Literary Horror discussion

Our Feb 2020 monthly read will be Andrew Michael Hurley's Starve Acre!

A couple reviews:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
https://www.sublimehorror.com/books/s...

It doesn't seem to be available as an e-book. But there are a number of relatively inexpensive copies online.

Let's plan on starting a week from Monday, 2/10 ish.

Thanks for the interesting reviews, Bill. The start date sounds good to me.

I have a proof copy of it and will join in on the 10th :)

The book arrived from Amazon. I'm looking forward to getting started.

Are we starting today? I'm ready!

Janie wrote: "Are we starting today? I'm ready!"

Please dive in! I'm having a little trouble getting my hands on a copy, but don't wait for me. I'll keep checking in on the forum thread.

I can't help myself. I have a fresh new book and a new bookmark; I'm jumping in. Looking forward to you starting, Bill.

I guess I jumped in with both feet as I started and finished the book in the same day!

Needless to say, I *really* liked this. I felt it was fluently and skillfully written in a style that was literary but fairly easygoing and quick to read. As in the previous Hurley novel we've read here, the story builds slowly but each new development carries enough weight and weirdness that moving forward seems compulsory.

I'll hold off on commenting further until others have read a bit. I hope the rest of you enjoy this as much as I did!

I also jumped right in, and finished the book in two sittings. I absolutely could not put it down - it was a great read. The writing was quite engaging, and the plotline was tense yet very easy to follow. I'm glad you liked it equally as much as I did, Marie-Therese. I look forward to hearing others' opinions, too.

Great to see all the enthusiasm for Starve Acre! Maria and Robert, how are things going with the book? We also haven't heard from a couple of the voters yet.

I'm afraid I'm not as far along as the others. I just finished part one this evening.

It's well written and definitely a quick read. I'm a little puzzled with how part one ends, but I look forward to finishing, probably tomorrow night.

I was surprised at how fast the book went for me. I didn't expect to finish it so quickly, but it kept pulling me forward. I think as you read further into the second part, your questions will be answered, Robert. I too was surprised by (view spoiler)[Juliette's quick turn-around. (hide spoiler)]

Yes, it's definitely a quick read. (view spoiler)[ The end of part one is presumably the calm before the storm. (hide spoiler)] I hope to finish this tonight.

I'm looking forward to your thoughts when you're finished, Robert.

I was able to finish it last night. I was a little bit lukewarm on it in the early going, but it really came together by the end. A very enjoyable, quick read.

(view spoiler)[Thinking back on the discovery of the hare's skeleton and realizing its actual identity is truly creepy. The events leading up to its resurrection were a compelling slow burn. (hide spoiler)]

Janie wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

Yes, I very much agree, Janie! I went back and read the poems that preface the book and they meant a great deal more after finishing it.

I think this book falls under the the category of new British folk horror and I wonder if it was commissioned as such. Hurley actually says something about a commission in the acknowledgments (commissioned for this particular publisher, I think) but I can't find anything specific about this online. In any case, it's a very creepy, very gothic, very British book and I think the whole small village surrounded by a wood aspect plays into that beautifully. Reminds me just a tiny bit of Bernard Taylor's rural gothics, but in a lower key.

I especially liked 'The Hare', a folk song, in the very beginning. Great wording. I agree, Marie-Therese, this book fits the category of British folk horror perfectly. And now I want to read more Bernard Taylor; I have only read one of his books.

I hadn't revisited the poems at the beginning, thanks for the suggestion.(view spoiler)[ The House of Silence verse really summarizes things well. (hide spoiler)] I love stories like this that leave me thinking about them days after finishing.

I have never read Bernard Taylor, but I plan to now.

I'd be up for a buddy read of one of Bernard Taylor's books in the future.

Me too.

Sweetheart, Sweetheart looks like a good one. I've had it on my list for quite a while.

Please help select our March 2020 monthly read:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

Remember, if you vote, and your choice wins, you are committing to participate in the forum discussion.