'Night Things' by Michael Talbot is a haunting novel set in an old mansion known as Lake House, where supernatural phenomena unfold. The story revolves around the characters Lauren Montgomery, her son Garrett, and her rock star husband Stephen Ransom, who rent the mansion and soon discover its dark history and eerie secrets. As they navigate through the mysterious house, they encounter ghostly apparitions and ominous events, leading to a battle between good and evil. The writing style combines clean prose with a balance of creepiness and revelation, providing a unique twist to the haunted house genre.

Characters:

The characters have a blend of depth and cliché, with particular emphasis on Garrett's experiences and Fugate's sinister presence.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is both sophisticated and simple, with a clear narrative that occasionally experiences lapses in flow and coherence.

Plot/Storyline:

The story revolves around a family staying in a mansion filled with dark secrets and supernatural elements, leading to a confrontation between good and evil.

Setting:

The story is set in a sprawling mansion with a dark history, surrounded by the eerie atmosphere of the Adirondacks.

Pacing:

The pacing is brisk but uneven, leading to moments of rushed narrative where key elements feel underdeveloped.

“Are we almost there?” Lauren asked excitedly as the Porsche shifted gears to negotiate the increasing steepness of the mountain road. The highway they were on was one of the old two-laners, and toget...

Notes:

The story is set in a large mansion called Lake House in the Adirondacks, known for its dark history and reputation for murder.

Garrett, Lauren's son, starts perceiving ghostly sounds and apparitions in the house.

The book features a character named Elton Fugate, who has eerie habits and a grotesque doll-like object he chokes.

The narrative explores a conflict between good and evil within the setting of Lake House.

The prose is described as having a 'childlike simplicity combined with literary sophistication'.

Readers noted the book's atmosphere and setting as major highlights, particularly the sprawling mansion.

The novel includes three scary characters who are perceived as more grumpy than genuinely threatening.

The ending and epilogue received mixed reviews, with some finding it lacking.

Michael Talbot's writing is noted for being entertaining, even though the horror elements may not be as strong as expected.

The book was published by Valancourt Books, known for reviving out-of-print horror fiction.

Night Things is considered a spiritual ancestor to the cult hit House of Leaves, featuring a house larger on the inside than outside.

The novel is aimed at a broad audience, suitable for early teens with minimal violence and restrained sexual references.

From The Publisher:

Built by a madwoman during the Victorian era, Lake House is a 160-room mansion in the Adirondacks with stairways that lead nowhere, bizarre rooms designed to distort the senses, endless series of mazelike halls-and a century-long history of violent deaths.

Lauren Montgomery, her son Garrett, and her new rock star husband Stephen Ransom have just arrived at Lake House, anticipating a long and relaxing summer. But what they don't know is that their rental home is actually a labyrinthine puzzle at whose center lurks something unspeakably evil . . .

An inventive and chilling haunted house story in the vein of Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves, Michael Talbot's Night Things (1988) is a page-turning mixture of horror and fantasy from the author of The Delicate Dependency.

" T]he most ingenious haunted house in years . . . a grand puzzle . . . Haunted-house fans will enjoy the inventive architecture of Lake House." - Kirkus Reviews

"Talbot is a great storyteller . . . Night Things has twists which will pleasantly surprise even jaded horror readers." - Weird Tales Magazine

Reader Stats (1):

Want To Read (1)

What can you read after
Night Things?

See the list (44 books)

Meet New Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products and services on amazon.com and its subsidiaries.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.

Night Things

Michael Talbot

Characters:

Writing/Prose:

Plot/Storyline:

Setting:

Pacing:

Genres:

Tropes/Plot Devices:

Topics:

Notes:

From The Publisher:

Reader Stats (1):

What can you read after Night Things?

What can you read after
Night Things?