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A View From the Lake
Eclipse Series Limited Hardcover #11
Hell freezes over...
...in the modest lakeside resort in the small town of Blissful Point, Massachusetts. Katherine has lived there for years with her husband James, a poet, and their cat Barney. Their lives are uncomplicated, happy and quiet—or so Katherine thought—until one summer morning when the dead body of a young boy is found floating in the lake. From the moment the child accidentally drown, Katherine watches as her husband slowly begins to lose his grip on reality, spiraling down helplessly into insanity. And then he's gone...
Are there others out there, in the woods, in the snow, in the lake, waiting and watching and luring her toward the same madness that claimed James?
Hell freezes over...
...in the modest lakeside resort in the small town of Blissful Point, Massachusetts. Katherine has lived there for years with her husband James, a poet, and their cat Barney. Their lives are uncomplicated, happy and quiet—or so Katherine thought—until one summer morning when the dead body of a young boy is found floating in the lake. From the moment the child accidentally drown, Katherine watches as her husband slowly begins to lose his grip on reality, spiraling down helplessly into insanity. And then he's gone...
Are there others out there, in the woods, in the snow, in the lake, waiting and watching and luring her toward the same madness that claimed James?
- GenresHorror
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2006
7 people are currently reading
305 people want to read
About the author
Greg F. Gifune
79 books352 followersCalled "One of the best writers of his generation" by both the Roswell Literary Review and author Brian Keene, Greg F. Gifune is the author of numerous short stories, several novels and two short story collections. His work has been published in a wide range of magazines and anthologies all over the world, and has recently garnered interest from Hollywood. His novels include The Bleeding Season, Deep Night, Saying Uncle, A View From The Lake, Night Work, Drago Descending, Blood In Electric Blue and Dominion.
Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books.
The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer. Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.
The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats.
Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.
Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books.
The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer. Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.
The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats.
Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 23, 2019
“I have to get them out. It’s the only way I know how to do it. Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve written things down. Thoughts, dreams, stories, poems, all of it written down, pounded out on old typewriters or scribbled here or there on pads and scraps of paper, like once I’d written it down I’d be free of it somehow.”
“A View from the Lake”
by Greg F. Gifune
No one writes like this. No one. Not now.
But there was a time when American horror literature often explored metaphysical terrors. “Varney the Vampire” and “Wagner the Werwulf” – with their attendant tidal explosions of gore – represented an exclusively European manifestation of the genre. On these shores, higher levels of sophistication held sway, and -- though horror traditions may have originated in the Old World -- New World writers refined the concept. The atmospheric nuances and subtlety of expression of, say, Edith Wharton (or even Henry James) elevated it to an art form, while William Sloane explored apocalyptic levels of existential evil. Shirley Jackson helmed a new breed of writers who applied the burgeoning science of psychology to Gothic situations with shattering results. Their ghosts – demons of the mind all – were empowered by guilty memories and repressed yearnings. In short, they were lethal. These authors terrorized with nothing so quaint as monsters but with a pervasive sense of another reality, a realm moving near to this world and sometimes intruding: not so much the fear of the unknown as an apprehension of the unimaginable.
Few writers create works like this these days. Greg Gifune is a notable exception.
The complete writers’ writer, crafting novels and stories with an elegance almost unheard of within the contemporary genre, Gifune reveals roots in the noir wordsmiths of another, more cultured era. His characters tend to be articulate, intelligent, aware, which renders their predicaments all the more disturbing. An author whose core popularity has always been among the literati (Brian Keene referred to him as the genre’s “best-kept secret”), Gifune has only recently begun to attract popular attention, but even after many published novels and two collections of short stories his work remains amazingly little-known by the general public. Why the relative obscurity? Some authors possess such high standards of integrity that they resist all impulses toward self-promotion, and – though admirable – this stance can render a disservice to readers frequently reduced to perusing overrated efforts by those who are simply tiresomely adept at marketing. When press attention has focused upon Gifune, however, the excitement of discovery rings loud and clear. The Rosewell Literary Review recently called him “one of the best writers of his generation.” What self-promoter wouldn’t kill for copy like that?
Gifune’s A VIEW FROM THE LAKE represents a near-perfect distillation of his oeuvre. Trapped by a blizzard in a holiday cottage, a young widow must contend with the phantoms of drowned children who slowly emerge from the frozen lake, as well as with a husband who may not be dead so much as transmuted into something infinitely more shocking than a mere ghost. The setting alone proves chillingly well realized. Nor is this an ordinary blizzard. An expression of the paralyzing emotional frigidity of the characters, this snowfall blanks out the world with surreal intensity, reducing it to a blank page, an empty stage on which the terrible inevitability of the plot must play itself out. In this accomplished and mature work, a permeating dread suggests the underlying fears that fuel all superstitions, all nightmares. Make no mistake – this is a devastating novel, vastly superior to the usual genre fare, as intellectually stimulating as it is viscerally frightening, and the horror lurking at its heart may well be the ultimate supernatural manifestation.
Some quotes leap with meaningless monotony from the covers of paperback books, words like “terrifying, blood-curdling, a new voice in horror fiction.” How predictable. How empty. A truly new voice evokes a new lexicon, rife with words like uncanny … hypnotic … profound …
“A View from the Lake”
by Greg F. Gifune
No one writes like this. No one. Not now.
But there was a time when American horror literature often explored metaphysical terrors. “Varney the Vampire” and “Wagner the Werwulf” – with their attendant tidal explosions of gore – represented an exclusively European manifestation of the genre. On these shores, higher levels of sophistication held sway, and -- though horror traditions may have originated in the Old World -- New World writers refined the concept. The atmospheric nuances and subtlety of expression of, say, Edith Wharton (or even Henry James) elevated it to an art form, while William Sloane explored apocalyptic levels of existential evil. Shirley Jackson helmed a new breed of writers who applied the burgeoning science of psychology to Gothic situations with shattering results. Their ghosts – demons of the mind all – were empowered by guilty memories and repressed yearnings. In short, they were lethal. These authors terrorized with nothing so quaint as monsters but with a pervasive sense of another reality, a realm moving near to this world and sometimes intruding: not so much the fear of the unknown as an apprehension of the unimaginable.
Few writers create works like this these days. Greg Gifune is a notable exception.
The complete writers’ writer, crafting novels and stories with an elegance almost unheard of within the contemporary genre, Gifune reveals roots in the noir wordsmiths of another, more cultured era. His characters tend to be articulate, intelligent, aware, which renders their predicaments all the more disturbing. An author whose core popularity has always been among the literati (Brian Keene referred to him as the genre’s “best-kept secret”), Gifune has only recently begun to attract popular attention, but even after many published novels and two collections of short stories his work remains amazingly little-known by the general public. Why the relative obscurity? Some authors possess such high standards of integrity that they resist all impulses toward self-promotion, and – though admirable – this stance can render a disservice to readers frequently reduced to perusing overrated efforts by those who are simply tiresomely adept at marketing. When press attention has focused upon Gifune, however, the excitement of discovery rings loud and clear. The Rosewell Literary Review recently called him “one of the best writers of his generation.” What self-promoter wouldn’t kill for copy like that?
Gifune’s A VIEW FROM THE LAKE represents a near-perfect distillation of his oeuvre. Trapped by a blizzard in a holiday cottage, a young widow must contend with the phantoms of drowned children who slowly emerge from the frozen lake, as well as with a husband who may not be dead so much as transmuted into something infinitely more shocking than a mere ghost. The setting alone proves chillingly well realized. Nor is this an ordinary blizzard. An expression of the paralyzing emotional frigidity of the characters, this snowfall blanks out the world with surreal intensity, reducing it to a blank page, an empty stage on which the terrible inevitability of the plot must play itself out. In this accomplished and mature work, a permeating dread suggests the underlying fears that fuel all superstitions, all nightmares. Make no mistake – this is a devastating novel, vastly superior to the usual genre fare, as intellectually stimulating as it is viscerally frightening, and the horror lurking at its heart may well be the ultimate supernatural manifestation.
Some quotes leap with meaningless monotony from the covers of paperback books, words like “terrifying, blood-curdling, a new voice in horror fiction.” How predictable. How empty. A truly new voice evokes a new lexicon, rife with words like uncanny … hypnotic … profound …
January 25, 2013
This story had some of the most chilling moments I've ever read.
Kathleen and James own some property next to a lake in the state of Massachusetts. The property consists of their own home as well as a few cabins which they rent out during the summer months. One day, James goes out to the lake and finds the body of a young boy.
After that, things start to go bad. James becomes more and more withdrawn and spends a lot of his time scribbling in a journal which he won't let anyone else see. When he does talk to Kathleen, it's about things she doesn't understand and she's becoming more and more convinced that James is going insane.
Then James disappears. His journal does too. Kathleen is left to try to figure out what happened-from the dead child in the lake, to the whereabouts of James. She seeks out a friend to hear her story and help her figure out what is going on.
As a huge snowstorm begins to blanket the lake and her home, she tries to find answers to her questions. Is insanity contagious? Is there something else going on-something evil hidden in the snow? Something evil hidden in the lake? There is a clue in the title, it's not a view "OF" the lake. It's a view "From" the lake.
The author respects the reader enough to let them draw some of their own conclusions and I like that.
If you enjoy truly chilling, creepy moments in your horror fiction rather than blood and guts,then this is the story for you.
Kathleen and James own some property next to a lake in the state of Massachusetts. The property consists of their own home as well as a few cabins which they rent out during the summer months. One day, James goes out to the lake and finds the body of a young boy.
After that, things start to go bad. James becomes more and more withdrawn and spends a lot of his time scribbling in a journal which he won't let anyone else see. When he does talk to Kathleen, it's about things she doesn't understand and she's becoming more and more convinced that James is going insane.
Then James disappears. His journal does too. Kathleen is left to try to figure out what happened-from the dead child in the lake, to the whereabouts of James. She seeks out a friend to hear her story and help her figure out what is going on.
As a huge snowstorm begins to blanket the lake and her home, she tries to find answers to her questions. Is insanity contagious? Is there something else going on-something evil hidden in the snow? Something evil hidden in the lake? There is a clue in the title, it's not a view "OF" the lake. It's a view "From" the lake.
The author respects the reader enough to let them draw some of their own conclusions and I like that.
If you enjoy truly chilling, creepy moments in your horror fiction rather than blood and guts,then this is the story for you.
August 7, 2014
Here is my better, more thorough review of this book for my Review Month
*****************************************
The Goodreads description is:
Sorry I rely so much on Goodreads descriptions, I'm just not very good at summing up the plot of books without becoming a stupid rambling mess.
The description calls this novel haunting. You have no idea how true that is.
I read this book last month and gave it 4.5 stars, which at the time I was being really nice to it, because when I first finished it I kind of hated it because you never really know what is happening. Were the events in this book supernatural? Was Katherine going mad? Did the lake spread this madness like a disease to her friends? Why did James go apeshit crazy?
Well if you are a reader used to getting all your questions answered, A View From The Lake is probably not for you. But then again I usually like everything tied up in a little bow by the end of my stories too, but when I didn't get that here it made me strangely appreciate this book even more.
Because that ambiguity, and uncertain air that pervades the whole book provides some of the most real suspense I've ever read,. And the atmosphere of that cold, snowy lake makes everything even more creepy and chilly (pun intended).
*shivers*
This book also is packing some extremely creepy and frightening imagery. Definitely some of the creepiest scenes I've ever read are IN THIS BOOK.
And one of the scenes near the end of this book, when Katherine finally is confronted and learns the partial/kinda/sorta truth as to what is going on is definitely my favorite part of the book. I've probably thought of it at least once a day since I finished the book.
But even when this story is scary it is also very much an emotional story, with Katherine's life being a mess since James's disappearance.
I love this book, and I'm on the verge of proclaiming Greg F. Gifune a horror-writing god.
********************************************
5 chilling/haunting stars out of 5.
Read this book my friends. You won't forget it for a long while.
I'll be reading The Bleeding Season in a week or two and I hope it lives up to my high expectations.
********************************************
Original reviews:
4.5 out of 5
Update: It has been a few weeks and scenes from this book still "haunt" me. Only truly great books can do this. I'm upping this to 5 stars.
5 out of 5
*****************************************
The Goodreads description is:
The modest lakeside resort in the small town of Blissful Point, Massachusetts once offered an alternative to the crowded beaches of Cape Cod. Tourists rented cabins, swam, relaxed, and enjoyed the miles of surrounding forest in a peaceful and safe environment. Katherine lived there for years with her husband James, a poet, and their cat Barney. They ran the small resort during the hectic spring and summer months, then hunkered down and endured the often brutal and desolate winters in relative isolation. Their lives were uncomplicated, happy and quiet - or so Katherine thought - until one summer morning when the dead body of a young boy is found floating in the lake. From the moment the child accidentally drowns, Katherine watches as her husband slowly begins to lose his grip on reality, spiraling down helplessly into insanity. And then he's gone, vanished from their home without a trace. The authorities drag the lake and search parties comb the woods, but to no avail. James is gone. Months later, as a blizzard descends over Blissful Point, Katherine, alone at the resort, faces her final winter on the lake. But things are no longer what they seem. Perhaps they never were. Are there others out there, in the woods, in the snow, in the lake, waiting and watching and luring her toward the same madness that claimed James? Is there a lingering and primordial evil haunting the lake, bringing with it the truth behind its existence, the answer to the mystery surrounding her husband's disappearance, and the life she thought she knew, or is her own grip on reality beginning to loosen? A View from the Lake is a haunting novel of dark literature that will not soon be forgotten.
Sorry I rely so much on Goodreads descriptions, I'm just not very good at summing up the plot of books without becoming a stupid rambling mess.
The description calls this novel haunting. You have no idea how true that is.
I read this book last month and gave it 4.5 stars, which at the time I was being really nice to it, because when I first finished it I kind of hated it because you never really know what is happening. Were the events in this book supernatural? Was Katherine going mad? Did the lake spread this madness like a disease to her friends? Why did James go apeshit crazy?
Well if you are a reader used to getting all your questions answered, A View From The Lake is probably not for you. But then again I usually like everything tied up in a little bow by the end of my stories too, but when I didn't get that here it made me strangely appreciate this book even more.
Because that ambiguity, and uncertain air that pervades the whole book provides some of the most real suspense I've ever read,. And the atmosphere of that cold, snowy lake makes everything even more creepy and chilly (pun intended).
*shivers*
This book also is packing some extremely creepy and frightening imagery. Definitely some of the creepiest scenes I've ever read are IN THIS BOOK.
And one of the scenes near the end of this book, when Katherine finally is confronted and learns the partial/kinda/sorta truth as to what is going on is definitely my favorite part of the book. I've probably thought of it at least once a day since I finished the book.
But even when this story is scary it is also very much an emotional story, with Katherine's life being a mess since James's disappearance.
I love this book, and I'm on the verge of proclaiming Greg F. Gifune a horror-writing god.
********************************************
5 chilling/haunting stars out of 5.
Read this book my friends. You won't forget it for a long while.
I'll be reading The Bleeding Season in a week or two and I hope it lives up to my high expectations.
********************************************
Original reviews:
4.5 out of 5
Update: It has been a few weeks and scenes from this book still "haunt" me. Only truly great books can do this. I'm upping this to 5 stars.
5 out of 5
June 18, 2017
A View from the Lake is a haunting tale of life, death, and everything in between. It's also a dark psychological/supernatural mind trip where something insidious hides beneath the serene and the tranquility of a normal, peaceful existence.
Author Gifune's words flow across the page, almost poetic, and actually poetic at time where poems are included. His characters are real, not heroes and villains but everyday people with faults and strengths. The story is paced appropriately- not fast paced or a slow burn, but steady, not rushing to a satisfying conclusion.
You can't go wrong with a Gifune book. The goes for this one, too. Recommended. 4.5 stars
Author Gifune's words flow across the page, almost poetic, and actually poetic at time where poems are included. His characters are real, not heroes and villains but everyday people with faults and strengths. The story is paced appropriately- not fast paced or a slow burn, but steady, not rushing to a satisfying conclusion.
You can't go wrong with a Gifune book. The goes for this one, too. Recommended. 4.5 stars
December 14, 2012
A disappointing effort from Gifune, this rambling tale of the mysterious disappearance of a woman's husband just doesn' t go anywhere but seems to think it has something important to say along the way. The characters are not well developed and you stop caring about their fates before the confusing and unsatisfying ending. I expected better from Gifune based on past reads but this story simply doesn't work despite a few interesting moments.
February 12, 2012
5 Stars
This is a very good piece of horror, dark fiction, or literary short novella. Like this quote: “Just like the lake itself, there is the surface, and there is what lies beneath.”, so too is the truth behind this story. Greg F. Gifune's "A View From The Lake" is a short novel, bordering on a novella that blurs the lines between genres, between the real and the unreal, and leaves the reader to find their own answers from underneath the surface.
I was sucked right into this macabre story and felt the tingling sensations of fear and dread as the plot moves forward. Gifune does a great job at personifying the lake and the blizzard too. They are characters in this story which as so it happens, are more bound to reality than many of the other characters in this story. The entire plot of “James and his children” asks the questions of: What is real? What is a dream? And do perceptions change things???Do they matter? Or make a difference? We the reader go through what our heroine Katherine and her friends are put through:
“This time when Katherine smiled it was not forced. "Contagious insanity?"
"That's an interesting way to phrase it," Carlo said”
A passage that sums up a lot of the turmoil:
“The lake had done this to her—to them both—it had all started with the lake, always the goddamn lake. It had caused her to never be quite sure which emotions were real and which were imagined. It had taken so much from her and left her with so little, most days it was impossible to distinguish genuine feelings of fear, loss and confusion with the incoherent ramblings that often coursed through her mind.”
"A View From The Lake" plays out like a traditional horror type ghost story but it does it with literary flair. Much of the writing and prose is penned out in style, the way that James would have written it in his journals. Often poetic, I really loved the way the words meant more than what they were actually saying.
“"I can see your thoughts…Hear your tears…Taste your sighs… Feel your terror…So rancid and cold…Decaying slowly…Just beneath me…Gentle whispers…Dancing numbly through my mind…Eyes rolling…Flooded with disbelief…Legs cramping… Ankles locked behind my back…Posed like store-window lovers…Left on display… Soiled, red and scarred…An everlasting union…A testament to my blood…Seeping quietly…Down."”
This was my first Greg F. Gifune novel, but it will not be my last. I am now a fan and highly recommend this book to those seeking a good horror novel, or a literary dark fiction one.
This is a very good piece of horror, dark fiction, or literary short novella. Like this quote: “Just like the lake itself, there is the surface, and there is what lies beneath.”, so too is the truth behind this story. Greg F. Gifune's "A View From The Lake" is a short novel, bordering on a novella that blurs the lines between genres, between the real and the unreal, and leaves the reader to find their own answers from underneath the surface.
I was sucked right into this macabre story and felt the tingling sensations of fear and dread as the plot moves forward. Gifune does a great job at personifying the lake and the blizzard too. They are characters in this story which as so it happens, are more bound to reality than many of the other characters in this story. The entire plot of “James and his children” asks the questions of: What is real? What is a dream? And do perceptions change things???Do they matter? Or make a difference? We the reader go through what our heroine Katherine and her friends are put through:
“This time when Katherine smiled it was not forced. "Contagious insanity?"
"That's an interesting way to phrase it," Carlo said”
A passage that sums up a lot of the turmoil:
“The lake had done this to her—to them both—it had all started with the lake, always the goddamn lake. It had caused her to never be quite sure which emotions were real and which were imagined. It had taken so much from her and left her with so little, most days it was impossible to distinguish genuine feelings of fear, loss and confusion with the incoherent ramblings that often coursed through her mind.”
"A View From The Lake" plays out like a traditional horror type ghost story but it does it with literary flair. Much of the writing and prose is penned out in style, the way that James would have written it in his journals. Often poetic, I really loved the way the words meant more than what they were actually saying.
“"I can see your thoughts…Hear your tears…Taste your sighs… Feel your terror…So rancid and cold…Decaying slowly…Just beneath me…Gentle whispers…Dancing numbly through my mind…Eyes rolling…Flooded with disbelief…Legs cramping… Ankles locked behind my back…Posed like store-window lovers…Left on display… Soiled, red and scarred…An everlasting union…A testament to my blood…Seeping quietly…Down."”
This was my first Greg F. Gifune novel, but it will not be my last. I am now a fan and highly recommend this book to those seeking a good horror novel, or a literary dark fiction one.
February 12, 2018
Katherine and James purchased lake property in rural western Massachusetts when they were in their mid-twenties. They rented out the various cottages while James worked on his poetry. It was an idyllic setting and life. That is, until James discovered the body of a boy floating by one of the cottage docks. The accident sent devastated James and he slowly sank into madness and depression from a broken mind. Katherine watched as James became more and more recluse and angry until one day he disappeared without a trace. Trying to pick up the pieces of a shattered life, Katherine makes the decision to sell the property in the spring and to try and start a new life. All she has to do is get through the winter. Not an easy task now that she's hearing strange thing that sound like James. Is this all in her mind or is he out there somewhere?
I've read a handful of Gifune's work and most of them are noted for the story being enveloped in shadows and fog, to the point where it's hard to tell what's going on, what's real and what's not. A View from the Lake is no different. But where it is different than my other experiences with Gifune's stories is that there is no pay off. The last 1/3 doesn't ratchet up and have this wonderful revelation that ties everything together. In fact, the ending came out of the blue and left you with more questions than answers. The characters weren't all that interesting and I didn't feel for Katherine or James. I know this is one of Gifune's earlier works and I think it shows. When you read his later works, you'll see that he commands things so much better.
2 Confusing Hallucinations out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://intothemacabre.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
I've read a handful of Gifune's work and most of them are noted for the story being enveloped in shadows and fog, to the point where it's hard to tell what's going on, what's real and what's not. A View from the Lake is no different. But where it is different than my other experiences with Gifune's stories is that there is no pay off. The last 1/3 doesn't ratchet up and have this wonderful revelation that ties everything together. In fact, the ending came out of the blue and left you with more questions than answers. The characters weren't all that interesting and I didn't feel for Katherine or James. I know this is one of Gifune's earlier works and I think it shows. When you read his later works, you'll see that he commands things so much better.
2 Confusing Hallucinations out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://intothemacabre.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
August 13, 2011
(Introduction by T.M. Wright)
Greg F. Gifune’s “A View From The Lake” is an unrelenting journey into the depths of madness and terror that will forever change the way you look at a snowstorm or your favorite lake again.
There are not too many authors that can actually scare me, Mr. Gifune is one of them.
“A View From The Lake” is one of the best ghost stories I have ever read. Though calling it a simple ghost story might be an injustice, it is so much more than that. I found it very hard to turn the lights out after I finished, it had that much of an impact. This book will stay with you long after you finish the last page.
From the very first page Mr. Gifune draws you into a world of madness, where things aren’t always what they appear to be. His prose is dark and disturbing, the atmosphere haunting and unsettling. Mr. Gifune leads you on a horrific journey that ends….you, my friend will have to read the book to find that out, but it is safe to say the ending will leave you breathless and shaken.
Mr. Gifune continues to push the boundaries of what dark fiction can be, and in my opinion is one of the best authors in dark fiction today. If you have not yet read anything by Mr. Gifune what are you waiting for, use the link above to order “A View From The Lake”, I guarantee you will not be disappointed and I give it my highest recommendation.
My Review
This is a chilling tale of dark mystery. The story is set around a Lake, there seems to be a mystery around it and it's presents a place of death for some individuals. A married couple bought some property near the Lake and life has seemed to have deteriorated for them.
Greg F. Gifune’s “A View From The Lake” is an unrelenting journey into the depths of madness and terror that will forever change the way you look at a snowstorm or your favorite lake again.
There are not too many authors that can actually scare me, Mr. Gifune is one of them.
“A View From The Lake” is one of the best ghost stories I have ever read. Though calling it a simple ghost story might be an injustice, it is so much more than that. I found it very hard to turn the lights out after I finished, it had that much of an impact. This book will stay with you long after you finish the last page.
From the very first page Mr. Gifune draws you into a world of madness, where things aren’t always what they appear to be. His prose is dark and disturbing, the atmosphere haunting and unsettling. Mr. Gifune leads you on a horrific journey that ends….you, my friend will have to read the book to find that out, but it is safe to say the ending will leave you breathless and shaken.
Mr. Gifune continues to push the boundaries of what dark fiction can be, and in my opinion is one of the best authors in dark fiction today. If you have not yet read anything by Mr. Gifune what are you waiting for, use the link above to order “A View From The Lake”, I guarantee you will not be disappointed and I give it my highest recommendation.
My Review
This is a chilling tale of dark mystery. The story is set around a Lake, there seems to be a mystery around it and it's presents a place of death for some individuals. A married couple bought some property near the Lake and life has seemed to have deteriorated for them.
March 30, 2013
This story was unrelenting with its emotional impact! I was instantly whisked away to this lakefront property--the imagery was so REAL that it was easy to forget that I wasn't the one looking out into the blinding blizzard... What I enjoyed the most about this novel (in truth, about most of Greg Gifune's work), is that the "facts" presented to the reader are open to interpretation. We are not blatantly being told "this is what is happening, this will happen next". While some readers do not like this kind of narrative, I, personally, love it! Here we are given parts of the picture, and allowed to decide for ourselves the relevance or reality of each tidbit. Within this structure, I actually feel much more of an emotional attachment, as a reader.
The story centers around Katherine, whose husband, James, disappeared a year ago after a "progression into madness". Of course, the real questions are whether or not it was madness, where did James go, and what is happening to Katherine now. I don't want to get into too many details that could contain spoilers..
Suffice to say, for me, this was a breathtaking journey that opens more questions that I can see myself pondering for weeks to come!
The story centers around Katherine, whose husband, James, disappeared a year ago after a "progression into madness". Of course, the real questions are whether or not it was madness, where did James go, and what is happening to Katherine now. I don't want to get into too many details that could contain spoilers..
Suffice to say, for me, this was a breathtaking journey that opens more questions that I can see myself pondering for weeks to come!
January 10, 2012
A very literary but perhaps not literal ghost story. And like many great writers, Gifune gives you the story and lets you spin your own interpretation out of the threads of facts that do exist. The reader can choose to make this a story of demons, of ghosts, or of madness. My vote is madness but that is just one interpretation. And I keep coming back to the story and re-thinking my conclusions. I will most likely read it again and come up with yet another analysis. One thing that is clear is that Mr. Gifune is a great writer and I am looking forward to reading the rest of his catalog.
May 7, 2022
I love Greg Gifune’s writing style. Even with A View from the Lake, but the story itself was not my fave.
The characters weren’t interesting. The plot was… hmmm….I don’t even know. It felt repetitive, like it kept cycling in circles, leading no where. There was no build up or climate nor were there any twists or shocking moments. And the conclusion….was there one??
I don’t know. I’m so confused!
I ended up having more questions than answers.
I’m bummed that I didn’t like this one. But hey, there’s five other Gifune books I’ve read and loved, so I know there will be more in my future!
The characters weren’t interesting. The plot was… hmmm….I don’t even know. It felt repetitive, like it kept cycling in circles, leading no where. There was no build up or climate nor were there any twists or shocking moments. And the conclusion….was there one??
I don’t know. I’m so confused!
I ended up having more questions than answers.
I’m bummed that I didn’t like this one. But hey, there’s five other Gifune books I’ve read and loved, so I know there will be more in my future!
August 26, 2015
Part ghost story, part psychological thriller, A View From the Lake is vintage Gifune, replete with rich characters, sharp dialogue, and his uncanny ability to take a simple concept and turn the world on the reader's head. At its heart, this is a story of identity. Can we ever truly know those we love? Can we ever even know our true selves? A captivating short novel of love and loss.
June 17, 2022
I love a good ghost story. "A View From The Lake" is an eerie ghost story about death. There are several chilling parts to this atmospheric story. Gifune pulls the reader into story where things are not as they appear.
I found the characters in this book a bit lacking. I would of liked more backstory so that I would of had a better understanding of the events that unfolded in the novel. There was a lot that occurred in this loaded story. James was a dark character and his psyche was deteriorating. In addition to James, Gifune introduces the lake which revolved around the story. People drowned in the lake. James felt guilt for the drawing of his foster brother. There was a lot going on in the story and it left me a bit confused
I continued listening because I was hoping the ending would answer Manny of my questions. It did not.
Overall, this is a interesting ghost story. Even though I did not enjoy this one as much as the first GIfune book I read. I still need to read all his books. He is a great story teller.
May 18, 2022
Gifune.
July 10, 2013
I'm a big fan of Greg Gifune but this was just awful.
Lots of cheesy horror movie type cliches and that old chestnut where a character hears a scream before realising that it is indeed his own scream. I thought Gifune was better than that. I'm used to Gifune leaving many things open to interpretation but this one was just ridiculous. By the end of this story I was just annoyed.
Very disapointed. I'd thought Gifune incapable of writing bad literature. I was mistaken.
Lots of cheesy horror movie type cliches and that old chestnut where a character hears a scream before realising that it is indeed his own scream. I thought Gifune was better than that. I'm used to Gifune leaving many things open to interpretation but this one was just ridiculous. By the end of this story I was just annoyed.
Very disapointed. I'd thought Gifune incapable of writing bad literature. I was mistaken.
June 3, 2022
This is the story of Katherine who lives beside a lake with here husband, James where they own a small resort in Blissful Point, Massachusetts. Things begin to get a little strange when a little Japanese boy drowns in the lake. Katherine thinks that her husband is being moody and behaving oddly because he’s grieving for the little boy and somehow feel partly responsible but that’s not it at all. There’s so much more to this equation. We find out as the story unfolds that James is so much more than just Katherine’s husband. James is the lake.
This book is extremely well written and somewhat enigmatic as all of Mr. Gifune’s books tend to be. The creeping evil or the bogie man in his books are often unnamed and intangible. The monster is what your mind makes out of it and that will be differ from person to person. I really enjoyed this book although I found the ending too abrupt and without explanation.
This book is extremely well written and somewhat enigmatic as all of Mr. Gifune’s books tend to be. The creeping evil or the bogie man in his books are often unnamed and intangible. The monster is what your mind makes out of it and that will be differ from person to person. I really enjoyed this book although I found the ending too abrupt and without explanation.
February 12, 2012
I gave this 3 stars only because of how good the writing was. However, I got very annoyed at the story. I get so tired of these dramatic stories that blur the lines so much that you don't know what is real or not. Was it all a dream? Was James really the lake?
I would have liked this story better if it weren't for the foreword. I was especially bothered that it mentioned that this author wasn't trying to solve the mystery of life and death, he was just trying to write about it. There is no mystery of life and death to write about. Authors try to make it seem mysterious and dramatic so they can write these stories. No, of course the author wasn't trying to solve the mystery because there is none so then there wouldn't have been a story to write about. This plagued me throughout the story and made me mad that the author set out to make a statement about life and death rather than just a plain scary ghost story with no hidden meaning behind it.
I would have enjoyed this better as a story about a man going insane. At least then we get to try to figure out his psyche. James had a dark, lonely side to him that left him untouchable to his wife. There was a story in that. But then to bring the whole lake into it and his dead mom and children who drowned was just too intangible. I would have liked it better if he was just so overwhelmed with guilt about not saving his foster brother from drowning that when the Japanese boy also drowned, his guilt drove him into a dark depression. Rather, he was or wasn't real, he was dreaming, he was the lake and mother of the children? This was unnecessary and was doing what the foreword said the author wasn't doing, trying to figure out life and death.
I loved how detailed and captivating the writing was in this story:
"Never before had he seen the ravages of age so evident in a person's face. Her mouth seemed frozen in a perpetual frown, and her eyes were covered in thick white cataracts. In her bony, arthritically mangled hands was a set of wooden rosary beads, a gold crucifix dangling from the last length of beads swaying in time with the temperate motion of the porch swing."
But of course this was all for naught because to make it so dramatic, the woman Carlo was talking to, Mrs. Covington died a year ago. He sees her later on in her coffin next to another coffin with her dead son who died a couple of decades before. All perfectly preserved. Was this an illusion? Was it all a dream?
Again, I loved the writing and this could have been a good story without all the dramatics.
I would have liked this story better if it weren't for the foreword. I was especially bothered that it mentioned that this author wasn't trying to solve the mystery of life and death, he was just trying to write about it. There is no mystery of life and death to write about. Authors try to make it seem mysterious and dramatic so they can write these stories. No, of course the author wasn't trying to solve the mystery because there is none so then there wouldn't have been a story to write about. This plagued me throughout the story and made me mad that the author set out to make a statement about life and death rather than just a plain scary ghost story with no hidden meaning behind it.
I would have enjoyed this better as a story about a man going insane. At least then we get to try to figure out his psyche. James had a dark, lonely side to him that left him untouchable to his wife. There was a story in that. But then to bring the whole lake into it and his dead mom and children who drowned was just too intangible. I would have liked it better if he was just so overwhelmed with guilt about not saving his foster brother from drowning that when the Japanese boy also drowned, his guilt drove him into a dark depression. Rather, he was or wasn't real, he was dreaming, he was the lake and mother of the children? This was unnecessary and was doing what the foreword said the author wasn't doing, trying to figure out life and death.
I loved how detailed and captivating the writing was in this story:
"Never before had he seen the ravages of age so evident in a person's face. Her mouth seemed frozen in a perpetual frown, and her eyes were covered in thick white cataracts. In her bony, arthritically mangled hands was a set of wooden rosary beads, a gold crucifix dangling from the last length of beads swaying in time with the temperate motion of the porch swing."
But of course this was all for naught because to make it so dramatic, the woman Carlo was talking to, Mrs. Covington died a year ago. He sees her later on in her coffin next to another coffin with her dead son who died a couple of decades before. All perfectly preserved. Was this an illusion? Was it all a dream?
Again, I loved the writing and this could have been a good story without all the dramatics.
January 28, 2023
What a strange book - I'm still not certain whether I truly enjoyed it or not.
However, I am definitely still thinking about it, so it must have clicked somewhere in my brain!
Great if you're happy with the meaning and conclusion of a story being entirely what you choose to make of it.
However, I am definitely still thinking about it, so it must have clicked somewhere in my brain!
Great if you're happy with the meaning and conclusion of a story being entirely what you choose to make of it.
March 3, 2013
The reasons I did not enjoy this book are many. At the beginning I thought it might be a pretty good book, but it went downhill for me. Where I enjoyed the action between the main female character and her malefriend, Carlo...I did not enjoy the interaction between her and her husband. In fact I saw the husband as sort of a spoiled brat. Obviously he had some problems. I thought his past might have made him a bit more independent in a good way. I did not enjoy the second part of the book and the water ghosts were simply not something I enjoyed.
I think the writing style and character involvement and development were fine. I think I may not like ghost books. Not my favorite of the various horror genre.
I think the writing style and character involvement and development were fine. I think I may not like ghost books. Not my favorite of the various horror genre.
February 6, 2015
Great chilling read! I loved everything about the story: the lake scene and house; the description of the blizzard, so cold as if I was there; the story developing in such a way that i felt I was a part of the story. I wasn't just watching these characters from above or in a completely passive fashion, but rather right there with them. And like people and events in real life, there are no easy answers. Oh, what a great time I had reading this book!
There were several scenes that spooked me real good and deep...what a feeling!
There were several scenes that spooked me real good and deep...what a feeling!
February 7, 2017
I was totally immersed in this story. It was fast paced and a very unique story. Then it ended...I don't mind stories with ambiguous endings in fact I enjoy those, it lets the reader come to their own conclusion. I feel this story ended to soon, as the reader I didn't have the chance to form my own opinion on what was happening or why.
Good story but ended to abruptly.
Good story but ended to abruptly.
November 14, 2021
Good! Good and very Good indeed. When you pick up a book by Greg F. Gifune it was all that you can count on having some good times all by yourself. This one also can be count on like his others work of fiction. Fabulous work...
Basic description from Goodreads :
"The modest lakeside resort in the small town of Blissful Point, Massachusetts once offered an alternative to the crowded beaches of Cape Cod. Tourists rented cabins, swam, relaxed, and enjoyed the miles of surrounding forest in a peaceful and safe environment."
So in this area Katherine used to live with her husband James. Since then everything seems alright. One thing before you decide you have to understand this tale might not give you all the answers you wanted to know from the consequences which been made on it. These the speciality of this book. Anyway when in the area of that lake where Katherine lived with her husband one day a child's dead body found in there. Thus the story begins from here. All of sudden after some days James mood seems to be abnormal. He was not in himself and seems distracted from anything but his wife Katherine. Katherine tried her best to reason her husband out, then one day James vanished and he was nowhere to be seen. Carlo and Mercy these two character offers help to her. But, that lake has something odd about it. The lake didn't seem alright to her. As the went by and the scenery of her daily life become more unrealistic she couldn't clarify what was wrong or what was right. She didn't know what to do but rely on something that doesn't look real...
You might seek the answers but I bet there's no answer for you. Mr. Greg did another finest job with this one. From me not total 5 but giving 4 out of 5...
Basic description from Goodreads :
"The modest lakeside resort in the small town of Blissful Point, Massachusetts once offered an alternative to the crowded beaches of Cape Cod. Tourists rented cabins, swam, relaxed, and enjoyed the miles of surrounding forest in a peaceful and safe environment."
So in this area Katherine used to live with her husband James. Since then everything seems alright. One thing before you decide you have to understand this tale might not give you all the answers you wanted to know from the consequences which been made on it. These the speciality of this book. Anyway when in the area of that lake where Katherine lived with her husband one day a child's dead body found in there. Thus the story begins from here. All of sudden after some days James mood seems to be abnormal. He was not in himself and seems distracted from anything but his wife Katherine. Katherine tried her best to reason her husband out, then one day James vanished and he was nowhere to be seen. Carlo and Mercy these two character offers help to her. But, that lake has something odd about it. The lake didn't seem alright to her. As the went by and the scenery of her daily life become more unrealistic she couldn't clarify what was wrong or what was right. She didn't know what to do but rely on something that doesn't look real...
You might seek the answers but I bet there's no answer for you. Mr. Greg did another finest job with this one. From me not total 5 but giving 4 out of 5...
September 14, 2025
I'll go three and a half stars
This story could be the best atmospheric and creepy novel by mr. Gifune. The loneliness and hopelessness from the main characters seem to seep out of the pages and draws on something inside the reader. Add in a freaky paranormal event and you have some good reading. What's lacking for me is the plot. Just not much of a story, very short and very simple.
This story could be the best atmospheric and creepy novel by mr. Gifune. The loneliness and hopelessness from the main characters seem to seep out of the pages and draws on something inside the reader. Add in a freaky paranormal event and you have some good reading. What's lacking for me is the plot. Just not much of a story, very short and very simple.
June 25, 2018
This book is on a train to nowhere. The writing itself is decent; he knows how to create a scene and comes up with intriguing dialogue. But the plot is as thin as the ice in the lake. If you can actually find it, that is. I am not sure how a person would even reveal a spoiler for this, since nothing is ever actually revealed in the story. Dreamy, moody gobbledygook.
March 16, 2023
I had a hard time connecting with this one. It just didn’t feel finished. Some characters had no background and they felt two dimensional.
October 10, 2023
Wonderfully creepy. Would have loved more of an ending.
December 19, 2015
‘A View from the Lake’ is about Kathleen who now lives alone next to a lake after the mysterious disappearance of her husband James. Prior to his death, James had been withdrawn ever since he stumbled upon the body of a drowned boy in the lake. Plagued by confusion and fear, Kathleen attempts to understand the truth behind what had happened to James.
Despite the promising storyline, this book just wasn’t ever engaging or interesting. This is mainly because Kathleen is such a dull character. Throughout the time I began this book until I reached the ending, Kathleen lacked personality. She was never convincing despite whatever emotions she was supposedly feeling – sadness, fear, confusion. The flashbacks involving James weren’t exactly captivating either and didn’t provide any clues to give the reader the chance to figure out the reason for his strange behaviour.
Instead, the whole story was directionless. Based on the title and James’ odd connection to the lake, I expected Kathleen to physically investigate it but all she did was sit and wonder and worry. By the time the explanation was given, it didn’t matter anymore. Plus, it was somewhat confusing and the ending was poorly done. The eerie atmosphere that should have surrounded the lake wasn’t conveyed effectively and the repetition of Kathleen seeing the kids got old pretty fast.
Overall, ‘A View from the Lake’ is a short but forgettable read.
Despite the promising storyline, this book just wasn’t ever engaging or interesting. This is mainly because Kathleen is such a dull character. Throughout the time I began this book until I reached the ending, Kathleen lacked personality. She was never convincing despite whatever emotions she was supposedly feeling – sadness, fear, confusion. The flashbacks involving James weren’t exactly captivating either and didn’t provide any clues to give the reader the chance to figure out the reason for his strange behaviour.
Instead, the whole story was directionless. Based on the title and James’ odd connection to the lake, I expected Kathleen to physically investigate it but all she did was sit and wonder and worry. By the time the explanation was given, it didn’t matter anymore. Plus, it was somewhat confusing and the ending was poorly done. The eerie atmosphere that should have surrounded the lake wasn’t conveyed effectively and the repetition of Kathleen seeing the kids got old pretty fast.
Overall, ‘A View from the Lake’ is a short but forgettable read.
April 28, 2013
I hate to say but not my favourite Gifune...but I still rate him as a powerful author with an emotional level of writing that many aspire to but few attain!
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