'Suffer the Children' by John Saul is a chilling horror novel set in Port Arbello, where a dark history of disappearances and curses haunts the town. The story revolves around the Conger family, particularly focusing on the two sisters, Sarah and Elizabeth, as they navigate through a series of disturbing events involving missing children, family curses, and supernatural elements. The narrative is suspenseful and atmospheric, drawing readers into the coastal town and keeping them captivated with its morbid and unsettling storyline.

The book combines elements of psychological horror, paranormal activity, and family drama, creating a gripping tale that explores themes of trauma, family secrets, and the consequences of past sins. John Saul's writing style is described as suspenseful, spine-tingling, and menacing, with a focus on character development and setting details that contribute to the overall eerie atmosphere of the story.

Characters:

Characters are psychologically complex, dealing with trauma, secrets, and moral ambiguity in a disturbing family environment.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is straightforward and engaging, though at times it may come across as clumsy or redundant.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around a cursed family in a small town facing the disappearance of children, infused with psychological horror and supernatural elements.

Setting:

Set in the atmospheric coastal town of Port Arbello, the setting enhances the story's eerie and supernatural themes.

Pacing:

The pacing starts slow but becomes gripping as the story develops, maintaining tension through supernatural twists.

Port Arbello perched snugly on the bluffs above the ocean, its trees flourishing the last of their fall finery with a bravado that belied the nakedness soon to come. The breeze off the Atlantic signal...

Notes:

The novel was first published in 1977 and is considered John Saul's debut work.

Set in the fictional New England coastal town of Port Arbello, the story revolves around the Conger family.

Young children and themes of disturbed youth play a central role in the plot, making it particularly unsettling for readers.

The story includes dark supernatural elements, such as a threatening family curse and a cave perceived as a gate to hell.

Key characters include the traumatized Sarah Conger, who becomes mute, and her seemingly perfect sister Elizabeth.

The narrative is known for its slow build, taking about fifty pages to ramp up the suspense and horror.

Important themes include marital strife, child abduction, and psychological trauma.

Readers have noted that the book maintains tension and horror even after more than thirty years since its release.

The depiction of violence among children, including a shocking scene involving a cat, remains particularly memorable and disturbing.

While some readers found it hard to put down, others noted flaws such as unlikable characters and a clunky narrative structure.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include scenes of child violence, abduction, psychological trauma, and themes of child abuse.

From The Publisher:

Innocence dies so easily. Evil lives again . . . and again . . . and again.

One hundred years ago in Port Arbello a pretty little girl began to scream. And struggle. And die. No one heard. No one saw. Just one man whose guilty heart burst in pain as he dashed himself to death in the sea.

Now something peculiar is happening in Port Arbello. The children are disappearing, one by one. An evil history is repeating itself. And one strange, terrified child has ended her silence with a scream that began a hundred years ago.

Ratings (5)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (2)
Hated It (2)

Reader Stats (9):

Read It (4)
Want To Read (3)
Did Not Finish (1)
Not Interested (1)

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About the Author:

John Saul's first novel, Suffer the Children, was an immediate million-copy bestseller. His other bestselling suspense novels include Perfect Nightmare, Black Creek Crossing, and The Presence. He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling serial thriller The Blackstone Chronicles, initially published in six…

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Suffer the Children

John Saul