Paddywhack

by John Stchur

Jack Lerille moves his family to Granger, Michigan to live with his maiden aunt, only to discover her dog is possessed by a demon

Genres: Horror

Paperback

First published April 1, 1989

Reviews

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spooktober 2020 Book 3

Demon dogs, hell, possession, and weird cults are nothing new, both in the real or fictional world, however, putting them all together in an engaging horror novel isn’t something I’ve seen done in quite the way John Stchur managed to do in Paddywhack.

Though this reads like a poor man’s pastiche of Stephen King’s Cujo and The Dead Zone, Paddywhack is still encapsulates what makes good horror fiction by melding the aforementioned dog and possession in such a way to feel exciting and at least somewhat original.

Stchur’s talent will invariably be compared to King (especially with those parenthesis populating the middle of sentences and paragraphs), and to be honest, it’s not a terrible comparison. I’d wager King does things slightly better, but not at the compact style that Stchur employs. Furthermore, the way Stchur took this story from simple to scary in a matter of only a couple chapters definitely outranks King’s (at times) plodding style.

Overall, Paddywhack was a nice way to add to my horror novels for 2020 so far. Already read about killer clowns and haunted houses, so evil dogs and trips to Hell can now be checked off the list as well.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack and Judy Lerille, along with their 6 year old daughter, Rachel, are moving to Granger, MI, to live with Jack's elderly Aunt Blanche, after he loses his job. But there is something strange about his aunt... and her Boston Terrier, Bruce.
Their first night there, Jack is awoken around 2 a.m. by voices downstairs - but they are coming from his aunt's room, below him, and she lives alone - save for Bruce. And sure enough when Jack makes his way downstairs, that's exactly who Blanche is taking to. Over the next few days, Jack notices the very strange relationship between his aunt and her dog, and begins to grow genuinely terrified of Bruce - who is a very vicious and dangerous animal.
40 years ago, Blanche Lerille had a lover named Bruce Holmes... a manipulative, abusive and cruel man. But he dies suddenly, and 30 years later, a neighbor knocks on her door to offer her a dog - "Bruce," coincidentally enough, because she can not keep him.
"Blanche Lerille always knew he would come back. When Bruce Holmes died in 1952, she was sure he would come back. Because after all, he was immortal - he'd told her that many times. And by '52, she was so much in his power, convinced he was either half God or half Devil that she believed him."
This can not possibly be her old lover, inside this small dog, can it?
-----------------------
So there's a lot more I could say about the plot, but I feel this is sufficient enough to get the jist. There's a good amount of back story though, which I liked. The one thing that I never ended up figuring out was what the prologue had to do with anything.
It took me forever to read this book because I started a new job with a crazy schedule right when I picked it up, but I'm glad to have finally finished it, because it was really good.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw the cover of this book and knew I had to have it. There is a demonic looking Boston Terrier on the front, that reminds me of my own dog. After several months, I found a secondhand copy of this book that is in really good condition.

The story was a pretty unique demonic possession story, with Bruce the dog being possessed by the evil soul of Bruce the man. Jack and his family move to a small town Granger, MI to live with Jack's Aunt. Almost immediately he notices how strange his Aunt's dog Bruce is and what an odd relationship they have.

I liked the character of Jack, and really liked the next door neighbor who became close friend and aids Jack in his fight against Bruce. The plot was a little silly, but at the same time there were some great visuals of Jack being attached by an invisible dog. This was a fun read.

[Mikepottz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Invisible jaws closed around an arm, a witness sees skin indents in dozens of places, puncturing, blood spurting. The fang hooking a tendon of the mutilated wrist it twang like snap like piano wire. The phenomenon happened to two people dozens of years ago. Failed actor/librarian Jack takes his family to a small town to live with his aunt and her dog Bruce. The aunt fusses over Bruce, giving him beautifully made toasted sandwiches, soup having him eating at the table like a human. Bruce looks lecherous sexually towards any women. Bruce the sadistic sick heinous creature tears the head of a kitten, playing with its little lifeless body. The aunt had an old boyfriend who she was fully consumed by his power, she thought he was half God or half devil. As the aunt is taken away pretty much dead in an ambulance Bruce goes nuts crashes through a window slicing his throat, blood dripping down filling buckets. His last look of devil eyes drill into Jack leaving him cold and shaking. Bruce comes back from the dead, Invisible, biting, tearing trying to eat Jacks balls. Jack will wear a mask, throat protector his worst fears of waiting to be attacked at any time.. Any place now worst than hell.

[Nick Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not quite what you'd expect from the cover, which sort of works in it's favor. Combining the animal attack genre with the satanic panic of the time period was a good choice and the characters are very likeable. I found it a tad long and repetitive in the the middle, and it isnt overly gory or outrageous. The idea of an invisible dog attacking from hell on a schedule is a hard sell for a novel, it never allows itself to get too goofy somehow.