What do you think?
Rate this book
Worms
The Norfolk coast made for a perfect holiday - as long as the sun still shone. But when the rain came, the creatures left the shadows . . .
WORMS
Spectres from the past tortured James Hildebrand's mind. His blackest nightmares were crowded with malevolent, coiling images of decay. Then, suddenly, he knew the threat was real.
WORMS
The dead alone could not quench their hunger. And, for the living, the horrors that fed and multiplied in the darkness of the night became more terrible with the dawn . . .
Written by screenwriter Christopher Wood ( The Spy Who Loved Me , Moonraker ) under the pseudonym James R. Montague - an homage to the great ghost story writer M. R. James - Worms (1979) is a rediscovered horror gem that will make your skin crawl.
WORMS
Spectres from the past tortured James Hildebrand's mind. His blackest nightmares were crowded with malevolent, coiling images of decay. Then, suddenly, he knew the threat was real.
WORMS
The dead alone could not quench their hunger. And, for the living, the horrors that fed and multiplied in the darkness of the night became more terrible with the dawn . . .
Written by screenwriter Christopher Wood ( The Spy Who Loved Me , Moonraker ) under the pseudonym James R. Montague - an homage to the great ghost story writer M. R. James - Worms (1979) is a rediscovered horror gem that will make your skin crawl.
167 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1979
8 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 4, 2018
WORMS! What can I say? This is not your normal B-movie creature feature! It is more well written than most and it contains elements of guilt and psychological horror as well. I enjoyed the heck out of it!
Mr. Hildebrand and his harridan of a wife take a badly needed vacation together, in a more quiet destination than his wife would have preferred. She is unhappy about that and never misses a chance to remind him of that fact. In the quiet town, Mr. Hildebrand feels at home, accepted even, while his wife just complains and complains. How will he deal with her? Will they be able to enjoy this vacation together or will this be the final straw in their marriage? You'll have to read this to find out!
I said above that this is more well written than most creature features for a few reasons. Its pacing is much slower than the James Herbert or Guy N. Smith novels of the time, and it's definitely much slower than the pacing of today's novels by Hunter Shea and the like.
Another reason this differs from most other novels of its kind is because of the time we spend inside Mr. Hildebrand's head. Told in the first person, we're right there to see why he does certain things, (and I admit it, I actually agreed with some of them!), and because of that the reader feels a bond with him. We shouldn't, but we do, (or at least I did.) The psychological horror that results from his actions, as well as the guilt he feels over them, adds another layer to this tale not normally found in stories of this type. The first 2/3 of this book I would label as quiet horror and the last third as pure creature feature fun, along with a few real surprises that I didn't see coming. In addition, there were some truly gross-out moments that made me laugh out loud with glee! GLEE, I say!
Lastly, as the final portions of the story unfolded a few events occurred that made me look back at clues I had previously overlooked. I realized then how neatly this entire story fit together, like an intricate jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces were perfectly cut. The fact that James Montague is a pseudonym for Christopher Wood, (a writer of screenplays for James Bond movies such as Moonraker and The Spy Who Loved Me), may play a part in that. There are scenes in WORMS that play out just as a film would, (several of them in fact), and the novel feels like it's built around those scenes and grows outwardly from them.
WORMS was originally written back in 1979, the era when I first got into and began to love the horror genre. Somehow this book escaped my attentions back then, and to be honest? I might have been too young at that time to appreciate this intimate look into a man's head. However, I'm sure I would have appreciated the vivid writing style and film-like quality of it. Now I'm old enough to appreciate ALL the wonderful things about this novel and I'm glad that Valancourt Books has brought it back from sure death so it can be enjoyed once again.
Highly recommended!
*I received an e-ARC from Valancourt Books in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
Mr. Hildebrand and his harridan of a wife take a badly needed vacation together, in a more quiet destination than his wife would have preferred. She is unhappy about that and never misses a chance to remind him of that fact. In the quiet town, Mr. Hildebrand feels at home, accepted even, while his wife just complains and complains. How will he deal with her? Will they be able to enjoy this vacation together or will this be the final straw in their marriage? You'll have to read this to find out!
I said above that this is more well written than most creature features for a few reasons. Its pacing is much slower than the James Herbert or Guy N. Smith novels of the time, and it's definitely much slower than the pacing of today's novels by Hunter Shea and the like.
Another reason this differs from most other novels of its kind is because of the time we spend inside Mr. Hildebrand's head. Told in the first person, we're right there to see why he does certain things, (and I admit it, I actually agreed with some of them!), and because of that the reader feels a bond with him. We shouldn't, but we do, (or at least I did.) The psychological horror that results from his actions, as well as the guilt he feels over them, adds another layer to this tale not normally found in stories of this type. The first 2/3 of this book I would label as quiet horror and the last third as pure creature feature fun, along with a few real surprises that I didn't see coming. In addition, there were some truly gross-out moments that made me laugh out loud with glee! GLEE, I say!
Lastly, as the final portions of the story unfolded a few events occurred that made me look back at clues I had previously overlooked. I realized then how neatly this entire story fit together, like an intricate jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces were perfectly cut. The fact that James Montague is a pseudonym for Christopher Wood, (a writer of screenplays for James Bond movies such as Moonraker and The Spy Who Loved Me), may play a part in that. There are scenes in WORMS that play out just as a film would, (several of them in fact), and the novel feels like it's built around those scenes and grows outwardly from them.
WORMS was originally written back in 1979, the era when I first got into and began to love the horror genre. Somehow this book escaped my attentions back then, and to be honest? I might have been too young at that time to appreciate this intimate look into a man's head. However, I'm sure I would have appreciated the vivid writing style and film-like quality of it. Now I'm old enough to appreciate ALL the wonderful things about this novel and I'm glad that Valancourt Books has brought it back from sure death so it can be enjoyed once again.
Highly recommended!
*I received an e-ARC from Valancourt Books in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
September 30, 2018
Though this may seem like one of your typical "British nasties" of the time, it's much more reserved, and more eloquently written than, say, James Herbert's Rats trilogy or Guy N. Smith's Crabs novels. The horror here is very understated for a good chunk, but of course the shit does hit the fan eventually, i.e.
We follow 40-something James Hildebrand, newly widowed (you'll find out how and why), as he moves into a rundown cottage in a small, rainy town on the Norfolk coast, where he's constantly being tormented by worms, both in his dreams and in real life. He sees the disgusting things everywhere, and is starting to wonder if his past evil deeds are coming back to haunt him, especially once he learns about the ancient religious idea of "the worms of hell" from the local vicar, worms that relentlessly pursue the dead. But perhaps they pursue the living as well when need be? They certainly seem to be after him.
Even though the chills are somewhat few and far between for much of Worms, the prose is engaging, and I sympathized with the main character even though he's a selfish, murderous asshole. He's a likable selfish, murderous asshole, which made his story much more palatable, especially considering the story is all told in first-person. And I loved the ambiguity relating to the worms themselves. Are they really tormenting him, or are they just a natural part of his new environment, and his imagination is running loose?
It's a shame this is "James Montague's"* one and only horror novel, as I dug the overall tone of this. It's a slow burn that steadily builds in tension during the latter half, at times straddling the line between horror and black comedy. I'm glad that Valancourt is reissuing it soon, as it seems to have been almost totally forgotten, unjustly so.
4.0 Stars.
*Pseudonym for the late Christopher Wood, who was most well known for having written the screenplays for a couple Roger Moore-era Bond movies (The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker).
We follow 40-something James Hildebrand, newly widowed (you'll find out how and why), as he moves into a rundown cottage in a small, rainy town on the Norfolk coast, where he's constantly being tormented by worms, both in his dreams and in real life. He sees the disgusting things everywhere, and is starting to wonder if his past evil deeds are coming back to haunt him, especially once he learns about the ancient religious idea of "the worms of hell" from the local vicar, worms that relentlessly pursue the dead. But perhaps they pursue the living as well when need be? They certainly seem to be after him.
Even though the chills are somewhat few and far between for much of Worms, the prose is engaging, and I sympathized with the main character even though he's a selfish, murderous asshole. He's a likable selfish, murderous asshole, which made his story much more palatable, especially considering the story is all told in first-person. And I loved the ambiguity relating to the worms themselves. Are they really tormenting him, or are they just a natural part of his new environment, and his imagination is running loose?
It's a shame this is "James Montague's"* one and only horror novel, as I dug the overall tone of this. It's a slow burn that steadily builds in tension during the latter half, at times straddling the line between horror and black comedy. I'm glad that Valancourt is reissuing it soon, as it seems to have been almost totally forgotten, unjustly so.
4.0 Stars.
*Pseudonym for the late Christopher Wood, who was most well known for having written the screenplays for a couple Roger Moore-era Bond movies (The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker).
August 17, 2023
I thought this was going to be another 'animal attack' novel that were so popular when this was published (1979), something like The Rats or Spiders, but while Worms did have some (you guessed it) worm foo, the slimy little guys were almost tangential to the actual story. That stated, Montague served up quite a treat here that really transcended this subgenre.
Our narrator and main protagonist, one James Hildebrand, is a 50 something hen-pecked husband who starts the novel on a holiday with his wife on the Norfolk coast. James falls in love with the area and decides he wants to retire here, but his wife hates it with a passion. He even finds a cottage that would be perfect (it needs some major TLC) for a good price, but his wife quickly puts the kibosh on that! The problem is that his wife is the one with the small trust fund and he cannot buy it without her approval. Getting sneaky and manning up, James takes care of that problem...
What Montague does so well here is build tension and creepiness right from the get go. The titular worms make their appearance very quickly, small, red and very aggressive! They are popular for fish bait around these parts! James sees them on his wife's body when she is pulled from the marsh and they pour from his faucets when the water is finally hooked up. And they really stink when crushed or burnt! Yet, worms are only a minor 'creep' factor for most of the novel.
James, for all of his spurts of guile and malice, is really something of a patsy and in fact, pretty paranoid to boot. Yet, there may be a reason for his paranoia; after all, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone or thing is not out to get you! So James bumbles through getting his dream cottage, some 'troubles' with the servants on the estate where his cottage is (it used to be a workshop on the estate), all the while having terrible dreams and worries. I will not say more about the plot to avoid spoilers, but Montague just kept building the tension and creep from page one to the end. Masterful! I only wish Montague had written more novels. 4.5 wormy stars!!
Our narrator and main protagonist, one James Hildebrand, is a 50 something hen-pecked husband who starts the novel on a holiday with his wife on the Norfolk coast. James falls in love with the area and decides he wants to retire here, but his wife hates it with a passion. He even finds a cottage that would be perfect (it needs some major TLC) for a good price, but his wife quickly puts the kibosh on that! The problem is that his wife is the one with the small trust fund and he cannot buy it without her approval. Getting sneaky and manning up, James takes care of that problem...
What Montague does so well here is build tension and creepiness right from the get go. The titular worms make their appearance very quickly, small, red and very aggressive! They are popular for fish bait around these parts! James sees them on his wife's body when she is pulled from the marsh and they pour from his faucets when the water is finally hooked up. And they really stink when crushed or burnt! Yet, worms are only a minor 'creep' factor for most of the novel.
James, for all of his spurts of guile and malice, is really something of a patsy and in fact, pretty paranoid to boot. Yet, there may be a reason for his paranoia; after all, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone or thing is not out to get you! So James bumbles through getting his dream cottage, some 'troubles' with the servants on the estate where his cottage is (it used to be a workshop on the estate), all the while having terrible dreams and worries. I will not say more about the plot to avoid spoilers, but Montague just kept building the tension and creep from page one to the end. Masterful! I only wish Montague had written more novels. 4.5 wormy stars!!
September 8, 2023
Not exactly the campy creature feature I was expecting, instead more of a gothic, Edgar Allan Poe-type psychological horror story. It was well written, though, and the ending finally gave me that deluge of worms I’d been hoping for, which was pretty satisfying to envision!
November 4, 2018
While reading this, I was not infrequently reminded of the film Squirm, which, for those who haven't seen it showcased on Mystery Science Theater 3000, concerns a gangly redheaded antiques dealer whose trip to a small Georgia town populated by southern gothic semi-grotesques to visit his equally gangly redheaded belle is seriously inconvenienced by a freak electrical accident that transforms the local earthworms into angry mutants hungering for human flesh. Now, Montague né Wood's novel is undoubtedly superior to that affably goofy b-movie, but by less than one might expect; certainly not enough for it to be hailed as a forgotten classic by any means. This is unfortunate, as the novel starts fascinatingly with its feet in a variety of camps; most overtly, as an homage to MR James' antiquarian ghost stories, but there are also correspondences with Charles Birkin's contes cruels, EC Comics-style 'vengeance from beyond the grave' tales, and perhaps a nod to Lovecraft's Rats in the Walls as well. With a possibly unreliable narrator and a number of dark, seemingly supernatural secrets in the mix there are all the workings for a tantalizing horror novel, which is thrown off the rail halfway in by the introduction of an experimental nuclear power plant; the ensuing wormageddon that inevitably results after going haywire features a number of arresting, cinematic scenes of worms swarming and pouring out of myriad locales, but overall the transition into standard creature feature mode undoes the atmosphere and mystery generated up until that point, and the narrative never quite comes back together. Due to the popularity of "nature gone mad" horror a la Herbert/Smith at the time, I wondered if that plot point got the book sold, as the novel has the feel of a writer smarter than their assigned subject matter trying to either redeem or take the piss out of it - or maybe do both? In the end, whether cash-in, homage, or parody, kudos to Valancourt for plucking this offbeat little novel out of obscurity; although we never got a Roger Corman directed MR James adaptation to watch on MST3K, Worms more than serves as a uniquely entertaining consolation prize.
October 2, 2014
James Hildebrand is in his early fifties, hen-pecked and locked into a joyless marriage with a wife who can’t stand him. During a disastrous boating holiday on the east coast, he spots a ramshackle cottage he’d love to move into but his wife hates it. As they walk across the marshes one day, he contrives that she falls in and she drowns. Now a murderer, he has to do everything he can to keep it quiet, whilst also worrying about the number of worms that he keeps finding that might have something to do with the power plant being built on the marsh.
This was great fun, a really entertaining read that is mis-sold by both its blurb and it’s tag-line - “When the nightmares ended, the real horror began…” Yes, it does feature killer worms (much later in the book than you’d expect), but it’s very well written in a precise style (an emulation, perhaps, of M R James?) and is more of a very dark comedy than an out-and-out monster novel. In this case, Montague is the pseudonym of Christopher Wood who not only wrote the screenplays for “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker” (slipping this in between the two, if the dates are to go by), as well as the Timothy Lea “Confessions” novels and the “Rosie Dixon” series. The characters are well defined (it’s told in first person by Hildebrand), the handful of death scenes are nicely constructed, there’s a good pace and an excellent use of the atmospheric marshes and coast out of season. As for the locations used, I loved them - starting in Potter Higham (I bought the book in nearby Great Yarmouth) and taking in Hunstanton, I found this really pleasing and mention of the Eastern Electricity Board made me smile too. In addition, any book that features the line“The worms of hell. They rear in pursuit of the souls of the deceased.” is alright by me.
Your liking of this will depend entirely on your taste for cheesy horror, but mine was very much satisfied so for fellow fans, I’d recommend it!
This was great fun, a really entertaining read that is mis-sold by both its blurb and it’s tag-line - “When the nightmares ended, the real horror began…” Yes, it does feature killer worms (much later in the book than you’d expect), but it’s very well written in a precise style (an emulation, perhaps, of M R James?) and is more of a very dark comedy than an out-and-out monster novel. In this case, Montague is the pseudonym of Christopher Wood who not only wrote the screenplays for “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker” (slipping this in between the two, if the dates are to go by), as well as the Timothy Lea “Confessions” novels and the “Rosie Dixon” series. The characters are well defined (it’s told in first person by Hildebrand), the handful of death scenes are nicely constructed, there’s a good pace and an excellent use of the atmospheric marshes and coast out of season. As for the locations used, I loved them - starting in Potter Higham (I bought the book in nearby Great Yarmouth) and taking in Hunstanton, I found this really pleasing and mention of the Eastern Electricity Board made me smile too. In addition, any book that features the line“The worms of hell. They rear in pursuit of the souls of the deceased.” is alright by me.
Your liking of this will depend entirely on your taste for cheesy horror, but mine was very much satisfied so for fellow fans, I’d recommend it!
October 21, 2021
Year of New Authors
James, who has led a rather boring life, is enchanted by a fixer-upper going for a song in an equally boring little village. However he also suffers with an emotionally abusive wife that holds all the finances and who very quickly, spitefully and loudly puts a stop to his hopes of a countryside retirement home. At his wits' end, James does something very naughty and manages to get the house of his paltry little dreams. A horrid marriage over, his tedious job left behind and his crime unpunished, James is ready to enjoy his life in idyllic seclusion. But he hadn't counted on witnesses to his sinful act; one is human and the other: the insidious WORMS!!! *thunder crack or something equally trite from the foley artist*
If the synopisis didn't give it away, Worms can charitably be called utter rubbish. Plot points and twists crawl out of nowhere and slither away just as quickly, characters are cookie cutter stamps of the most overused stereotypes and the plot only barely makes sense, with it's vibe meandering between The Tell Tale Heart, The Blob and Roysten Vasey.
And yet I utterly loved it. Every overwrought piece of dialogue, silly revelation, laughably grotesque description or just how many times the narrator can say 'worms' dramatically was a complete riot. Hilariously and endearingly bad, Worms is the book you snuggle into bed with after you've finished watching The Old, Dark House or anything starring Jeffrey Combs.
James, who has led a rather boring life, is enchanted by a fixer-upper going for a song in an equally boring little village. However he also suffers with an emotionally abusive wife that holds all the finances and who very quickly, spitefully and loudly puts a stop to his hopes of a countryside retirement home. At his wits' end, James does something very naughty and manages to get the house of his paltry little dreams. A horrid marriage over, his tedious job left behind and his crime unpunished, James is ready to enjoy his life in idyllic seclusion. But he hadn't counted on witnesses to his sinful act; one is human and the other: the insidious WORMS!!! *thunder crack or something equally trite from the foley artist*
If the synopisis didn't give it away, Worms can charitably be called utter rubbish. Plot points and twists crawl out of nowhere and slither away just as quickly, characters are cookie cutter stamps of the most overused stereotypes and the plot only barely makes sense, with it's vibe meandering between The Tell Tale Heart, The Blob and Roysten Vasey.
And yet I utterly loved it. Every overwrought piece of dialogue, silly revelation, laughably grotesque description or just how many times the narrator can say 'worms' dramatically was a complete riot. Hilariously and endearingly bad, Worms is the book you snuggle into bed with after you've finished watching The Old, Dark House or anything starring Jeffrey Combs.
January 8, 2022
I suspected this to be nothing more than a corny funny read. I was surprised how much more this book was. Do you really get into the head of the protagonist and enjoy follow him. And there’s so much more to this book than just being attacked by worms. Psychological torment is a big part of it as he plays a hand at the death of his wife. The paranoia that follows him out of this as the rest of the book unfolds makes for a good read.
With a twist ending that you want to come in this book is short and easy to speed through. This was definitely book that you should not judge by its cover or by its title.
With a twist ending that you want to come in this book is short and easy to speed through. This was definitely book that you should not judge by its cover or by its title.
December 29, 2023
Another in the long list of nuclear power affecting the land. This time a small village is put upon by the building of a nuclear facility that is unwanted. Things go wrong and worms seem to be altered in a killing way.
Some strange characters and nice settings keep this one moving along, but if there was just a bit less psychosis and more worms, that would have done me just fine.
Some strange characters and nice settings keep this one moving along, but if there was just a bit less psychosis and more worms, that would have done me just fine.
October 24, 2018
This is an odd little book. It's effective, with the horror coming from two fronts -- the squickiness of the worms, and the psychology of the main character -- but it almost reads like two different books. The first part is almost a murder mystery, though without the denoument, while the second half is more like a creature feature from the 1950s (think The Blob). It's almost like Montague /Wood wasn't sure which story he wanted to write, and decided to mash them together.
The first half of the book is the better half, since the author works toward developing his main character, and developing the plot through him. He and his wife are on holiday in a coastal town in England, and it becomes clear that the marriage is a loveless one. As the story progresses, he decides he wants to move there, but (a) his wife doesn't want to, and (b) she's the one with all the money. Plans click into place, and he decides to make it so he doesn't have to worry about her any more.
The titular worms make an appearance in the first half of the story, but they don't seem like much more than window dressing at that point. Later in the story, they represent the main character's guilt, but the looming doom of the creatures doesn't play a part in the plot as much as one would expect from a book titled Worms. By the second half of the book, the main character has settled in to life in the small town, only to learn that a nuclear power plant is being built in the region.
(You can probably see where this is going.)
The book isn't bad, but it's not great, either. It starts off a little slowly, and the author's style is very dry at the start, but before long, the story takes over, and it's easy to get caught up reading the book. Montague even brings the story to an unexpected conclusion, bridging the two halves of the story together, but in doing so, he makes it somewhat cliched. I enjoyed it, but it's probably less a book for a casual reader, and more for readers who are trying their hand at some of the so-cheesy-it's-fun horror novels that Grady Hendrix covered in Paperbacks from Hell. It's no coincidence that this was republished by Valancourt, and that the publisher will be starting a reprint line next year featuring titles from that book. Though not a part of that imprint, Worms is a good start down that road.
The first half of the book is the better half, since the author works toward developing his main character, and developing the plot through him. He and his wife are on holiday in a coastal town in England, and it becomes clear that the marriage is a loveless one. As the story progresses, he decides he wants to move there, but (a) his wife doesn't want to, and (b) she's the one with all the money. Plans click into place, and he decides to make it so he doesn't have to worry about her any more.
The titular worms make an appearance in the first half of the story, but they don't seem like much more than window dressing at that point. Later in the story, they represent the main character's guilt, but the looming doom of the creatures doesn't play a part in the plot as much as one would expect from a book titled Worms. By the second half of the book, the main character has settled in to life in the small town, only to learn that a nuclear power plant is being built in the region.
(You can probably see where this is going.)
The book isn't bad, but it's not great, either. It starts off a little slowly, and the author's style is very dry at the start, but before long, the story takes over, and it's easy to get caught up reading the book. Montague even brings the story to an unexpected conclusion, bridging the two halves of the story together, but in doing so, he makes it somewhat cliched. I enjoyed it, but it's probably less a book for a casual reader, and more for readers who are trying their hand at some of the so-cheesy-it's-fun horror novels that Grady Hendrix covered in Paperbacks from Hell. It's no coincidence that this was republished by Valancourt, and that the publisher will be starting a reprint line next year featuring titles from that book. Though not a part of that imprint, Worms is a good start down that road.
June 30, 2019
I dug this one. The worms are more of a backdrop for most of the story even though they definitely wreak some major havoc. They are more like Poe’s raven or tell-tale heart. The real menace being human nature instead of the outward manifestation of a beastie. (Bwhaha…I almost sounded smart there for a second.)
Duh voice sounds of narration was good too... (There…back to my regular self 😉 )
*I received a requested complimentary copy of this audiobook and am leaving this honest and voluntary review.
Duh voice sounds of narration was good too... (There…back to my regular self 😉 )
*I received a requested complimentary copy of this audiobook and am leaving this honest and voluntary review.
September 4, 2020
A great story with awesome descriptions and an amazing narrator! (I listened to the audiobook)
January 18, 2025
The Tell-Tale Worms
June 25, 2019
I love old sci-fi and horror and this book was right up my street.
Cheesy and rather stupid, it would make an excellent B-movie (provided they dialled down the inherent sexism rife throughout but alas, political correctness was rather sparse back in 70s cult literature).
Performance wise, Hills does a decent job but it does take a while for him to hit his stride with this book. Would be interesting to hear others he has narrated for a sense of style.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request via Audioboom and have voluntarily left this review.
Cheesy and rather stupid, it would make an excellent B-movie (provided they dialled down the inherent sexism rife throughout but alas, political correctness was rather sparse back in 70s cult literature).
Performance wise, Hills does a decent job but it does take a while for him to hit his stride with this book. Would be interesting to hear others he has narrated for a sense of style.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request via Audioboom and have voluntarily left this review.
October 25, 2018
Fun scary book book for October. If you have an issue with worms, this might make you squirm. Set on a damp English coast, this book will keep you up at night checking your faucet, tub or anywhere else a worm might get in. I don't want to give anything away, but this is a quick read that will get you in the right mood for Halloween.
May 24, 2020
Such an innocuous thing worms used to be...
March 26, 2022
imagine killing people you hate and getting away with it 😭😭
but then you start finding these annoying, disgusting worms in your common spaces like the sink or on yourself and you start to wonder if it’s cause of your past devilish mistakes
and oh, your new neighbors, make sure they don’t know a thing
are they as innocent as they show?
imagery in this book is good, if you hate worms it’s gonna make you go eewwww
the twists will make you go like “yeah, this bitch was a walking suspicion”
the starting is kinda slow but when it picks up, it PICKS UP
but then you start finding these annoying, disgusting worms in your common spaces like the sink or on yourself and you start to wonder if it’s cause of your past devilish mistakes
and oh, your new neighbors, make sure they don’t know a thing
are they as innocent as they show?
imagery in this book is good, if you hate worms it’s gonna make you go eewwww
the twists will make you go like “yeah, this bitch was a walking suspicion”
the starting is kinda slow but when it picks up, it PICKS UP
June 8, 2020
Doesn’t get much funner than this, not to mention snappy writing layered with irony and tell-tale heart style attacks of conscience. Topped of with Hannibal Hills’s amazing performance, and this checked all the boxes for me.
July 9, 2019
Here's my review for annelid horror Worms - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2019/07/...
March 26, 2022
A slow but compelling build-up to an insane, balls-out worm-fest. While I enjoyed the quieter moments, you don’t name a book WORMS unless you’re going all-in on the creature-feature angle. The author also wrote James Bond screenplays under his real name, which makes some of the over-the-top plot elements easier to understand.
April 1, 2020
W O R M S
In Worms, James Hildebrand, along with his wife, go on holiday to the Norfolk coast, only for him to be plagued by a haunting vision of.... worms. Just. Loads and loads of worms.
This novel was originally published in 1979, so the general treatment of women is... not great. They're all written as hyper-realistic versions of stereotypes instead of having any substance at all, while the narrative tries to position James as a hero. He commits some very hideous acts against the women in his life, so I found it impossible to in any way feel sympathy for him.
The dialogue is stilted and it's downright boring reading any scene descriptions with how repetitive it is. The descriptions of the worms are great, it makes you feel icky and genuinely quite scared at points.
It just sucks in a horror novel when you can predict from the first few chapters everything that's going to unfold, and have a good inkling of why. I will say the ending was quite fun, but if I was bored listening to the literal audiobook on 2x speed, then.... I can't recommend it! I'm sorry!
I'm glad I read this, because I want to read horror of all eras, but that didn't stop it from being boring.
In Worms, James Hildebrand, along with his wife, go on holiday to the Norfolk coast, only for him to be plagued by a haunting vision of.... worms. Just. Loads and loads of worms.
This novel was originally published in 1979, so the general treatment of women is... not great. They're all written as hyper-realistic versions of stereotypes instead of having any substance at all, while the narrative tries to position James as a hero. He commits some very hideous acts against the women in his life, so I found it impossible to in any way feel sympathy for him.
The dialogue is stilted and it's downright boring reading any scene descriptions with how repetitive it is. The descriptions of the worms are great, it makes you feel icky and genuinely quite scared at points.
It just sucks in a horror novel when you can predict from the first few chapters everything that's going to unfold, and have a good inkling of why. I will say the ending was quite fun, but if I was bored listening to the literal audiobook on 2x speed, then.... I can't recommend it! I'm sorry!
I'm glad I read this, because I want to read horror of all eras, but that didn't stop it from being boring.
June 25, 2019
Worms is largely a family-ish drama with some psychological thriller elements. The horror aspect only comes into play in about the last hour of the audiobook. And at that it's more of the disgusting sort of horror rather than the scary sort.
As I've come to expect from Hannibal Hills, the narration was absolutely fantastic. He has a fantastic range of voices with vocal inflections that are almost always spot on and a variable tempo, which almost perfectly illustrates the tension of any given scene.
The honest truth is the majority of the reason I listened to this audiobook was for Hannibal's narration.
Okay, the first thing to understand is this is a first person book written in 1979. As such, I'm actually very impressed with the writing.
As was the standard in those days, it's adverb heavy and relies extensively on passive voice and telling. But apart from that it is extremely well written with a compelling voice.
It takes a lot to keep me interested in a first person narrative because in the main I hate the style. So I have to give the author kudos for that.
That being said, when I found this book in the horror section I was expecting some sort of scare. Either a psychological, supernatural, or literal monster.
Sadly, this book has none of these.
We get lots of references to the worms and how the protagonist is terrified of them, but nothing really happens with them until the last 10-15% of the book.
Prior to that, this book can be beat described as a family drama with psychological thriller elements. In fact, it goes so far that I'm not at all certain this book belongs in the horror category.
Now, once the horror plot comes out it hits full force almost all at once, going from zero to so disgusting I almost threw up within mere moments.
Since that was almost certainly the author's intent, I have to give kudos for that as well.
However, that's not really the sort of horror I enjoy. I would have much preferred something a bit more supernatural and a lot scarier, as I didn't find the book scary at all.
Finally, the ending.
I'm sure the end is meant to be a huge, mind-blowing twist. And I'm sure it would have been, had I not called every aspect of it within the first 30 minutes of the audiobook.
Unfortunately, while I will absolutely continue to follow the narrator to his other works, I have no real desire to read anything further by this author.
As I've come to expect from Hannibal Hills, the narration was absolutely fantastic. He has a fantastic range of voices with vocal inflections that are almost always spot on and a variable tempo, which almost perfectly illustrates the tension of any given scene.
The honest truth is the majority of the reason I listened to this audiobook was for Hannibal's narration.
Okay, the first thing to understand is this is a first person book written in 1979. As such, I'm actually very impressed with the writing.
As was the standard in those days, it's adverb heavy and relies extensively on passive voice and telling. But apart from that it is extremely well written with a compelling voice.
It takes a lot to keep me interested in a first person narrative because in the main I hate the style. So I have to give the author kudos for that.
That being said, when I found this book in the horror section I was expecting some sort of scare. Either a psychological, supernatural, or literal monster.
Sadly, this book has none of these.
We get lots of references to the worms and how the protagonist is terrified of them, but nothing really happens with them until the last 10-15% of the book.
Prior to that, this book can be beat described as a family drama with psychological thriller elements. In fact, it goes so far that I'm not at all certain this book belongs in the horror category.
Now, once the horror plot comes out it hits full force almost all at once, going from zero to so disgusting I almost threw up within mere moments.
Since that was almost certainly the author's intent, I have to give kudos for that as well.
However, that's not really the sort of horror I enjoy. I would have much preferred something a bit more supernatural and a lot scarier, as I didn't find the book scary at all.
Finally, the ending.
I'm sure the end is meant to be a huge, mind-blowing twist. And I'm sure it would have been, had I not called every aspect of it within the first 30 minutes of the audiobook.
Unfortunately, while I will absolutely continue to follow the narrator to his other works, I have no real desire to read anything further by this author.
July 17, 2019
Great build-up. The author manages to keep up the suspense. Especially in the middle part, where it seems the worms have vanished, they're actually still very present, very threatening. Missed out on some sleep to finish it in one go. Very inventive language. Enjoyed the cynical humor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2018
Nothing special writing-wise, but it read like the best Hammer horror movie never made.
August 26, 2021
This was a strange book, from the title alone I expected a horror that focus around the worms, and that's not what I got. Most of the book was about a Man who hated his wife, and wanted to move to the country side. We get details about his life and how much he dislike the woman he married. He did end up killing her, as well as the local man to hide her murder. The worms are just a footnote for a lot of the book. We then get a story about the nuclear reactor that the government plans to build in his new village. I understood the link, but this book was not really a horror as we spend so little time with the monster, with very little build up art from our leading man thinking about how gross they are. I mean I do get it, the real monsters were the humans, but that's not really what I wanted out of this book. 1,5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2020
Unhappy and dominated husband by his wife wants to buy a dilapidated cottage in a small village but his wife does not approve. The husband will do whatever it takes to live there and then the worms start to torment him and mindfuck. A disaster will release billions of squirming, slimey creatures that will engulf and cause physical and psychological devastation. The husband will also face punishment. Well written and loads of layers.
March 31, 2022
I went into this expecting (and hoping for) a cheesy retro horror, like a goosebumps story for an older reader. It was pretty much exactly that but also more, even the downtime in the story was compelling in kind of a weird unsettling way, and the ramping up of the strangeness was surprisingly well paced, and to boot, the setting is in my local area. My only notable gripe is that the language can be repetitive and a little redundant. You don't need to keep telling me how everything is filling you with a sense of foreboding.
April 14, 2025
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book so much! This "lost horror novel" is written in two parts that each have a slightly different tone and genre. Part One focuses on spouse-murder and its resulting paranoia, in the style of Patricia Highsmith. Part Two is the creature-feature that brings out the worms. Sometimes the tone is Gothic, sometimes darkly humorous, sometimes strictly horror. It's a fast read and thoroughly entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews