The Magic Cottage

by James Herbert

"We thought we'd found our haven, a cottage deep in the heart of the forest. Charming, maybe a little run down, but so peaceful. That was the first part of the Magic. Midge's painting and my music soared to new heights of creativity. That was another part of the Magic. Our love for each other - well, that became the supreme Magic. But the cottage had an alternative side - The Bad Magic." "What happened to us there was horrendous beyond belief. The healings, the crazy sect who wanted our home for themselves, the hideous creatures that crawled from the nether regions, and the bats - oh God, the bats! Even now those terrible things seem impossible to me. Yet they happened..." 'Beautifully orchestrated crescendo of suspense...Herbert had brought the shivers back to the genre.' - "Washington Post".

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, Supernatural, Mystery, Magic

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

James Herbert was Britain's number one bestselling writer (a position he held ever since publication of his first novel) and one of the world's top writers of thriller/horror fiction.

He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.

As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.

Reviews

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1986, this James Herbert novel is a lot of fun.

Herbert had the talent to write very different types of stories. From flat out splatter like The Rats or The Fog, to comedic humor like the horror story Creed, I know that Herbert guarantees me a good time. The Magic Cottage was not a disappointment.

A fun, slow burning story about a loving couple wanting to get away from things and instead ending up in the middle of things. Strange happenings at their new cottage in the country, happenings that they are slow to pick up on, lead up to an all out crazy ending that I enjoyed.

I had a lot of fun with this book, even though the pacing was a little slow. The vivid images of the cottage and all of the creatures and flowers there will be with me for a while.

Recommended to fans of slow burning horror, James Herbert, and haunted houses.

[mark monday · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is not a bad book. i don't think this is a particularly good book either. easy to read and not particularly painful to get through... i read it all through one long rainy night. Herbert is a real professional: the screws are tightened expertly, our two leads are sympathetic & realistic (although one of them is a wee bit off), the mysteries unfold at a good pace, creepy supernatural goings-on abound, some enjoyable twists & turns pop up, and of course a mysterious & possibly threatening figure lurking on the edge of things appears.

here is what i did not like:

(1) boring cult action. it did not agree with me and i found it be over-obvious, eye-rolling. perhaps i just don't like reading about creepy cults. i kept hoping that they would be a minor part, but oh no, it's major.

(2) yep, Herbert is a professional, but he is not really a master. he has a tendency to badly overwrite certain things. for example, when he writes about Love... my stomach starts to cramp and i get a little nauseated. really, Herbert - restrain yourself, please! or perhaps i am just against Love?

(3) when the horror hits... to put it bluntly: i was not scared. instead, i gave birth to sighs, many of them. sad to say, there was a lot more 'horror' in the atmosphere itself. perhaps i just have a problem with cheap horror thrills, especially of the kind that i've read dozens upon dozens of times previously. so quite a bit of fun to be had in the foreboding quality of the cottage in question, some hairs were definitely raised... but when the book tries to get me to jump, all i did was yawn.

here are three books that deal with darkly enchanted residences in ways that i found to be much more accomplished, multi-leveled, and downright shivery:

The House Across the Way by Brian McNaughton

Sweetheart, Sweetheart by Bernard Taylor

Locke and Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill

[Leo . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also a very good book from the late James Herbert. A chocolate box cottage. A beautiful setting. The dream home. Magical forest and a cult. Loved this book by a great British Author.👍🐯

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating is 3.5 stars.

This book is about a couple that purchases a cottage outside of the city. There is more to this cottage than just a place to reside.

This was my introduction to this author and I enjoyed this introduction. At first, this seems like a horror genre novel as the reader knows there is something going on with this cottage. The author does a slow burn for the tension as we get a pervading presence throughout. There is also a sub plot with a religious group that eventually will tie in with the main plot. I did think with the main plot and the sub plot was a little too slow for the majority of the book. I was interested in both plots but not totally enthralled. The finale when these two plots merge is fantastic and why I raised my rating the half star. It was explosive and switched genres to the fantasy genre without losing a beat. I could not stop reading the final scene and I believe it would be great to see visually.

This was my first book by this author and I liked it enough that I would try another. The reviews on this site are saying this isn't his best book so I have something to look forward to. I enjoyed the story and the way it was told and it reminded me a lot of Stephen King.

[Bandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an absolute delight, a thrilling and exciting story from its nicely understated beginning straight down to its boombastic final showdown and picture perfect ending. Classic Herbert, to take on a what could have been yet another young couple buys the house in the remote area(the subject is actually referenced in a book in an awesomely meta way), all is not as it seems and make it so clever, unique original and fun. Other classic Hebert elements are present as well including well developed characters that the reader can really care about and go on a journey with, humor and terrific vivid descriptions. Horror genre has really lost one of its greats with James Herbert's passing and this book is an excellent showcase of his talents. Highly recommended.

[Addy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very different from The Fog. It was more subtle and was a slow read at first, but began to pick up after the halfway point. The way it was narrated, like someone telling you a story was neat. The descriptions of the quaint little cottage out in the woods with beautiful scenery was wonderful to escape to. As the story progressed, I got caught up in how fast it moved. It got quite sinister, dark, and evil. I loved it! I would definitely recommend to those who like subtle horror and are Herbert fans.

[Karine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wave of nostalgia hit me when I saw a review of James Herbert passing by, and I decided to re-read The Magic Cottage for old times' sake. 1986, and as a teenager I started to discover Stephen King, Dean Koontz and James Herbert, a taste of the strange, bizarre and unexpected in popular literature.

I will start by saying that I have been reading this whilst staying in a remote cottage in the woods during an early Easter break, which certainly helped me getting the atmosphere right. It started slow, but I like that as it was primarily the atmosphere I wanted to revel in. A few things hit me that I wouldn't have noticed the first time around. The most prominent one is the slight feeling of unease that lingered all around due to the fact that both protagonists are portrayed as much younger than the early 30's they are supposed to be. They both often act and speak as children, certainly Midge, and she is often referred to as a child-like wife, a pixie that needs to be protected. I found this unsettling at times, but not to the point to stop reading.

The story wasn't as eerie as I remember, nothing goes bump in the night, not even when reading it at night in the middle of the woods. At its core, it is a story about good and evil and how they balance each-other out in the world. The character of Mycroft and its followers might have been about sects in the 80's, it is about denial of science in general - a theme that remains very actual today.

All in all, it was very entertaining to go back to an oldie, it brought back very good memories about reading horror books with my friends, exchanging the volumes at the library, searching for the very one that would keep us up at night (The Shining !!). Maybe I'll slot in a few more in the future as it is refreshing reading a book without the current technology. It certainly helped deconnecting from everyday life.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never read anything by James Herbert, and was very intrigued with the premise of The Magic Cottage: A young couple are strangely drawn to a crumbling, oddly charming house in the country. On their tour of the cottage, the garden is overrun with weeds, walls are damp, moldy, and cracked, doors are warped, and the massive stone lintle over the stove is in immediate danger of falling. The former owner, an reclusive elderly lady who made herbal remedies for the community and communed with nature, left provisions with the real estate agent that the house could only be left to a certain type of person. While several offers were placed on the house, only our couple Mike and Midge are able to secure the winning bid for the house, even though their offer was lower then other offers. After moving in, they find that their assessment of the delapidated condition of the cottage and gardens was in error....perhaps.

What happens after they move in is sometimes charming, sometimes spooky, and sometimes downright creepy. I really enjoyed the first 3/4ths of the book. I felt the wimsey was nicely balanced with the touches of horror. I probably would have given the book 4 stars had the final chapters not been so downright "goofy" (for lack of a better term).

Not a bad investment of time for those readers who enjoy horror on a mild scale, but could have used a better ending IMO.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was *ok*. It read like something out of the eighties and was a fun read.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally saw everything described in this book in great detail. Herbert captured the perfect description of a magic cottage deep in the woods. I expected more things to occur inside and around the cottage and towards the end, I was just left with a wanting.
Totally creepy story, I was creeped out by the "SYNERGIST TEMPLE" in the woods. Freaky, crazy..This is why I love James Herbert. He can make me see it, feel it, smell it, and just completely pull you along into this magical journey that usually doesn't let up till the end. My fav read by Herbert is, "Secrets of Crickley Hall".

[Andrea Zuvich · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible, hackneyed story with sometimes very poor writing. It wasn't scary, it wasn't particularly magical, and I'm genuinely shocked that some people thought Herbert's writing in this book was Tolkienesque (!) We abandoned it after the cringeworthy/disturbing line in which the main character states his wife looked "ten years old" and his thoughts were "criminal" i.e. paedophiliac- no thanks.

[James Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Herbert novel started out very slow and uneventful for quite a while. Almost lost enthusiasm but it picked up after the halfway point and eventually became quite entertaining and surprisingly satisfying toward the end. Having read a few of his others I think it felt too similar though not quite as good as later books such as Once... or Others but the writing and style was there to keep it among some of his better works I believe. Very light on the blood and gore so do not expect it to be like The Rats or The Dark.

[Vanessa Woolley · Rating 3 out of 5]

My sister recommended James Herbert and decided that since she thought I'd not have the heart nor stomach for horror (as I'm a fan of fantasy and dislike seeing anything gruesome or bone chilling freaky), that starting me off with The Magic Cottage would be a good first choice. Unfortunately, I expected serious horror and was disappointed by the time I was halfway through the book and hardly anything had happened. So this is what I disliked about the book; 1. The writer spends most his time talking about renovations of a cottage, the color of the walls, the state of the flowers and the eerie feel of the forest (which would have made the reader think that something would eventually leap out form its depth and devour somewhere in future chapters, but nothing does). 2. The storyline was very slow and at times tedious to read, and with amount of times the writer states something to the lines of "but it was nothing compared to what we were to experience later", made me expect something unbelievably jaw dropping will happen, creating all sorts of hideous monsters and plots so intriguing within my mind, but sadly that was not the case. Instead, it was very predictable and my own monsters made the writers seem like little kittens. 3. The cult was a lame part of the book, not scary, not threatening, just lame. I hoped that some great evil wizard will arise from the cult leader, someone who was hundreds of years old, but nothing, just a lame excuse for a man with tricks. 4. The most irritating part of the book was the fact that the so called "best parts" were no more then 2 chapters long and ended with a bland "So there you have it, that's the story". I nearly threw the book across the room for the writers inability to create something more of the ending. 5. Lastly, does one have to say "Christ" a hundred times throughout the entire book? Does this book character have less cursing vocabulary then a foreign man learning a new language? I don't know if I should give him lessons or smack him across the head. And so from all of the negative points I've mentioned (there were more but I cannot be asked to list them all), there were a few points I liked, mainly being: The only twist in the book was an interesting one, that being Mike discovering the power was within himself and not Midge, but it was a little bit obvious he was, considering I caught on when they were in the pyramid room and smoke was coming from his hands and mouth. Yeah, I figured it out then but brushed it aside in hope of not ruining the story for myself. And also enjoyed the part Mike had viewed the painting that came to life. There were some other good points to the book, but not enough to out weight the negative and not enough for me to list here. Over all, the book could have been much better and I rate it a 3.5 for the good effort. I will read the rest of his work only due to the fact that my sister will be passing her collection of James Herbert to me for reading pleasure. I just hope he doesn't let me down after giving his writing another try :)

[Chris Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was yet another reread. Can't think how many times I've read this. Although this time I treated myself to a first edition hardback that I stumbled upon.

This is, quite simply, one of my favourite books. It tells the story of musician Mike and his artist/illustrator girlfriend Midge, who move from the big city to a lovely cottage in a rural village in England. And so begins their adventure with adjusting to rural life, magic and a spiritual cult that may or may not be the bad guys.

Like many of Herbert's books, this isn't really a horror in the traditional sense. I always felt that much of his work blended into urban fantasy territory and it's no surprise that Neil Gaiman was both a fan and a friend of Herbert, even writing the foreword of The Rats anniversary edition. You can see the influences. Ultimately, it's a love story. Mike and Midge are great characters, and the peripheral characters all play their part, albeit a little thin on depth. But the star of the show is Gramarye Cottage. It plays a significant role in the story and Herbert is so descriptive of the house, I assume it was from somewhere in his past. There is an illustration of the cottage on the inside pages.

It reminds me of spending a summer holiday with my parents and my sister in rural Norfolk; a beautiful fairytale cottage, set in a wee village with thatched roof houses, country lanes and lines of hedgerows. We would walk back from the village each night with clear starry skies and bats flying around in the sunset. There was a small river at the bottom of the garden, a feeder to The Broads, with a row boat, and we would spend hours each day going up and down the river. It felt like magic to my sister and I, and any time I see this book or think about it, the memory of that holiday floods back. I love it.

I originally read this in '92. How do I know this? I was on a holiday in our family caravan on the west coast of Scotland and as usual it was pishin' down, so all i did was read; this book being one of them. So one day, with nothing better to do, I decided to draw the cottage, and below is my effort with the date stamped "CS92".




This hangs in my home office and every time I see it, I think of this book and my mind goes that magical summer with my family. So thank you Mr Herbert, you created something that will always make me smile.

[Dani N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply adored this book. The magical setting contrasting with the darker elements worked wonderfully to create a rich and an atmospheric read. I also thoroughly enjoyed how viable the protagonist/narrator felt.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herbert was definitely a gifted story teller and this is one of his better tales. Our main protagonist, Mike, and his girlfriend Midge leave London, moving to an old cottage about 3 hours from the city. Mike is a musician and has several gigs with touring bands as well as commercials, etc. Midge illustrates children's novels and is quite successful as well. They figure moving out to the country would be ideal for their creative muse. The cottage they find needs some work, but it has a lot of charm. The old lady that lived there before them was something of a local healer; reclusive, but friendly. Soon after they moved in they were greeted by numerous animals, including birds who would flock at the windows and doors looking for handouts, as well as a red squirrel they named Rumbo, who would follow them around the house.

Shortly after their arrival, they were greeted by some human neighbors, members of some sort of cult that lived in a nearby old manor house. They seemed friendly enough, if a little strange, but the local town did not like them at all. Something is not quite right about the cottage, however. Besides the friendly local wildlife, Mike and Midge seemed to have creative spells that are unprecedented. Further, a lot of the work that needed to be done to the cottage that they noted was mysteriously fixed before the repair crew arrived. It seems the cottage is somehow a channel for magic, at first for the good, but perhaps there is a dark side as well...

Herbert does an excellent job building up the tension with apt use of foreshadowing that tells us early on that something bad is going to happen at the cottage. Stranger and stranger things start happening and the cult next door goes from seemingly harmless to menacing, especially their leader. This is a fun, spooky read that really hit the spot in late October. 4 magic stars!!

[jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rating
A medium paced story. It kept me reading more. My first by Herbert. Will definitely read more. The ending was a little sluggish and was not executed properly.

[Lucy'sLilLibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those books that makes me want to beg for Goodreads to do half stars, because this was bang in the middle of a three and a four. I feel like this is one of those horrors that starts of so strong and ends with a bang but the middle section is lacking.

I have read a few James Herbert books, for me The Secret of Crickley Hall and the Ash series were better than this, this wasn't your typical haunting though, this really tried to do something different and it almost worked. I will be reading more from this author because I really enjoy his writing style and plots, 48 was another of his book that was so different and entertaining! I'm really getting a soft spot for this author, he doesn't rely on sex and abuse like so many other male horror authors and I really appreciate that.

For me the characters are one of the main reasons I enjoyed this both main characters were enjoyable to follow, neither of them were perfect but they felt real. Mike is someone I could absolutely see myself falling for in real life, he loves Midge unconditional and even though he might not believe everything she does he stays by her side, he try to keep her safe and grounded and even when she kicks up an almighty fuss he manages to calm things down. Mike is half father figure half man you want to marry and I loved him.

Although there were some scary/creepy moments I wouldn't rate this high on the scare level, I think this would be perfect for someone who enjoys fantasy and wants to creep into the horror genre it's a nice bridge between both worlds. I think Rats might be my next James Herbert book!

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all I am a MASSIVE James Herbert fan. At first this book was really slow moving and I started it over many times before finally reading it through. I have a original print form 1986 which still had spelling mistakes in. Anywho, as i said it was slow to start off but at it gets into it and the two main characters Mike and Midge begin having suspicions about the Magic (capital M for a reason) it really turns into your typical James Herbert page turner hard to put down book. I felt that it ended too suddenly as there was a BIG showdown then 5 pages later the book ended, it didn't really do justice to what the book as a whole was putting across in being VERY descriptive about even the littlest things.

8.5/10,
RH

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hokey, hackneyed and cliched, but a huge amount of fun. The climactic scenes were priceless.

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another 70's horror. Like many I've read this one is just fine, with a few elements that really stand out. I like the way this plays with the haunted house concept, going in directions you really don't expect. The cult stuff didn't come together the way I would have liked, though.

It is funny to me how much the Back to the Land folk horror of the 70's permeates the entire horror landscape now without always understanding where it comes from.

[Monica Go · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun ride. I really enjoyed the experience of reading it; getting to know the characters and the house; seeing them in their everyday life (I always have a soft spot for that). I loved the setting and I wish some day I can have a house like that. In fact, by the ending I was really hoping they could keep it.

It might seem a regular 'haunted house' story but it's a bit different and I appreciated that. Although, some things could be predictable, there was something more. The atmosphere and the crescendo worked well. The horror at the end was pretty straightforward, instead, nothing new.
Midge bothered me sometimes. The relationship between her and Mike felt very wholesome and nice - even though cheesy at times - but the way she was acting with the Synergists really bugged me.

Overall, an easy and fun read for me.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always.....Herbert ROCKS!!! This was my first ever Herbert. I read it nearly 20 years ago and decided to give it another go. Although I still remembered the story somewhat, this 2nd time around was so refreshing....like revisiting a good friend. So sad to think that there will be no more....the death of this remarkable author means that there is a lot less magic in the world. Thank goodness for his work; a beautiful legacy left behind for us to enjoy forever. Read the Magic Cottage, my friend...and let the wonder of it fill your soul for a while. Trust me, you will be hooked on Herbert for life!

[Franco Santos · Rating 2 out of 5]

¡Por Dios, así se termina un libro!

Herbert sí sabe cómo concluir una historia... Fue espectacular. Cuando creés que ya no puede ser mejor, el autor te redobla la apuesta. El último cuarto del libro fue un huracán.

De los mejores finales que leí.

Es una lástima que sea tan pesado y repetitivo hasta la página 220, aproximadamente.

[Katie Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! I’ll be looking for more of James Herbert’s (I know there are LOADS of them).

Two love birds in a rural cottage that’s not what it seems and a battle between good and evil… fantastic!

Really well written and I loved the characters - Big Val needed a bigger part 😃

A good one that doesn’t disturb too much (which I was ready for)

[Deborah Foulkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all have a favourite book that we can read again and again and this is one of mine. I have no idea why I love it so much, but Jame Herbert's story telling is an inspiration to me. The Cottage in the story is my dream home and I love opening the pages and climbing straight back into that world.

[Latasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad that's over! I listened to the audiobook and there was just something about the narrators voice that I didn't like. I didn't like the story either. The spooky stuff was spaced too far apart and not much really happened.

[Claire Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!

[Sally halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bath scene is brilliant

[Keith Larkworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my top 5 Herbert books