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Dark Shadows #1
Dark Shadows (Library Edition)
Dark Shadows (December 1966)
Despite warnings from the townspeople, Victoria Winters accepts the offer to come to the strange Collinwood as Governess. For some curious reason she feels the secret of her past may be uncovered in the bleak manor high on Widow’s Hill.
From the Moment she arrives, Victoria becomes the target of someone in the house determined to destroy her.
As the wind moans and the rain lashes around the isolated Collinwood, Victoria, without friends in the manor, feels death close in on her, a choking, frightening death
Despite warnings from the townspeople, Victoria Winters accepts the offer to come to the strange Collinwood as Governess. For some curious reason she feels the secret of her past may be uncovered in the bleak manor high on Widow’s Hill.
From the Moment she arrives, Victoria becomes the target of someone in the house determined to destroy her.
As the wind moans and the rain lashes around the isolated Collinwood, Victoria, without friends in the manor, feels death close in on her, a choking, frightening death
Audio CD
First published December 1, 1966
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922 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Ross
136 books61 followersWilliam Edward Daniel Ross, W. E. Daniel "Dan" Ross (born 1912) is a bestselling Canadian novelist from Saint John, New Brunswick who wrote over 300 books in a variety of genres and under a variety of mostly female pseudonyms such as Laura Frances Brooks, Lydia Colby, Rose Dana, Jan Daniels, Olin Ross, Diane Randall, Clarissa Ross, Leslie Ames, Ruth Dorset, Ann Gilmer, Jane Rossiter, Dan Ross, Dana Ross, Marilyn Ross, Dan Roberts, and W.E.D. Ross. As Marilyn Ross he wrote popular Gothic fiction including a series of novels about the vampire Barnabas Collins based on the American TV series Dark Shadows (1966-71).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
December 27, 2019
My 2020 goal might just be to read all 32 of these Dark Shadows books.
I'm in love with everything. The macabre mansion, the groovy '60s backdrop, the swirling mystery on every page. All the brooding, enigmatic characters. I went in knowing nothing except the Tim Burton movie, but I'd erased that travesty from my mind long ago, so basically a blank slate. Everything is still a surprise.
I'm not familiar with the TV show (yet), but it appears these books are original plots utilizing the same universe and characters rather than novelizations. In any case, the writing is so good it doesn't matter. The story (basically Jane Eyre) moves methodically, adding layer upon layer of suspense and mystery. The build-up to Victoria Winters' arrival at Collins House was so thick with tension, Ross had me panting with desire for what happens next.
It's a short read--150 pages, or 5ish hours on audio--but doesn't feel that way. Gothic novels of the '60s and '70s were designed to be lean so readers could devour them quickly and buy more. It's a shame that trend has faded. The general fault of most novels, I believe, is that they're bloated with excess. It's refreshing to read something where every word effectively pushes the plot forward.
In 2020, these books will no longer be difficult to find. Facsimiles of the original paperbacks are becoming available, making the task of hunting down affordable used copies less necessary. Even more thrilling, however, is that all 32 titles have been recorded for audio by original cast member Kathryn Leigh Scott.
Kathryn's narration blew me away. The 77-year-old actress masterfully navigates Ross' prose and embodies all the characters, from doe-eyed Victoria Winters, to the stately woman of the Collins House, to the attractive gentlemen who reside therein. I'll probably spring for the physical books at some point, just to see them on my shelf, but audio is the way to go. Suddenly my long commute has transformed from a living hell to a living Gothic soap opera.
If the 31 other books in the series are as entertaining as this one, it's going to be wild ride!
I'm in love with everything. The macabre mansion, the groovy '60s backdrop, the swirling mystery on every page. All the brooding, enigmatic characters. I went in knowing nothing except the Tim Burton movie, but I'd erased that travesty from my mind long ago, so basically a blank slate. Everything is still a surprise.
I'm not familiar with the TV show (yet), but it appears these books are original plots utilizing the same universe and characters rather than novelizations. In any case, the writing is so good it doesn't matter. The story (basically Jane Eyre) moves methodically, adding layer upon layer of suspense and mystery. The build-up to Victoria Winters' arrival at Collins House was so thick with tension, Ross had me panting with desire for what happens next.
It's a short read--150 pages, or 5ish hours on audio--but doesn't feel that way. Gothic novels of the '60s and '70s were designed to be lean so readers could devour them quickly and buy more. It's a shame that trend has faded. The general fault of most novels, I believe, is that they're bloated with excess. It's refreshing to read something where every word effectively pushes the plot forward.
In 2020, these books will no longer be difficult to find. Facsimiles of the original paperbacks are becoming available, making the task of hunting down affordable used copies less necessary. Even more thrilling, however, is that all 32 titles have been recorded for audio by original cast member Kathryn Leigh Scott.
Kathryn's narration blew me away. The 77-year-old actress masterfully navigates Ross' prose and embodies all the characters, from doe-eyed Victoria Winters, to the stately woman of the Collins House, to the attractive gentlemen who reside therein. I'll probably spring for the physical books at some point, just to see them on my shelf, but audio is the way to go. Suddenly my long commute has transformed from a living hell to a living Gothic soap opera.
If the 31 other books in the series are as entertaining as this one, it's going to be wild ride!
June 15, 2025
I've never seen the TV show, but I figured I'd give the books a read since they seemed right up my alley. Now that I've finished the first, I'm absolutely reading the other 31 books too.
The spooky gothic atmosphere was on point, as soon as it started, I felt as if I was in a Vincent Price movie. The audiobook was definitely the way to go, because of the music, and narrator.
The mystery was intriguing, I like that some of it was solved, but not the whole thing, so you do have to continue reading to find out the truth along with Victoria.
Romance wise, there were a few choices that I found to be more interesting than Ernest, but I'm not the main character sooo...we'll see how all of that develops later on.
I'm really glad I picked this up.
The spooky gothic atmosphere was on point, as soon as it started, I felt as if I was in a Vincent Price movie. The audiobook was definitely the way to go, because of the music, and narrator.
The mystery was intriguing, I like that some of it was solved, but not the whole thing, so you do have to continue reading to find out the truth along with Victoria.
Romance wise, there were a few choices that I found to be more interesting than Ernest, but I'm not the main character sooo...we'll see how all of that develops later on.
I'm really glad I picked this up.
January 22, 2012
This is #1 in a series of 32 novels inspired by the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. Dark Shadows ran on ABC Daytime from 1966 and 1971 and became a cult phenomenon in its day. In the 41 years since its cancellation it has become the show that just won't die! It has spawned two---soon to be THREE--- movies, a 1991 TV remake, two different comic book series and these 32 books, along with later publications by authors other than Marilyn Ross.
Canadian Dan ("Marilyn") Ross wrote the original book series and though no William Shakespeare, he was very prolific. As a kid I collected all 32 titles. Though often unimpressed by the quality of the writing, I enjoyed these brand-new adventures of the Collins family. Ross created alternate storylines, storylines never seen on the show, and that held my interest. And after the cancellation of the show in 1971 I came to treasure these little paperbacks all the more for the happy memories they evoked.
DARK SHADOWS introduces our heroine: Victoria Winters, a personable young woman searching for clues to her past. As an infant she was abandoned on the steps of a New York foundling home, no one knows why, and ever since has been trying to locate or at least identify her parents. She accepts a job as governess to young David Collins at Collins House in Maine because of a few tenuous leads. Will this wealthy, aristocratic family give her the answers she seeks? Could she actually be a long-lost Collins herself? Ross never provides definitive answers but lets the poor girl stumble all over clues, to no avail, for the next few volumes. He gets a lot of mileage out of her pain!
Some of the descriptions of the house and grounds are quite good. And ditto for the character development of reclusive Elizabeth, drunken sot Roger and teen rebel Carolyn. And let's not forget Victoria's love interest: violinist Ernest Collins, a brooding hero with deep, dark secrets of his own. DARK SHADOWS has all the Gothic elements including a creepy old house, family scandals and even a mad woman locked away somewhere! It's highly derivative but hey, it's also fun. This first book doesn't delve into the supernatural but never fear. In later titles Dan ("Marilyn") Ross will give us enough hauntings to last a lifetime!
Canadian Dan ("Marilyn") Ross wrote the original book series and though no William Shakespeare, he was very prolific. As a kid I collected all 32 titles. Though often unimpressed by the quality of the writing, I enjoyed these brand-new adventures of the Collins family. Ross created alternate storylines, storylines never seen on the show, and that held my interest. And after the cancellation of the show in 1971 I came to treasure these little paperbacks all the more for the happy memories they evoked.
DARK SHADOWS introduces our heroine: Victoria Winters, a personable young woman searching for clues to her past. As an infant she was abandoned on the steps of a New York foundling home, no one knows why, and ever since has been trying to locate or at least identify her parents. She accepts a job as governess to young David Collins at Collins House in Maine because of a few tenuous leads. Will this wealthy, aristocratic family give her the answers she seeks? Could she actually be a long-lost Collins herself? Ross never provides definitive answers but lets the poor girl stumble all over clues, to no avail, for the next few volumes. He gets a lot of mileage out of her pain!
Some of the descriptions of the house and grounds are quite good. And ditto for the character development of reclusive Elizabeth, drunken sot Roger and teen rebel Carolyn. And let's not forget Victoria's love interest: violinist Ernest Collins, a brooding hero with deep, dark secrets of his own. DARK SHADOWS has all the Gothic elements including a creepy old house, family scandals and even a mad woman locked away somewhere! It's highly derivative but hey, it's also fun. This first book doesn't delve into the supernatural but never fear. In later titles Dan ("Marilyn") Ross will give us enough hauntings to last a lifetime!
March 10, 2021
Great book and audio gave a vintage feel with the music.
December 12, 2016
This was the first Dark Shadows tie-in novel written by Dan Ross under the pen name "Marilyn Ross" (his wife's name was Marilyn).
In addition to being an actor and a playwright, Ross wrote approximately 300 novels, and may be the most prolific Canadian author of all time. He churned out multiple series under different pen names in a variety of genres, including Gothic romances with titles like "Haunting of Fog Island," "Beware My Love!," and "Secret of the Pale Lover," so he was a natural to write a series of tie-ins with ABC's Gothic daytime soap opera, Dark Shadows.
This novel follows the framework established by the first six months or so of Dark Shadows, in which Victoria Winters leaves the foundling home in New York where she grew up to work as a governess in the remote mansion Collinwood (called "Collins House" in the novel). The members of the Collins clan are the same in the novel as the TV series, except for one major addition -- a violinist cousin named Ernest. (Remember, this was before the most famous Collins became a part of the series, the vampire Barnabas Collins.)
Unless you love cheapjack Gothic romances, there's probably no reason to read this novel unless you're a Dark Shadows fan. If you are a Dark Shadows fan, it's a quick, entertaining read.
In addition to being an actor and a playwright, Ross wrote approximately 300 novels, and may be the most prolific Canadian author of all time. He churned out multiple series under different pen names in a variety of genres, including Gothic romances with titles like "Haunting of Fog Island," "Beware My Love!," and "Secret of the Pale Lover," so he was a natural to write a series of tie-ins with ABC's Gothic daytime soap opera, Dark Shadows.
This novel follows the framework established by the first six months or so of Dark Shadows, in which Victoria Winters leaves the foundling home in New York where she grew up to work as a governess in the remote mansion Collinwood (called "Collins House" in the novel). The members of the Collins clan are the same in the novel as the TV series, except for one major addition -- a violinist cousin named Ernest. (Remember, this was before the most famous Collins became a part of the series, the vampire Barnabas Collins.)
Unless you love cheapjack Gothic romances, there's probably no reason to read this novel unless you're a Dark Shadows fan. If you are a Dark Shadows fan, it's a quick, entertaining read.
December 3, 2022
I remember rushing home from school to watch the soap opera Dark Shadows when I was a kid and I vaguely remember reading some of the books in this series, though I recall no details.
This is the first book in the series (free to read on Kindle Unlimited) and I really enjoyed it. Sure, it's quite dated, but I lived through the sixties and seventies so it felt pleasantly nostalgic.
I'll be continuing this series, for sure.
This is the first book in the series (free to read on Kindle Unlimited) and I really enjoyed it. Sure, it's quite dated, but I lived through the sixties and seventies so it felt pleasantly nostalgic.
I'll be continuing this series, for sure.
May 26, 2014
I am including only the first book in the series, although I do own all of them. This was the first tie-in to a television series that I had ever read. Oh, there were "one offs" and limited titles for some shows, but this was the first time that I had encountered such a huge selection of titles. With the exception of the tie-in to the theatrical release of HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS, these were essentially new stories that relied on plot twists that were revealed in the series. As such, they made delightful companion pieces.
The author adopted a woman's name to write the series. No doubt, it was thought that a woman would be a greater attraction to series fans. After all, the series narrator for many years was the character of Victoria Winters.
The true joy of all of these books was that they effectively enhanced the gothic tone of the series. I suppose that shouldn't be surprising considering the various works that had been the inspiration for the television episodes. However, the writing didn't resort to the "dumbed down, elementary" writing style that plagued so many other tie-ins. I can still read these today and enjoy being transported back to Collinwood.
The author adopted a woman's name to write the series. No doubt, it was thought that a woman would be a greater attraction to series fans. After all, the series narrator for many years was the character of Victoria Winters.
The true joy of all of these books was that they effectively enhanced the gothic tone of the series. I suppose that shouldn't be surprising considering the various works that had been the inspiration for the television episodes. However, the writing didn't resort to the "dumbed down, elementary" writing style that plagued so many other tie-ins. I can still read these today and enjoy being transported back to Collinwood.
September 24, 2024
I'm currently making my way through the Dark Shadows TV series, so I thought this was a good time to read the novels. I thought these were basically just adaptations of the TV show, but it's not. It's almost like re-imaginings of certain points in the show.
This first volume shows Victoria Winters arriving at Collinsport, although it plays out much differently than in the TV series. The characters we know are a little different, and we have some characters that never appeared in the show.
I personally like this a lot better than just re-hashing TV scripts. This first novel is a by the book Gothic Romance, and it works great with the familiar characters. Barnabus hasn't even shown up yet, but this was still very good. I hope the entire series maintains this quality.
This first volume shows Victoria Winters arriving at Collinsport, although it plays out much differently than in the TV series. The characters we know are a little different, and we have some characters that never appeared in the show.
I personally like this a lot better than just re-hashing TV scripts. This first novel is a by the book Gothic Romance, and it works great with the familiar characters. Barnabus hasn't even shown up yet, but this was still very good. I hope the entire series maintains this quality.
April 25, 2023
I've been on a serious Dark Shadows kick for a couple of years now. I probably should have gotten into it earlier, I haven't yet made it through the show and now that the movie came out the tv stuff is apparently back in high demand, the show is a pain to get on NetFlix all of a sudden, these books were expensive despite there being a fair amount of them for sale, etc. Still I managed to pick up 9 of the series for a decent price so I was happy as I didn't want to pay too much since I wasn't sure what to expect.
If you like the show, you'll probably like this book. It's basically a slight re-telling of Victoria's arrival to Collinwood. As she arrives in town she's warned, the Collins are an odd family. Creepy even. If she were smart she'd just head right back out of town before it's too late. She, however, is convinced that the answers to who she is can be found in or near Collinwood. She never knew her parents, but it is odd that money was sent to the home where she was raised from near Collinwood and then she's specifically requested as a governess without having met them.
The child she'll be caring for, David, is too smart for his own good, but is also unloved by his father and a bit of a demonchild. David's aunt, Elizabeth, runs very cold and has not left the house for eighteen years. Elizabeth's daughter, Carolyn, is quite the opposite or her mother -- she's always out and about. David's father, Roger, is a lush who doesn't seem to care about much expect maybe harassing people -- especially women. Ernest, a cousin, a musician is struggling to just survive after a series of tragedies involving women he loved has left him a shell of who he used to be. Matt Morgan, the utterly devoted caretaker of few words.
As Vicky struggles to figure out how she'll fit in with these people, it seems like someone might want her dead.
It reads very much like a few episodes of the classic tv show.
If you like the show, you'll probably like this book. It's basically a slight re-telling of Victoria's arrival to Collinwood. As she arrives in town she's warned, the Collins are an odd family. Creepy even. If she were smart she'd just head right back out of town before it's too late. She, however, is convinced that the answers to who she is can be found in or near Collinwood. She never knew her parents, but it is odd that money was sent to the home where she was raised from near Collinwood and then she's specifically requested as a governess without having met them.
The child she'll be caring for, David, is too smart for his own good, but is also unloved by his father and a bit of a demonchild. David's aunt, Elizabeth, runs very cold and has not left the house for eighteen years. Elizabeth's daughter, Carolyn, is quite the opposite or her mother -- she's always out and about. David's father, Roger, is a lush who doesn't seem to care about much expect maybe harassing people -- especially women. Ernest, a cousin, a musician is struggling to just survive after a series of tragedies involving women he loved has left him a shell of who he used to be. Matt Morgan, the utterly devoted caretaker of few words.
As Vicky struggles to figure out how she'll fit in with these people, it seems like someone might want her dead.
It reads very much like a few episodes of the classic tv show.
July 2, 2012
I was fairly impressed with the book. The writing was tight and fairly well done, if dated. Telling the story entirely from Victoria's point of view helped maintain the suspense. Had a nice romance/soap opera feel to it. I'm looking forward to continuing the series to see how it changes as the more paranormal aspects of Dark Shadows come to the fore.
October 5, 2020
Full on melodrama!
Not my first reading and I doubt my last, I've a whole heap of these books and as in this one Victoria does keep investigating things that go bump in the night (usually with a dodgy torch or candelabra that's easily blown out)
Suspenseful and fun is the best way to discribe this book. A nice solid 4 star read! Perfect for Autumn, Dark Nights and the lead up to Halloween....
Not my first reading and I doubt my last, I've a whole heap of these books and as in this one Victoria does keep investigating things that go bump in the night (usually with a dodgy torch or candelabra that's easily blown out)
Suspenseful and fun is the best way to discribe this book. A nice solid 4 star read! Perfect for Autumn, Dark Nights and the lead up to Halloween....
March 31, 2013
Hooray for Gothic Romance! Although I never was a fan of the TV show, I read quite a few of these "Marilyn Ross" Dark Shadows books when I was about nine or ten years old. I was seriously into vampires, werewolves, and creaky old mansions back then. I still have a soft spot for such things.
I'm now over 50, and surprised to find that this book reads as well for me as it does. It's predictable and formulaic. The characters don't have a whole lot of depth, but they are adequately (although sometimes awkwardly)depicted. The prose is very clear and clean and easy to digest. The accessible prose is probably one of the main reasons I liked these books so much when I was a kid.
This was the perfect thing to read while recovering from another spell of "bad back" and simultaneously enduring the worst allergy season in years. An easy distraction, and a slightly guilty pleasure. (Yes, I SHOULD have been reading Wuthering Heights or The Moonstone, or Rebecca, or maybe even Anna Karenina!)
Ross carefully keeps the main character's central quest unresolved, but takes care to resolve the immediate mystery of the book (there's an unidentified person lurking in the Collins Mansion, where Victoria has come to live as the tutor to the young David Collins.)
This is a good set-up for a continuing series! Fortunately, I got the first five or six books in the Dark Shadows series from an eBay auction. It's amazing how effectively eBay has permitted me to re-explore my childhood. The next time I'm sick or down in the dumps, I'll pull out another Dark Shadows novel.
I'm now over 50, and surprised to find that this book reads as well for me as it does. It's predictable and formulaic. The characters don't have a whole lot of depth, but they are adequately (although sometimes awkwardly)depicted. The prose is very clear and clean and easy to digest. The accessible prose is probably one of the main reasons I liked these books so much when I was a kid.
This was the perfect thing to read while recovering from another spell of "bad back" and simultaneously enduring the worst allergy season in years. An easy distraction, and a slightly guilty pleasure. (Yes, I SHOULD have been reading Wuthering Heights or The Moonstone, or Rebecca, or maybe even Anna Karenina!)
Ross carefully keeps the main character's central quest unresolved, but takes care to resolve the immediate mystery of the book (there's an unidentified person lurking in the Collins Mansion, where Victoria has come to live as the tutor to the young David Collins.)
This is a good set-up for a continuing series! Fortunately, I got the first five or six books in the Dark Shadows series from an eBay auction. It's amazing how effectively eBay has permitted me to re-explore my childhood. The next time I'm sick or down in the dumps, I'll pull out another Dark Shadows novel.
April 5, 2020
2020, During COVID 19 Shelter in Place -
I found something I can actually finish! I have a LOT of these and Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry mason's, so at least I can grab one if I keep having trouble reading! I finished this last night then went back and watched a few hours of the original show and the first two episodes of the revival. Man, I love this silly little franchise. Well, not that Depp travesty, but everything else.
2018 -
The cover of this book is very misleading! This little tome only covers Victoria Winters initial arrival at Collins House and her quick love triangle.
I watched this show religiously as a child and had forgotten how melodramatic it was! Not only is it overtly (and ridiculously) romantic, what with no less than three love interests for this 20 year old foundling (seriously, she is called a foundling over and over!) but there is also poor Ernest's terribly horrific and sad love life. Oh! And Elaine. How did I forget Elaine?
I've ordered a lot of twenty of these books from eBay. Who knew that with a cover price of $0.50 they could cost so much, but oh wasn't it a pleasure to fall back into the glorious melodrama? I have no idea in which book good old Barnabus will show up, by I will be breathlessly anticipating his arrival the entire time I read!
I found something I can actually finish! I have a LOT of these and Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry mason's, so at least I can grab one if I keep having trouble reading! I finished this last night then went back and watched a few hours of the original show and the first two episodes of the revival. Man, I love this silly little franchise. Well, not that Depp travesty, but everything else.
2018 -
The cover of this book is very misleading! This little tome only covers Victoria Winters initial arrival at Collins House and her quick love triangle.
I watched this show religiously as a child and had forgotten how melodramatic it was! Not only is it overtly (and ridiculously) romantic, what with no less than three love interests for this 20 year old foundling (seriously, she is called a foundling over and over!) but there is also poor Ernest's terribly horrific and sad love life. Oh! And Elaine. How did I forget Elaine?
I've ordered a lot of twenty of these books from eBay. Who knew that with a cover price of $0.50 they could cost so much, but oh wasn't it a pleasure to fall back into the glorious melodrama? I have no idea in which book good old Barnabus will show up, by I will be breathlessly anticipating his arrival the entire time I read!
September 4, 2019
Fun to revisit this as an audiobook read by Kathryn Leigh Scott.
August 24, 2022
Book one and where it all started. I loved watching this old tv series when I was a kid and recently discovered that hoopla has these on audiobook. They are corny but I love them 🤣
May 18, 2024
I happened to find my copy of this in a box of books, and shamelessly indulged in this nostalgia read. Ross does a good job of capturing the gloomy atmosphere of the show and it clipped along at a great pace. Honestly, I enjoyed it much more than I expected (or probably should), so this rating is completely a personal one and not objective in the least (it is still a melodramatic gothic soap). Will I read the next one in the series? We'll see -- there are a lot of other books out there. But, I am not opposed to carrying on. Tune in next week...
July 29, 2023
This first in a long series of books based on the 1960s gothic soap opera captures well the vibe of the pre-Barnabas episodes. It’s fun pulp and gives a bigger nod to Jane Eyre than the TV show does.
January 18, 2020
The first book in the series of novels based on the TV show Dark Shadows. This is part of a series through audible where the books are read by Katherine Leigh Scott, who played Maggie Evans on the show. She was wonderful. Having know the principle players, she captured their voices as she read. It was like watching the show.
January 10, 2023
Man, the nostalgia I have for this bizarre show translates easily into an obsession for these Gothic novels. A creepy old house full of inbred weirdos? Oh, yes! The dizzy naïveté of Victoria Winters as she teeters through the sledgehammer subtlety of the other characters is magical.
June 28, 2020
3.5 stars. I’m interested enough to keep reading the series even though it is a very dated story.
July 10, 2020
Using the same characters from the wildly popular cult daytime soap opera, author William Edward Daniel Ross, writing as Marilyn Ross, flawlessly recreates the creepy atmosphere and questionable characters. The experienced Canadian author has written over 300 novels and was contracted to write all 32 of the Dark Shadows novels of the initial 1966 run from Paperback Library.
The dialogue so perfectly matches the show, I found myself hearing the actors speaking the lines in my head. While the story does not continue with the show continuity, the book uses the same characters and moves into new stories and subplots, keeping the same style and flavor of what made the show so great.
My only complaint, besides the slightly high paperback price, is the text formatting. The right side of every page is not aligned down the column and looks very unprofessional. I also found a handful of typos that should have been caught in the editing stage. But those technical errors aside, I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.
The dialogue so perfectly matches the show, I found myself hearing the actors speaking the lines in my head. While the story does not continue with the show continuity, the book uses the same characters and moves into new stories and subplots, keeping the same style and flavor of what made the show so great.
My only complaint, besides the slightly high paperback price, is the text formatting. The right side of every page is not aligned down the column and looks very unprofessional. I also found a handful of typos that should have been caught in the editing stage. But those technical errors aside, I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.
May 6, 2022
I grew up watching Dark Shadows, but never read the books. This series is more of an alternate timeline to the series. It's the start of the series where Vicki arrives to Collinsport to be David's governess, but different events happen and there's a couple more characters than in the show. I think it was well-written. It was definitely enjoyable. The plot twist was expected, I thought. I had a couple running theories and the twist was one of them so I was disappointed in that. There's issues regarding mental health in this book. Ernest (bonus Collins) is depressed so he must be "insane". I'm guessing that outlook was common back in the day, but it's still very cringey. However, I do definitely recommend this book.
Audiobook note: Katheryn Leigh Scott, actress who played Maggie, narrates this series. She doesn't try to mimic the voices of the cast in the original show which seems like a shame but also nice. Overall, I like how she reads. For May 2022 this book is a bonus borrow on Hoopla and you should take advantage of that if you can.
Cover note: Barnabas isn't in this book whatsoever. I'm guessing he's on the cover so the book might have sold more copies.
Audiobook note: Katheryn Leigh Scott, actress who played Maggie, narrates this series. She doesn't try to mimic the voices of the cast in the original show which seems like a shame but also nice. Overall, I like how she reads. For May 2022 this book is a bonus borrow on Hoopla and you should take advantage of that if you can.
Cover note: Barnabas isn't in this book whatsoever. I'm guessing he's on the cover so the book might have sold more copies.
August 16, 2021
I am a big fan of both the original Dark Shadows soap opera as well as gothic novels in general so I'm sure I have a predisposition to enjoy this novel, and I did. The writing is more than adequate but not phenomenal. It is a tight, straightforward, fast reading book. But what I really appreciated was the original storylines. These aren't television novelizations but stories told in the same universe with the same characters.
June 26, 2024
Fun to step back in time, into such a pop culture phenomenon from my Mom's childhood. But it was pretty cringey with the instalove and the ending was VERY abrupt. I will probably pick up the next in the series though, because it was interesting. Plus I have to at least make it to when Barnabas Collins enters the plot!
September 26, 2025
As a lover of this show as a child, this book was everything I wanted it to be! I discovered possibly the whole audio series on hoopla, and I’m excited to read more gothic drama involving Victoria Winters at Collins House this spooky season 👻
February 25, 2023
It is not in any way great literature, but it is amazingly dedicated to its modern gothic aestethic
June 5, 2025
I really liked Tim Burton’s version of this and was surprised that this book wasn’t supernatural at all but was still very good.
September 5, 2020
It was good. Older book, but pretty good!
February 1, 2024
Marilyn's Maiden Voyage a Suspenseful Success
A very enjoyable and compelling read. I would reach the end of one chapter and want to read on into the next. Like the television series, the cliffhangers keep one eagerly anticipating the events of next installment. But... Dan "Marilyn" Ross' first of 32 novelizations veers far from the Collinswood continuity fans of the soap opera know--and love.
The changes were so drastic at times I had to consciously remind myself to relegate the books to a separate and parallel continuity. The greatest deviation from the series was introducing a hitherto-unknown member of the Collins family: Ernest Collins, a renowned violinist Vicky was starstruck to meet, having listened to him on the radio in New York. The tragic loves and losses of this eccentric resident of the Collinwood--called Collins House by Ross--never appeared on TV and seems to have been a plot device concocted for this book's plot, of which he is the commanding figure.
Closely connected to that break from established continuity comes Victoria Winters acting surprisingly different from the reserved and cerebral young woman we know. I mean, she's lip locking with Ernest just a few chapters in on what is only her second or third day at Collinwood! Later Liz spies her smooching handsome young attorney Will Grant! Yeah, boy-crazy Carolyn you expect it from--but Vicky?
Speaking of Will Grant, he's the knight in shining armor who rescues Vicky after the cab suffers a flat tire driving her to Collinwood for the first time. No sharing a cab with Burke Devlin, with whom she unwittingly rode the train to Maine in the series. To me, the fact Vicky and Burke arrived in Collinsport together was significant, giving them a bond, one the series leveraged for great effect. I disiked Ross' revisionist history, the purpose of which was to establish Will as a competing suitor for Vicky's affections.
In the book, instead of meeting Burke Devlin in that memorable scene at the train station, Vicky meets him only near the tail-end of the book on the sidewalk outside the Collins General Store. No mention is made of Burke's unjust jail sentence or his nursing a king-sized grudge against the Collins family (Roger in particular).
Ross also presents the Collins family as local powerbrokers. In addition to owning the cannery and its fishing fleet, most of the "shabby main street" bears their storied name.
The largest of the stores was the Collins General Store. 'It's ours,' Carolyn announced parking her car in front of it. 'We own this store, the hotel and movie house. They're planning to close it and build a drive-in theater.' (p. 140)
Despite such holdings and ambitious plans to build a drive-in theater, the Collinses are presented as poor, struggling to maintain the pretense of wealth. The grounds are overgrown and unkept. They have only one employee, surly Matt Morgan, who spends an inordinate amount of time tinkering (and/or sabotaging) cars instead of mowing the grass and trimming the hedges. Most shocking of all, Elizabeth Stoddard does all the cooking! And yet... when Carolyn needs a car, she gets a new convertible. Ernest spends a few chapters traveling on a concert tour. There is obviously money, but Liz is miserly with it.
Another jarring mischaracterization was Roger, presented as a drunken lush who pawed Vicky in a disturbing encounter in the captain's walk. He's also seen as a neglectful father who is ready to thrash David when the kid is just suspected of misdeeds. Okay, maybe Roger on TV never did stray far from the drawing room bar and was always pouring himself a brandy. And yeah, he wasn't winning any dad-of-the-year awards, but he was always dignified and respectful of Victoria. Ross' portraying him as a lust-crazed creep just didn't jibe with his characterization as a sophisticated albeit amoral narcissist.
Elizabeth suffered in much the same way, with Ross carrying Liz's aloofness and regal bearing to a sinister extreme. She gaslights Vicky on a number of occasions, and by the book's end is a character who cannot be trusted. (And c'mon, Liz knew darn well all along about that secret passage!)
Once again, I suffered cognitive dissonance when reading many scenes because in my mind's eye I saw Joan Bennett, Louis Edmonds, Alexandra Moltke, and Nancy Barrett (oh, and Thayer David as the menacing Matthew Morgan!). Edmonds molesting Moltke? That just did not compute!
Collinwood is a character in itself, and Ross masterfully brought it to life. He did an outstanding job making the place feel sprawling and filled with long corridors and mysterious spaces, far beyond the few rooms and foyer we see on the screen. Additionally, Ross describes the grounds, the footpaths leading to the cliffs, and the sea stretching to the east. I will take Ross' vivid pictures of Collinwood with me to enrich the TV experience. In ways such as this, the books and series serve as strong complements.
Despite being on the cover of my battered 1969 paperback, Barnabas does not appear in this novel. And neither do Sam or Maggie Evans. Burke has only that several-paragraph cameo, and Joe Haskell gets about the same short shrift. Joe's pictured as a Blue Whale barfly , one Liz disapproves of, and not the upstanding, industrious young man of the series. The Blue Whale itself is transformed by Ross into a young people hangout, with loud music and kids frugging on the dance floor--far from the quiet Archie Bunker's Place it is portrayed as on the tube.
I was thoroughly enjoying this book and it was on a four-star trajectory when it suddenly took a nosedive into a schlocky B-horror movie--the kind that would play on the lower-half of the bill at the Collins Drive-In. (One such flick with a very apt title I vividly recall catching on the late show as a kid was Don't Look in the Basement.)
The book was firing on all cylinders until the final couple chapters, so still a strong and satisfying read and one recommended to all my fellow devotees of Dark Shadows. I bought 28 of the 32 paperbacks in a lot sale off eBay and plan to pore over and press through 'em as I am doing with the television series. I'm only up to episode 233, so will align airdates and publishing dates and enjoy accordingly. Me, I greatly enjoyed the early months of the series when it was finding its footing, before Barnabas came along and quickly dominated both on the screen and in prose (from the sixth book on every single one bears Barnabas' name in its title). I plan to savor these first five books before it's all-Barnabas all the time!
A very enjoyable and compelling read. I would reach the end of one chapter and want to read on into the next. Like the television series, the cliffhangers keep one eagerly anticipating the events of next installment. But... Dan "Marilyn" Ross' first of 32 novelizations veers far from the Collinswood continuity fans of the soap opera know--and love.
The changes were so drastic at times I had to consciously remind myself to relegate the books to a separate and parallel continuity. The greatest deviation from the series was introducing a hitherto-unknown member of the Collins family: Ernest Collins, a renowned violinist Vicky was starstruck to meet, having listened to him on the radio in New York. The tragic loves and losses of this eccentric resident of the Collinwood--called Collins House by Ross--never appeared on TV and seems to have been a plot device concocted for this book's plot, of which he is the commanding figure.
Closely connected to that break from established continuity comes Victoria Winters acting surprisingly different from the reserved and cerebral young woman we know. I mean, she's lip locking with Ernest just a few chapters in on what is only her second or third day at Collinwood! Later Liz spies her smooching handsome young attorney Will Grant! Yeah, boy-crazy Carolyn you expect it from--but Vicky?
Speaking of Will Grant, he's the knight in shining armor who rescues Vicky after the cab suffers a flat tire driving her to Collinwood for the first time. No sharing a cab with Burke Devlin, with whom she unwittingly rode the train to Maine in the series. To me, the fact Vicky and Burke arrived in Collinsport together was significant, giving them a bond, one the series leveraged for great effect. I disiked Ross' revisionist history, the purpose of which was to establish Will as a competing suitor for Vicky's affections.
In the book, instead of meeting Burke Devlin in that memorable scene at the train station, Vicky meets him only near the tail-end of the book on the sidewalk outside the Collins General Store. No mention is made of Burke's unjust jail sentence or his nursing a king-sized grudge against the Collins family (Roger in particular).
Ross also presents the Collins family as local powerbrokers. In addition to owning the cannery and its fishing fleet, most of the "shabby main street" bears their storied name.
The largest of the stores was the Collins General Store. 'It's ours,' Carolyn announced parking her car in front of it. 'We own this store, the hotel and movie house. They're planning to close it and build a drive-in theater.' (p. 140)
Despite such holdings and ambitious plans to build a drive-in theater, the Collinses are presented as poor, struggling to maintain the pretense of wealth. The grounds are overgrown and unkept. They have only one employee, surly Matt Morgan, who spends an inordinate amount of time tinkering (and/or sabotaging) cars instead of mowing the grass and trimming the hedges. Most shocking of all, Elizabeth Stoddard does all the cooking! And yet... when Carolyn needs a car, she gets a new convertible. Ernest spends a few chapters traveling on a concert tour. There is obviously money, but Liz is miserly with it.
Another jarring mischaracterization was Roger, presented as a drunken lush who pawed Vicky in a disturbing encounter in the captain's walk. He's also seen as a neglectful father who is ready to thrash David when the kid is just suspected of misdeeds. Okay, maybe Roger on TV never did stray far from the drawing room bar and was always pouring himself a brandy. And yeah, he wasn't winning any dad-of-the-year awards, but he was always dignified and respectful of Victoria. Ross' portraying him as a lust-crazed creep just didn't jibe with his characterization as a sophisticated albeit amoral narcissist.
Elizabeth suffered in much the same way, with Ross carrying Liz's aloofness and regal bearing to a sinister extreme. She gaslights Vicky on a number of occasions, and by the book's end is a character who cannot be trusted. (And c'mon, Liz knew darn well all along about that secret passage!)
Once again, I suffered cognitive dissonance when reading many scenes because in my mind's eye I saw Joan Bennett, Louis Edmonds, Alexandra Moltke, and Nancy Barrett (oh, and Thayer David as the menacing Matthew Morgan!). Edmonds molesting Moltke? That just did not compute!
Collinwood is a character in itself, and Ross masterfully brought it to life. He did an outstanding job making the place feel sprawling and filled with long corridors and mysterious spaces, far beyond the few rooms and foyer we see on the screen. Additionally, Ross describes the grounds, the footpaths leading to the cliffs, and the sea stretching to the east. I will take Ross' vivid pictures of Collinwood with me to enrich the TV experience. In ways such as this, the books and series serve as strong complements.
Despite being on the cover of my battered 1969 paperback, Barnabas does not appear in this novel. And neither do Sam or Maggie Evans. Burke has only that several-paragraph cameo, and Joe Haskell gets about the same short shrift. Joe's pictured as a Blue Whale barfly , one Liz disapproves of, and not the upstanding, industrious young man of the series. The Blue Whale itself is transformed by Ross into a young people hangout, with loud music and kids frugging on the dance floor--far from the quiet Archie Bunker's Place it is portrayed as on the tube.
I was thoroughly enjoying this book and it was on a four-star trajectory when it suddenly took a nosedive into a schlocky B-horror movie--the kind that would play on the lower-half of the bill at the Collins Drive-In. (One such flick with a very apt title I vividly recall catching on the late show as a kid was Don't Look in the Basement.)
The book was firing on all cylinders until the final couple chapters, so still a strong and satisfying read and one recommended to all my fellow devotees of Dark Shadows. I bought 28 of the 32 paperbacks in a lot sale off eBay and plan to pore over and press through 'em as I am doing with the television series. I'm only up to episode 233, so will align airdates and publishing dates and enjoy accordingly. Me, I greatly enjoyed the early months of the series when it was finding its footing, before Barnabas came along and quickly dominated both on the screen and in prose (from the sixth book on every single one bears Barnabas' name in its title). I plan to savor these first five books before it's all-Barnabas all the time!
October 13, 2021
My husband and I are slowly working our way through the Dark Shadows tv series, starting with Year Zero which is before Barnabas. There were a lot of episodes before Barnabas showed up. We buddy read this book and have collected a good number of the rest in the series (thanks Ebay!) This book is also pre-Barnabas (ignore the cover) and very much a typical gothic novel of the late 60's.
The book follows the set-up of the series pretty closely. Victoria Winters was raised in a "foundling home" (get used to the term...you'll hear it A LOT) and never knew who her parents were. She did receive monthly checks from someone in Bangor, Maine. So, when she is invited out of the blue to become governess to some kid in a mansion near Bangor, she decides this will give her a chance to explore her origins. So off she goes!
Of course, this mansion is in Collinsport and the family is the Collins family. A haunted family with a matriarch who hasn't left the house in 18 years, her creepy brother, swinging 18-year-old daughter and psycho kid nephew David.
The atmosphere is unbeatable. Dark, gloomy, well done. The characters are pretty standard and follow the tropes. There are a couple of characters unique to the book series. All men seem to fall in love with Victoria and want to marry her after a few sentences of conversation. And there are some annoying repetitions. Elizabeth the matriarch is often the "lovely older woman" and the younger women are all quite pretty. Overall, it's a fun book if you don't think too hard. :-)
The book follows the set-up of the series pretty closely. Victoria Winters was raised in a "foundling home" (get used to the term...you'll hear it A LOT) and never knew who her parents were. She did receive monthly checks from someone in Bangor, Maine. So, when she is invited out of the blue to become governess to some kid in a mansion near Bangor, she decides this will give her a chance to explore her origins. So off she goes!
Of course, this mansion is in Collinsport and the family is the Collins family. A haunted family with a matriarch who hasn't left the house in 18 years, her creepy brother, swinging 18-year-old daughter and psycho kid nephew David.
The atmosphere is unbeatable. Dark, gloomy, well done. The characters are pretty standard and follow the tropes. There are a couple of characters unique to the book series. All men seem to fall in love with Victoria and want to marry her after a few sentences of conversation. And there are some annoying repetitions. Elizabeth the matriarch is often the "lovely older woman" and the younger women are all quite pretty. Overall, it's a fun book if you don't think too hard. :-)
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