Creatures of the Pool

by Ramsey Campbell

Gavin Meadows always worried about his father. The old man could appear a bit paranoid at times, and his research projects sometimes seemed a little crazy. But now his father's missing, and Gavin is more than worried. And the more he looks into his father's research, the more frightened he becomes. This time his father might have really been on to something. Something truly terrifying. For the more Gavin learns of the secrets hidden beneath the city for centuries, the more he realizes the people he sees on the street every day may not be people after all.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Weird Fiction, Mystery

354 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2009

About the author

Ramsey 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."

Reviews

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Campbell book that seems to get mediocre ratings. This is also one of Campbell's books that I've read 3 times and it still manages to eff me up! It weird. It scared the crap out of me! Made me damn near afraid of Liverpool. Until I watched Salah play some fine football! Slight exaggeration! Way before Mo!
Also, I heard about diving in the moss? The moors. I'm guessing snorkeling? I'm down for that!

[Carlos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, so... What do I think about the book? The first 6-8 pages were just about how important and respected the author was, saying the he is the best horror writers living in the UK, that he got awards here and there. When I read that, I had big expectations about the book, but yeah, I was disappointed.
The book is long and many times it gets boring. The language is kind of difficult to understand and it's difficult to follow. The vocabulary is not very friendly in sense of the use of words: too heavy and old-fashioned descriptions. It was like 300 pages with the whole story to describe an ending of 6 pages, which is the length of the last chapter. There are a few repetitive words such as glisten(ing) or slither, among others.
The good things? Naming The Beatles many times during the book, the very famous "You'll never walk alone" chant and a lot of history about Liverpool. These things are good, but maybe in the way everything was narrated was maybe not the best choice. I am pretty sure the same story can be narrated in 200 pages and it would be more entertaining.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was by far the soggiest book I've ever read. Rain soaked man wandering through a waterlogged Liverpool in search of his father who may have stumbled upon some hidden secrets of the city's past. The wetness was thorough and palpable that possibly, if pressed together sufficiently tight, the pages would actually emit moisture. Alas, that was the most notable achievement of the book, with a capable historical guide to Liverpool being a close second. But as a reading experience, it never really managed to exceed average. And I've been trying to like the prolific and very well regarded Ramsey Campbell's work, but I can't seem to get beyond mere appreciation. Yes, he is a very capable writer, he's erudite, informative, imaginative, but, despite all that, thoroughly unengaging. He seems to spend so much time on atmosphere and descriptions, that character development and likability never get the time of day. As a result his books, while technically well done, remain uninvolving and quite often boring, the latter not merely due to the consistently lethargic pace. This might have actually been a pretty dynamic read for Campbell and at mere 354 pages on a smaller side. Still nearly put me to sleep a couple of times. Neat idea (and a fascinating tour of Liverpool) with a somewhat lackluster execution.

[Seregil of Rhiminee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Risingshadow.

Creatures of the Pool was an interesting mystery/horror book (or perhaps I should say that it was a supernatural thriller) about Liverpool and what lives under it. In my opinion the story moved slowly forward, but it wasn't a bad thing, because the author gradually created a strange and threatening atmosphere.

When I began to read Creatures of the Pool I was fascinated by the author's way of using detailed historical information about Liverpool. It added quite a lot of depth to the book, which is rare in modern horror books, because most authors tend to forget the depth. I've always liked historical details, so I enjoyed Campbell's writing style.
The main character, Gavin Meadows, was an interesting character, who gave guided tours of Liverpool. Campbell described Gavin's feelings, life and surroundings vividly. He was a traditional male character and the other characters were also quite traditional. I know that some readers may find this annoying, but it wasn't annoying, because the story was written in a traditional way.

There were some photographs in this book. I thought it was a good thing to use photographs, because it was interesting to see the places which were described in the text.

Although Creatures of the Pool was completely different from H. P. Lovecraft's short stories, there were some things - mostly the strange atmosphere and the sense of mystery - which made me think of Lovecraft's writing style. This was a nice surprise, because I didn't expect this kind of supernatural prose. I'm a big fan of H. P. Lovecraft, so when another author uses a similar writing style, I'm usually impressed by it.

I can recommend Creatures of the Pool to readers who enjoy reading traditional and well written mystery and horror stories with lots of historical details. Although I liked this book, I have to say that Creatures of the Pool isn't for everybody, because some readers may think it's boring.

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a bit boring to me. I loved the writing but I think it could have used some editing. Even worse, I hated the ending.
If I had known the ending would be so abrupt, I would not have finished the book.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gavin Meadows is a historical tour guide in Liverpool, giving his customers stories and legends about the city's dark history, but Gavin's eccentric father, Deryck, is the real expert. Some would say to the point of obsession. Then one day his father vanishes without a trace. Gavin, his mother, and his librarian girlfriend attempt to find him since the local constabulary seem unwilling to take his disappearance seriously.

Strange things begin happen to Gavin, along with the strange, sinister figures he glimpses in the endless rain and flooding. And the worst is yet to come.

Ramsey Campbell is arguably one of Britain's most successful horror writers, and a master of the genre. Very much influenced by Lovecraft, CREATURES OF THE POOL is teeming with weird menace as the author slowly, inexorably rachets up the tension and chills. His writing style in this may be slightly challenging for some readers, but worth the dark journey to the book's startling climax.

Highly recommended!

[Matt Cowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creatures Of The Pool (published in 2010) follows Gavin Meadows, a man who gives tours through Liverpool highlighting the macabre histories of the area including the noting of locations associated with a Jack the Ripper suspect, Spring Heel Jack and places where notable historical figures reportedly went mad, etc. In recent days, Gavin’s usually upbeat father, a major history buff in his own right, had begun acting irrationally and had begun obsessing over some obscure research he’d been doing about a street once called Frog Lane. He also started to believe the local library was purposely blocking him from access to information he’d been seeking. He even suspected Gavin’s girlfriend Lucinda, who works at the library, may be acting as a spy for them.

When Gavin’s father suddenly disappears, he begins searching for him as the local police force seem uninterested in making much effort to assist. A couple officers in particular seem irritated and hostile towards Gavin’s inquiries into how their investigation is proceeding. Meanwhile, Gavin is also dealing with mounting pressure from a high ranking tourism official who’s threatening to pull their recommendations for Gavin’s tours which would badly damage his business. All these problems, along with how his own mind relentlessly streams a flow of strange historical information which he’s unable to stop, begins to push Gavin towards a mental breaking point.

This is another excellent novel by Ramsey. I love all the wonderfully strange historical Liverpool facts Gavin can’t help but recall everywhere he goes, as well as the places his investigation takes him as he delves through old texts and legends in search of what his father had been researching before his mysterious disappearance. Lucinda is well-portrayed as Gavin’s supportive, loving girlfriend who helps him along the way. With his quirky sense of humor and witty remarks, Gavin’s father is also a fun character previous to his vanishing. As always, Ramsey’s style of writing is beautifully rendered and evocative - his word choices managing to portray both what is being seen directly as well as hinting at darker things which may be moldering beneath the surface. Overall, this was a great read which kept me hooked throughout and successfully pulls off an exciting, tension-filled final act.

[Merredith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this book. The word choices and the way it is written…blech. I feel like I'm reading something too old fashioned…but not in a good way. Not in a Dickens/Jane Austen way, but in a Thackeray way. This is going back to the library. It's supposed to be a horror book, not a chore.

[Gary Budden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creatures of the Pool is a condensing of all the folklore, history, ghost stories and weird bits of information Campbell has accrued about his native Liverpool over many years – the product of years spent haunting second-hand bookshops, delving into the local history sections and gathering as much information about a specific place as possible. He then adds his own invented myths and stories, admitting now that he is unsure whether certain parts of the book were lifted from an obscure source or purely the product of his own imagination. This is what makes the novel so interesting to me, this latticework of stories that make up a city as much as any map, as much the bricks and mortar which often are outlived by the stories they spawn. The sense that we are the products of the places we grow up in, but that we then feed back into that collective narrative with our own fictions and biographies.

The book is in some ways an attempt to revive a theme from H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Shadow over Innsmouth', with its insinuations of disturbing amphibian-looking people originating from the Pool of the title ,with obscure motives, a dark history and unusually flexible body parts. But like the best of Campbell's work I've read, and very much in keeping with his other 'comedies of paranoia’, much is left unsaid. The horror stems just as much from the fractured mental state of the first person narrator Gavin Meadows, a Liverpool tour guide who is coming undone in a city of perpetual rain and dripping damp. The weight of a city's history becomes the source of terror, especially all the half-remembered possible truths and the things we know exist but don't have suitable explanations for. I'm sure every city has an equivalent, but Campbell uses something very real (and really weird) to great effect in the novel – namely the Williamson Tunnels that wind under the Edge Hill area of the city. Built by eccentric businessman, Joseph Williamson, between 1810-40, no one I have spoken to can agree on a consensus on why they exist. But exist they do, and they become a perfect symbol of that buried history we know is there but just can't fully get our heads around. This is one of the best novels I've read lately that takes a specific real location as its subject, and I throughly recommend it.

[Die Booth]

This isn't a bad book, but it is a rather boring book. I'm not sure how that can be, considering the wealth of historical Liverpool trivia that's crammed into the story, but (perhaps because of the ever-present pool!) the story manages to never quite ignite.
There are some moments where the tale almost grabbed me and there are a few nice little bits of description, but they're few and far between. The pace is very slow, I think meaning to build menace but managing instead to be a bit turgid. The many, many pieces of (admittedly quite interesting) Liverpool historic fact seem crowbarred into the story for the sake of it - in fact, I think the author should really have written a history book about the city instead, as he's obviously done his research and was very eager to use his findings (all of them. All at once.) The ending is quite nice and understated in a 'the-evil-is-within-us' type of way, but throughout the book the many, MANY references to 'something surges up behind me in the mirror - oh wait, it's just my shadow' and frequent mentions of water, become clumsy and repetitive.
I keep seeing reference to Ramsey Campbell as the greatest living horror writer, but I have to admit I've yet to be at all blown away by anything of his I've read.

[Ceeceereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first impression of this book is that it didn’t seem like a typical Ramsey Campbell. It was hard to digest (this is my second attempt) and sometimes the words almost weren’t making sense to me and the characters were difficult to grasp. There was a lot of unnecessary descriptive writing about Liverpool, although he did provoke the wet, ominous feeling quite well. There was still an allure to his writing which kept me reading but it also felt a lot like hard work. This isn’t one I would recommend to first time Ramsey readers.

[Lux · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has a Lovecraftian feel, and the horror seems ambiguous, restricted to the possible madness of the protagonist. Which, I think, is the best kind of horror - not knowing if you're going mad or if the world is conspiring against you. It was raining when I read it, and I came away with feeling a sort of unease in the rain - which is a good sign in context of the book.

[Timothy Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is steeped in the history of Liverpool, but is psychogeography less as Gothic return to the past, and more as weird irruption. It's powerfully atmospheric, evoking the Pool of the title: at times, I could almost swear the book was soggy and turning to pulp in my hands! A disconcerting read.

[Ó Ruairc · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is written in first person, present tense - a style I found confusing to read. I don't know what to make of Ramsey Campbell. He is lauded as one of the best horror writers around, but this particular novel failed to arouse my enthusiasm.

[William M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Ramsey Campbell book. This felt long and with the amount of content, could have easily been trimmed 75 to 100 pages. The excess of historical facts and locations was even too much for me. I don't mind learning about the history of the areas, the streets, and neighborhoods in a story, but after so much description, the tension and atmosphere begin to dissipate. This book still has some great imagery and overall richness, but, in the end, not enough bang for the buck. I would only recommend this for the Campbell die-hards.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thoughts on the book??? I have no idea what to think about it. It was kinda hard to get through. The story just didn't grab me like I would have liked. I had seen Ramsey Campbell's name in another book and I had a book of his so I thought I would try it, I was disappointed. It was boring at time but it had it's interesting moments although they were rare. I have no idea what the book was really about, Frog people??? That's what I took to be. There was kinda to much history in the book for my taste, I enjoyed the info on Jack the Ripper because he fascinates me and I love to learn about the Ripper but the rest of it just bored me. (I'm not a big history fan. If it has a murder background I like to read about it but other then that it don't interest me.)

There was something about the writing that just didn't get my attention. There wasn't much of an image when reading I was reading the book, it was more like me just reading words. I like to see images when reading, I didn't get that when reading this book. I just felt like I was reading just a bunch of words and nothing else.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I certainly can see why people would not like this book (the reviews for it on here are not great), but I have to say that I loved it. It's a creepy slow burn, and our narrator is a tour guide for the Liverghoul tour. His father is also somewhat of a local historian, so it is not a surprise that he lapses into historical ramblings about the city. From the reviews I can tell that this bothered a lot of people, and it took me aback at first, but I grew to really like it - this is a book that really is about Liverpool more than the characters, whose importance to the story are really entwined in the history of the city itself. I really love horror that uses the setting as a character, and this book certainly does that. It's a love song to the author's home. The slow burn and creeping sense of dread makes Campbell's appreciation for Lovecraft clear.

Also, Ramsey Campbell lists some of his favorite restaurants in Liverpool in the acknowledgements, which I thought was amazing. Someday I will make it to England, and when I do I'm going to have to hit up some of these places in Liverpool!

[Mark A Simmons · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found Creatures of the Pool to be one of Ramsey Campbell's more disappointing efforts. The story starts full of promise, with a strong sense that the hidden and forgotten history of Liverpool is going to drive a strong and unique horror narrative. No such luck. The story goes at a snail's pace, and the endless puns and references to water/fish/frogs et al just gets annoying. Worse, the horror is just of the "I thought I glimpsed a horrible wetly glistening creature out of the corner of my eye, but it was only a coat on the back of a door" school of non-terror. Again and again Ramsey drops in a interesting historical fact for the sake of building the atmosphere, which works well, but then never uses them to drive the narrative onwards. I found it a chore to read to the conclusion, one so predictable that I almost wished I had abandoned the book earlier, and one that relies heavily on random circumstance rather than an unfolding mystery. Not recommended. Read Campbell's earlier short stories instead, where his sense of menace is punchy, direct and imaginative.

[Monster]

There is no denying that Campbell’s writing is head and shoulders above the vast majority of his peers. You’d be hard pressed to find a more elegant writer of dark fiction. If there’s a fault in Creatures of the Pool it is that the characters seem almost secondary. This is a novel about a place, Liverpool to be exact. You will find within the ins and outs, overs and unders of this murky, dark landscape, brought to life through the magnificence of Campbell’s unique voice. With a deft hand, the author brings the dark underbelly to life and instills in the reader an unnerving feeling, an uneasiness, as he leads you into a tenebrous black of subtle terror that will linger with you long after the book has been closed. Be aware, though: while I really liked this book, it is not for everyone. Far from it.

Review by Bob Freeman

[Lesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uh, I reviewed the wrong book. Wrong author. A different writer whose last name ends in” LL” 🤨

Anyhoo, Creatures of the Pool was a longish but fun read. Not too serious or extremely creepy, but very winky-winky to people who are into Cthulhulania, British folk horror or Liverpool history. When I wrote: “Giant waste of time. I have yet to read a Campbell book that lives up to the hype around the guy, but this was seriously ridiculous. Not much plot, a whole lot of plod” I was not referring to this book, FML.

[Jonathan Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a real winter treat. Ramsey's Lovecraftian psycho-geographical history of Liverpool is one of the finest horror novels I've read in a long time. There are some scenes here that are genuinely frightening and Ramsey's mundane characters are often as disturbing as the supernatural entities within. I thought the ending was fine and the build up to it, deep beneath the city, was just brilliant. A fine work of supernatural fiction.

[Joshua Hair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read much better from Mr. Campbell, but this one was still decent overall. Admittedly, the pace couldn't have been much slower, and the story became bogged down with too much information on Liverpool and its history. While interesting in its own way (what a history it has!) it detracted too far from the tale and ended up, in several instances, overtaking everything else.

[Jake Maschino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting idea, but a very slow read. Horrible ending. Never would have taken the time to read this one if I knew how it ended before I began.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow, hard to read and I was hoping the end would wrap everything up but it didn't

[Ömer Oral · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abrupt and ambiguous ending. Still, it’s classic Ramsey Campbell. Was it only a dream ? Was it the city itself that deceived us ? It can be both.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Not his best.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A masterful return to the Matter of Liverpool, which Campbell has pursued for decades in his fiction, reaching back to his excellent The Doll Who Ate Its Mother.

[DP · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never was a fan of Campbell's novels. Too many words. Much prefer his short's.

[Kevin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. What a rambling, incoherent mess. I am still not entirely certain what the actual plot was about. I guess it is vaguely Lovecraftian, but did not enjoy at all.

[Marnie Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish...