Jump to content

James Herbert


Kell

Recommended Posts

Author: James Herbert

ISBN # 0 340 41616 5

 

I'm a pretty big fan of James Herbert but this is not one of his better tales. Truth be told, I was several chapters in before I realised I'd actually read it years before & forgotten as it's pretty unmemorable (unusual, because I'm usually completely immersed in the worlds he creates). This is one of the rare occasions where I preferred the movie to the book (it was on just a few days prior to me picking up this book & it bears little resemblance to the plot he wrote, but in this case, they managed to improve on it a fair bit - sorry, Mr Herbert!).

 

Nah, I definitely prefer his later novels such as Once or The Magic Cottage which have far more of his famous atmosphere & mastery of words than this does.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • Replies 75
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

The Dark

Author: James herbert

ISBN # 0450049701

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

1st Published: 1980

 

It came like a malignant shadow with seductive promises of power. And somewhere in the night... a small girl smiled as her mother burned... asylum inmates slaughtered their attendants... in slimy tunnels once- human creatures gathered. Madness raged as the lights began to fade and humanity was attacked by an ancient, unstoppable evil...

What is it lately with horror books being a major disappointment? Yet again, I finish a book after what seems like an age-long slog only to feel incredibly let down by an author who usually delights me with his mastery of words.

 

This should have been a better read as it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The film was better. It actually changed large partso f the plot & aspects of various characters, but the film was definitely better than the book.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Maureen Wrote :

 

Why do we say put back when we really mean put forwards?

 

I have NO idea Maureen, hehehe, but you have a very good point!

 

:D

 

*Tracey awaits this book with such impatience!*

 

 

* edited cause I AM the typo Queen !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

* edited cause I AM the typo Queen !

You'll have to share the crown with me then - I'm always having to go back & edit my posts - LOL. I spotted one I'd missed a month or so back just a moment ago, so I'll have to nip back & correct that one too. Evetually, all my posts will be typo free - LOL!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Kell wrote :

 

You'll have to share the crown with me then - I'm always having to go back & edit my posts - LOL. I spotted one I'd missed a month or so back just a moment ago, so I'll have to nip back & correct that one too. Evetually, all my posts will be typo free - LOL!

 

oh, I wish I had your optimism !!!

 

Hail Ye Typo Queens !!!

 

:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My step-dad and I were always big fans of James Herbert and would always be nagging the other to 'hurry up and finish' any new ones he brought out so the other could read it.

 

However, we have both felt that his recent ones were not 'up to scratch' for him.

 

It has become a struggle to maintain interest and I agree that his endings are far from what they used to be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...
Guest Anonymous

We really do differ in taste, don't we Kell? I think Haunted is the best novel that James Herbert has ever written.

 

Its limited setting, small cast of characters, and its preference in dealing with the interaction between the cast makes it far more interesting than his other novels, whether it be a cult trying to scare lovebirds out of their house or a deformed PI exploring the mystery around a hospital. And it's a lovely take on the ghost story; subtle yet effective. And a far sight better than the shoddy sequel (The Ghosts Of Sleath) that made the mistake of a) being a sequel; and :D upping the ante.

 

I definitely prefer his later novels such as Once... or The Magic Cottage...

 

But Haunted was released two years after The Magic Cottage. :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never seen the film, but I did enjoy the book. I liked the eeriness of it and the relative simplicity. I wasn't convinced by the relationship of the main character and... can't remember the name... Edith?

 

I read it a few years ago, but I still remember the atmosphere of it, where I have forgotten most of his other books.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Just starting this book! I'm quite excited as it's set in Devon (where I live!). :) Does anyone know if Hollow Bay and the Devil's Cleave are fictional places, or do they actually exist? I just googled them, but all I got were references to this book, so I'm guessing they are fictional? :hyper:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...