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Quiet Places: A Novella of Cosmic Folk Horror
In the quiet of the forest, the darkest fears are born.
The people of Dunballan, harbour a dark secret. A secret more terrible than the Beast that stalks the dense forests of Dunballan. A secret that holds David McCavendish, last in a long line of Lairds, in its unbreakable grip.
It’s down to Sally, David’s lover, to free David from the sinister clutches of the Beast. But, with the whole town against her, she must ally herself with an ancient woodland force and trace Dunballan’s secret back to its bitter origins. Those origins lie within the McCavendish family history, and a blasphemous heresy that stretches back to the beginning of time. Some truths are too terrible to face, and the darkest of these lie waiting for Sally, in the Quiet Places.
Quiet Places is folk horror at its most cosmic and terrifying. Blending folklore with psychological terror, it contains stories within stories, each one leading to revelations more unsettling than the last. Revelations that will change the way you view your place in the cosmos, and haunt you, relentlessly, long after you have put down this book.
Quiet Places is a novella in the Heresy Series story cycle and has been substantially rewritten and revised for this edition.
Represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths
Interview with the author:
What makes Quiet Places so special?
Jasper: Readers have told me they like the sense of tradition the story has. It’s steeped not only in ancient folklore, but also the work of classic horror authors like M. R. James and Arthur Machen, as well as the American writers they influenced, such as H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. Yet, the story still manages to be as dark and disturbing as any contemporary horror. It contains stories within stories, and a narrative that slowly unfolds, as revelation follows revelation, each one more shocking than the last.
Tell us more your lead character.
Jasper: Sally is a city girl transplanted to the Highlands of Scotland. She moved from London to be with her partner David, who has inherited land and property in the rural town of Dunballan. Sally is fiercely independent, but very loyal to David. At first she falls in love with the primal beauty of the forests and the countryside, but after a while she finds small town life to be very claustrophobic. The people of Dunballan are a tight knit bunch and they seem to have some secret hold over David. Not to mention some secret knowledge that leaves Sally feeling isolated and excluded. That’s when Sally’s defiance, and her personal bravery, kick in, and she realises she’s going to have to go to some extraordinary lengths to save the man she loves from the town.
Why should readers give this book a try?
Jasper: I’m known for being a highly imaginative writer and, like most of my work, Quiet Places contains characters, creatures and concepts you probably won’t have encountered in a horror story before. If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, with sights you’ve never seen and fears you’ve yet to experience, then this is the book for you.
Is there a recommend order for reading your books?
Jasper: No, like all my books, Quiet Places is a stand-alone story. It is part of a story cycle that deals with the Qu’rm Saddic Heresy, an ancient and much persecuted belief system that was old even in the days of Mesopotamia. Not much is known about it these days, as most records of it have been destroyed, the few accounts we do have, speak of it with intense fear and loathing. That’s why it fascinates me. The heresy forms a loose back drop to a lot of my stories and novels. However, like the Cthulhu Mythos, Laird Barron’s Children of the Leech stories and Brian’s Keene’s Labyrinth mythos, the stories can be read in any order but, with every story you read, the depth of the tapestry they’re woven into, becomes clearer and more apparent.
The people of Dunballan, harbour a dark secret. A secret more terrible than the Beast that stalks the dense forests of Dunballan. A secret that holds David McCavendish, last in a long line of Lairds, in its unbreakable grip.
It’s down to Sally, David’s lover, to free David from the sinister clutches of the Beast. But, with the whole town against her, she must ally herself with an ancient woodland force and trace Dunballan’s secret back to its bitter origins. Those origins lie within the McCavendish family history, and a blasphemous heresy that stretches back to the beginning of time. Some truths are too terrible to face, and the darkest of these lie waiting for Sally, in the Quiet Places.
Quiet Places is folk horror at its most cosmic and terrifying. Blending folklore with psychological terror, it contains stories within stories, each one leading to revelations more unsettling than the last. Revelations that will change the way you view your place in the cosmos, and haunt you, relentlessly, long after you have put down this book.
Quiet Places is a novella in the Heresy Series story cycle and has been substantially rewritten and revised for this edition.
Represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths
Interview with the author:
What makes Quiet Places so special?
Jasper: Readers have told me they like the sense of tradition the story has. It’s steeped not only in ancient folklore, but also the work of classic horror authors like M. R. James and Arthur Machen, as well as the American writers they influenced, such as H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. Yet, the story still manages to be as dark and disturbing as any contemporary horror. It contains stories within stories, and a narrative that slowly unfolds, as revelation follows revelation, each one more shocking than the last.
Tell us more your lead character.
Jasper: Sally is a city girl transplanted to the Highlands of Scotland. She moved from London to be with her partner David, who has inherited land and property in the rural town of Dunballan. Sally is fiercely independent, but very loyal to David. At first she falls in love with the primal beauty of the forests and the countryside, but after a while she finds small town life to be very claustrophobic. The people of Dunballan are a tight knit bunch and they seem to have some secret hold over David. Not to mention some secret knowledge that leaves Sally feeling isolated and excluded. That’s when Sally’s defiance, and her personal bravery, kick in, and she realises she’s going to have to go to some extraordinary lengths to save the man she loves from the town.
Why should readers give this book a try?
Jasper: I’m known for being a highly imaginative writer and, like most of my work, Quiet Places contains characters, creatures and concepts you probably won’t have encountered in a horror story before. If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, with sights you’ve never seen and fears you’ve yet to experience, then this is the book for you.
Is there a recommend order for reading your books?
Jasper: No, like all my books, Quiet Places is a stand-alone story. It is part of a story cycle that deals with the Qu’rm Saddic Heresy, an ancient and much persecuted belief system that was old even in the days of Mesopotamia. Not much is known about it these days, as most records of it have been destroyed, the few accounts we do have, speak of it with intense fear and loathing. That’s why it fascinates me. The heresy forms a loose back drop to a lot of my stories and novels. However, like the Cthulhu Mythos, Laird Barron’s Children of the Leech stories and Brian’s Keene’s Labyrinth mythos, the stories can be read in any order but, with every story you read, the depth of the tapestry they’re woven into, becomes clearer and more apparent.
190 pages, Paperback
Published September 29, 2017
18 people are currently reading
370 people want to read
About the author
Jasper Bark
55 books173 followersJasper Bark finds writing author biographies and talking about himself in the third person faintly embarrassing. Telling you that he’s an award winning author of four cult novels including the highly acclaimed ‘Way of the Barefoot Zombie’, just sounds like boasting. Then he has to mention that he’s written 12 children’s books and hundreds of comics and graphic novels and he wants to just curl up. He cringes when he has to reveal that his work has been translated into nine different languages and is used in schools throughout the UK to help improve literacy, or that he was awarded the This Is Horror Award for his last anthology ‘Dead Air’. Maybe he’s too British, or maybe he just needs a good enema, but he’s glad this bio is now over.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 24, 2018
Well! This was unexpected. Like having lemonade when you've been tasting Coke all year. Delve into this gem with no preconceived ideas and simply enjoy!
This is my first, but absolutely not my last taste of Jasper Bark's writings. I really like his style. This novella kicked off with a real punch and I was enthralled as to what was really going on...it was nothing I predicted!
The novella blends a few genres very well and gives you the taste for more as you read along. Folklore, legends, beasts from other dimensions, occult practices, secret societies and soul destroying acts. It's all here, bundled up into a very interesting and entertaining plot.
I particularly liked the twist with the ending, it was well hidden and caught me by surprise. There is nothing not to enjoy here! Sometimes a great story is just what the doctor ordered to escape from the humdrum of life, as medicine I recommend this book.
4.5 stars from me bumped up to 5 stars happily. A well written, unusual, quirky novella that I thoroughly enjoyed. I read this in one sitting!
I read a copy of this book from the publisher. All review opinions are my own and totally unbiased.
This is my first, but absolutely not my last taste of Jasper Bark's writings. I really like his style. This novella kicked off with a real punch and I was enthralled as to what was really going on...it was nothing I predicted!
The novella blends a few genres very well and gives you the taste for more as you read along. Folklore, legends, beasts from other dimensions, occult practices, secret societies and soul destroying acts. It's all here, bundled up into a very interesting and entertaining plot.
I particularly liked the twist with the ending, it was well hidden and caught me by surprise. There is nothing not to enjoy here! Sometimes a great story is just what the doctor ordered to escape from the humdrum of life, as medicine I recommend this book.
4.5 stars from me bumped up to 5 stars happily. A well written, unusual, quirky novella that I thoroughly enjoyed. I read this in one sitting!
I read a copy of this book from the publisher. All review opinions are my own and totally unbiased.
September 29, 2017
Review: QUIET PLACES by Jasper Bark
I read an earlier version of this fascinating story in.the lovely 2016 anthology GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND VOL. 1, edited by Steve J. Shaw, which collected rural British horror. This version, according to the author's own account, is greatly revised plus expanded.
Those who've read Jasper Bark' s THE FINAL CUT; BED OF CRIMSON ROSES; STUCK ON YOU; and others know that he is a master indeed when it comes to laying out the gore. But you also know, as with THE FINAL CUT, he is equally accomplished playing in the fields of metaphysics. Here in QUIET PLACES, he strums chords somewhat reminiscent of those in THE FINAL CUT, but here he presents a totally British setting. Indeed, I cannot imagine such a tale occurring anywhere but in isolated, insular, rural, small-village Britain, a land where millennia of history drape the region, and heavy upon the head of scions lies history's burden, and the obligation of duty to one's lessers.
My especial thanks to Mr. Bark for including my humble name in his acknowledgements--indeed an honour.
I read an earlier version of this fascinating story in.the lovely 2016 anthology GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND VOL. 1, edited by Steve J. Shaw, which collected rural British horror. This version, according to the author's own account, is greatly revised plus expanded.
Those who've read Jasper Bark' s THE FINAL CUT; BED OF CRIMSON ROSES; STUCK ON YOU; and others know that he is a master indeed when it comes to laying out the gore. But you also know, as with THE FINAL CUT, he is equally accomplished playing in the fields of metaphysics. Here in QUIET PLACES, he strums chords somewhat reminiscent of those in THE FINAL CUT, but here he presents a totally British setting. Indeed, I cannot imagine such a tale occurring anywhere but in isolated, insular, rural, small-village Britain, a land where millennia of history drape the region, and heavy upon the head of scions lies history's burden, and the obligation of duty to one's lessers.
My especial thanks to Mr. Bark for including my humble name in his acknowledgements--indeed an honour.
September 25, 2017
This novella was received free from Crystal Lake Publishing in return for an honest review.
Yet again, Crystal Lake Publishing has not failed to deliver. This is my first reading of a Jasper Bark book, and I must admit that being of a squeamish nature I had avoided his work having heard rumours of a certain tendency towards gore. I prefer my horror dark, atmospheric, sinister—possibly a touch more subtle than what I expected from this author. I was therefore pleasantly surprised that Quiet Places ticked all the right boxes for me. A story very much in the folk horror tradition, it tells of a young woman, Sally, lured to a remote part of Scotland by her husband to share his sudden inheritance. There, she finds herself not only isolated from the rest of the country but also from her husband as his behaviour and secrecy mark a growing distance between them. Eventually she discovers he, and subsequently she, have been summoned back to Scotland to mitigate the effects of an age-old curse hanging over his family and the people of the town of Dunballan, a curse which turns people into mindless and helpless beings. Sally’s researches into the curse encourage her to try and put an end to it, to free her husband from his suffering; unfortunately, her well-meaning attempts have disastrous consequences. From the disembodied voice of Hettie of the Hedgerows, the appearance of the supernatural Beast of Dunballan, and the almost Lovecraftian city and otherworldly plane of existence, this book has it all. I read it in a day, always a good sign.
Yet again, Crystal Lake Publishing has not failed to deliver. This is my first reading of a Jasper Bark book, and I must admit that being of a squeamish nature I had avoided his work having heard rumours of a certain tendency towards gore. I prefer my horror dark, atmospheric, sinister—possibly a touch more subtle than what I expected from this author. I was therefore pleasantly surprised that Quiet Places ticked all the right boxes for me. A story very much in the folk horror tradition, it tells of a young woman, Sally, lured to a remote part of Scotland by her husband to share his sudden inheritance. There, she finds herself not only isolated from the rest of the country but also from her husband as his behaviour and secrecy mark a growing distance between them. Eventually she discovers he, and subsequently she, have been summoned back to Scotland to mitigate the effects of an age-old curse hanging over his family and the people of the town of Dunballan, a curse which turns people into mindless and helpless beings. Sally’s researches into the curse encourage her to try and put an end to it, to free her husband from his suffering; unfortunately, her well-meaning attempts have disastrous consequences. From the disembodied voice of Hettie of the Hedgerows, the appearance of the supernatural Beast of Dunballan, and the almost Lovecraftian city and otherworldly plane of existence, this book has it all. I read it in a day, always a good sign.
September 23, 2017
"In the quiet of the forest, the darkest fears are born."
Sally thought she'd found her happily ever after when she finally moves with her boyfriend, David McCavendish,back to his ancestral home of Dunballan, a remote town in the Scottish Highlands. She struggles to adapt to country life after spending many years in London. Once more she is the outsider, everyone is guarding a secret, even David, the family curse of the McCavendish clan. The curse soon takes hold of David and Sally must work with ancient primitive magic to save the man she loves.
This is yet another great book from Crystal Lake Publishing who are building up quite a reputation as publishers of great horror fiction. I've read many of their titles fiction and non-fiction and they're all brilliant.
What really stood out for me straight away was how original the book was, for a novella it really packs a punch. There's some pretty deep questions raised in here which will leave you unsettled long after you have finished reading this book. What lies beyond our world? Is there a part of us that is immortal? Where do we go when we die?
There's many different sub-genres of horror in Quiet Places such as folklore horror, cosmic horror, apocalypse horror, Lovec
raftian horror and they all mix perfectly to produce something very original. There's also an element of a detective story where Sally rummages around in the ancient library of the McCavendish family seeking out old journals of the occult. If like me, you love ancient folklore, H.P Lovecraft and being scared then you'll love Quiet Places!
The story itself is told in a really imaginative way where we are presented with a horrendous situation and are then taken back further and further through time to figure out what happened. I found Sally really relatable, an outsider who's never felt accepted anywhere or by anyone apart from David. He is her true home which is why she will stop at nothing to save him by lifting the family curse.
When a strange beast starts lurking around their remote cottage Sally knows she has to step up and fight back for the sake of David. She must discover the family curse that David for some unknown reason is so desperate to keep from her. He's been distant and she hopes that by helping to free him it will bring them closer together.
I really love the imagination that has gone into this book, it is a really unconventional book. I don't want to give away the plot but it doesn't end in the way I thought it would and the outcome is truly macabre. I loved it!
Sally thought she'd found her happily ever after when she finally moves with her boyfriend, David McCavendish,back to his ancestral home of Dunballan, a remote town in the Scottish Highlands. She struggles to adapt to country life after spending many years in London. Once more she is the outsider, everyone is guarding a secret, even David, the family curse of the McCavendish clan. The curse soon takes hold of David and Sally must work with ancient primitive magic to save the man she loves.
This is yet another great book from Crystal Lake Publishing who are building up quite a reputation as publishers of great horror fiction. I've read many of their titles fiction and non-fiction and they're all brilliant.
What really stood out for me straight away was how original the book was, for a novella it really packs a punch. There's some pretty deep questions raised in here which will leave you unsettled long after you have finished reading this book. What lies beyond our world? Is there a part of us that is immortal? Where do we go when we die?
There's many different sub-genres of horror in Quiet Places such as folklore horror, cosmic horror, apocalypse horror, Lovec
raftian horror and they all mix perfectly to produce something very original. There's also an element of a detective story where Sally rummages around in the ancient library of the McCavendish family seeking out old journals of the occult. If like me, you love ancient folklore, H.P Lovecraft and being scared then you'll love Quiet Places!
The story itself is told in a really imaginative way where we are presented with a horrendous situation and are then taken back further and further through time to figure out what happened. I found Sally really relatable, an outsider who's never felt accepted anywhere or by anyone apart from David. He is her true home which is why she will stop at nothing to save him by lifting the family curse.
When a strange beast starts lurking around their remote cottage Sally knows she has to step up and fight back for the sake of David. She must discover the family curse that David for some unknown reason is so desperate to keep from her. He's been distant and she hopes that by helping to free him it will bring them closer together.
I really love the imagination that has gone into this book, it is a really unconventional book. I don't want to give away the plot but it doesn't end in the way I thought it would and the outcome is truly macabre. I loved it!
March 13, 2018
The key to Quiet Places is the beginning. I love these stories where the author kicks me in the face with a what-the-hell-is-going-on-here start. They can then take their sweet old time revealing what causes this freakish scenario that has shocked me to the core. Jasper Bark did exactly that.
I think we can all relate to Sally’s motivation: blow off the city and the rat race, run to the hills and live in the lap of luxury with her partner and his sizable inheritance. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I was captivated by the little world created by Jasper Bark as he slowly revealed the sinister elements of Dunballan. By moving back and forth through the timeline, Bark masterfully kept my attention. When everything else was revealed, I was on the edge of my seat.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I like a big book. The bigger, the better. At one hundred and twenty-three pages, Quiet Places was not quite big enough. It was an intriguing story, but I only wished it had been longer. I felt that Bark cut himself short in many places; that there were stories within stories just waiting to be discovered and told in details that I am certain Bark could envision. I suppose if my only complaint is that I think that the author could have given me a considerably larger world with more people to explore it with, that’s not really a bad thing.
I think we can all relate to Sally’s motivation: blow off the city and the rat race, run to the hills and live in the lap of luxury with her partner and his sizable inheritance. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I was captivated by the little world created by Jasper Bark as he slowly revealed the sinister elements of Dunballan. By moving back and forth through the timeline, Bark masterfully kept my attention. When everything else was revealed, I was on the edge of my seat.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I like a big book. The bigger, the better. At one hundred and twenty-three pages, Quiet Places was not quite big enough. It was an intriguing story, but I only wished it had been longer. I felt that Bark cut himself short in many places; that there were stories within stories just waiting to be discovered and told in details that I am certain Bark could envision. I suppose if my only complaint is that I think that the author could have given me a considerably larger world with more people to explore it with, that’s not really a bad thing.
April 28, 2020
Dear horror writers, just because Lovecraft wrote about mad monks, mystical texts, and ancient gods, doesn’t mean you also need to do so, certainly not at length when what you’re writing isn’t very long to begin with, also, it’s a good idea to learn when it’s appropriate, and not appropriate, to use commas, and probably they shouldn’t be used to create very lengthy run-on sentences, or in place of semi-colons, or periods.
November 2, 2020
"Quiet Places" is truly fascinating. The arcane, cosmic mythology featured in this book draws the reader in like an ethereal rope around one's soul --- and who is on the other end of this tenuous tie? Drawing us in with a steadfast, page-turning pace, pulling ever so gently until suddenly, we are gobsmacked by the awe-inspiring cosmic doom which forms the dilemma of this tale?
Why, it's Jasper Bark! Of course. I should have known.
Influenced by the horror genre's literary forefathers (Lovecraft, Arthur Machen, Clark Ashton Smith, M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, Charlotte Gilman Perkins, etc.), Bark does what any self-respecting creative person does --- he deviates from his previous work to deliver something utterly unique and new. Instead of the gore-soaked mayhem featured in, say, "Stuck on You & Other Prime Cuts", Jasper Bark writes this doom-laden, palpably mysterious horror story, uniting folk horror with an intriguing, cosmic mythos.
It really is quite well done, and it is surprising how a reader can come away thinking they've gone down a deep, dark rabbit hole --- merely from reading a work of short fiction! Within its 164 pages, "Quiet Places" takes us on a deep (and high, to the point of hallucinogenic), dark journey.
Something I love about reading well-crafted fiction: I always come away learning a new tip on how to write effectively. It's like a young mechanic relatively new to the field of auto-repair, watching a seasoned mechanic perform the most trying of tasks. He watches what tools are used, how and where they are used, etc.
Jasper Bark really has crafted a fine-tuned machine with this unsettling novella, and it has my utmost recommendations.
Why, it's Jasper Bark! Of course. I should have known.
Influenced by the horror genre's literary forefathers (Lovecraft, Arthur Machen, Clark Ashton Smith, M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, Charlotte Gilman Perkins, etc.), Bark does what any self-respecting creative person does --- he deviates from his previous work to deliver something utterly unique and new. Instead of the gore-soaked mayhem featured in, say, "Stuck on You & Other Prime Cuts", Jasper Bark writes this doom-laden, palpably mysterious horror story, uniting folk horror with an intriguing, cosmic mythos.
It really is quite well done, and it is surprising how a reader can come away thinking they've gone down a deep, dark rabbit hole --- merely from reading a work of short fiction! Within its 164 pages, "Quiet Places" takes us on a deep (and high, to the point of hallucinogenic), dark journey.
Something I love about reading well-crafted fiction: I always come away learning a new tip on how to write effectively. It's like a young mechanic relatively new to the field of auto-repair, watching a seasoned mechanic perform the most trying of tasks. He watches what tools are used, how and where they are used, etc.
Jasper Bark really has crafted a fine-tuned machine with this unsettling novella, and it has my utmost recommendations.
December 30, 2017
I was kind of surprised when I finished this and found out it’s by the same author as The Final Cut. They felt different. The Final Cut was more explosive, in-your-face type horror, while Quiet Places was, well, quieter. One thing for sure is that Jasper Bark is a hell of a storyteller. Reading his work, you can tell he’s drawing from a range of influences. It comes through as a cohesive, unique voice, rather than “let’s mash this with this and see what happens.” It’s a quick read, with a strong opening hook to get you invested within the first couple pages.
Quiet Places has a mix of folk horror and cosmic horror in a modern setting. At one point the protagonist reads a journal that could have been straight out of a Lovecraft story. There’s also dysfunctional relationship drama; weird stuff keeps happening, but non-communicative David refuses to talk to Sally about WTF is going. It could almost be a morality tale on the value of open communication in a relationship, but that calling it that wouldn’t be doing it justice at all. This is a damn fine novella about horrors beyond our control that should not be messed with.
Quiet Places has a mix of folk horror and cosmic horror in a modern setting. At one point the protagonist reads a journal that could have been straight out of a Lovecraft story. There’s also dysfunctional relationship drama; weird stuff keeps happening, but non-communicative David refuses to talk to Sally about WTF is going. It could almost be a morality tale on the value of open communication in a relationship, but that calling it that wouldn’t be doing it justice at all. This is a damn fine novella about horrors beyond our control that should not be messed with.
November 15, 2017
"I will also give you a word of advice. Be careful when you pick this one up. I thought I would read the start of it before bed, just to get a feel for it. I didn’t get to sleep until I had finished the entire thing. It is that engrossing."
See here for the full review:
Quiet Places
See here for the full review:
Quiet Places
September 29, 2017
Jasper Bark breathes new life into several classic horror tropes in this suspenseful novella: the quiet Scottish village full of dreadful secrets; the mysterious presence lurking in the forest; a family curse handed down over generations; the forbidden manuscripts full of dark incantations. Quiet Places is a masterful blend of folklore-based horror and Lovecraftian cosmic horror. At times charming and at other times creepy and horrific, Quiet Places is highly recommended for fans of well-written literary horror.
June 10, 2022
Omg, this one is good!! Jasper writes gorgeously. A tale that I wish Lovecraft could read because it bent my mind in the same directions as his work. Bark spins an elegant story of terror, love and dire consequence, this is one I'll be recommending for years to come, just as the author predicted in the bio section...
May 17, 2022
I’ve had this novella on my TBR for some time, but seeing the love the fantastic Dave Jeffery has for it, I bumped it up when I had gap arrive between longer reads.
I was really intrigued with the ‘Cosmic-Folk-Horror’ categorization, as that’s not a subgenre we see that often, or if we do, it’s frequently subdued and doesn’t push too far in either direction. So, this one had me excited to dive in and see what nightmares awaited.
What I liked: The story follows Sally, recently having moved to a small town where her boyfriend now lives. He comes from the town’s lineage, his family being paramount to the formation of the town and since then they’ve woven themselves into the fabric of day-to-day life. But now, he is the last in line.
The opening to this story is incredibly unnerving. We arrive to discover every person, except Sally, are essentially automatons – they stand lifeless and Sally moves them, cleans them and cares for them, all in the hopes that what has happened will be undone. It’s from that opening that Bark weaves the Cosmic elements as well as the folklore surrounding Dunballan, this small, odd town.
I really enjoyed the Beast and the role it played, and how Sally struggled with the distance between her and David but also her desire to lessen it. Bark does a great job of making them both enticing characters but also frustrating characters.
What I didn’t like: A lot of the folklore is learned through these old journals that Sally discovers and reads and, while I enjoyed learning about this folklore, I wasn’t so sure that the journals would’ve contained that much depth and detail, especially considering the time they were supposedly written in.
Why you should buy this: Bark has written a very fast-paced story that asks the reader to suspend reality in the best way possible. The setting is great and the events surrounding the Beast and the bushes was fantastic. This one hits a lot of high notes and I think those seeking the ‘Cosmic-Folk-Horror’ subgenre will be very happy!
I was really intrigued with the ‘Cosmic-Folk-Horror’ categorization, as that’s not a subgenre we see that often, or if we do, it’s frequently subdued and doesn’t push too far in either direction. So, this one had me excited to dive in and see what nightmares awaited.
What I liked: The story follows Sally, recently having moved to a small town where her boyfriend now lives. He comes from the town’s lineage, his family being paramount to the formation of the town and since then they’ve woven themselves into the fabric of day-to-day life. But now, he is the last in line.
The opening to this story is incredibly unnerving. We arrive to discover every person, except Sally, are essentially automatons – they stand lifeless and Sally moves them, cleans them and cares for them, all in the hopes that what has happened will be undone. It’s from that opening that Bark weaves the Cosmic elements as well as the folklore surrounding Dunballan, this small, odd town.
I really enjoyed the Beast and the role it played, and how Sally struggled with the distance between her and David but also her desire to lessen it. Bark does a great job of making them both enticing characters but also frustrating characters.
What I didn’t like: A lot of the folklore is learned through these old journals that Sally discovers and reads and, while I enjoyed learning about this folklore, I wasn’t so sure that the journals would’ve contained that much depth and detail, especially considering the time they were supposedly written in.
Why you should buy this: Bark has written a very fast-paced story that asks the reader to suspend reality in the best way possible. The setting is great and the events surrounding the Beast and the bushes was fantastic. This one hits a lot of high notes and I think those seeking the ‘Cosmic-Folk-Horror’ subgenre will be very happy!
September 23, 2017
A tale of a woman called Sally who moves to Dunballan to be with her partner David. They don't have the easiest of relationships. A place with no wifi or good phone signal and a secret concerning David the last in a long line of Lairds. It is up to Sally to save David but no one will talk to her and the beast is stalking David.
A wonderful blend of psychological and folk horror.
I got this ARC in exchange for an honest review
A wonderful blend of psychological and folk horror.
I got this ARC in exchange for an honest review
December 4, 2021
I'm kind of mad that this book didn't have a happy ending. But I know that the ending it did have was perfect. This whole story filled me with loneliness, longing and despair. I've enjoyed other books by this author and I was not disappointed with this story.
May 17, 2020
Bark’s foray into cosmic folk horror comes with all the elements a reader craves. Secret societies, esoteric rites of passage, family curses, a town where all is not as it seems, and mind-bending realms and creatures that defy logic.
The writing is sublime, the reader mesmerised as much by the narrative as the incredible, terrifying events as the story slips effortlessly by via a series of unforeseen twists and turns. The ending is beautifully and heartbreakingly rendered.
Both evocative and horrifying, QUIET PLACES is told with consummate ease, making this one of my favourite Jasper Bark books.
Highly recommended.
The writing is sublime, the reader mesmerised as much by the narrative as the incredible, terrifying events as the story slips effortlessly by via a series of unforeseen twists and turns. The ending is beautifully and heartbreakingly rendered.
Both evocative and horrifying, QUIET PLACES is told with consummate ease, making this one of my favourite Jasper Bark books.
Highly recommended.
March 13, 2018
Make sure you read Jasper Bark’s acknowledgements after the conclusion of this incredibly dark novella cleverly constructed around an ancient family curse. The author explains how “Quiet Places” began life as a 7000 word short story before realising his story was far from complete and so expanded it into this much longer version. The Kindle is the perfect medium for horror novellas so Jasper Bark has ample opportunity to craft a very well written and enjoyable story that flirts with a few different areas of the horror genre.
Set in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, Sally and her fiancé David are the newest arrivals after relocating there to start a new life in Dunballen. David grew up in the village and is the last surviving member of the village’s first family, and although his clan have sold the majority of their land, he is still seen as the Laird of the Manor. He is a big cheese in a small town, but Sally is treated with both curiosity and suspicion. So her new start doesn’t quite go as planned and she finds the villagers difficult to gage and struggles to make friends with the exception of the local librarian. Coupled by the fact that David is very withdrawn, isolates and locks himself away for long periods, Sally begins to question her reasoning for settling in a village which has virtually no contact with the outside world. There is the internet and no newspapers except the local rag. But why?
The novella opens with a terrific prologue with Sally caring for many villagers who can no longer able to look after themselves, even the most basic functions, and seem void of human characteristics. It is implied she is the cause for whatever catastrophe has befell the village. But what happened? Quickly, the story flips to eight days earlier and the circumstances which led to the events of the prologue are revealed very slowly and this is the main crux of this very readable novella.
After living in the village for a while Sally spots a huge black cat, which David refuses to admit he sees also. As time goes on the cat gets bolder and seems to be stalking David, or seeking something from him. Things begin to go from bad to worse, especially when she naively begins to listen to a whispering voice in the hedge, meet Hettie of the Hedgerow (I even went to Google to see if Hettie was a ‘real’ supernatural being!) Bark throws a lot of angles into the story including ancient family curses, Scottish folklore, supernatural beings, Alastair Crowley type cults and heretical writings, and trips beyond the land of the living into cosmic horror. All of which combined amount to a fine yarn which has more than enough to keep you entertained over an evening.
However, one major criticism of the novella was the multiple jumps into different time sequences which were at times frustrating. Some of these time jumps were only a few pages and did became a little confusing. This killed some of the momentum and although they were used as a literary tool in explaining the origins of the curse and the complex history of the village, there were just too many of them for a piece of writing of this length. I did also wonder how the plot would play out if it was told in a more linear time sequence?
The story has more strands than you would expect in a novella, hanging together really well until the shocking conclusion goes full circle back to the prologue. It’s certainly not a product the Scottish Tourist Board will be recommending, however, although very dark in content it has little in the way of violence compared to some of the author’s colourful and varied output of short stories, novellas and longer work. “Quiet Places” is well worth having a look at and a solid introduction to Bark should you never have tried his wide-ranging work in the world of weird fiction.
Set in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, Sally and her fiancé David are the newest arrivals after relocating there to start a new life in Dunballen. David grew up in the village and is the last surviving member of the village’s first family, and although his clan have sold the majority of their land, he is still seen as the Laird of the Manor. He is a big cheese in a small town, but Sally is treated with both curiosity and suspicion. So her new start doesn’t quite go as planned and she finds the villagers difficult to gage and struggles to make friends with the exception of the local librarian. Coupled by the fact that David is very withdrawn, isolates and locks himself away for long periods, Sally begins to question her reasoning for settling in a village which has virtually no contact with the outside world. There is the internet and no newspapers except the local rag. But why?
The novella opens with a terrific prologue with Sally caring for many villagers who can no longer able to look after themselves, even the most basic functions, and seem void of human characteristics. It is implied she is the cause for whatever catastrophe has befell the village. But what happened? Quickly, the story flips to eight days earlier and the circumstances which led to the events of the prologue are revealed very slowly and this is the main crux of this very readable novella.
After living in the village for a while Sally spots a huge black cat, which David refuses to admit he sees also. As time goes on the cat gets bolder and seems to be stalking David, or seeking something from him. Things begin to go from bad to worse, especially when she naively begins to listen to a whispering voice in the hedge, meet Hettie of the Hedgerow (I even went to Google to see if Hettie was a ‘real’ supernatural being!) Bark throws a lot of angles into the story including ancient family curses, Scottish folklore, supernatural beings, Alastair Crowley type cults and heretical writings, and trips beyond the land of the living into cosmic horror. All of which combined amount to a fine yarn which has more than enough to keep you entertained over an evening.
However, one major criticism of the novella was the multiple jumps into different time sequences which were at times frustrating. Some of these time jumps were only a few pages and did became a little confusing. This killed some of the momentum and although they were used as a literary tool in explaining the origins of the curse and the complex history of the village, there were just too many of them for a piece of writing of this length. I did also wonder how the plot would play out if it was told in a more linear time sequence?
The story has more strands than you would expect in a novella, hanging together really well until the shocking conclusion goes full circle back to the prologue. It’s certainly not a product the Scottish Tourist Board will be recommending, however, although very dark in content it has little in the way of violence compared to some of the author’s colourful and varied output of short stories, novellas and longer work. “Quiet Places” is well worth having a look at and a solid introduction to Bark should you never have tried his wide-ranging work in the world of weird fiction.
December 19, 2021
Bark knows how to instill the feeling of isolation and despair into his words. From the first chapter, you’re transported into the heart of Dunballan, a town filled with hollow shells. A single survivor, Sally, is left to try her best to care for the thousands of citizens that have mysteriously all lost all mental functions. The truth of their state is far stranger than one could possibly fathom.
Quiet Places is a cosmic folk horror book, bringing you the hard to imagine abominations cosmic horror has to offer, and the sense of isolation, as well as the dark atmosphere, folk horror is known for. This mix of sub genres creates a story that will leave you on the edge of your seat, and have you pondering what exactly happened to these pour souls before the book can reveal its secrets to you.
I loved everything about this book, the characters, the main story, the beast, the sense that some things are not as they seem, and the afterwards detailing the history of this tale. I appreciate how Bark has rewritten a long portion of this book in order to craft the best piece of fiction he is capable of. It takes a lot to take criticism from readers and use that as inspiration to better craft the story into something bigger than it was originally intended to be.
Quiet Places is a cosmic folk horror book, bringing you the hard to imagine abominations cosmic horror has to offer, and the sense of isolation, as well as the dark atmosphere, folk horror is known for. This mix of sub genres creates a story that will leave you on the edge of your seat, and have you pondering what exactly happened to these pour souls before the book can reveal its secrets to you.
I loved everything about this book, the characters, the main story, the beast, the sense that some things are not as they seem, and the afterwards detailing the history of this tale. I appreciate how Bark has rewritten a long portion of this book in order to craft the best piece of fiction he is capable of. It takes a lot to take criticism from readers and use that as inspiration to better craft the story into something bigger than it was originally intended to be.
January 4, 2018
Although I've never read any of this talented man's books before now, I think it's probably fair to say that Jasper Bark has purposely flexed the depth of his vivid imagination, to deliver a novella which had me both satisfyingly unnerved and genuinely fascinated in equal measure. This ingenious meld of horror subgenres with its intensely surreal edge has culminated to produce a truly compelling read. I loved the story with its unpredictable plot and the way the characters were realistically developed. So realistic in fact, that I wanted to grab one or two of them by the shoulders and shake them vigorously.
Picked this book up yesterday morning - put it down again last night, and am still considering its many qualities now. What a great way to start the new year. Haven't had a nightmare yet, but I'm eagerly anticipating one. I could never choose just one word alone to describe this book but in two words - Bloody Marvelous!!!
Thank you, Mr Bark, your fantastically gripping storytelling was a real treat!
Picked this book up yesterday morning - put it down again last night, and am still considering its many qualities now. What a great way to start the new year. Haven't had a nightmare yet, but I'm eagerly anticipating one. I could never choose just one word alone to describe this book but in two words - Bloody Marvelous!!!
Thank you, Mr Bark, your fantastically gripping storytelling was a real treat!
June 7, 2018
5/5
This is my first read of anything by Jasper Bark. Man was I floored!
This short novella focuses on Sally, a young woman who has recently moved to Dunballan, a remote town, with her boyfriend of 10 years, David. Something terrible has happened to the townsfolk, and from there the story backtracks, unraveling the mystery one piece at a time.
Now usually with things not done chronologically I don't like them, but this was expertly handled and was easy to follow.
Sally's story was unique and interesting, and I love the grey feel that the town and everything surrounding it seemed to have. Best of all, I liked how the story kept me on my toes until the very end.
The only cons I had were that Sally didn't call for help when some of these things happened, but I can see both sides of the argument the author provided, so it's a mixed bag.
Overall this book was original, thrilling, and is very much worth a read if you like suspense and mystery!
This is my first read of anything by Jasper Bark. Man was I floored!
This short novella focuses on Sally, a young woman who has recently moved to Dunballan, a remote town, with her boyfriend of 10 years, David. Something terrible has happened to the townsfolk, and from there the story backtracks, unraveling the mystery one piece at a time.
Now usually with things not done chronologically I don't like them, but this was expertly handled and was easy to follow.
Sally's story was unique and interesting, and I love the grey feel that the town and everything surrounding it seemed to have. Best of all, I liked how the story kept me on my toes until the very end.
The only cons I had were that Sally didn't call for help when some of these things happened, but I can see both sides of the argument the author provided, so it's a mixed bag.
Overall this book was original, thrilling, and is very much worth a read if you like suspense and mystery!
December 5, 2017
Short Take: Readers: “You can’t fit this much cool story & history into a hundred pages.” -- Jasper Bark: “Hold my beer.”
*Note - I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Sometimes, I start reading a book and say to myself “Oh great, here we go again…” I’ve waxed eloquent (read: whined and complained) many times here about how overplayed most horror tropes are. And so I must confess, that when I read the prologue of Jasper Bark’s “Quiet Places”, I groaned inwardly a bit. Zombies, I thought. Here we go again with freakin zombies. I fully expected a rehash of the 1984 movie classic “Night of the Comet”, only probably without a delightful Valley Girl dress-up montage featuring Cyndi Lauper singing in the background (which, let’s face it, just isn’t done enough anymore).
I stuck with it though, because I’m a little OCD about finishing books, and WHOA. I don’t think it’s too spoiler-y to say that Quiet Places is most emphatically NOT about zombies. Or any other beastie that I can remember encountering before.
Quiet Places is the story of Sally McCavendish, and her partner David, who move to the tiny town of Dunballan in the Scottish Highlands after David inherits a beautiful estate and property. There’s more to David’s family legacy than Sally ever could have imagined, however, including a horrific beast, a talking spirit in the hedgerow, and an inter-generational curse, and Sally will have to go up against powerful forces she doesn’t fully understand to keep David’s soul (and their life together) intact.
The story unfolds through Sally’s eyes. As an outsider to the town, the family, and the complicated, conjoined history of both, she is always slightly off-center, never sure who she can trust, or what anyone��s intentions are. Mr. Bark does a fantastic job of giving the reader the same sense of being inside a kaleidoscope, with the ground constantly shifting underfoot. He deftly skips among multiple timelines, with chapters jumping back and forth between a few days, months, decades or centuries. There are delightful contrasts all around - the banality of a Tupperware box, for example, containing a bodily-fluid-soaked lure for a supernatural entity.
Quiet Places is surprisingly coherent for all that, and don’t let its short length fool you - there is a LOT of story here, and all of it is fascinating, especially the history and philosophical ideas.
There’s just one small flaw that I noticed a few times throughout the book, and I’m honestly not sure if it is a deliberate style choice or an unconscious tic of the author’s, but I found it grating. Occasionally, when writing an otherwise fine descriptive passage, Mr. Bark dips into the second person. An example: “It ruffled the grass, rattled the hedges, and lifted Sally’s hair and skirt, but she couldn’t feel it on her skin, nor could she smell any of the scents that a wind such as this usually carried. It was almost entirely bodiless, you could see and experience its effects, but you couldn’t feel them.”
Something about the sudden appearance of “you” makes the writing feel less like a journey in the hands of a highly competent author (which it genuinely is, otherwise) and more like an essay written at lunchtime by a high school student who hopes the teacher won’t deduct points for the food stains on his paper. It’s a jolt out of the narrator’s head, a sudden shift in voice that interrupts the flow and the mood.
At the end of the day though, a great story is a great story, and it takes a lot more than a few grammatical quirks to keep me from craving more.
The Nerd’s Rating: Four Happy Neurons (and a thick juicy steak, hold the secret ingredients!)
*Note - I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Sometimes, I start reading a book and say to myself “Oh great, here we go again…” I’ve waxed eloquent (read: whined and complained) many times here about how overplayed most horror tropes are. And so I must confess, that when I read the prologue of Jasper Bark’s “Quiet Places”, I groaned inwardly a bit. Zombies, I thought. Here we go again with freakin zombies. I fully expected a rehash of the 1984 movie classic “Night of the Comet”, only probably without a delightful Valley Girl dress-up montage featuring Cyndi Lauper singing in the background (which, let’s face it, just isn’t done enough anymore).
I stuck with it though, because I’m a little OCD about finishing books, and WHOA. I don’t think it’s too spoiler-y to say that Quiet Places is most emphatically NOT about zombies. Or any other beastie that I can remember encountering before.
Quiet Places is the story of Sally McCavendish, and her partner David, who move to the tiny town of Dunballan in the Scottish Highlands after David inherits a beautiful estate and property. There’s more to David’s family legacy than Sally ever could have imagined, however, including a horrific beast, a talking spirit in the hedgerow, and an inter-generational curse, and Sally will have to go up against powerful forces she doesn’t fully understand to keep David’s soul (and their life together) intact.
The story unfolds through Sally’s eyes. As an outsider to the town, the family, and the complicated, conjoined history of both, she is always slightly off-center, never sure who she can trust, or what anyone��s intentions are. Mr. Bark does a fantastic job of giving the reader the same sense of being inside a kaleidoscope, with the ground constantly shifting underfoot. He deftly skips among multiple timelines, with chapters jumping back and forth between a few days, months, decades or centuries. There are delightful contrasts all around - the banality of a Tupperware box, for example, containing a bodily-fluid-soaked lure for a supernatural entity.
Quiet Places is surprisingly coherent for all that, and don’t let its short length fool you - there is a LOT of story here, and all of it is fascinating, especially the history and philosophical ideas.
There’s just one small flaw that I noticed a few times throughout the book, and I’m honestly not sure if it is a deliberate style choice or an unconscious tic of the author’s, but I found it grating. Occasionally, when writing an otherwise fine descriptive passage, Mr. Bark dips into the second person. An example: “It ruffled the grass, rattled the hedges, and lifted Sally’s hair and skirt, but she couldn’t feel it on her skin, nor could she smell any of the scents that a wind such as this usually carried. It was almost entirely bodiless, you could see and experience its effects, but you couldn’t feel them.”
Something about the sudden appearance of “you” makes the writing feel less like a journey in the hands of a highly competent author (which it genuinely is, otherwise) and more like an essay written at lunchtime by a high school student who hopes the teacher won’t deduct points for the food stains on his paper. It’s a jolt out of the narrator’s head, a sudden shift in voice that interrupts the flow and the mood.
At the end of the day though, a great story is a great story, and it takes a lot more than a few grammatical quirks to keep me from craving more.
The Nerd’s Rating: Four Happy Neurons (and a thick juicy steak, hold the secret ingredients!)
September 29, 2017
A new tale from Jasper Bark is always something I look forward to reading. The man has a style which is easy to read and flows like a delightful river, which seems almost at odds with the kinds of places Jasper takes the reader to with his stories…
For example, the title-story of Stuck on You and Other Prime Cuts is one of those stories that makes you cringe and wince and clear the sick from your throat, but it also hooks nacreous claws into your mind and stays with you. And all of Jasper’s tales work on myriad levels, too – memories of scenes will pop into your mind months after reading a tale, and yet those memories will understand the scene better, or perhaps even differently. It’s one of the ways a great storyteller stands apart.
And Jasper has done it again with Quiet Places.
The cover (by the supremely talented Ben Baldwin), coupled with the title, says so many things, and is a perfect snapshot-image of the tale – that scene also takes place in the novella, and when you read it I’m pretty sure that you might flip back to the cover; if you can stop reading long enough to do so, I have to add.
Because by the time you get that specific scene, you’ll already be deep into the tale – you’ll have met sad, determined, slightly off-kilter Sally, her husband David, some of the inhabitants of the small town they live in, and Hettie and the Beast. Jasper’s spell will have been tightly woven, and you’ll be aching to know how Sally got into the situation she’s in at the beginning of the novel.
What Jasper has done with this tale is create something that has many aspects but which also works supremely well as a whole – you’ve got Sally’s psychological self, coupled with her determination; you’ve got David’s seeming lack of concern and spine; you’ve got a small town, with the accompanying mentality, and it’s people; you’ve got a major secret which everyone is keeping; you’ve got strange happenings in the forest and hedgerows; you’ve got cosmic horror. It all works. It all meshes. Masterfully.
But the heart of the tale -which boils down to what we experience, decide, act upon and then rue- is where this tale really shines. Monsters aren’t actually monsters because of what they do or what they look like – they’re monsters because they reveal themselves to be almost akin to those aspects of ourselves we choose to disregard or ignore or hide. And Jasper understands that sometimes the monster isn’t the monster, and that the victim can also be the knowing instigator.
Quiet Places is tight, lyrical, spans centuries is novel ways, and shows us parts of ourselves which might, given the perfect nudge at the right time, change from that which gives us strength to that which makes us want to run in fear and terror. And it’s also a tale which shows it’s characters (and the reader) that what you think you know is almost always wrong, or at least misunderstood.
It’s an excellent tale, on many levels, not the least of which is that it shows how versatile and empathic a writer Jasper is. Highly recommended!
For example, the title-story of Stuck on You and Other Prime Cuts is one of those stories that makes you cringe and wince and clear the sick from your throat, but it also hooks nacreous claws into your mind and stays with you. And all of Jasper’s tales work on myriad levels, too – memories of scenes will pop into your mind months after reading a tale, and yet those memories will understand the scene better, or perhaps even differently. It’s one of the ways a great storyteller stands apart.
And Jasper has done it again with Quiet Places.
The cover (by the supremely talented Ben Baldwin), coupled with the title, says so many things, and is a perfect snapshot-image of the tale – that scene also takes place in the novella, and when you read it I’m pretty sure that you might flip back to the cover; if you can stop reading long enough to do so, I have to add.
Because by the time you get that specific scene, you’ll already be deep into the tale – you’ll have met sad, determined, slightly off-kilter Sally, her husband David, some of the inhabitants of the small town they live in, and Hettie and the Beast. Jasper’s spell will have been tightly woven, and you’ll be aching to know how Sally got into the situation she’s in at the beginning of the novel.
What Jasper has done with this tale is create something that has many aspects but which also works supremely well as a whole – you’ve got Sally’s psychological self, coupled with her determination; you’ve got David’s seeming lack of concern and spine; you’ve got a small town, with the accompanying mentality, and it’s people; you’ve got a major secret which everyone is keeping; you’ve got strange happenings in the forest and hedgerows; you’ve got cosmic horror. It all works. It all meshes. Masterfully.
But the heart of the tale -which boils down to what we experience, decide, act upon and then rue- is where this tale really shines. Monsters aren’t actually monsters because of what they do or what they look like – they’re monsters because they reveal themselves to be almost akin to those aspects of ourselves we choose to disregard or ignore or hide. And Jasper understands that sometimes the monster isn’t the monster, and that the victim can also be the knowing instigator.
Quiet Places is tight, lyrical, spans centuries is novel ways, and shows us parts of ourselves which might, given the perfect nudge at the right time, change from that which gives us strength to that which makes us want to run in fear and terror. And it’s also a tale which shows it’s characters (and the reader) that what you think you know is almost always wrong, or at least misunderstood.
It’s an excellent tale, on many levels, not the least of which is that it shows how versatile and empathic a writer Jasper is. Highly recommended!
January 13, 2021
There is nothing inherently wrong with the writing of this story, per se. The story is well structured and keeps up a decent pace. The only thing I can point out in context of how the narrative is presented, which may turn some readers off, is that it uses sophisticated terminology and is often overwritten. Bark plays with timeline structure to generate intrigue and suspense. In the prologue, the reader is immediately presented with an awe inspiring but nightmarish scene in which all the residents of Dunballan have lost the faculties of their minds, except for Sally. She frantically tries to care for them out of an unexplained sense of guilt, as they all slowly but surely wilt away. The narrative then jumps back and forth along a timeline that leads up to that “present” point, with each subsequent chapter acting as an individual piece of a much larger puzzle for the reader to put together. At first it was frustrating to I realize that I was about to be teased and toyed with for several chapters before things were actually going to start coming together, but “Quiet Places” offers the reader some fun surprises along the way. There is a lot for the reader to unpack throughout this story. The mysteries that lie in “Quiet Places” dive deep into the rabbit hole, and the novella is dense with subject matter that deals with the occult, folklore, magick, secret societies, cosmic realms, spiritual entities, and how unseen forces/powers can have lasting effects on the psychological state of individuals.
You can read my full breakdown here:
https://www.livefreeliverich.com/blog...
You can read my full breakdown here:
https://www.livefreeliverich.com/blog...
September 29, 2017
Jasper Bark’s Quiet Places continues on with the Qu’rm Saddic Heresy series. Like the previous books in the series (Run to Ground, The Final Cut) it is a stand-alone story but once again delves a bit deeper into the mythos. I found this story to be so completely different than the others in the series, more akin to the grimmer fairy tales of yore.
The story begins at the ending… we find Sally tending to the needs of the residents of Dunballen, a small town in a remote part of Scotland. From here we read on to find out what exactly led up to these terribly unfortunate events.
Sally, a city girl has a long-standing relationship with David McCavendish. When he is called back home to Dunballen to take his place in his ancestral home, David asks Sally to join him. Once settled in her new home, Sally begins to notice a change in him. The town seems to have a grip on David and the townsfolk act secretive around her. As Sally begins to dig into Dunballen’s past, a terrifying revelation is uncovered… The curse of the McCavendish family.
There is a delicate balance to be upheld between man and beast. Sally must find a way to tip the scales to claim David for herself, yet what seems to be the cure becomes a deal with the direst of consequences.
This is a multi-layered tale that winds through Sally’s life weaving together an outstanding story mixing religious undertones with mythological beliefs. Truly, a fascinating read!
The story begins at the ending… we find Sally tending to the needs of the residents of Dunballen, a small town in a remote part of Scotland. From here we read on to find out what exactly led up to these terribly unfortunate events.
Sally, a city girl has a long-standing relationship with David McCavendish. When he is called back home to Dunballen to take his place in his ancestral home, David asks Sally to join him. Once settled in her new home, Sally begins to notice a change in him. The town seems to have a grip on David and the townsfolk act secretive around her. As Sally begins to dig into Dunballen’s past, a terrifying revelation is uncovered… The curse of the McCavendish family.
There is a delicate balance to be upheld between man and beast. Sally must find a way to tip the scales to claim David for herself, yet what seems to be the cure becomes a deal with the direst of consequences.
This is a multi-layered tale that winds through Sally’s life weaving together an outstanding story mixing religious undertones with mythological beliefs. Truly, a fascinating read!
December 15, 2021
4.5 rounded up. I didn't really know what to expect, but a/ it had been very heartily recommended by a group of horror readers I love and b/ I like the guy, always joking around and sharing stuff on said group without putting his work forward, so I gave it a go. And let me tell you : I LOVED it. I understand now what "Cosmic folk" can mean, and it totally works. I loved the respect of the classic cosmic tropes (the 19th century secret journals, the forbidden/ fantasized oriental city, the alchemical references, the unfathomable entities...) inserted within a carefully crafted folk tale ambiance (the remote village knowing more than they give, the family curse, the mysterious Beast, the magical realism feel at times...). His writing is elegant without being artificial, and this made me want to try a longer piece (hence the 1/2 star down, cause the novella format was a bit frustrating and it could, IMO, have been developed into a fascinating full length novel to dig a bit more into interesting bits such as Sally's childhood and faith, other members of the family, Matthew's journals etc.)
January 21, 2022
4/5
*I'm not going to give you the 'what this book is about' blurb - you can read that elsewhere.
1. My first Jasper Bark and I loved it! I read this novella as a 'tester' because there are a few other titles from this author I might be interested in, but wanted to just dip my toe in to verify I like the style. I was very pleasantly surprised, and will be picking up another title (or 3) from Jasper.
2. I read/watch/listen to a lot of horror/thriller/paranormal stuff. It's comfort for me. In this novella there were a lot of familiar presences. When I would come across an entity that I'm familiar with I truly felt like Buddy the Elf when Santa comes to the department store (I KNOW HIM!!!) but without the letdown of it not actually being Santa.
3. Just another way of reminding the readers to be careful what you wish for. Not a trope I'd think that I like, but honestly, I do. I'm sorry.
*I'm not going to give you the 'what this book is about' blurb - you can read that elsewhere.
1. My first Jasper Bark and I loved it! I read this novella as a 'tester' because there are a few other titles from this author I might be interested in, but wanted to just dip my toe in to verify I like the style. I was very pleasantly surprised, and will be picking up another title (or 3) from Jasper.
2. I read/watch/listen to a lot of horror/thriller/paranormal stuff. It's comfort for me. In this novella there were a lot of familiar presences. When I would come across an entity that I'm familiar with I truly felt like Buddy the Elf when Santa comes to the department store (I KNOW HIM!!!) but without the letdown of it not actually being Santa.
3. Just another way of reminding the readers to be careful what you wish for. Not a trope I'd think that I like, but honestly, I do. I'm sorry.
May 22, 2020
The.weird and wonderful world of Jasper Bark
This is one of those novellas that you want to read all in one binge, regardless of how late in the night or wee small hours of morning it takes to finish it. I was caught in its grip by the opening prologue, absolutely fascinated by the terrible dilemma of the main character and how she ended up in that horrific situation. There was no way I was going to stop reading until I found out! I was not disappointed by the ending, the journey through the book was so worthwhile
This is one of those novellas that you want to read all in one binge, regardless of how late in the night or wee small hours of morning it takes to finish it. I was caught in its grip by the opening prologue, absolutely fascinated by the terrible dilemma of the main character and how she ended up in that horrific situation. There was no way I was going to stop reading until I found out! I was not disappointed by the ending, the journey through the book was so worthwhile
June 21, 2020
This was an enthralling read, so good it was read in one sitting. Once I started I couldn’t put it down- the setting, the characters, the storyline and the eeriness were reminiscent of The Fisherman by John Langan, but Bark sets his own path with this story. It is one of those books that is more a story than a book too, because it is so easy to get completely immersed in the story and feel like you are right there inside it (despite a small element of homesickness). Creepy, and atmospheric, I will definitely be looking for more by this author.
October 10, 2017
A disquieting story that will stay with you long after it's over. I couldn't help but think of "The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood while reading Bark's latest. As in Blackwood's tale, the forest becomes a character in the story and a beautiful source of the creeping dread that makes this work so effective. The writing has a literary quality to it that sucks you in and makes the big moments hit hard and leads to an ending that you won't soon forget.
October 24, 2017
Jasper Bark knows how to tell creepy, memorable tales that'll scare readers into submission. Quiet Places revolves around a small town, a woman who's tired of living in this town with her distracted husband, and a curse that's totally out of this world. Definitely get your hands on it if you're in the mood for folk horror!
October 1, 2017
Jasper Bark really is an exceptionally talented writer. Quiet Places is a strange, and eerie cosmic horror tale. Mysterious, and ancient incantations, bizarre, and other worldly entities give this folk horror story wonderful substance.
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