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Witch
Ellen March's newly established independence is threatened by frightening supernatural occurrences in her isolated house
234 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
158 people are currently reading
1392 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Michaels
95 books692 followersBarbara Michaels was a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Elizabeth Peters, as well as under her own name.
She was born in Canton, Illinois and has written over fifty books including some in Egyptology. Dr. Mertz also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Egyptology.
She was born in Canton, Illinois and has written over fifty books including some in Egyptology. Dr. Mertz also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Egyptology.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
June 9, 2022
A house that may or may not be haunted by a mysterious white cat.
Ms Ellen March, separated, single mother, gets tired of city life and ponders over moving outside the city. When she finds a secluded house in the middle of Virginia woods, she doesn’t really care about the town’s gossip and that it may be haunted by an old witch’s ghost; for her, it’s the perfect dreamed house. And it is, until strange events start to happen. Is it her imagination? Has the witch returned? And what about that mysterious white cat?
This cozy mystery starts wonderfully. One of the most clever writing I ever remember seeing. Unfortunately, the witty writing ended soon after the beginning, or maybe the feeling just wore off. Regardless, the excellent start got me captivated enough to carry me until the end. Ms March plays a nice lead, the chemistry with her daughter Penny is great. Everyone in town is kind of a jerk. But who cares? A fairly enjoyable read. Not exactly recommendable, and maybe somewhat dated, but a worthy read nonetheless.
I think the title of the book is utterly misleading, and I could not love it more for it.
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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1973] [208p] [Cozy Mystery] [Entertaining] [Almost Recommendable] [Used book] [Includes ghostly cat]
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Una casa que podría o no estar embrujada por un misterioso gato blanco.
Sra. Ellen March, separada, madre soltera, se cansa de la vida en la ciudad y reflexiona sobre mudarse a las afueras de la ciudad. Cuando encuentra una recluida casa en el medio de los bosques de Virginia, no le importa los rumores del pueblo y que podría estar embrujada por el viejo fantasma de una bruja; para ella, es la perfecta casa soñada. Y lo es, hasta que extraños eventos empiezan a suceder. Es su imaginación? Ha vuelto la bruja? Y qué sobre ese misterioso gato blanco?
Este misterio acogedor empieza maravillosamente. Una de las escrituras más inteligentes que jamás recuerdo haber visto. Desafortunadamente, esa escritura ingeniosa se acaba poco después del comienzo, o tal vez la sensación sólo se gastó. De cualquier manera, ese excelente comienzo me cautivó lo necesario para llevarme hasta el final. Sra March realiza un gran protagonismo, la química con su hija Penny es genial. Casi todos en el pueblo son medio idiotas. Pero a quien le importa? Una lectura bastante disfrutable. No exactamente recomendable, y tal vez algo pasada de fecha, pero sin embargo una lectura ciertamente valiosa.
Creo que el título del libro es terriblemente engañoso, y no podría quererlo más por ello.
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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1973] [208p] [Misterio Acogedor] [Entretenido] [Casi Recomendable] [Libro usado] [Incluye gato fantasmal]
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Ms Ellen March, separated, single mother, gets tired of city life and ponders over moving outside the city. When she finds a secluded house in the middle of Virginia woods, she doesn’t really care about the town’s gossip and that it may be haunted by an old witch’s ghost; for her, it’s the perfect dreamed house. And it is, until strange events start to happen. Is it her imagination? Has the witch returned? And what about that mysterious white cat?
This cozy mystery starts wonderfully. One of the most clever writing I ever remember seeing. Unfortunately, the witty writing ended soon after the beginning, or maybe the feeling just wore off. Regardless, the excellent start got me captivated enough to carry me until the end. Ms March plays a nice lead, the chemistry with her daughter Penny is great. Everyone in town is kind of a jerk. But who cares? A fairly enjoyable read. Not exactly recommendable, and maybe somewhat dated, but a worthy read nonetheless.
I think the title of the book is utterly misleading, and I could not love it more for it.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1973] [208p] [Cozy Mystery] [Entertaining] [Almost Recommendable] [Used book] [Includes ghostly cat]
-----------------------------------------------
Una casa que podría o no estar embrujada por un misterioso gato blanco.
Sra. Ellen March, separada, madre soltera, se cansa de la vida en la ciudad y reflexiona sobre mudarse a las afueras de la ciudad. Cuando encuentra una recluida casa en el medio de los bosques de Virginia, no le importa los rumores del pueblo y que podría estar embrujada por el viejo fantasma de una bruja; para ella, es la perfecta casa soñada. Y lo es, hasta que extraños eventos empiezan a suceder. Es su imaginación? Ha vuelto la bruja? Y qué sobre ese misterioso gato blanco?
Este misterio acogedor empieza maravillosamente. Una de las escrituras más inteligentes que jamás recuerdo haber visto. Desafortunadamente, esa escritura ingeniosa se acaba poco después del comienzo, o tal vez la sensación sólo se gastó. De cualquier manera, ese excelente comienzo me cautivó lo necesario para llevarme hasta el final. Sra March realiza un gran protagonismo, la química con su hija Penny es genial. Casi todos en el pueblo son medio idiotas. Pero a quien le importa? Una lectura bastante disfrutable. No exactamente recomendable, y tal vez algo pasada de fecha, pero sin embargo una lectura ciertamente valiosa.
Creo que el título del libro es terriblemente engañoso, y no podría quererlo más por ello.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1973] [208p] [Misterio Acogedor] [Entretenido] [Casi Recomendable] [Libro usado] [Incluye gato fantasmal]
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August 17, 2011
This has been my favorite Barbara Michaels novel so far. A ghost story, a lesson on mass hysteria, and a mystery, with a little romance thrown in for good measure. Once I got started I couldn't put it down. A strong female main character dispels the Gothic critics who roll their eyes at many novels written in this era. While we do have a man come to help out in a time of crisis, he is hardly an alpha male. There was nothing in here too dated. Some feminist comments here and there, common for that era of time, but otherwise a fast moving, suspenseful novel. These books can be found at Amazon and used bookstores. If you run across them, pick one up. You won't be disappointed.
November 28, 2017
Well.... it's happened everybody. I promised myself that I would never give a 1 star review for a book. I really tried to like this book, but it was painful to even get to the end. Barbara Michaels'
Witch
is set in rural Virginia, where Ellen March purchases a farmhouse to reside in with lots of land, with a humble, quaint, small town atmosphere. Prior to purchasing the house, Ellen is warned by the current owner about the rumors surrounding the property—the myth of a witch's ghost haunting the premises. Unfazed, Ellen excitedly purchases the property and seeks to set a new life for herself. She meets with the local townsfolk, neighbors; and learns more about the town and the ghost story surrounding her property. As her time at her new property lingers, Ellen quickly finds out that a witch would be the least of her problems.
Alright alright alright—this book bored me to death. I really wanted to like this book after seeing it on a fan-site (forgot where). I wanted to pick up an older book that hasn't been on my feed and show some support. I know my tolerance for formal writing has dissipated over the years, but the dialogue between Ellen and the secondary characters was brutal. I am aware that Witch was originally published in the 1970s, and I really did take that into account but I don't care what decade this is in, the language used by Barbara Michaels was ridiculous. The other excruciating focus of this book for me was that it was hardly about the witch and more about Ellen's drama with her neighbors. W.H.O. C.A.R.E.S.?
Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer but this was just a painful and boring read. Maybe I'll just stick to contemporary works from now on. If you had a good time with Witch , please let me know! I'm curious to hear other opinions.
Alright alright alright—this book bored me to death. I really wanted to like this book after seeing it on a fan-site (forgot where). I wanted to pick up an older book that hasn't been on my feed and show some support. I know my tolerance for formal writing has dissipated over the years, but the dialogue between Ellen and the secondary characters was brutal. I am aware that Witch was originally published in the 1970s, and I really did take that into account but I don't care what decade this is in, the language used by Barbara Michaels was ridiculous. The other excruciating focus of this book for me was that it was hardly about the witch and more about Ellen's drama with her neighbors. W.H.O. C.A.R.E.S.?
Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer but this was just a painful and boring read. Maybe I'll just stick to contemporary works from now on. If you had a good time with Witch , please let me know! I'm curious to hear other opinions.
June 18, 2019
It's hard to put my finger on a word that accurately describes the cozy feel of Barbara Michael's stories. There's not usually a cutesy feel that would explain it - perhaps it's the old houses, hot tea and feline companions? Irregardless of the right description, it can be found in almost all her books. A certain something impossible to describe (the French term for this escapes me). (Edited to add - thanks to Nancy D Miz-Firefly aka Sparky --- It is: je ne sais quoi) Witch especially radiates this sensation, making me crave a soft, fluffy quilt and cup of homemade hot tea with honey while devouring it.
The atmosphere isn't as Gothic as her others, and for a change the heroine of the novel faces the bulk of issues alone. Generally there are several people in the house solving the mystery together, batting ideas off each other with witty comments, hidden insults, but bigger affections. Here however, Ellen is hassled by the deranged town at every turn, not getting actual support until she's reunited with her family toward the end when their trip is over.
As a character Ellen is incredible; strong and older, amusing and compassionate, butting her nose into others business but admitting it with a smile at the same time. The object of her affections doesn't sound like a dreamboat in looks, but his sense of humor had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. As is typical, the teens and kids of the story are fondly considered pains in the rear, being just as opinionated and sarcastic as the adults.
Another stand-out was that the fought-against forces of Witch aren't the house or any potential hauntings, but the town itself. The stifling, backwood ignorance is more chilling than the supernatural, especially with the end resulting in a terrifying climax that's all too familiar. To know these things have really happened to innocent people in the past made me all the more sympathetic to Ellen's plight.
Pace-wise, it moves along but not in the supernatural or malicious manner. It's just interesting somehow in the beginning. Not much action save personal issues is happening, and for some reason I'm always enraptured with the details Michaels writes about when redecorating these old houses. Mystery is tight and leads the reader away from the real issues, without even appearing like much of a mystery until it's happening. The end villain was a culprit I never would have suspected.
Overall this is a more than memorable book; it has elements of a cozy mystery that's simple in its telling and psychologically twisted in its revelation. No heavy researching or mystery hunting here, just a satisfying wrap up of a story set in a disturbingly warped world.
The atmosphere isn't as Gothic as her others, and for a change the heroine of the novel faces the bulk of issues alone. Generally there are several people in the house solving the mystery together, batting ideas off each other with witty comments, hidden insults, but bigger affections. Here however, Ellen is hassled by the deranged town at every turn, not getting actual support until she's reunited with her family toward the end when their trip is over.
As a character Ellen is incredible; strong and older, amusing and compassionate, butting her nose into others business but admitting it with a smile at the same time. The object of her affections doesn't sound like a dreamboat in looks, but his sense of humor had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. As is typical, the teens and kids of the story are fondly considered pains in the rear, being just as opinionated and sarcastic as the adults.
Another stand-out was that the fought-against forces of Witch aren't the house or any potential hauntings, but the town itself. The stifling, backwood ignorance is more chilling than the supernatural, especially with the end resulting in a terrifying climax that's all too familiar. To know these things have really happened to innocent people in the past made me all the more sympathetic to Ellen's plight.
Pace-wise, it moves along but not in the supernatural or malicious manner. It's just interesting somehow in the beginning. Not much action save personal issues is happening, and for some reason I'm always enraptured with the details Michaels writes about when redecorating these old houses. Mystery is tight and leads the reader away from the real issues, without even appearing like much of a mystery until it's happening. The end villain was a culprit I never would have suspected.
Overall this is a more than memorable book; it has elements of a cozy mystery that's simple in its telling and psychologically twisted in its revelation. No heavy researching or mystery hunting here, just a satisfying wrap up of a story set in a disturbingly warped world.
May 19, 2017
I really should leave old favorite books and authors alone, so I can enjoy the happy memories. So often, when I try to reread them decades later, I can't figure out what I used to like so much. Case in point: Barbara Michaels. At one point in my life, she was an auto-buy, must-read author for me, and although I started reading her in the late 1980s/early 1990s, it was her early stuff from the 1970s that I liked the best. So I requested Witch from inter library loan, and Holy Bummers, Batman, was I ever disappointed.
The story is about a rich divorcee, Ellen March, who has been acting as housekeeper/nanny for her late sister's husband (whom she has a giant crush on), decides to buy a house in the foothills of Virginia. The house is supposed to be haunted by a witch, but that doesn't faze her. She's warned that the townsfolk are superstitious and insular, but goes around pretending to tell fortunes and insulting them at every turn. Not the brightest, our Ellen. Luckily her teenaged daughter, Penny, shows up in the last quarter of the book to figure things out, because Ellen needs all the help she can get. There is the merest hint of the supernatural--nothing to get excited about. And there's a phenomenally stupid ending.
I got a couple other early Micheals but now I'm not sure if I can bear to read them. On the other hand, her books are a super quick read and perfect literary junk food. Maybe I'll give her one more go before casting her to the can't-go-home-again shelf.
The story is about a rich divorcee, Ellen March, who has been acting as housekeeper/nanny for her late sister's husband (whom she has a giant crush on), decides to buy a house in the foothills of Virginia. The house is supposed to be haunted by a witch, but that doesn't faze her. She's warned that the townsfolk are superstitious and insular, but goes around pretending to tell fortunes and insulting them at every turn. Not the brightest, our Ellen. Luckily her teenaged daughter, Penny, shows up in the last quarter of the book to figure things out, because Ellen needs all the help she can get. There is the merest hint of the supernatural--nothing to get excited about. And there's a phenomenally stupid ending.
I got a couple other early Micheals but now I'm not sure if I can bear to read them. On the other hand, her books are a super quick read and perfect literary junk food. Maybe I'll give her one more go before casting her to the can't-go-home-again shelf.
October 7, 2017
It's so great when an old favorite does not disappoint. I've always thought of Witch as one of my favorites and now I remember why. What great characters: Good guys and Bad Guys alike. I wish she had done a follow up or two, like with Ammie Come Home.
March 6, 2017
For those of us who grew up with Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt, a good old-fashioned Gothic. Perhaps dated for a younger generation. The heroine is older, late 30s, which was refreshingly different, but she is saved in the end by the hero--although she herself shows a lot of spunk. Very much a 70s milieu. All the boys have long hair hanging over their eyes and ragged patched jeans. The girls' dresses barely cover--what it is that they barely cover. At one point the heroine envisions putting in a Nile green bath tub, and I just want to shout out, "don't do it!" The plot, set in the mountains of western Virginia, was a mix of "The Lottery," and Night of the Hunter. The bad guy was a little beyond belief.....
February 1, 2013
What a GREAT story!! Barbara Michaels (aka Elizabeth Peters) is really an amazing author! She seems to have an unending list of incredible stories in her head. Then she peoples them with amazing characters and comes up with books you can't put down.
When Ellen March gets her first look at the secluded house in the woods, she instantly falls in love and insists on buying it. With a severe case of "empty nest" syndrome to deal with, not to mention an impossible unrequited love, Ellen is looking for a peaceful place to lick her wounds and build a new and solitary life for herself.
Ellen has no concerns about the house's reputation of being haunted by the ghost of a woman who lived in it a hundred years ago and who was thought to be a witch by the ignorant and superstitious townspeople of that time, even though the woman was found hanged in her own bedroom - now Ellen's bedroom - in what *might* have been suicide.
Ellen also isn't disturbed by the unwelcoming reception SHE receives from the locals, who aren't much different from the religious-fevered, superstitious people of a century ago. At least, she isn't worried at first.
But her charming neighbour, Norman's teenaged nephew Tim is another matter. A very troubled boy who appears to have extremely violent and disturbing tendancies immediately fires up Ellen's maternal streak and she gets involved, trying to get Norman to take the boy for therapy.
All the underlying fears and anger come to a shocking and explosive climax, which moves very fast and keeps the reader flying through the pages to see how things turn out, who was the real evil villain, and how things end. A completely excellent read filled with suspense, clever twists and turns and really engaging characters. Highly recommended!
When Ellen March gets her first look at the secluded house in the woods, she instantly falls in love and insists on buying it. With a severe case of "empty nest" syndrome to deal with, not to mention an impossible unrequited love, Ellen is looking for a peaceful place to lick her wounds and build a new and solitary life for herself.
Ellen has no concerns about the house's reputation of being haunted by the ghost of a woman who lived in it a hundred years ago and who was thought to be a witch by the ignorant and superstitious townspeople of that time, even though the woman was found hanged in her own bedroom - now Ellen's bedroom - in what *might* have been suicide.
Ellen also isn't disturbed by the unwelcoming reception SHE receives from the locals, who aren't much different from the religious-fevered, superstitious people of a century ago. At least, she isn't worried at first.
But her charming neighbour, Norman's teenaged nephew Tim is another matter. A very troubled boy who appears to have extremely violent and disturbing tendancies immediately fires up Ellen's maternal streak and she gets involved, trying to get Norman to take the boy for therapy.
All the underlying fears and anger come to a shocking and explosive climax, which moves very fast and keeps the reader flying through the pages to see how things turn out, who was the real evil villain, and how things end. A completely excellent read filled with suspense, clever twists and turns and really engaging characters. Highly recommended!
May 11, 2023
TW for mentioning animal abuse, bullying towards kids that have autism (? Not sure it's outright autism) and abuse implied towards children.
This started out strong but the abuse towards animals made me dnf it about halfway through. A pet dog is multilated and killed, and mentions of a cat threatened with the same is also in the story. Having just lost a cat, this was not a good read for me right now despite how good the writing is. I may come back to this later.
3.5 ⭐.
This started out strong but the abuse towards animals made me dnf it about halfway through. A pet dog is multilated and killed, and mentions of a cat threatened with the same is also in the story. Having just lost a cat, this was not a good read for me right now despite how good the writing is. I may come back to this later.
3.5 ⭐.
September 9, 2014
The plot twist was really obvious, but the way the book was written allowed for suspense anyways. A fun, creepy read, and I loved all of the cats!
September 4, 2008
An extremely average book with lots of implausible plot solutions.
August 8, 2017
This book is less of a ghost story and more about the fear of stagnant southern small town ideology and mob psychology. Good read; adore the author.
November 26, 2018
All I can say is it ended too soon! There was so much more of the story I wanted to know. The main story was good and satisfying but I really wish there had been an epilogue.
September 6, 2016
I just finished re-reading this after I don't know how long. Long enough that I didn't remember the storyline, lol. This is a book that stuck with me for years, for a particular scene, that I now realize was what made me want to become an author, myself (porch scene, during the storm). I don't know if I would have chosen it today, because as others have noted, there wasn't much of the supernatural in there, nor fantasy (there was a taste, tho). The main character, Ellen, is moving to a new town and finds when she gets there that the house she's bought is the town's "haunted house". She gets caught up in the mystery of the house's prior owner and caught between the towns people's beliefs and her own - all while she gets swept up in the life of Tim (the town's delinquent).
It was a good read - you can feel Ellen's excitement while she tries to make a home in a small town and how different it is for her, coming from the city. Her disappointment when things start going wrong is palpable, just as her determination to make it work. The other characters were distinct and the descriptions were pretty enough to paint pictures in my head. As the story moved along, it was easy to keep reading; I wanted to see what happened. It was the kind of book that's nice to read on a rainy afternoon ... I was happy that I picked it up again. :)
It was a good read - you can feel Ellen's excitement while she tries to make a home in a small town and how different it is for her, coming from the city. Her disappointment when things start going wrong is palpable, just as her determination to make it work. The other characters were distinct and the descriptions were pretty enough to paint pictures in my head. As the story moved along, it was easy to keep reading; I wanted to see what happened. It was the kind of book that's nice to read on a rainy afternoon ... I was happy that I picked it up again. :)
September 11, 2007
This was the first Barbara Michaels book I ever read. I think I must have been 14 or so, and my mom's best friend loaned it to her and I picked it up. Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters got me through adolescence, and I'll always have a fond memory for this book in particular.
September 20, 2017
The last third of the book is riveting...and the big twist was excellent. A great read.
September 19, 2024
4 🎃 rating
It's always surprising to stumble upon an unfamiliar book at a thrift shop and be amazed by how captivating the story is. This one features an old house said to be haunted by a witch from two centuries ago (my dream house!), set in a small town stuck in the 1940s mindset, filled with paranormal events, and enriched by Barbara Michaels’ vivid storytelling.
Pair this book with a glass of sherry and a hearty Protestant meal prepared by the charming Martha.
It's always surprising to stumble upon an unfamiliar book at a thrift shop and be amazed by how captivating the story is. This one features an old house said to be haunted by a witch from two centuries ago (my dream house!), set in a small town stuck in the 1940s mindset, filled with paranormal events, and enriched by Barbara Michaels’ vivid storytelling.
Pair this book with a glass of sherry and a hearty Protestant meal prepared by the charming Martha.
November 9, 2012
Witch was one of the earlier efforts of the legendary Barbara Michaels. It shows, in the formulaic nature of the book. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as the formula is a successful one. Just be prepared to figure things out early on.
This is not a horror novel, or even a ghost story. Those things fritter about the edges of the tale, but the focus is on the perceptions that people hold about others. Ellen Marsh is the main character, moving to the backwoods town of Chew's Corners to live in her dream house. All is not bliss, though, as Ellen soon runs afoul of the town's leading citizens with her freespirited nature and befriending of the town delinquent. Things quickly get out of hand, due to the machinations of one driven by a most ancient motivation.
A somewhat dated story, Witch is still a perfectly fine way to spend a leisurely evening or two. No book with a scene-stealing cat is ever a waste of time!
This is not a horror novel, or even a ghost story. Those things fritter about the edges of the tale, but the focus is on the perceptions that people hold about others. Ellen Marsh is the main character, moving to the backwoods town of Chew's Corners to live in her dream house. All is not bliss, though, as Ellen soon runs afoul of the town's leading citizens with her freespirited nature and befriending of the town delinquent. Things quickly get out of hand, due to the machinations of one driven by a most ancient motivation.
A somewhat dated story, Witch is still a perfectly fine way to spend a leisurely evening or two. No book with a scene-stealing cat is ever a waste of time!
December 4, 2017
I requested this from the library because it was the only one by Barbara Michaels that I didn't have marked "read" on here. As it turns out, I have read it at some point in the past, but it still held up very well, despite some things being somewhat dated - not surprising considering that it was published in 1973. I particularly like the fact that so many of her heroines are not 20-something ingenues (though she has her share), and also the cats. Almost every book has cats (and the ones that don't have dogs, and some have both), and it's so obvious from her portrayal that she knows and loves them.
August 10, 2017
This is a classic work by a wonderful writer. Just enough suspense and supernatural to make you believe, yet question. An old Virginia house formerly owned by a supposed witch attracts a divorcee who stirs up something in the local town. As is true in many things not everyone is who they seem. This one was definitely worth re-reading.
June 3, 2009
This was one of those books where nothing happened forever and ever.
June 1, 2017
Loved it
I really enjoyed this book! Such a great twist at the end. I fell in love with the characters and didn't want it to end.
I really enjoyed this book! Such a great twist at the end. I fell in love with the characters and didn't want it to end.
December 16, 2024
3 Stars
This is a quick read, more of a novella.
This is a quick read, more of a novella.
August 26, 2017
I have enjoyed Barbara Michaels for years. She does a nice ghost story, not too carried away. I believe that I have read all of her books over the years & a reread is a trip down memory lane.
August 11, 2018
Better than I expected. It had a gothic feel with a dose of witchcraft. The ending was satisfying. The book was a quick read and I enjoyed it.
Read
October 13, 2018This is one of the few Barbara Michaels titles that I hadn't read before. Yes, it's dated and flawed, but I still had fun reading it.
September 18, 2019
I have vague memories of actually enjoying some of Barbara Michaels' "gothic" thrillers, but apparently I either happened to read the better ones first or my tastes have changed. Either way, this was yet another dud.
I had relatively high hopes for this one, as I'm always a sucker for a nice tale about a gently haunted house. When executed with skill, descriptions of house-buying, redecorating, and general "doing-up" are like catnip to me, too. (Living vicariously, I guess! So much easier on the back and the pocketbook to read about fictional characters' home improvements rather than carrying out some of your own!) Unfortunately, the fixing up of the house is glossed over to make way for more boring topics, and the ghostly subject matter is exceptionally weak.
Yes, it's dated (the descriptions of what the "adolescents" are wearing!), but that can be charming and nostalgic. Less charming is the stupidity and offensiveness of the main character. I just didn't really care what happened to her, to be honest. The overall impression is one of BLAH.
Observations, Reactions, and Nitpicks:
-- What a strange coincidence that this and the last book I read on my own (which means "not including the 372-Pages selections I read with Donald") should both include characters with ailurophobia (fear of cats)! I don't know if I've ever encountered a reference to this before, which makes it seem even odder.
-- Ellen is thirty-eight. I realize that 38 isn't young, and that a 38-year-old in 1973 (this novel's year of publication) likely seemed older than a 38-year-old in 2019, but still... Seeing how her age was presented in the beginning of the book made me feel old! Not flattering to read at forty! To be fair, she doesn't act like an old lady, at least. (Maybe I'm just being sensitive.)
-- "It was not only her appearance that the older, country-bred woman unconsciously resented; it was her urban background, her accent, her clothes, her manner." Here, have an eye-roll. Yes, everyone who's "country-bred" is unconsciously jealous of people with an "urban background".
-- "Later, Penny had tried to get her to experiment with makeup and wigs, but by then Ellen had lost interest." I can't imagine choosing to wear a wig if I had a perfectly good head of hair underneath. It's another thing that dates the book.
-- "On the whole the reflected image pleased her. It was a bit sedate, but not bad for a woman who was slipping downhill toward forty." ...Nope, I wasn't being too sensitive before. She also refers to herself as "a silly old lady" later on in the book.
-- Not only are the adolescents in this book mostly described as all having shaggy hair and dressing like hobos, they sound absolutely filthy: "The bare feet were in vogue, too, but Tim's feet were black with mud; a trail of dirty prints marred the shining hall floor behind the boy." ... "Tim's bare feet had left a trail of dust this time." Yuck! Teens in the 70s were downright nasty, apparently.
-- "Ellen was surprised when Norman went on talking, despite the cook's presence." ...Not the done thing, I guess? It amuses me.
-- Ellen asks, "Do I strike everyone as a feeble-minded female?" ...Weeeeeell... Don't ask a question if you don't want the answer!
-- The author strikes me as someone who probably thought pretty highly of herself-- her intelligence, education, breeding, manners, etc. I'm sure she felt that she had an impressive degree of "social consciousness". And yet... Some of the opinions she puts into the mouths and minds of her heroes and heroines are definitely not "correct", by current social barometers! Based on these characters, she seems to have had a particular antipathy toward people who were not thin.
-- Ellen is more than a little catty about the other people in town. Some of these characters turn out to be the "villains", but others are just unattractive or not dressed to impress:
"She was simply a very large woman, tall and big-boned, with the massiveness that overtakes such women later in life unless they diet strenuously. Mrs. Grapow's long-sleeved dark print dress and gray hair compressed into a bun made it clear that she would view dieting as tampering with the will of the Lord." ... "That beefy, stupid-looking--..."
"She was a faded blonde of approximately Ellen's age, although her lack of makeup and her shapeless cotton print dress made her look older."
-- Guffaw moment: Mrs. Grapow calls Ellen "Miz March". "After a moment Ellen realized she was being addressed in dialect, not in the latest mode advocated by women's liberation." Ew, dialect is so icky. (Care for another eye-roll?)
-- "Ellen was more amused than offended by the unsubtle tactics of the questioners. Poor souls, she thought tolerantly, they haven't much to talk about. She fancied, however, that meaningful glances were exchanged when she admitted to being divorced." No, Ellen's not judgmental at all. Not like those poor hicks.
-- When a character isn't nice, it's fun to make him/her as physically repellent as possible. Take Bob Muller, for instance. He has acne and tries to hide it by growing a beard, but his beard is "too sparse to hide anything, including Bob's negligible chin and obtrusive upper lip".
Bob Muller's sister Prudence gets even tougher treatment: "She was pathetically plain, except for big blue eyes that had an unfocused look, and she wore a frilly blouse and full skirt that made her heavy hips look even wider." ... "The girl was so hopelessly unattractive. The sight of her made Ellen's maternal instincts itch; if Prudence had been her daughter she would have prescribed a dermatologist, a diet, and some decent clothes, just as a start. Penny had never looked that bad, even in the worst stages of puppy fat and pimples. Prudence was a hopeless case; her personality was as limp as her stringy hair." ... "...Prudence needed more than a psychological boost. She needed a whole battery of experts working full time."
Bob and Prudence's father is a horrible man-- an abusive drunkard-- but her descriptions of him are distasteful, too. "...she had recognized the gross, fat body..." ... "He was a revolting spectacle with his greasy, unshaven face and his fat belly wobbling above his belt."
-- I'm sorry, but I simply don't believe that a group of teens (whose only similarity is that they all live in the same small community) would all instantly take to someone like Ellen (who is the ripe old age of 38, remember!), as happens in this book. It seems remarkably unlikely.
-- "The Earthly Church of the Wrath of God". ...Oh, come on. You have to be kidding! (But she's not!!) And of course the church is absolutely insane and evil-- one of the most insulting, ridiculous depictions of religion I've come across-- led by a preacher she compares to Hitler himself. (Well, she claims she won't flatter him with that comparison, but it's too late for that, because she's pretty much already made it!)
-- Ellen goes shopping and buys a "pale-pink chiffon 'at-home' gown" (whatever the heck that is). "It would be totally out of place in her Early American living room..." ...Um, excuse me? What? Does anyone actually dress to match their home's style/period/decor? What an utterly bizarre thing to think about, much less write!
-- Jack (Ellen's brother-in-law and love interest) comes to visit Ellen and her daughter (Penny) after a while: "He embraced both of them and made sarcastic comments about the effect of country living on their figures." ...Huh? Weird thing to joke about, honestly. Seriously, I begin to wonder if the author might've been a bit obsessed with dieting and weight control. Either that or she believed that her readership enjoyed thinking about dieting even while indulging in escapist literature.
-- Ellen invites a couple and their teenage son to dine at her home, but she seems to hate them and dread their visit. Why did she invite them, then?! She also invites Norman and warns him that the other guests are not "brilliant conversationalists". "The Randolphs were not only boring, they were a pain in the neck." Good grief, woman! No-one forced you to invite them! Could you be any more annoying?! Ah, and the icing on the cake-- they're fat! "Like his parents, Morrie was overweight and puffy from lack of exercise. He had fat, clumsy hands..." ... "The Randolphs' idea of exercise consisted of a gentle stroll around the yard. They refused to enter the woods." How dare they?!
-- Tim sounds so, so stupid sometimes, when he speaks: "'He was, like, you know, kind of dumb with kids. Like ho ho ho, if you know what I mean.'" ...Actually, I really don't know what you mean. False/forced joviality?
-- "Ellen turned as Jack came in. His chin was covered with a hideous salt-and-pepper stubble..." Ha, how the times have changed! These days, a little stubble is often considered attractive on a man-- certainly not "hideous"!
I had relatively high hopes for this one, as I'm always a sucker for a nice tale about a gently haunted house. When executed with skill, descriptions of house-buying, redecorating, and general "doing-up" are like catnip to me, too. (Living vicariously, I guess! So much easier on the back and the pocketbook to read about fictional characters' home improvements rather than carrying out some of your own!) Unfortunately, the fixing up of the house is glossed over to make way for more boring topics, and the ghostly subject matter is exceptionally weak.
Yes, it's dated (the descriptions of what the "adolescents" are wearing!), but that can be charming and nostalgic. Less charming is the stupidity and offensiveness of the main character. I just didn't really care what happened to her, to be honest. The overall impression is one of BLAH.
Observations, Reactions, and Nitpicks:
-- What a strange coincidence that this and the last book I read on my own (which means "not including the 372-Pages selections I read with Donald") should both include characters with ailurophobia (fear of cats)! I don't know if I've ever encountered a reference to this before, which makes it seem even odder.
-- Ellen is thirty-eight. I realize that 38 isn't young, and that a 38-year-old in 1973 (this novel's year of publication) likely seemed older than a 38-year-old in 2019, but still... Seeing how her age was presented in the beginning of the book made me feel old! Not flattering to read at forty! To be fair, she doesn't act like an old lady, at least. (Maybe I'm just being sensitive.)
-- "It was not only her appearance that the older, country-bred woman unconsciously resented; it was her urban background, her accent, her clothes, her manner." Here, have an eye-roll. Yes, everyone who's "country-bred" is unconsciously jealous of people with an "urban background".
-- "Later, Penny had tried to get her to experiment with makeup and wigs, but by then Ellen had lost interest." I can't imagine choosing to wear a wig if I had a perfectly good head of hair underneath. It's another thing that dates the book.
-- "On the whole the reflected image pleased her. It was a bit sedate, but not bad for a woman who was slipping downhill toward forty." ...Nope, I wasn't being too sensitive before. She also refers to herself as "a silly old lady" later on in the book.
-- Not only are the adolescents in this book mostly described as all having shaggy hair and dressing like hobos, they sound absolutely filthy: "The bare feet were in vogue, too, but Tim's feet were black with mud; a trail of dirty prints marred the shining hall floor behind the boy." ... "Tim's bare feet had left a trail of dust this time." Yuck! Teens in the 70s were downright nasty, apparently.
-- "Ellen was surprised when Norman went on talking, despite the cook's presence." ...Not the done thing, I guess? It amuses me.
-- Ellen asks, "Do I strike everyone as a feeble-minded female?" ...Weeeeeell... Don't ask a question if you don't want the answer!
-- The author strikes me as someone who probably thought pretty highly of herself-- her intelligence, education, breeding, manners, etc. I'm sure she felt that she had an impressive degree of "social consciousness". And yet... Some of the opinions she puts into the mouths and minds of her heroes and heroines are definitely not "correct", by current social barometers! Based on these characters, she seems to have had a particular antipathy toward people who were not thin.
-- Ellen is more than a little catty about the other people in town. Some of these characters turn out to be the "villains", but others are just unattractive or not dressed to impress:
"She was simply a very large woman, tall and big-boned, with the massiveness that overtakes such women later in life unless they diet strenuously. Mrs. Grapow's long-sleeved dark print dress and gray hair compressed into a bun made it clear that she would view dieting as tampering with the will of the Lord." ... "That beefy, stupid-looking--..."
"She was a faded blonde of approximately Ellen's age, although her lack of makeup and her shapeless cotton print dress made her look older."
-- Guffaw moment: Mrs. Grapow calls Ellen "Miz March". "After a moment Ellen realized she was being addressed in dialect, not in the latest mode advocated by women's liberation." Ew, dialect is so icky. (Care for another eye-roll?)
-- "Ellen was more amused than offended by the unsubtle tactics of the questioners. Poor souls, she thought tolerantly, they haven't much to talk about. She fancied, however, that meaningful glances were exchanged when she admitted to being divorced." No, Ellen's not judgmental at all. Not like those poor hicks.
-- When a character isn't nice, it's fun to make him/her as physically repellent as possible. Take Bob Muller, for instance. He has acne and tries to hide it by growing a beard, but his beard is "too sparse to hide anything, including Bob's negligible chin and obtrusive upper lip".
Bob Muller's sister Prudence gets even tougher treatment: "She was pathetically plain, except for big blue eyes that had an unfocused look, and she wore a frilly blouse and full skirt that made her heavy hips look even wider." ... "The girl was so hopelessly unattractive. The sight of her made Ellen's maternal instincts itch; if Prudence had been her daughter she would have prescribed a dermatologist, a diet, and some decent clothes, just as a start. Penny had never looked that bad, even in the worst stages of puppy fat and pimples. Prudence was a hopeless case; her personality was as limp as her stringy hair." ... "...Prudence needed more than a psychological boost. She needed a whole battery of experts working full time."
Bob and Prudence's father is a horrible man-- an abusive drunkard-- but her descriptions of him are distasteful, too. "...she had recognized the gross, fat body..." ... "He was a revolting spectacle with his greasy, unshaven face and his fat belly wobbling above his belt."
-- I'm sorry, but I simply don't believe that a group of teens (whose only similarity is that they all live in the same small community) would all instantly take to someone like Ellen (who is the ripe old age of 38, remember!), as happens in this book. It seems remarkably unlikely.
-- "The Earthly Church of the Wrath of God". ...Oh, come on. You have to be kidding! (But she's not!!) And of course the church is absolutely insane and evil-- one of the most insulting, ridiculous depictions of religion I've come across-- led by a preacher she compares to Hitler himself. (Well, she claims she won't flatter him with that comparison, but it's too late for that, because she's pretty much already made it!)
-- Ellen goes shopping and buys a "pale-pink chiffon 'at-home' gown" (whatever the heck that is). "It would be totally out of place in her Early American living room..." ...Um, excuse me? What? Does anyone actually dress to match their home's style/period/decor? What an utterly bizarre thing to think about, much less write!
-- Jack (Ellen's brother-in-law and love interest) comes to visit Ellen and her daughter (Penny) after a while: "He embraced both of them and made sarcastic comments about the effect of country living on their figures." ...Huh? Weird thing to joke about, honestly. Seriously, I begin to wonder if the author might've been a bit obsessed with dieting and weight control. Either that or she believed that her readership enjoyed thinking about dieting even while indulging in escapist literature.
-- Ellen invites a couple and their teenage son to dine at her home, but she seems to hate them and dread their visit. Why did she invite them, then?! She also invites Norman and warns him that the other guests are not "brilliant conversationalists". "The Randolphs were not only boring, they were a pain in the neck." Good grief, woman! No-one forced you to invite them! Could you be any more annoying?! Ah, and the icing on the cake-- they're fat! "Like his parents, Morrie was overweight and puffy from lack of exercise. He had fat, clumsy hands..." ... "The Randolphs' idea of exercise consisted of a gentle stroll around the yard. They refused to enter the woods." How dare they?!
-- Tim sounds so, so stupid sometimes, when he speaks: "'He was, like, you know, kind of dumb with kids. Like ho ho ho, if you know what I mean.'" ...Actually, I really don't know what you mean. False/forced joviality?
-- "Ellen turned as Jack came in. His chin was covered with a hideous salt-and-pepper stubble..." Ha, how the times have changed! These days, a little stubble is often considered attractive on a man-- certainly not "hideous"!
Read
December 2, 2019I remember liking this book in high school and college, but on this latest reread, I just couldn't get into it. On the one hand, now that I've lived there, I can say Barbara Michaels captures Virginia horse country quite well. Nowadays, it's not quite as conservative as the picture the author paints, but this book was written in the early 70s and I would have recognized some of the thinking and some of the characters even in the early 90s, when I was growing up in VA.
I love a good creepy house novel, and this tale of empty nester Ellen March moving into an old house in rural Virginia sounded like it would fit the bill. There are sinister tales of ghosts and witches surrounding the house, but somehow this read just wasn't as creepy as I remembered. Somehow I'd forgotten that much of this book centers on neighbor drama rather than anything truly gothic, and I just couldn't get into it this time around.
I also found the romance a tad unsatisfying. At the beginning of the book, we learn that Ellen has been nursing a longtime crush on her sister's widower, for whom she has been keeping house and watching the kids since her own divorce. While I apparently didn't have much of an issue with it as a teenager, something about this dynamic got under my skin now that I'm closer in age to these main characters. Once Ellen moves and meets her handsome, charismatic (and wealthy) neighbor in the mansion next door, I thought things might pick up, but Norman McKay, the neighbor, wasn't doing much for me either.
There are still plenty of Barbara Michaels books I love, but I had to set this one down.
I love a good creepy house novel, and this tale of empty nester Ellen March moving into an old house in rural Virginia sounded like it would fit the bill. There are sinister tales of ghosts and witches surrounding the house, but somehow this read just wasn't as creepy as I remembered. Somehow I'd forgotten that much of this book centers on neighbor drama rather than anything truly gothic, and I just couldn't get into it this time around.
I also found the romance a tad unsatisfying. At the beginning of the book, we learn that Ellen has been nursing a longtime crush on her sister's widower, for whom she has been keeping house and watching the kids since her own divorce. While I apparently didn't have much of an issue with it as a teenager, something about this dynamic got under my skin now that I'm closer in age to these main characters. Once Ellen moves and meets her handsome, charismatic (and wealthy) neighbor in the mansion next door, I thought things might pick up, but Norman McKay, the neighbor, wasn't doing much for me either.
There are still plenty of Barbara Michaels books I love, but I had to set this one down.
October 20, 2017
Non capisco perchè nessuno mi abbia mai parlato di Barbara Michaels. Ho dovuto trovarla per caso su amazon e lasciarmi incuriosire dalla copertina...! Ho cercato per anni un libro come questo: un libro che inizia con un cottage nel bosco, la protagonista che lo adora a prima vista, vi si trasferisce con il suo gatto, ci porta un sacco di libri e vuole passare il tempo a leggere, bere tè e passeggiare. Il cottage di una strega vissuta secoli prima... Un pizzico di paranormale, un po' di giallo, un po' di commedia romantica... il tutto molto bilanciato. La perfetta lettura autunnale. :3
September 25, 2022
This book is just too boring, I can’t finish it! It’s terrible… 221 pages in and NOTHING has happened! I’m bored to tears, I hate it, and I’m done 😭
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