.

I've got a complete (? according to the owner) book of his short stories right now, which I can keep until I'm done with it. Dunno how long that'll take me, though...

[StephenKingman]

@ Fran- did i read that you were finished The Woman in Black, I cant recall seeing your review. Let me know what you made of it when you can ta.

[Fran]

@ Fran- did i read that you were finished The Woman in Black, I cant recall seeing your review. Let me know what you made of it when you can ta.

Yea finished it earlier on this week .... it was ok but I've read a hell of a lot scarier books. As you rightly said it's really a short story rather than a novel. I still have a feeling I either read it previously or read a very similar story but for the life of me I can't remember the detail but I have definitely come across the house getting cut off by the tide & the marches somewhere & the rocking chair in the nursery is not new. My niece went to the movie with her boyfriend & found it quite scary but then I don't think she's even read Dracula yet! ... I advised her to stay well clear of The Raven unless she wants to be really terrified.

[StephenKingman]

Thanks for review, Fran, you probably have read it a while ago then if you can remember details such as the tide cutting off the house and the rocking chair, its a real tight and effective story in my opinion. Is The Raven supposed to be scary then?! From the trailers it seems an action film with a fantasy twist

[Fran]

Thanks for review, Fran, you probably have read it a while ago then if you can remember details such as the tide cutting off the house and the rocking chair, its a real tight and effective story in my opinion. Is The Raven supposed to be scary then?! From the trailers it seems an action film with a fantasy twist

Agree Mike it's a tightly written story but for me it lacked something .... I just didn't feel it delivered on the atmospheric buildup, the threat just wasn't threatening enough. I think I might still go see the movie just to see if they have included something I missed.
I think The Raven has a significant number of murders & fairly blood thirsty ones aswell. I'll have to give it a try

[StephenKingman]

Thanks for review, Fran, you probably have read it a while ago then if you can remember details such as the tide cutting off the house and the rocking chair, its a real tight and effective story in my opinion. Is The Raven supposed to be scary then?! From the trailers it seems an action film with a fantasy twist

Agree Mike it's a tightly written story but for me it lacked something .... I just didn't feel it delivered on the atmospheric buildup, the threat just wasn't threatening enough. I think I might still go see the movie just to see if they have included something I missed.
I think The Raven has a significant number of murders & fairly blood thirsty ones aswell. I'll have to give it a try

The movie makes a great effort when translating the old British Ghost Story on to the silver screen and I hope you get to see it as the effects and the audio do make for some frightening moments. I will put The Raven on my dvd list thanks.

[RuqeeD]

Thanks for review, Fran, you probably have read it a while ago then if you can remember details such as the tide cutting off the house and the rocking chair, its a real tight and effective story in my opinion. Is The Raven supposed to be scary then?! From the trailers it seems an action film with a fantasy twist

Agree Mike it's a tightly written story but for me it lacked something .... I just didn't feel it delivered on the atmospheric buildup, the threat just wasn't threatening enough. I think I might still go see the movie just to see if they have included something I missed.
I think The Raven has a significant number of murders & fairly blood thirsty ones aswell. I'll have to give it a try :lol:

I'm really looking forward to watching the Raven as well. As well as the fact that it stars John Cusack , any bend on Edgar Allen Poe is a must-see for me.