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The Lighthouse Keeper
A terrifying mystery of the sea In December 1900, three lighthouse keepers vanished without trace from the remote Scottish island of Eilean Mor. An emergency relief crew was sent to man the lighthouse, and at the end of their month-long duty, they resigned from their posts, never to speak of what they had experienced. The mystery of Eilean Mor has never been solved. Until now. In the present, a group of environmental researchers arrives to observe the wildlife. While exploring the lighthouse, now deserted, one of the team discovers a manuscript written by one of the relief keepers, a man named Alec Dalemore. As a sudden storm cuts off their escape, the researchers come to realise that Dalemore wrote the manuscript as a warning to all who would come after him -- a warning of something ancient and powerful and strange beyond imagining… The Lighthouse Keeper is a supernatural tale based on the Flannan Isles mystery, one of the greatest unsolved enigmas in maritime history. Praise for The Lighthouse Keeper 'Fast-paced, needs to be made into a film!' - Oliver Brooks 'An enthralling mystery' - Completely Novel
301 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2012
244 people are currently reading
576 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
September 2, 2021
The book started very strong with the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers. Where have they gone? What happened to them? Alec Delamore tries to find out as one of the missing once saved his life. We hear about his endeavors from his diary or testament discovered by a contemporary group of scientists on the small island. They're also faced by strange phenomenons and sightings. At parts the book was extremely uncanny and compelling. But there was also some length and tedious passages with not much going on. The author could have shaped it up a bit. Also the denouement didn't completely convince me. Nevertheless a fascinating story recommended to those who also love to read about Mary Celeste or the Bermuda Triangle.
November 6, 2022
This was a story that was truly written for the "Ghost Story Junkie" if ever there was one! I love stories that have even a small grain of truth attached to them. The Island of Eilean Mor is in the Flannan Isles of Scotland. The island is notorious for its legends, one of which involves three lighthouse keepers who disappeared at the same time a century before, never to be heard from again. Nick is part of a metrological research team that decides to embark on a journey with his love interest, Rebecca. Once on the island, the team discovers something strange on the radar, a huge dark mass on the ocean floor, one that frightens away all sea life. Oh, but this oddity is just the beginning. Rebecca spots something moving in the snow, something that inexplicably draws her to an old, dilapidated chapel on the island. Inside, she discovers a journal belonging to Captain Dalemore, the occasional lighthouse keeper sent to the island a century ago to solve the mystery of his missing colleagues. Rebecca is in awe of the journal, but not half as mesmerized by what led her to the chapel in the first place...a white fox with five eyes. The rest of the team is skeptical of her story, but when Rebecca reads the journal aloud to them, strange events begin to occur such as an unexplained phenomenon that causes the sky to change into rippling waves above them. A mass of white matter that splashes out of the sea. A causeway suddenly that erupts from nowhere and takes form on the island. One member of the team is rendered catatonic from a sight he remains unable or unwilling to explain. The book is based upon true events that have been verified by more than one team on several different explorations. The story is creepy, eerie, and suspenseful and unexplained from start to finish. Alan K. Bates is a fresh burst of great writing as he alternates between the first-person account of Captain Dalmore’s journal and the omniscient storytelling of Rebecca and the team’s modern excursion. The book brings to light the true life “Flannan Isles Mystery” and explores the possibility of alternate realms, and how certain places on Earth, such as Eilean Mor, may lie on the thin border between those two worlds. The book is filled with ghostly encounters, freakish phenomena, and legends that have persisted throughout time. The story of Captain Dalemore and his three colleagues is dramatic as the captain risks his life to try and solve the mystery. The reader knows from the beginning the ultimate fate that awaits Rebecca and the team, a series of events that culminate into a mind-blowing ending. Are the events true? Who knows... and who really wants to risk going there to find out? Do I believe it? Can't say yes and can't truthfully say no either. The website is interesting and I'm including the link if anyone would like to see more about this strange place.
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK......
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK......
July 6, 2017
"The imagination is what separates us from the animals, but sometimes... well, sometimes it is not our friend. Sometimes it betrays us and leads us towards superstition and senseless fear."
I picked The Lighthouse Keeper up expecting a sort of mystery, possibly even a thriller - but I actually got a supernatural, nightmarish camp fire ghost story.
It begins with a group of students setting up camp on the tiny Scottish rock of Eilean Mor as a conservation project. Rebecca stumbles across a diary (testament) left behind by one of the lighthouse keepers from the 1900s.
So the tale flicks between the present day students, and their readings of the diary of Alec Dalemore.
Without giving too much away it depicts the supernatural occurrences and absolute terror they cause to the keepers and their attempt to comprehend and handle the mystery, while their minds slowly become unhinged.
It was an exciting premise, but it fell a bit flat for me as the occurrences are never explained. Though I guess that is the point as it is supposed to be a mystery - a ghost tale that no one would believe. I just like my books to give some indication or conclusion. It builds up and builds up, and ultimately you never find out the cause or origins of the frightening elements.
I enjoyed getting into the minds of the characters - though the extreme terrors and bitter ends of some of them bothered me a bit.
Ah well, 3 stars.
I picked The Lighthouse Keeper up expecting a sort of mystery, possibly even a thriller - but I actually got a supernatural, nightmarish camp fire ghost story.
It begins with a group of students setting up camp on the tiny Scottish rock of Eilean Mor as a conservation project. Rebecca stumbles across a diary (testament) left behind by one of the lighthouse keepers from the 1900s.
So the tale flicks between the present day students, and their readings of the diary of Alec Dalemore.
Without giving too much away it depicts the supernatural occurrences and absolute terror they cause to the keepers and their attempt to comprehend and handle the mystery, while their minds slowly become unhinged.
It was an exciting premise, but it fell a bit flat for me as the occurrences are never explained. Though I guess that is the point as it is supposed to be a mystery - a ghost tale that no one would believe. I just like my books to give some indication or conclusion. It builds up and builds up, and ultimately you never find out the cause or origins of the frightening elements.
I enjoyed getting into the minds of the characters - though the extreme terrors and bitter ends of some of them bothered me a bit.
Ah well, 3 stars.
October 17, 2017
خب. کتاب نگهبان فانوس دریایی
هیجان انگیز ,ترسناک ونمیدونم میشه گفت علمی تخیلی بود یا نه
داستان در ابتدا از زبان یه خانومی بود که با دوستش که پژوهشگره میرن به یه جزیره ای به اسم ایلین مور در اونجا ابتدا یه سری وقایع عجیب میبینن (که سر هر کدوم منو دق داد نویسنده مثلا میگفت یه روباه دیدیم واااای چی بووود ,خیلی وحشتناک بووود حتما اشتباه دیدیم , خدا خودش به دادمون برسه و ازین حرفا بعد توصیفش نمیکردن فقط همینطور جو میدادن تااا بالاخره توصیفش کردن)
این اتفاقای عجیب خودشون بدون اینکه چیز خاصی باشن آدمو وحشت زده میکردن که به نظرم به خاطر قلم فوق العاده ی نویسنده بود. هر لحظه انتظار داشتی یه اتفاقی بیافته. بعد همین خانومه که اسمش ربکا هست یه دفترچه پیدا میکنه که شرح وقایع یکی از نگهبانان فانوس دریاییه که در سال 1901 برای یه هفته با دو نفر دیکه به جای سه تا نگهبان که به طور مرموزی ناپدید شده بودن در جزیره اقامت داشته. اسم نویسنده ی دفترچه الک دلامور هستو داره وقایع عجیبی رو شرح میده که باعث ناپدید شدن سه تا نگهبان شده و دوباره داره اتفاق میافته. حالا بعد از 100 و خورده ای سال ربکا و همراهانش دوباره دارن همون وقایع رو مشاهده میکنن.
خوب من فکر میکردم کتابی که انقد هیجان انگیز باشه و خوب پیش بره حتما حتما تو پایان کار و خراب میکنه ولی اصلا اینطور نبود و پایان فوق العاده یی هم داشت.
درمورد نثرش واقعا نمیدونم چی بگم انقدر که قشنگ بود مخصوصا یادداشت های الک دلامور منو یاد هیولاشناس میانداخت
هیجان انگیز ,ترسناک ونمیدونم میشه گفت علمی تخیلی بود یا نه
داستان در ابتدا از زبان یه خانومی بود که با دوستش که پژوهشگره میرن به یه جزیره ای به اسم ایلین مور در اونجا ابتدا یه سری وقایع عجیب میبینن (که سر هر کدوم منو دق داد نویسنده مثلا میگفت یه روباه دیدیم واااای چی بووود ,خیلی وحشتناک بووود حتما اشتباه دیدیم , خدا خودش به دادمون برسه و ازین حرفا بعد توصیفش نمیکردن فقط همینطور جو میدادن تااا بالاخره توصیفش کردن)
این اتفاقای عجیب خودشون بدون اینکه چیز خاصی باشن آدمو وحشت زده میکردن که به نظرم به خاطر قلم فوق العاده ی نویسنده بود. هر لحظه انتظار داشتی یه اتفاقی بیافته. بعد همین خانومه که اسمش ربکا هست یه دفترچه پیدا میکنه که شرح وقایع یکی از نگهبانان فانوس دریاییه که در سال 1901 برای یه هفته با دو نفر دیکه به جای سه تا نگهبان که به طور مرموزی ناپدید شده بودن در جزیره اقامت داشته. اسم نویسنده ی دفترچه الک دلامور هستو داره وقایع عجیبی رو شرح میده که باعث ناپدید شدن سه تا نگهبان شده و دوباره داره اتفاق میافته. حالا بعد از 100 و خورده ای سال ربکا و همراهانش دوباره دارن همون وقایع رو مشاهده میکنن.
خوب من فکر میکردم کتابی که انقد هیجان انگیز باشه و خوب پیش بره حتما حتما تو پایان کار و خراب میکنه ولی اصلا اینطور نبود و پایان فوق العاده یی هم داشت.
درمورد نثرش واقعا نمیدونم چی بگم انقدر که قشنگ بود مخصوصا یادداشت های الک دلامور منو یاد هیولاشناس میانداخت
May 27, 2021
This book is loosely based on the true story of 3 lighthouse keepers that went missing in 1900. They were never found, and it is not known what happened to them.
While the writing was beautiful (particularly the diary entries of Alec Dalemore), I'm only giving this 3 stars.
I didn't care for the ending. It was anti-climatic and unfinished.
July 8, 2012
My Expectations
Sooner or later it must happen. The Book Lighthouse reviews a lighthouse book. Based on my experience with the previous books by Alan K. Baker and after the book description I expected a most entertaining and excellent written book that would drive me to the edge of my chair. I was pretty nosey to see how Alan K Baker would explain the vanish of the three lighthouse keepers and if he keeps his promise stated in the last sentence of the book description:
"[...], the novel takes the reader on a journey to the edge of reality, where the greatest of human fears - the fear of the unknown - holds dominion.
The Delivery
I read the 276 pages in two sessions which is not usual for me and should give you a first hint that I have been hooked by the story.
Within the first 21 pages Alan K. Tuner delivers the full set up for the story. After the introduction done by a telegram from 26 December 1900 the author moves forward to the year 1999 on Sunday 19 July, 4.30 PM, location Eilean Mòr (= big isle) part of the Flannan Isles. We meet a group of people - Jennifer Leigh, Donald Webb, Max Kaminsky, Nick Bowman - all working for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Rebecca Garratt who is in her first year of her MA in history.
Of course there are certain relationships in between the protagonists which I do not explain. Beside that there are only two more information (one vague and one precise) necessary to set the wheel in motion.
Some unusual things happen and Rebecca discovers a book:
The Testament of Alec Dalemore, Occasional Keeper
From that point on the story continues with two interwoven narrative threads. There are the events of the group itself and then they read together the discovered book which contains the story of Alec Dalemore. A story which starts on 5th of January 1901. Alan K. Baker mix these two threads perfectly together. It is fascinating to follow the group and Alec Dalemore and his two companion.
Of course the idea of a book within a book is not new but the execution is what counts. Alan K. Baker use The Testament of Alec Dalemore for different purposes. Without the book the story would not work!
The book is at the same time a revelation of the past, an anchor in the here and now, a book of despair and hope, a survival manual and the legacy of Alec Dalemore.
There is the group in 1999, a group of intelligent and well-educated people and on the other hand these men, shaped by nature and their jobs. You think modern people are superior when it comes to cope with the unknown, on the contrary. When it comes to the unknown the primal fear takes over and it gets worse when the differentiation between fiction, dream and reality disappears.
Alan K. Baker managed these double, triple, quadrouple rollercoaster of emotion in a gripping way. But it is not the description of the emotion alone. The author has a talent to describe nature (water, storms, sky) in a way that you hear voices in your head, the wind runs through your hair and you have to turn around because you felt someone breathing in your back.
Let me give you an example:
"But that night, it was easy to believe that humanity was gone from the earth and that we three were the last of a race and a civilisation that was no more, cast to oblivion by a storm that covered the entire world with destruction." [page 85]
Keep in mind where Eilean Mòr is located. This small island exposed to the forces of nature. And that is similar to all people on the island in 1900, 1901 and 1999. But they have to cope with more - with the unknown, faith, belief, trust, loneliness, primal fears and group dynamics processes.
There is a high risc that you lose your mind when the that which must not, can not be, does not work.
To lose control is as gruesome as to run out of explanantions. You will beseech answers like a picture of misery.
Don't try to explain your doubts or unknown vision with
"[...] the tiny things that float within one's eyes, and which can be seen drifting across the field of vision on occasion." [page 235]
I'm pretty sure I did not deliver you any hint how Alan K. Baker explain the 1900 Flannan Isles mystery. I'm sure not everbody will like his explanation but it fits perfectly to his promise in the book description.
Anyway I must tell you the very last sentence of the story which tell you all or nothing:
"The kitchen door opens."
I'm glad that I read The Lighthouse Keeper. Despite it is an excellent read I found a quote which shows the relation between books and lighthouses:
"Reading is a great pastime amongst Lightkeepers, [...] most take great comfort from losing themselves in the worlds to be found within the pages of a book" [page 86]
I promise you that you easily can lose yourself on Eilean Mòr. The border between your reality and the fiction of the book, the fiction and reality within the book and finally the fiction and reality in the book within the book is fragile.
This book is like a lighthouse. There are moments where you do not need the light because everything seems to be obvious and clear (day time) and then you are suddenly caught in the dark where fear rises,
doubts lead to despair and the light gives you a short insight blurred by the afterglow.
The cover fits pertfectly to the story. The black and whit and grey delivers hope, fear, myst and the unknown depths.
The Lighthouse Keeper - buckle up for a timeless, mesmerizing, disturbing, rollercoaster ride to the edge of human mind on an unspoilt island.
Or in other words:
The Lighthouse Keeper - that which must not, can (not) be !!
Sooner or later it must happen. The Book Lighthouse reviews a lighthouse book. Based on my experience with the previous books by Alan K. Baker and after the book description I expected a most entertaining and excellent written book that would drive me to the edge of my chair. I was pretty nosey to see how Alan K Baker would explain the vanish of the three lighthouse keepers and if he keeps his promise stated in the last sentence of the book description:
"[...], the novel takes the reader on a journey to the edge of reality, where the greatest of human fears - the fear of the unknown - holds dominion.
The Delivery
I read the 276 pages in two sessions which is not usual for me and should give you a first hint that I have been hooked by the story.
Within the first 21 pages Alan K. Tuner delivers the full set up for the story. After the introduction done by a telegram from 26 December 1900 the author moves forward to the year 1999 on Sunday 19 July, 4.30 PM, location Eilean Mòr (= big isle) part of the Flannan Isles. We meet a group of people - Jennifer Leigh, Donald Webb, Max Kaminsky, Nick Bowman - all working for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Rebecca Garratt who is in her first year of her MA in history.
Of course there are certain relationships in between the protagonists which I do not explain. Beside that there are only two more information (one vague and one precise) necessary to set the wheel in motion.
Some unusual things happen and Rebecca discovers a book:
The Testament of Alec Dalemore, Occasional Keeper
From that point on the story continues with two interwoven narrative threads. There are the events of the group itself and then they read together the discovered book which contains the story of Alec Dalemore. A story which starts on 5th of January 1901. Alan K. Baker mix these two threads perfectly together. It is fascinating to follow the group and Alec Dalemore and his two companion.
Of course the idea of a book within a book is not new but the execution is what counts. Alan K. Baker use The Testament of Alec Dalemore for different purposes. Without the book the story would not work!
The book is at the same time a revelation of the past, an anchor in the here and now, a book of despair and hope, a survival manual and the legacy of Alec Dalemore.
There is the group in 1999, a group of intelligent and well-educated people and on the other hand these men, shaped by nature and their jobs. You think modern people are superior when it comes to cope with the unknown, on the contrary. When it comes to the unknown the primal fear takes over and it gets worse when the differentiation between fiction, dream and reality disappears.
Alan K. Baker managed these double, triple, quadrouple rollercoaster of emotion in a gripping way. But it is not the description of the emotion alone. The author has a talent to describe nature (water, storms, sky) in a way that you hear voices in your head, the wind runs through your hair and you have to turn around because you felt someone breathing in your back.
Let me give you an example:
"But that night, it was easy to believe that humanity was gone from the earth and that we three were the last of a race and a civilisation that was no more, cast to oblivion by a storm that covered the entire world with destruction." [page 85]
Keep in mind where Eilean Mòr is located. This small island exposed to the forces of nature. And that is similar to all people on the island in 1900, 1901 and 1999. But they have to cope with more - with the unknown, faith, belief, trust, loneliness, primal fears and group dynamics processes.
There is a high risc that you lose your mind when the that which must not, can not be, does not work.
To lose control is as gruesome as to run out of explanantions. You will beseech answers like a picture of misery.
Don't try to explain your doubts or unknown vision with
"[...] the tiny things that float within one's eyes, and which can be seen drifting across the field of vision on occasion." [page 235]
I'm pretty sure I did not deliver you any hint how Alan K. Baker explain the 1900 Flannan Isles mystery. I'm sure not everbody will like his explanation but it fits perfectly to his promise in the book description.
Anyway I must tell you the very last sentence of the story which tell you all or nothing:
"The kitchen door opens."
I'm glad that I read The Lighthouse Keeper. Despite it is an excellent read I found a quote which shows the relation between books and lighthouses:
"Reading is a great pastime amongst Lightkeepers, [...] most take great comfort from losing themselves in the worlds to be found within the pages of a book" [page 86]
I promise you that you easily can lose yourself on Eilean Mòr. The border between your reality and the fiction of the book, the fiction and reality within the book and finally the fiction and reality in the book within the book is fragile.
This book is like a lighthouse. There are moments where you do not need the light because everything seems to be obvious and clear (day time) and then you are suddenly caught in the dark where fear rises,
doubts lead to despair and the light gives you a short insight blurred by the afterglow.
The cover fits pertfectly to the story. The black and whit and grey delivers hope, fear, myst and the unknown depths.
The Lighthouse Keeper - buckle up for a timeless, mesmerizing, disturbing, rollercoaster ride to the edge of human mind on an unspoilt island.
Or in other words:
The Lighthouse Keeper - that which must not, can (not) be !!
September 24, 2020
Declining a getaway to the French Riviera with her parents, Rebecca decides to embark on a journey with her love interest, Nick, and his meteorological research team to the wayward island of Eilean Mor in the Flannan Isles. The island is notorious for its legends, one of which involves three lighthouse keepers who disappeared at the same time a century before, never to be heard from again. On the island, the team discovers something strange on the radar, a great dark mass on the ocean floor, one that frightens away all sea life. But this oddity is just the beginning.
Rebecca spots something moving in the snow, something that inexplicably draws her to an old dilapidated chapel on the island. Inside, she discovers a journal belonging to Captain Dalemore, the Occasional lighthouse keeper sent to the island a century ago to solve the mystery of his missing colleagues. Rebecca is in awe of the journal, but not half as mesmerized by what led her to the chapel in the first place—a white fox with five eyes.
The rest of the team is skeptical of her story, but when Rebecca reads the journal aloud to all, strange events begin to occur. Soon, an unexplainable phenomenon causes the sky to change into rippling waves above them. A mass of white matter splashes out from the sea. A causeway suddenly emerges out of nowhere and forms on the island. One member of the team is rendered catatonic from a sight he remains unable to explain.
Based upon true events, Alan K. Bates,’ “The Lighthouse Keeper” is creepy, eerie, and suspenseful from start to finish. Bates is a fresh burst of great writing as he alternates between the first-person account of Captain Dalemore’s journal and the omniscient storytelling of Rebecca and the team’s modern excursion. The book brings to light the true life “Flannan Isles Mystery” and explores the possibility of alternate realms, and how certain places on Earth, like Eilean Mor, may lie on the thin border between those two worlds. The book is filled with ghostly encounters, freakish phenomena, and legends that persist throughout time.
The story of Captain Dalemore and his three colleagues is dramatic and page-turning as the captain risks his life to solve a mystery. Heart pounding action carries the reader to the ultimate fate awaiting Rebecca and the team, a series of events that culminate into a stunning ending. “The Lighthouse Keeper” does not disappoint. A great read all the way through.
Rebecca spots something moving in the snow, something that inexplicably draws her to an old dilapidated chapel on the island. Inside, she discovers a journal belonging to Captain Dalemore, the Occasional lighthouse keeper sent to the island a century ago to solve the mystery of his missing colleagues. Rebecca is in awe of the journal, but not half as mesmerized by what led her to the chapel in the first place—a white fox with five eyes.
The rest of the team is skeptical of her story, but when Rebecca reads the journal aloud to all, strange events begin to occur. Soon, an unexplainable phenomenon causes the sky to change into rippling waves above them. A mass of white matter splashes out from the sea. A causeway suddenly emerges out of nowhere and forms on the island. One member of the team is rendered catatonic from a sight he remains unable to explain.
Based upon true events, Alan K. Bates,’ “The Lighthouse Keeper” is creepy, eerie, and suspenseful from start to finish. Bates is a fresh burst of great writing as he alternates between the first-person account of Captain Dalemore’s journal and the omniscient storytelling of Rebecca and the team’s modern excursion. The book brings to light the true life “Flannan Isles Mystery” and explores the possibility of alternate realms, and how certain places on Earth, like Eilean Mor, may lie on the thin border between those two worlds. The book is filled with ghostly encounters, freakish phenomena, and legends that persist throughout time.
The story of Captain Dalemore and his three colleagues is dramatic and page-turning as the captain risks his life to solve a mystery. Heart pounding action carries the reader to the ultimate fate awaiting Rebecca and the team, a series of events that culminate into a stunning ending. “The Lighthouse Keeper” does not disappoint. A great read all the way through.
September 24, 2015
I recently found this book, new, for just a £1 and I already knew the true story of the disappearance of the three lighthouse keepers which this book is based upon. I managed to read the whole book in one sitting on a recent flight and loved it except for the truly dreadful ending. The final 20 pages were just awful in terms of the story. The writing, however, was great.
July 20, 2017
An isolated island, three light keepers missing, and a lot of weird stuff happening. The poetry of the writing brings out the warmth of the characters and the freaky stuff paints way out pictures in your mind.
Read
March 17, 2022Very odd
Not what I was expecting at all! I was expecting more of a "haunted lighthouse" story, but that's not really what this is. It's more like the Apocalypse meets Star Wars told as a folksy sci-fi story without an ogre or witch.
My disappointment, however, comes in with the group of researchers. They never clarify what exactly they found under the water (but they might have, & I could just have missed it as this is too sci-fi for me). They kind of dropped the entire research project FLAT! It all completely ends abruptly!
Good book, but i was looking for a haunted lighthouse & this was not that.
Not what I was expecting at all! I was expecting more of a "haunted lighthouse" story, but that's not really what this is. It's more like the Apocalypse meets Star Wars told as a folksy sci-fi story without an ogre or witch.
My disappointment, however, comes in with the group of researchers. They never clarify what exactly they found under the water (but they might have, & I could just have missed it as this is too sci-fi for me). They kind of dropped the entire research project FLAT! It all completely ends abruptly!
Good book, but i was looking for a haunted lighthouse & this was not that.
October 1, 2021
A member of a scientific team studying marine life off the coast of Eilean Mor stumbles across the 100-year-old journal of one of the replacement workers who arrived on the remote island shortly after three lighthouse keepers inexplicably disappeared in 1900. As she and the other team members read about the strange phenomena that took place a century earlier, their own experiences begin to mirror those in the manuscript.
I loved this book! I have been fascinated by the true story of the vanished lighthouse keepers of Eilean Mor since I first heard it many years ago. Baker reimagines those disappearances in striking detail, effortlessly weaving facts and events from the real-life investigation into this fictional account. I know that dual past/present narratives have been done to death these days, but Baker entwines the two timelines so skillfully that I was equally riveted by both. The suspense begins to build right from the first chapter, and the pages fly by as the plot rushes headlong to its shocking conclusion.
One very minor quibble: Aside from a few old-fashioned words and phrases, Alec’s voice in 1901 was not very distinct from Rebecca's narration in the present day. I noticed it, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. The characters were genuine and likable, and Baker’s transitions between these two protagonists were smooth and easy to follow.
Bizarre, unsettling, and decidedly creepy, this Lovecraftian work of cosmic horror is a worthy addition to the genre.
I loved this book! I have been fascinated by the true story of the vanished lighthouse keepers of Eilean Mor since I first heard it many years ago. Baker reimagines those disappearances in striking detail, effortlessly weaving facts and events from the real-life investigation into this fictional account. I know that dual past/present narratives have been done to death these days, but Baker entwines the two timelines so skillfully that I was equally riveted by both. The suspense begins to build right from the first chapter, and the pages fly by as the plot rushes headlong to its shocking conclusion.
One very minor quibble: Aside from a few old-fashioned words and phrases, Alec’s voice in 1901 was not very distinct from Rebecca's narration in the present day. I noticed it, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. The characters were genuine and likable, and Baker’s transitions between these two protagonists were smooth and easy to follow.
Bizarre, unsettling, and decidedly creepy, this Lovecraftian work of cosmic horror is a worthy addition to the genre.
August 3, 2016
The disappearance of three lighthouse keepers from a remote Scottish island in December 1900 is the focal point of this story. The passages about the stormy weather and the brooding atmosphere are very well written and build up a feeling of tension. I wanted the ending to be good but unfortunately it fell far short of my expectations and felt very rushed and inconclusive. I hate it when you finish a book and feel cheated by the final chapter and that is what happened to me on concluding this novel.
March 10, 2013
I wanted to love this book. It's like it was made for me. Vague monster/beastie/supernatural something? Check. Creepy but believable setting? Check. Plus the audiobook is read by a guy with an amazing Scottish accent. I MEAN COME ON.
The premise and the story was classic horror, like Blackwood or Lovecraft. It would have been near perfect if all the extraneous stuff had been left out.
The premise and the story was classic horror, like Blackwood or Lovecraft. It would have been near perfect if all the extraneous stuff had been left out.
July 20, 2019
The Lighthouse Keeper has a distinctive Lovecraftian feel to it. Creepy and unsettling. Baker effortlessly moves back and forth from past to modern day. I did find myself annoyed at the flirtation between Nick and Rebecca; I feel it was out of place and unnecessary. Overall though, it was a well told and unique story.
July 30, 2021
More a 3.5 than a 3. I liked it and had just read another novel based on the same event. This one is the story of the next set of Keepers on Eileen Mor after the mysterious disappearance of three keepers in 1900. The story is told through a contemporary group on a scientific visit to the island.
October 13, 2024
When I started reading The Lighthouse Keeper, I was expecting to read a ghost story, given that it is based on the real life disappearance of three men from the Eilean Mòr Lighthouse in 1901. Thus, I was prepared to be scared.
Well, I wasn't totally disappointed.
The Lighthouse Keeper is not a ghost story per se; if I was to pick a genre I'd say sci-fi. It's very much an unsettling read, the kind that gives you chills.
The remoteness of the location, the strange happenings (past and present) and the sense of foreboding that prevails throughout all combine to make this the perfect Halloween read. 'Tis the season for spooky reads after all. 🎃
Well, I wasn't totally disappointed.
The Lighthouse Keeper is not a ghost story per se; if I was to pick a genre I'd say sci-fi. It's very much an unsettling read, the kind that gives you chills.
The remoteness of the location, the strange happenings (past and present) and the sense of foreboding that prevails throughout all combine to make this the perfect Halloween read. 'Tis the season for spooky reads after all. 🎃
March 26, 2022
Perceptions of Reality?
This was a very absorbing story, albeit not to everyone's taste. Part supernatural horror, part sci-fi, part folk lore and against a backdrop of pure astrophysics. Is this what happened to the real lighthouse keepers? Did something similar befall the crew of the Marie Celeste and the US air force pilots in the Bermuda Triangle? While this story was a work of fiction it did pose the question, "what is our perception of reality". Highly recommended!
This was a very absorbing story, albeit not to everyone's taste. Part supernatural horror, part sci-fi, part folk lore and against a backdrop of pure astrophysics. Is this what happened to the real lighthouse keepers? Did something similar befall the crew of the Marie Celeste and the US air force pilots in the Bermuda Triangle? While this story was a work of fiction it did pose the question, "what is our perception of reality". Highly recommended!
March 9, 2024
I couldn't put this book down. It's so interesting and very strange book
July 10, 2022
This book really hit me with a great surprise. I was expecting more or less a sort of "well known" ghost story but got a well crafted bone chilling adventure which reminded me in a lot of ways of good old H.P. Lovecraft.
Based on a true story which is creepy enough if you think about it, the author builds his own haunting adventure on it and I enjoyed the twists and tensions so much that I simply couldn't put it down.
It's all there: strange events, madness, things beyond human imagination. The only thing that bugged me was that the "explanation" and the ending left me a bit unsatisfied. It came pretty abrupt and despite it fitting into the whole setting, "meh" was all I could think.
Nevertheless I would absolutely recommend this little gem if you like Lovecraftian stories and chilling mysteries based on true events.
Based on a true story which is creepy enough if you think about it, the author builds his own haunting adventure on it and I enjoyed the twists and tensions so much that I simply couldn't put it down.
It's all there: strange events, madness, things beyond human imagination. The only thing that bugged me was that the "explanation" and the ending left me a bit unsatisfied. It came pretty abrupt and despite it fitting into the whole setting, "meh" was all I could think.
Nevertheless I would absolutely recommend this little gem if you like Lovecraftian stories and chilling mysteries based on true events.
November 23, 2021
The author had all great elements to conjure a fascinating story behind true events of 3 lighthouse keepers disappearing off the face of the island in 1901. I expected it to use the element of isolation to bring forward the fragility of human mind when exposed to border conditions - whether real or mystical- I leave that choice to the author.
However what we get is a mess of events, which lead to nowhere. Very shallow character build, especially in the modern storyline line, which makes it look like cheap cat B horror, makes you feel like you’re listening to mumbling of a drunkard who can’t distinguish reality from their own mess of a moment.
However what we get is a mess of events, which lead to nowhere. Very shallow character build, especially in the modern storyline line, which makes it look like cheap cat B horror, makes you feel like you’re listening to mumbling of a drunkard who can’t distinguish reality from their own mess of a moment.
December 31, 2020
I already knew the story of the vanished lighthouse keepers from 1900 and was intrigued by it when I read Peter May's book on the subject. I then read a factual account of it and thoroughly enjoyed that as well.
So when I came across this one I thought it would be worth a read and I did really enjoy the whole book perhaps with a little reservation about the ending.
A fitting end to my years reading and on to the 2021 reading challenge.
So when I came across this one I thought it would be worth a read and I did really enjoy the whole book perhaps with a little reservation about the ending.
A fitting end to my years reading and on to the 2021 reading challenge.
March 15, 2022
Rebecca begleitet ihren Freund Nick und dessen Forscherteam auf einen Trip zu den entlegenen Flannan Islands in Schottland, die dort Untersuchungen über Wale und andere Meeresbewohner machen wollen. Die fünfköpfige Gruppe schlägt ihr Lager auf Eilean Mòr auf, der Insel, die durch das Mysterium der im Jahre 1900 spurlos verschwundenen Leuchtturmwärter traurige Bekanntheit erlangt hat. Und während die Forscher ihrer Arbeit nachgehen, schaut sich Rebecca auf der Insel um und findet in der winzigen, halb verfallenen Kapelle beim Leuchtturm ein Buch mit alten Aufzeichnungen und einen rätselhaften behauenen Stein.
Das Buch stammt aus der Feder von Alec Dalemore, der sich über hundert Jahre zuvor freiwillig als Hilfsleuchtturmwärter gemeldet hat, um das Versprechen einzulösen, das er der Frau eines der verschollenen Männer gegeben hat und nach Spuren von James Ducat und seinen beiden Kollegen zu suchen. Rebecca ist fasziniert von dem alten Dokument - und stellt bald fassungslos fest, dass Dalemore über eben jenen seltsamen Fuchs zu schreiben scheint, den sie bei ihrem Spaziergang auch gesehen hat. Doch wie kann das sein, mehr als 110 Jahre später?
Nur wenig später kommt es zu weiteren merkwürdigen Phänomenen, die sich mit rationalem Verstand nicht erklären lassen, und wieder gibt es Parallelen zu Dalemores Buch. Allmählich wird das nicht nur Rebecca unheimlich, die ganz langsam zu ahnen beginnt, was es tatsächlich mit dem Verschwinden der Wärter auf sich haben könnte.
Die Geschichte von Eilean Mòr hat mich sofort in ihren Bann gezogen, als ich erstmals davon gehört habe, weshalb ich auch unbedingt dieses Buch lesen wollte. Alan K. Baker schreibt unglaublich atmosphärisch über dieses winzige steinige Fleckchen Land im Ozean, so dass man direkt Lust bekommt, sich selbst einmal dort umzuschauen.
Diese Lust vergeht allerdings relativ schnell, als sich immer mehr seltsame Vorkommnisse auf der Insel häufen und auch in Dalemores Aufzeichnungen von zahlreichen ungewöhnlichen, ja gruseligen und beängstigenden Ereignissen die Rede ist. Die beiden Handlungsstränge in der Gegenwart und der Vergangenheit sind geschickt miteinander verzahnt, in beiden wird die Atmosphäre immer bedrückender und rätselhafter.
Angenehm überrascht hat mich, dass das Buch nicht in eine eklige Splatterorgie ausartet (mehr sei an der Stelle aber natürlich nicht verraten). Auch den Mystery-Touch, der ja oft nicht so mein Ding ist, fand ich insgesamt ganz gut gemacht und dosiert. Leichten Abzug gibt es für ein paar kleinere Ungereimtheiten und dafür, dass am Ende nicht alle Fäden richtig verknüpft waren bzw. nicht alles erklärt wurde.
Aber insgesamt ein schön mystery-schauriger Roman mit tollem Schauplatz, den ich gerne gelesen habe.
Das Buch stammt aus der Feder von Alec Dalemore, der sich über hundert Jahre zuvor freiwillig als Hilfsleuchtturmwärter gemeldet hat, um das Versprechen einzulösen, das er der Frau eines der verschollenen Männer gegeben hat und nach Spuren von James Ducat und seinen beiden Kollegen zu suchen. Rebecca ist fasziniert von dem alten Dokument - und stellt bald fassungslos fest, dass Dalemore über eben jenen seltsamen Fuchs zu schreiben scheint, den sie bei ihrem Spaziergang auch gesehen hat. Doch wie kann das sein, mehr als 110 Jahre später?
Nur wenig später kommt es zu weiteren merkwürdigen Phänomenen, die sich mit rationalem Verstand nicht erklären lassen, und wieder gibt es Parallelen zu Dalemores Buch. Allmählich wird das nicht nur Rebecca unheimlich, die ganz langsam zu ahnen beginnt, was es tatsächlich mit dem Verschwinden der Wärter auf sich haben könnte.
Die Geschichte von Eilean Mòr hat mich sofort in ihren Bann gezogen, als ich erstmals davon gehört habe, weshalb ich auch unbedingt dieses Buch lesen wollte. Alan K. Baker schreibt unglaublich atmosphärisch über dieses winzige steinige Fleckchen Land im Ozean, so dass man direkt Lust bekommt, sich selbst einmal dort umzuschauen.
Diese Lust vergeht allerdings relativ schnell, als sich immer mehr seltsame Vorkommnisse auf der Insel häufen und auch in Dalemores Aufzeichnungen von zahlreichen ungewöhnlichen, ja gruseligen und beängstigenden Ereignissen die Rede ist. Die beiden Handlungsstränge in der Gegenwart und der Vergangenheit sind geschickt miteinander verzahnt, in beiden wird die Atmosphäre immer bedrückender und rätselhafter.
Angenehm überrascht hat mich, dass das Buch nicht in eine eklige Splatterorgie ausartet (mehr sei an der Stelle aber natürlich nicht verraten). Auch den Mystery-Touch, der ja oft nicht so mein Ding ist, fand ich insgesamt ganz gut gemacht und dosiert. Leichten Abzug gibt es für ein paar kleinere Ungereimtheiten und dafür, dass am Ende nicht alle Fäden richtig verknüpft waren bzw. nicht alles erklärt wurde.
Aber insgesamt ein schön mystery-schauriger Roman mit tollem Schauplatz, den ich gerne gelesen habe.
July 25, 2024
Die Flannaninseln sind eine unbewohnte Inselgruppe im Atlantik, deren Nachbartinsel die Hebrideninsel Lewis ist. 1899 wurde auf der Hauptinsel Eilean Mòr ein Leuchtturm gebaut. Der Leuchtturm stand unter keinem guten Stern, schon während des Baus kam es zu mehreren tödlichen Unfällen. Im Dezember 1900 verschwanden drei Leuchtturmwärter spurlos, ohne dass ihr Verschwinden je aufgeklärt wurde.
Alan K. Baker erzählt die Geschichte der Wärter, die nach den Verschwundenen auf die Insel gekommen sind. Er erzählt auch die Geschichte einer Gruppe junger Wissenschaftler, die hundert Jahre danach auf Eilean Mòr waren, um geologische Messungen durchzuführen. Die Geschichten der beiden Gruppen verbinden sich, als eine junge Wissenschaftlerin in der alten Kapelle das Tagebuch eines der Leuchtturmwärter findet.
Auch wenn die beiden Gruppen in unterschiedlichen Jahrhunderten leben, sind ihre Erlebnisse erschreckend ähnlich: es gibt eine Bedrohung auf der Insel, die immer näher kommt. Aber während die Männer vor hundert Jahren noch ahnungslos waren, wissen die Anderen zumindest, was auf sie zukommt, denn sie haben das Tagebuch gelesen. Aber kann ihnen dieses Wissen helfen?
Während ich gelesen habe, hat sich die Spannung immer mehr gesteigert. Die Handlung sprang zwischen Gegenwart und Vergangenheit hin und her und mehrmals dachte ich, dass das Schicksal der jeweiligen Gruppe besiegelt wäre. Als sich dann das Geheimnis der Insel lüftete, war ich aber enttäuscht. Für mich passt die Auflösung nicht zu den restlichen Ereignissen, weder zu denen im Buch noch zur wahren Geschichte der Insel. Schade, denn der Rest der Erzählung hat mir gut gefallen.
Alan K. Baker erzählt die Geschichte der Wärter, die nach den Verschwundenen auf die Insel gekommen sind. Er erzählt auch die Geschichte einer Gruppe junger Wissenschaftler, die hundert Jahre danach auf Eilean Mòr waren, um geologische Messungen durchzuführen. Die Geschichten der beiden Gruppen verbinden sich, als eine junge Wissenschaftlerin in der alten Kapelle das Tagebuch eines der Leuchtturmwärter findet.
Auch wenn die beiden Gruppen in unterschiedlichen Jahrhunderten leben, sind ihre Erlebnisse erschreckend ähnlich: es gibt eine Bedrohung auf der Insel, die immer näher kommt. Aber während die Männer vor hundert Jahren noch ahnungslos waren, wissen die Anderen zumindest, was auf sie zukommt, denn sie haben das Tagebuch gelesen. Aber kann ihnen dieses Wissen helfen?
Während ich gelesen habe, hat sich die Spannung immer mehr gesteigert. Die Handlung sprang zwischen Gegenwart und Vergangenheit hin und her und mehrmals dachte ich, dass das Schicksal der jeweiligen Gruppe besiegelt wäre. Als sich dann das Geheimnis der Insel lüftete, war ich aber enttäuscht. Für mich passt die Auflösung nicht zu den restlichen Ereignissen, weder zu denen im Buch noch zur wahren Geschichte der Insel. Schade, denn der Rest der Erzählung hat mir gut gefallen.
June 14, 2024
The book has a lot going for it. I like stories based on a true event of the past, an event which has never been satisfactorily explained. And though I seem to keep running into stories which have taken the Lovecraftian world to heart, I think it was well done here. The island seems to exist out of time, drawing those who venture there, both past and present, into a horrifying place that should not exist but does.
It’s interesting how differently the two groups of people handle the situation; the three lighthouse keepers of the past, and the five researchers of the present. Oddly enough, it is the lighthouse keepers who are better at handling the situation. It seems easier for them to accept what is happening without being able to explain why it is happening. They see the danger, and react accordingly. The group in the present, however, appear less successful in their attempts to ward off that danger.
At the same time, the book has two major flaws: the beginning and the end. While the middle portion of the book is intense and kept me totally involved, the beginning portion was slow, and not as well done as the rest of the book. I nearly quit reading.
Conversely, the ending seemed rushed, in that the fate of one group happens suddenly, and is never explained. It was if the author was unable to come up with an explanation for what he had created, so simply pulled the plug.
It’s interesting how differently the two groups of people handle the situation; the three lighthouse keepers of the past, and the five researchers of the present. Oddly enough, it is the lighthouse keepers who are better at handling the situation. It seems easier for them to accept what is happening without being able to explain why it is happening. They see the danger, and react accordingly. The group in the present, however, appear less successful in their attempts to ward off that danger.
At the same time, the book has two major flaws: the beginning and the end. While the middle portion of the book is intense and kept me totally involved, the beginning portion was slow, and not as well done as the rest of the book. I nearly quit reading.
Conversely, the ending seemed rushed, in that the fate of one group happens suddenly, and is never explained. It was if the author was unable to come up with an explanation for what he had created, so simply pulled the plug.
October 13, 2021
3 stars
I picked this up because the disappearance on Eilean Mòr is something I've heard of and puzzled over and with it being October it seemed precisely the right time to read a horror take on it. This was unquestionably an interesting book. It kept me reading, I devoured it great chunks at a time.
The good. The writing was beautifully done, particularly the older sections which were written in such a way as to really evoke the period. I felt the modern sections suffered a little in comparison so it was just as well that I think the older bits outnumbered them. It was not that the modern bitss were poorly done, just that I do not think they were as well done as the older bits. There was a story between both sections and it was certainly mysterious and intriguing enough to keep me reading.
However, the ending didn't quite land for me. It wasn't horrible, I could see the argument for it as being right for what the story was but for me personally it seemed both to loom up and finish up rather abruptly.
I am very well aware that this is partially my own problem, as my preferences are for other types of horror. For the type of horror this was I do think it was quite well done and very evocatively written. I finished it with no trouble and I don't regret reading it. But for me this is a three star book.
I picked this up because the disappearance on Eilean Mòr is something I've heard of and puzzled over and with it being October it seemed precisely the right time to read a horror take on it. This was unquestionably an interesting book. It kept me reading, I devoured it great chunks at a time.
The good. The writing was beautifully done, particularly the older sections which were written in such a way as to really evoke the period. I felt the modern sections suffered a little in comparison so it was just as well that I think the older bits outnumbered them. It was not that the modern bitss were poorly done, just that I do not think they were as well done as the older bits. There was a story between both sections and it was certainly mysterious and intriguing enough to keep me reading.
However, the ending didn't quite land for me. It wasn't horrible, I could see the argument for it as being right for what the story was but for me personally it seemed both to loom up and finish up rather abruptly.
I am very well aware that this is partially my own problem, as my preferences are for other types of horror. For the type of horror this was I do think it was quite well done and very evocatively written. I finished it with no trouble and I don't regret reading it. But for me this is a three star book.
October 8, 2022
Too enlightening, or not enough ...
Interesting though a bit sensational take on Eilean Mor disappearance, though definitely had a touch of Southern Reach trilogy mystery vibes to it. And yet, while it pulls you in, something is missing?
Be it on purpose because of the nature of the original tragedy which remains unanswered, but the tone is quite dissonant and a bit underwhelming ?
Southern Reach trilogy and 'The Lamplighters' (the latter one also inspired by the EM disappearance,) both did a better literary job of keeping the tension going, as well as one of providing enough mysterious tid bits to keep you hooked, but perfect amount of answers to keep you at the same time guessing AND wanting more, in a weirdly satisfied way.
This book is somehow underwhelming, with the modern characters being underdeveloped , but also maybe it shows too much of the mystery?
I mean once unspeakable evil comes out of the wall in q horror movie, it just looks cranky and a bit annoyed? Surely it was not so for the characters, but myself with the experience of multiple MoW shows I found myself relating a bit when author started uh, describing things.
Interesting read, especially the throwback old alternate lightkeeper fake diary bits, but could be better.
Also not enough lighthouse itself in the story. Nuff saidm
Interesting though a bit sensational take on Eilean Mor disappearance, though definitely had a touch of Southern Reach trilogy mystery vibes to it. And yet, while it pulls you in, something is missing?
Be it on purpose because of the nature of the original tragedy which remains unanswered, but the tone is quite dissonant and a bit underwhelming ?
Southern Reach trilogy and 'The Lamplighters' (the latter one also inspired by the EM disappearance,) both did a better literary job of keeping the tension going, as well as one of providing enough mysterious tid bits to keep you hooked, but perfect amount of answers to keep you at the same time guessing AND wanting more, in a weirdly satisfied way.
This book is somehow underwhelming, with the modern characters being underdeveloped , but also maybe it shows too much of the mystery?
I mean once unspeakable evil comes out of the wall in q horror movie, it just looks cranky and a bit annoyed? Surely it was not so for the characters, but myself with the experience of multiple MoW shows I found myself relating a bit when author started uh, describing things.
Interesting read, especially the throwback old alternate lightkeeper fake diary bits, but could be better.
Also not enough lighthouse itself in the story. Nuff saidm
August 21, 2022
This book drew my attention due to the historical mystery it centered on as I enjoy historical fiction and I love stories about lighthouses so I thought that was a win-win. I am also currently learning Scots Gaelic so it all sounded good to me.
The narrative tells two stories, one set in the book's present, and the past after the disappearance of the lighthouse keepers. So essentially, it is a story within a story which I like. I found the past characters more engaging than the present. In my opinion, the present's characters felt a bit shallow and hard to connect with. That could be due to the focus on the past's characters though.
The events in the book kept me guessing on what caused them, seemingly switching possible explanations. Is it supernatural, extraterrestrial, or something else entirely? The imagery is quite descriptive. The discourse by the past characters regarding the events is enjoyable. and I found the Scottish lore and how the keepers tend to the lighthouse interesting. The ending was a bit underwhelming to me. Things happen very quickly and the conclusion feels abrupt.
Overall, I liked the past sections more than the present though of course the two are connected.
The narrative tells two stories, one set in the book's present, and the past after the disappearance of the lighthouse keepers. So essentially, it is a story within a story which I like. I found the past characters more engaging than the present. In my opinion, the present's characters felt a bit shallow and hard to connect with. That could be due to the focus on the past's characters though.
The events in the book kept me guessing on what caused them, seemingly switching possible explanations. Is it supernatural, extraterrestrial, or something else entirely? The imagery is quite descriptive. The discourse by the past characters regarding the events is enjoyable. and I found the Scottish lore and how the keepers tend to the lighthouse interesting. The ending was a bit underwhelming to me. Things happen very quickly and the conclusion feels abrupt.
Overall, I liked the past sections more than the present though of course the two are connected.
December 10, 2021
I have had a fascination with the Flannen Isle mystery since I was a girl, and one of my English teachers set the poem as a study piece. We had to write a story based on our 'take' of what might have happened, and I remember vividly where my own story went....but that's another tale, not necessarily for here! Since then, I have researched the enigma, and found this version by Alan K. Baker a very well thought through and interesting concept on the mystery.
It was the kind of story that, when I wasn't actually reading it, I was thinking about it all the time, and I couldn't wait to see where this would take me. No spoilers, but the strange theory that Baker has come up with here (if you can call it that, because, of course, no one has ever resolved the mystery of the three missing lighthouse keepers) was a compelling revelation, and one which I will remain open minded to. As a firm believer that fact is often much stranger than fiction, who is to say that the ideas in The Lighthouse Keeper might not be closer to the truth than we may ever know?
One for fans of all things inexplicable and strange, anomalous phenomenon, and well written tales in general, I absolutely loved this book, and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a conundrum wrapped in an enigma!
It was the kind of story that, when I wasn't actually reading it, I was thinking about it all the time, and I couldn't wait to see where this would take me. No spoilers, but the strange theory that Baker has come up with here (if you can call it that, because, of course, no one has ever resolved the mystery of the three missing lighthouse keepers) was a compelling revelation, and one which I will remain open minded to. As a firm believer that fact is often much stranger than fiction, who is to say that the ideas in The Lighthouse Keeper might not be closer to the truth than we may ever know?
One for fans of all things inexplicable and strange, anomalous phenomenon, and well written tales in general, I absolutely loved this book, and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a conundrum wrapped in an enigma!
April 27, 2022
Na jednom zo škótskych ostrovov zmiznú v roku 1900 3 strážcovia majáku, a nikto nevie čo sa stalo. Na ostrov sa vydávajú ďalší strážcovia, pretože maják nemôže zostať bez obsluhy. Podarí sa im vypátrať, čo sa stalo s predošlým strážcami majáku?
O 100 rokov neskôr sa na ostrov vydáva tím vedcov, ktorý tam chce skúmať podmorské dno. Keď sa však na ostrove začnú diať podivné veci, objavia sa podivné zvieratá, ktoré by tam nemali byť a nájdu aj knihu zakopanú v starej kaplnke, partia spozornie. Začnú teda čítať knihu, ktorá je testamentom, čo sa na ostrove naozaj deje...
Nemám veľmi rada mysteriózne knihy, vždy som sa ich skôr bála. Kniha ma ale príjemne prekvapila - hoci príbeh nebol nijak zvlášť akčný, vďaka interpretácii audioknihy bol z toho nakoniec pribeh, ktorý som nevedela prestať počúvať. V knižnej podobe by ma to asi tak veľmi nebavilo, audiokniha tomu dodala tú správnu mrazivú atmosféru.
Audioknihu načítal škótsky herec Steven Cree, a je načítaná s výrazným škótskym prízvukom, čo bolo veľmi autentické (vzhľadom na to, že sa príbeh odohráva na škótskom ostrove) a dobre sa to počúvalo. :-)
O 100 rokov neskôr sa na ostrov vydáva tím vedcov, ktorý tam chce skúmať podmorské dno. Keď sa však na ostrove začnú diať podivné veci, objavia sa podivné zvieratá, ktoré by tam nemali byť a nájdu aj knihu zakopanú v starej kaplnke, partia spozornie. Začnú teda čítať knihu, ktorá je testamentom, čo sa na ostrove naozaj deje...
Nemám veľmi rada mysteriózne knihy, vždy som sa ich skôr bála. Kniha ma ale príjemne prekvapila - hoci príbeh nebol nijak zvlášť akčný, vďaka interpretácii audioknihy bol z toho nakoniec pribeh, ktorý som nevedela prestať počúvať. V knižnej podobe by ma to asi tak veľmi nebavilo, audiokniha tomu dodala tú správnu mrazivú atmosféru.
Audioknihu načítal škótsky herec Steven Cree, a je načítaná s výrazným škótskym prízvukom, čo bolo veľmi autentické (vzhľadom na to, že sa príbeh odohráva na škótskom ostrove) a dobre sa to počúvalo. :-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2021
The novel has it`s basis in historical fact I remember as school boy in primary school listening to a chilling but thrilling to a young mind poem about three light housekeepers disappearance on Flanna Isle actually the Flanna Isles located in the Hebrides approx. 20 miles from the Isle of Harris and Lewis off the West Coast of Scotland . The disappearance of the Keepers actually happened in 1901 and ranks along side " The Marie Celeste " as a maritime mystery like wise two of the relief keepers named were the actual people involved but that is where the Authors fictional representation weaves it`s way in . I read another fact based novel by this author just before this and I shall also review its about the " The Dyatlov Pass ", this book however doesn`t for me equate . It `s storyline gets too convoluted and is inadequately explained , that not to say this a bad book I just found it confusing others may have a different opinion and that is fine .
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