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Childgrave
When photographer Jonathan Brewster’s four-year-old daughter Joanne tells him about her new invisible friends, he doesn’t think too much about it. But then he sees them for himself: weird and uncanny images of the dead appearing in his photographs. The apparitions seem to have some connection to Childgrave, a remote village in upstate New York with a deadly secret dating back three centuries. Jonathan and Joanne feel themselves oddly drawn to Childgrave, but will they survive the horrors that await them there?
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
23 people are currently reading
2480 people want to read
About the author
Ken Greenhall
6 books88 followersKen Greenhall was born in Detroit in 1928, the son of immigrants from England. He graduated from high school at age 15, worked at a record store for a time, and was drafted into the military, serving in Germany. He earned his degree from Wayne State University and moved to New York, where he worked as an editor of reference books, first on the staff of the Encyclopedia Americana and later for the New Columbia Encyclopedia. Greenhall had a longtime interest in the supernatural and took leave from his job to write his first novel, Elizabeth (1976), a tale of witchcraft published under his mother’s maiden name, Jessica Hamilton. Several more novels followed, including Hell Hound (1977), which was published abroad as Baxter and adapted for a critically acclaimed 1989 French film under that title. Greenhall died in 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
November 14, 2017
CHILDGRAVE is a beautifully written quiet horror story, with a sketchy small town lurking in the background. By the time the secrets of the town are revealed, it's too late for the reader to turn back.
As I get older, I find myself more and more drawn to quiet horror. I can do without gore and torture and all that if I have a tale that's well written and atmospheric. I also need compelling characters and CHILDGRAVE has that in spades. The main character, Jonathan, is a widowed photographer. He, his daughter Joanne, and his housekeeper Nanny Joy, are so well drawn I feel as if I know them personally.
When Jonathan's photos of his daughter seem to show specters in the background, while at the same time Joanne seems to have developed some new invisible friends, Jonathan is intrigued. Are the two events connected? Who is Conlee, the name of Joanne's new invisible friend? Lastly, what is Chilegray and how is connected to Conlee? You'll have to read this to find out!
I'll get it out of the way now-this is a slow moving story. What kept me interested was the quality of the writing and the characters. Jonathan is a quirky man. He has few friends and little interest in fashion or modern day trends. His housekeeper Nanny Joy loves jazz and Jonathan's daughter, but is concerned about the appearance of Conlee and the specters in the photographs. Jonathan's agent Harry is hilarious and his girlfriend, Lee, is interesting as well. NYC of the 70's is the main setting, and it was fascinating to read about the city during that time of social upheaval and change.
I was inexorably drawn to the conclusion which leads the reader to a small town hidden in a valley. "Evil in a small town" is one of my favorite tropes and Greenhall knew how to deliver it in a chilling and shocking- yet believable way. You find yourself wondering what you would do in such a situation and I continued to think about it all night long...hours after finishing the book. I can't say that I blame Jonathan for the choices that he made.
While CHILDGRAVE isn't the psychological, fast moving story that both ELIZABETH or HELL HOUND were, it was excellent in its own quiet and compelling way. Slowly drawing the reader down into the valley where secrets are kept for generation after generation, Greenhall deftly brings things to a head and left this reader wishing for more.
Highly recommended!
You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Childgrave-Ken...
*Thanks to Valancourt Books for providing this e-book free, in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
As I get older, I find myself more and more drawn to quiet horror. I can do without gore and torture and all that if I have a tale that's well written and atmospheric. I also need compelling characters and CHILDGRAVE has that in spades. The main character, Jonathan, is a widowed photographer. He, his daughter Joanne, and his housekeeper Nanny Joy, are so well drawn I feel as if I know them personally.
When Jonathan's photos of his daughter seem to show specters in the background, while at the same time Joanne seems to have developed some new invisible friends, Jonathan is intrigued. Are the two events connected? Who is Conlee, the name of Joanne's new invisible friend? Lastly, what is Chilegray and how is connected to Conlee? You'll have to read this to find out!
I'll get it out of the way now-this is a slow moving story. What kept me interested was the quality of the writing and the characters. Jonathan is a quirky man. He has few friends and little interest in fashion or modern day trends. His housekeeper Nanny Joy loves jazz and Jonathan's daughter, but is concerned about the appearance of Conlee and the specters in the photographs. Jonathan's agent Harry is hilarious and his girlfriend, Lee, is interesting as well. NYC of the 70's is the main setting, and it was fascinating to read about the city during that time of social upheaval and change.
I was inexorably drawn to the conclusion which leads the reader to a small town hidden in a valley. "Evil in a small town" is one of my favorite tropes and Greenhall knew how to deliver it in a chilling and shocking- yet believable way. You find yourself wondering what you would do in such a situation and I continued to think about it all night long...hours after finishing the book. I can't say that I blame Jonathan for the choices that he made.
While CHILDGRAVE isn't the psychological, fast moving story that both ELIZABETH or HELL HOUND were, it was excellent in its own quiet and compelling way. Slowly drawing the reader down into the valley where secrets are kept for generation after generation, Greenhall deftly brings things to a head and left this reader wishing for more.
Highly recommended!
You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Childgrave-Ken...
*Thanks to Valancourt Books for providing this e-book free, in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
September 13, 2021
Childgrave could almost be mistaken for a satire if one were judging it solely on the first few chapters, but trust me when I say the whimsy soon takes a turn toward the macabre -- extremely macabre in fact, especially in the final third or so. It's also where the novel starts to fizzle ever so slightly in my opinion. There is creepy weirdness throughout to go along with the more lighthearted moments, as strange, spectral beings appear in the pictures taken by the quirky main character/photographer of his young daughter in their NYC apartment.
The reader will likely figure out the solution to the mystery of the ghostly apparitions and their connection to the isolated and mysterious town of Childgrave long before the narrator does, but Ken Greenhall's engaging prose and the protagonist's delightfully crazy worldview were enough to carry me through. Not to mention the constant slow-building tension.
A ridiculously underappreciated and under-read horror novel, with an odd-yet-likeable, well-drawn main character, whose amusingly cynical narration makes this well worth reading. While it may not quite reach the same heights as the author's two prior novels, Elizabeth and Hell Hound (aka Baxter), it's still leagues ahead of the average midlist title from the era, and shouldn't be forgotten.
4.0 stars
The reader will likely figure out the solution to the mystery of the ghostly apparitions and their connection to the isolated and mysterious town of Childgrave long before the narrator does, but Ken Greenhall's engaging prose and the protagonist's delightfully crazy worldview were enough to carry me through. Not to mention the constant slow-building tension.
A ridiculously underappreciated and under-read horror novel, with an odd-yet-likeable, well-drawn main character, whose amusingly cynical narration makes this well worth reading. While it may not quite reach the same heights as the author's two prior novels, Elizabeth and Hell Hound (aka Baxter), it's still leagues ahead of the average midlist title from the era, and shouldn't be forgotten.
4.0 stars
October 4, 2023
"I want to know whether you think I would be an adequate parent. I mean, I would be willing to dine out less often, and if necessary I would change my tailor. But would that be enough?"
spoilers ahead but not really
he gets the award for worst fucking father of the year that's for sure. not because he's abusive or because he lacks love or doesn't care for the kid. it's because he puts his needs above hers time and time again. leaving her alone when she shouldn't be. giving her what she wants when he shouldn't. moving her to a small town that has an annual murder & cannibalization ritual featuring kids just her age.
they say we sacrifice things for love but does that include your own kid?
that amusing quote above isn't even from our hero-dad, it's from his best friend. who turns out to be a model of common sense compared to worst father of the year.
enough about the dad, more about the book itself!
it's been described as a slow burn and that's correct. it's quiet horror. it builds slowly and surely. and quietly. it quietly builds and builds and doesn't go anywhere noisy. it wants you to understand its world and its father and his daughter and the mysterious lady he's fallen deeply - too deeply - in love with. the father and the mysterious lady both love the little girl with all of her strange, quiet little quirks. but the father loves the lady even more and the lady loves the strange traditions of her quiet, quirky hometown more than anyone. all three of them come to hate the noisy normality of new york city. and so off to a deadly little village upstate they go. never go upstate.
film noir is all about shadows and ambiguous motivations and hidden murders, lying women, weapons in the dark. is there such a thing as film blanc, its opposite? this would be the book version of that. no shadows; everything is made clear, even the ghosts that appear in the photos with the little girl, they are right there for all to see. no ambiguous motivations; everything is said clearly and truthfully, just not blatantly, you only have to really listen to truly understand, it's just that most people don't really listen. no hidden murders; they told him from the start what the town's founder did and these are people who adhere to their traditions. the woman never lies and they keep the knife right there, in the church for all to see. that title.
Ken Greenhall is one of my favorite authors. elegant prose, eccentric characters, deep ideas. the novel didn't disappoint. only the dad did. fuck that dad.
spoilers ahead but not really
he gets the award for worst fucking father of the year that's for sure. not because he's abusive or because he lacks love or doesn't care for the kid. it's because he puts his needs above hers time and time again. leaving her alone when she shouldn't be. giving her what she wants when he shouldn't. moving her to a small town that has an annual murder & cannibalization ritual featuring kids just her age.
they say we sacrifice things for love but does that include your own kid?
that amusing quote above isn't even from our hero-dad, it's from his best friend. who turns out to be a model of common sense compared to worst father of the year.
enough about the dad, more about the book itself!
it's been described as a slow burn and that's correct. it's quiet horror. it builds slowly and surely. and quietly. it quietly builds and builds and doesn't go anywhere noisy. it wants you to understand its world and its father and his daughter and the mysterious lady he's fallen deeply - too deeply - in love with. the father and the mysterious lady both love the little girl with all of her strange, quiet little quirks. but the father loves the lady even more and the lady loves the strange traditions of her quiet, quirky hometown more than anyone. all three of them come to hate the noisy normality of new york city. and so off to a deadly little village upstate they go. never go upstate.
film noir is all about shadows and ambiguous motivations and hidden murders, lying women, weapons in the dark. is there such a thing as film blanc, its opposite? this would be the book version of that. no shadows; everything is made clear, even the ghosts that appear in the photos with the little girl, they are right there for all to see. no ambiguous motivations; everything is said clearly and truthfully, just not blatantly, you only have to really listen to truly understand, it's just that most people don't really listen. no hidden murders; they told him from the start what the town's founder did and these are people who adhere to their traditions. the woman never lies and they keep the knife right there, in the church for all to see. that title.
Ken Greenhall is one of my favorite authors. elegant prose, eccentric characters, deep ideas. the novel didn't disappoint. only the dad did. fuck that dad.
January 8, 2023
3.5 stars
I am enjoying exploring more vintage horror and getting a feel for the different styles of the past. I enjoyed the coziness of these older stories.
One of my favourite aspects of this one was the use of photography, which is arguably a very creepy piece of technology.
However I really struggled with the character work in this one. The main character felt so flat and I struggled to understand his interpersonal relationships.
Without giving away spoilers, I will say that I really enjoyed the ending which was not what I originally expected.
Overall I'm glad I read this one, even though I had my issues with the story. I would still recommend this one to readers looking to try more vintage horror.
I am enjoying exploring more vintage horror and getting a feel for the different styles of the past. I enjoyed the coziness of these older stories.
One of my favourite aspects of this one was the use of photography, which is arguably a very creepy piece of technology.
However I really struggled with the character work in this one. The main character felt so flat and I struggled to understand his interpersonal relationships.
Without giving away spoilers, I will say that I really enjoyed the ending which was not what I originally expected.
Overall I'm glad I read this one, even though I had my issues with the story. I would still recommend this one to readers looking to try more vintage horror.
September 20, 2021
I don’t write reviews.
What a delightfully morbid story! I was drawn deep into this one. Though I was repeatedly shocked at what a terrible father the main character was, there wouldn’t have been a story if the idiot didn’t walk into the traps.
Childgrave has a little of everything: artists, eccentrics, the city, the weird kind of country, a creepy small town, ritual, religion, love, obsession, communication and a fair share of miscommunication. Greenhall plays with the idea of what can be considered right and wrong. Is it subjective or objective? What is sacrifice and does it mean anything in the end? Is devotion real without sacrifice, and how far does one have to go in order to be devout, or graceful, to use the terminology of the story.
Another interesting exploration was on the idea of love in its multitude of manifestations. Parent and child. Between lovers. Unrequited love. Within families and friendships. The main character has a hard time understanding that one kind of love doesn’t outrank or dissolve another. He misses the point that with love comes a responsibility to the one you love and to yourself.
The last 1/3 became quite drawn out. I don’t think it was bad, but it could’ve maintained the momentum of the first parts by cutting out extra repetitive conversations. By this point every reader already knows what’s going on, so we aren’t building suspense or anything.
I’d compare this to Michael McDowell’s The Elementals in a few ways. That’s a good thing. I’m happy to have met my reading goal with Childgrave.
What a delightfully morbid story! I was drawn deep into this one. Though I was repeatedly shocked at what a terrible father the main character was, there wouldn’t have been a story if the idiot didn’t walk into the traps.
Childgrave has a little of everything: artists, eccentrics, the city, the weird kind of country, a creepy small town, ritual, religion, love, obsession, communication and a fair share of miscommunication. Greenhall plays with the idea of what can be considered right and wrong. Is it subjective or objective? What is sacrifice and does it mean anything in the end? Is devotion real without sacrifice, and how far does one have to go in order to be devout, or graceful, to use the terminology of the story.
Another interesting exploration was on the idea of love in its multitude of manifestations. Parent and child. Between lovers. Unrequited love. Within families and friendships. The main character has a hard time understanding that one kind of love doesn’t outrank or dissolve another. He misses the point that with love comes a responsibility to the one you love and to yourself.
The last 1/3 became quite drawn out. I don’t think it was bad, but it could’ve maintained the momentum of the first parts by cutting out extra repetitive conversations. By this point every reader already knows what’s going on, so we aren’t building suspense or anything.
I’d compare this to Michael McDowell’s The Elementals in a few ways. That’s a good thing. I’m happy to have met my reading goal with Childgrave.
June 14, 2017
Lisa Falkenstern on cover. Ken Greenhall on words. What could go wrong? It's not top shelf Greenhall, but it's still better than a lot else of what's out there.
May 28, 2018
CHILDGRAVE, by Ken Greenhall, was originally published in 1982, and re-issued by Valancourt Books in 2017. I felt that this was a fantastic example of literary, atmospheric, and psychological horror. Jonathan Brewster is a widower with a four year old daughter, Joanne. As a photographer, he considers himself an artist, and therefore outside of the "normal" human temperament. Yet many of his decisions are grounded in reality . . . at least, in the beginning.
". . . all photographs are distortions . . . a photographer's style was merely a reflection of his or her taste in the area of unreality."
As we progress, Jonathan becomes less pragmatic and more impulsive in his actions, especially when a mysterious harpist enters into his life. While he knows virtually nothing about her, he begins to exhibit reckless traits and decisions in his and Joanne's lifestyle in order to get closer to her any way possible.
"I think I was insane at the time. I found comfort in reminding myself that derangement was the natural condition of the artist . . . "
This is a very slow-burn of a novel, and yet the literary prose, amusing comments, and interactions of his friends, makes it compelling to the point of not wanting to stop reading at any place. While it may first seem like some of the scenes have nothing to do with the main plot, they DO, in fact, bring the entire book together and give the reader a much richer reading experience. These passages subtly set the tone for what is to come, and bring about a much more complete idea of the psychological changes taking place.
"After a while, I was sure we had set a record for non talking in a New York social gathering . . . "
Greenhall does an amazing job in regards to his characterization. Even the most enigmatic individuals feel real to us, albeit with an ethereal quality that is somehow just as satisfying as that of the more detailed characters. It is enough for us to feel for the people by understanding only as much about them as the others in the novel do.
". . . One of the earth's truly exclusive groups is the one made up of people who have never been photographed."
Once we enter into the realm of some supernatural occurrences, they happen so fluidly that they seem a natural continuation of the narrative, rather than a separate section altogether. I felt that the supernatural coincided so perfectly with Jonathan and Joanne's psychological states that it made the novel seem entirely possible exactly as presented.
". . . one of the things that bothered me about my spectral pictures: they seemed to involve not only an overlapping of images but an overlapping of time."
By the time I reached the homestretch of this book, I was practically holding my breath in anticipation of what was to come. At no point did this story feel forced, or anything but the natural way it had to be.
Overall, a remarkable novel in regards to both prose and storyline. Even when there were moments when I felt I knew what to expect, I came to realize that my imagination had only guessed at half of what was to come.
". . . we're not just omnivores; we're psycho-vores."
A psychologically gripping tale from beginning to end.
Highly recommended!
". . . all photographs are distortions . . . a photographer's style was merely a reflection of his or her taste in the area of unreality."
As we progress, Jonathan becomes less pragmatic and more impulsive in his actions, especially when a mysterious harpist enters into his life. While he knows virtually nothing about her, he begins to exhibit reckless traits and decisions in his and Joanne's lifestyle in order to get closer to her any way possible.
"I think I was insane at the time. I found comfort in reminding myself that derangement was the natural condition of the artist . . . "
This is a very slow-burn of a novel, and yet the literary prose, amusing comments, and interactions of his friends, makes it compelling to the point of not wanting to stop reading at any place. While it may first seem like some of the scenes have nothing to do with the main plot, they DO, in fact, bring the entire book together and give the reader a much richer reading experience. These passages subtly set the tone for what is to come, and bring about a much more complete idea of the psychological changes taking place.
"After a while, I was sure we had set a record for non talking in a New York social gathering . . . "
Greenhall does an amazing job in regards to his characterization. Even the most enigmatic individuals feel real to us, albeit with an ethereal quality that is somehow just as satisfying as that of the more detailed characters. It is enough for us to feel for the people by understanding only as much about them as the others in the novel do.
". . . One of the earth's truly exclusive groups is the one made up of people who have never been photographed."
Once we enter into the realm of some supernatural occurrences, they happen so fluidly that they seem a natural continuation of the narrative, rather than a separate section altogether. I felt that the supernatural coincided so perfectly with Jonathan and Joanne's psychological states that it made the novel seem entirely possible exactly as presented.
". . . one of the things that bothered me about my spectral pictures: they seemed to involve not only an overlapping of images but an overlapping of time."
By the time I reached the homestretch of this book, I was practically holding my breath in anticipation of what was to come. At no point did this story feel forced, or anything but the natural way it had to be.
Overall, a remarkable novel in regards to both prose and storyline. Even when there were moments when I felt I knew what to expect, I came to realize that my imagination had only guessed at half of what was to come.
". . . we're not just omnivores; we're psycho-vores."
A psychologically gripping tale from beginning to end.
Highly recommended!
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September 14, 2023This would be an exceptional movie. More soon
July 10, 2023
My mother has killed me,
My father is eating me,
My brothers and sisters sit under the table,
Picking my bones,
And they bury them under the cold marble stones.
I wasn’t sure about this book in the beginning. It moved at a leisurely pace in spite of the premise promising spectral portraits, ghosts, and a secluded small town. But to my surprise, by the very last page of Childgrave, I decided I loved this book.
The story follows Jonathan Brewster, a photographer and widowed father living and working in New York City. His 4 year old daughter Joanne makes it known that she’s made some new imaginary friends, which doesn’t seem out of the ordinary for a preschool aged child until Jonathan starts seeing these “friends” in the photographs he’s taking. When it’s discovered that the ghosts in the pictures have a connection to a small town called Childgrave, Jonathan develops an unusual fascination with its centuries-old secrets.
Now, in spite of that premise, Greenhall takes his sweet time letting readers get to know Jonathan, his daughter Joanne, and the small circle of people in their lives. Half the book has us in Manhattan and focuses on Jonathan’s infatuation with a woman named Sara, a mysterious and beautiful harpist who might have a connection to the spectral portraits. It’s not until halfway through the book that we finally get to the strange village of Childgrave where a culty population of townsfolk dwell, and this is where readers will lean in and begin to feel unease. Don’t get me wrong, there are moments in the book where readers will undoubtedly wonder where the story is going, but if they’re patient, the plot becomes very unsettling and everything starts to connect by the end.
This is a psychological horror novel that takes its time and one that I will personally appreciate for the fact that I can’t stop thinking about it now that I’ve finished it. It’s laden with religious themes, witty dialogue, and strange characters. Readers who are fans of Shirley Jackson might find themselves taking a liking to Ken Greenhall and his underappreciated horror gems.
My father is eating me,
My brothers and sisters sit under the table,
Picking my bones,
And they bury them under the cold marble stones.
I wasn’t sure about this book in the beginning. It moved at a leisurely pace in spite of the premise promising spectral portraits, ghosts, and a secluded small town. But to my surprise, by the very last page of Childgrave, I decided I loved this book.
The story follows Jonathan Brewster, a photographer and widowed father living and working in New York City. His 4 year old daughter Joanne makes it known that she’s made some new imaginary friends, which doesn’t seem out of the ordinary for a preschool aged child until Jonathan starts seeing these “friends” in the photographs he’s taking. When it’s discovered that the ghosts in the pictures have a connection to a small town called Childgrave, Jonathan develops an unusual fascination with its centuries-old secrets.
Now, in spite of that premise, Greenhall takes his sweet time letting readers get to know Jonathan, his daughter Joanne, and the small circle of people in their lives. Half the book has us in Manhattan and focuses on Jonathan’s infatuation with a woman named Sara, a mysterious and beautiful harpist who might have a connection to the spectral portraits. It’s not until halfway through the book that we finally get to the strange village of Childgrave where a culty population of townsfolk dwell, and this is where readers will lean in and begin to feel unease. Don’t get me wrong, there are moments in the book where readers will undoubtedly wonder where the story is going, but if they’re patient, the plot becomes very unsettling and everything starts to connect by the end.
This is a psychological horror novel that takes its time and one that I will personally appreciate for the fact that I can’t stop thinking about it now that I’ve finished it. It’s laden with religious themes, witty dialogue, and strange characters. Readers who are fans of Shirley Jackson might find themselves taking a liking to Ken Greenhall and his underappreciated horror gems.
April 9, 2024
Very solid, quiet ‘80s horror. An at times frustrating and perplexing first person narrator guides the reader through a novel that veers from Manhattan to backwoods small town life and back again. Greenhall’s prose is mostly excellent, and understated—the horror comes not from what’s on the page but what’s implied, which was my experience when reading Hellhound as well. I couldn’t quite buy into the insta-love which was used mostly to keep the plot moving, and I felt the ending was a little rushed. But overall, I liked this. It was exactly what I needed.
March 14, 2019
Jonathan Brewster , a photographer, lives with his 4 year old daughter Joanne in New York. At a musical event in the city he meets and becomes besotted with Sara Coleridge, a harpist. Ghostly spectral images begin to appear in a number of his photographs and added to this Joanne's new invisible friends and her obsession with a place called childgray. When Jonathan researches the word childgray he realizes what is daughter was meaning to say was Childgrave which reveals itself as a small community/village north of New York. He becomes convinced that he must visit Childgrave especially when he is informed that Sara Coleridge also resides there. An invitation is sent from the good citizens and Jonathan heads north for a new life..
This is a good old fashioned horror story that culminates in the unveiling of a community that time has forgotten. A community with its own laws and rituals, a community that an outsider should fear. But Jonathan is a man deeply in love unaware of the dangers that he and his precious daughter will soon be subjected to. A beautiful story bristling with the supernatural containing some very intriguing characters none more memorable than Delbert Rudd Childgraves chief of police. Many thanks to the good people of Valancourt books( an independent small press specializing in the rediscovery of rare and out of print books including horror and gothic fiction), for sending me a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written. Highly recommended.
This is a good old fashioned horror story that culminates in the unveiling of a community that time has forgotten. A community with its own laws and rituals, a community that an outsider should fear. But Jonathan is a man deeply in love unaware of the dangers that he and his precious daughter will soon be subjected to. A beautiful story bristling with the supernatural containing some very intriguing characters none more memorable than Delbert Rudd Childgraves chief of police. Many thanks to the good people of Valancourt books( an independent small press specializing in the rediscovery of rare and out of print books including horror and gothic fiction), for sending me a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written. Highly recommended.
December 18, 2017
My only real complaint was that it was too long for what it contained. I love a slow-burning horror novel, but this was a bit too slow, particularly at the beginning. I did very much enjoy the story line. Single dad meets odd, standoff-ish woman who plays, of all things, the harp and falls in love with her. Single dad's daughter meets the woman. Daughter now has imaginary friends...or are they imaginary? That's when the fire lit under this burner heats up and the story becomes quite interesting.
January 2, 2018
Coming off the back of the brilliant Elizabeth - A Novel of the Unnatural, (also written by Greenhall under a different name), I was expecting to enjoy this, but sadly 'twas not to be.
Why? I guess the kindest thing to say is that it's a short story padded out to novel length. Reading the first half is like watching paint dry, as the narrator, Jonathan, describes the minutiae of his New York life. Yes, his authorial voice is wry and readable, but it's boring; worse, he greets every event with the same detached equanimity, so that the appearance of strange and ghostly apparitions in his photographs has equal dramatic weight to the umpteenth bottle of port being opened by him and his friends. I'll give the book props for not bowing to convention -- at least he doesn't rush off to consult a medium in a voluminous shawl -- but mainly it's just irritating as our hero resolutely fails to be intrigued by the strange and mysterious things taking place. The idea is that Jonathan is lovestruck and sees a new romance as a means of escaping an existential crisis. But his ennui has a knock-on effect, making for a flat read, and as a rationale it buckles too easily under the weight of the job it's asked to do.
In the second half, events in the novel finally catch up with the description on the jacket (a pet hate of mine), and we reach Childgrave (a destination that's just as on-the-nose as you might have feared). The good news is that the book stops being boring. The bad news is that not only is Jonathan barely perturbed by the horrifying discoveries he makes, but he also goes on to take a decision that is so dumb, so unlikely and so implausible on any legal, moral, personal-safety, or the safety-of-his-daughter level that the book simply breaks in your hands. His friends, only dimly aware of the full implications of his decision, make a half-hearted attempt to stop him, but his mind is made up, so they open a bottle of port instead. By the time of the half-hearted pay-off, you'll be reaching for it yourself.
Why? I guess the kindest thing to say is that it's a short story padded out to novel length. Reading the first half is like watching paint dry, as the narrator, Jonathan, describes the minutiae of his New York life. Yes, his authorial voice is wry and readable, but it's boring; worse, he greets every event with the same detached equanimity, so that the appearance of strange and ghostly apparitions in his photographs has equal dramatic weight to the umpteenth bottle of port being opened by him and his friends. I'll give the book props for not bowing to convention -- at least he doesn't rush off to consult a medium in a voluminous shawl -- but mainly it's just irritating as our hero resolutely fails to be intrigued by the strange and mysterious things taking place. The idea is that Jonathan is lovestruck and sees a new romance as a means of escaping an existential crisis. But his ennui has a knock-on effect, making for a flat read, and as a rationale it buckles too easily under the weight of the job it's asked to do.
In the second half, events in the novel finally catch up with the description on the jacket (a pet hate of mine), and we reach Childgrave (a destination that's just as on-the-nose as you might have feared). The good news is that the book stops being boring. The bad news is that not only is Jonathan barely perturbed by the horrifying discoveries he makes, but he also goes on to take a decision that is so dumb, so unlikely and so implausible on any legal, moral, personal-safety, or the safety-of-his-daughter level that the book simply breaks in your hands. His friends, only dimly aware of the full implications of his decision, make a half-hearted attempt to stop him, but his mind is made up, so they open a bottle of port instead. By the time of the half-hearted pay-off, you'll be reaching for it yourself.
February 11, 2013
I had to create this book on the site to do this review, and that baffles me, as this is a fabulous novel and I can't possibly be the only person on Earth who's read it. I'd like to think I can be discerning, but surely not to that degree.
But the book itself? Despite the somewhat ominous-sounding nature of the plot, it's actually quite a jaunty read at times, with wildly likeable characters and a wonderfully perky feel amidst the genuine thrills and chills. I might even be tempted to claim that this book felt like a strange but not at all jarring mash-up at times, and I have read very few books that can compare to it.
Perhaps the existence of this novel may not be wildly known, but by jiminy! - it really should be.
But the book itself? Despite the somewhat ominous-sounding nature of the plot, it's actually quite a jaunty read at times, with wildly likeable characters and a wonderfully perky feel amidst the genuine thrills and chills. I might even be tempted to claim that this book felt like a strange but not at all jarring mash-up at times, and I have read very few books that can compare to it.
Perhaps the existence of this novel may not be wildly known, but by jiminy! - it really should be.
July 5, 2020
I have this weird thing that's happening with the book Elizabeth. Ever since I put it on my to-read list, I get like 2 or 3 likes to that status every week by people who have no books listed. 90 ~ 95% of the time, they unlike it immediately, but I still get an email about that book. I've never had that happen to me before. It's like this choir of people just want me to read that book.
So what do I do? I read a different book by the same author. 'Cause I'm a rebel. (Honestly, it was because I wanted a longer book to last for my overtime.)
This book! THIS BOOK! I spent the entire time going STAPH JONATHAN! JONATHAN STAPH! ... WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?! If I could give a gif of my feel-feels for the book while reading, it would be:
What saved this book for me was the secondary characters (Henry, his daughter, etc.) and, after I finished it, I really appreciated the crafting of the story -- how he dealt with the red herrings and foreshadowing. It was masterful. He made all the red herrings seem like foreshadowing. I've never read a book where I was so utterly convinced at the outcome of it. He did it partially because JONATHAN is just a fucking terrible person, so all the red herrings seem legit.
This is about a photographer who falls in love with a beautiful woman and LITERALLY puts his child into a lottery system as a cannibalistic sacrifice in order to marry her.
Yeah. You read that right.
This book is trippy but it's a subtle kind of trippy. It's like watching a train inch along the tracks to the edge of a cliff while the conductor is hooping and hollaring, then when he sees you, he moons you for good measure.
THERE BE SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT.
From the start, you know what JONATHAN is gunna do. He become obsessed with this book. She tells him to bugger off. He finds nothing strange with her licking his blood off her face, being photographed with ghosts and the angel of death (and those being transferred to his 5 year old kid) nor that her presence has apparently given his kid little ghostie friends.
I was on her side until she started licking his book. I'MMA BE HONEST. SOMEONE WHO PURPORTS TO HATE YOU THEN LICKS YOUR BLOOD IS SOMEONE YOU SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM. WHY DO I EVEN HAVE TO SAY THIS, JONATHAN?
So she disappears and the ghosts leave his daughter (THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW, JONATHAN, THAT MISTRESS BLOOD LICKER IS PROLLY NO GOOD) and he searches for her. He finds her family in this little community of weird-o's with a mysterious NY benefactor.
JONATHAN is just a moron. When he gets there, he offers to photo the latest sacrifice. She tells him that she's not going to be there after christmas, that she's going to be with the other dead girls, and then the pictures she has has ghosts around her, an angel of death, and a picture of a man with a knife held over her head and JONATHAN is like WUT DO THESE CLUES ALL MEAN?!
I DON'T KNOW JONATHAN! THAT'S A TOUGH PUZZLE TO CRACK.
So he goes there on christmas just too see and he witnesses the sacrifice. YES. JONATHAN WITNESSES THIS HAPPENING. HE READS THE SCARY BOOK. And this woman finally pops up and she goes "JONATHAN, ask me the most important question first?"
And do you know what JONATHAN asks this woman who's going to eat a kid in a week?!?! (I wish I didn't.) "DO YOU LOVE ME?"
So JONATHAN's a little freaked and shit and waffling, but then she gets nekked and says he has to put his kid into the lottery if he wants to marry her and he's like "LET'S GET SEXY TIMES ON!"
And, of course, he puts his daughter up. I won't give the final ending up but... fuck JONATHAN! I'M DONE WITH YOU!
So what do I do? I read a different book by the same author. 'Cause I'm a rebel. (Honestly, it was because I wanted a longer book to last for my overtime.)
This book! THIS BOOK! I spent the entire time going STAPH JONATHAN! JONATHAN STAPH! ... WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?! If I could give a gif of my feel-feels for the book while reading, it would be:
What saved this book for me was the secondary characters (Henry, his daughter, etc.) and, after I finished it, I really appreciated the crafting of the story -- how he dealt with the red herrings and foreshadowing. It was masterful. He made all the red herrings seem like foreshadowing. I've never read a book where I was so utterly convinced at the outcome of it. He did it partially because JONATHAN is just a fucking terrible person, so all the red herrings seem legit.
This is about a photographer who falls in love with a beautiful woman and LITERALLY puts his child into a lottery system as a cannibalistic sacrifice in order to marry her.
Yeah. You read that right.
This book is trippy but it's a subtle kind of trippy. It's like watching a train inch along the tracks to the edge of a cliff while the conductor is hooping and hollaring, then when he sees you, he moons you for good measure.
THERE BE SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT.
From the start, you know what JONATHAN is gunna do. He become obsessed with this book. She tells him to bugger off. He finds nothing strange with her licking his blood off her face, being photographed with ghosts and the angel of death (and those being transferred to his 5 year old kid) nor that her presence has apparently given his kid little ghostie friends.
I was on her side until she started licking his book. I'MMA BE HONEST. SOMEONE WHO PURPORTS TO HATE YOU THEN LICKS YOUR BLOOD IS SOMEONE YOU SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM. WHY DO I EVEN HAVE TO SAY THIS, JONATHAN?
So she disappears and the ghosts leave his daughter (THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW, JONATHAN, THAT MISTRESS BLOOD LICKER IS PROLLY NO GOOD) and he searches for her. He finds her family in this little community of weird-o's with a mysterious NY benefactor.
JONATHAN is just a moron. When he gets there, he offers to photo the latest sacrifice. She tells him that she's not going to be there after christmas, that she's going to be with the other dead girls, and then the pictures she has has ghosts around her, an angel of death, and a picture of a man with a knife held over her head and JONATHAN is like WUT DO THESE CLUES ALL MEAN?!
I DON'T KNOW JONATHAN! THAT'S A TOUGH PUZZLE TO CRACK.
So he goes there on christmas just too see and he witnesses the sacrifice. YES. JONATHAN WITNESSES THIS HAPPENING. HE READS THE SCARY BOOK. And this woman finally pops up and she goes "JONATHAN, ask me the most important question first?"
And do you know what JONATHAN asks this woman who's going to eat a kid in a week?!?! (I wish I didn't.) "DO YOU LOVE ME?"
So JONATHAN's a little freaked and shit and waffling, but then she gets nekked and says he has to put his kid into the lottery if he wants to marry her and he's like "LET'S GET SEXY TIMES ON!"
And, of course, he puts his daughter up. I won't give the final ending up but... fuck JONATHAN! I'M DONE WITH YOU!
August 16, 2023
Widower raising his daughter in Manhattan becomes enamoured with mysterious harpist from a rural town infested with cultists, makes questionable life choices. Perfectly creepy and very intriguing.
October 7, 2018
Jonathan is a Manhattanite photographer that prides himself on a sense of moderation. But when he starts seeing dead girls in his photographs, he slowly starts to lose sight of that moderation. To make matters worse, he's fallen in love with a harpist he met one time, and his four-year-old daughter is talking about death a bunch.
I joke, but this book is creepy as hell. The title is the name of a a village that Jonathan and his daughter find themselves visiting often. Its inhabitants are not much like the people Jonathan knows in Manhattan.
Slow burn horror. Great if you want to get the creeps, but not if you're looking for big scares. Not a haunting-type story, but I get a similar vibe from it.
Will definitely read more Greenhall.
I joke, but this book is creepy as hell. The title is the name of a a village that Jonathan and his daughter find themselves visiting often. Its inhabitants are not much like the people Jonathan knows in Manhattan.
Slow burn horror. Great if you want to get the creeps, but not if you're looking for big scares. Not a haunting-type story, but I get a similar vibe from it.
Will definitely read more Greenhall.
Read
April 1, 2025What a wackadoodle book. I rarely get to say this, but I was never THIS horny.
October 18, 2021
Here's depressing proof that a well-written book that goes bad is more infuriating than a mediocre one. I can find plenty of nice things to say about this writer and this book. See my earlier raves over HELL HOUND and ELIZABETH. But plenty of people liked CHILDGRAVE and will do a better job explaining its strengths and plot. I hated this so much I won't bother.
There's some stuff with ghosts and some themes about saints and artists living lives between this world and the spiritual one. Fine. I liked the ending but not the awful, dithering epilogue that pulls the book's only punch. We get a lame story that I think is really an excuse to contemplate ... what? I don't have a better term for what permeates this book besides 'childhood sexuality'. Why is this in here? It's all subtext but the 'impossible decision' Jonathan mentions in the prologue runs in step with the thought process pedophiles use to prepare for and reason away their crimes.
1. Jonathan the artist is proud to see the world a little differently. He's not religious and not interested in rules. Even a structure for meals is more than he can stand, "the biggest waste of time" (p.23). He and his four-year-old daughter Joanne have a room called the "anything goes room" where they throw paint on the walls. He takes pictures of a five year old girl that he thinks are fine but which his agent calls "appallingly offensive" (p.211).
2. Jonathan is irresistible to all women and more virile than other men. His competition is gay and his agent Harry is "a sissy" who by age 40 had never "experienced pubescence"(p.10). Harry's fiance, Lee, can't be blamed for flashing her bare thighs at Jonathan (p.69) and trying to kiss him (p.74). Stradellini offers him "a more than casual embrace" (p.43). Sara's roommate touches his arm. Verity Palmer is all over him. "She kissed me." (p.188)
3. He is lonely. "I was lonely" (p.239).
4. His four year old daughter is an old soul, wise beyond her years. And she wants it.
"Joanne squinted seductively and embraced me. "I like it when you stand on your knees in the mess," she whispered" (p.32)." Joanne's voice reminding me that I had been sleeping with my clothes on. "Why didn't you take them off Daddy?"... I took my daughter in my arms and wondered why I thought I needed any other ladies in my life." (p.77) "I could crawl inside your penis" (p.140). The Nude Alarm Clock (p.199). There's so much more like this.
5. He reasons that at least what he is contemplating is better than abortion (p.137).
6. He implies Joanne is not his biological child. He emphasizes her straight dark hair and features are nothing like him with his curly red hair. She "was developing a quiet dignity that I could never have given her" (p.17)
7. He gets permission ... from her (possible) biological father! He tells Jonathan: "You're in a desperate situation" (p.244). (He is not in a desperate situation.)
8. He lies to his co-parent about his intentions and lashes out when confronted. "I crossed my fingers as I spoke" (p.168)."What makes you think we're going to leave you?" (p.198). "I said that my companions ought to join Alcoholics Anonymous" (p.211).
9. He tells himself that by giving in he will be in a better position to help make a change. "I must try to do something" (p.274).
10. He has a chance to try stopping it but decides to go along with it. "It didn't take much to convince myself" (p.223).
There's some stuff with ghosts and some themes about saints and artists living lives between this world and the spiritual one. Fine. I liked the ending but not the awful, dithering epilogue that pulls the book's only punch. We get a lame story that I think is really an excuse to contemplate ... what? I don't have a better term for what permeates this book besides 'childhood sexuality'. Why is this in here? It's all subtext but the 'impossible decision' Jonathan mentions in the prologue runs in step with the thought process pedophiles use to prepare for and reason away their crimes.
1. Jonathan the artist is proud to see the world a little differently. He's not religious and not interested in rules. Even a structure for meals is more than he can stand, "the biggest waste of time" (p.23). He and his four-year-old daughter Joanne have a room called the "anything goes room" where they throw paint on the walls. He takes pictures of a five year old girl that he thinks are fine but which his agent calls "appallingly offensive" (p.211).
2. Jonathan is irresistible to all women and more virile than other men. His competition is gay and his agent Harry is "a sissy" who by age 40 had never "experienced pubescence"(p.10). Harry's fiance, Lee, can't be blamed for flashing her bare thighs at Jonathan (p.69) and trying to kiss him (p.74). Stradellini offers him "a more than casual embrace" (p.43). Sara's roommate touches his arm. Verity Palmer is all over him. "She kissed me." (p.188)
3. He is lonely. "I was lonely" (p.239).
4. His four year old daughter is an old soul, wise beyond her years. And she wants it.
"Joanne squinted seductively and embraced me. "I like it when you stand on your knees in the mess," she whispered" (p.32)." Joanne's voice reminding me that I had been sleeping with my clothes on. "Why didn't you take them off Daddy?"... I took my daughter in my arms and wondered why I thought I needed any other ladies in my life." (p.77) "I could crawl inside your penis" (p.140). The Nude Alarm Clock (p.199). There's so much more like this.
5. He reasons that at least what he is contemplating is better than abortion (p.137).
6. He implies Joanne is not his biological child. He emphasizes her straight dark hair and features are nothing like him with his curly red hair. She "was developing a quiet dignity that I could never have given her" (p.17)
7. He gets permission ... from her (possible) biological father! He tells Jonathan: "You're in a desperate situation" (p.244). (He is not in a desperate situation.)
8. He lies to his co-parent about his intentions and lashes out when confronted. "I crossed my fingers as I spoke" (p.168)."What makes you think we're going to leave you?" (p.198). "I said that my companions ought to join Alcoholics Anonymous" (p.211).
9. He tells himself that by giving in he will be in a better position to help make a change. "I must try to do something" (p.274).
10. He has a chance to try stopping it but decides to go along with it. "It didn't take much to convince myself" (p.223).
April 17, 2020
Main character falls instantly in love with a random woman for no reason. He also has a young daughter.
Character then proceeds to make stupid decisions, leading to him being entangled in a cult that sacrifices and eats 6 year old girls for some shoddy reason. He apparently accepts this as he immediately has sex with this woman - who is part of the cult and he loves SO much for no reason - even after finding out that they kill and eat children. I don't know what happens next because at that point I stopped reading, but I am going to guess it entails this main character sacrificing his 5 year old daughter to some cult because he LOVES this woman who believes in some cult nonsense. (Or at least attempting to before the get stopped.)
This is one of the dumbest plots I have ever encountered in a horror book.... and that is saying a lot.
Character then proceeds to make stupid decisions, leading to him being entangled in a cult that sacrifices and eats 6 year old girls for some shoddy reason. He apparently accepts this as he immediately has sex with this woman - who is part of the cult and he loves SO much for no reason - even after finding out that they kill and eat children. I don't know what happens next because at that point I stopped reading, but I am going to guess it entails this main character sacrificing his 5 year old daughter to some cult because he LOVES this woman who believes in some cult nonsense. (Or at least attempting to before the get stopped.)
This is one of the dumbest plots I have ever encountered in a horror book.... and that is saying a lot.
July 24, 2022
Hugh, HUGH disappointment. From all I read and heard about this book, I thought I was going to read an uncovered gem. For me, it was not to be. This was like one long monologue from our protagonist. Like getting on a bus and sitting next to a mentally ill person off their meds. He goes on and on about how he doesn't like to eat. How he's in love with a plain girl. Opera arias and overweight Diva's and the man's impudent child.
The plot is only hinted at from time to time when this book is over halfway through. By the time we get to Childgrave, I had lost all interest. Only kept reading half-heartedly and skimming the pages to hope for some respite. None came.
If "quiet horror" and slow build up is for you, may I suggest Charles L. Grant. His Oxrun Station series is a great introduction to this form. Wish I could have liked this novel. There was just no way.
The plot is only hinted at from time to time when this book is over halfway through. By the time we get to Childgrave, I had lost all interest. Only kept reading half-heartedly and skimming the pages to hope for some respite. None came.
If "quiet horror" and slow build up is for you, may I suggest Charles L. Grant. His Oxrun Station series is a great introduction to this form. Wish I could have liked this novel. There was just no way.
January 8, 2021
Wow did I ever expect to like this more than I did. The prose is wonderful and the opening “monologue” is fascinating. Too bad it’s slow, a serious strain on suspension of disbelief for character reasons, and ambiently sexist most of the rest of the time.
August 22, 2018
Just terrible.
March 5, 2021
Creepy in a weird f'd up small town way. Reminds me of something and I just can't put my finger on it.
November 11, 2025
I’m sorry this was a slog to get through.
Greenhall is a great writer, the plot of this book was not his best work in the slightest. Johnathan in the worst protagonist I’ve ever read, he sexualizes every woman, adult AND child (???!!!?!!??), that he lays eyes on. He’s so annoying, being in his head was torturous. He will not leave Sara alone, this woman is begging him to get the hell away from him, but he does not have a shred of dignity or self respect and he harasses her until she goes “ok I love you” like dear GOD it was awful!!
The lore of Childgrave was interesting, and I found that once we were there I was having a good time reading this. But oh my god, what a horrible group of characters and annoying build up you have to endure to get there.
Greenhall is a great writer, the plot of this book was not his best work in the slightest. Johnathan in the worst protagonist I’ve ever read, he sexualizes every woman, adult AND child (???!!!?!!??), that he lays eyes on. He’s so annoying, being in his head was torturous. He will not leave Sara alone, this woman is begging him to get the hell away from him, but he does not have a shred of dignity or self respect and he harasses her until she goes “ok I love you” like dear GOD it was awful!!
The lore of Childgrave was interesting, and I found that once we were there I was having a good time reading this. But oh my god, what a horrible group of characters and annoying build up you have to endure to get there.
February 20, 2019
I prefer slow burn chiller-dillers, but the wind-up here was maybe too lengthy even for me. That quibble aside, Greenhall was a good, slightly eccentric writer and this newly-reissued novel from 1982 features a few very singular lead characters and some thoughtful themes about faith and the lengths to which some will go to get what they want. It's not as good as the author's 1976 novel Elizabeth but I find its chilly haunted edge is still lingering with me a few days after finishing it. 3 to 3.5 out of 5.
January 30, 2024
Had to sleep with the lights on. However the ending was underwhelming.
June 5, 2019
Childgrave promises eerie children, ghost photography, and an isolated town consumed by strange history, all of which it delivers. The real fun, though, lies in the way Greenhall plays with well-worn horror and romance novel (!) mechanics to create a deliciously strange "contemporary uncanny" read.
Reviewed in detail on the Bad Books for Bad People podcast: http://badbooksbadpeople.com/episode-...
Reviewed in detail on the Bad Books for Bad People podcast: http://badbooksbadpeople.com/episode-...
November 12, 2019
I recall seeing this book in Valancourt’s catalog and though their offerings are consistently outstanding, I don’t think I was moved to read it until I tuned in to Kate and Jack discussing it in a recent episode of Bad Books For Bad People. Hm… you know…upon reflection, that’s not quite how it happened. I think I initially became intrigued with adding Childgrave to my stack when Jack tweeted this funny little snippet of dialogue from the book, before the BBFBP episode aired:
Jack Guignol
@ScholarOfDecay
“You don’t take good enough care of your daughter, Jonathan. I think there’s some parental neglect here.”
“What the hell do you mean, Harry? What the hell do you know about parenthood?”
"All I mean is that well-bred children don’t attract ghosts.”
- Ken Greenhall, Childgrave
Haunted children? Bad parenting? Judgy, erudite characters who take pleasure in the art of verbal evisceration? SOLD. Childgrave was a solid read, for all of these reasons. If I had to classify it, I’d put it somewhat in the “haunted kids” subgenre but I think it fits more appropriately in a sort of “small, isolated town guarding weird secrets” category. Jonathan Brewster is a successful photographer (who doesn’t quite understand his craft? I find this detail delightful) and a single dad living in Manhattan with his daughter Joanne. Jonathan is a really strange character and not…a great parent. He’s just an oddball human all around, really. I found him part endearing/part despicable, and the disturbing thing is that I’m afraid I really, REALLY related to him in some instances. Just the way he seems to navigate his way through the world and doesn’t quite seem to get how it all works and fits together and connects.
He falls madly in love with Sara, an elusive harpist who put hims off at every turn, but Jonathan is smitten and not having it. Right around the time Sara comes into their lives, his daughter seems to have acquired some unsettling imaginary friends, who may or may not be appearing as ghostly images in a series of portraits that Jonathan takes of Joanne and Sara. Through a series of stalkery moves, Jonathan eventually learns that Sara is from a town called Childgrave– and that this did not scare him away right off the bat is part of why Jonathan is such a damned weird character. We soon learn that this place is exactly what we think it is, and still, Jonathan is intrigued and wants to pack up his kid and move there.
Despite the fact that I was shaking my head and thinking “DUDE YOU ARE THE WORST,” I can’t say that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy being in this guy’s head. The book wrapped up a trifle too quickly for my liking, but the journey there was loads of weird, fun.
Jack Guignol
@ScholarOfDecay
“You don’t take good enough care of your daughter, Jonathan. I think there’s some parental neglect here.”
“What the hell do you mean, Harry? What the hell do you know about parenthood?”
"All I mean is that well-bred children don’t attract ghosts.”
- Ken Greenhall, Childgrave
Haunted children? Bad parenting? Judgy, erudite characters who take pleasure in the art of verbal evisceration? SOLD. Childgrave was a solid read, for all of these reasons. If I had to classify it, I’d put it somewhat in the “haunted kids” subgenre but I think it fits more appropriately in a sort of “small, isolated town guarding weird secrets” category. Jonathan Brewster is a successful photographer (who doesn’t quite understand his craft? I find this detail delightful) and a single dad living in Manhattan with his daughter Joanne. Jonathan is a really strange character and not…a great parent. He’s just an oddball human all around, really. I found him part endearing/part despicable, and the disturbing thing is that I’m afraid I really, REALLY related to him in some instances. Just the way he seems to navigate his way through the world and doesn’t quite seem to get how it all works and fits together and connects.
He falls madly in love with Sara, an elusive harpist who put hims off at every turn, but Jonathan is smitten and not having it. Right around the time Sara comes into their lives, his daughter seems to have acquired some unsettling imaginary friends, who may or may not be appearing as ghostly images in a series of portraits that Jonathan takes of Joanne and Sara. Through a series of stalkery moves, Jonathan eventually learns that Sara is from a town called Childgrave– and that this did not scare him away right off the bat is part of why Jonathan is such a damned weird character. We soon learn that this place is exactly what we think it is, and still, Jonathan is intrigued and wants to pack up his kid and move there.
Despite the fact that I was shaking my head and thinking “DUDE YOU ARE THE WORST,” I can’t say that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy being in this guy’s head. The book wrapped up a trifle too quickly for my liking, but the journey there was loads of weird, fun.
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