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A Head Full of Ghosts

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'A Head Full of Ghosts' by Paul Tremblay is a psychological horror novel that delves into the blurred lines between reality and supernatural occurrences. The story follows the Barrett family, particularly focusing on Marjorie, a teenage girl whose behavior raises questions of whether she is suffering from mental illness or is truly possessed by a malevolent force. The narrative is presented through multiple perspectives, including Merry, Marjorie's younger sister, who recounts the events of their past, intertwined with elements of reality TV, exorcism, and the psychological unraveling of the family.

The writing style of 'A Head Full of Ghosts' is described as gripping and unsettling, with a multi-layered plot that keeps readers guessing until the shocking conclusion. Tremblay's ability to weave together themes of horror, family dynamics, and societal influences creates a haunting atmosphere that lingers long after the final page is turned. The narrative is structured in a way that challenges readers to question their perceptions of what is real and what lies beyond the realm of the tangible, making it a thought-provoking and immersive read.

Characters:

The characters include the innocent and confused Merry, the ambiguous Marjorie, and desperate parents, all struggling with complex issues of mental health and societal pressures.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is engaging, blending horror with psychological depth through multiple perspectives, including unreliable narration and meta-commentary.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative centers on a family facing a possible demonic possession or mental illness, critiquing the exploitation through reality TV. It explores themes of memory and perspective, concluding with an unexpected, ambiguous ending.

Setting:

The setting combines a suburban home environment with the intrusive presence of a reality TV crew, highlighting contemporary societal issues.

Pacing:

The pacing begins slowly, which may alienate some readers, but accelerates towards an intense climax, particularly towards the book's conclusion.
Best-selling author Rachel Neville wears a perfect fall ensemble: dark blue hat to match her sensible knee-length skirt and a beige wool jacket with buttons as large as kitten heads. She carefully att...

Notes:

The book revolves around an exorcism being filmed as a reality TV show.
The story critiques how mental illness is often mistaken for demonic possession.
The narrator is Merry, who recounts her childhood experiences ten years later as an adult.
Merry's sister, Marjorie, is possibly suffering from schizophrenia, leading to a debate about her condition.
There's a meta-commentary on the exploitation of families by reality TV shows.
The novel raises questions about the nature of evil, reality, and memory.
The ending is ambiguous, leaving readers questioning what truly happened.
Tremblay incorporates elements from classic horror literature, including references to 'The Exorcist' and Shirley Jackson's works.
The structure includes blog posts analyzing the reality show, adding a layer of commentary on horror culture.
Stephen King has praised the book, calling it one of the scariest he's read.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include mental illness, demonic possession, suicide, family dysfunction, and graphic depictions of emotional trauma.

From The Publisher:

WINNER OF THE 2015 BRAM STOKER AWARD FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A NOVEL

A chilling thriller that brilliantly blends psychological suspense and supernatural horror, reminiscent of Stephen King's The Shining, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, and William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist.

The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia.

To her parents' despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie's descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts' plight. With John, Marjorie's father, out of work for more than a year and the medical bills looming, the family agrees to be filmed, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show. When events in the Barrett household explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend.

Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie's younger sister, Merry. As she recalls those long ago events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets and painful memories that clash with what was broadcast on television begin to surface-and a mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed, raising vexing questions about memory and reality, science and religion, and the very nature of evil.

Ratings (107)

Incredible (21)
Loved It (39)
Liked It (23)
It Was OK (8)
Did Not Like (14)
Hated It (2)

Reader Stats (301):

Read It (111)
Currently Reading (1)
Want To Read (154)
Did Not Finish (3)
Not Interested (32)

4 comment(s)

It Was OK
1 week

There where parts of the story I liked but overall wasn't the story for me. Might read something else by Paul Tremblay tough

 
Did Not Like
1 week

“A head full of ghosts” is a novel that shows family being torn apart due to schizophrenia, manipulation, and eventually, murder.

The novel consists of twenty-six chapters and it divided into three parts.In part one, author Rachel Neville interviews twenty-three year old Meredith “Merry” Barrett at her childhood home on the fifteenth anniversary of the reality TV show “The Possession” which she and her family participated in when she was a child.

Also during part one, the reader is introduced Karen Brissette, horror internet blogger focusing on the reality TV show “The Possession” featuring the Barrett family through six episodes. Brissette views the show as fiction and not reality TV and discusses the Barrett family which consists of a father, John Barrrett, currently unemployed but formerly employed at toy factory, a mother, Sarah Barrett who is employed as a bank teller, fourteen year old high school student Majorie, and eight year old Meredith “Merry.”

Merry expresses how close she used to be to older sister Majorie before she turned fourteen and started high school. Merry wanted to be like Majorie when she grew up.

Merry gets scared after Majorie tells her a horrific story. Majorie tells Merry that she didn’t know how she knew the horrific story or how her bedroom posters became rearranged.

John and Sarah’s relationship is strained and girls can see it. Majorie tells Merry a story where she’s sick and hearing whispering voice that said terrible things. Due to Majorie hearing voices, she’s been going to doctor appointments which makes Merry worry even more about Majorie. When Sarah doesn’t give details, Merry tells all about Majorie’s strange behavior. As Merry talks to her mom, she discovers that Sarah is keeping notes on Majorie’s weird behavior.

Majorie tells family that she is fighting ghosts in head which really frightens Merry. As Majorie behaves more crazily, their parents argue over John taking Majorie to see a priest due to his new found religion. The first part of the novel ends with Majorie showing more signs of possession involving bodily functions.

Part two of the novel starts with return of Karen Brissette’s and her writing that she believes that Majorie wasn’t possessed but was instead going through a nasty psychotic brea. Brissette supports her fake possession claim by breaking down how “The Possession” steals from other horror movies of the past. As Rachel continues her interview with Merry at Merry’s condo in south Boston, Merry admits that she’s unsure as to how show came about.

After the show is televised, Merry is surprised when friends and kids at school call her and family freaks and frightened when their house is picketed by religious fanatics. As Majorie’s behavior become more bizarre, John enlists the help from a local priest and eventually, it’s decided that an exorcism needs to be performed on Majorie to release her from demon possession.

When the day of the Majorie exorcism arrives, Sarah expresses concern mother about the show is affecting the girls while John has become religiously devout and cares only about Majorie’s soul. With all of the Barrett family in attendance, the exorcism begins in earnest but ends in violence. Part two of the novel ends with the aftermath of Majorie’s exorcism.

Part three of the novel has Rachel and Merry meeting at a coffee shop to discuss the events the occurred after final episode of “The Possession” and what lead to death of everyone in the family except Merry. It is in this part of the novel that the reader sees the true power of manipulation as well as the sad consequences of untreated mental illness.

I rated this novel as okay because although I liked reading the possession scenes, they weren’t really scary to me. After finishing the novel, I liked the author’s use of extended linear notes at the end of the novel which work to provide more insight into his life and his thought process in creating this novel. I was also pleasantly surprised by the novel’s twist ending.

 
Liked It
7 months

Great psychological aspects to this book, I love it that I’m still questioning the possession.

 
Did Not Like
7 months

I loved his book Cabin in the Woods but this was (imho) just a horribly boring, poorly written book. I pushed my way through it but was angry I wasted my time. I did not care about any of the characters, and the whole back and forth between the podcast and the story drove me nuts. Definitely felt like a young adult book. Maybe it is and I just didn't know it.

 
 
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