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Julia: A Novel
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Story—and the master of American horror—tells the terrifying story of a woman who, in her desperation to flee the past, encounters an inexplicable aura of evil. Julia’s first purchase upon leaving her husband is a large, old-fashioned house in Kensington, where she plans to live by herself, well away from her soon-to-be-ex and the home where their young daughter died. She feels a peculiar affinity for the house right away, a feeling that deepens with each glimpse of a mysterious little girl—blond, like her daughter—in the neighborhood, and even in her dreams But the little girl and the big house have an inexplicable aura of evil. And Julia quickly discovers that escaping her past is not as simple as turning a key.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1975
86 people are currently reading
2952 people want to read
About the author
Peter Straub
259 books4,202 followersPeter Straub was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Gordon Anthony Straub and Elvena (Nilsestuen) Straub.
Straub read voraciously from an early age, but his literary interests did not please his parents; his father hoped that he would grow up to be a professional athlete, while his mother wanted him to be a Lutheran minister. He attended Milwaukee Country Day School on a scholarship, and, during his time there, began writing.
Straub earned an honors BA in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1965, and an MA at Columbia University a year later. He briefly taught English at Milwaukee Country Day, then moved to Dublin, Ireland, in 1969 to work on a PhD, and to start writing professionally
After mixed success with two attempts at literary mainstream novels in the mid-1970s ("Marriages" and "Under Venus"), Straub dabbled in the supernatural for the first time with "Julia" (1975). He then wrote "If You Could See Me Now" (1977), and came to widespread public attention with his fifth novel, "Ghost Story" (1979), which was a critical success and was later adapted into a 1981 film. Several horror novels followed, with growing success, including "The Talisman" and "Black House", two fantasy-horror collaborations with Straub's long-time friend and fellow author Stephen King.
In addition to his many novels, he published several works of poetry during his lifetime.
In 1966, Straub married Susan Bitker.They had two children; their daughter, Emma Straub, is also a novelist. The family lived in Dublin from 1969 to 1972, in London from 1972 to 1979, and in the New York City area from 1979 onwards.
Straub died on September 4, 2022, aged 79, from complications of a broken hip. At the time of his death, he and his wife lived in Brooklyn (New York City).
Straub read voraciously from an early age, but his literary interests did not please his parents; his father hoped that he would grow up to be a professional athlete, while his mother wanted him to be a Lutheran minister. He attended Milwaukee Country Day School on a scholarship, and, during his time there, began writing.
Straub earned an honors BA in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1965, and an MA at Columbia University a year later. He briefly taught English at Milwaukee Country Day, then moved to Dublin, Ireland, in 1969 to work on a PhD, and to start writing professionally
After mixed success with two attempts at literary mainstream novels in the mid-1970s ("Marriages" and "Under Venus"), Straub dabbled in the supernatural for the first time with "Julia" (1975). He then wrote "If You Could See Me Now" (1977), and came to widespread public attention with his fifth novel, "Ghost Story" (1979), which was a critical success and was later adapted into a 1981 film. Several horror novels followed, with growing success, including "The Talisman" and "Black House", two fantasy-horror collaborations with Straub's long-time friend and fellow author Stephen King.
In addition to his many novels, he published several works of poetry during his lifetime.
In 1966, Straub married Susan Bitker.They had two children; their daughter, Emma Straub, is also a novelist. The family lived in Dublin from 1969 to 1972, in London from 1972 to 1979, and in the New York City area from 1979 onwards.
Straub died on September 4, 2022, aged 79, from complications of a broken hip. At the time of his death, he and his wife lived in Brooklyn (New York City).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
July 1, 2022
"emptiness without end or meaning: that was death indeed, and it seemed to crawl forth from the walls of this house."
4.25 ⭐'s
Initial Thoughts
Peter Straub is one of the authors that has captured my imagination in my short career as a constant reader. I'd put him up there with Stephen King and Robert McCammon amongst my favourite authors. He's a talented writer no doubt and brings a very literary feel to the horror and suspense genre that I really appreciate. So I decided to dip my hairy, fungal infected toe into his early work, going back to Julia.
This one was published in 1975 and was Straub's third novel, after Marriages and Under Venus. These two novels tanked by all accounts and so when his publisher suggested writing in the realms of the supernatural, to get his career kick-started, Straub took that advice. He had seen from authors like Thomas Tryon and Ira Levin that horror fiction could be well written with literary quality. Try telling that to the modern crop of extreme horror authors!
He later revealed in an interview that this book along with If You Could See Me Now saved his career and got his wife off his case, who had been supporting him up until that point. A shrewd investment on her part. As they say, the rest is history and he has since become one of the masters of the horror and suspense genre. He's a favourite of many, including the man himself Stephen King.
It's worth noting that this book did have a movie adaptation in 1977's Full Circle, starring Mia Farrow. It was later released in the States under the more aptly named The Haunting of Julia. It's one I intend to check out in the near future. Anyway, enough of the movie talk. On with the review...
The Story
The story centres around a woman named Julia Lofting, you wouldn't believe it would you? After the tragic death of her eleven year old daughter Kate, and spending some time in a mental health facility, Julia abandons her tyrant of a husband and moves to London, England. She purchases an old home in Kensington with the intention of making a fresh start and reinvigorate herself in the process. But immediately after arriving in her new abode, she begins to see a mysterious blond girl who bears a striking resemblance to her recently departed daughter.
Thus the mystery begins. Does the mysterious girl have something to do with her daughter’s death? Is Julia haunted? Or is this all an occurrence within her ever so fragile psyche? As always, I'm not saying anything and if you want to know the answer then there's only one way to find out. Well that or read one of the other reviews that spoils the hell out of it!
The Writing
It was really interesting to delve into such an early piece of fiction from the Straubmeister. He's easily becoming one of my favourite authors and I'm not ashamed to admit it. But was he such a competent wordsmith at this stage of the career? The answer is a definite...yes! Some people are just born talented and Peter Straub was born to write. Damn his natural talent!
"Back in her house and close again to the source of the mystery, she felt that desolation as her familiar element—it was the gray commanding sea in which she swam. What was happening to her was necessary; she was at home."
Julia has a dreamy and surreal feel to it, with a tinge of Gothic flavour, which is a hallmark of Straub fiction. He gets a lot of comparisons with Stephen King, particularly after co-writing two books with him, but his style is very different. Where Stephen King straight up tells you what is going on, Straub gives a few hints and leaves the reader to figure it out. Im really onboard with it, but in Julia things did get a bit confusing at points and I was wondering what the hell was going on. This however, may have been intentional to reflect her confused state of mind. A definite unreliable narrator with a boatload of emotional baggage.
What Straub's style does is keep the tension ramped up and kept me guessing. He really did a fantastic job of creating suspense while slowly revealing events. A true master of slow burn horror.
The Characters
There was some really good character work in this one, particularly with the main protagonist, as the author invested some real effort into adding extra layers and fleshing them out.
Through the character of Julia, Straub was able to explore the effects of grief, trauma and the effects of a toxic relationship while she was attempting to establish her independence. I quickly became invested in her character as she's portrayed as a good person in an extremely negative situation. As a parent I was able to identify with her thoughts and emotions. Although she's not handling it well she shows some real balls in looking to turn her life around.
The husband Magnus is a touch stereotypical as the overbearing husband but did provide me with a look into both parents coming to terms, or not coming to terms, with the death of a child. Not quite hitting the heights of Stephen King's Pet Semetary, but certainly handled extremely well.
Final Thoughts
As you can tell I really enjoyed Julia and despite a few minor flaws it was a very effective haunted house story. I could really feel Straub finding his true calling here, and it was great to experience him at this point in his career. Still top class.
The novel reminded me a lot of Ghost Story in its execution. I love that novel and it's up there for my favourite ever horror novel. You can look at Julia and see that the author is getting himself warmed up and exploring themes and ideas that would be fully realised when he wrote Ghost Story.
But enough about that novel and back to Julia. It really is a well written supernatural, slow burn horror novel. So if that's your cup of tea I definitely recommend it. And if you don't enjoy it you have permission to kill me in my sleep.
A very solid 4.25 stars. Next up, If You Could See Me Now. If anyone has read that one let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading. Cheers!
"Maybe all this is just in my head, she thought. Would that make it less true?"
Want to read
January 4, 2018This slipcased hardcover edition is numbered 40 of 200 produced and is signed by:
Peter Straub
T.M. Wright (introduction)
Marcela Bolivar (cover)
Rodger Gerberding (interior illustrations)
Peter Straub
T.M. Wright (introduction)
Marcela Bolivar (cover)
Rodger Gerberding (interior illustrations)
January 9, 2019
In which I reread a book that I might as well have read for the first time, as I’d forgotten almost everything about it . . . .
This novel’s central conceit is unforgettable: a young woman grieving the loss of her daughter leaves her (abusive, controlling — but this is the 1970s so his behavior is written off by the other characters, or at least excused . . . .) husband and, on a whim, buys a large, old house in a new town.
It is a strange house, a questionable house — one in which the heaters seems to always run at full blast (despite being turned off) and a strange girl’s reflection appears in the bathroom mirror. Is the house out to get Julia? Is her mind overworked from paranoia, fear, of her husband hunting her down?
Straub is the master of unreliable characters — motivations are terribly unclear — and unnerving his reader. Julia is the epitome of “quiet” ‘70s horror, for what turns this novel’s engine is not loud scares but the menacing coldness of the characters themselves, and their tendencies toward self-destruction.
Thanks to my friend Don Gillette for rereading this book with me! Let us get to If You Could See Me Now . . . . soon . . . .
This novel’s central conceit is unforgettable: a young woman grieving the loss of her daughter leaves her (abusive, controlling — but this is the 1970s so his behavior is written off by the other characters, or at least excused . . . .) husband and, on a whim, buys a large, old house in a new town.
It is a strange house, a questionable house — one in which the heaters seems to always run at full blast (despite being turned off) and a strange girl’s reflection appears in the bathroom mirror. Is the house out to get Julia? Is her mind overworked from paranoia, fear, of her husband hunting her down?
Straub is the master of unreliable characters — motivations are terribly unclear — and unnerving his reader. Julia is the epitome of “quiet” ‘70s horror, for what turns this novel’s engine is not loud scares but the menacing coldness of the characters themselves, and their tendencies toward self-destruction.
Thanks to my friend Don Gillette for rereading this book with me! Let us get to If You Could See Me Now . . . . soon . . . .
June 6, 2023
2.25 stars
I struggled with this one, authors writing style wasn't to my taste. Very slow paced and many long drawn out descriptions of mundane things. Some of the horror scenes were good, but wasn't worth the slog it often felt like to get to them. Julia escapes her abusive husband and gets a place of her own. But when a clairvoyant tells her the house is haunted by a recently killed girl, she is both equally terrified and hopeful it may be her own recently killed daughter. Can Julia communicate with the girl, and what are the spirits intentions.
I struggled with this one, authors writing style wasn't to my taste. Very slow paced and many long drawn out descriptions of mundane things. Some of the horror scenes were good, but wasn't worth the slog it often felt like to get to them. Julia escapes her abusive husband and gets a place of her own. But when a clairvoyant tells her the house is haunted by a recently killed girl, she is both equally terrified and hopeful it may be her own recently killed daughter. Can Julia communicate with the girl, and what are the spirits intentions.
September 30, 2018
Ако не броим двете му съавторства с Кинг, това е една от трите книги издадени от български на Строб. За разлика от това на именития си колега, творчеството на Строб няма свойството да хваща читателя за гърлото с ефикасната простота на действията си, сюжетите му са доста по-засукани и изискват време за потопяване в атмосферата на произведението. Цветистият език, метрафорите и въздействащите описания почти се губят в деветдесетарските преводи, направени набързо и без общодостъпната сега компютърна мрежа и високо владеещите езика професионалисти, които превеждат тези „булевардни“ романи.
Харесвам Строб и то много. За мен, заедно с Лансдейл и Лиготи, образува една тройка в хоръра, която го издига над популярната проза и го вкарва в кулоарите на високата литература.
Джулия започва като стандартна история за обитавана от призраци къща, в която някога се е случило жестоко убийство. С напредване на повествованието обаче, лудостта съвсем не се ограничава между стените на въпросната, а успява да обсеби напълно главните герои и ги прехвърля в един подобен на техния, но доста по-мрачен и нелогичен свят, като изкривява умовете им, подобно на действителността около тях.
От тук идва цялото майсторство на Строб. Мрачните и наситени с безсмислено насилие картини, подбора на прилагателните в потискащите природни и градски описания, постепенното задълбочаване на лудостта, така че да се стори съвсем логично на читателя. Всичко това бавно, но сигурно води до един финал, както логичен, така и изненадващ.
Наистина се надявам да видим на български „Призрачна история“ и „Плаващ дракон“, със съответния добър превод естествено, за да могат феновете на жанра да преоткрият един от най-силните гласове в него.
Харесвам Строб и то много. За мен, заедно с Лансдейл и Лиготи, образува една тройка в хоръра, която го издига над популярната проза и го вкарва в кулоарите на високата литература.
Джулия започва като стандартна история за обитавана от призраци къща, в която някога се е случило жестоко убийство. С напредване на повествованието обаче, лудостта съвсем не се ограничава между стените на въпросната, а успява да обсеби напълно главните герои и ги прехвърля в един подобен на техния, но доста по-мрачен и нелогичен свят, като изкривява умовете им, подобно на действителността около тях.
От тук идва цялото майсторство на Строб. Мрачните и наситени с безсмислено насилие картини, подбора на прилагателните в потискащите природни и градски описания, постепенното задълбочаване на лудостта, така че да се стори съвсем логично на читателя. Всичко това бавно, но сигурно води до един финал, както логичен, така и изненадващ.
Наистина се надявам да видим на български „Призрачна история“ и „Плаващ дракон“, със съответния добър превод естествено, за да могат феновете на жанра да преоткрият един от най-силните гласове в него.
February 5, 2016
This was the author's first venture into the supernatural genre, originally published in 1975 and it reads like it. It isn't dated per se, it seemly belongs to another time, one where attitudes where different, women's lib not quite there (or at all there really), one had to go to the actual library for research, etc. Although yoga was as popular as it is now. The eponymous heroine is a woman of 36, who has recently lost her only child under tragic circumstances, even more recently left her husband and set off to start anew in a sprawling Kensington house purchased on a whim. Soon she starts seeing things, hearing things, experiencing things and her insular friendless life (with only known acquaintances being the family of her husband) and her questionable sanity make the nature of this haunting a questionable proposition. Straub gives away a tad much throughout the book to make it so, with less information it would have been a straight up horror, as is it straddles the line of psychological descent into madness sort of drama. It works as both and, imperfect as it may be, is still a very good read. It's impossible for me not to compare Julia to If You Could See Me Now, Straub's second genre entry, that I've recently read. The latter is an improvement in terms of pacing, character dynamics, suspense and yet both are stories of subtle, potentially explicable, psychological hauntings. Both are riveting in their own ways. This one might have done with more likeable characters or at the very least a stronger Julia, but then again a stronger woman would likely put up more of a fight. One can't help but appreciate the author's innate ability to create genuinely eerie scenes, to frighten and move without resorting to the cheap tricks of gore and guts, to really get to the heart of what's scary, to portray sanity as a delicate shifting unstable element it really is. For a all its shortcomings, this was still made for a very enjoyable reading experience or a genuine literary horror. Recommended.
March 21, 2022
Роман с готическа атмосфера, с присъщите за нея мудност и акцент върху детайлите. Факт е, че на много места повествованието върви доста бавно и се отделя много внимание на наглед не толкова важни неща. Същевременно, това е донякъде част от емоционалната приказка и представянето на срива на Джулия след всичката ужасия, която е преживяла и преживява.
Свръхестественото заема централна част от романа, добавяйки необходимите студени тръпки върху готическата атмосфера. Въпреки всичко, след прочита не остават много приятни усещания - нито е нещо невиждано, нито е нещо, което ще остане в съзнанието след време.
Свръхестественото заема централна част от романа, добавяйки необходимите студени тръпки върху готическата атмосфера. Въпреки всичко, след прочита не остават много приятни усещания - нито е нещо невиждано, нито е нещо, което ще остане в съзнанието след време.
February 22, 2015
Excellent read. Wonderfully tense and atmospheric, with classic gothic sensibilities. Thing is, I've heard lots of folks say, "If you loved GHOST STORY, JULIA will blow your mind!" In this case, I beg to differ. GHOST STORY painted with a much richer story, and the characters were far more likable, with a lot more substance. But still, that doesn't say anything bad about JULIA. I just like GHOST STORY a whole lot more.
November 8, 2023
Slow burn, creepy, atmospheric haunted house story. Readers will find much to love in this short novel but It did drag a bit, in my opinion, and I did not think much of the ending. This is Straub's first "horror" novel, I would strongly recommend the superb Ghost Story for readers new to his work.
I really need to take a break from haunted house stories as I have been disappointed on a number of occasions.
I really need to take a break from haunted house stories as I have been disappointed on a number of occasions.
May 8, 2016
Über weite Strecken eine klassische Geistergeschichte, die sich etwas in die Länge zieht.
Trotzdem: gut geschrieben und unterhaltsam, und nicht oberflächlich.
3,5 Sterne
Trotzdem: gut geschrieben und unterhaltsam, und nicht oberflächlich.
3,5 Sterne
March 23, 2023
TW: Cheating, gaslighting, toxic relationships, abusive relationship, lose of child, animal death, rape, bullying, child swearing, rape, torture, alcoholism
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:In a house in London a woman starts a new life, trying to put tragedy behind her. Then a pretty blonde child runs into view, bringing with her an inexplicable suggestion of evil.
Once Julia Lofting had a husband and a daughter. But everything has changed since she bolted from her marriage, in flight from the unbearable truth of her daughter's death. For Julia, there is no escape. Another child awaits, another mother suffers, and a circle of the damned gathers around her. The haunting has begun
Release Date: 1975
Genre: Horror - Thriller
Pages: 290
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. The plot is creepy
2. Some creepy scenes
What I Didn't Like:
1. I think I've already seen this
2. I hated Julia
3. Magnus is trash
4. Short book w/ long chapters
Overall Thoughts:
I should start this off by saying that horror books from the late '60s to the '70s are my bread and butter. I absolutely adore the writing style and I love the way the characters are described. One of my big hates of books today is that you get so many povs that it's overwhelming and confusing. The great thing about older books is that the POV is usually the main character and it's easier to follow what's happening. Not saying that all books with multiple povs are confusing but lately we've been getting books that have 6 to 15 povs. In any case I just love the writing style. It's fascinating to read about items I've never seen that existed before I was born. This books pov's keeps to 4 easy to follow ones with one timeline.
When we are first introduced to Julia she is purchasing a house that has eight bedrooms in it. She sees a girl with blonde hair and proceeds to follow the girl. Upon reading more we learn that Julia is in a pretty toxic marriage. Even from the moment she starts dating her husband we find out that he is sleeping with multiple women. It bothers Julia and she even mentions it to him but he pretty much dismisses it and tells her that this is the way it is. She even jokes about maybe sleeping with his brother if he's going to continue on sleeping with other women. Her husband violently grabs her and tells her if she does proceed with this that he will kill her. So definitely not a healthy relationship that she is in. They don't spend much time together she goes and stays in a different house with their daughter and barely sees the husband.
Just some of the gems of the 70's.
This book reminds me so much of the 1973 movie Don't Look Now, which deals with two parents who lost their child and come across a psychic that helps them. It's a scary scary movie.
Ewwww the part where Julia is being touched by little hands and dreams of her daughter lying next to her and then decides to masturbate. Who would do that?
Everyone making out like Julia is a drunk.
Creepy things happen but book decides to come back to it being all about Magnus. Change the title to that because Julia felt she was in the background.
Also Lily makes me mad that everything Julia does she reports back to Magnus. I get them being siblings but come on...
Love that Lilly sees Magnus break into Julia's house and does nothing, but if it were Julia breaking into someone's house she'd be running to stop her.
I hate how the author writes women. All the women are crass using words like c*nt like it's nothing, while the men come off almost posh - minus Magnus - he's horrible.
Halfway through this book the story takes a different turn. It turns from horror and goes into thriller territory.
There's a rape scene where Julia continues to tell Mark that she doesn't want sex but he undresses her and himself. They don't have sex but saying no means no.
Would I be lying if I started to space out once I got 70% into the book and stopped caring. Honestly I didn't care.
Final Thoughts:
That ending... Just no!
Recommend For:
• toxic books that paint women as crazy
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:In a house in London a woman starts a new life, trying to put tragedy behind her. Then a pretty blonde child runs into view, bringing with her an inexplicable suggestion of evil.
Once Julia Lofting had a husband and a daughter. But everything has changed since she bolted from her marriage, in flight from the unbearable truth of her daughter's death. For Julia, there is no escape. Another child awaits, another mother suffers, and a circle of the damned gathers around her. The haunting has begun
Release Date: 1975
Genre: Horror - Thriller
Pages: 290
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. The plot is creepy
2. Some creepy scenes
What I Didn't Like:
1. I think I've already seen this
2. I hated Julia
3. Magnus is trash
4. Short book w/ long chapters
Overall Thoughts:
I should start this off by saying that horror books from the late '60s to the '70s are my bread and butter. I absolutely adore the writing style and I love the way the characters are described. One of my big hates of books today is that you get so many povs that it's overwhelming and confusing. The great thing about older books is that the POV is usually the main character and it's easier to follow what's happening. Not saying that all books with multiple povs are confusing but lately we've been getting books that have 6 to 15 povs. In any case I just love the writing style. It's fascinating to read about items I've never seen that existed before I was born. This books pov's keeps to 4 easy to follow ones with one timeline.
When we are first introduced to Julia she is purchasing a house that has eight bedrooms in it. She sees a girl with blonde hair and proceeds to follow the girl. Upon reading more we learn that Julia is in a pretty toxic marriage. Even from the moment she starts dating her husband we find out that he is sleeping with multiple women. It bothers Julia and she even mentions it to him but he pretty much dismisses it and tells her that this is the way it is. She even jokes about maybe sleeping with his brother if he's going to continue on sleeping with other women. Her husband violently grabs her and tells her if she does proceed with this that he will kill her. So definitely not a healthy relationship that she is in. They don't spend much time together she goes and stays in a different house with their daughter and barely sees the husband.
"Little girls so pretty did not do things like that it was an unfair psychological rule that handsome children were healthier and more stable than ugly ones".
Just some of the gems of the 70's.
This book reminds me so much of the 1973 movie Don't Look Now, which deals with two parents who lost their child and come across a psychic that helps them. It's a scary scary movie.
Ewwww the part where Julia is being touched by little hands and dreams of her daughter lying next to her and then decides to masturbate. Who would do that?
Everyone making out like Julia is a drunk.
Creepy things happen but book decides to come back to it being all about Magnus. Change the title to that because Julia felt she was in the background.
Also Lily makes me mad that everything Julia does she reports back to Magnus. I get them being siblings but come on...
Love that Lilly sees Magnus break into Julia's house and does nothing, but if it were Julia breaking into someone's house she'd be running to stop her.
I hate how the author writes women. All the women are crass using words like c*nt like it's nothing, while the men come off almost posh - minus Magnus - he's horrible.
Halfway through this book the story takes a different turn. It turns from horror and goes into thriller territory.
There's a rape scene where Julia continues to tell Mark that she doesn't want sex but he undresses her and himself. They don't have sex but saying no means no.
Would I be lying if I started to space out once I got 70% into the book and stopped caring. Honestly I didn't care.
Final Thoughts:
That ending... Just no!
Recommend For:
• toxic books that paint women as crazy
IG | Blog
July 26, 2017
-Las atmósferas por excelencia del autor.-
Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. En el libro Cuando el círculo se cierra (publicación original: Full Circle pero también Julia, 1975) conocemos a Julia, que se ha mudado a una nueva casa en el barrio de Kensington y que ve por todas partes a una niña que le recuera a su hija Kate, en cuya muerte Julia sospecha que su marido Magnus, del que se ha separado después de una relación tóxica y posesiva de una década, tuvo algo que ver. Pero su nuevo hogar tiene su propio pasado. Libro también conocido como Julia y como La obsesión de Julia.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. En el libro Cuando el círculo se cierra (publicación original: Full Circle pero también Julia, 1975) conocemos a Julia, que se ha mudado a una nueva casa en el barrio de Kensington y que ve por todas partes a una niña que le recuera a su hija Kate, en cuya muerte Julia sospecha que su marido Magnus, del que se ha separado después de una relación tóxica y posesiva de una década, tuvo algo que ver. Pero su nuevo hogar tiene su propio pasado. Libro también conocido como Julia y como La obsesión de Julia.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
September 4, 2009
One of those rare cases where the book isn't quite as good as the movie. Still worth reading, but if you like the story definitely check the movie out. It's called The Haunting of Julia and it stars a wan-looking Mia Farrow... very creepy. Lovely music too.
February 19, 2011
A wonderful creepy and perverted tale that was the basis for the movie, The Haunting of Julia. It doesn't bust out till around page 200, so stick with it.
October 8, 2019
Julia by Peter Straub
I'm going to give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Boo!!!!🎃 👻
It's a perfect autumn read. Full of mystery, a lot of dark secrets and spooky elements like a haunted house, spiritual rituals and a couple of dead bodies. 👻 Unfortunately, I'm not very satisfied by the ending. I was expecting the end of this book to be more interesting.
I'm going to give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Boo!!!!🎃 👻
It's a perfect autumn read. Full of mystery, a lot of dark secrets and spooky elements like a haunted house, spiritual rituals and a couple of dead bodies. 👻 Unfortunately, I'm not very satisfied by the ending. I was expecting the end of this book to be more interesting.
December 6, 2017
Historia en las que baja el listón. Debió ver una película en tele5 a las 16:00 y un restante día sin hacer nada. Tomo la idea de la película y las 4horas posteriores para escribirla.
El titulo en español ha tenido varias formas, me quedo con “la obsesión de Julia” que lo veo muy acertado. A pesar de que su sinopsis haga creer en una historia de casa encantada. No hace más que dañar al libro.
Tras salir corriendo de su marido que le hacía la vida imposible, Julia decide comprar una enorme casa por que sí. No puede ser una típica casita, no, una ENORME mansión que le sobra por todos lados. Ella empezara a ver continuamente a una niña que se parece muchísimo a su hija muerta. Y su marido no querrá que se separen, ya que Julia tiene mucho dinero y el dinero tal como las mierdas, atrae a las moscas asquerosas.
El titulo en español ha tenido varias formas, me quedo con “la obsesión de Julia” que lo veo muy acertado. A pesar de que su sinopsis haga creer en una historia de casa encantada. No hace más que dañar al libro.
Tras salir corriendo de su marido que le hacía la vida imposible, Julia decide comprar una enorme casa por que sí. No puede ser una típica casita, no, una ENORME mansión que le sobra por todos lados. Ella empezara a ver continuamente a una niña que se parece muchísimo a su hija muerta. Y su marido no querrá que se separen, ya que Julia tiene mucho dinero y el dinero tal como las mierdas, atrae a las moscas asquerosas.
May 6, 2016
-Las atmósferas por excelencia del autor.-
Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Julia se ha mudado a un nueva casa en el barrio de Kensington, donde ve por todas partes a una niña que le recuera a su hija Kate, en cuya muerte Julia sospecha que su marido Magnus, del que se ha separado después de una relación tóxica y posesiva de una década, tuvo algo que ver. Pero su nuevo hogar tiene su propio pasado. Libro también conocido como “Julia” y como “La obsesión de Julia”.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Julia se ha mudado a un nueva casa en el barrio de Kensington, donde ve por todas partes a una niña que le recuera a su hija Kate, en cuya muerte Julia sospecha que su marido Magnus, del que se ha separado después de una relación tóxica y posesiva de una década, tuvo algo que ver. Pero su nuevo hogar tiene su propio pasado. Libro también conocido como “Julia” y como “La obsesión de Julia”.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
July 11, 2024
This was my first Peter Straub book, and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. I chose this one because I am a huge fan of the movie that's based off of it (only recommend if you are into artsy horror films). While there was a portion of this book that dragged a bit, and I thought it was going to be a 2 or 3 star, I thought overall it was really good. I'm still a bigger fan of the movie, but there is a REALLY good twist in the book that I think is a shame that they left out of the film. Tsk tsk.
November 21, 2016
Aside from the novel he co-wrote with Stephen King, The Talisman, this is the first Staub book I've read. (I'm not sure that The Talisman even counts, because his and King's writing blended so seamlessly that I could almost never tell which of them was writing any given scene.)
I wouldn't say I'm disappointed so much as surprised. This is very different from the modern horror novel, which I suppose I should have guessed given that it was published in 1975. It reminds me quite a bit of Rosemary's Baby, or The Exorcist--you know, that late-sixties-early-seventies horror, which was very slow, cerebral, psychological, and subtle, especially when compared to later periods of horror. Still, Carrie was published the year before this, so maybe Staub was riding a wave that was just about dying at this point.
Anyway, enough background--let's talk about the story. As mentioned, it is very slow, very cerebral, much more "creepy" than necessarily "horrifying." There's some ambiguity, but not as much as I'd like. One of the novel's major "surprises"----was evident from early on, so that was no shock. In fact, there really weren't many surprises, in the end. The only thing I didn't expect was , but that was written in such a confusing manner that I had no idea what happened until the characters explained it later on. There's no rule of horror that a novel necessarily has to have a surprise ending, or a "twist," but when the summary on the back of the book tells you all you need to know about plot, finishing the novel gets frustrating.
About the characters. Julia is not a remarkable main character, but nor is she unbearable; she's sympathetic, not too awfully stupid, and though willfully ignorant at times, she as a lot of passion. Furthermore, she is the only decent character in this story. Don't get me started on the evil/creepy kids. The minor characters are generally all unpleasant and awful. But the real shitshow is the entire Loftings family--Magnus, Lily, and Mark. Every one of them is greedy, cruel, abusive, and absolutely horrible to Julia. Magnus is the typical abusive, controlling husband (though rather less aggressive than many of his brothers, who would never let their wives move out and buy new houses without them without killing them first); Lily is condescending, smug, and uses Julia; Mark seems to be sympathetic to her, but is also blatantly using her, both for money and as an emotional crutch. All three of them profit enormously from Julia's wealth, and none of them feel a shred of guilt about it. Lily is maybe the worst, which is so annoying--I am absolutely sick of the "evil man has an even eviler woman pulling his strings" cliche (re: Magnus and Lily). Anyway, the entire clan is a bunch of horrible shitfaced garbage. They make this kind of a difficult read, especially when you get to the end and
Essentially, this is a horror novel about being haunted, both by one's individual past and our collective past. It is also about evils which are entirely human--greed, lust, revenge, manipulation, et cetera. I'd recommend to fans of the classic horror wave and anybody who's really interested in haunted house stories.
I wouldn't say I'm disappointed so much as surprised. This is very different from the modern horror novel, which I suppose I should have guessed given that it was published in 1975. It reminds me quite a bit of Rosemary's Baby, or The Exorcist--you know, that late-sixties-early-seventies horror, which was very slow, cerebral, psychological, and subtle, especially when compared to later periods of horror. Still, Carrie was published the year before this, so maybe Staub was riding a wave that was just about dying at this point.
Anyway, enough background--let's talk about the story. As mentioned, it is very slow, very cerebral, much more "creepy" than necessarily "horrifying." There's some ambiguity, but not as much as I'd like. One of the novel's major "surprises"----was evident from early on, so that was no shock. In fact, there really weren't many surprises, in the end. The only thing I didn't expect was , but that was written in such a confusing manner that I had no idea what happened until the characters explained it later on. There's no rule of horror that a novel necessarily has to have a surprise ending, or a "twist," but when the summary on the back of the book tells you all you need to know about plot, finishing the novel gets frustrating.
About the characters. Julia is not a remarkable main character, but nor is she unbearable; she's sympathetic, not too awfully stupid, and though willfully ignorant at times, she as a lot of passion. Furthermore, she is the only decent character in this story. Don't get me started on the evil/creepy kids. The minor characters are generally all unpleasant and awful. But the real shitshow is the entire Loftings family--Magnus, Lily, and Mark. Every one of them is greedy, cruel, abusive, and absolutely horrible to Julia. Magnus is the typical abusive, controlling husband (though rather less aggressive than many of his brothers, who would never let their wives move out and buy new houses without them without killing them first); Lily is condescending, smug, and uses Julia; Mark seems to be sympathetic to her, but is also blatantly using her, both for money and as an emotional crutch. All three of them profit enormously from Julia's wealth, and none of them feel a shred of guilt about it. Lily is maybe the worst, which is so annoying--I am absolutely sick of the "evil man has an even eviler woman pulling his strings" cliche (re: Magnus and Lily). Anyway, the entire clan is a bunch of horrible shitfaced garbage. They make this kind of a difficult read, especially when you get to the end and
Essentially, this is a horror novel about being haunted, both by one's individual past and our collective past. It is also about evils which are entirely human--greed, lust, revenge, manipulation, et cetera. I'd recommend to fans of the classic horror wave and anybody who's really interested in haunted house stories.
July 28, 2023
After the death of her nine year old daughter, Julia leaves her husband, buying an old house which she is soon to call home. Little does she know that within the shadowy confines of her new abode, chilling secrets await, and she is soon immersed deeper into its darkness...
This book blurs the line between reality and the paranormal, prompting you to ponder if the peculiar occurrences stem from Julia's mental state, her allegedly deranged husband, or sinister forces that may truly be at play.
I definitely think this book is of its time, and there's probably a reason it's not as well loved as many other work by Straub. I hated most of the characters, and, well, let's just say that this isn't Straub's finest work at representing women in a positive way.
I enjoyed parts of this book, struggled through others. If you're a fan of classic ghost stories that build suspense with a hauntingly atmospheric pace, then I think this one is for you. However, as much as I enjoyed it, having delved into numerous other ghost tales that have truly left me spooked, I find it hard to rate this one any higher than 2.5 stars.
This book blurs the line between reality and the paranormal, prompting you to ponder if the peculiar occurrences stem from Julia's mental state, her allegedly deranged husband, or sinister forces that may truly be at play.
I definitely think this book is of its time, and there's probably a reason it's not as well loved as many other work by Straub. I hated most of the characters, and, well, let's just say that this isn't Straub's finest work at representing women in a positive way.
I enjoyed parts of this book, struggled through others. If you're a fan of classic ghost stories that build suspense with a hauntingly atmospheric pace, then I think this one is for you. However, as much as I enjoyed it, having delved into numerous other ghost tales that have truly left me spooked, I find it hard to rate this one any higher than 2.5 stars.
March 16, 2013
"Julia" is an incredibly well-done modern Gothic in the same vein as Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw" or Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House," though not quite so masterful. We see through they eyes of a main character, the fragile Julia Lofting, who at best is an unreliable narrator, and at worst an outright madwoman. Straub crafts an eerie novel about madness, death and the notion of true evil. If you like this kind of story, it's a definite must-read, but good luck finding a copy. I had to get mine through a library in Jersey. If you want to see the movie version, its U.S. title is "The Haunting of Julia" and it stars Mia Farrow as Julia Lofting. The movie definitely takes liberties from the book, but it works. The musical score is incredibly eerie, too.
August 23, 2013
Peter Straub is an amazing author who manages to straddle the horror and literary genres. Unfortunately, Full Circle was probably his first novel and, as such, all copies should be found and summarily destroyed. This is a bad, bad, bad novel! The only saving grace, from an author's point of view, is that such a creative genius could have sprung from such humble beginnings. I beg you, if you like to read horror novels, pick up his Blue Rose trilogy (Koko, Mystery and The Throat), or just about any other one of his novels, but pass on Full Circle.
February 29, 2008
I didn't like this one nearly so well as Straub's other novels. The beginning was promising, and the tension builds nicely through the first 3/4 of the book, but the ending seemed really abrupt and overly vague to me. I kept reading because I thought there was going to be a pay-off, and I was going to find out something really creepy and interesting, but instead things just stayed obscure and I was left confused by the ending.
October 2, 2024
This story leaves the reader with a lot of questions. I tend to believe that Julia, a haunted woman, was fated to become the victim of the haunted house.
The scene where Julia meets Heather Rudge was quite chilling. Two women, both with sanity issues, both of whom have a daughter in the grave, both women have lived in that house on Holland Park. The deeper connection that they both share is really the clincher.
The scene where Julia meets Heather Rudge was quite chilling. Two women, both with sanity issues, both of whom have a daughter in the grave, both women have lived in that house on Holland Park. The deeper connection that they both share is really the clincher.
July 29, 2019
"Tutto era diverso, un tempo. C'era una giovane donna, graziosa, placida, Julia Lofting, che viveva a Londra col marito, professionista di grido, e la loro bella bambina, e tutti e tre conducevano un'esistenza felice e serena, devoti al nucleo che formavano, e devoti l'un all'altro...
C'era una volta una ragazza con tanti quattrini che si chiamava Julia Freeman, e aveva sposato un uomo più anziano di lei, un inglese di nome Magnus Lofting e viveva con lui a Londra, tollerando i suoi tradimenti e le sue sfuriate per amore della loro bambina (della bambina di Julia)...
Una volta, una confusa e smarrita donna americana, si chiamava Julia, viveva in una casa con la figlia e vedeva il marito a tarda sera, quando rientrava da uno dei club che frequentava per bere...
C'era una volta una bambina carina, ricca d'immaginazione che si chiamava Kate Lofting...
Ma era morta..."
( Peter Straub_Julia )
C'era una volta una ragazza con tanti quattrini che si chiamava Julia Freeman, e aveva sposato un uomo più anziano di lei, un inglese di nome Magnus Lofting e viveva con lui a Londra, tollerando i suoi tradimenti e le sue sfuriate per amore della loro bambina (della bambina di Julia)...
Una volta, una confusa e smarrita donna americana, si chiamava Julia, viveva in una casa con la figlia e vedeva il marito a tarda sera, quando rientrava da uno dei club che frequentava per bere...
C'era una volta una bambina carina, ricca d'immaginazione che si chiamava Kate Lofting...
Ma era morta..."
( Peter Straub_Julia )
January 21, 2026
I knew I would enjoy this novel since I’m a huge fan of the 1977 film adaptation, The Haunting of Julia. But I wasn’t prepared for how different it would be from the film, which made it quite interesting to read. There are many similarities, and the film certainly got the vibe of the book down perfectly, but there are also some major differences. It took me a little while to get used to Straub’s wordiness (he sure did love a long paragraph!) but once I got into this book, I REALLY got into it. It really is, for lack of a better word, haunting. The only thing I did not like about the novel was the ending. I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say that’s one aspect that the movie most definitely improved on.
April 25, 2023
Don’t really understand why this book has so low reviews maybe cause it wasn’t scary enough? This was more of a crime/spiritual book rather than horror and definitely one of his best
April 17, 2025
Много шантава книга🔪
March 5, 2018
I saw the movie when I was little, and it had such an impact on me. It's one of my top favorite ghost/scary movies. It was interesting to see the differences between the book and movie. And there were a lot. I think the movie made up stuff and left out things. It's one of those things where I don't know what I would have liked more had I read the book before seeing the movie.
Spoilers:
For example, in the movie version, many of the characters are killed by Olivia. But in the book, they are all alive. In the movie, we see Olivia slash Julia's throat, and it ends showing her bleeding. But the book led everything to think she killed herself. Also, we didn't know the connection of Magnus, Heather and Olivia. He's Olivia's dad and it's mentioned that he was older than Julia. But in the movie version, Heather is old enough to be the grandmother of Magnus. There isn't a relationship between Mark and Julia (and I didn't know if we knew that Mark was adopted and a brother to Magnus in the movie).
They were very alike and yet different stories. I'm not sure if I would have liked the movie as much had all these things occurred in the book in the movie or not. The book was creepy and I did enjoy it. I prefer things slower and more suspense than all this action happening that I don't find as scary. I liked the build up in the movie and the book. I know some might have found that boring but it's what I prefer.
The movie also reminded me of the story of Mary Bell—the 10 year old in the UK who murdered two young boys. I always wondered if the author based some of his book loosely on that real life person for Olivia.
Spoilers:
For example, in the movie version, many of the characters are killed by Olivia. But in the book, they are all alive. In the movie, we see Olivia slash Julia's throat, and it ends showing her bleeding. But the book led everything to think she killed herself. Also, we didn't know the connection of Magnus, Heather and Olivia. He's Olivia's dad and it's mentioned that he was older than Julia. But in the movie version, Heather is old enough to be the grandmother of Magnus. There isn't a relationship between Mark and Julia (and I didn't know if we knew that Mark was adopted and a brother to Magnus in the movie).
They were very alike and yet different stories. I'm not sure if I would have liked the movie as much had all these things occurred in the book in the movie or not. The book was creepy and I did enjoy it. I prefer things slower and more suspense than all this action happening that I don't find as scary. I liked the build up in the movie and the book. I know some might have found that boring but it's what I prefer.
The movie also reminded me of the story of Mary Bell—the 10 year old in the UK who murdered two young boys. I always wondered if the author based some of his book loosely on that real life person for Olivia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2023
There are so many layers to unravel in this one. They adapted this to film in 77 "The haunting of Julia." Great stuff!
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