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Caly
On the twentieth of September, Ian Donovan and Caly St. John packed their bags, locked their apartments, and drove to the Simpson House in Maine.It was an eerie place, deliberately hidden by a thick, foreboding forest. The dark shadows of the gloomy past swirled around it like a cold and biting fog and silently watched the strangers from the barren trees.What were they after? No one was quite sure. Most likely the truth about the brutal mass murder that had taken place in the mansion some twenty-eight years before.But what they discovered was more grisly, more gruesome, and far more horrifying than anyone had ever imagined. They opened a door that went beyond terror—a door that, for sanity's sake, should always have remained closed…
Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 23, 2022
What a blast from the past! Expectations were very high after that great cover. And the content? Caly St John is trying to find out why the Simpsons turn mad every generation for 300 years. She discovers a love story in the past between Fanila and John sabotaged by Captain Simpson in an utmost cruel way. What has he done to the young woman leading her to curse him, his family and the whole village? Can Caly, Ian and Patrick (the last descendant of the Simpson family) solve the riddle about the slaughtered village people with a little help by ghosts talking and acting through them? Nice supernatural story with a shot of romance, possession eerie motifs and some southern gothic. Fast paced and highly entertaining. Really recommended classic from the golden age of horror.
September 8, 2022
The state of Maine is once again the setting for another spooky book, and this one is somewhat of a milestone in horror literature. You "Friday the 13th" fans may recognize an altered cover of this book being read by a character in the film "Jason X," or have seen it featured in Will Erickson's blog or book. But if you are a collector of vintage horrors, I wrote this humble review for your consideration before you decide to snag a copy from some online broker.
The first thing that I was curious about after reading my copy of "Caly" was who was the intended target audience for this book. Adverts featuring other Zebra books "for today's woman" were featured in the back pages, along with a teaser for a series of mystery puzzle books that opens with the tag line, "Every woman needs a little mystery in her life." Other clues suggested an awareness by the publisher that a modern haunted house story like "Caly" would have wide spread appeal, but the imprint was still just testing the waters with the horror genre, and was still very much a brand for 1970s romance. "Caly" was published relatively early in Zebra's horror catalog. The imprint started in 1975, specializing in multiple subgenres of romance, but 1980 was the first year they ventured into true horror territory with William Johnstone's "The Devil's Kiss" and the novel we are reviewing today. Though horror is what put Zebra on the map, they ceased to publish horror authors in 1996 and are exclusively a romance imprint again. But by the time "Caly" received a second printing at the height of paperback mania, I do know a lot of people my age read it as teens, only to promptly forget it.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, the reason for my curiosity about the target audience was because the actual novel was all over the place. The very simplistic prose suggested a novel aimed at young adolescents, but honestly, if that were the case, I think the author underestimated the intelligence of children. Which then makes it all the worse if, as it seems, the novel was actually intended for adults.
When I was 12, I wrote a series of stories based on "The Three Investigators," and the cadence and language in "Caly" definitely matches my own struggling amateur prose at the time. What we have here is a sequence of choppy sentences detailing a string of non-stop ghostly episodes, equivalent to a child's narration of something that happened to them at school: "And then this happened. Then this happened. I said this. She said this. Then this happened. And then, and then. And then..."
The narration is full of plot holes or awkward traps in plausibility. For example, a 29-year-old man laments his next birthday because no one in his family has lived past thirty. Yet he also reported that his elderly grandparents just passed away. Were they his maternal grandparents and the curse is only on the paternal side? It's never explained. This is also a classic example of a haunted house story where people could avoid the danger by simply leaving, but they don't. As the stakes get higher, the author finally seems to realize the silliness of this idea, so she then has supernatural "forces" prevent them from leaving the house.
As a final irritation, very early on we are introduced to only four characters: the narrator (who is the titular Caly), Ian (her sort of boyfriend), Jack (who appears to be a literal lumberjack and is Ian's cousin who the couple is visiting), and Katie (Jack's wife). After the characters all meet up and turn in for the night, Caly then wakes up the next morning and tells the reader, "The three of them, Katie, Jack, and Ian, were all at breakfast when I came in."
Well, who the hell else would be meant by "the three of them"? When I read children's books to my kids, I see this kind of thing all the time, and it drives me nuts. For me, it is the literary equivalent of another pet peeve I have in the film industry--the house establishing shot. Have you ever watched one of those shoddy 80s horror slashers where, between every scene, the movie cuts to an outside shot of the house in which every single scene of the movie has already been set? Yes, folks, they're still in the same house--just in case you were wondering.
You may think I'm being picky, but to me, these are telltale signs that we are about to be subjected to an immature product from creatives that lack as much self-awareness as they do competence. So barely into the second chapter of "Caly," I was already picking up these vibes. Did the rest of the book confirm my initial prejudice, or did it leave me pleasantly surprised?
Actually, I did enjoy the novel overall, but I can see why it was largely forgotten as a story. It is a cliche--a typical haunted house tale. The titular character becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of two very similar axe murders that occurred almost three centuries apart in the same colonial mansion. There's the exploring of the abandoned house, full of dusty furniture. There's the local legends about the brutal past of the house, and hints of a town conspiracy. There's pounding doors, and creepy faces at the window, and secret passages, and possession, and thunder and lightning. There's even a VERY Scooby Doo ending with the local sheriff.
The book has everything ghost story lovers could want, all of it told at breakneck speed through very short chapters in a concise 280 pages of large print. The author attempts to keep the book classy, so the characters are all well-mannered, there is no profanity, and the narrative doesn't rely on contemporary pop culture references or colloquialisms like in more recent horror. Therefore, it is not really "trashy," but it does sport its share of violence, with lots of decapitated heads and limbs, murdered children, and several attempted acts of rape. So once again, the book is tonally bipolar, with the plodding prose of a poorly written children's book trying to convey themes more appropriate for older audiences.
I blame books like this for creating the reputation of the horror genre being throwaway pulp for kids and barely literate adults, especially from this era. I won't disagree that many such books are just escapist entertainment, but there are just as many deeper literary gems to be found that reach audiences emotionally through the techniques of horror. This is just not one of them. It is simply a straightforward supernatural tale of revenge written at a remarkably shallow emotional level.
"Caly" may never be remembered for its story, but will always have a place in horror history simply for the brilliant cover by William Teason, depicting a bride with a skeletal face on a stark black background that became the hallmark look of Zebra horrors. I have the original cover by an unknown artist, which is not so iconic, but which still packs a visual punch.
No matter for whom this book was intended, "Caly" was one of the novels that made the Zebra name a staple in literary history, kicking off the full-blown paperback from hell era. It is a worthy addition to your vintage book collection, though the more iconic reprint has become harder to find for a decent price since Will Erickson's book. I can't say it is worth the trouble or expense to read, but if you have the patience, it is a fun little pot boiler that gets the blood pumping, even if it is silly.
So if you have a hankering to indulge your own teenage nostalgia or have that special young reader in your life who you think may get a kick out of it, go get a copy.
SCORE: 2.5 stars, rounded to three.
The first thing that I was curious about after reading my copy of "Caly" was who was the intended target audience for this book. Adverts featuring other Zebra books "for today's woman" were featured in the back pages, along with a teaser for a series of mystery puzzle books that opens with the tag line, "Every woman needs a little mystery in her life." Other clues suggested an awareness by the publisher that a modern haunted house story like "Caly" would have wide spread appeal, but the imprint was still just testing the waters with the horror genre, and was still very much a brand for 1970s romance. "Caly" was published relatively early in Zebra's horror catalog. The imprint started in 1975, specializing in multiple subgenres of romance, but 1980 was the first year they ventured into true horror territory with William Johnstone's "The Devil's Kiss" and the novel we are reviewing today. Though horror is what put Zebra on the map, they ceased to publish horror authors in 1996 and are exclusively a romance imprint again. But by the time "Caly" received a second printing at the height of paperback mania, I do know a lot of people my age read it as teens, only to promptly forget it.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, the reason for my curiosity about the target audience was because the actual novel was all over the place. The very simplistic prose suggested a novel aimed at young adolescents, but honestly, if that were the case, I think the author underestimated the intelligence of children. Which then makes it all the worse if, as it seems, the novel was actually intended for adults.
When I was 12, I wrote a series of stories based on "The Three Investigators," and the cadence and language in "Caly" definitely matches my own struggling amateur prose at the time. What we have here is a sequence of choppy sentences detailing a string of non-stop ghostly episodes, equivalent to a child's narration of something that happened to them at school: "And then this happened. Then this happened. I said this. She said this. Then this happened. And then, and then. And then..."
The narration is full of plot holes or awkward traps in plausibility. For example, a 29-year-old man laments his next birthday because no one in his family has lived past thirty. Yet he also reported that his elderly grandparents just passed away. Were they his maternal grandparents and the curse is only on the paternal side? It's never explained. This is also a classic example of a haunted house story where people could avoid the danger by simply leaving, but they don't. As the stakes get higher, the author finally seems to realize the silliness of this idea, so she then has supernatural "forces" prevent them from leaving the house.
As a final irritation, very early on we are introduced to only four characters: the narrator (who is the titular Caly), Ian (her sort of boyfriend), Jack (who appears to be a literal lumberjack and is Ian's cousin who the couple is visiting), and Katie (Jack's wife). After the characters all meet up and turn in for the night, Caly then wakes up the next morning and tells the reader, "The three of them, Katie, Jack, and Ian, were all at breakfast when I came in."
Well, who the hell else would be meant by "the three of them"? When I read children's books to my kids, I see this kind of thing all the time, and it drives me nuts. For me, it is the literary equivalent of another pet peeve I have in the film industry--the house establishing shot. Have you ever watched one of those shoddy 80s horror slashers where, between every scene, the movie cuts to an outside shot of the house in which every single scene of the movie has already been set? Yes, folks, they're still in the same house--just in case you were wondering.
You may think I'm being picky, but to me, these are telltale signs that we are about to be subjected to an immature product from creatives that lack as much self-awareness as they do competence. So barely into the second chapter of "Caly," I was already picking up these vibes. Did the rest of the book confirm my initial prejudice, or did it leave me pleasantly surprised?
Actually, I did enjoy the novel overall, but I can see why it was largely forgotten as a story. It is a cliche--a typical haunted house tale. The titular character becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of two very similar axe murders that occurred almost three centuries apart in the same colonial mansion. There's the exploring of the abandoned house, full of dusty furniture. There's the local legends about the brutal past of the house, and hints of a town conspiracy. There's pounding doors, and creepy faces at the window, and secret passages, and possession, and thunder and lightning. There's even a VERY Scooby Doo ending with the local sheriff.
The book has everything ghost story lovers could want, all of it told at breakneck speed through very short chapters in a concise 280 pages of large print. The author attempts to keep the book classy, so the characters are all well-mannered, there is no profanity, and the narrative doesn't rely on contemporary pop culture references or colloquialisms like in more recent horror. Therefore, it is not really "trashy," but it does sport its share of violence, with lots of decapitated heads and limbs, murdered children, and several attempted acts of rape. So once again, the book is tonally bipolar, with the plodding prose of a poorly written children's book trying to convey themes more appropriate for older audiences.
I blame books like this for creating the reputation of the horror genre being throwaway pulp for kids and barely literate adults, especially from this era. I won't disagree that many such books are just escapist entertainment, but there are just as many deeper literary gems to be found that reach audiences emotionally through the techniques of horror. This is just not one of them. It is simply a straightforward supernatural tale of revenge written at a remarkably shallow emotional level.
"Caly" may never be remembered for its story, but will always have a place in horror history simply for the brilliant cover by William Teason, depicting a bride with a skeletal face on a stark black background that became the hallmark look of Zebra horrors. I have the original cover by an unknown artist, which is not so iconic, but which still packs a visual punch.
No matter for whom this book was intended, "Caly" was one of the novels that made the Zebra name a staple in literary history, kicking off the full-blown paperback from hell era. It is a worthy addition to your vintage book collection, though the more iconic reprint has become harder to find for a decent price since Will Erickson's book. I can't say it is worth the trouble or expense to read, but if you have the patience, it is a fun little pot boiler that gets the blood pumping, even if it is silly.
So if you have a hankering to indulge your own teenage nostalgia or have that special young reader in your life who you think may get a kick out of it, go get a copy.
SCORE: 2.5 stars, rounded to three.
July 26, 2021
Going to need some time to get over just how awful this book was. Will update with thoughts later.
April 30, 2014
It was a good book. It was definitely a page-turner for me. A little cheesy at times, but again, minimal. Yes, I definitely recommend it.
October 7, 2017
I did not expect this book to be great. It was entertainingly bad. :P
March 20, 2018
A nice little gothic tale. Surprisingly quick and easy read. Story gives off a great dark and moody vibe from the start. I really enjoyed the story, even though nowadays not that exciting or original anymore....I appreciate it for succeeding in setting the right mood. Good little scary tale, would make for a great theme for a haunted house
April 12, 2019
Average early 80's haunted house/gothic tale.
Reads like a bad B-movie from the time. So-so writing, with minimal scares and a few violent scenes with characters doing stupid things with a abrupt ending. Unless you find it super cheap, or you are a Zebra horror book collector, pass on it.
Reads like a bad B-movie from the time. So-so writing, with minimal scares and a few violent scenes with characters doing stupid things with a abrupt ending. Unless you find it super cheap, or you are a Zebra horror book collector, pass on it.
September 27, 2022
They had been warned to stay away from the Simpson's house. It is evil. Nobody had lived there for 30 years since the murders, the owner hacked the family and all dinners guests with an axe then seemed to die of fright. All the Simpson family members died before the age of 30 going back over three centuries. A couple visiting the small town decide to visit the abandoned house and come across Patrick a Simpson who is 29 years old. The house gives Caly the visitor the chills. The couple decide to help Patrick clean the house even though everyone tells them to stay away. One of them will have vines wrapped around them, the vines seeming possessed trying to kill him before the branches are cut, reviling red substances like blood. Furniture will move and be thrown around the house. Caly will see a ghost appear and through these spirits will uncover that the owner of the house 3 centuries ago raped a servant and had her burned as a witch to cover his heinous assault. The ghost witch takes revenge on all the Simpson family.
May 10, 2024
A pretty tame haunted house, possession story that would have been better as a short story. This just goes around and around in the same circles the whole book. The characters are pretty boring as well. There was brief horror but not enough to get the motor running. Not a good Zebra novel. There were no kids in peril to speak of either.
June 2, 2013
Don't know why but one of my favorite books
March 15, 2019
Thought it was great! Kind of wished a better outcome for Patrick, but I liked how everything came together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2019
This book was a great afternoon read, it was pretty fast-paced and kept you interested until the very last page!
October 27, 2019
It was okay, more for the teen market.
July 6, 2025
you can definitely tell this book was written in 80.. it was a struggle to finish
October 8, 2016
This horror novel is typical of many written in the late 1970's early 1980's. Caly and her friend take a vacation to his hometown. The town is old and harbors a secret. Caly is compelled to find out the truth at any cost....
The book was easy to read. I read it in one evening. The book reminded me of a special 'Lifetime Movie' Halloween special. In other words... I kinda liked it. Cheese and all.
The book was easy to read. I read it in one evening. The book reminded me of a special 'Lifetime Movie' Halloween special. In other words... I kinda liked it. Cheese and all.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews