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The Wise Friend
Patrick Semple's aunt Thelma Turnbill was a successful artist whose late work turned towards the occult. While staying with her in his teens he found evidence that she used to visit magical sites. As an adult he discovers her journal of her explorations, and his teenage son Roy becomes fascinated too. His experiences at the sites scare Patrick away from them, but Roy carries on the search, together with his new girlfriend. Can Patrick convince his son that his increasingly terrible suspicions are real, or will what they've helped to rouse take a new hold on the world?
Flame Tree Press is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
Flame Tree Press is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2020
141 people are currently reading
1374 people want to read
About the author
Ramsey Campbell
858 books1,591 followersRamsey Campbell is a British writer considered by a number of critics to be one of the great masters of horror fiction. T. E. D. Klein has written that "Campbell reigns supreme in the field today," while S. T. Joshi has said that "future generations will regard him as the leading horror writer of our generation, every bit the equal of Lovecraft or Blackwood."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
April 6, 2020
I received an advance reading copy of The Wise Friend in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Ramsey Campbell and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity.
This was the perfect example of why I love being a book reviewer. Being sent a novel I knew nothing about and randomly deciding to read it next. I hadn't read a good horror tale in a while. I thought The Wise Friend was a stunning, dark, descriptive and magical character-focused horror tale. I adored it so much that I devoured it within 2 days. You know when Guillermo del Toro refers to an author as "an absolute master of modern horror" that he's going to be pretty good.
"I could never have believed I would wish my son would love books less, let alone dread the consequences."
Aunt Thelma was an amazing artist who people believed committed suicide. This was after a period where her paintings seemed to get darker, more warped, magical, and appeared to depict a shadowy individual who didn't seem to have a face. Often her artwork seemed like it was living and breathing to the correct onlooker. Her nephew Patrick finds her diary in which she named numerous mysterious local places accompanied by lines of poetry. Patrick and his son Roy decide to visit a handful of these areas to see if they can shed light on what changed in Aunt Thelma and what led to her demise. What they witness at the sites is not what they expected and Patrick is fearful they've uncovered something that should have remained undisturbed. Roy persists wholeheartedly, especially after he meets a young lady called Bella. Is Patrick overanalysing or have they got themselves into a dilemma that they wish that they hadn't?
We follow the first-person perspective viewpoint of Patrick. He is a university professor of English literature. He's well-read, divorced, and seems like an excellent father to his teenage son Roy. The "lion's share" of the narrative is set in a current-day England which mainly features Liverpool and Manchester. 10-15% of the narrative is flashbacks which relate to when Patrick spent time with his aunt when he was a teenager himself. He's introduced at a young age to a peculiar gentleman called Abel.
I was gripped by The Wise Friend within 5 pages and not many books are able to get their hooks into me that promptly. One of the elements I really enjoyed is that as a reader we figure out puzzles or problems before the characters do, or at least see the hints that are there that they don't. It was exciting to read knowing at one point they'd find out too. Maybe it made me feel superior as a reader but nonetheless it was one of the elements that made this novel unputdownable. Campbell is an incredible wordsmith. The descriptions of the environments, the imagery this led me to create in my mind, the intense, otherworldly hallucination-esque and thrilling nature of the scenes, sometimes in fairy tale environments the Brothers Grimm would have been excited to have envisaged. These are a few more highlights of this story.
To summarise, it's the finest modern horror story I've read in a long time. It kept me guessing throughout even though I thought I sometimes knew what was going on. I really lost myself in some of the descriptive nature of the images presented. It's suspenseful, eerie, haunting, harrowing, and features some amazing characters. You may notice a repetition of themes and phrases and this aids to paint the picture in your mind of exactly what you believe is going on. It is engaging, thrilling, and a horribly-addictive page-turning horror novel. Some of the imagery will have lasting effects. Will you see faces out of the corner of your eye that shouldn't be there? The Wise Friend truly has a lasting after effect. Recommended.
This was the perfect example of why I love being a book reviewer. Being sent a novel I knew nothing about and randomly deciding to read it next. I hadn't read a good horror tale in a while. I thought The Wise Friend was a stunning, dark, descriptive and magical character-focused horror tale. I adored it so much that I devoured it within 2 days. You know when Guillermo del Toro refers to an author as "an absolute master of modern horror" that he's going to be pretty good.
"I could never have believed I would wish my son would love books less, let alone dread the consequences."
Aunt Thelma was an amazing artist who people believed committed suicide. This was after a period where her paintings seemed to get darker, more warped, magical, and appeared to depict a shadowy individual who didn't seem to have a face. Often her artwork seemed like it was living and breathing to the correct onlooker. Her nephew Patrick finds her diary in which she named numerous mysterious local places accompanied by lines of poetry. Patrick and his son Roy decide to visit a handful of these areas to see if they can shed light on what changed in Aunt Thelma and what led to her demise. What they witness at the sites is not what they expected and Patrick is fearful they've uncovered something that should have remained undisturbed. Roy persists wholeheartedly, especially after he meets a young lady called Bella. Is Patrick overanalysing or have they got themselves into a dilemma that they wish that they hadn't?
We follow the first-person perspective viewpoint of Patrick. He is a university professor of English literature. He's well-read, divorced, and seems like an excellent father to his teenage son Roy. The "lion's share" of the narrative is set in a current-day England which mainly features Liverpool and Manchester. 10-15% of the narrative is flashbacks which relate to when Patrick spent time with his aunt when he was a teenager himself. He's introduced at a young age to a peculiar gentleman called Abel.
I was gripped by The Wise Friend within 5 pages and not many books are able to get their hooks into me that promptly. One of the elements I really enjoyed is that as a reader we figure out puzzles or problems before the characters do, or at least see the hints that are there that they don't. It was exciting to read knowing at one point they'd find out too. Maybe it made me feel superior as a reader but nonetheless it was one of the elements that made this novel unputdownable. Campbell is an incredible wordsmith. The descriptions of the environments, the imagery this led me to create in my mind, the intense, otherworldly hallucination-esque and thrilling nature of the scenes, sometimes in fairy tale environments the Brothers Grimm would have been excited to have envisaged. These are a few more highlights of this story.
To summarise, it's the finest modern horror story I've read in a long time. It kept me guessing throughout even though I thought I sometimes knew what was going on. I really lost myself in some of the descriptive nature of the images presented. It's suspenseful, eerie, haunting, harrowing, and features some amazing characters. You may notice a repetition of themes and phrases and this aids to paint the picture in your mind of exactly what you believe is going on. It is engaging, thrilling, and a horribly-addictive page-turning horror novel. Some of the imagery will have lasting effects. Will you see faces out of the corner of your eye that shouldn't be there? The Wise Friend truly has a lasting after effect. Recommended.
April 20, 2020
THE WISE FRIEND seems like a nice little story at first, hardly horrific at all. Until it IS!
Patrick loses his artistic aunt Thelma under abnormal circumstances. Some time later, he and his son start looking into her artistic history and her death, after discovering her journal. They begin out of curiosity- because they wanted to see in person the landscapes she painted, (each of which features a shadowy person), to see if they shed any light on her death. They meet a young woman named Bella during one of their trips, and before they know it, she becomes, (almost), a part of the family. Then Patrick begins to notice things about her, - her reluctance to share her address, for one- and soon enough, the "investigation" becomes all about Bella. At least it does to Patrick, which alienates him from his son and the rest of his family. Is Patrick right about Bella? Is something wrong with her? How was Thelma's death involved? You'll have to read this to find out!
I very much enjoyed this, (mostly), quiet horror story. I love tales where the characters become different people than what they were at the beginning. The family dynamics here were rough, but let's face it-a LOT of family dynamics are rough, so that was realistic to me. I think they acted in ways that regular people would.
I loved the language and the rather slow pace, though I did think it slowed a bit TOO much in the middle portions, due to some repetitious family matters. However, it picked back up again in the last third, featuring some quite scary scenes, and from there we raced to the finish. (I did find the denouement a little predictable. For the slight slowing of the pace and my ability to correctly guess most of the ending, I deducted one star.)
I noticed a few reviews mentioning that the language was old fashioned or too "English", but to be honest, I didn't notice that at all. There were lush descriptions of scenery and landscapes, but I felt they contributed to the overall feel of the book, while allowing me to perfectly picture the surroundings and what was happening.
Ramsey Campbell is an award winning author and it's clear from his prose why. I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in this story over the weekend and I read the last third in one shot, yesterday afternoon. I caught my breath and then said, Bravo!
Recommended!
Available Thursday, but you can pre-order here: https://amzn.to/2VoPjLa
*Thanks to Flame Tree Press for the paperback ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
Patrick loses his artistic aunt Thelma under abnormal circumstances. Some time later, he and his son start looking into her artistic history and her death, after discovering her journal. They begin out of curiosity- because they wanted to see in person the landscapes she painted, (each of which features a shadowy person), to see if they shed any light on her death. They meet a young woman named Bella during one of their trips, and before they know it, she becomes, (almost), a part of the family. Then Patrick begins to notice things about her, - her reluctance to share her address, for one- and soon enough, the "investigation" becomes all about Bella. At least it does to Patrick, which alienates him from his son and the rest of his family. Is Patrick right about Bella? Is something wrong with her? How was Thelma's death involved? You'll have to read this to find out!
I very much enjoyed this, (mostly), quiet horror story. I love tales where the characters become different people than what they were at the beginning. The family dynamics here were rough, but let's face it-a LOT of family dynamics are rough, so that was realistic to me. I think they acted in ways that regular people would.
I loved the language and the rather slow pace, though I did think it slowed a bit TOO much in the middle portions, due to some repetitious family matters. However, it picked back up again in the last third, featuring some quite scary scenes, and from there we raced to the finish. (I did find the denouement a little predictable. For the slight slowing of the pace and my ability to correctly guess most of the ending, I deducted one star.)
I noticed a few reviews mentioning that the language was old fashioned or too "English", but to be honest, I didn't notice that at all. There were lush descriptions of scenery and landscapes, but I felt they contributed to the overall feel of the book, while allowing me to perfectly picture the surroundings and what was happening.
Ramsey Campbell is an award winning author and it's clear from his prose why. I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in this story over the weekend and I read the last third in one shot, yesterday afternoon. I caught my breath and then said, Bravo!
Recommended!
Available Thursday, but you can pre-order here: https://amzn.to/2VoPjLa
*Thanks to Flame Tree Press for the paperback ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
July 17, 2021
Atmospheric, Erie And Very Creepy! Patrick's aunt Thelma was a renown painter for her mysterious and dark paintings of the woods that often held certain secretive visuals for the viewer to interpret and now she has died under questionable circumstances. Patrick had a close relationship with her and now his fifteen year old son (Roy) who is an avid reader and has found one of her journals and has many questions about her paintings and her life. The twosome decide to go on an adventure to visit some of the places that Thelma had last painted to find clues of what she wanted to convey in her latest works that is, until Roy meets his new girlfriend Bella who is also somewhat of a mysterious young girl and is very, very interested in Thelma's paintings and journal. There are many surprises around this trio and the darkness will descend without any of them truly realizing what is happening around themselves and hopefully it won't be too late for the light to prevail.
This was a very good atmospheric horror story told with a slow burn and vivid descriptions of scenery and landscapes that gave a eerie and haunting feeling to me. I had a hard time initially getting into the book due to heavy English phrasing but after 20 percent into reading, I fell in love with the writing and found it absolutely perfect for this storytelling. I will never feel quite the same when I enter the woods again without wondering what may be really lurking within.
I highly recommend this book for tried and true horror fans because it is one that should be not be missed. I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for give allowing the opportunity to read this wonderfully creepy book!
I have given this story a rating of 4 Creepy and Surreal ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stars!!
This was a very good atmospheric horror story told with a slow burn and vivid descriptions of scenery and landscapes that gave a eerie and haunting feeling to me. I had a hard time initially getting into the book due to heavy English phrasing but after 20 percent into reading, I fell in love with the writing and found it absolutely perfect for this storytelling. I will never feel quite the same when I enter the woods again without wondering what may be really lurking within.
I highly recommend this book for tried and true horror fans because it is one that should be not be missed. I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for give allowing the opportunity to read this wonderfully creepy book!
I have given this story a rating of 4 Creepy and Surreal ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stars!!
May 30, 2022
Ramsey Campbell has been publishing for nearly 60 years (his debut book, The Inhabitant Of The Lake And Less Welcome Tenants, came out via Arkham House in 1964), and he remains as prolific as ever, with a steady stream of novels, short story collections, and novellas being released on a regular basis. I’m happy to state that with his 2020 novel The Wise Friend, the legendary Mr. Campbell has certainly not run out of steam.
The story is told from the first-person POV of Patrick, a man whose Aunt Thelma was an eccentric and somewhat well-known artist who died under strange circumstances. Patrick’s teenage son Roy develops an interest in this aunt’s work and together he and Patrick try unlock the mystery of her death via clues left behind in her notes and paintings. Roy begins to fall for Bella, a young woman who is also a devotee of the late artist, and here is where tensions start to build between the various players (who also include Patrick’s ex-wife, Julia).
The most prominent aspect of The Wise Friend is related to the interactions between the characters. Every conversation, every encounter, is dripping with tension, suspicion, and passive-aggressive comments. No breezy small-talk here… every discussion seems to have multiple layers of meaning. There is also a scene involving a library that will make anyone cringe who has ever been falsely accused of doing something they know they didn’t do. All of this gives the narrative an unsettling feel, and considering the first-person perspective, readers may wonder if everything is truly happening as described, or if events are being filtered through the lens of an increasingly paranoid character. Of course, this relentless tone can feel a bit tiring after a while, and might be a turnoff for certain readers. If the book were any longer than its ~300 pages, this probably would have become more of an issue for me, but as it stands, I think it was just the right length for the story being told. The last thirty or so pages offered a nice, intense payoff for the otherwise slow-burn novel. The ending felt satisfying while leaving just enough to the reader’s imagination to ponder what might come afterwards.
I also want to be clear that this is a supernatural horror tale, so otherworldly elements (while subtle at times) do play a role in the book. I enjoyed the way this all played out of the course of the novel, and I won’t give any spoilers about that part of it. I will say that the cover art featuring the inverted cross and pile of skulls, to me, doesn’t quite fit with the story. But that’s a minor complaint.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced slasher tale, this book will likely bore you to tears. But if you’re in the mood for an atmospheric work of dark fiction that takes its time to build up, there’s a lot to love in The Wise Friend. Personally, I really enjoyed this one.
The story is told from the first-person POV of Patrick, a man whose Aunt Thelma was an eccentric and somewhat well-known artist who died under strange circumstances. Patrick’s teenage son Roy develops an interest in this aunt’s work and together he and Patrick try unlock the mystery of her death via clues left behind in her notes and paintings. Roy begins to fall for Bella, a young woman who is also a devotee of the late artist, and here is where tensions start to build between the various players (who also include Patrick’s ex-wife, Julia).
The most prominent aspect of The Wise Friend is related to the interactions between the characters. Every conversation, every encounter, is dripping with tension, suspicion, and passive-aggressive comments. No breezy small-talk here… every discussion seems to have multiple layers of meaning. There is also a scene involving a library that will make anyone cringe who has ever been falsely accused of doing something they know they didn’t do. All of this gives the narrative an unsettling feel, and considering the first-person perspective, readers may wonder if everything is truly happening as described, or if events are being filtered through the lens of an increasingly paranoid character. Of course, this relentless tone can feel a bit tiring after a while, and might be a turnoff for certain readers. If the book were any longer than its ~300 pages, this probably would have become more of an issue for me, but as it stands, I think it was just the right length for the story being told. The last thirty or so pages offered a nice, intense payoff for the otherwise slow-burn novel. The ending felt satisfying while leaving just enough to the reader’s imagination to ponder what might come afterwards.
I also want to be clear that this is a supernatural horror tale, so otherworldly elements (while subtle at times) do play a role in the book. I enjoyed the way this all played out of the course of the novel, and I won’t give any spoilers about that part of it. I will say that the cover art featuring the inverted cross and pile of skulls, to me, doesn’t quite fit with the story. But that’s a minor complaint.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced slasher tale, this book will likely bore you to tears. But if you’re in the mood for an atmospheric work of dark fiction that takes its time to build up, there’s a lot to love in The Wise Friend. Personally, I really enjoyed this one.
April 27, 2020
Atmospheric, Erie And Very Creepy!
Patrick's aunt Thelma was a renown painter for her mysterious and dark paintings of the woods that often held certain secretive visuals for the viewer to interpret and now she has died under questionable circumstances. Patrick had a close relationship with her and now his fifteen year old son (Roy) who is an avid reader and has found one of her journals and has many questions about her paintings and her life. The twosome decide to go on an adventure to visit some of the places that Thelma had last painted to find clues of what she wanted to convey in her latest works that is, until Roy meets his new girlfriend Bella who is also somewhat of a mysterious young girl and is very, very interested in Thelma's paintings and journal. There are many surprises around this trio and the darkness will descend without any of them truly realizing what is happening around themselves and hopefully it won't be too late for the light to prevail.
This was a very good atmospheric horror story told with a slow burn and vivid descriptions of scenery and landscapes that gave a eerie and haunting feeling to me. I had a hard time initially getting into the book due to heavy English phrasing but after 20 percent into reading, I fell in love with the writing and found it absolutely perfect for this storytelling. I will never feel quite the same when I enter the woods again without wondering what may be really lurking within. I highly recommend this book for tried and true horror fans because it is not one that should be not be missed.
I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for give allowing the opportunity to read this wonderfully creepy book!
I have given this story a rating of 4 Creepy and Surreal ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stars!!
Patrick's aunt Thelma was a renown painter for her mysterious and dark paintings of the woods that often held certain secretive visuals for the viewer to interpret and now she has died under questionable circumstances. Patrick had a close relationship with her and now his fifteen year old son (Roy) who is an avid reader and has found one of her journals and has many questions about her paintings and her life. The twosome decide to go on an adventure to visit some of the places that Thelma had last painted to find clues of what she wanted to convey in her latest works that is, until Roy meets his new girlfriend Bella who is also somewhat of a mysterious young girl and is very, very interested in Thelma's paintings and journal. There are many surprises around this trio and the darkness will descend without any of them truly realizing what is happening around themselves and hopefully it won't be too late for the light to prevail.
This was a very good atmospheric horror story told with a slow burn and vivid descriptions of scenery and landscapes that gave a eerie and haunting feeling to me. I had a hard time initially getting into the book due to heavy English phrasing but after 20 percent into reading, I fell in love with the writing and found it absolutely perfect for this storytelling. I will never feel quite the same when I enter the woods again without wondering what may be really lurking within. I highly recommend this book for tried and true horror fans because it is not one that should be not be missed.
I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for give allowing the opportunity to read this wonderfully creepy book!
I have given this story a rating of 4 Creepy and Surreal ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stars!!
December 6, 2022
Many thanks to NetGalley, Ramsey Campbell, and Flame Tree Press for a chance to review this book. I was given an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest opinion. Every word of this review is solely and completely mine. I have never been impressed with Campbell's work and felt this would be a good chance to check him out, fairly. Patrick Torrington is a university professor of literature. His Aunt Thelma was a painter, who used to travel to local settings to become inspired, but her work took a dark turn and consequently, it is believed that she committed suicide. (It is not evident.) Patrick finds her diary, and when his son begins to ask questions about her, Patrick is happy to talk about her. They even decide to visit some of the sites that Aunt Thelma visited as a way of bonding. However, Patrick’s son, Roy, has a girlfriend that seems to be obsessed with Aunt Thelma’s work. They soon leave Patrick out of the explorations and a sinister pall shadows the activities of the youth. Patrick feels forced to take dramatic actions that may cause a schism between father and son. Whatever the case, the locales that Aunt Thelma visited appear to be imbued by dark forces that won’t rest easy. This is a slow-burn, horror tale reminiscent of old-time ghost stories. It is a psychological, paranormal, story with some real scares, but they don’t always work because of the slow-burn aspect. Often, while I waited for the pay-off, the suspense would build, and it rarely reached the crescendo promised. Not a bad read, but really too slow for this hardcore horror fan.
Read
March 27, 2020As I did not complete this book, I will not offer a star rating, out of fairness for the author!
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Ramsey Campbell, and Flame Tree Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Exploring a new author in Ramsey Campbell, I thought to see how much of a horror story this book provided to me. In a story that focuses on the artwork of a woman who subsequently took her life, the reader learns a little more about what might have influenced her. Patrick Semple knows that many thought his aunt was different and her art led her to many odd places. He has memories from his youth about visiting her and trying to understand her thoughts and way of being. Years later, when he son, Roy, discovers some of the books about her work, he becomes highly interested. Patrick tries to rebuff him, but the teenage will not relent. Opening this could really pose to be a problem. However, this is as far as I made it, since the book lost my interest up to this point. I leave it to others to forge onwards and determined the ‘horror’ nature of the piece, as the narrative and story up to this point turned out to be horrific enough for me.
I respect that many people have their own opinions about books and what makes a good story. That being said, at a time when things are so chaotic outside with the COVID-19 pandemic, I look for books that will hold my attention and keep me wanting to turn the pages. Surely, some will love Campbell’s writing and the way he tells a story, but I could not find myself enthralled enough to stick it out. I will be eager to read reviews of those who complete the book and offer something enlightening. Perhaps I will return to this novel down the road, as I find that I can sometimes enjoy a book under a different circumstances. That being said, I am not holding my breath.
Kudos, Mr. Campbell for trying to lure me in. I may be in the minority, but wanted to voice my opinions frankly.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Ramsey Campbell, and Flame Tree Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Exploring a new author in Ramsey Campbell, I thought to see how much of a horror story this book provided to me. In a story that focuses on the artwork of a woman who subsequently took her life, the reader learns a little more about what might have influenced her. Patrick Semple knows that many thought his aunt was different and her art led her to many odd places. He has memories from his youth about visiting her and trying to understand her thoughts and way of being. Years later, when he son, Roy, discovers some of the books about her work, he becomes highly interested. Patrick tries to rebuff him, but the teenage will not relent. Opening this could really pose to be a problem. However, this is as far as I made it, since the book lost my interest up to this point. I leave it to others to forge onwards and determined the ‘horror’ nature of the piece, as the narrative and story up to this point turned out to be horrific enough for me.
I respect that many people have their own opinions about books and what makes a good story. That being said, at a time when things are so chaotic outside with the COVID-19 pandemic, I look for books that will hold my attention and keep me wanting to turn the pages. Surely, some will love Campbell’s writing and the way he tells a story, but I could not find myself enthralled enough to stick it out. I will be eager to read reviews of those who complete the book and offer something enlightening. Perhaps I will return to this novel down the road, as I find that I can sometimes enjoy a book under a different circumstances. That being said, I am not holding my breath.
Kudos, Mr. Campbell for trying to lure me in. I may be in the minority, but wanted to voice my opinions frankly.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
May 24, 2020
THE WISE FRIEND, by Ramsey Campbell, is a slow-burn horror novel that delves into legends, folklore, psychological horror, and even touches on the occult.
Patrick and his teenaged son, Roy, have always been fascinated by Patrick's "semi-famous" Aunt Thelma's artwork. Her mysterious, inexplicable death only serves to heighten the aura of mystery surrounding her.
". . . It felt as if she'd started hiding details in her work she didn't want the rest of us to understand."
Campbell's eloquent writing style begins innocuously enough, but before you even realize it, the dread and fear begin to creep up on you.
"If you don't go where other people won't . . . you'll never see what's to be seen."
Enter into their lives, Bella, a girl approximately young Roy's age, that encourages him to retrace the last steps his Great-Aunt took in her quest for artistic inspiration. Although Patrick is . . . uneasy . . . for some reason, he is also pulled into her enthusiasm and obsession.
". . . if you have to keep secrets you must know they're better kept hidden."
Campbell really builds his characters well. They become 3-D individuals as opposed to mere names on a page. The emotions he is able to evoke are one of the things--I feel--make him such a phenomenal storyteller.
The locations he choses also feel as if they have a life of their own. They are characters, of a sort, in their own way, and just as essential to the set-up of the plot.
". . . I saw that the whole of the forest . . . was a single shade of lurid green, the expression of a solitary underlying presence . . . "
Overall, I found this story to be deceptively clever in its execution. Things seem "innocent" enough, until the little tidbits begin to catch up in your mind.
Then, everything changes.
". . . you can't unlearn what you've learned."
This is a solid tale of slow-building terror from one of the masters of horror.
Recommended.
Patrick and his teenaged son, Roy, have always been fascinated by Patrick's "semi-famous" Aunt Thelma's artwork. Her mysterious, inexplicable death only serves to heighten the aura of mystery surrounding her.
". . . It felt as if she'd started hiding details in her work she didn't want the rest of us to understand."
Campbell's eloquent writing style begins innocuously enough, but before you even realize it, the dread and fear begin to creep up on you.
"If you don't go where other people won't . . . you'll never see what's to be seen."
Enter into their lives, Bella, a girl approximately young Roy's age, that encourages him to retrace the last steps his Great-Aunt took in her quest for artistic inspiration. Although Patrick is . . . uneasy . . . for some reason, he is also pulled into her enthusiasm and obsession.
". . . if you have to keep secrets you must know they're better kept hidden."
Campbell really builds his characters well. They become 3-D individuals as opposed to mere names on a page. The emotions he is able to evoke are one of the things--I feel--make him such a phenomenal storyteller.
The locations he choses also feel as if they have a life of their own. They are characters, of a sort, in their own way, and just as essential to the set-up of the plot.
". . . I saw that the whole of the forest . . . was a single shade of lurid green, the expression of a solitary underlying presence . . . "
Overall, I found this story to be deceptively clever in its execution. Things seem "innocent" enough, until the little tidbits begin to catch up in your mind.
Then, everything changes.
". . . you can't unlearn what you've learned."
This is a solid tale of slow-building terror from one of the masters of horror.
Recommended.
April 13, 2020
Patrick Torrington thought his Aunt Thelma committed suicide. She was an artist and before her death her artwork got progressively more dark and disturbing. A shadowy figure with no face started to appear in her work. Some even said her work seemed to be alive...moving....breathing. When Patrick discovers his dead aunt's diary, he and his son Roy, go on a quest to find local places she wrote about. She left lines of poetry describing these mysterious places. As they follow in her footsteps unraveling the puzzle, they awaken something. A dark force that Patrick truly believes would have been better undisturbed.
This story is disturbing and has a delicious slow burn horror to it. As the diary and puzzles left behind by Thelma start to unravel, the story gets darker and darker. This was a total binge read for me today as I worked through my usual Sunday chores -- laundry, dishes, meal planning. My boring routine needed a bit of horror to liven things up. This was the perfect story to lend a bit of excitement to a dull, rainy, shelter-in-place-during-the-pandemic day.
I like Ramsey Campbell's style. This is the first of his books that I've read....and I will definitely be coming back for more! Some horror fiction is too understated and I end up wanting more. And some is too over-the-top that it gets cheesy. The Wise Friend was in the middle -- perfect atmospheric build, great characterizations to pull me into the plot quickly, and some great creepy moments to inject just the right amount of scare into the tale. This was just a good scary story -- loved it!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
This story is disturbing and has a delicious slow burn horror to it. As the diary and puzzles left behind by Thelma start to unravel, the story gets darker and darker. This was a total binge read for me today as I worked through my usual Sunday chores -- laundry, dishes, meal planning. My boring routine needed a bit of horror to liven things up. This was the perfect story to lend a bit of excitement to a dull, rainy, shelter-in-place-during-the-pandemic day.
I like Ramsey Campbell's style. This is the first of his books that I've read....and I will definitely be coming back for more! Some horror fiction is too understated and I end up wanting more. And some is too over-the-top that it gets cheesy. The Wise Friend was in the middle -- perfect atmospheric build, great characterizations to pull me into the plot quickly, and some great creepy moments to inject just the right amount of scare into the tale. This was just a good scary story -- loved it!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
September 1, 2022
This wasn't as eerie and attention grabbing as I had hoped. Interesting premise but wasn't quite my cup of tea. Found myself struggling with keeping my attention to the story and not everything else
April 9, 2020
Thanks to Flametree and Netgalley for approving me on The Wise Friend.
I have to say the synopsis was incredibly intriguing and as the story progressed I was continually drawn in more and more.
Personally, as I mentioned in a reading update - I was not a fan of any of the dialogue or even the character interactions. Everything was apparently accusatory and when a question was asked, it was either met with shock or scorn or redirection happened and it made for some frustrating sections of each chapter. This was actually my first read of living legend Mr. Campbell so I'm not sure if the dialogue aspect is a writing trait or not.
The premise of just what the aunt was getting up to was strong enough to keep my interest and let me see this all the way through, but at the end of the day, I could've done without characters like Ms. Dennison who made me want to pull my hair out whenever we had to deal with her.
Same went for everyone else.
I have to say the synopsis was incredibly intriguing and as the story progressed I was continually drawn in more and more.
Personally, as I mentioned in a reading update - I was not a fan of any of the dialogue or even the character interactions. Everything was apparently accusatory and when a question was asked, it was either met with shock or scorn or redirection happened and it made for some frustrating sections of each chapter. This was actually my first read of living legend Mr. Campbell so I'm not sure if the dialogue aspect is a writing trait or not.
The premise of just what the aunt was getting up to was strong enough to keep my interest and let me see this all the way through, but at the end of the day, I could've done without characters like Ms. Dennison who made me want to pull my hair out whenever we had to deal with her.
Same went for everyone else.
July 23, 2020
Ramsey Campbell has to be the utter master of social anxiety horror.
While some this novel's horror is due to the plot and situations building up with hints of unseen figures in paintings and whispering fungi and unexplained deaths, it really the social interactions that drive nearly all of the deeper aspects of unease. There is virtually no conversation in the novel that does not stress the reader out. It is like a dream where you show up to school naked and find yourself unable to escape, only in this dream you are watching a man show up socially-naked to a conversation with his ex-wife where she is hinting he might have stolen a library book and you are both trapped as the treacle-slow accusations leave you feeling awkwardly like an unwitting voyeur to domestic strife (and there are even more stressful, awkward conversations than this).
When this book works, and for me it worked well quite often, it works through the combination of this social stress and the fine, unrushed stress of the other elements, many of which bring to mind the sort of weird/strange stories of Arthur Machen and similar horror-adjacent authors. Note, though, that this is book is so slowburn it makes other slowburn horror novels seem downright fidgety and rushed.
My only complaint, which is more a "complaint", is that this novel is so utterly a Ramsey Campbell novel that many of the new aspects are a bit buried in the tropes and modes that he has honed over decades of writing such novels. If you know his style then you know about blurry faces lurching towards the protagonist that turn out to be their own reflection in a rainy window; the hint of whispers that turn out to be a distant radios or the wind or a dripping tap; and strange shapes that are just lumps of clothes left in the street or shadows catching the eye oddly. You also know how he blends in a lot of red herrings with increasing numbers of actual weird encounters to imbalance the reader's ability to know for sure what is truth and what is a slow descent into the Other. This happens a lot in The Wise Friend. Campbell is really, really good at this style of writing. There is no problem, there. The only problem is that when you have a novel like this one, that takes its time with exposing the story, these call-backs to earlier writings rob some of its identity. You feel lost in a limbo state between Campbell novels, waiting for the difference engine to kick in and spot the new territory.
This leaves this novel in a bit of a paradox, where it feels ultimately for Campbell fans (though I'd say anyone interested in post-Machenian horror will find things to enjoy, here) but it also stumbles by being so much a novel that Campbell would write so those fans will have seen this a few times before (and how much that irks them or thrills them I imagine is up to them individually). I consider it a 4-star novel. Not perfect, but really good and I love what Campbell did with world building. However, in a world where Campbell has also written stuff like The Darkest Part of the Woods, I would likely lean towards pushing people in that direction, first, though that makes this novel feel a bit like an echo. It does some things better, but it also seems to act as a familiar to that novel's structure. I know that sounds weird as a review but it feels like the best way to say it.
As it is, I found this novel to end at exactly the right place, ultimately. And to tell exactly the right amount. Maybe the repetitions in the middle are a bit too much a slowburn, but the opening and the ending gave me the exact right amount to engage my sense of dread but also inspire a bit of awe and wonder. I dig this post-Machen Campbell mode, quite a bit.
While some this novel's horror is due to the plot and situations building up with hints of unseen figures in paintings and whispering fungi and unexplained deaths, it really the social interactions that drive nearly all of the deeper aspects of unease. There is virtually no conversation in the novel that does not stress the reader out. It is like a dream where you show up to school naked and find yourself unable to escape, only in this dream you are watching a man show up socially-naked to a conversation with his ex-wife where she is hinting he might have stolen a library book and you are both trapped as the treacle-slow accusations leave you feeling awkwardly like an unwitting voyeur to domestic strife (and there are even more stressful, awkward conversations than this).
When this book works, and for me it worked well quite often, it works through the combination of this social stress and the fine, unrushed stress of the other elements, many of which bring to mind the sort of weird/strange stories of Arthur Machen and similar horror-adjacent authors. Note, though, that this is book is so slowburn it makes other slowburn horror novels seem downright fidgety and rushed.
My only complaint, which is more a "complaint", is that this novel is so utterly a Ramsey Campbell novel that many of the new aspects are a bit buried in the tropes and modes that he has honed over decades of writing such novels. If you know his style then you know about blurry faces lurching towards the protagonist that turn out to be their own reflection in a rainy window; the hint of whispers that turn out to be a distant radios or the wind or a dripping tap; and strange shapes that are just lumps of clothes left in the street or shadows catching the eye oddly. You also know how he blends in a lot of red herrings with increasing numbers of actual weird encounters to imbalance the reader's ability to know for sure what is truth and what is a slow descent into the Other. This happens a lot in The Wise Friend. Campbell is really, really good at this style of writing. There is no problem, there. The only problem is that when you have a novel like this one, that takes its time with exposing the story, these call-backs to earlier writings rob some of its identity. You feel lost in a limbo state between Campbell novels, waiting for the difference engine to kick in and spot the new territory.
This leaves this novel in a bit of a paradox, where it feels ultimately for Campbell fans (though I'd say anyone interested in post-Machenian horror will find things to enjoy, here) but it also stumbles by being so much a novel that Campbell would write so those fans will have seen this a few times before (and how much that irks them or thrills them I imagine is up to them individually). I consider it a 4-star novel. Not perfect, but really good and I love what Campbell did with world building. However, in a world where Campbell has also written stuff like The Darkest Part of the Woods, I would likely lean towards pushing people in that direction, first, though that makes this novel feel a bit like an echo. It does some things better, but it also seems to act as a familiar to that novel's structure. I know that sounds weird as a review but it feels like the best way to say it.
As it is, I found this novel to end at exactly the right place, ultimately. And to tell exactly the right amount. Maybe the repetitions in the middle are a bit too much a slowburn, but the opening and the ending gave me the exact right amount to engage my sense of dread but also inspire a bit of awe and wonder. I dig this post-Machen Campbell mode, quite a bit.
February 20, 2020
3 stars--I liked the book. (I do NOT like the cover, however! The upside-down cross makes it look like the book will be about demons, but it's not.)
This is a very English horror novel, touching on English folklore and featuring very English characters. I enjoyed how the plot carried down through generations, and how the horror was slowly revealed. And the ending was fabulous!
I would give this 4 stars, but I thought it got a bit repetitive in the middle (the narrator warns his family, they brush him off, repeat).
I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!
This is a very English horror novel, touching on English folklore and featuring very English characters. I enjoyed how the plot carried down through generations, and how the horror was slowly revealed. And the ending was fabulous!
I would give this 4 stars, but I thought it got a bit repetitive in the middle (the narrator warns his family, they brush him off, repeat).
I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!
June 6, 2021
There are "slow burning" tales and then there are "burningly boring" tales and this one here we find safely snuggled three quarters of the way towards the latter. I almost bailed so many times...but stuck with it, hopeful that it would pay off in the end. I mean it's a story centered on a Lucifer-steeped creature of the shadows so how could it not?!?!
It could not.
While the final quarter of this story was more enjoyable than the pages proceeding it, said enjoyment was not enough to make the novel, as a whole, recommendable.
2 1/2 Blurgable Stars.
It could not.
While the final quarter of this story was more enjoyable than the pages proceeding it, said enjoyment was not enough to make the novel, as a whole, recommendable.
2 1/2 Blurgable Stars.
January 28, 2020
My first endeavor into Ramsey Campbell wasn't very good. In The Wise Friend, Patrick's famous artist aunt, Thelma, kills herself. Years later, his son, Roy, met a young woman and they take a tour of the places Thelma visited for her paintings.
This story was v e r y slow. At 60%, It is hard to continue. I care little about the characters, the dialogue is boring, and the major plot is clouded with long drawn out sentences. I want to know what happened to Thelma, but I don't care enough to continue. First DNF of 2020
This story was v e r y slow. At 60%, It is hard to continue. I care little about the characters, the dialogue is boring, and the major plot is clouded with long drawn out sentences. I want to know what happened to Thelma, but I don't care enough to continue. First DNF of 2020
October 30, 2020
Normally I read all sorts of scary books in October, but 10/2020 doesn’t seem like it needs additional frights. In fact, just reading New York Times every morning does the trick of terrifying all on its own. And yet, out of respect for tradition, I figured I’ll check out some sort of literary scare and this book just became available at the library, so here we go. Disclaimer must be made…I’m not a fan of the author. I appreciate his work, he’s a fine craftsman of slow, quiet terrors and he’s been at it for ages, but there’s something so staid and stodgy about his writing that it never really grabs me. This book is no exception, but it is something of an improvement. There are some attempts made at dynamism and, even, modernization. Mind you, it’s still staid and stodgy, don’t think he can write any other way, but it has some genuinely good moments amidst the slow dragging muddy waters of the narrative. The basic idea is yet another take on England’s pride and joy creature feature attraction that is The Green Man. Because it is an original spin and because, presumably, the author wanted to do a stab at woke, The Green Man is actually female. In the book Campbell nods to it through a pub’s name, just in case you didn’t get it all by yourself. And so a life of an English professor is taking a tumble in a spin cycle when this lady of the woods, presenting as a teenage girl, shows up in his life. It isn’t even his first encounter with it all, first there was his aunt, a famous artist who loved the woods so much she summoned herself a familiar out of them which led to her tragic leap off a tall building. So professor knows the dangers and is willing to put up a fight. The rest…well, you have to read to find out. Suffice it to say, it won’t be easy or straight forward, not the least of it being the fact that everyone’s entirely too British to have direct conversations and spends too much time dancing around the questions that need answering and generally being polite. The thing with Campbell’s writing (and it’s really noticeable in this book) is that it’s done in such a sedate fashion that it almost eliminates ages, in fact, you have to be constantly reminded of them, otherwise everyone reads approximately the same, about 74, just like the author. And there’s a certain dearth of character likeability or maybe just general emotional engagement. It’s a very distanced sort of reading in a way, the ideas and the style can be appreciated intellectually, without really grabbing the reader and drawing them in with any sort of gut punching immediacy. This is not about that, it seems, this is more along the lines of a creeping slow psychological disturbance amplifying steadily. Normally, I’d go for that, definitely that over a fast paced gorefest, but there’s just something about Campbell’s writing that leaves the reader wanting, specifically because it’s so close, it’s almost there. Then again, I’m sure there are fans that go crazy for exactly this kind of scares, he has been in business after all for a great long time. And he can do scary, he’s familiar with horrific, it just isn’t especially thrilling. But, you know, decent enough. You get to armchair travel/traipse through some of the creepiest woods Northern England has to offer and imagine what lurks within. So there, October, I respect you and have the fondest memories of you, and so I read scary stories, this year it’ll just have to do.
May 10, 2020
Ramsey Campbell has won more awards than any other writer in his field and there's a good reason for that - he knows how to create an original, frightening tale, grabbing you from the first page and transporting you, scare by scare, through to the conclusion. The Wise Friend shows him in relentless top form. No one does 'creeping dread' better than Campbell and this novel positively oozes it. It will have you switching all the lights on - and dragging more lamps into the room just to make sure there isn't one single shadow where something not-of-this-word could hide, waiting to possess you when you least expect it.
The Wise Friend is a masterclass in horror writing. Never grotesque or dripping with blood, the author's writing style leads your mind to form images of pure demonic horror and the darkest, most terrifying of atmospheres. A must-read for any horror fan - along with fans of suspense and fine, modern writing
The Wise Friend is a masterclass in horror writing. Never grotesque or dripping with blood, the author's writing style leads your mind to form images of pure demonic horror and the darkest, most terrifying of atmospheres. A must-read for any horror fan - along with fans of suspense and fine, modern writing
February 19, 2020
The newest novel by horror legend Ramsey Campbell feels like a book out of time, and yes, that is a massive compliment. A throwback to Machen and Lovecraft, Campbell's novel is methodically paced, giving the reader a series of breadcrumbs that lead us deeper into the strange woods of the English countryside, into the very realm of the old gods. We know there's nothing good waiting for us out there, but dammit, we just want to see it for ourselves.
The story of Patrick, a divorced college professor, and his teenage son, plays a bit like a scavenger hunt as they track down the isolated spots where Patrick's aunt Thelma once drew inspiration for her famous, eerie paintings. All the touchstones of classic cosmic horror are there, from forbidden knowledge tucked away in blackened tomes to vast, uncaring forces using humanity as chess pieces.
Through it all, Campbell's prose is absolutely gorgeous. Multiple times I would just stop and reread a paragraph just to soak in the detail and mystery of it. You simply don't get writing this lavish in the genre very often, and it is a true joy.
I can imagine that some readers might be thrown by the pacing, which is understandable. This isn't a typical page-turner designed to hit you with a massive revelation every chapter. Instead, this is a book that simmers and glows in your hands. By the last few chapters, I couldn't stop reading it if I wanted to.
Thanks to Flametree for the advance copy. It was a treat.
The story of Patrick, a divorced college professor, and his teenage son, plays a bit like a scavenger hunt as they track down the isolated spots where Patrick's aunt Thelma once drew inspiration for her famous, eerie paintings. All the touchstones of classic cosmic horror are there, from forbidden knowledge tucked away in blackened tomes to vast, uncaring forces using humanity as chess pieces.
Through it all, Campbell's prose is absolutely gorgeous. Multiple times I would just stop and reread a paragraph just to soak in the detail and mystery of it. You simply don't get writing this lavish in the genre very often, and it is a true joy.
I can imagine that some readers might be thrown by the pacing, which is understandable. This isn't a typical page-turner designed to hit you with a massive revelation every chapter. Instead, this is a book that simmers and glows in your hands. By the last few chapters, I couldn't stop reading it if I wanted to.
Thanks to Flametree for the advance copy. It was a treat.
March 24, 2020
This was a tough book to get into. The language did not make it very accessible, and the conversations between characters made it really hard to pay attention as it seemed almost unnatural and wooden. I stuck with it and managed to get more into it, but it still never quite became enjoyable.
However, there were several scenes that I felt were really done well. The author is great at the creepy writing, especially with the shadows, I just wish the rest of it wasn't so ancient sounding.
However, there were several scenes that I felt were really done well. The author is great at the creepy writing, especially with the shadows, I just wish the rest of it wasn't so ancient sounding.
July 2, 2020
This is the ninth Ramsey Campbell novel I've read, and I generally prefer his earlier works with their grimy urban settings but I thought I'd give this latest novel a try. This isn't a bad read, but I would say it's in the lower half of his novels I've read.
The protagonist of this is very similar to the narrator in "The Grin of the Dark" where everyone in his life targets him with mildly accusatory or disapproving remarks and not believing his earnestness for a single second. Conversations are filled with double meanings, endless scolding and upbraiding and passive aggressiveness. There's far too many sparring conversations which can be humorous at times, and do build up the sense of isolation and paranoia, but which more often made me want to throttle the other characters!
Worse though is that these conversations constantly put the brakes on the more interesting parts of the story. There are several scenes when we finally break away from this interpersonal drama and Campbell creates some very creepy settings and suspense. Some these scenes early on don't quite "go for it" as I'd wished; glimpses of shadows and voices on the wind aren't quite enough, but later in the book there are several chapters, primarily when the protagonist is alone, which are very good.
We get plenty of creepy little hints Campbell likes to use:
All the makeshift beds were deserted, and nothing like a face had started to creep out of a bag in the shadow of a column before it was snatched back like a creature surprised in its lair.
The quilt on the double bed was still raised like a burrow. As the beam found it, the elongated hump stirred as though its denizen was about to rear up or squirm forth. Surely this was just a trick of light and shadow.
...there was just one set of prints. Had their maker trodden in them more than once? More grotesquely still, had she walked backwards in them? The idea of someone moving in reverse put me in mind of witchcraft...
But this gets rather overdone, and less interesting with passages like, The emptiness of every room needn’t mean any of them would remain deserted when I turned my back. Although the bathroom mirror showed nobody behind me, I couldn’t help glancing around, for the reflection had started to feel like a trick.
Faults aside, I imagine fans of Ramsey Campbell will enjoy this and it has an interesting concept at base too, which managed to hold its secrets more than many horror novels. It takes its theme from a Lovecraft story, but I won't give away which one. It frustrates me to read these shining moments of great horror and suspense, knowing what Campbell can deliver and I wanted more of that, it just feels like a good example of why Campbell excels in the short story format.
Keep an eye out for the cute nod to his earlier novel "The Hungry Moon."
The protagonist of this is very similar to the narrator in "The Grin of the Dark" where everyone in his life targets him with mildly accusatory or disapproving remarks and not believing his earnestness for a single second. Conversations are filled with double meanings, endless scolding and upbraiding and passive aggressiveness. There's far too many sparring conversations which can be humorous at times, and do build up the sense of isolation and paranoia, but which more often made me want to throttle the other characters!
Worse though is that these conversations constantly put the brakes on the more interesting parts of the story. There are several scenes when we finally break away from this interpersonal drama and Campbell creates some very creepy settings and suspense. Some these scenes early on don't quite "go for it" as I'd wished; glimpses of shadows and voices on the wind aren't quite enough, but later in the book there are several chapters, primarily when the protagonist is alone, which are very good.
We get plenty of creepy little hints Campbell likes to use:
All the makeshift beds were deserted, and nothing like a face had started to creep out of a bag in the shadow of a column before it was snatched back like a creature surprised in its lair.
The quilt on the double bed was still raised like a burrow. As the beam found it, the elongated hump stirred as though its denizen was about to rear up or squirm forth. Surely this was just a trick of light and shadow.
...there was just one set of prints. Had their maker trodden in them more than once? More grotesquely still, had she walked backwards in them? The idea of someone moving in reverse put me in mind of witchcraft...
But this gets rather overdone, and less interesting with passages like, The emptiness of every room needn’t mean any of them would remain deserted when I turned my back. Although the bathroom mirror showed nobody behind me, I couldn’t help glancing around, for the reflection had started to feel like a trick.
Faults aside, I imagine fans of Ramsey Campbell will enjoy this and it has an interesting concept at base too, which managed to hold its secrets more than many horror novels. It takes its theme from a Lovecraft story, but I won't give away which one. It frustrates me to read these shining moments of great horror and suspense, knowing what Campbell can deliver and I wanted more of that, it just feels like a good example of why Campbell excels in the short story format.
Keep an eye out for the cute nod to his earlier novel "The Hungry Moon."
June 10, 2020
3.5 Stars! Always better to state you mean to give more, than to rate high, then deduct :)
Firstly I have to say I listened to this on audiobook (still counts) and began it two days ago.
I am currently two stories away from finishing Mr. Campbell’s “Alone with the Horrors” and there seems, to me at least, to be a stark contrast between the style of writing in that book when compared to The Wise Friend, the main reason for that being I found this novel a much more toned-down, subtle read when compared to the collection of short stories.
I won’t go into too much detail as I’m sure readers of this already know the general plot, but our main characters are Patrick, and his son Roy, who get involved in some sinister goings on. Patrick spending most of the book worrying about the trouble his son Roy might slowly be descending into.
Slowly is the key word here, as this one is definitely a slow burner. One that offers drips of creepiness throughout, but never too much and for the most part, not enough.
At a little over 8 hours, this was a fairly quick book to get through, and the narrator did a good job, though his friendly sounding voice may have lightened the tone a little.
Knowing what the author is capable of, I wish he would have let lose a little, and given me more darkness and the kind of terror filled descriptions that only he can write. I feel this was Ramsey operating at 30 per of his scare potential.
A good book, but given the plot, perhaps a wasted opportunity at providing a truly terrifying novel.
Firstly I have to say I listened to this on audiobook (still counts) and began it two days ago.
I am currently two stories away from finishing Mr. Campbell’s “Alone with the Horrors” and there seems, to me at least, to be a stark contrast between the style of writing in that book when compared to The Wise Friend, the main reason for that being I found this novel a much more toned-down, subtle read when compared to the collection of short stories.
I won’t go into too much detail as I’m sure readers of this already know the general plot, but our main characters are Patrick, and his son Roy, who get involved in some sinister goings on. Patrick spending most of the book worrying about the trouble his son Roy might slowly be descending into.
Slowly is the key word here, as this one is definitely a slow burner. One that offers drips of creepiness throughout, but never too much and for the most part, not enough.
At a little over 8 hours, this was a fairly quick book to get through, and the narrator did a good job, though his friendly sounding voice may have lightened the tone a little.
Knowing what the author is capable of, I wish he would have let lose a little, and given me more darkness and the kind of terror filled descriptions that only he can write. I feel this was Ramsey operating at 30 per of his scare potential.
A good book, but given the plot, perhaps a wasted opportunity at providing a truly terrifying novel.
June 4, 2020
I struggled to connect to the writing style of this one. I loved the premise and I enjoyed the build up to the end but i kept getting bogged down with the writing and as a result it took me so much longer to finish. I nearly stopped a few times. Patrick's son Roy becomes interested in his late great aunts paintings and love of magic and mystery and is determined to follow her path as he seeks to see how she died. I've said in other books I personally struggle with very slow builds so I think this is partly why I had issues. The story itself is good, just not a style for me
April 30, 2020
ARC provided by Flame Tree Press and Ramsey Campbell via NetGalley. All opinions are mine and freely given.
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04-30: 'The Wise Friend' by the legendary horror author, Ramsey Campbell, is one of those dark, creeping tales that you can feel coming from around the corner. Instinctively, you know that just ahead out of sight, something bad awaits.. and you feel both averse to discovering what it is and in a hurry to get it over with.
This book is that scraping sound of something sharp.. but ragged.. being drawn along the inside of your walls as you pace along the outside listening.
It has been so many years since I've read a Ramsey Campbell story, I'd forgotten what it was truly like. I'd retained the summary of feelings. His name continued to stand out in my head as a hugely influential master of horror.. having helped shape my taste in the genre as a teen, but I'd never read a full novel of his that I can recall. They'd always been short stories included in other anthologies. Though, even here.. he'd been impactful.
I certainly wasn't disappointed by this title either, which is loosely about the story of a man who'd discovered as a teen that his aunt at the time had possibly been visiting magical sites which had affected her paintings in a startling way. Now, years later as an adult, his son and his son's girlfriend have become fascinated with the late aunt's work and both have been going back and visiting those sites themselves.
The result is a slow build of cold fear, the kind you want to turn the lights on and chase away. Even as you begin to see what's actually happening about midway through the novel, you realize that isn't really what matters. The story is definitely about the journey and the helplessness you feel along the way.. the absolute uncertainty as to how things will turn out at the end, despite the wealth of knowledge you've garnered.
I've seen mentioned, here and there, that this book is difficult to get into.. but I challenge that statement. What initially gives that impression is the sheer density of Campbell's writing style. Though the story is of average length, there's so much more depth packed into the occurances than one typically sees in modern fiction.
Reading 'The Wise Friend' was like flexing a muscle I rarely use.. like re-learning the motor functions of a limb that's been numb for too long. It made me realize how much current works have just made me a bit of a lazy reader. Even compared to my science or philosophy titles, things are just written in a much simpler, more direct manner today.. and Campbell still knows how to weave a tale expertly in that traditional structure.
If you're a fan of classic 20th century horror authors like Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, and Richard Matheson, you do not want to miss this book. It's a fantastic glimpse of what the strength of a writer can really exemplify. There's less time spent on how a character looks and dresses to fill a page.. and more time invested in how they make others feel.. how those others might be affected by their very surroundings.. even their own memories.. at times.
Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this book. I have been humbled by reading it and feel as if I'll look on modern horror stories with refreshed eyes.
PURCHASE LINKS: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | WATERSTONES
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04-27: I've never read a full length Ramsey Campbell before, but his work always stood out in the horror anthologies I loved as a youth.. and I'm super excited to get into his newest book!
April 9, 2020
As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
Before her mysterious death, Thelma Torrington was a famous surrealist painter. Her nephew, Patrick Semple, spent a lot of time with her and his uncle when he was a teenager, staying over and walking the unsettling woods and footpaths behind the house with Thelma. Years later, his own teenage son, Roy discovers Thelma’s old journal gathering dust, forgotten in his father’s study. Patrick has always been intrigued by his aunts work and that has been passed down from father to son and soon, so is Roy.
Thelma, unlike Patrick’s parents who saw the world in black and white, saw more. She saw the magic in things, the otherworldy, she saw in colour and was always able to use her imagination, picture what she saw in her mind and then paint it. But, in her later career, the inspiration seemed to dry up and she started visiting places to stimulate her. The journal documents the places that she visited, listing their names alongside pictures and annotations on the pages.
Roy and Patrick have a tenuous relationship. Patrick and his wife divorced many years ago and Roy is a rather surly teenager. One thing, however that they have in common is their fascination with Thelma’s work. With nothing else to do and at Roy’s request, they visit the wood behind the house where she lived, the place where she died and then, they visit an exhibition of her work. Whilst at the exhibition, they meet Bella, who befriends Roy.
Bella, herself has a keen interest in Thelma and her work. Roy and Bella become closer and Roy, like there is an unseen force exerting a pull over him starts to become obsessed with learning more about Thelma and the places that she visited. The duo, casting Patrick aside who is reticent to visit the places and who has an ominous feeling about the locations start visiting the places that Thelma mentions in her journal, exploring them, hoping to find why they were important to her, what significance they hold, trying to see what she saw in the world, walking the same paths as her, following in her footsteps and taking the same journey that she did. Places, that have links to the occult, that are tainted by the dark arts, that are restless and places where darkness has taken hold and arcane power still lingers.
It took me a little while to get into The Wise Friend and I was unsure about the book, thinking that, while there was nothing wrong with it that, simply, it might not be for me. I struggled with the writing, to begin with, that is rather dry and I wasn’t connecting with the characters either. But, my attention was engaged and I was curious as to how the story would play out and so, I continued. Then, my persistence paid off and as the darkness unfurled and began burrowing under my skin everything seemed to fall into place. I was rewarded for pushing through my initial apprehension with what turned into an insidious story that is full of creeping unease, that is unnerving and that will have you feeling like you are being watched. That will have you jumping at shadows as you sense that there is a malign presence lurking just outside of your line of sight, glimpsed on the fringes of your vision, encroaching upon, waiting and observing you.
The Wise Friend is written in the first-person from the perspective of Patrick. The writing is descriptive and detailed. The Story is haunting and simmers with some twists and is deliberately paced with a satisfying conclusion. The absolute highlight of The Wise Friend, for me, was the exceptional use of baleful and macabre yet under-stated imagery on display by Campbell. Imagery that is visceral of the mind, that created a sense of place and that evoked a malicious intent and a malevolent and oppressive air to the locations visited in Thelma’s journal, amongst other unsettling scenes and that, genuinely spooked me.
Before her mysterious death, Thelma Torrington was a famous surrealist painter. Her nephew, Patrick Semple, spent a lot of time with her and his uncle when he was a teenager, staying over and walking the unsettling woods and footpaths behind the house with Thelma. Years later, his own teenage son, Roy discovers Thelma’s old journal gathering dust, forgotten in his father’s study. Patrick has always been intrigued by his aunts work and that has been passed down from father to son and soon, so is Roy.
Thelma, unlike Patrick’s parents who saw the world in black and white, saw more. She saw the magic in things, the otherworldy, she saw in colour and was always able to use her imagination, picture what she saw in her mind and then paint it. But, in her later career, the inspiration seemed to dry up and she started visiting places to stimulate her. The journal documents the places that she visited, listing their names alongside pictures and annotations on the pages.
Roy and Patrick have a tenuous relationship. Patrick and his wife divorced many years ago and Roy is a rather surly teenager. One thing, however that they have in common is their fascination with Thelma’s work. With nothing else to do and at Roy’s request, they visit the wood behind the house where she lived, the place where she died and then, they visit an exhibition of her work. Whilst at the exhibition, they meet Bella, who befriends Roy.
Bella, herself has a keen interest in Thelma and her work. Roy and Bella become closer and Roy, like there is an unseen force exerting a pull over him starts to become obsessed with learning more about Thelma and the places that she visited. The duo, casting Patrick aside who is reticent to visit the places and who has an ominous feeling about the locations start visiting the places that Thelma mentions in her journal, exploring them, hoping to find why they were important to her, what significance they hold, trying to see what she saw in the world, walking the same paths as her, following in her footsteps and taking the same journey that she did. Places, that have links to the occult, that are tainted by the dark arts, that are restless and places where darkness has taken hold and arcane power still lingers.
It took me a little while to get into The Wise Friend and I was unsure about the book, thinking that, while there was nothing wrong with it that, simply, it might not be for me. I struggled with the writing, to begin with, that is rather dry and I wasn’t connecting with the characters either. But, my attention was engaged and I was curious as to how the story would play out and so, I continued. Then, my persistence paid off and as the darkness unfurled and began burrowing under my skin everything seemed to fall into place. I was rewarded for pushing through my initial apprehension with what turned into an insidious story that is full of creeping unease, that is unnerving and that will have you feeling like you are being watched. That will have you jumping at shadows as you sense that there is a malign presence lurking just outside of your line of sight, glimpsed on the fringes of your vision, encroaching upon, waiting and observing you.
The Wise Friend is written in the first-person from the perspective of Patrick. The writing is descriptive and detailed. The Story is haunting and simmers with some twists and is deliberately paced with a satisfying conclusion. The absolute highlight of The Wise Friend, for me, was the exceptional use of baleful and macabre yet under-stated imagery on display by Campbell. Imagery that is visceral of the mind, that created a sense of place and that evoked a malicious intent and a malevolent and oppressive air to the locations visited in Thelma’s journal, amongst other unsettling scenes and that, genuinely spooked me.
November 10, 2021
4 AND 1/2 STARS
If you are looking for an ultra violent, gore-filled book filled with nasty killings and wholesale slaughter, this is not the book for you. However, if you want a creepy, atmospheric, slow-burn story with touches of cosmic and folk horror, this is the one to read. It should go without saying that Ramsey Campbell is one of our finest, if not THE finest living British horror writer working today, and The Wise Friend, proves that once again. Yes, it might feel slow, but the evil little breadcrumbs that Campbell lays down throughout each chapter begin to pile up into quite a poisonous platter. While some of the British phrases and sentence structure might throw some off here and there, I was amazed at how well the author crafted the layers and constant buildup of dread. This consistent pattern of escalating quiet horror continued until the very satisfying climax and then, for the cherry on top, Campbell gives you even more on the very last page. Reading this was like tasting a fine wine, one that you don't gulp down, but rather sip and take the time to enjoy. And yes, I love me some ultra violent Richard Laymon, Edward Lee, and Wrath James White, but I also have an appetite for the more subtle, mature terror that sneaks up on you when you least expect it. Also, I love the cover of this book and of course, highly recommend it, but readers must understand what they are about to read and not expect buckets of blood.
If you are looking for an ultra violent, gore-filled book filled with nasty killings and wholesale slaughter, this is not the book for you. However, if you want a creepy, atmospheric, slow-burn story with touches of cosmic and folk horror, this is the one to read. It should go without saying that Ramsey Campbell is one of our finest, if not THE finest living British horror writer working today, and The Wise Friend, proves that once again. Yes, it might feel slow, but the evil little breadcrumbs that Campbell lays down throughout each chapter begin to pile up into quite a poisonous platter. While some of the British phrases and sentence structure might throw some off here and there, I was amazed at how well the author crafted the layers and constant buildup of dread. This consistent pattern of escalating quiet horror continued until the very satisfying climax and then, for the cherry on top, Campbell gives you even more on the very last page. Reading this was like tasting a fine wine, one that you don't gulp down, but rather sip and take the time to enjoy. And yes, I love me some ultra violent Richard Laymon, Edward Lee, and Wrath James White, but I also have an appetite for the more subtle, mature terror that sneaks up on you when you least expect it. Also, I love the cover of this book and of course, highly recommend it, but readers must understand what they are about to read and not expect buckets of blood.
May 23, 2020
One of the finest novels Ramsey Campbell has written. Up there with The Darkest Part of the Woods, The Influence, Ancient Images and The Hungry Moon.
As with all of Campbell's stories, the horror is gradually applied in hints, suggestions, and wordplay. It starts at the periphery and slowly moves to centre stage. The final few chapters are genuinely nightmarish. There is one brief scene involving a pillow which actually caused me to set the book aside for the night.
If you haven't read Ramsey Campbell before then I'd say this is a perfect place to start.
As with all of Campbell's stories, the horror is gradually applied in hints, suggestions, and wordplay. It starts at the periphery and slowly moves to centre stage. The final few chapters are genuinely nightmarish. There is one brief scene involving a pillow which actually caused me to set the book aside for the night.
If you haven't read Ramsey Campbell before then I'd say this is a perfect place to start.
November 10, 2021
Yes, once again I had to quit this book. From the start, I had one thought. And that was quaint. Campbell had noticeably old fashioned words. Just a few, but enough that I noticed. I have always loved this author because he writes stories from a part of England that is a bit scary to me. Liverpool! Yes! Also, sometimes Wales. I loved Mr. Campbell when I was younger. He does always set the mood. I do believe that most people who love the slow burn, will also love this! If I had time to spend, I might like it too! No, I am certain I would like it. Ramsey Campbell is someone I read for 20 years. I have all his early books on my bookshelves. His stuff is a slow burn, but it's also eerie and moody. Now? I would tell you that I'm too old. That is mostly true. In fact, what I am is just someone who is sick and tired of the slow burn. I'm this stage of life, I want fast moving stories! I can't and won't waste time on this. Picture me snapping my fingers and twiddling my toes! That's me! Literally! I get bored, and I tend to twiddle my toes! Just saying, let's get on with it! Places to go, and people to see!
May 27, 2022
I wanted to love this, more than anything because it was a recommendation from a dear friend.
The premise was great--the reality fell short. Ramsey Campbell is a great writer, and I was so intrigued by the beginning of the book, but the magic fizzled out halfway through. I did not like the characters (save for Bella), nor the dialogue (so often combative, and sometimes without motive).
I'm told that Campbell bears a resemblance to King in style, and I can see that, but the sparks fly for me with Stephen King's storytelling every single time.
I'm rather disappointed that this one fell short for me.
The premise was great--the reality fell short. Ramsey Campbell is a great writer, and I was so intrigued by the beginning of the book, but the magic fizzled out halfway through. I did not like the characters (save for Bella), nor the dialogue (so often combative, and sometimes without motive).
I'm told that Campbell bears a resemblance to King in style, and I can see that, but the sparks fly for me with Stephen King's storytelling every single time.
I'm rather disappointed that this one fell short for me.
April 30, 2020
The Wise Friend is a lesson in the age-old conundrum- should you believe everything you read? How much do you know the people posing as your friends? Are there ulterior motives? The storyline chills your spine with liquid nitrogen. It makes you stiffen up, look over your shoulder and take stock all at the same time. its haunting and disturbing with its threatening edge that has you wandering down an unused path that can only lead to devastation. It is an exquisite piece of literature with its use of macabre to transport the reader to another world, one with twists and an undeniable edge that just talked to you instantly.
The synopsis was an eerie whisper that called to me. It was a voice that I couldn’t distinguish from the breeze, but I knew it was there all the same. It was mysterious but what exactly had me so drawn to it? Plain and simple it was its originality that had me so excited. It had me curious and scrambling to open it that had me firm in my conviction. This is was no regurgitated horror novel, The Wise Friend was fresh and invigorating and it seemed to pulse with electricity in my hand.
Thelma Torrington met an untimely end, at her own hands. She was surrealist painter and by all means at the top of her game. Her nephew, Patrick Semple spent a lot of time in his teenage years with his aunt and uncle. The narrative used during this time in Patricks life is extremely harrowing and you get a real insight into Ramsey Campbell’s imagination. You are transported to the woods Patrick used to walk with his aunt Thelma. You can feel the claustrophobic nature of the trees closing in, the dangerous nature that just seems to be a breath away. It swallows you up and leaves you aching for safety once again.
Fast forward a good few years in the future and we meet Patrick’s teenage son, Roy who has discovered some nonsensical journals that belonged to Patricks aunt. His aunt Thelma was almost an ethereal figure to Patrick and he placed her up in a pedestal, he developed an obsession about her and it seems like Roy is developing the same affliction.
It is completely understandable why these men have been completely taken in by Thelma. She is different, she is not the norm and life isn’t just black and white. She sees all the grey in-between and that makes her an interesting subject. Her imagination was mind blowing and she believed that nothing was impossible, from the supernatural to demons and witches. Her life was painting, and her imagination was a great source of that, until of course, it wasn’t. when that occurred she started visiting locations, quite often places that time forgot – haunting and disturbing places. These places are documented in her journal. At what point did it go so wrong and end up killing herself?
The Wise Friend blew my mind. Ramsey Campbell is a master storyteller that will appeal to all readers of modern horror. Filled with intrigue and suspense.
The synopsis was an eerie whisper that called to me. It was a voice that I couldn’t distinguish from the breeze, but I knew it was there all the same. It was mysterious but what exactly had me so drawn to it? Plain and simple it was its originality that had me so excited. It had me curious and scrambling to open it that had me firm in my conviction. This is was no regurgitated horror novel, The Wise Friend was fresh and invigorating and it seemed to pulse with electricity in my hand.
Thelma Torrington met an untimely end, at her own hands. She was surrealist painter and by all means at the top of her game. Her nephew, Patrick Semple spent a lot of time in his teenage years with his aunt and uncle. The narrative used during this time in Patricks life is extremely harrowing and you get a real insight into Ramsey Campbell’s imagination. You are transported to the woods Patrick used to walk with his aunt Thelma. You can feel the claustrophobic nature of the trees closing in, the dangerous nature that just seems to be a breath away. It swallows you up and leaves you aching for safety once again.
Fast forward a good few years in the future and we meet Patrick’s teenage son, Roy who has discovered some nonsensical journals that belonged to Patricks aunt. His aunt Thelma was almost an ethereal figure to Patrick and he placed her up in a pedestal, he developed an obsession about her and it seems like Roy is developing the same affliction.
It is completely understandable why these men have been completely taken in by Thelma. She is different, she is not the norm and life isn’t just black and white. She sees all the grey in-between and that makes her an interesting subject. Her imagination was mind blowing and she believed that nothing was impossible, from the supernatural to demons and witches. Her life was painting, and her imagination was a great source of that, until of course, it wasn’t. when that occurred she started visiting locations, quite often places that time forgot – haunting and disturbing places. These places are documented in her journal. At what point did it go so wrong and end up killing herself?
The Wise Friend blew my mind. Ramsey Campbell is a master storyteller that will appeal to all readers of modern horror. Filled with intrigue and suspense.
July 25, 2020
Ramsey Campbell is responsible for some horrors I hold dear to my heart; Incarnate, The Nameless, The Hungry Moon, The Influence, Ancient Images. Although there have been a couple that didn’t work for me (The Face That Must Die being one) I went into his latest work, The Wise Friend, with an open mind.
I love his writing, it always gets me and sucks me in. It’s like there’s elements of creepiness where it’s not even meant to be. I enjoyed the characters from the very beginning, he keeps it quite simple and it’s a formula that works. It was a solid story which unfolded at its own pace, the horror being very subtle- I didn’t get any major scares until about half way through but the unsettling feeling persisted from the start. It’s the overall tone to his books that I love, normal things can start to feel a bit on the eerie side- a pleasant stroll through the woods in the day, some innocent sat nav directions. You can’t rush through his work because you miss the gradual atmosphere that builds.
I’m genuinely pleased that this book lived up for me. I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in a good old Ramsey Campbell book, it’s a distinctive experience. I was sitting alone at night, long after everyone had gone to bed, while the rain was lashing down outside and the wind was howling. And I was reading in the dark and silence feeling slightly unnerved and wishing I’d perhaps gone to bed with everyone else. Can I start it over again? A solid 5 stars for The Wise Friend.
I love his writing, it always gets me and sucks me in. It’s like there’s elements of creepiness where it’s not even meant to be. I enjoyed the characters from the very beginning, he keeps it quite simple and it’s a formula that works. It was a solid story which unfolded at its own pace, the horror being very subtle- I didn’t get any major scares until about half way through but the unsettling feeling persisted from the start. It’s the overall tone to his books that I love, normal things can start to feel a bit on the eerie side- a pleasant stroll through the woods in the day, some innocent sat nav directions. You can’t rush through his work because you miss the gradual atmosphere that builds.
I’m genuinely pleased that this book lived up for me. I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in a good old Ramsey Campbell book, it’s a distinctive experience. I was sitting alone at night, long after everyone had gone to bed, while the rain was lashing down outside and the wind was howling. And I was reading in the dark and silence feeling slightly unnerved and wishing I’d perhaps gone to bed with everyone else. Can I start it over again? A solid 5 stars for The Wise Friend.
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