The Witching

by Fritzen Ravenswood

Genres: Horror

426 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Peter]

The Witching is a pretty wild ride. Kei, a typist hired to finish the memoirs of castle owner Simon, soon discovers that both of them have plenty of dark secrets in their past. Simon's disturbing relationship with his sister Elaine adds another layer of unease, while the small French village seems to be steeped in witchcraft. Did Kei lose her child because of the witches? Did she kill a man? And can Simon survive the witches' growing assault? The story certainly keeps the questions coming. It's a strange, sometimes cheesy mixture of sex, secrets, witchcraft, and supernatural menace. I actually enjoyed the erotic scenes, but I have to admit I expected more outright horror. It was too heavy on the Gothic side for my liking here. Still, the atmosphere and bizarre twists kept me reading. Not perfect, but an entertaining and unusual occult tale. The cover is stellar though. A recommended blast from the past!

[Alex (The Bookubus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read with lots of occult, lore, sex, and camp. It reads like a B-flick horror movie from the 70's.

[Lydia Owen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plot had too many threads and too many plot holes. The romance between Kei and Simon felt unbelievable and the whole incest side plot was a lot. The characters were super unlikeable (in Elaine, Simon, and Tommys case), and the book felt more like a thriller than an actual horror novel. The "scares" felt lackluster and while the satanists were interesting, the plot didn't focus enough on the actual fun stuff. I wanted more satanic rituals and murder.

[Rachel Garms · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has quite a handful of elements that I think are in there for shock value but are decently well done. I think it really embodies gothic cringe/shock. I would say if you want something weird and dark this is a good book for that.

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a pretty boring read. I skimmed most of it, definitely not enough witchy / Satan worship involved and I'd hardly call it a horror novel. the way the characters interacted with eachother was so odd and cartoonish

[Reevrb · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a 450 page novel I usually read 100 pages to see if it is worthy of my time...I read 150 pages and what a snooze fest!