What do you think?
Rate this book
The Manse #1
The Manse
Happy Halloween!
Each Halloween, the Manse becomes a House of Horrors. Vampires, werewolves, ghouls and ghosts - not to mention Frankenstein's monster - stalk the premises. Bats and spiders drop upon the unwary. At every turn a new fright awaits - all in fun, of course.
Happy Halloween
But the Manse's history of horror is ancient and terrible - more awful than the innocent Trick-or-Treaters can imagine. For twelve years it has been biding its time, feeding on the fear its unsuspecting visitors so willingly offered...
Happy Halloween
Until tonight. Tomight is the Thirteenth Annual House of Horrors.
It will be the last.
Tonight, at the Witching Hour, all Hell will break loose.
Happy Halloween
Each Halloween, the Manse becomes a House of Horrors. Vampires, werewolves, ghouls and ghosts - not to mention Frankenstein's monster - stalk the premises. Bats and spiders drop upon the unwary. At every turn a new fright awaits - all in fun, of course.
Happy Halloween
But the Manse's history of horror is ancient and terrible - more awful than the innocent Trick-or-Treaters can imagine. For twelve years it has been biding its time, feeding on the fear its unsuspecting visitors so willingly offered...
Happy Halloween
Until tonight. Tomight is the Thirteenth Annual House of Horrors.
It will be the last.
Tonight, at the Witching Hour, all Hell will break loose.
Happy Halloween
341 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1987
7 people are currently reading
766 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
January 27, 2016
Meh, the book had great cover art but I'm not sure why it was chosen as an award winner. It's a typical haunted house story but without much backstory explained - little plausibility on how the house itself comes alive when it does. It's an 80's horror fun romp but I had little fun in it for some reason - could it be because I'm too jaded by now?
Characterization is lackluster. There's some trademark characters like Pearl, who is the ominious housekeeper who warns about the house, and then there's the toss-away people who run the house for the halloween event. A random love story is involved, although it'd be as good without. There's a twist for the homeowner, that I did like, but other than that little stood out.
My main gripe was this book was dull - it didn't flow together well enough and with enough ooomph purpose to keep me enthralled. I didn't care much about characters, some of the cheesy scenes didn't work, and I found myself confused rather than glued to a lot of the action scenes.
There's little else to say about this one - it has a cool cover, that Halloween vibe, but it doesn't make the cut as a horror novel that stands above the others.
October 14, 2022
"Some folks think that a place bears the taint of its past, particularly that intense or violent emotions concentrated in a certain spot over a period of time can leave a residue that settles down into that space like a negative charge - bad vibrations, some say. If that is true, then surely fear is the chief emotion at The Manse."
1987: the Merrillville Chamber of Commerce is staging its 13th annual, wildly popular Halloween haunted house, held at the old Beaufort family estate - aka The Manse.
This year, workers for the haunted house, Dood, Samantha, and Ted began to share the same feelings of unease, fear, and general dislike for The Manse, but can't quite figure out why. Over time, Dood, especially becomes more and more adamant they stay away from the house. One day, he invites Sam and Ted for coffee and tells them there is something "wrong" at The Manse. He tells them they all need to stay away and stop the haunted house. The two brush him off though, and although he can't let it go, there's nothing more he can do.
Dood isn't simply paranoid however, for many tragedies have happened at The Manse - spanning decades, but more and more lately: several people met their death in the home, a child drowned in a well in the yard, people last seen on the property are now missing, a gardener randomly goes berserk, a kid sees something so utterly terrifying at the annual haunted house that he runs into the street, straight in front of a semi.
"The common denominator is fear! Where does it go? What if this fear, this aura of fear is growing stronger with each event? What if it's - I don't know - being fed by these incidents? Intensified somehow? Maybe even instigating or encouraging them?"
Even if his co-workers won't listen, Dood knows whatever is happening at The Manse lately is coming to a head October 31st, on the 13th annual haunted house. It's been testing the waters with tragedies here and there - gathering fear and strength - and Dood knows it's up to him alone to stop it.
----------------------
I completed my first Halloween themed horror book of the season! I really liked this and I can't wait to read the sequel. This book has one of my all time favorite covers too, so the whole thing was definitely a Halloween mood.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
1987: the Merrillville Chamber of Commerce is staging its 13th annual, wildly popular Halloween haunted house, held at the old Beaufort family estate - aka The Manse.
This year, workers for the haunted house, Dood, Samantha, and Ted began to share the same feelings of unease, fear, and general dislike for The Manse, but can't quite figure out why. Over time, Dood, especially becomes more and more adamant they stay away from the house. One day, he invites Sam and Ted for coffee and tells them there is something "wrong" at The Manse. He tells them they all need to stay away and stop the haunted house. The two brush him off though, and although he can't let it go, there's nothing more he can do.
Dood isn't simply paranoid however, for many tragedies have happened at The Manse - spanning decades, but more and more lately: several people met their death in the home, a child drowned in a well in the yard, people last seen on the property are now missing, a gardener randomly goes berserk, a kid sees something so utterly terrifying at the annual haunted house that he runs into the street, straight in front of a semi.
"The common denominator is fear! Where does it go? What if this fear, this aura of fear is growing stronger with each event? What if it's - I don't know - being fed by these incidents? Intensified somehow? Maybe even instigating or encouraging them?"
Even if his co-workers won't listen, Dood knows whatever is happening at The Manse lately is coming to a head October 31st, on the 13th annual haunted house. It's been testing the waters with tragedies here and there - gathering fear and strength - and Dood knows it's up to him alone to stop it.
----------------------
I completed my first Halloween themed horror book of the season! I really liked this and I can't wait to read the sequel. This book has one of my all time favorite covers too, so the whole thing was definitely a Halloween mood.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
November 1, 2020
3.5 stars.
January 28, 2024
I am thrilled to finally have this in my rear-view mirror. Don't let the amazing cover art fool you; almost no Halloween vibes are present here whatsoever. I wanted to give this a 1-star rating, but this gets a 2/5 for having some dark elements, including a child who tries to kill himself in a gruesome manner, a girl driven to insanity after being trapped in an attic for days, and a maniacal gardener who kills a dog in the midst of a murderous rampage. I also enjoyed the promise of a "Midnight Surprise" and the "excerpts from 'The Merriville Weekly.'" Negative aspects include lame romance angles (such as a called-off engagement), springtime vibes, January vibes, and utterly forgettable characters. (the only notable characters are a guy named 'Dood' who owns a video store and an old black lady who warns the protagonists of the dangers of 'The Manse') This was so boring the whole way through. Not recommended.
March 12, 2022
About as scary as a Halloween greeting card. Ludicrous that it won a Stoker Award! AVOID
September 26, 2015
I was tricked by the cover art :(
October 4, 2019
While it drug on a little in the middle, a quality tale of a haunted house from the 80s. The ending was well done and satisfying.
October 21, 2018
2.5 stars
Winner of the 1st Annual Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel(1987)
A group of Jaycees put on on haunted house every Halloween season at a spooky old house known as "The Manse." Over time, members of the group notice odd things happening.
"Meandering." That's the word that comes to mind when I'm trying to formulate thoughts on this book. I never did get handle on what it was going for. It felt like it needed a clear protagonist, but it jumped between characters too much to figure out who that was. And the ensemble cast members weren't fleshed out enough to warrant all the perspective jumps.
Once people started believing that the odd things going on were of a supernatural nature, things moved pretty quickly, and there were a few good haunt scenes. But it took forever to get to that point. Seriously, like two thirds of the book.
Nothing terrible, but if I hadn't unofficially challenged myself to read all the Stoker winners(someday), I may not have finished it.
p.s. Love the cover.
Winner of the 1st Annual Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel(1987)
A group of Jaycees put on on haunted house every Halloween season at a spooky old house known as "The Manse." Over time, members of the group notice odd things happening.
"Meandering." That's the word that comes to mind when I'm trying to formulate thoughts on this book. I never did get handle on what it was going for. It felt like it needed a clear protagonist, but it jumped between characters too much to figure out who that was. And the ensemble cast members weren't fleshed out enough to warrant all the perspective jumps.
Once people started believing that the odd things going on were of a supernatural nature, things moved pretty quickly, and there were a few good haunt scenes. But it took forever to get to that point. Seriously, like two thirds of the book.
Nothing terrible, but if I hadn't unofficially challenged myself to read all the Stoker winners(someday), I may not have finished it.
p.s. Love the cover.
April 22, 2013
15th book read in 2013.
Number 147 out of 306 on my all time book list.
Follow the link below to see my video review:
http://youtu.be/MYulujoJr8E
Number 147 out of 306 on my all time book list.
Follow the link below to see my video review:
http://youtu.be/MYulujoJr8E
October 20, 2020
An extremely slow burn haunted house story that will, sadly, lose a lot of readers before it finally reached a fantastic conclusion.
October 29, 2022
I first read this (my first ever vintage horror / "paperback from hell" book) in my teens. I want to say at around 15 years of age I borrowed this from my library because of the wickedly cool cover. I remember enjoying it quite a bit, and so I was excited to revisit this book for a Halloween read over a decade later.
I'll say first and foremost, The Manse won't be for everyone - in fact, I don't think a lot of people will take to it, especially seasoned horror readers such as myself. This book is very much a slow-burn, lacking in intricate plotting and relatable characters. The story here is very much centered around The Manse itself, an old mansion used as a haunted house attraction for Halloween. The story opens on Halloween night and takes you through the various scenes and scenarios of the haunted attraction, and introduces us to the characters that operate it. A tragic accident occurs, along with other subtle goings-on that (not so subtly) reveal the true nature of The Manse. After the opening, we follow the characters around through-out the year as they make plans for the thirteenth and final year of The Manse haunted house.
Although this suffers from the middle-muddle, I found it to be well-written enough to hold my attention. Again, the focus here is primarily on The Manse itself, and the effects it has on the various characters. There is some relationship subplot stuff going on that is really of no consequence, but it didn't bother me too much. Cantrell effectively builds mystery and tension in regards to the haunted house leading up to the final act - the thirteenth and final haunt.
I do think that seasoned horror fans will find the climax to be a bit tame - it certainly wasn't as crazy as I remembered it to be. However, there's still some pretty cool and creative stuff that happens as The Manse comes alive and claims its victims. I simply love the concept that Cantrell presents here, even if the execution is a bit shoddy at times. More could have been done, but for what this is, I still enjoy it and would recommend it to those into reading vintage horror or a creepy Halloween read. I feel like this sort of bridges the gap between books for those more seasoned readers and those who might be a bit squeamish or not into horror as much.
Overall I think this one deserves a 3.5 / 5, rounded down to 3. I wanted to like it more (I was aiming for a 4 initially, until the rushed ending left me a tad disappointed).
There's lots of good here but also some bad. This one will always be near and dear to me for the memories and the concept of the story alone, but I can only give it a light recommendation. It's fun, for sure, but go into it with modest expectations.
I'll say first and foremost, The Manse won't be for everyone - in fact, I don't think a lot of people will take to it, especially seasoned horror readers such as myself. This book is very much a slow-burn, lacking in intricate plotting and relatable characters. The story here is very much centered around The Manse itself, an old mansion used as a haunted house attraction for Halloween. The story opens on Halloween night and takes you through the various scenes and scenarios of the haunted attraction, and introduces us to the characters that operate it. A tragic accident occurs, along with other subtle goings-on that (not so subtly) reveal the true nature of The Manse. After the opening, we follow the characters around through-out the year as they make plans for the thirteenth and final year of The Manse haunted house.
Although this suffers from the middle-muddle, I found it to be well-written enough to hold my attention. Again, the focus here is primarily on The Manse itself, and the effects it has on the various characters. There is some relationship subplot stuff going on that is really of no consequence, but it didn't bother me too much. Cantrell effectively builds mystery and tension in regards to the haunted house leading up to the final act - the thirteenth and final haunt.
I do think that seasoned horror fans will find the climax to be a bit tame - it certainly wasn't as crazy as I remembered it to be. However, there's still some pretty cool and creative stuff that happens as The Manse comes alive and claims its victims. I simply love the concept that Cantrell presents here, even if the execution is a bit shoddy at times. More could have been done, but for what this is, I still enjoy it and would recommend it to those into reading vintage horror or a creepy Halloween read. I feel like this sort of bridges the gap between books for those more seasoned readers and those who might be a bit squeamish or not into horror as much.
Overall I think this one deserves a 3.5 / 5, rounded down to 3. I wanted to like it more (I was aiming for a 4 initially, until the rushed ending left me a tad disappointed).
There's lots of good here but also some bad. This one will always be near and dear to me for the memories and the concept of the story alone, but I can only give it a light recommendation. It's fun, for sure, but go into it with modest expectations.
September 30, 2017
Graded D for dull. The cover sucked me in. I was fooled by a pumpkin. Twin sisters own the Manse and one of them is evil. Something she did decades ago has caused the Manse to become haunted. I guess because the number thirteen is considered an unlucky number to some is why the author chose the thirteenth year of the Manse being in operation as a haunted house for things to go haywire.
We got no backstory on any of the main characters except a little towards the end on Elizabeth but for some reason got some on one of the many extra secondary characters. There were too many characters in this book (PoJo, Davy, Randy, Frank, Ted, Vince, Buddy, Elizabeth, Florence, Dood, Samantha, Zack, Pearl, Peter) and not one of them was interesting in any way. Out of all the main characters we only got the age of one, and that was Elizabeth. I have no clue of the age range of the others. Nothing about them made me think they were younger, like in their twenties, so maybe they're in their thirties, who knows?
There were three 'scary' incidents that happened inside the Manse before all hell broke loose at the end, two of which involved secondary characters, but because I didn't care a thing about those characters, I just wasn't interested. And I'm tired of main characters always surviving bad stuff in books and film.
SPOILERS: There were a few interesting scary scenes. A little boy named Davy was spooked at the Manse so he went outside to escape it and saw a fountain statue come to life. Her face was made up of hundreds of yellow eyes that turned into one huge eye. She pivoted around with swollen cheeks and water sprayed out of them towards Davy. Another scene near the end, on Halloween, there was a maze of mirrors in the Manse that began to suck children into it. One creature was trapped in the mirror and its eye exploded and a 'puss-like fluid' splattered onto it.
The story was just longer than it needed to be with boring characters and boring dialogue.
There's a sequel to this called Torments.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2017
Is there a category for "got the book, plan to read before Halloween?
No, just Read, Currently Reading, Want to Read.
No, just Read, Currently Reading, Want to Read.
Read
July 5, 2022Did not finish - I just couldn't get into this one. Nearly 70 pages in and still no concept of a plot. Giving it up for now.
May 14, 2020
A classic 80s-style horror book. The writing and premise are solid, the characters are fleshed out fairly well. When the horror hits, it's no-holds-barred. My only real issues with the book are: 1. While it's not that long a book, there was a bit too much explanation of what was going on in various characters' lives filling up pages that ultimately had no bearing on the story. Fleshing out characters is fine, giving me unnecessary backstory just for word count is not. 2. As horrific as things got in and around The Manse, there never seemed to be an explanation why - at one point an arc seemed like it was going to explain the evil, but that arc was about something else. Overall, it was a nice nostalgic book. 3.5/5*
September 21, 2018
This one was fated for me to read. A friend on a horror book group suggested it, and it turned out my Hubs already had a copy upstairs. I was looking for something with a Halloween theme, and this was it. The first part of the book is slower, though not in a bad way, but all hell breaks loose in the end.
*4 Stars
*4 Stars
October 29, 2022
This was amazing! I loved it and there are a few scenes that are definitely going to stick with me
November 1, 2021
I read THE MANSE while I walked the dog around the block after work most days as this Halloween grew close. The story is nothing ground-breaking, but the first half is lively enough. While we walked, it was fun to read Cantrell's descriptions of wind crawling over houses, trees and people in search of weak points.
I read several haunted house books this year. THE MANSE was not as good as Siddons' THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR or Oliver Onions' THE BECKONING FAIR ONE, but was better than Graham Masterton's HOUSE OF A HUNDRED WHISPERS and it's a masterpiece compared to one I won't mention.
In Cantrell's book the house has been turned evil by some long ago murders and the evil has been mutated by strobe lights and screams as the house is now used as a fright factory every Halloween. Lately the house has figured out a way of sending creepy tendrils out to drag victims into a vortex of death or something. These scenes are well done and this whole setup was a lot of fun. The second half was not as good. I got excited when one of the killers from 'way back when' came back to the house with plans to kill again, but that went nowhere. Mainly I picked this one up because I read it when I was a kid after meeting the author at a local bookstore. She was very nice and I liked the book a lot. That was over 30 years ago. The book is better for kids but I still liked it.
I read several haunted house books this year. THE MANSE was not as good as Siddons' THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR or Oliver Onions' THE BECKONING FAIR ONE, but was better than Graham Masterton's HOUSE OF A HUNDRED WHISPERS and it's a masterpiece compared to one I won't mention.
In Cantrell's book the house has been turned evil by some long ago murders and the evil has been mutated by strobe lights and screams as the house is now used as a fright factory every Halloween. Lately the house has figured out a way of sending creepy tendrils out to drag victims into a vortex of death or something. These scenes are well done and this whole setup was a lot of fun. The second half was not as good. I got excited when one of the killers from 'way back when' came back to the house with plans to kill again, but that went nowhere. Mainly I picked this one up because I read it when I was a kid after meeting the author at a local bookstore. She was very nice and I liked the book a lot. That was over 30 years ago. The book is better for kids but I still liked it.
October 27, 2016
Don't go in expecting the Overlook Hotel. The Manse is a slow burn style of 80s horror situated more in the neighborhood of Hill House or Gaudlin Hall, at least pacing wise.
A few years back I picked up a used copy because it had won a Bram Stoker Award. After learning that Misery won the 1987 Stoker for Best Novel, The Manse winning Best First Novel makes sense; obviously, the voters of 1987 preferred more psychological horror than slashers or splatter.
Recommended only if you enjoy 80s horror with rotating POVs, a slow but steady buildup to the climax, and terror that relies more on your own imagination than having everything shown to you in graphic detail.
3.5 stars
A few years back I picked up a used copy because it had won a Bram Stoker Award. After learning that Misery won the 1987 Stoker for Best Novel, The Manse winning Best First Novel makes sense; obviously, the voters of 1987 preferred more psychological horror than slashers or splatter.
Recommended only if you enjoy 80s horror with rotating POVs, a slow but steady buildup to the climax, and terror that relies more on your own imagination than having everything shown to you in graphic detail.
3.5 stars
February 26, 2013
I picked this book up because I saw it on the list of Stoker award winners and figured I've give it a shot. Honestly, I'm just getting into horror and figured I'd start with something that came recommended.
I really enjoyed about 85% of the book. The last act, while cool in execution, just didn't do it for me. The characters were great and well developed. The 'action' scenes were a little hard to follow; I found myself having to re-read sections to understand exactly what was happening. Overall, this book kind of reminded me of watching an 80's horror flick. Cheesy-good times to be had, but don't expect this one to make you sleep with the lights on.
I really enjoyed about 85% of the book. The last act, while cool in execution, just didn't do it for me. The characters were great and well developed. The 'action' scenes were a little hard to follow; I found myself having to re-read sections to understand exactly what was happening. Overall, this book kind of reminded me of watching an 80's horror flick. Cheesy-good times to be had, but don't expect this one to make you sleep with the lights on.
September 23, 2024
I 1st read this book when I came upon it in my late teens ... (while looking for books to fulfill my seasonal craving for new spooky, horror stories ...& remember that it did just that) ...
Although this book may not be "literary genius " ... if you enjoy Haunted Houses at Halloween ... then this is still a Fun ... Good Old Fashioned Spooky Creepy story to read in October ... when the taste of Autumn is fully in the air ... the nights are longer ... & you wonder what exactly IS softly crunching through the leaves outside your window ... 🎃
Although this book may not be "literary genius " ... if you enjoy Haunted Houses at Halloween ... then this is still a Fun ... Good Old Fashioned Spooky Creepy story to read in October ... when the taste of Autumn is fully in the air ... the nights are longer ... & you wonder what exactly IS softly crunching through the leaves outside your window ... 🎃
February 22, 2013
I own a signed copy of this book and if I ever decide to get off my butt and start writing again... she's the 1st one I call. One of my literary heroes. I have read this so many times, I've actually lost count. Mood and description. Like a combination punch. There are not enough stars to give this book.
January 25, 2012
"The Manse" by Lisa W. Cantrell Is an amazing read!The characters are very likable!The story line will draw you in and keep you reading well into the night!I loved this book I didn't want to put it down! I Highly recommend!! Great read!!
October 18, 2020
I loved this book! I will admit that I was expecting a more horror-centric Saturday the 14th and instead got a more gruesome Hell House LLC., however, I was not disappointed!
January 25, 2025
first book i’ve read on my own since the magic treehouse so i’m just proud of myself for that.
February 12, 2013
Review soon: an oldie but scary good:)
November 15, 2023
"It was all the monster stories he had ever heard come to life; it was all the fears he'd ever had; it was his worst nightmares, his most horrible imaginings."
As a life-long fan of the Halloween season and all things spooky, I'm always happy when I find a story drenched in it -- none of that 'it was set on Halloween, but that's just a vaguely outlined backdrop' nonsense.
'The Manse' is a Halloween novel as much as it's a haunted house story, and author Lisa Cantrell really leaned hard into both.
In the story, a local adult youth group have established a tradition of putting together and hosting a haunted house attraction at an old mansion owned by two elderly sisters who have begrudgingly leased it to them as a means of ensuring its survival and upkeep.
Already, this is a great set-up because in a story you can make a haunted house attraction as cool as you want it to be, unlike in real life, where it would be way too expensive to pull off. And her descriptions of the various scenarios the youth group put together are definitely really cool, and part of the fun of the reading experience was the feeling of wanting very badly to visit the attraction myself. Because Cantrell well and truly let her imagination go wild, dreaming up far more abstract and weirdly creepy set-ups for rooms at a haunted house than your typical 'everything's a bit dark and actors in masks slam doors and jump out yelling 'boo!''
But, of course, this is not just a Halloween story about a haunted house attraction: this house really is haunted... or alive... we're never really let in on the answer, and to be honest, it doesn't really matter.
I'm not generally a huge fan of 'haunted house' horror, especially because in movies this usually amounts to windows and floorboards rattling, shapes flitting across the screen, culminating in physical anthropomorphic figures attacking people, or possessing people -- you know.
But in 'The Manse' Cantrell again employs her imagination to instead come up with some truly singular means for the house itself to be the monster that kills unwitting haunted-house-goers or other trespassers. The darkness is a major antagonist in the story, and it has this uncanny ability to morph into something that exists in a state between a solid and a liquid. It moves like a vine, reaching out tendrils of shadow to capture its victim, drag them into itself, and destroy them.
Fire, mist, cobwebs, and any other material it can co-opt function similarly, and yet with their own little diabolical twists.
Towards the climax, we veer to the edge of the almost Lovecraftian.
There's background intrigue of just who the twins are who own the house, the identity of a mysterious woman who hangs around sometimes, and just what it is that makes this house tick.
Right before the climax things get a tad exposition-y when it comes to the question of the sisters, and that could have used some editing down, we never really find out what the deal with the woman skulking around is other than a tenuous connection to the story of the sisters. And we also never really know what the deal with the house is: is it evil because a string of murders was committed there, or was it evil before that and somehow caused the murders?
I'm not the type to need the magic explained, but I feel like Cantrell picked secret option number three by giving enough information that it feels like it should lead up to an explanation, but then not giving the answer -- and not in the fun 'open ending' kind of way, but more so in the 'let's wrap this up quickly' kind of way.
It's not the kind of book that's inviting you to think too hard, and if you do, none of it will make sense, so best not. Much like going to a haunted house attraction in real life, part of the fun is the chaos, and the chaos was rather glorious.
I was also pretty impressed by how well she was able to juggle a fairly large cast of characters. They were all fleshed out well enough that it was easy to remember everyone, the interpersonal conflicts were believable and felt interconnected even without tying back to the house itself other than them all working there. There were no stand-outs, but everyone was serviceable, and the love triangle drama didn't take up too much space.
There was a weird bit towards the beginning when Cantrell was trying to establish that one of the main characters is Black that was…uncomfortable. He's trying to comfort a kid that got really spooked at the haunted house, but the kid is afraid of him because his skin is dark (???) and the kid mistakes him for a monster (???) and then she also uses the phrase 'he shot her a homeboy smile' more than once. So there was a bit of cringe there, but then she luckily decided to just let him be a person and stopped doing that.
All in all, I really like 'The Manse' for what it is: Halloween horror schlock for everyone who likes the spooky season. I picked it up for the cover and I got what I was after.
As a life-long fan of the Halloween season and all things spooky, I'm always happy when I find a story drenched in it -- none of that 'it was set on Halloween, but that's just a vaguely outlined backdrop' nonsense.
'The Manse' is a Halloween novel as much as it's a haunted house story, and author Lisa Cantrell really leaned hard into both.
In the story, a local adult youth group have established a tradition of putting together and hosting a haunted house attraction at an old mansion owned by two elderly sisters who have begrudgingly leased it to them as a means of ensuring its survival and upkeep.
Already, this is a great set-up because in a story you can make a haunted house attraction as cool as you want it to be, unlike in real life, where it would be way too expensive to pull off. And her descriptions of the various scenarios the youth group put together are definitely really cool, and part of the fun of the reading experience was the feeling of wanting very badly to visit the attraction myself. Because Cantrell well and truly let her imagination go wild, dreaming up far more abstract and weirdly creepy set-ups for rooms at a haunted house than your typical 'everything's a bit dark and actors in masks slam doors and jump out yelling 'boo!''
But, of course, this is not just a Halloween story about a haunted house attraction: this house really is haunted... or alive... we're never really let in on the answer, and to be honest, it doesn't really matter.
I'm not generally a huge fan of 'haunted house' horror, especially because in movies this usually amounts to windows and floorboards rattling, shapes flitting across the screen, culminating in physical anthropomorphic figures attacking people, or possessing people -- you know.
But in 'The Manse' Cantrell again employs her imagination to instead come up with some truly singular means for the house itself to be the monster that kills unwitting haunted-house-goers or other trespassers. The darkness is a major antagonist in the story, and it has this uncanny ability to morph into something that exists in a state between a solid and a liquid. It moves like a vine, reaching out tendrils of shadow to capture its victim, drag them into itself, and destroy them.
Fire, mist, cobwebs, and any other material it can co-opt function similarly, and yet with their own little diabolical twists.
Towards the climax, we veer to the edge of the almost Lovecraftian.
There's background intrigue of just who the twins are who own the house, the identity of a mysterious woman who hangs around sometimes, and just what it is that makes this house tick.
Right before the climax things get a tad exposition-y when it comes to the question of the sisters, and that could have used some editing down, we never really find out what the deal with the woman skulking around is other than a tenuous connection to the story of the sisters. And we also never really know what the deal with the house is: is it evil because a string of murders was committed there, or was it evil before that and somehow caused the murders?
I'm not the type to need the magic explained, but I feel like Cantrell picked secret option number three by giving enough information that it feels like it should lead up to an explanation, but then not giving the answer -- and not in the fun 'open ending' kind of way, but more so in the 'let's wrap this up quickly' kind of way.
It's not the kind of book that's inviting you to think too hard, and if you do, none of it will make sense, so best not. Much like going to a haunted house attraction in real life, part of the fun is the chaos, and the chaos was rather glorious.
I was also pretty impressed by how well she was able to juggle a fairly large cast of characters. They were all fleshed out well enough that it was easy to remember everyone, the interpersonal conflicts were believable and felt interconnected even without tying back to the house itself other than them all working there. There were no stand-outs, but everyone was serviceable, and the love triangle drama didn't take up too much space.
There was a weird bit towards the beginning when Cantrell was trying to establish that one of the main characters is Black that was…uncomfortable. He's trying to comfort a kid that got really spooked at the haunted house, but the kid is afraid of him because his skin is dark (???) and the kid mistakes him for a monster (???) and then she also uses the phrase 'he shot her a homeboy smile' more than once. So there was a bit of cringe there, but then she luckily decided to just let him be a person and stopped doing that.
All in all, I really like 'The Manse' for what it is: Halloween horror schlock for everyone who likes the spooky season. I picked it up for the cover and I got what I was after.
August 4, 2020
This is a novel of contradictions. Lisa Cantrell won the 1987 Bram Stoker award for First Novel, and a hell of a first it was. That same year, McCammon's Swan Song and King's Misery tied for the award for Novel. In good company, Cantrell released her thrilling debut about a mansion used as a haunted house attraction in a small town. The story reads like an intense RL Stine, or a restrained Stephen King. As a reader, you're immediately impressed with the vivid clarity of Cantrell's imagery and the immediate accessibility of the characters. She knows how to haunt a sentence, for sure, littering the plot with creative and nightmarish scenes. The contradiction comes when the restraints suddenly come off, splashing the scene with a little gore and couple Fs and GDs. With another author, you'd be right at home and that use of language would only reinforce the tone of the story, but in The Manse, it feels out of place. The characters themselves seem contradictory, being well-drawn to the point that the reader expects to start getting some deeper personality, but then breaking off suddenly like an optical illusion. Rather than building up main characters to make them real, every character is given equal attention and a touch of hero's insight, which sounds like a good idea, until they're indistinguishable in terms of importance.
An author with such a promising start, Cantrell herself is a contradiction, with The Manse and its sequel comprising 50% of her long-form output. There's a reason this one isn't remembered as a classic, but it's a hell of a debut (pun intended). Many authors only surpass this kind of result at their peaks. It's a solid offering for light, holiday-oriented reading and surely one of the better Paperbacks from Hell(Grady Hendrix) titles. If you're trying to get in the spirit of the season this September or October, grab a copy (I found an autographed one cheap!), and light your jack-o-lantern. Then, just sit back and enjoy the show.
An author with such a promising start, Cantrell herself is a contradiction, with The Manse and its sequel comprising 50% of her long-form output. There's a reason this one isn't remembered as a classic, but it's a hell of a debut (pun intended). Many authors only surpass this kind of result at their peaks. It's a solid offering for light, holiday-oriented reading and surely one of the better Paperbacks from Hell(Grady Hendrix) titles. If you're trying to get in the spirit of the season this September or October, grab a copy (I found an autographed one cheap!), and light your jack-o-lantern. Then, just sit back and enjoy the show.
December 19, 2022
Kнига печелила Стокър за 1988 година.
"Имението" на Лиза Кантрел е перфектната комбинация между по хелоуински пакостливо настроение и ужас от обитавана къща.
Всяко градче си има по една такава къща - високо на хълма, отдавна никой не живее в нея и е непрестанен извор на градски легенди. Тази е малко по-различна. Двете сестри, които я притежават са живи и здрави в старчески дом и всяка година градския комитет я наема, за да я превърне в имение на ужасите, привличащо туристи от три щата. А легендите? Дали наистина градинарят е подивял и убил две прислужници с храсторез, докато собственика не го застрелял? Наистина ли едно момиченце е останало заключено три денонощия в мазето, докато го открият - живо и непоправимо обезумяло? Дали едно момче се е удавило в кладенеца, докато чакало любимата си? А всички трагични случаи в семейството на притежаващите имението? Сякаш нещо се храни от самите истории, акумулира човешки страх докато не се натрупа достатъчно да се излюпи. А регулярното превръщане на имението в плашеща атракция помага.
Описанията в книгата са доста разточителни, но много поетични. Предвид жанра, това не е проблем. Авторката доста си е поиграла да изгради героите си и да те накара да ти пука за тях. Макар на моменти да почва да бие на сапунка, бързо някоя доволно плашеща сцена връща нещата в коловоза. Финалът беше знаменателен.
"Имението" на Лиза Кантрел е перфектната комбинация между по хелоуински пакостливо настроение и ужас от обитавана къща.
Всяко градче си има по една такава къща - високо на хълма, отдавна никой не живее в нея и е непрестанен извор на градски легенди. Тази е малко по-различна. Двете сестри, които я притежават са живи и здрави в старчески дом и всяка година градския комитет я наема, за да я превърне в имение на ужасите, привличащо туристи от три щата. А легендите? Дали наистина градинарят е подивял и убил две прислужници с храсторез, докато собственика не го застрелял? Наистина ли едно момиченце е останало заключено три денонощия в мазето, докато го открият - живо и непоправимо обезумяло? Дали едно момче се е удавило в кладенеца, докато чакало любимата си? А всички трагични случаи в семейството на притежаващите имението? Сякаш нещо се храни от самите истории, акумулира човешки страх докато не се натрупа достатъчно да се излюпи. А регулярното превръщане на имението в плашеща атракция помага.
Описанията в книгата са доста разточителни, но много поетични. Предвид жанра, това не е проблем. Авторката доста си е поиграла да изгради героите си и да те накара да ти пука за тях. Макар на моменти да почва да бие на сапунка, бързо някоя доволно плашеща сцена връща нещата в коловоза. Финалът беше знаменателен.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews