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Usher's Passing
In this most gothic of Robert McCammon's novels, setting is key: the continuing saga of the Usher family (descended from the brother of Roderick and Madeline of Edgar Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher") takes place in the weird and picturesque heart of the North Carolina mountains. The haughty, aristocratic Ushers live in a mansion near Asheville; the poor but crafty mountain folk (whose families are just as ancient) live on Briartop Mountain nearby. At harvest time, when the book's action unfolds, the mountains are a blaze of color. Add to the mixture a sinister history of mountain kids disappearing every year, a journalist investigating those disappearances, a monster called "The Pumpkin Man," moldy books and paintings in a huge old library at the Usher estate, and a secret chamber with a strange device involving a brass pendulum and tuning forks--and you've got a splendid recipe for atmospheric horror.
Originally published: New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1984.
Originally published: New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1984.
540 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1984
642 people are currently reading
5921 people want to read
About the author
Robert McCammon
166 books5,622 followersPseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 482 reviews
October 24, 2018
I once read a review where a guy claimed he would give his "left nut" to be able to write like that author. I can't remember who it was, but I want to go one better:
I'd be willing to give both of that guys nuts to be able to write like McCammon. And his spleen. And his scrotum...and all his sphincters. Hell, I'll even throw in that guy's coccyx for free!
You get good authors and great authors. Then you get authors like Robert R. McCammon, who was born to write stories. This is way beyond practice - he's got the God-given talent, the so-called x-factor - and the world it is a better place because he can share it with us.
And, to all those young authors out there - this (Kindle) book is more than 400 pages and was originally published in 1984. And other than one stray comma, can you guess how many editing mistakes there were?
Nada. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero. And a whole bunch of diddly-squat.
Okay, so let's get to the story:
The Ushers from Usherland - and that is not the title of a reality tv show about the singer Usher, whom I've almost (but I'm not there yet) forgiven for introducing Justin Bieber to the world - are rich. No, not just rich, seriously rich. In fact, I'd go as far as to say, they are giraffe rich...
Okay, I might need to explain this. I think it was Dave Chappell who was on a talk-show once and described Michael Jackson as giraffe rich - meaning if you could afford a giraffe as a pet, you had more money than you know what to do with.
They own Usher Armaments, a company which produces weapons for, among others, the government and is rumored to be worth ten billion dollars - in 1984 that would amount to either 10 Bill Gates's or a billion of me...
And the patriarch is on his death bed.
The main character is Rix Usher, the black sheep who has turned his back on the family, left Usherland and became a horror writer. He has an older brother, Boone, who is a bully, and a younger sister, who is a model and recovering drug addict.
So, who will take over...
Then you have the poorest of the poor, those people who are "dirt poor", living on Briartop Mountain, right next to Usherland.
Another side note - sorry - do you know where the expression dirt poor comes from? It goes back many years, when people built their shelter, if they had the money to add floors, they were bitter off than those whose floor was simply the "dirt" (ground).
For many years, children have been disappearing from the mountain, and the legend of Pumpkin Man and his familiar, Greediguts, came to be. These people have nothing and they are not willing to accept any help from outsiders.
And then there's the Mountain King, who knows and does things nobody can explain...
Oh, there is so much to tell about this tale, but I can't give anything away. This is good, old-fashioned horror as it was meant to be told.
McCammon is very clever about the way he creates and develops his characters - the things they always tell you about money not being able to buy you happiness and the burdens of responsibility, etc.
I loved absolutely everything about this story. I knew halfway through that, unless he seriously screwed something up at the end, this book was going to be five stars. Everything worked.
Horror fans - read this book!
I'd be willing to give both of that guys nuts to be able to write like McCammon. And his spleen. And his scrotum...and all his sphincters. Hell, I'll even throw in that guy's coccyx for free!
You get good authors and great authors. Then you get authors like Robert R. McCammon, who was born to write stories. This is way beyond practice - he's got the God-given talent, the so-called x-factor - and the world it is a better place because he can share it with us.
And, to all those young authors out there - this (Kindle) book is more than 400 pages and was originally published in 1984. And other than one stray comma, can you guess how many editing mistakes there were?
Nada. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero. And a whole bunch of diddly-squat.
Okay, so let's get to the story:
The Ushers from Usherland - and that is not the title of a reality tv show about the singer Usher, whom I've almost (but I'm not there yet) forgiven for introducing Justin Bieber to the world - are rich. No, not just rich, seriously rich. In fact, I'd go as far as to say, they are giraffe rich...
Okay, I might need to explain this. I think it was Dave Chappell who was on a talk-show once and described Michael Jackson as giraffe rich - meaning if you could afford a giraffe as a pet, you had more money than you know what to do with.
They own Usher Armaments, a company which produces weapons for, among others, the government and is rumored to be worth ten billion dollars - in 1984 that would amount to either 10 Bill Gates's or a billion of me...
And the patriarch is on his death bed.
The main character is Rix Usher, the black sheep who has turned his back on the family, left Usherland and became a horror writer. He has an older brother, Boone, who is a bully, and a younger sister, who is a model and recovering drug addict.
So, who will take over...
Then you have the poorest of the poor, those people who are "dirt poor", living on Briartop Mountain, right next to Usherland.
Another side note - sorry - do you know where the expression dirt poor comes from? It goes back many years, when people built their shelter, if they had the money to add floors, they were bitter off than those whose floor was simply the "dirt" (ground).
For many years, children have been disappearing from the mountain, and the legend of Pumpkin Man and his familiar, Greediguts, came to be. These people have nothing and they are not willing to accept any help from outsiders.
And then there's the Mountain King, who knows and does things nobody can explain...
Oh, there is so much to tell about this tale, but I can't give anything away. This is good, old-fashioned horror as it was meant to be told.
McCammon is very clever about the way he creates and develops his characters - the things they always tell you about money not being able to buy you happiness and the burdens of responsibility, etc.
I loved absolutely everything about this story. I knew halfway through that, unless he seriously screwed something up at the end, this book was going to be five stars. Everything worked.
Horror fans - read this book!
October 16, 2020
UPDATE: $1.99 on Kindle US 10/16/20
Well this was one bizarre and creepy book!
Rix Usher comes back home because his father is dying. He's been away from some years writing horror stories under a pen name. He hasn't wanted anything to do with his wacko family.
Rix sister Katt is there but she comes as goes as she's a model making her own fortune. His brother Boone lives there with his wife Puddin'. Boone is an arse btw. And they all live in the house with their mother and father.
The Usher's are rich beyond reason as they own Usher Armaments that make weapons for the military, weapons of mass destruction at that. They own the whole mountaintop and there are people they let live around the mountain.
But there is something freaky in those woods and you want to stay away from it. And stay away from the old Usher Mansion on the little island.
They call him Pumpkin Man and his side kick the panther thing, Greediguts.
I thought the book was really good! I loved finding out all of these horrible secrets about the Usher's. Rix is wanting to write a book about them and the stuff he finds out is a little nutzy cuckoo!
Oh and I have to mention that I hate the character Logan, they could have set him on fire for all I cared.
Anyhoo, there are many revelations in this book and it's creepy vibe was just great for a Halloween read.
There is also a little boy named New in the book and the Pumpkin Man gets his brother Nathan. There is something different about New, something in his genes that makes him one cool little dude.
I also loved the character of Raven, she owns the local paper. She gets in with Rix and they with the help of New work to bring down the evilness in the woods!
There are other weird and creepy things that go on but you can read the book and decide for yourself. =) *insert creepy music*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
Well this was one bizarre and creepy book!
Rix Usher comes back home because his father is dying. He's been away from some years writing horror stories under a pen name. He hasn't wanted anything to do with his wacko family.
Rix sister Katt is there but she comes as goes as she's a model making her own fortune. His brother Boone lives there with his wife Puddin'. Boone is an arse btw. And they all live in the house with their mother and father.
The Usher's are rich beyond reason as they own Usher Armaments that make weapons for the military, weapons of mass destruction at that. They own the whole mountaintop and there are people they let live around the mountain.
But there is something freaky in those woods and you want to stay away from it. And stay away from the old Usher Mansion on the little island.
They call him Pumpkin Man and his side kick the panther thing, Greediguts.
I thought the book was really good! I loved finding out all of these horrible secrets about the Usher's. Rix is wanting to write a book about them and the stuff he finds out is a little nutzy cuckoo!
Oh and I have to mention that I hate the character Logan, they could have set him on fire for all I cared.
Anyhoo, there are many revelations in this book and it's creepy vibe was just great for a Halloween read.
There is also a little boy named New in the book and the Pumpkin Man gets his brother Nathan. There is something different about New, something in his genes that makes him one cool little dude.
I also loved the character of Raven, she owns the local paper. She gets in with Rix and they with the help of New work to bring down the evilness in the woods!
There are other weird and creepy things that go on but you can read the book and decide for yourself. =) *insert creepy music*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
November 1, 2019
”There were dark blue hollows beneath his eyes, his lips were gray and slack, and the cheap brown suit he wore was blotched with mud and mildew. The front of his white linen shirt and his tattered black ascot was dappled with sherry stains; his frayed cuffs shot out of the coat like a poor schoolboy’s. He radiated the heat of fever, and as he shivered in a sudden chill he lay down his pen and put a trembling hand to his brow; his dark hair was damp with sweat, and tiny beads of moisture in his thin dark mustache glinted with yellow lamplight. Poe gave a deep, rattling cough. ‘Forgive me,’ he said. ‘I’ve been ill.’”
When Edgar Allan Poe conceived the Usher Malady, in his famous short story, I do wonder if he wasn’t describing an affliction that he himself had suffered from in some form or fashion. When I read of him, he is never vigorous but always on the point of collapse. Though his body may be wracked with fever or with cold sweats, there is little doubt that any blight he is suffering from originates from the melancholy that hangs like a foggy curtain in all the corners of his mind.
Poe told us about Roderick and Madeline Usher, but he never mentioned there was another brother Hudson. After much searching through dusty archives and long lost references, Robert R. McCammon discovered the missing connections and found that the Usher’s are alive and well...well...maybe not all that well.
Walen Usher is dying, and though Rix had swore he would never return to Usherland, he finds himself irresistibly drawn back into the madness of his family. His brother Boone and his sister Katt are also part of their father’s death vigil. The Usher’s have been in the armament business, and the various arms races going on around the world have been very good to the family. In fact, ten billion dollars good. Rix doesn’t want anything to do with the family business; actually, he was arrested protesting the war, much to the embarrassment of his family. He is a struggling horror writer. Part of his struggle comes from the fact that he refuses to use his family name, but instead writes under a pseudonym. More marketing dollars would be available, and more interest generated, if the reading public knew his books were being written by an Usher.
He doesn’t want anything to do with the name of Usher.
Still...ten billion dollars.
”--no more hassles no more books no more agents’ dirty looks--”
Boone is a gambling fool, a puffed shirt really, a bully, and completely unsuited to take over as patriarch of the Usher family. Katt has the inside track with a beautiful face and a beautiful mind to go with it. Still, no woman has ever wielded the cane, the family sceptre for which some unknown power seems to exude.
The Usher Malady is hereditary, and it has been passed down faithfully to each new generation. Walen was a vigorous, healthy man just weeks before, but now his body seems to be melting from within and without. The reek from his decomposition permeates the house and becomes a constant reminder of what the Malady will eventually do to all the Usher siblings.
Rix, out of desperation with the added bonus of being disloyal to his father, decides that he will write a history of the Usher family. His father had brought boxes of diaries, letters, and papers from the Usher archives to the library intending to study them, but now, with revelation after revelation, they fan the flames of Rix’s ambition. There is more at stake than he knew, and as his investigations take him deeper into the family secrets, other powerful forces are trying to shape the course of events and the future of the Usher name.
Raven Dunstan-- the crusading reporter who wants to know the truth about the Usher family.
The Mountain King--”His complexion was a chalky yellow. She stared at the network of scars that covered almost all of his face; the right eye was gone. The left eye, though covered with a thin gray film, was pale green and held a gleam of crafty intelligence.”
The Pumpkin Man--”He wore a funeral suit of black velvet and a black top hat. His face was as yellow as spoiled milk. He carried a scythe that glowed electric blue in the moonlight, and with a wave of one skeletal hand he parted the underbrush before him. Those who had seen him and lived to tell the tale said his eyes shone like green lamps, his face was split by a cunning grin, his teeth sharpened to tiny points.”
The Pumpkin Man, as if he isn’t scary enough, has a sidekick, a black panther like no other. ”Greediguts’ eyes were golden-green lamps in the dark. Slowly the monster emerged...first its blood-smeared maw, then its black skull with the lightning-streak burn across it--.... Its muscular body blocked the tunnel, and its leathery, scaled tail rose up and snapped brutally in the air.”
It becomes difficult for Rix to decipher who has the real power. The true agendas of all involved are hidden under generations of secrecy and misleading information. Is the sceptre the key to everything, or is there something much more diabolical at work in the House of Usher?
I had started reading this book, and within a few pages I set it aside and pulled my Library of America Collected Tales of Poe from the shelf. I was becoming uneasy that McCammon would throw some wonderful references to the original story in this novel, and I would miss them simply because too much time had passed since I’d read The Fall of the House of Usher. I’m so glad I did reread the Poe story and would certainly recommend the same course of action to anyone considering reading this book.
To those who love Poe this is a must read. To those who are looking for a gothic horror fix this certainly fits the bill. To those that appreciate a fast paced, yet thoughtful, thrilling, reading experience this book will certainly fire your imagination and keep you entertained deep into the darkest part of the night.
My The Fall of the House of Usher Review
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
When Edgar Allan Poe conceived the Usher Malady, in his famous short story, I do wonder if he wasn’t describing an affliction that he himself had suffered from in some form or fashion. When I read of him, he is never vigorous but always on the point of collapse. Though his body may be wracked with fever or with cold sweats, there is little doubt that any blight he is suffering from originates from the melancholy that hangs like a foggy curtain in all the corners of his mind.
Poe told us about Roderick and Madeline Usher, but he never mentioned there was another brother Hudson. After much searching through dusty archives and long lost references, Robert R. McCammon discovered the missing connections and found that the Usher’s are alive and well...well...maybe not all that well.
Walen Usher is dying, and though Rix had swore he would never return to Usherland, he finds himself irresistibly drawn back into the madness of his family. His brother Boone and his sister Katt are also part of their father’s death vigil. The Usher’s have been in the armament business, and the various arms races going on around the world have been very good to the family. In fact, ten billion dollars good. Rix doesn’t want anything to do with the family business; actually, he was arrested protesting the war, much to the embarrassment of his family. He is a struggling horror writer. Part of his struggle comes from the fact that he refuses to use his family name, but instead writes under a pseudonym. More marketing dollars would be available, and more interest generated, if the reading public knew his books were being written by an Usher.
He doesn’t want anything to do with the name of Usher.
Still...ten billion dollars.
”--no more hassles no more books no more agents’ dirty looks--”
Boone is a gambling fool, a puffed shirt really, a bully, and completely unsuited to take over as patriarch of the Usher family. Katt has the inside track with a beautiful face and a beautiful mind to go with it. Still, no woman has ever wielded the cane, the family sceptre for which some unknown power seems to exude.
The Usher Malady is hereditary, and it has been passed down faithfully to each new generation. Walen was a vigorous, healthy man just weeks before, but now his body seems to be melting from within and without. The reek from his decomposition permeates the house and becomes a constant reminder of what the Malady will eventually do to all the Usher siblings.
Rix, out of desperation with the added bonus of being disloyal to his father, decides that he will write a history of the Usher family. His father had brought boxes of diaries, letters, and papers from the Usher archives to the library intending to study them, but now, with revelation after revelation, they fan the flames of Rix’s ambition. There is more at stake than he knew, and as his investigations take him deeper into the family secrets, other powerful forces are trying to shape the course of events and the future of the Usher name.
Raven Dunstan-- the crusading reporter who wants to know the truth about the Usher family.
The Mountain King--”His complexion was a chalky yellow. She stared at the network of scars that covered almost all of his face; the right eye was gone. The left eye, though covered with a thin gray film, was pale green and held a gleam of crafty intelligence.”
The Pumpkin Man--”He wore a funeral suit of black velvet and a black top hat. His face was as yellow as spoiled milk. He carried a scythe that glowed electric blue in the moonlight, and with a wave of one skeletal hand he parted the underbrush before him. Those who had seen him and lived to tell the tale said his eyes shone like green lamps, his face was split by a cunning grin, his teeth sharpened to tiny points.”
The Pumpkin Man, as if he isn’t scary enough, has a sidekick, a black panther like no other. ”Greediguts’ eyes were golden-green lamps in the dark. Slowly the monster emerged...first its blood-smeared maw, then its black skull with the lightning-streak burn across it--.... Its muscular body blocked the tunnel, and its leathery, scaled tail rose up and snapped brutally in the air.”
It becomes difficult for Rix to decipher who has the real power. The true agendas of all involved are hidden under generations of secrecy and misleading information. Is the sceptre the key to everything, or is there something much more diabolical at work in the House of Usher?
I had started reading this book, and within a few pages I set it aside and pulled my Library of America Collected Tales of Poe from the shelf. I was becoming uneasy that McCammon would throw some wonderful references to the original story in this novel, and I would miss them simply because too much time had passed since I’d read The Fall of the House of Usher. I’m so glad I did reread the Poe story and would certainly recommend the same course of action to anyone considering reading this book.
To those who love Poe this is a must read. To those who are looking for a gothic horror fix this certainly fits the bill. To those that appreciate a fast paced, yet thoughtful, thrilling, reading experience this book will certainly fire your imagination and keep you entertained deep into the darkest part of the night.
My The Fall of the House of Usher Review
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
August 2, 2018
This is a scary book. This is a spine-tingling, read in the dark book. Dare you read it? Go on, I dare you but you’ll be left with such imagery you will never forget. It will haunt you.
McCammon delivers the scariest book I’ve read, ever. I’ve got chills. Inspired by Poe’s House of Usher, McCammon certainly awakens his inner-Poe for this tale of the Usher family and all the spooky goings on.
It’s a mark of a great writer when they can make you feel what the characters are going through. The Usher family malody leads to some form of panic attacks and I swear I was having one when Rix, our main character, was.
Run, run as fast as you can, ’cause out in the woods walks the Pumpkin Man.
What really made this special was the writing. McCammon pieces together such impactful sentences that you can't help but feel every creepy twist and turn.
It was always deep January inside the Lodge, a world of icy, remote magnificence.
Also, bravo to McCammon for the best use of flashbacks and dreams I’ve seen in any book. The way he uses items he finds in the library to take you back is amazing. A lesser author could just have the characters describe it, but McCammon takes you back to the time and lets you feel everything. And props for ‘getting me’ hook, line and sinker with that dream sequence near the end. I fell for it big time! (Those who have read it will understand).
I implore you to read this book.
—come home—
McCammon delivers the scariest book I’ve read, ever. I’ve got chills. Inspired by Poe’s House of Usher, McCammon certainly awakens his inner-Poe for this tale of the Usher family and all the spooky goings on.
It’s a mark of a great writer when they can make you feel what the characters are going through. The Usher family malody leads to some form of panic attacks and I swear I was having one when Rix, our main character, was.
Run, run as fast as you can, ’cause out in the woods walks the Pumpkin Man.
What really made this special was the writing. McCammon pieces together such impactful sentences that you can't help but feel every creepy twist and turn.
It was always deep January inside the Lodge, a world of icy, remote magnificence.
Also, bravo to McCammon for the best use of flashbacks and dreams I’ve seen in any book. The way he uses items he finds in the library to take you back is amazing. A lesser author could just have the characters describe it, but McCammon takes you back to the time and lets you feel everything. And props for ‘getting me’ hook, line and sinker with that dream sequence near the end. I fell for it big time! (Those who have read it will understand).
I implore you to read this book.
—come home—
March 10, 2022
McCammon is one of my favourite authors, so naturally I thought I'd like this one; I'm disappointed though as this one wasn't my cup of tea.
It has a weird disjointed plot line and none of the characters were likeable.
I just didn't care for any of it, I've loved every book I've read by this author so it came as a surprise that I didn't dig this one; it just dragged on forever.
This one isn't up to the standard of his other works, in my opinion.
It has a weird disjointed plot line and none of the characters were likeable.
I just didn't care for any of it, I've loved every book I've read by this author so it came as a surprise that I didn't dig this one; it just dragged on forever.
This one isn't up to the standard of his other works, in my opinion.
April 29, 2025
Cover of the 1985 Ballantine mass-market I have. But I prefer the later editions with the
My Goodreads friends keep informing me that there's something deeply, deeply wrong with me since I'm kind of "meh" on the McCammon I've read (other than Boy's Life), so I figured that if this southern gothic-seeming novel taking place in a mansion in the North Carolina mountains doesn't work for me, nothing of his will.
---------------------------------------
Well I just may have to rethink my stance on McCammon, because that was pretty damn good.
October 28, 2019
This book is so, so, so good. The story is so suspenseful. The characters are great and the background of the Ushers is so awesome. It's a hard one to put down once you get into it.
July 3, 2025
I would have given 10 Stars if possible. This is one of the best horror books I've ever read. Following a meeting up with Poe you'll come to know the real story of the Ushers: Walen, the father, his sons Rix and Boone, the sister Katt, see their lives in Usherland. There also is mysterious Usher lodge. What is happening there? What about the Mountain King and the Pumpkin Man? Why are so many children missing in this area? This is a classic tale of the eternal struggle between forces of good and such of evil. The characters are drawn in an excellent way. Plotting and story telling are from another planet. The showdown is shuttering in the truest sense. This is the true follow up to Poe's masterpiece novella The Fall of the House of Usher. To be honest, I liked it even better. Set in modern times this story is terrifying and breathtaking. What a roller coast ride with so many elements of magic, witches, references to Wales... this novel was the real deal. A must read. Quintessential horror classic. Praise. THE Highlight. Highest recommended!
November 14, 2020
4.5 stars!
Usher’s Passing is a slow build to an epic nightmare ending!
I guessed on a few things which really surprises me.
I’m either becoming superstitious of everyone, a human lie detector test, or a crazy ass murderer walking around in a skin suit! I'll let you decide on which! 😉🤣
Usher’s Passing is a creepy new tale of the possibilities from one of Poe’s greatest tales, The Fall of the House of Usher.
What if Roderick and Madeline had a brother from Wales? And what if this brother looks to find and berate Edgar Allen Poe one night while he’s drinking in a pub?
First of all, I read The Fall of the House of Usher at the beginning of this year.
I think it would be good to have some information about this short story or actually have read it.
I think you can still love Usher’s Passing without reading this tale from Poe, but it does make the experience better in my opinion!
Usher’s Passing is the story of this brother, Hudson Usher and the legacies of the Usher family when they move to North Carolina. They move to the North Carolina mountains near a place called Briartop Mountain.
We've got some crafty mountain people, mysteries of kids disappearing during harvest time and a closet full of Usher history to unpack in this one!
The book starts in 1847, but then jumps right into present day.
In 1847, Hudson Usher ends up becoming a highly successful and wealthy man.
He has lots of dark secrets though and a torrid family history.
Present day, Rix Usher is a horror writer and wants nothing to do with the Usher family or the dynasty that lays in the valley of Briartop Mountain.
But his old man, Walen Usher is dying and he must go home to finally confront his family, his nightmares from the Lodge along with hoping to do a book on the Usher family tree.
Usher’s Passing not only has supernatural elements in the book, but has a great mixture of horror and mystery features as well.
Who doesn’t like characters named The Pumpkin Man or Greediguts?!!
I really enjoyed the slow burn of this horror mystery and how it all came down at the end.
If you struggle with books with a slow start and not much action in the beginning, you might struggle with this one.
I would suggest you hang in there because the last 100 pages at the end was a strong showing of murder mysteries being resolved, urban legends being unearthed, and horror creeping around the shadows!
Usher’s Passing is a slow build to an epic nightmare ending!
I guessed on a few things which really surprises me.
I’m either becoming superstitious of everyone, a human lie detector test, or a crazy ass murderer walking around in a skin suit! I'll let you decide on which! 😉🤣
Usher’s Passing is a creepy new tale of the possibilities from one of Poe’s greatest tales, The Fall of the House of Usher.
What if Roderick and Madeline had a brother from Wales? And what if this brother looks to find and berate Edgar Allen Poe one night while he’s drinking in a pub?
First of all, I read The Fall of the House of Usher at the beginning of this year.
I think it would be good to have some information about this short story or actually have read it.
I think you can still love Usher’s Passing without reading this tale from Poe, but it does make the experience better in my opinion!
Usher’s Passing is the story of this brother, Hudson Usher and the legacies of the Usher family when they move to North Carolina. They move to the North Carolina mountains near a place called Briartop Mountain.
We've got some crafty mountain people, mysteries of kids disappearing during harvest time and a closet full of Usher history to unpack in this one!
The book starts in 1847, but then jumps right into present day.
In 1847, Hudson Usher ends up becoming a highly successful and wealthy man.
He has lots of dark secrets though and a torrid family history.
Present day, Rix Usher is a horror writer and wants nothing to do with the Usher family or the dynasty that lays in the valley of Briartop Mountain.
But his old man, Walen Usher is dying and he must go home to finally confront his family, his nightmares from the Lodge along with hoping to do a book on the Usher family tree.
Usher’s Passing not only has supernatural elements in the book, but has a great mixture of horror and mystery features as well.
Who doesn’t like characters named The Pumpkin Man or Greediguts?!!
I really enjoyed the slow burn of this horror mystery and how it all came down at the end.
If you struggle with books with a slow start and not much action in the beginning, you might struggle with this one.
I would suggest you hang in there because the last 100 pages at the end was a strong showing of murder mysteries being resolved, urban legends being unearthed, and horror creeping around the shadows!
October 14, 2014
Okay, this book made me a fan of this author. I was sort of convinced by his previous material, and thought this book was okay for the first half, but then it took off. I mean it really took off. The ending felt like it moved faster and faster with surprise punch after surprise. Nothing was what I thought it was going to be.
What began as a trip down Fall of the House of Usher memory lane for Poe fans quickly spiraled into something else entirely. Rix, the protagonist, travels home to his family as the patriarch nears passing and the estate is up for grabs. Their fortune has been built on creating weapons of war, which Rix apparently opposes on moral grounds. The family intrigue is counter balanced by foreshadowing and great atmospheric writing, including a creature hunting children in the area.
As the story progresses, this quickly becomes much more than was apparent on the surface with occult themes and dark secrets throughout.
What starts out as a somewhat trite Halloween creature soon develops into a highly complex, original plot teeming with creativity.
This was an excellent read and the author demonstrates a skill with handling setting and character. The people are well developed, realistic and believable. They are multi-faceted and likable. What started out as maybe a four star rating became a five due to the phenomenal ending that was well worth the wait.
Highly recommended.
What began as a trip down Fall of the House of Usher memory lane for Poe fans quickly spiraled into something else entirely. Rix, the protagonist, travels home to his family as the patriarch nears passing and the estate is up for grabs. Their fortune has been built on creating weapons of war, which Rix apparently opposes on moral grounds. The family intrigue is counter balanced by foreshadowing and great atmospheric writing, including a creature hunting children in the area.
As the story progresses, this quickly becomes much more than was apparent on the surface with occult themes and dark secrets throughout.
What starts out as a somewhat trite Halloween creature soon develops into a highly complex, original plot teeming with creativity.
This was an excellent read and the author demonstrates a skill with handling setting and character. The people are well developed, realistic and believable. They are multi-faceted and likable. What started out as maybe a four star rating became a five due to the phenomenal ending that was well worth the wait.
Highly recommended.
November 2, 2022
Wild and Spooky!
A small backstory:
Rix Usher is informed that his father is not well and that he needs to come home to Usherland so that all the family is gathered before his father passes on. Rix doesn't really want to go home as he doesn't want anything to do with his father or his family as they are crazy loonies and Rix has been writing horror books under a pen name as he didn't want any problems to arise from his family.
Rix does decide to head home though as he feels that he needs to wrap up loose ends, but things go slowly nutso for him as he remembers from his past a being called the Pumpkin Man and a building on the property called the Lodge. Rix hooks up with a local newspaper reporter (Raven) and as he starts learning more than he wants to know what really lies within his family tree, Rix has to make sure that he doesn't descend into madness as what is pulsing throughout Usherland is pure evil in its truest form!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more about this book, then go read it!
Thoughts:
This was a great book that took a little while to get into it because of some world and character building within the story but it finally slowly drew me into the world of the Usher family.
This was my second book by author, Robert McCammon and I can see why so many readers love to read his work. The writing style is easy to read and the words flow along smoothly. There is nothing disjointed within the story to even cause me to deviate away from what is happening - it is like smooth as silk with capturing what is going on with the story as it unfolds with scary suspense.
The book started out a little slow but picks up speed after the 50% mark and then once I hit the 70% mark the speed increased to overdrive which I read the last 30% within a few hours! Suspense, tension, spookiness, and crazy intensity was folded into the story in the last half of the book where I was wanting to munch on something!
This was definitely another great book by this author and I will be putting it on my favorites shelf. Looking forward to reading more works by this author! Giving this book five "Thumping Pumpkin Man" stars!
A small backstory:
Rix Usher is informed that his father is not well and that he needs to come home to Usherland so that all the family is gathered before his father passes on. Rix doesn't really want to go home as he doesn't want anything to do with his father or his family as they are crazy loonies and Rix has been writing horror books under a pen name as he didn't want any problems to arise from his family.
Rix does decide to head home though as he feels that he needs to wrap up loose ends, but things go slowly nutso for him as he remembers from his past a being called the Pumpkin Man and a building on the property called the Lodge. Rix hooks up with a local newspaper reporter (Raven) and as he starts learning more than he wants to know what really lies within his family tree, Rix has to make sure that he doesn't descend into madness as what is pulsing throughout Usherland is pure evil in its truest form!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more about this book, then go read it!
Thoughts:
This was a great book that took a little while to get into it because of some world and character building within the story but it finally slowly drew me into the world of the Usher family.
This was my second book by author, Robert McCammon and I can see why so many readers love to read his work. The writing style is easy to read and the words flow along smoothly. There is nothing disjointed within the story to even cause me to deviate away from what is happening - it is like smooth as silk with capturing what is going on with the story as it unfolds with scary suspense.
The book started out a little slow but picks up speed after the 50% mark and then once I hit the 70% mark the speed increased to overdrive which I read the last 30% within a few hours! Suspense, tension, spookiness, and crazy intensity was folded into the story in the last half of the book where I was wanting to munch on something!
This was definitely another great book by this author and I will be putting it on my favorites shelf. Looking forward to reading more works by this author! Giving this book five "Thumping Pumpkin Man" stars!
October 1, 2016
There are so many things that I could comment on with Robert McCammon's books. I think what stands out the most, is the fact that his endings never disappoint--they live up to the expectations set during the course of the entire storyline. Absolutely riveting book that will remain a constant on my "favorites" shelves.
*Latest reading ended October 1st, 2016 (although technically our October group read, I spent most of the past week in doctor's offices/hospitals with the kiddos, so much reading was done*
What else can I add that hasn't been stated? After 4 or 5 re-reads, this remains one of my personal favorite books of McCammon's. I think the connection to Poe's House of Usher was the initial pull, but McCammon really turned it into something "new". Reading both versions back-to-back is a treat!
*Latest reading ended October 1st, 2016 (although technically our October group read, I spent most of the past week in doctor's offices/hospitals with the kiddos, so much reading was done*
What else can I add that hasn't been stated? After 4 or 5 re-reads, this remains one of my personal favorite books of McCammon's. I think the connection to Poe's House of Usher was the initial pull, but McCammon really turned it into something "new". Reading both versions back-to-back is a treat!
February 6, 2021
I STILL HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!
Great read, though.
Unsurprisingly, this book draws its influence from Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. A while back, a friend introduced me to Bradbury's Usher II and I fell down the Usher/Poe rabbit hole and ended up here. So I was very much looking forward to this one.
This novel creates an entire history for the Usher clan and fills it with mystery and intrigue with a decent dose of horror to wash it all down. I was captured from the beginning - particularly with the way it threw out so many questions that needed to be answered.
We begin the tale with Rix Usher returning to Usherland at the news his father is dying. Naturally, the place is super spooky, surrounded by secrets and superstition. Walen Usher's imminent death means everything must be passed on to one of his three children - Boone, Katt, or Rix. But strange things are happening around Usherland: children going missing, a murderous panther is rumoured to lurk, and then there's the mysterious Pumpkin Man. But how does it all tie in to the Usher family?
Honestly, there is so much to unravel. I loved how there were so many different elements to the story, and I kept wondering how everything was going to come together. There are little tidbits about the previous generations of Ushers, too, so it's interesting trying to puzzle out the secret history of the family. I really could have used a family tree, though.
I was quite interested in the history, and really wanted more of it. Erik Usher was a fascinating character and I wanted to know everything about him, Nora, and the rest of their generation.
The pace was quite enjoyable as it set things up really well to begin with then slowly kept upping the stakes and increasing the tension. You get to know the characters a little at a time and, well, they're all kind of despicable. I think New was the only one I actually halfway liked.
I do feel like I missed a few things, which meant by the time I finished it I really was still left with things I wanted to know more about. I felt like some things still weren't explained properly, and other things were neglected. This may have also been because I was switching between reading and audio, though.
On that note, the audio is pretty terrible. I liked that it meant I was more likely to pick it up (I'm notoriously slow with e-books) but it also meant I missed things when I got distracted, and also the voices get so ridiculous that it saps most of the terror from the story. Plus, the narrator just seemed to read the story differently to me. I would describe the narration as the film version of Dumbledore asking Harry if he put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Just a totally different vibe to what the words on the page give.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story, and how tangled it all was, but I really wanted to know more. I'd be tempted to read it again just to see if I pick up any extra info. I also would have enjoyed more reference to Roderick, Madeline, and the events of Poe's tale. That really would have tied it all together nicely for me.
Thanks to my friends over at HA for the Buddy Read :)
Great read, though.
Unsurprisingly, this book draws its influence from Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. A while back, a friend introduced me to Bradbury's Usher II and I fell down the Usher/Poe rabbit hole and ended up here. So I was very much looking forward to this one.
This novel creates an entire history for the Usher clan and fills it with mystery and intrigue with a decent dose of horror to wash it all down. I was captured from the beginning - particularly with the way it threw out so many questions that needed to be answered.
We begin the tale with Rix Usher returning to Usherland at the news his father is dying. Naturally, the place is super spooky, surrounded by secrets and superstition. Walen Usher's imminent death means everything must be passed on to one of his three children - Boone, Katt, or Rix. But strange things are happening around Usherland: children going missing, a murderous panther is rumoured to lurk, and then there's the mysterious Pumpkin Man. But how does it all tie in to the Usher family?
Honestly, there is so much to unravel. I loved how there were so many different elements to the story, and I kept wondering how everything was going to come together. There are little tidbits about the previous generations of Ushers, too, so it's interesting trying to puzzle out the secret history of the family. I really could have used a family tree, though.
I was quite interested in the history, and really wanted more of it. Erik Usher was a fascinating character and I wanted to know everything about him, Nora, and the rest of their generation.
The pace was quite enjoyable as it set things up really well to begin with then slowly kept upping the stakes and increasing the tension. You get to know the characters a little at a time and, well, they're all kind of despicable. I think New was the only one I actually halfway liked.
I do feel like I missed a few things, which meant by the time I finished it I really was still left with things I wanted to know more about. I felt like some things still weren't explained properly, and other things were neglected. This may have also been because I was switching between reading and audio, though.
On that note, the audio is pretty terrible. I liked that it meant I was more likely to pick it up (I'm notoriously slow with e-books) but it also meant I missed things when I got distracted, and also the voices get so ridiculous that it saps most of the terror from the story. Plus, the narrator just seemed to read the story differently to me. I would describe the narration as the film version of Dumbledore asking Harry if he put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Just a totally different vibe to what the words on the page give.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story, and how tangled it all was, but I really wanted to know more. I'd be tempted to read it again just to see if I pick up any extra info. I also would have enjoyed more reference to Roderick, Madeline, and the events of Poe's tale. That really would have tied it all together nicely for me.
Thanks to my friends over at HA for the Buddy Read :)
April 8, 2021
"Evil … evil exists … evil exists to destroy love"
Oh how I love Stephen King, my favourite author in all the world. No one could ever come close to you...and then came along Robert R McCammon. I'm having serious second thoughts, McCammon is simply that damn good.
In Usher's Passing we get the author's ode to the late, great Edgar Allan Poe. The guy who played a huge part in inspiring the horror genre and it's artist. He even makes a guest appearance in this one! Only McCammon puts on his own spin on the classic tale of the Fall of the House of Usher, as only he can, and completely outdoes Mr Allan Poe in the process by making this much more accessible for the modern reader. Come on, you can't tell me that Poe's prose arn't a tad bit dated.
The tale centres around the Usher family, quite possibly the most dysfunctional family in history, and the mystery surrounding their reign at the House of Usher. It starts of pretty standard but then ropes in loads of additional elements that take this one in all kinds of unexpected directions. It all works to keep you guessing right up to the satisfying climax. I just love a satisfying climax.
"The man don’t find Satan. Satan finds the man."
The characters in this one are superb. Fun, unique and really entertaining. Some you love and some you really despise (I'm looking at you Boone). There's a great villainous character in this one too (that's the Pumpkin Man), who's shrouded in mystery, and has a penchant for stealing children with his trusty sidekick Greediguts. There's some absolutely fantastic and brutal scenes including the latter who truly lives up to his name. I'll say no more. Just go out and grab this one now. Perfect for Halloween and if you're new to McCammon, a great place to start.
Robert R McCammon
November 10, 2017
“Spiritual darkness. Moral darkness. Blasphemy and decay.” His eyes closed. “Poe’s tale may have been fiction, Rix, but it cut very close to the bone. The Ushers have everything. Everything. But they are dead in their souls.”
This was supposed to be part of my Halloween Reads 2017 but missed the October dateline by a whole week, due to the shortage of time and the book’s length (416 pages, not exactly a doorstopper but this kind of length takes me one or two weeks depending on free time available). Usher's Passing inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher featuring Roderick Usher’s descendants and a much more overt supernatural element.
Rix Usher is a moderately successful writer of horror fiction, having chosen this not so prosperous occupation over the family’s business of weapons manufacturing for the US military. He lives alone in Atlanta, after his wife’s inexplicable suicide, and one day he is summoned to “Usherland”, the family’s sprawling estate in North Carolina. This estate features Gatehouse, the family mansion, and the super spooky The Lodge, the old house where the Usher’s ancestors used to live. At the estate, Rix finds that he not only to contend with his dysfunctional family but also an ancient evil has been effing things up for the entire town for years.
In the Eighties Robert R. McCammon was one of my favorite horror fiction authors, Stephen King was king but McCammon was something of a prince. Then in the early Nineties, he found more commercial success with two “southern gothic” books Boy's Life and Gone South. Both of which did not do much for me.
Usher's Passing is an entertaining read for fans of horror fiction (non-fans/general readers are unlikely to get much out of it). It is, however, a little overwritten; I feel it would be much more compelling if it was 25% shorter. Unlike McCammon’s best books this book is entirely humorless, and too much of the narrative focuses on the dysfunctionality of the Usher family. For me, soap opera does not mix well with anything. On the plus side, I like the idea of the Usher family’s strange hereditary illness and panic attacks that necessitate each family member having their own padded “quiet rooms”. The supernatural mystery is nicely built up and culminates in a spectacular climax that even includes a bit of sci-fi in the mix. The monsters are fine but McCammon has given them such silly names, I wish he had chosen more fearsome nomenclature instead. The connection to Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher is quite tenuous if you love that story don’t look to Usher's Passing for a direct sequel.
I can recommend Usher's Passing with some reservations concerning the length and pacing> If you want to read McCammon at his best, pick up Swan Song .
Notes:
• As mentioned above, Swan Song is, IMO, his best book, it is an epic supernatural post-apocalypse fantasy to rival The Stand.
(Note to self, to reread and re-review).
• After the publication of Gone South he took a hiatus from writing for about nine years. He returned to full time writing with the historical fiction Speaks the Nightbird which became a series. I am happy for his success but have not read any of his books post Boy's Life.
This was supposed to be part of my Halloween Reads 2017 but missed the October dateline by a whole week, due to the shortage of time and the book’s length (416 pages, not exactly a doorstopper but this kind of length takes me one or two weeks depending on free time available). Usher's Passing inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher featuring Roderick Usher’s descendants and a much more overt supernatural element.
Rix Usher is a moderately successful writer of horror fiction, having chosen this not so prosperous occupation over the family’s business of weapons manufacturing for the US military. He lives alone in Atlanta, after his wife’s inexplicable suicide, and one day he is summoned to “Usherland”, the family’s sprawling estate in North Carolina. This estate features Gatehouse, the family mansion, and the super spooky The Lodge, the old house where the Usher’s ancestors used to live. At the estate, Rix finds that he not only to contend with his dysfunctional family but also an ancient evil has been effing things up for the entire town for years.
In the Eighties Robert R. McCammon was one of my favorite horror fiction authors, Stephen King was king but McCammon was something of a prince. Then in the early Nineties, he found more commercial success with two “southern gothic” books Boy's Life and Gone South. Both of which did not do much for me.
Usher's Passing is an entertaining read for fans of horror fiction (non-fans/general readers are unlikely to get much out of it). It is, however, a little overwritten; I feel it would be much more compelling if it was 25% shorter. Unlike McCammon’s best books this book is entirely humorless, and too much of the narrative focuses on the dysfunctionality of the Usher family. For me, soap opera does not mix well with anything. On the plus side, I like the idea of the Usher family’s strange hereditary illness and panic attacks that necessitate each family member having their own padded “quiet rooms”. The supernatural mystery is nicely built up and culminates in a spectacular climax that even includes a bit of sci-fi in the mix. The monsters are fine but McCammon has given them such silly names, I wish he had chosen more fearsome nomenclature instead. The connection to Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher is quite tenuous if you love that story don’t look to Usher's Passing for a direct sequel.
I can recommend Usher's Passing with some reservations concerning the length and pacing> If you want to read McCammon at his best, pick up Swan Song .
Notes:
• As mentioned above, Swan Song is, IMO, his best book, it is an epic supernatural post-apocalypse fantasy to rival The Stand.
(Note to self, to reread and re-review).
• After the publication of Gone South he took a hiatus from writing for about nine years. He returned to full time writing with the historical fiction Speaks the Nightbird which became a series. I am happy for his success but have not read any of his books post Boy's Life.
May 18, 2021
Un gran bel racconto di orrore gotico che parte dall'idea iniziale che la famiglia Usher, descritta da Edgar Allan Poe nel suo stupendo "La caduta della casa degli Usher", fortunatamente presente ad inizio volume e che é stato un vero piacere rileggere dopo più di vent'anni, sia esistita realmente.
Dopo un prologo iniziale in cui il fratello di Roderick e Madeline Usher rintraccia in una bettola Poe e lo accusa di avere gettato fango sulla sua famiglia, il racconto fa un salto in avanti nel presente e se ne distacca prendendo una strada tutta sua.
Abbiamo quindi gli Usher, costruttori d'armi afflitti da una maledizione di famiglia che li rende ipersensibili (come nel racconto di Poe) e li costringe a rinchiudersi in delle camere isolate durante le loro crisi, attacchi che aumentano con il passare del tempo e che sembrano migliorare solo quando ritornano a casa.
Più che una famiglia, un covo di vipere vero e proprio.
Abbiamo poi una Loggia misteriosa, una casa da incubo con scale che non portano da nessuna parte, porte murate e finestre che danno sul pavimento, un labirinto architettonico che ricorda molto la Winchester Mystery House in California, una delle case più infestate al mondo.
Non contento, McCammon aggiunge all'intreccio un misterioso Uomo delle Zucche che rapisce i bambini sulla montagna ed il suo aiutante, la pantera nera Greediguts che cammina su due zampe...
... Bambini dotati di poteri spaventosi, che sembrano venire da Il Villaggio dei Dannati o essere lontani parenti della Carrie di Stephen King.
Misteri, svolte inattese nella trama, orrore, personaggi ben caratterizzati ed una ricostruzione storica accurata nei flashback relativi al passato degli Usher (la parte con l'incendio di Chicago è da brividi), in un racconto appassionante ma parecchio lento nella prima parte, che però soddisfa pienamente facendo venire tutti i nodi al pettine nell'agghiacciante finale.
Un'ottima lettura per le serate d'Ottobre.
July 28, 2018
This was going to be 3 stars, but the denouement of the story was very good and unanticipated that it gets 4. I wasn’t sure I could take a horror story seriously where the evil characters were named the Pumpkin Man and Greediguts! I really liked the way the historical elements of the story were incorporated into the story. The plotting was great and the gothic elements were so well done. There was a pervasive sense of insanity and paranormal horror from the beginning. In fact, if I keep listing all that I liked in this book, I will have to raise the rating again!
October 21, 2022
It seems I read this every Halloween- well for the last few years at least. I still love it after all this time. If you a fan of Poe's story or Robert McCammon, you'll love this story.
July 9, 2018
Around two years ago I read McCammon's "They Thirst." It was my first experience with the author and it had mixed results. I enjoyed it but felt it was overlong (my edition was 60o+ pages and I felt it would have worked a lot better had he cut 200 of them) and I was annoyed that many plot elements came up or characters were introduced seemingly for him to forget about them until maybe a two page moment 300 pages later on to kill them off. Yet despite my complaints I felt there were so many moment of brilliance that I wanted to give him another try.
Usher's Passing suffers from none of the problems that I had with They Thirst (rather humorously at 410 pages, it is about 200 pages shorter than They Thirst... making me feel correct in my previous statement involving page counts).
In the beginning of Usher’s Passing an agent tells our protagonist that his newest book is a jumbled mess with too many characters and a plot that feels like it goes too many places. I find this amusing as I think McCammon was a little afraid he was describing his own book . The book does have quite a few characters and the plot is all over the place… and it is pretty delightful from start to finish.
Like They Thirst, there were many seemingly random moments that felt almost like plot detours, but unlike the other book McCammon tied it all together by the end. The book operates as a sort of “what if” sequel to Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher (What if the Ushers were real people that Poe heard about, but the family line continued from another brother?). It’s a gothic story of hidden family secrets as the prodigal son/black sheep of the Usher family returns home for the death of his father and to see who his heir will be. It also involves the Pumpkin Man, a hideous entity who kidnaps children in the woods, also there's a panther like creature that acts as its familiar, also a coven of witches, psychics, magic, a cursed/haunted lodge… AND MORE! I did say it was a bit jumbled, did I not? But it is a jumbled mess that McCammon juggles beautifully. There were moments that I sat there thinking in retrospect how bizarre some of the turns were, but it flows so well that I didn’t notice until I put the book down for a bit.
This is a perfect October read. It captures so many classic Halloween tropes, but is so playful with them that it doesn't come off as cliche. It is a good read from start to finish and highly recommended to all horror fans.
As a brief sad note though, I feel that McCammon put a bit of himself in Rix our writer protagonist. Rix questions his choice as a horror novelist throughout the book and considering that McCammon seems to look back at some of his own horror novels with a bit of... distaste (keeping several of them out of print and focusing now only on historic fiction) it seems like a sad bit of realistic foreshadowing as if he already didn't care for some of his works.
Still, nothing to be ashamed of here. A solid 4/5 stars.
Usher's Passing suffers from none of the problems that I had with They Thirst (rather humorously at 410 pages, it is about 200 pages shorter than They Thirst... making me feel correct in my previous statement involving page counts).
In the beginning of Usher’s Passing an agent tells our protagonist that his newest book is a jumbled mess with too many characters and a plot that feels like it goes too many places. I find this amusing as I think McCammon was a little afraid he was describing his own book . The book does have quite a few characters and the plot is all over the place… and it is pretty delightful from start to finish.
Like They Thirst, there were many seemingly random moments that felt almost like plot detours, but unlike the other book McCammon tied it all together by the end. The book operates as a sort of “what if” sequel to Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher (What if the Ushers were real people that Poe heard about, but the family line continued from another brother?). It’s a gothic story of hidden family secrets as the prodigal son/black sheep of the Usher family returns home for the death of his father and to see who his heir will be. It also involves the Pumpkin Man, a hideous entity who kidnaps children in the woods, also there's a panther like creature that acts as its familiar, also a coven of witches, psychics, magic, a cursed/haunted lodge… AND MORE! I did say it was a bit jumbled, did I not? But it is a jumbled mess that McCammon juggles beautifully. There were moments that I sat there thinking in retrospect how bizarre some of the turns were, but it flows so well that I didn’t notice until I put the book down for a bit.
This is a perfect October read. It captures so many classic Halloween tropes, but is so playful with them that it doesn't come off as cliche. It is a good read from start to finish and highly recommended to all horror fans.
As a brief sad note though, I feel that McCammon put a bit of himself in Rix our writer protagonist. Rix questions his choice as a horror novelist throughout the book and considering that McCammon seems to look back at some of his own horror novels with a bit of... distaste (keeping several of them out of print and focusing now only on historic fiction) it seems like a sad bit of realistic foreshadowing as if he already didn't care for some of his works.
Still, nothing to be ashamed of here. A solid 4/5 stars.
May 4, 2016
This is a book about a very dysfunctional family and the curses that they lived with. The main focus of the story deals with Rix Usher. Rix is a horror writer, who wants to make it on his own. Rix is a outcast of his family and wants nothing to do with the family fortune. Rix, is called back to Usherland, because his father is dying. You add some creepy monsters and a scary abandon house, which holds many dark secrets and much more. McCammon, pulls everything together, weaving the past and the present together, to make this a great read. The development of the characters, help to make this a stronger story. I was totally caught off guard by the ending and never saw it coming. McCammon is a good writer and an excellent storyteller. I highly recommend this book.
November 17, 2019
Oh I loved it...I loved it more than I should have! It's unarguably an instant favourite!!
Surreal and vivid, hair raising and severely twisted, passionate and unexpected. It's a freaking masterpiece of all sorts.
Surreal and vivid, hair raising and severely twisted, passionate and unexpected. It's a freaking masterpiece of all sorts.
January 24, 2025
In this tip of the cap tale towards Poe, we follow our main character Rix Usher. A man born into an elite family try to pursue his own career as a horror writer. Along the way, Rix visits his dying father, Waylen Usher. A nasty man, among other nasty family members of Rix.
We then take a stroll through the history of the Usher family, learning the darkness that has followed the Ushers and the dark history that surrounds their business.
With Easter’s eggs to Poe’s work, this book is most exceptional for the subject matter being dealt with.
Now, if you’re looking for an entertaining quick read that’s chocked full of horror, I would advise you to read something else. This book I feel is for the McCammon fans, as well as Poe fans that’s rich with family history and some dark fantasy with dashes of horror.
If you want a southern gothic book that’s in the usual McCammon fashion. This is for you.
I admit I did come across sections of the book that were dry and left me wanting more but as a whole this book delivers a tale that can be enjoyable for most.
I can’t stress this enough, do NOT go into this expecting a thrill ride by any means. Instead, expect a book of family drama that spills into the strange, and macabre.
We then take a stroll through the history of the Usher family, learning the darkness that has followed the Ushers and the dark history that surrounds their business.
With Easter’s eggs to Poe’s work, this book is most exceptional for the subject matter being dealt with.
Now, if you’re looking for an entertaining quick read that’s chocked full of horror, I would advise you to read something else. This book I feel is for the McCammon fans, as well as Poe fans that’s rich with family history and some dark fantasy with dashes of horror.
If you want a southern gothic book that’s in the usual McCammon fashion. This is for you.
I admit I did come across sections of the book that were dry and left me wanting more but as a whole this book delivers a tale that can be enjoyable for most.
I can’t stress this enough, do NOT go into this expecting a thrill ride by any means. Instead, expect a book of family drama that spills into the strange, and macabre.
February 22, 2024
This book has everything, horror, adventure, a mystery, and a family dynamic that would make the tv show "The Succession" blush. It could easily have become a slog but Robert McCammon was able to finesse it in such a way that it never felt like too much.
Robert McCammon might be Horror’s greatest secret. He has won the Bram Stoker award three times, was awarded The World Horror Convention Grand Master Award in 2008, and the World Fantasy Award once but I rarely see him discussed in horror circles. He is best known for his Post Apocalyptic novel Swan Song which has been compared to Stephen King’s novel, The Stand, and which I found superior in many aspects.
In Usher’s Passing we have a continuation of the story of the Usher Family from Poe’s famous story The Fall of the House of Usher. This book tells the story of Hudson Usher and his descendants, the brother of Roderick Usher made famous in the Poe story. They moved to America to a grand estate outside of Ashville North Carolina and there became a weapons manufacturing empire.
The main part of the story starts when the family is called together due to the eminent passing of the current patriarch of the Usher clan, Whalen Usher. There are three siblings in the current generation of the Usher clan, Rix, a semi successful horror author, Boone, a dilatant horse breeder and talent agent, Kattrina, an international model with a previous drug problem. Rix is considered the black sheep pf the family because he did not get along with his father or his brother and left the estate to live in Atlanta.
This is a family in decline. All the Usher-born suffer from a form of disability where all their senses are increased to painful levels and all the members of the family have emergency rooms to go to when they suffer from an attack. It is interesting to note that none of the current generation had any children, so this was possibly the last generation of Ushers.
There is so much tension in this novel. In a less skillful hand the many subplots found in this story would have left a reader feeling overwhelmed. Add to that the jumping back and forth in time and this could have become a mess, but Mr. McCammon handled the various plots so well everything just flowed naturally.
I have been very impressed with the books I have read from this author and this book was no different. Usher’s Passing gets all the stars.
Robert McCammon might be Horror’s greatest secret. He has won the Bram Stoker award three times, was awarded The World Horror Convention Grand Master Award in 2008, and the World Fantasy Award once but I rarely see him discussed in horror circles. He is best known for his Post Apocalyptic novel Swan Song which has been compared to Stephen King’s novel, The Stand, and which I found superior in many aspects.
In Usher’s Passing we have a continuation of the story of the Usher Family from Poe’s famous story The Fall of the House of Usher. This book tells the story of Hudson Usher and his descendants, the brother of Roderick Usher made famous in the Poe story. They moved to America to a grand estate outside of Ashville North Carolina and there became a weapons manufacturing empire.
The main part of the story starts when the family is called together due to the eminent passing of the current patriarch of the Usher clan, Whalen Usher. There are three siblings in the current generation of the Usher clan, Rix, a semi successful horror author, Boone, a dilatant horse breeder and talent agent, Kattrina, an international model with a previous drug problem. Rix is considered the black sheep pf the family because he did not get along with his father or his brother and left the estate to live in Atlanta.
This is a family in decline. All the Usher-born suffer from a form of disability where all their senses are increased to painful levels and all the members of the family have emergency rooms to go to when they suffer from an attack. It is interesting to note that none of the current generation had any children, so this was possibly the last generation of Ushers.
There is so much tension in this novel. In a less skillful hand the many subplots found in this story would have left a reader feeling overwhelmed. Add to that the jumping back and forth in time and this could have become a mess, but Mr. McCammon handled the various plots so well everything just flowed naturally.
I have been very impressed with the books I have read from this author and this book was no different. Usher’s Passing gets all the stars.
October 4, 2018
4.5 Stars -- Great read from Robert McCammon! I won't say that this stands up to Swan Song or Boys Life, his classics, but this was definitely a great book from an author who, at the time, was branded a horror writer, and was finally finding his voice and stretching his wings. From all I've been hearing, his first four books (including They Thirst) are just okay. Nothing special. Then it was around the time Mystery Walk came out (which I've yet to read) was when the Robert we know now, started to bloom.
This book hit all the right notes with me. I loved how awful the Usher family was. The more I hate characters, the better I love the book. It means it's doing its job! I enjoyed the historical moments, mainly when we see Rix studying in the library researching his ancestors, or hearing tales about mysterious family members. This books takes us back to the 1800s many times, to hear anecdotes about various Usher adventures. I loved the supernatural element also! Since I was blind going into this book, I wasn't sure what to expect and had no clue as to where the story was going to go. Every twist was a pleasant surprise. Speaking of twists, there were some plot twists in this book that my jaw hanging. One left me disappointed... not in the story itself, but disappointed in the character itself.
I'm glad I got a chance to read this, it has been a long time coming. I've had this on my Kindle queue for a while. I couldn't have chosen a better time to read it, what a way to kick off the October horror season!
This book hit all the right notes with me. I loved how awful the Usher family was. The more I hate characters, the better I love the book. It means it's doing its job! I enjoyed the historical moments, mainly when we see Rix studying in the library researching his ancestors, or hearing tales about mysterious family members. This books takes us back to the 1800s many times, to hear anecdotes about various Usher adventures. I loved the supernatural element also! Since I was blind going into this book, I wasn't sure what to expect and had no clue as to where the story was going to go. Every twist was a pleasant surprise. Speaking of twists, there were some plot twists in this book that my jaw hanging. One left me disappointed... not in the story itself, but disappointed in the character itself.
I'm glad I got a chance to read this, it has been a long time coming. I've had this on my Kindle queue for a while. I couldn't have chosen a better time to read it, what a way to kick off the October horror season!
October 27, 2016
'Usher's Passing' was a fun drive-in movie. If gentle reader, you know what a drive-in movie means, then maybe you are as ancient as me and maybe we both are out of the range of the age group who would enjoy this book. I found the book lacking in one area - the writing. For me, it was too pedestrian. However, the gothic plot was full of mystery and scares! It is a grand October read, perfect for creating the mood before going to a Halloween Haunted House! An ancient unsavory family, skeletons in the closet, decaying mansions, horrific deaths and disappearances, dark woods and maybe monsters!
The Usher family has continued to thrive after the destruction of Roderick's branch of the family, the denouement of which was so vividly described in Edgar Allen Poe's 1839 story. Roderick's brother Hudson moved on to Usherland, North Carolina, founding a munitions business which became wildly successful and it has made the Usher family enormously rich. The Ushers are still courted today by USA military generals and Defense Department officials. But despite all of their wealth, no cure for the mysterious malady of sensitivity to their environment has been found. All of the Ushers must build dark cubby holes or soundproofed rooms wherever they live in order to rest until the awful attacks of painful sensitivity to light, sound, and touch end.
Rix Usher began a promising career as an author of horror novels, and he moved to Atlanta, Georgia determined to be free of his family. However, his latest book is a failure, and worse, his wife has done a terrible thing. Devastated, and suffering from the attacks which haunt his family, he accepts the invitation delivered by his cruel brother Boone to return to Usherland. Walen Usher, his father, is dying, and he wants to talk to him. Apparently, there are secrets to be revealed before he dies. Rix REALLY doesn't want to go back. Rix has fond memories of only the butler Edwin and his wife, the cook Cass. They were the only people who had ever shown Rix warmth and affection, maybe even love. And, there is that terrible old monstrosity of a mansion built by his great-grandfather which haunts Rix's nightmares, the Lodge, abandoned on the island in the middle of the lake some miles from the more modest mansion the family now lives in, the Gatehouse. Something happened to Rix when he was a child in the Lodge. He has no memory of exactly what it was, but it had something to do with getting lost in the huge place and maybe a monster was chasing him....
Could it have been the Pumpkin Man or his pet familiar, rumored to be a large cat? Nah. The Pumpkin Man is only a local legend to scare little kids. There have been kids disappearing after playing in the woods around Usherland for decades, so naturally a legend would be invented! More likely it was one of the wild animals which escaped from the private zoo the Ushers used to have until that mysterious fire freed many of the animals from their cages. Then again, maybe the Pumpkin Man is real?!? Everyone who dares going near Usherland or the mountain Briartop speaks of dark magic and evil monsters.
Rix is going home, but it isn't going to be ok. It will never be ok as long as an Usher still lives to carry the evil forward....
Absolutely do not open the spoiler below until you've finished reading the book, but I couldn't resist typing the Big Reveal! If you are a mystery fan, gentle reader, you will understand! I was compelled! Awesome!
The Usher family has continued to thrive after the destruction of Roderick's branch of the family, the denouement of which was so vividly described in Edgar Allen Poe's 1839 story. Roderick's brother Hudson moved on to Usherland, North Carolina, founding a munitions business which became wildly successful and it has made the Usher family enormously rich. The Ushers are still courted today by USA military generals and Defense Department officials. But despite all of their wealth, no cure for the mysterious malady of sensitivity to their environment has been found. All of the Ushers must build dark cubby holes or soundproofed rooms wherever they live in order to rest until the awful attacks of painful sensitivity to light, sound, and touch end.
Rix Usher began a promising career as an author of horror novels, and he moved to Atlanta, Georgia determined to be free of his family. However, his latest book is a failure, and worse, his wife has done a terrible thing. Devastated, and suffering from the attacks which haunt his family, he accepts the invitation delivered by his cruel brother Boone to return to Usherland. Walen Usher, his father, is dying, and he wants to talk to him. Apparently, there are secrets to be revealed before he dies. Rix REALLY doesn't want to go back. Rix has fond memories of only the butler Edwin and his wife, the cook Cass. They were the only people who had ever shown Rix warmth and affection, maybe even love. And, there is that terrible old monstrosity of a mansion built by his great-grandfather which haunts Rix's nightmares, the Lodge, abandoned on the island in the middle of the lake some miles from the more modest mansion the family now lives in, the Gatehouse. Something happened to Rix when he was a child in the Lodge. He has no memory of exactly what it was, but it had something to do with getting lost in the huge place and maybe a monster was chasing him....
Could it have been the Pumpkin Man or his pet familiar, rumored to be a large cat? Nah. The Pumpkin Man is only a local legend to scare little kids. There have been kids disappearing after playing in the woods around Usherland for decades, so naturally a legend would be invented! More likely it was one of the wild animals which escaped from the private zoo the Ushers used to have until that mysterious fire freed many of the animals from their cages. Then again, maybe the Pumpkin Man is real?!? Everyone who dares going near Usherland or the mountain Briartop speaks of dark magic and evil monsters.
Rix is going home, but it isn't going to be ok. It will never be ok as long as an Usher still lives to carry the evil forward....
Absolutely do not open the spoiler below until you've finished reading the book, but I couldn't resist typing the Big Reveal! If you are a mystery fan, gentle reader, you will understand! I was compelled! Awesome!
September 16, 2023
And you thought your family had drama. Against his better judgment, horror author Rix, the self proclaimed black sheep of the Usher armament dynasty, returns home to Usherland to attend the deathbed of his father, as well as for a reckoning with his estranged family and his long and sordid family history.
This is my first Robert McCammon novel and for the most part it was a Gothic good time. McCammon takes the most sensational multi-generational soap opera you can imagine and throws every horror trope in the book at it. Here there be monsters and mountain madmen, hillbilly folklore and haunted houses, child murders and horrifying maladies, a dark coming of age story and an insidious, ancient evil. At some points, I felt like there was a bit too much going on and some of the historical flashbacks of Ushers past bogged the story down and proved ultimately irrelevant, but I really appreciated the way the threads were all tied together in the final act, even if I did see one of the big reveals coming a mile away. And I have to say I found the epilogue a bit...too much (that's all I'll say to avoid spoilers).
Did I mention the autumnal vibes? Seriously, if you are looking for a horror novel with vivid fall imagery, you will find it here. Usher's Passing is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in October, and where his character development may be lacking, McCammon really delivers on evoking the beautiful imagery of the spooky season.
This is my first Robert McCammon novel and for the most part it was a Gothic good time. McCammon takes the most sensational multi-generational soap opera you can imagine and throws every horror trope in the book at it. Here there be monsters and mountain madmen, hillbilly folklore and haunted houses, child murders and horrifying maladies, a dark coming of age story and an insidious, ancient evil. At some points, I felt like there was a bit too much going on and some of the historical flashbacks of Ushers past bogged the story down and proved ultimately irrelevant, but I really appreciated the way the threads were all tied together in the final act, even if I did see one of the big reveals coming a mile away. And I have to say I found the epilogue a bit...too much (that's all I'll say to avoid spoilers).
Did I mention the autumnal vibes? Seriously, if you are looking for a horror novel with vivid fall imagery, you will find it here. Usher's Passing is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in October, and where his character development may be lacking, McCammon really delivers on evoking the beautiful imagery of the spooky season.
October 7, 2018
Since I just read Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”, I thought I would jump right into this one and am glad that I did. McCammon takes Poe’s short story and turns it on it’s head with his own imaginings of the Usher family.
Tidy Cat’s litter box of terror, eating brothers Puddin pie, soothing sounds of a satanic symphony, 50 caliber fireworks, mind control magic freaks, and canned peaches with ginger ale.
Oh…and a Pumpkin Man lurking in the woods waiting to snatch up wayward children and secret government weapons of mass destruction.
Yep. It’s all in there.
To say there was a lot going on in this one would be an understatement. I’m not quite sure how McCammon managed to keep it all going without it being a total train wreck, but he did. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the chaos too.
Tidy Cat’s litter box of terror, eating brothers Puddin pie, soothing sounds of a satanic symphony, 50 caliber fireworks, mind control magic freaks, and canned peaches with ginger ale.
Oh…and a Pumpkin Man lurking in the woods waiting to snatch up wayward children and secret government weapons of mass destruction.
Yep. It’s all in there.
To say there was a lot going on in this one would be an understatement. I’m not quite sure how McCammon managed to keep it all going without it being a total train wreck, but he did. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the chaos too.
February 22, 2017
Robert McCammon, Where have you been all my life! I know, forgive me, I just found out how fucking amazing Robert McCammon is as a writer! He's literally Astounding. His style is a no nonsense, pull you in.. And keep you wanting more.
Even though Ushers passing is the first and only book of his I've ever read in my life. I'm a new fan and will be looking for more of his book's in the future! I love the cover works to the paperbacks in the original late 1970s/1980s vibe I'm a total sucker for that.
Usher's Passing is basically about the family Mr Edgar Poe wrote about in 1839 bring them up to the 1980s and you have A very Dysfunctional family with a closet full of skeleton's. And the curses they live with because of this. The main deal dapper of this, Is Rix Usher, He is one of the main characters. Rix is a Horror Writer, trying to look for that one fix that will make him great again... And when he's called back to overland, Because the head of the family his father is dying. All those family secrets and Monster's come back once more. But how will it affect Rix and the rest of his family. And what is The ultimate secret to the usher's?
This had me sucked in from the 1st page. A rollacoster of up's and down's Every time I finished a chapter I was left with a sense of what was going happen next? Usher's Passing is an excellent read and will definitely be going in my 2016 top reads!
Even though Ushers passing is the first and only book of his I've ever read in my life. I'm a new fan and will be looking for more of his book's in the future! I love the cover works to the paperbacks in the original late 1970s/1980s vibe I'm a total sucker for that.
Usher's Passing is basically about the family Mr Edgar Poe wrote about in 1839 bring them up to the 1980s and you have A very Dysfunctional family with a closet full of skeleton's. And the curses they live with because of this. The main deal dapper of this, Is Rix Usher, He is one of the main characters. Rix is a Horror Writer, trying to look for that one fix that will make him great again... And when he's called back to overland, Because the head of the family his father is dying. All those family secrets and Monster's come back once more. But how will it affect Rix and the rest of his family. And what is The ultimate secret to the usher's?
This had me sucked in from the 1st page. A rollacoster of up's and down's Every time I finished a chapter I was left with a sense of what was going happen next? Usher's Passing is an excellent read and will definitely be going in my 2016 top reads!
May 31, 2016
My second time reading this gothic epic but it felt like my first. Robert McCammon did a superb job telling this darkly fantastic story. As usual, his writing is top-notch, the plot intricately woven, and his characters real and dynamic. Edgar Allan Poe would have been pleased.
November 1, 2019
“The Pumpkin Man was in the woods.
He wore a funeral suit of black velvet and a black top hat. His face was as yellow as spoiled milk. He carried a scythe that glowed electric blue in the moonlight, and with a wave of one skeletal hand, he parted the underbrush before him. Those who had seen him and lived to tell the tale said his eyes shone like green lamps; his face was split by a cunning grin, his teeth sharpened to tiny points.”
Robert R. McCammon needs no introduction. The man is one of those rare writers with lasting power throughout the decades. There is a reason he is so beloved!
Usher’s Passing is a book I’ve had for years, however it wasn’t until I stumbled upon this edition with the Pumpkin Man on it at the used bookstore that I knew this would be an October read, without a doubt. I mean.. just look at how fucking delightful that cover is!
Originally published in 1984, this does feel slightly outdated. McCammon was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, Fall of the House of Usher, which I decided to read before digging into this. It’s not necessary to read the short story in order to understand this novel, but it gave me an excuse to check it out since I hadn’t read it before.
Usher’s Passing answers the question of – what if the story didn’t end where Poe left it? What if there were descendants of the Usher clan to carry on the family name?
Usher’s Passing begins in New York in 1847 with Hudson Usher searching for the elusive Poe. He eventually does, confronting him regarding the short story he wrote and the malady they suffer, unique only to the Usher’s.
Then the story jumps ahead to the 80’s, where the current patriarch is dying from later stages of Usher’s Malady, a disease that ultimately kills every Usher. We follow his youngest son, Rix, as he returns home after many years away. Still heartbroken over his wife’s suicide, Rix is struggling with his writing career and having to face his fears back at Usherland.
Weaving it’s haunting thread throughout the Usher tale is the one about the people who live on Briartop Mountain, near Usherland. New and Nathan are brothers who are picking berries one day when Nathan goes missing. Feared to have been taken by the legendary Pumpkin Man, who, along with his black panther sidekick Greediguts (how can you not appreciate that name?!) has been suspected of kidnapping at least 300 children, taking them back to The Lodge and killing them.
My excitement levels increased tenfold once the bizarre Pumpkin Man was introduced, unsurprisingly!
But wait. There’s more!
Yet another overlapping subplot focuses on Raven Dunstan, a journalist for the town paper who is investigating the disappearances of children throughout the years. She is also the daughter of the publisher who is writing an exposé on the Usher family.
PHEW.
The various subplots, characters, flashbacks and diary entries makes for an unreasonably overcomplicated book, especially with it being just over 400 pages.
A dysfunctional family, telepathy, drug addiction, a Mountain King, hereditary disease, weapons of mass destruction and a murderous pumpkin. McCammon seemingly threw it all in, stirring it up in a pot of witches brew. Which I can’t help but appreciate. However, even with ALL THE THINGS, it didn’t take hold of me quite like I had hoped.
A fine atmospheric yarn with some fun plot developments, but ultimately a book that isn’t that memorable.
Still worth checking out, although I wouldn’t move it to the top of your McCammon TBR list!
He wore a funeral suit of black velvet and a black top hat. His face was as yellow as spoiled milk. He carried a scythe that glowed electric blue in the moonlight, and with a wave of one skeletal hand, he parted the underbrush before him. Those who had seen him and lived to tell the tale said his eyes shone like green lamps; his face was split by a cunning grin, his teeth sharpened to tiny points.”
Robert R. McCammon needs no introduction. The man is one of those rare writers with lasting power throughout the decades. There is a reason he is so beloved!
Usher’s Passing is a book I’ve had for years, however it wasn’t until I stumbled upon this edition with the Pumpkin Man on it at the used bookstore that I knew this would be an October read, without a doubt. I mean.. just look at how fucking delightful that cover is!
Originally published in 1984, this does feel slightly outdated. McCammon was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, Fall of the House of Usher, which I decided to read before digging into this. It’s not necessary to read the short story in order to understand this novel, but it gave me an excuse to check it out since I hadn’t read it before.
Usher’s Passing answers the question of – what if the story didn’t end where Poe left it? What if there were descendants of the Usher clan to carry on the family name?
Usher’s Passing begins in New York in 1847 with Hudson Usher searching for the elusive Poe. He eventually does, confronting him regarding the short story he wrote and the malady they suffer, unique only to the Usher’s.
Then the story jumps ahead to the 80’s, where the current patriarch is dying from later stages of Usher’s Malady, a disease that ultimately kills every Usher. We follow his youngest son, Rix, as he returns home after many years away. Still heartbroken over his wife’s suicide, Rix is struggling with his writing career and having to face his fears back at Usherland.
Weaving it’s haunting thread throughout the Usher tale is the one about the people who live on Briartop Mountain, near Usherland. New and Nathan are brothers who are picking berries one day when Nathan goes missing. Feared to have been taken by the legendary Pumpkin Man, who, along with his black panther sidekick Greediguts (how can you not appreciate that name?!) has been suspected of kidnapping at least 300 children, taking them back to The Lodge and killing them.
My excitement levels increased tenfold once the bizarre Pumpkin Man was introduced, unsurprisingly!
But wait. There’s more!
Yet another overlapping subplot focuses on Raven Dunstan, a journalist for the town paper who is investigating the disappearances of children throughout the years. She is also the daughter of the publisher who is writing an exposé on the Usher family.
PHEW.
The various subplots, characters, flashbacks and diary entries makes for an unreasonably overcomplicated book, especially with it being just over 400 pages.
A dysfunctional family, telepathy, drug addiction, a Mountain King, hereditary disease, weapons of mass destruction and a murderous pumpkin. McCammon seemingly threw it all in, stirring it up in a pot of witches brew. Which I can’t help but appreciate. However, even with ALL THE THINGS, it didn’t take hold of me quite like I had hoped.
A fine atmospheric yarn with some fun plot developments, but ultimately a book that isn’t that memorable.
Still worth checking out, although I wouldn’t move it to the top of your McCammon TBR list!
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