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Moths
Dower House, lush and irresistible, draws people to it like moths to a flame. Among those caught in its spell are James and Nemo Boyce, who buy it, and Harry Harris, who becomes possessed by both the house and its mistress.
But disturbing events - the mysterious death of a favorite dog, ghostly music in the woods, fleeting reflections in an old mirror - give warning of another presence. And then, at the Boyces' housewarming party, an uninvited guest makes an Sarah Moore, dazzling actress, beautiful, lustful, murderous - and dead for 150 years.
As Nemo begins to undergo a series of bizarre changes, Harry, obsessively in love with her, finds himself swept up into an ever-tightening spiral of tragedy ...
One of Valancourt's most exciting rediscoveries in years, Rosalind Ashe's slow-burn Gothic horror tale Moths (1976) was a critical hit on both sides of the Atlantic and earned comparisons to Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca.
"A magical novel, passionate, exciting, and beautifully written." - Iris Murdoch
"Could be a young Daphne du Maurier . . . Fans of Rebecca will be moths to the flame." - Publishers Weekly
"A beautifully written and beautifully constructed novel of mounting fear and terror ... Wonderfully scary, wonderfully exotic ... absolutely riveting." - Stephen King (on Rosalind Ashe's Hurricane Wake)
"A first novel of power and imagination . . . the conclusion is genuinely frightening." - The Guardian
"A first novel as well crafted as any classic of its kind." - The Pittsburgh Press
But disturbing events - the mysterious death of a favorite dog, ghostly music in the woods, fleeting reflections in an old mirror - give warning of another presence. And then, at the Boyces' housewarming party, an uninvited guest makes an Sarah Moore, dazzling actress, beautiful, lustful, murderous - and dead for 150 years.
As Nemo begins to undergo a series of bizarre changes, Harry, obsessively in love with her, finds himself swept up into an ever-tightening spiral of tragedy ...
One of Valancourt's most exciting rediscoveries in years, Rosalind Ashe's slow-burn Gothic horror tale Moths (1976) was a critical hit on both sides of the Atlantic and earned comparisons to Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca.
"A magical novel, passionate, exciting, and beautifully written." - Iris Murdoch
"Could be a young Daphne du Maurier . . . Fans of Rebecca will be moths to the flame." - Publishers Weekly
"A beautifully written and beautifully constructed novel of mounting fear and terror ... Wonderfully scary, wonderfully exotic ... absolutely riveting." - Stephen King (on Rosalind Ashe's Hurricane Wake)
"A first novel of power and imagination . . . the conclusion is genuinely frightening." - The Guardian
"A first novel as well crafted as any classic of its kind." - The Pittsburgh Press
194 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 25, 2019
Another penguin from my favourite bookshop. This one is an oddity, a ghost story. I must admit I hadn’t heard of Rosalind Ashe; she’s written a few other novels and a couple of books on Literary Houses. This was her first novel, I think, and was praised by Iris Murdoch.
The plot does stretch believability. Harris is an Oxford don in his late 30s and a bachelor. He finds an old house on the market; grand and beyond his price range. He spends a good deal of time in its grounds (and in the house) while it is on the market. He meets the potential purchasers, James and Nemo (Latin for no one) Boyce and befriends them, falling in love with Nemo. Things drift along well with good descriptions of the gardens and the grandeur of the house and Harris getting along well with the Boyce's. Nemo becomes obsessed with the house and how it should look and slightly odd things begin to happen; mostly related to a former resident, Sarah Moore, a regency actress. Harris begins to believe Sarah Moore is still around. To cut a long story short; Nemo begins to bump off men having had sexual intercourse with them first (they are the moths). Harris is a potential victim, but survives and realises that Sarah Moore has taken over Nemo (?!?). Instead of doing the obvious and telling the police, he decides his love for Nemo overrides this and he wants to save her/help her etc. Events spiral with a few twists and turns. It’s all a bit strange.
I don’t mind a good ghost story; Susan Hill and M R James being among my favourites. Virago have also published an excellent compilation. This is ok, but the notion of a homicidal female bumping off deluded males led by the one thing males are usually led by is a little formulaic (although quite fun) and the ending leaves much open. However the late great Dennis Potter was working on a film version of Moths when he died (called Midnight Movie) and I do like much of his work. It’s interesting, but too much focussed on Harris and too little on Nemo for it to work entirely. 3.5 stars.
The plot does stretch believability. Harris is an Oxford don in his late 30s and a bachelor. He finds an old house on the market; grand and beyond his price range. He spends a good deal of time in its grounds (and in the house) while it is on the market. He meets the potential purchasers, James and Nemo (Latin for no one) Boyce and befriends them, falling in love with Nemo. Things drift along well with good descriptions of the gardens and the grandeur of the house and Harris getting along well with the Boyce's. Nemo becomes obsessed with the house and how it should look and slightly odd things begin to happen; mostly related to a former resident, Sarah Moore, a regency actress. Harris begins to believe Sarah Moore is still around. To cut a long story short; Nemo begins to bump off men having had sexual intercourse with them first (they are the moths). Harris is a potential victim, but survives and realises that Sarah Moore has taken over Nemo (?!?). Instead of doing the obvious and telling the police, he decides his love for Nemo overrides this and he wants to save her/help her etc. Events spiral with a few twists and turns. It’s all a bit strange.
I don’t mind a good ghost story; Susan Hill and M R James being among my favourites. Virago have also published an excellent compilation. This is ok, but the notion of a homicidal female bumping off deluded males led by the one thing males are usually led by is a little formulaic (although quite fun) and the ending leaves much open. However the late great Dennis Potter was working on a film version of Moths when he died (called Midnight Movie) and I do like much of his work. It’s interesting, but too much focussed on Harris and too little on Nemo for it to work entirely. 3.5 stars.
October 10, 2025
review soon
May 20, 2018
My late grandmother was a writer, and this was her first novel. It's pretty shameful I haven't got round to reading it until now, especially since this is a pretty great book! A ghost story of sorts, it touches on jealousy, love and doubt, and ends up being really entertaining. It starts slowly, with some luxurious prose and pretty evocative character profiles, but once you've been lulled into a false sense of security, the shocks are visceral. It's the story of a woman named Nemo, who buys an old Georgian house in Oxfordshire with her husband, and Harry (our narrator), who quickly befriends the couple and falls for Nemo. After a supernatural experience, Nemo's mood swings evolve into migraines and fits of passion, and when death rears its head, things get pretty intense. It's a short book - I finished it in a day - but it's full of riches, and I'll never look at a hat-pin the same way again.
December 13, 2025
How do you tell a man, gently, that his wife is a homocidal nymphomaniac?
This is an intriguing, pulpy, gothic horror novel about a professor that is too young for a mid life crisis and too old for a quarter life one, but after meeting the couple that buy his favourite house decides to have one anyway. I did find myself wondering why he didn't just buy it himself.
What truly intrigued me about this story though was the discussions of rape, told by and done to, men. The main character did acknowledge, with the word rape used, that that had happened to him, but in his obsession with Nemo he often dismissed it, wanting it to have more meaning.
There's an overall vibe that the men are torn between their obsession with Nemo, what had happened to them, and a sense of embarassment and feeling that they won't be believed. It's even mentioned that telling their story would be embarassing. The horror story itself is just fine, but this aspect of the book was the one that I will think about long after.
This is an intriguing, pulpy, gothic horror novel about a professor that is too young for a mid life crisis and too old for a quarter life one, but after meeting the couple that buy his favourite house decides to have one anyway. I did find myself wondering why he didn't just buy it himself.
What truly intrigued me about this story though was the discussions of rape, told by and done to, men. The main character did acknowledge, with the word rape used, that that had happened to him, but in his obsession with Nemo he often dismissed it, wanting it to have more meaning.
There's an overall vibe that the men are torn between their obsession with Nemo, what had happened to them, and a sense of embarassment and feeling that they won't be believed. It's even mentioned that telling their story would be embarassing. The horror story itself is just fine, but this aspect of the book was the one that I will think about long after.
June 11, 2025
This new edition includes a really good and thoughtful introduction from Lisa Kröger that puts Moths in the context of gothic fiction, horror, and Ashe's contemporaries.
My late grandmother was a writer, and this was her first novel. It's pretty shameful I haven't got round to reading it until now, especially since this is a pretty great book! A ghost story of sorts, it touches on jealousy, love and doubt, and ends up being really entertaining. It starts slowly, with some luxurious prose and pretty evocative character profiles, but once you've been lulled into a false sense of security, the shocks are visceral. It's the story of a woman named Nemo, who buys an old Georgian house in Oxfordshire with her husband, and Harry (our narrator), who quickly befriends the couple and falls for Nemo. After a supernatural experience, Nemo's mood swings evolve into migraines and fits of passion, and when death rears its head, things get pretty intense. It's a short book - I finished it in a day - but it's full of riches, and I'll never look at a hat-pin the same way again.
My late grandmother was a writer, and this was her first novel. It's pretty shameful I haven't got round to reading it until now, especially since this is a pretty great book! A ghost story of sorts, it touches on jealousy, love and doubt, and ends up being really entertaining. It starts slowly, with some luxurious prose and pretty evocative character profiles, but once you've been lulled into a false sense of security, the shocks are visceral. It's the story of a woman named Nemo, who buys an old Georgian house in Oxfordshire with her husband, and Harry (our narrator), who quickly befriends the couple and falls for Nemo. After a supernatural experience, Nemo's mood swings evolve into migraines and fits of passion, and when death rears its head, things get pretty intense. It's a short book - I finished it in a day - but it's full of riches, and I'll never look at a hat-pin the same way again.
June 4, 2025
There’s something quietly haunting about Moths, like the delicate brush of wings against glass at midnight. Rosalind Ashe crafts a narrative as fragile and persistent as the creatures that inhabit its pages. The recurring image of moths isn’t just symbolic; I found it spectral. Drawn to light even when it consumes them, the moths mirror not only our protagonist’s descent into obsession and self-erasure, but that of the entire cast of characters.
The moths, as well as the home at the heart of the story, form a soft, flitting metaphor for longing, memory, and the kind of ruin that feels almost romantic in its inevitability. The novel unfolds in a way that recalls the larger strokes of The Yellow Wallpaper, where the supernatural and psychological flicker and battle for your senses.
Ashe’s voice echoes the gothic elegance of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, but with a sharper, more fractured psychological edge. There is also a quiet feminism stitched through the shadows. Like Rebecca, Moths centers women whose power is often misunderstood, underestimated, or mislabeled as madness. They are haunted, yes—but by what? A specter, or the weight of restraint?
And yet, Moths never loses its own sense of self. It is its own haunted house, its own flickering lamp in the night.
A beautiful and melancholy read, Moths lingers long after the last page is turned. By the end, I felt as though I were a moth drawn to its flame.
The moths, as well as the home at the heart of the story, form a soft, flitting metaphor for longing, memory, and the kind of ruin that feels almost romantic in its inevitability. The novel unfolds in a way that recalls the larger strokes of The Yellow Wallpaper, where the supernatural and psychological flicker and battle for your senses.
Ashe’s voice echoes the gothic elegance of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, but with a sharper, more fractured psychological edge. There is also a quiet feminism stitched through the shadows. Like Rebecca, Moths centers women whose power is often misunderstood, underestimated, or mislabeled as madness. They are haunted, yes—but by what? A specter, or the weight of restraint?
And yet, Moths never loses its own sense of self. It is its own haunted house, its own flickering lamp in the night.
A beautiful and melancholy read, Moths lingers long after the last page is turned. By the end, I felt as though I were a moth drawn to its flame.
November 8, 2015
Eh, whatever. Great idea -- blah execution.
The narrator's (i.e., author's) parade of elitist fragments & metaphors made me want to rip a thesaurus in half -- there's a point where one leapfrogs descriptive to splat headfirst in a puddle of overwritten, which is exactly what happened here. The flat and/or unlikable characters weren't enough to make up for the language style, & after scanning the last few pages I didn't want to bother slogging through a mediocre read for so little reward.
If you like extremely wordy, academia-centric gothic novels with self-important narrators...have at it. But for me? Nope. Standard 2-star DNF.
The narrator's (i.e., author's) parade of elitist fragments & metaphors made me want to rip a thesaurus in half -- there's a point where one leapfrogs descriptive to splat headfirst in a puddle of overwritten, which is exactly what happened here. The flat and/or unlikable characters weren't enough to make up for the language style, & after scanning the last few pages I didn't want to bother slogging through a mediocre read for so little reward.
If you like extremely wordy, academia-centric gothic novels with self-important narrators...have at it. But for me? Nope. Standard 2-star DNF.
January 25, 2026
The true horror lies in the narrators poor decisions.
March 9, 2025
The tagline on the cover compares this book to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and that's a pretty bold statement for a publicist to make. For the record, this is nowhere near the literary classic. Not in style, quality or endurance.
It was written in the 70s and I'm sure it wasn't good then but it would have been somewhat titillating on the spinner racks. It hasn't aged well.
The narrator is an English don, or professor, I guess. Still, I can't imagine anyone having the inner monologue this character has. I've read a lot of British literature and fiction over the years and I've never had to "translate" one as much as this. The terms and phrasing are either archaic or so local they never made it over to the US or into any other English novels I've read.
Secondly, I mistakenly thought this was in some way related to the titular (that's a word the narrator would use) moths. I thought this might be early modern folk horror. Nope.
You have to call this Horror because there's nowhere else to put it, I guess. It's a shame, because the cover art is great. I think it was mostly a way to write 70's sex. As seen by someone observing it. Sort of. And thinking it was kinky.
This is being re-released soon by Valancourt Books, which is how I heard about it. I tracked down, and paid for, this mass market edition specifically for the cover. You can read it, too. But don't be expecting moths that make you do sexy things. Like I was.
It was written in the 70s and I'm sure it wasn't good then but it would have been somewhat titillating on the spinner racks. It hasn't aged well.
The narrator is an English don, or professor, I guess. Still, I can't imagine anyone having the inner monologue this character has. I've read a lot of British literature and fiction over the years and I've never had to "translate" one as much as this. The terms and phrasing are either archaic or so local they never made it over to the US or into any other English novels I've read.
Secondly, I mistakenly thought this was in some way related to the titular (that's a word the narrator would use) moths. I thought this might be early modern folk horror. Nope.
You have to call this Horror because there's nowhere else to put it, I guess. It's a shame, because the cover art is great. I think it was mostly a way to write 70's sex. As seen by someone observing it. Sort of. And thinking it was kinky.
This is being re-released soon by Valancourt Books, which is how I heard about it. I tracked down, and paid for, this mass market edition specifically for the cover. You can read it, too. But don't be expecting moths that make you do sexy things. Like I was.
March 20, 2023
I yield..its a DNF for me.
Better books await.
Better books await.
January 15, 2023
Bravo! An astonishing first novel, gripping, compelling, a real page-turner, precisely written, with not a word out of place. Why Rosalind Ashe isn't mentioned alongside Daphne Du Maurier and Shirley Jackson, or at the very least alongside similar slow-burn horror novels of the '70s like Robert Marasco's Burnt Offerings and Bernard Taylor's Sweetheart Sweetheart is one of those eternal mysteries of the vagaries of literary fashions and reputations. (The low Goodreads rating is also baffling, unless people were expecting a schlocky horror novel like were churned out by the thousands in the '70s.)
The novel concerns Harry, a bachelor university don, who visits an old house up for auction and falls in love at first sight -- with both the house and its eventual purchaser, the beautiful Nemo, who is unhappily married to the dull philanderer James. Legend has it that a slightly mad 18th century actress, Sarah Moore, once lived in the house, and as Harry contrives to spend time at the house (and with Nemo) on various excuses, odd things begin to happen. A dead dog, strange whispers caught on a tape, etc. Nemo begins to act oddly, and Harry starts to believe the impossible: that she is somehow being possessed by the ghost of Sarah Moore.
A lot of really ghastly things happen, the mystery and suspense build, and the book finishes off in a literal blaze of glory. Hats off to Rosalind Ashe, whose novel was apparently a minor hit when it first came out and had rave reviews from the press and fellow writers like Iris Murdoch but is totally forgotten today. If you're a fan of old slow-burn horror novels, or Gothic suspense tales, pick up a copy of this one -- you won't regret it.
The novel concerns Harry, a bachelor university don, who visits an old house up for auction and falls in love at first sight -- with both the house and its eventual purchaser, the beautiful Nemo, who is unhappily married to the dull philanderer James. Legend has it that a slightly mad 18th century actress, Sarah Moore, once lived in the house, and as Harry contrives to spend time at the house (and with Nemo) on various excuses, odd things begin to happen. A dead dog, strange whispers caught on a tape, etc. Nemo begins to act oddly, and Harry starts to believe the impossible: that she is somehow being possessed by the ghost of Sarah Moore.
A lot of really ghastly things happen, the mystery and suspense build, and the book finishes off in a literal blaze of glory. Hats off to Rosalind Ashe, whose novel was apparently a minor hit when it first came out and had rave reviews from the press and fellow writers like Iris Murdoch but is totally forgotten today. If you're a fan of old slow-burn horror novels, or Gothic suspense tales, pick up a copy of this one -- you won't regret it.
February 3, 2026
Moths, for me, was an interesting book. I was initially grabbed by the cover of the book as there was something quite imaginative about it. You get a general idea of what the base of the story will be from the blurb, but the cover offered me the chance to imagine where the story could go from there. It was mysterious, bold, messy. It's shame there's no official credit of the illustrator behind it as I feel it's a great cover.
I really liked the writing in this book. Rosalind Ashe gives distinct voices to each character and does a great job in creating the scenery of the book. I think she did a great job in defining each character throughout the book. The book is written as an almost narration or account of the story, by our protagonist, Harry Harris. I really enjoyed the exploration of his thoughts and feelings, seeing into his inner turmoil as he tries to manage his 'love' and humanity. I feel it's his perspective that gives the fire to this story. As far as he is concerned throughout the whole story, he has a clear mind and has a complete handling on his emotions in regards to Nemo. Time and time again, that's proven to be untrue and that's where the interest for me laid. A man entirely enchanted by someone, driven to do the most ridiculous things, all because he believes it's his true love that drives him and nothing more.
There are some interesting themes in the story, which given it was released during the 70's, I can imagine offered a great impact. I loved that despite much of the story being on the pages, there are still several mysteries and ideas that are open to the readers interpretation. But, the actual story itself is where I didn't feel this book was at its best. The whole concept of men being the moths and Nemo being the flame is really fun. It offers so much room to explore this almost cult-like environment. I feel with that base, you have the space to see the extremes these men will take and the power that is held. It offers the opportunity for horrific and interesting developments. Where the story actually goes however, is a different thing. Unfortunately, it's my belief that not much really happens. I mean there are some fun moments here and there, where you'll feel the urge to keep turning the pages, but those are few and far between. I feel there is some good build up in the first 100 pages but instead of keeping that momentum, it slows down and maybe takes a step every 35 pages thereafter. The character moments are cool, but as for events in the story, I mean yeah they happen. I think maybe, my imagination stretched further that what the book intended to be, and perhaps that was the cause of my slight disappointment and not the book itself. Saying that though, I also felt the ending was a little uninteresting. After progressing through the story, the ending felt to me as though it was shrugging it shoulders at me, like 'yeah, that's the end'.
There is a lot I liked about the book and I feel that there are some strong qualities in Rosalind Ashe's work. It makes complete sense to me why many people would love this book. I just can't help but feel very little about what actually happened in the story. Despite my thoughts not being being entirely positive, I do like the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in it.
I really liked the writing in this book. Rosalind Ashe gives distinct voices to each character and does a great job in creating the scenery of the book. I think she did a great job in defining each character throughout the book. The book is written as an almost narration or account of the story, by our protagonist, Harry Harris. I really enjoyed the exploration of his thoughts and feelings, seeing into his inner turmoil as he tries to manage his 'love' and humanity. I feel it's his perspective that gives the fire to this story. As far as he is concerned throughout the whole story, he has a clear mind and has a complete handling on his emotions in regards to Nemo. Time and time again, that's proven to be untrue and that's where the interest for me laid. A man entirely enchanted by someone, driven to do the most ridiculous things, all because he believes it's his true love that drives him and nothing more.
There are some interesting themes in the story, which given it was released during the 70's, I can imagine offered a great impact. I loved that despite much of the story being on the pages, there are still several mysteries and ideas that are open to the readers interpretation. But, the actual story itself is where I didn't feel this book was at its best. The whole concept of men being the moths and Nemo being the flame is really fun. It offers so much room to explore this almost cult-like environment. I feel with that base, you have the space to see the extremes these men will take and the power that is held. It offers the opportunity for horrific and interesting developments. Where the story actually goes however, is a different thing. Unfortunately, it's my belief that not much really happens. I mean there are some fun moments here and there, where you'll feel the urge to keep turning the pages, but those are few and far between. I feel there is some good build up in the first 100 pages but instead of keeping that momentum, it slows down and maybe takes a step every 35 pages thereafter. The character moments are cool, but as for events in the story, I mean yeah they happen. I think maybe, my imagination stretched further that what the book intended to be, and perhaps that was the cause of my slight disappointment and not the book itself. Saying that though, I also felt the ending was a little uninteresting. After progressing through the story, the ending felt to me as though it was shrugging it shoulders at me, like 'yeah, that's the end'.
There is a lot I liked about the book and I feel that there are some strong qualities in Rosalind Ashe's work. It makes complete sense to me why many people would love this book. I just can't help but feel very little about what actually happened in the story. Despite my thoughts not being being entirely positive, I do like the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in it.
May 6, 2026
Lowkey close to a 4.5. Maybe. The best way I can think to describe this book is like reading a movie. The descriptions painted such a beautifully haunting image and even though that meant that it took a while to get into the actual story I think it was completely necessary. I haven’t read a page turning book like this in a while and I loved going into it knowing absolutely nothing
October 25, 2025
while I enjoyed some parts of this book, i felt like the ending was underwhelming
March 5, 2026
started out interesting but the ending was meh
April 3, 2026
4.5 stars
September 17, 2025
Many will be attracted to this book from 1976, reprinted by Valancourt, because of it being the story of an old Georgian house in Oxfordshire, the young couple who buy it, and the mysterious and sinister events that occur once they take residence. Certainly we have come across this before, but isolated and delapidated mansions in rural England do lend themselves well to a horror story.
One of the problems here though, is rather like the rambling and overgrown bushes of the garden of the house, there is considerable ground to be cut through before getting to the actual story.
Ultimately, Ashe describes her three well-to-do main characters, with their moodswings and strange traits, well, but any real fun is gained from the incidents that occur, the death of a workman that may or may not be a murder and the discovery of a mysterious notebook that seems to say that one of the characters is not who they say they are. Its a mix of the supernatural and the gothic, but could all have been told in half as many pages.
One of the problems here though, is rather like the rambling and overgrown bushes of the garden of the house, there is considerable ground to be cut through before getting to the actual story.
Ultimately, Ashe describes her three well-to-do main characters, with their moodswings and strange traits, well, but any real fun is gained from the incidents that occur, the death of a workman that may or may not be a murder and the discovery of a mysterious notebook that seems to say that one of the characters is not who they say they are. Its a mix of the supernatural and the gothic, but could all have been told in half as many pages.
December 16, 2023
A strange supernatural thriller about a bachelor professor who falls in love with a house, and then with the woman who moves into that house.
Professor Harris is a forty-year-old don who has experienced no deep emotional romantic feelings until he encounters thirty-five-year-old married Nemo. Initially, he runs from those feelings, but after Nemo becomes possessed by the fiery spirit of Sarah Moore (a Regency actress who formerly occupied Dower House), Harris can no longer conceal what he feels.
Unfortunately, Sarah Moore, like he, avoids deep, long-term commitments. She prefers her involvements to be brief, intense and never to be repeated. She is a taker who refuses to submit to others’ desires and is interested only in her own gratification.
Addled by the spell Sarah casts, Harris and other men seek to cure and control her, with disastrous results.
Professor Harris is a forty-year-old don who has experienced no deep emotional romantic feelings until he encounters thirty-five-year-old married Nemo. Initially, he runs from those feelings, but after Nemo becomes possessed by the fiery spirit of Sarah Moore (a Regency actress who formerly occupied Dower House), Harris can no longer conceal what he feels.
Unfortunately, Sarah Moore, like he, avoids deep, long-term commitments. She prefers her involvements to be brief, intense and never to be repeated. She is a taker who refuses to submit to others’ desires and is interested only in her own gratification.
Addled by the spell Sarah casts, Harris and other men seek to cure and control her, with disastrous results.
April 13, 2021
An exercise in style, miles away from her best novels such as Hurricane Wake, Dark Runner and Take Over.
Its erudite narrative and evocative language do not allow to empathise with the story, to feel, imagine and live the scenes.
A touch baroque, old school and tedious, it only lives on the surface.
Its erudite narrative and evocative language do not allow to empathise with the story, to feel, imagine and live the scenes.
A touch baroque, old school and tedious, it only lives on the surface.
May 6, 2026
“...A sort of wave of blinding nausea, when I saw those scratches on his chest, like mine. My uppermost thought was: It should have been me, I wish it had been me.”
Borrowed this from the library with the intention to read it over the course of the week, only to be told at the counter that today is actually the LAST borrowing day. It was around 1pm then. What followed was an almost daze of me forcing myself to keep reading through the exhaustion that had been dogging me since I had woken today, persistently reading (and rereading) the words until it was five something and I had achieved my very stupid, very stubborn goal. I am a prideful person; I am also very particular. I knew if I hadn't made myself finish it then, I might have never picked it back up again.
Well, here we are. Three stars (2.5, if I'm being more honest), though that doesn't mean I didn't like it. I thoroughly enjoyed the prose - it rang with color all throughout, and was a delight to read. (Although it was really difficult for me to reconcile it with UK characters, in a UK setting, by a UK author. Something about this felt so distinctly American all throughout.) I think the main issue for me is that I was never really convinced by the Sarah Moore possession. Even though the synopsis outright says it, even though it's covered for the majority of the book, I just couldn't accept it. It was just not written in a way that enticed the reader to believe in it, imo. I had the same issue with the main character Harry's love for Nemo, especially since we get to see so little of the actual Nemo before she's taken over by Sarah Moore almost entirely. We could argue that that is the point, that we're meant to debate if Harry has ever loved Nemo at all or if it has always been Sarah Moore he's loved, but it is just so difficult for it to feel earned. Plus, Sarah Moore is just a name that inspires no fear or awe in me. Sorry. I also found it frustrating that we spend more time with the pedo shrink than with Nemo herself. I think that when it comes to character focus, that could have definitely been negotiated more in Nemo's favor. I don't know.
"And you want me to keep quiet?"
"Well--who else do you want to tell, Bertie? It would be less than gallant to tell your friends, and it would only shock your father."
Around halfway through this book, it hit me that this entire thing is also a gender/role reversal of purity culture, rape culture, the misogynistic concept of virginity. This was the best aspect for me. I cannot help but derive some malevolent pleasure from seeing men have to reckon with the reality for women that they are the perpetrators of. On the other hand, it also made me tired to witness how in the end even though they are experiencing our side now it will still always be different for them, in many ways better, in little ways worse, just because they are still men.
Honestly, despite the stellar writing style, despite the fact that it was not bad at all, I think it's just a matter of personal preference. I begin to realize I vastly prefer gothic stuff that really goes inward, deep into intimate dynamics. When we were introduced to Nemo and James I had hoped for a very deep look into that kind of married dynamic coupled with the possession stuff, but it was barely touched at all. I find that such a missed opportunity. There was so much that could have been done with Nemo living in the house in past and present memory, Nemo ten years younger than James and drifting through the woods, James uncaring of her migraines and throwing her over for his blondes, etc. Marriage and domestic life as horror, heightened with the supernatural. But it was focused overmuch on that supernatural aspect (that wasn't even made very believable to the reader) and almost completely neglected the household horror that's ALREADY IN THE PREMISE (!!!) for a typical femme fatale black widow archetype. I really, really didn't like that.
Borrowed this from the library with the intention to read it over the course of the week, only to be told at the counter that today is actually the LAST borrowing day. It was around 1pm then. What followed was an almost daze of me forcing myself to keep reading through the exhaustion that had been dogging me since I had woken today, persistently reading (and rereading) the words until it was five something and I had achieved my very stupid, very stubborn goal. I am a prideful person; I am also very particular. I knew if I hadn't made myself finish it then, I might have never picked it back up again.
Well, here we are. Three stars (2.5, if I'm being more honest), though that doesn't mean I didn't like it. I thoroughly enjoyed the prose - it rang with color all throughout, and was a delight to read. (Although it was really difficult for me to reconcile it with UK characters, in a UK setting, by a UK author. Something about this felt so distinctly American all throughout.) I think the main issue for me is that I was never really convinced by the Sarah Moore possession. Even though the synopsis outright says it, even though it's covered for the majority of the book, I just couldn't accept it. It was just not written in a way that enticed the reader to believe in it, imo. I had the same issue with the main character Harry's love for Nemo, especially since we get to see so little of the actual Nemo before she's taken over by Sarah Moore almost entirely. We could argue that that is the point, that we're meant to debate if Harry has ever loved Nemo at all or if it has always been Sarah Moore he's loved, but it is just so difficult for it to feel earned. Plus, Sarah Moore is just a name that inspires no fear or awe in me. Sorry. I also found it frustrating that we spend more time with the pedo shrink than with Nemo herself. I think that when it comes to character focus, that could have definitely been negotiated more in Nemo's favor. I don't know.
"And you want me to keep quiet?"
"Well--who else do you want to tell, Bertie? It would be less than gallant to tell your friends, and it would only shock your father."
Around halfway through this book, it hit me that this entire thing is also a gender/role reversal of purity culture, rape culture, the misogynistic concept of virginity. This was the best aspect for me. I cannot help but derive some malevolent pleasure from seeing men have to reckon with the reality for women that they are the perpetrators of. On the other hand, it also made me tired to witness how in the end even though they are experiencing our side now it will still always be different for them, in many ways better, in little ways worse, just because they are still men.
Honestly, despite the stellar writing style, despite the fact that it was not bad at all, I think it's just a matter of personal preference. I begin to realize I vastly prefer gothic stuff that really goes inward, deep into intimate dynamics. When we were introduced to Nemo and James I had hoped for a very deep look into that kind of married dynamic coupled with the possession stuff, but it was barely touched at all. I find that such a missed opportunity. There was so much that could have been done with Nemo living in the house in past and present memory, Nemo ten years younger than James and drifting through the woods, James uncaring of her migraines and throwing her over for his blondes, etc. Marriage and domestic life as horror, heightened with the supernatural. But it was focused overmuch on that supernatural aspect (that wasn't even made very believable to the reader) and almost completely neglected the household horror that's ALREADY IN THE PREMISE (!!!) for a typical femme fatale black widow archetype. I really, really didn't like that.
September 24, 2024
The first half of this is a solidly average horror novel. I don't quite call it Gothic romance, as to my mind that's "horror plus romance" but the romance here is entirely one-sided, and all on the side of the obsessed narrator. I almost wish it were Gothic romance, because it would be the first of its kind that I've read, I think, where the narrator/protagonist was a man.
Unfortunately, he was a very stupid man, and the total collapse of the second half of the book was entirely down to him. An academic at Oxford, he becomes so enamored with a married woman who is - apparently - periodically and violently possessed by the ghost of a dead actress, that he covers up her killings and intends to take the blame for them. That makes him partly responsible for her actions in my book, and he's so weakly, morally bankrupt, and so miserably useless at any rational action - every time he has a choice, he makes the wrong one - that I was hoping to see him hanged, just to be shot of him. Alas. There's an abrupt and dreadful ending, as the central metaphor is pushed to breaking (burning) point, and gormless Harry gets off scot free.
Unless the ghost gets him. We can only hope.
Unfortunately, he was a very stupid man, and the total collapse of the second half of the book was entirely down to him. An academic at Oxford, he becomes so enamored with a married woman who is - apparently - periodically and violently possessed by the ghost of a dead actress, that he covers up her killings and intends to take the blame for them. That makes him partly responsible for her actions in my book, and he's so weakly, morally bankrupt, and so miserably useless at any rational action - every time he has a choice, he makes the wrong one - that I was hoping to see him hanged, just to be shot of him. Alas. There's an abrupt and dreadful ending, as the central metaphor is pushed to breaking (burning) point, and gormless Harry gets off scot free.
Unless the ghost gets him. We can only hope.
November 4, 2023
This is a good book for people who enjoy ghosts or ghost possession. It isn't scary, more of a first person account of witnessing something unbelievable but in a romantic way. Rosalind ashe loves big, old houses and nature which is spectacularly shared in her writing.
I gave this book 3 stars only because it isn't my type of book. I was looking for spooky things to read around Halloween and this seemed to fit the bill. Either scary is extremely difficult to write or I have a high threshold for it, but I didn't find this scary at all.
I gave this book 3 stars only because it isn't my type of book. I was looking for spooky things to read around Halloween and this seemed to fit the bill. Either scary is extremely difficult to write or I have a high threshold for it, but I didn't find this scary at all.
December 9, 2025
This is a strange little book, but I liked it! I first learnt about Rosalind Ashe’s Moths as Valancourt Books were re-releasing it in the US, but then Penguin published it in the UK so I got that edition! It starts like a bit of a melodrama and a ghost story, but then there’s mystery and murders and lies and all bunch of weird stuff! I liked Nemo - was she a neglected housewife? A nymphomaniac? Was she possessed? Or mad? Really interesting character. Harris, our narrator, was a bit cringe, but I did enjoy his account. The ending was pretty wild too.
November 18, 2025
An enthralling gothic tale of ghostly possession and febrile madness. Narrated by middle-aged academic Henry Harris, it sees a beautiful young woman, Nemo Boyce, and her husband James move into a Georgian dower house where strange occurrences suggest the ghost of a once-famous actress, Sarah Moore, may still be in residence. Henry, who is hopelessly in love with Nemo, is drawn into an increasingly macabre chain of events that stretch credulity but make for an entertaining read.
November 30, 2025
Not my usual genre as billed as horror but in fact it was pretty tame. It was written in the seventies and it definitely had a seventies vibe. Some great descriptions and similes and the house was certainly a character and I always love that. Got bogged down a bit towards the end. I felt the ending was a little convenient and a little sad too as Nemo was lost forever whereas Sarah Moore could reemerge at any time. Great cover.
November 11, 2025
Strange, dreamy - sort of obvious and super self restrained at the same time. The nightmare sequences are really well done. I think this will linger.
I’m trying to turn off the tv inside my head but this would make such a good film, ninety perfect minutes.
I’m trying to turn off the tv inside my head but this would make such a good film, ninety perfect minutes.
February 13, 2026
took a bit for me to get into it, but then I loved it!
February 16, 2026
DAMN DAMN DAMN
February 25, 2026
Not my type of book
Read
March 5, 2026A slow burn but I very much enjoyed this. Well written, would be good to see it adapted for TV or film.
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