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The Painted Darkness
When Henry was a child, something terrible happened in the woods behind his home, something so shocking he could only express his grief by drawing pictures of what he had witnessed. Eventually Henry's mind blocked out the bad memories, but he continued to draw, often at night by the light of the moon.
Twenty years later, Henry makes his living by painting his disturbing works of art. He loves his wife and his son and life couldn't be better... except there's something not quite right about the old stone farmhouse his family now calls home. There's something strange living in the cramped cellar, in the maze of pipes that feed the ancient steam boiler.
A winter storm is brewing and soon Henry will learn the true nature of the monster waiting for him down in the darkness. He will battle this demon and, in the process, he may discover what really happened when he was a child and why, in times of trouble, he thinks: I paint against the darkness.
But will Henry learn the truth in time to avoid the terrible fate awaiting him... or will the thing in the cellar get him and his family first?
Written as both a meditation on the art of creation and as an examination of the secret fears we all share, The Painted Darkness is a terrifying look at the true cost we pay when we run from our grief--and what happens when we're finally forced to confront the monsters we know all too well.
Twenty years later, Henry makes his living by painting his disturbing works of art. He loves his wife and his son and life couldn't be better... except there's something not quite right about the old stone farmhouse his family now calls home. There's something strange living in the cramped cellar, in the maze of pipes that feed the ancient steam boiler.
A winter storm is brewing and soon Henry will learn the true nature of the monster waiting for him down in the darkness. He will battle this demon and, in the process, he may discover what really happened when he was a child and why, in times of trouble, he thinks: I paint against the darkness.
But will Henry learn the truth in time to avoid the terrible fate awaiting him... or will the thing in the cellar get him and his family first?
Written as both a meditation on the art of creation and as an examination of the secret fears we all share, The Painted Darkness is a terrifying look at the true cost we pay when we run from our grief--and what happens when we're finally forced to confront the monsters we know all too well.
175 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
95 people are currently reading
2466 people want to read
About the author
Brian James Freeman
100 books149 followersBrian James Freeman sold his first short story when he was fourteen years old and now writes full-time thanks to the support of his patrons on Patreon. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, three kids, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and an English Pointer. More books are on the way.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
September 22, 2019
3.5 "imaginative, interesting and promising" stars !!
This novella bridges the divide between horror, trauma, grief and resilience.
The plot alternates between Henry as an adult artist trying to make sense of his compulsive painting, failing relationship and an old isolated house along with Henry as a child dealing with his imagination, deep sensitivities and making sense of his world that comes shattering down around him.
This book reminded me very much of Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane but only with a more realistic child protagonist and a fuller understanding of human inner lives and the fights with monsters that we all grapple with.
This book desperately needed to be fleshed out with less abruptness between the adult and child perspectives but otherwise was a very satisfying read and brought around for me some hope that I will be able to manage some of my own personal current challenges with perseverance and that most of the monsters we fear are imaginary.
This novella bridges the divide between horror, trauma, grief and resilience.
The plot alternates between Henry as an adult artist trying to make sense of his compulsive painting, failing relationship and an old isolated house along with Henry as a child dealing with his imagination, deep sensitivities and making sense of his world that comes shattering down around him.
This book reminded me very much of Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane but only with a more realistic child protagonist and a fuller understanding of human inner lives and the fights with monsters that we all grapple with.
This book desperately needed to be fleshed out with less abruptness between the adult and child perspectives but otherwise was a very satisfying read and brought around for me some hope that I will be able to manage some of my own personal current challenges with perseverance and that most of the monsters we fear are imaginary.
September 6, 2013
Brian James Freeman
Lemme tell you how this book fell into my hands. A second-hand copy came across my desk at my bookstore, and I paused over it because the cover is striking, a lovely depiction of a child disappearing into a snowy forest. And superimposed over this nice cover illustration was a blurb from Stewart O’Nan, who is a fine writer: “The tone and building dread reminds me of classic Stephen King. Great velocity and impact and super creepy.” There were similar blurbs on the back from the great Richard Matheson, Tess Gerritsen and Michael Koryta. So, I took it home. Also, it’s brief and I have a weakness for novella length fiction, or even 150-200 page novels. Too many novels these days are bloated.
I began reading it right away. Something started to prickle the back of my neck. It was the comparison with Stephen King. Here were King’s same weaknesses, overly sentimentalizing a family in order to wreak havoc on them, muddy transitions even during the “horror” sequences, and repetition of his best (and sometimes his worst) ideas, as if the reader is an idiot. Then something else prickled me: I figured out the book is self-published. This surprised me since the author is the editor of the revered magazine Cemetery Dance and has been published by Warner Books and Borderland Press. More on this.
So, to give the slim book credit, I did read the whole thing. It only took me an afternoon. And, dammit, I found it flimsy, slight and predictable. Still, one reads horror novels for the scary denouement. Big letdown. And, if you are a reader at all, you’d already figured out where it was going and you could have written it yourself.
Now, let me admit that, as an old poop, and a lifelong bookseller and author, I have a sore spot for self-published books. The whole concept irritates me. I am sorry if I upset anyone saying this. I don’t want to. But, with the emergence of POD, now anyone can publish a book. It doesn’t mean anyone should. And here is why even the best authors need an editor: so they don’t use lay where they mean lie (like Freeman does here), they don’t use tussle when they mean tousle (the way Freeman does here twice) and they, if they are any good, correct typos.
So, no, this wasn’t a very high quality reading experience. I am reminded of the Woody Allen joke. “The food here is terrible. And such small portions.” This story is weak….and it’s over quickly.
Lemme tell you how this book fell into my hands. A second-hand copy came across my desk at my bookstore, and I paused over it because the cover is striking, a lovely depiction of a child disappearing into a snowy forest. And superimposed over this nice cover illustration was a blurb from Stewart O’Nan, who is a fine writer: “The tone and building dread reminds me of classic Stephen King. Great velocity and impact and super creepy.” There were similar blurbs on the back from the great Richard Matheson, Tess Gerritsen and Michael Koryta. So, I took it home. Also, it’s brief and I have a weakness for novella length fiction, or even 150-200 page novels. Too many novels these days are bloated.
I began reading it right away. Something started to prickle the back of my neck. It was the comparison with Stephen King. Here were King’s same weaknesses, overly sentimentalizing a family in order to wreak havoc on them, muddy transitions even during the “horror” sequences, and repetition of his best (and sometimes his worst) ideas, as if the reader is an idiot. Then something else prickled me: I figured out the book is self-published. This surprised me since the author is the editor of the revered magazine Cemetery Dance and has been published by Warner Books and Borderland Press. More on this.
So, to give the slim book credit, I did read the whole thing. It only took me an afternoon. And, dammit, I found it flimsy, slight and predictable. Still, one reads horror novels for the scary denouement. Big letdown. And, if you are a reader at all, you’d already figured out where it was going and you could have written it yourself.
Now, let me admit that, as an old poop, and a lifelong bookseller and author, I have a sore spot for self-published books. The whole concept irritates me. I am sorry if I upset anyone saying this. I don’t want to. But, with the emergence of POD, now anyone can publish a book. It doesn’t mean anyone should. And here is why even the best authors need an editor: so they don’t use lay where they mean lie (like Freeman does here), they don’t use tussle when they mean tousle (the way Freeman does here twice) and they, if they are any good, correct typos.
So, no, this wasn’t a very high quality reading experience. I am reminded of the Woody Allen joke. “The food here is terrible. And such small portions.” This story is weak….and it’s over quickly.
December 22, 2011
Defining the horror genre is problematic at best, because of all the speculative genres, horror is perhaps the most multifaceted. Its sub-genres run from “splatter-punk” to “apocalyptic” to “dark fantasy”. One of these genres – “Quiet horror” - consistently stands out in my mind as one of horror’s most powerful forms. Relying chiefly on atmosphere, character development, internal/spiritual/existential conflict, emotional impact and real-life horrors, “quiet horror” has offered up some of the most powerful, resonating stories.
I’ve dug into “quiet horror” this past year, and have discovered that it really resonates with me. Writers such as Charles L. Grant, J. N. Williamson and T. M Wright have become fast favorites. Two newer writers that have emerged to carry the “quiet horror” torch forward are Norman Prentiss, author of Invisible Fences (Cemetery Dance) and Brian Freeman, author of The Painted Darkness (Cemetery Dance). It’s also not a coincidence that both of them have been nominated for the Stoker Award this year, in the category of Long Fiction for their respective novellas.
Freeman’s The Painted Darkness is a hauntingly beautiful tale exploring the thin line between fantasy and reality, which is so often broken in the creative process. In his tale about an artist named Henry, who struggles to battle demons from his past (demons he’s made himself forget), Freeman explores the creative process, asking the question: What does it REALLY mean to create?
Freeman’s narrative effortlessly straddles that of a young Henry when he first discovers the power of “painting against the darkness” and older, conflicted Henry, whose demons have finally demanded he face the past. What is real? What isn’t? A basement full of monsters? Legions of red-eyed, haunting rabbits? Freeman deftly handles a story which reveals itself in good time, and doesn’t leave the reader feeling cheated or hoodwinked at the end.
Artists of all kinds: painters, writers, musicians and others breathe “life” into their art, life that comes from inside them, as well as somewhere else. What if artists breathe life into MORE than just their tangible work? What if they’re able to open doors that release not only their imagination…but another force so powerful it can bend reality to its will? In this novella, both young and adult protagonist Henry have learned to “paint against the darkness”. Such a powerful theme Freeman delivers with this work, and perhaps the best answer to anyone who questions the validity and purpose of art and creativity in our daily lives: to combat the darkness and hold it at bay.
I’ve dug into “quiet horror” this past year, and have discovered that it really resonates with me. Writers such as Charles L. Grant, J. N. Williamson and T. M Wright have become fast favorites. Two newer writers that have emerged to carry the “quiet horror” torch forward are Norman Prentiss, author of Invisible Fences (Cemetery Dance) and Brian Freeman, author of The Painted Darkness (Cemetery Dance). It’s also not a coincidence that both of them have been nominated for the Stoker Award this year, in the category of Long Fiction for their respective novellas.
Freeman’s The Painted Darkness is a hauntingly beautiful tale exploring the thin line between fantasy and reality, which is so often broken in the creative process. In his tale about an artist named Henry, who struggles to battle demons from his past (demons he’s made himself forget), Freeman explores the creative process, asking the question: What does it REALLY mean to create?
Freeman’s narrative effortlessly straddles that of a young Henry when he first discovers the power of “painting against the darkness” and older, conflicted Henry, whose demons have finally demanded he face the past. What is real? What isn’t? A basement full of monsters? Legions of red-eyed, haunting rabbits? Freeman deftly handles a story which reveals itself in good time, and doesn’t leave the reader feeling cheated or hoodwinked at the end.
Artists of all kinds: painters, writers, musicians and others breathe “life” into their art, life that comes from inside them, as well as somewhere else. What if artists breathe life into MORE than just their tangible work? What if they’re able to open doors that release not only their imagination…but another force so powerful it can bend reality to its will? In this novella, both young and adult protagonist Henry have learned to “paint against the darkness”. Such a powerful theme Freeman delivers with this work, and perhaps the best answer to anyone who questions the validity and purpose of art and creativity in our daily lives: to combat the darkness and hold it at bay.
November 12, 2016
"The Painted Darkness" is a short novella that walks two timelines of a boy / man named Henry who happens to be an artist. He has a traumatic experience as a child and uses his art as a way of warding off the darkness. And, of course, (since this is a horror story), that darkness may be more real than he imagined.
As a horror story, this left me wanting. So let me make an argument for a different way of looking at this book, because if you approach this as an allegory, it becomes a deceptively clever little tale.
While the idea of "the tortured artist" is a cliche unto itself, like most cliches, there's some truth behind the theory. Henry is without a doubt the epitome of tortured artists, a man who loses himself in his hobby, not even remembering what he paints as he does so. But when he doesn't, "the darkness" comes a-knocking. His wife puts up with his hobby, not really understanding or appreciating it or his talent, but in the end, it's this talent that ends up saving him (and his family).
Turn "the darkness" into the void of depression, "the monster" into Henry himself when lost within its grip, and the fluidity between past and present becomes a quite accurate depiction of that state of mind. It's only in Henry's ability to use his talents that he is in fact exercising his demons and keeping that darkness at bay, not only from himself, but his family.
"Henry never understands exactly why his paintings are what they are, no matter how many times he tries to decipher what's happening inside his mind. He simply paints or draws what he sees in his head, and doing so keeps his dreams sane."
Far from perfect, but still a great little story. As a fan of Freeman's work, I wouldn't categorize this as one of his best, but it accomplishes what he set out to do. And to all you authors out there, keep painting, I mean writing, to keep that Darkness at bay.
As a horror story, this left me wanting. So let me make an argument for a different way of looking at this book, because if you approach this as an allegory, it becomes a deceptively clever little tale.
While the idea of "the tortured artist" is a cliche unto itself, like most cliches, there's some truth behind the theory. Henry is without a doubt the epitome of tortured artists, a man who loses himself in his hobby, not even remembering what he paints as he does so. But when he doesn't, "the darkness" comes a-knocking. His wife puts up with his hobby, not really understanding or appreciating it or his talent, but in the end, it's this talent that ends up saving him (and his family).
Turn "the darkness" into the void of depression, "the monster" into Henry himself when lost within its grip, and the fluidity between past and present becomes a quite accurate depiction of that state of mind. It's only in Henry's ability to use his talents that he is in fact exercising his demons and keeping that darkness at bay, not only from himself, but his family.
"Henry never understands exactly why his paintings are what they are, no matter how many times he tries to decipher what's happening inside his mind. He simply paints or draws what he sees in his head, and doing so keeps his dreams sane."
Far from perfect, but still a great little story. As a fan of Freeman's work, I wouldn't categorize this as one of his best, but it accomplishes what he set out to do. And to all you authors out there, keep painting, I mean writing, to keep that Darkness at bay.
December 15, 2013
I have also published this book review on my blog, writeplaceblog.com. Please check it out and subscribe if you're interested in writing, or literary and horror fiction.
Painting means more to Henry than he can quite explain. He has long had a vivid imagination, but now, with his wife having left him following one more argument ("Where have you been going in that head of yours lately?" Sarah asks for the millionth time), with their son in tow, he needs to reckon with the course his life has taken to date.
An adult now, with Sarah gone, surrounded by his canvases in the attic of his farmhouse at midnight, with snow falling heavily upon the ghostly, barren countryside outside, and painting by nothing other than the light of the moon sliding through his window, Henry begins to hear the puttering of the boiler down the basement.
Knowing he has to leave his attic and his paintings to drain water from that oil-devouring boiler (or the "bear", as his father used to refer to boilers from his days working with them as a maintenance worker at Black Hill Community School) will start Henry down the path to terrible childhood memories and the realization that his extraordinary imagination has begun to unmoor him from some of the best elements of life.
After descending to the basement with nothing to see by but a flashlight--the snow has picked up and the power is out--he successfully drains the boiler and goes to dumps the used water in a drain only to find a giant red eye staring up at him through the grate.
The Painted Darkness: That Was Then, This is Now
The Painted Darkness, a novella by Brian James Freeman, is told in two parts, with quick chapters that alternate between the present and a single day of Henry's childhood, that is also snowy, and which has closed school to let him slip away from a distracted babysitter and into the woods behind his home while his parents go off to work.
Readers learn from Henry's childhood that he has already developed quite an imagination, which is supported by his tender father while both know the cruelties of schoolyards would make him a target of mockery and that he is best left playing his games at home, and in and around the surrounding countryside.
Unfortunately, on that snowy day as a boy, his imagination leads him into real danger, as it will later in life. He almost drowns in a river and falls out of a tree house he likely should have avoided in the isolated snowy forest. Whether by imagination or chance luck, he stumbles from the forest into the yard of the school where his father works, where he is about to witness a tragedy no one should have to experience. But...is it real or imaginary?
The Painted Darkness: Too Much Metaphor
The role of imagination in Henry's life gradually evolves in the reader's mind as the real demon in his adult life, not the creature attached to the red eye in the basement. Freeman's portrayal is an aggressive, violent and murderous demon. As Henry flees to his attic, it comes up through the house, destroying everything in its path--rooms, china, furniture, everything. The demon is, finally, responsible for Henry's separation from his family. Yes, the creature appears to be destroying that too.
Freeman's desire to tie imagination to a demonic presence is worthy. Henry will need to face down his fears and his own sense of loss from what he experienced in the schoolyard as a boy when he stumbled out of the forest, and do away with the even greater role imagination has come to play in his life as a screen against life's dark events.
What will save Henry's family is the courage he chooses to develop to face his inner demons. This is a classic Stephen King theme. (Interestingly, Stewart O'Nan, who penned a book with King several years ago, provides a testimonial for The Painted Darkness book cover).
The problem is that Freeman's use of metaphor is too strong and lacks those rich details that lead to great storytelling. Freeman provides scant details about Henry's painting, not even the mention of acrylics, oils or watercolors. Would these not even be just some basic words a writer should utilize to build in the reader's mind the picture of a painter?
Henry's argument with Sarah in the novella's first pages lack tension or a sense that the tipping point of some longer-standing disagreement has just been reached. Sarah shows up briefly, exchanges a few brief hostile words with her husband and then, with the dryness of a stage direction, exits the story.
The mantra Freeman uses throughout the novella: Henry painted against the darkness, could be used a bit more sparingly as well, and plays into my concern that the use of metaphor overwhelms. Painting has (spoiler alert!) become Henry's way of generating color against horrible truths--the death of his father in front of him in other words.
Look, no one enjoys considering such truths. I, myself, saw someone fall off a cliff and die when I was a teenager. But to throw up imagination and falsehoods against these dark truths will, as Freeman would like to point out, lead us to other dark places, where the good things we enjoy throughout out lives, such as family, cannot be enjoyed or appreciated.
The heavy use of metaphor, nevertheless, brings The Painted Darkness closer to the realm of parable than to fiction.
The Painted Darkness: Some Excellent Details
To contradict myself, to some degree, Freeman also makes some excellent choices when it comes to narrative detail. Both as a child and as an adult, Henry is saved from death by the lucky and unexpected availability of an object (a fallen tree trunk in the river, or a chimney) that prevents him from drowning or falling off the roof of his home.
The ominous image of the boiler with its oil-guzzling voraciousness and endless panoply of pipes that turn into limbs, and the bizarre though effective use of an army of silent rabbits (occasionally, dripping blood) that leads Henry through the forest and to the school where his father works in the basement, is quite evocative.
These details all help drive the higher-quality elements of a story about an overly imaginative child who, having experienced something terrible, falls even deeper into the realm of illusion. It is a topic not usually addressed in such a direct fashion by authors and, therefore, The Painted Darkness is worthy of commendation for that reason.
Overall, however, my final opinion is one of slight disappointment. A great story exists here somewhere. The panacea of artistry that wards off the all-too-often brutal aspects of the physical realm is the path sought by many a sensitive soul. Too-heavy metaphor, however, interferes and distracts from the author's craft as well as, it must be added, some very loose sentence structuring. This interferes with the telling of the story. And while I can say this is something of a thoughtful read, I can't say much more than that.
Painting means more to Henry than he can quite explain. He has long had a vivid imagination, but now, with his wife having left him following one more argument ("Where have you been going in that head of yours lately?" Sarah asks for the millionth time), with their son in tow, he needs to reckon with the course his life has taken to date.
An adult now, with Sarah gone, surrounded by his canvases in the attic of his farmhouse at midnight, with snow falling heavily upon the ghostly, barren countryside outside, and painting by nothing other than the light of the moon sliding through his window, Henry begins to hear the puttering of the boiler down the basement.
Knowing he has to leave his attic and his paintings to drain water from that oil-devouring boiler (or the "bear", as his father used to refer to boilers from his days working with them as a maintenance worker at Black Hill Community School) will start Henry down the path to terrible childhood memories and the realization that his extraordinary imagination has begun to unmoor him from some of the best elements of life.
After descending to the basement with nothing to see by but a flashlight--the snow has picked up and the power is out--he successfully drains the boiler and goes to dumps the used water in a drain only to find a giant red eye staring up at him through the grate.
The Painted Darkness: That Was Then, This is Now
The Painted Darkness, a novella by Brian James Freeman, is told in two parts, with quick chapters that alternate between the present and a single day of Henry's childhood, that is also snowy, and which has closed school to let him slip away from a distracted babysitter and into the woods behind his home while his parents go off to work.
Readers learn from Henry's childhood that he has already developed quite an imagination, which is supported by his tender father while both know the cruelties of schoolyards would make him a target of mockery and that he is best left playing his games at home, and in and around the surrounding countryside.
Unfortunately, on that snowy day as a boy, his imagination leads him into real danger, as it will later in life. He almost drowns in a river and falls out of a tree house he likely should have avoided in the isolated snowy forest. Whether by imagination or chance luck, he stumbles from the forest into the yard of the school where his father works, where he is about to witness a tragedy no one should have to experience. But...is it real or imaginary?
The Painted Darkness: Too Much Metaphor
The role of imagination in Henry's life gradually evolves in the reader's mind as the real demon in his adult life, not the creature attached to the red eye in the basement. Freeman's portrayal is an aggressive, violent and murderous demon. As Henry flees to his attic, it comes up through the house, destroying everything in its path--rooms, china, furniture, everything. The demon is, finally, responsible for Henry's separation from his family. Yes, the creature appears to be destroying that too.
Freeman's desire to tie imagination to a demonic presence is worthy. Henry will need to face down his fears and his own sense of loss from what he experienced in the schoolyard as a boy when he stumbled out of the forest, and do away with the even greater role imagination has come to play in his life as a screen against life's dark events.
What will save Henry's family is the courage he chooses to develop to face his inner demons. This is a classic Stephen King theme. (Interestingly, Stewart O'Nan, who penned a book with King several years ago, provides a testimonial for The Painted Darkness book cover).
The problem is that Freeman's use of metaphor is too strong and lacks those rich details that lead to great storytelling. Freeman provides scant details about Henry's painting, not even the mention of acrylics, oils or watercolors. Would these not even be just some basic words a writer should utilize to build in the reader's mind the picture of a painter?
Henry's argument with Sarah in the novella's first pages lack tension or a sense that the tipping point of some longer-standing disagreement has just been reached. Sarah shows up briefly, exchanges a few brief hostile words with her husband and then, with the dryness of a stage direction, exits the story.
The mantra Freeman uses throughout the novella: Henry painted against the darkness, could be used a bit more sparingly as well, and plays into my concern that the use of metaphor overwhelms. Painting has (spoiler alert!) become Henry's way of generating color against horrible truths--the death of his father in front of him in other words.
Look, no one enjoys considering such truths. I, myself, saw someone fall off a cliff and die when I was a teenager. But to throw up imagination and falsehoods against these dark truths will, as Freeman would like to point out, lead us to other dark places, where the good things we enjoy throughout out lives, such as family, cannot be enjoyed or appreciated.
The heavy use of metaphor, nevertheless, brings The Painted Darkness closer to the realm of parable than to fiction.
The Painted Darkness: Some Excellent Details
To contradict myself, to some degree, Freeman also makes some excellent choices when it comes to narrative detail. Both as a child and as an adult, Henry is saved from death by the lucky and unexpected availability of an object (a fallen tree trunk in the river, or a chimney) that prevents him from drowning or falling off the roof of his home.
The ominous image of the boiler with its oil-guzzling voraciousness and endless panoply of pipes that turn into limbs, and the bizarre though effective use of an army of silent rabbits (occasionally, dripping blood) that leads Henry through the forest and to the school where his father works in the basement, is quite evocative.
These details all help drive the higher-quality elements of a story about an overly imaginative child who, having experienced something terrible, falls even deeper into the realm of illusion. It is a topic not usually addressed in such a direct fashion by authors and, therefore, The Painted Darkness is worthy of commendation for that reason.
Overall, however, my final opinion is one of slight disappointment. A great story exists here somewhere. The panacea of artistry that wards off the all-too-often brutal aspects of the physical realm is the path sought by many a sensitive soul. Too-heavy metaphor, however, interferes and distracts from the author's craft as well as, it must be added, some very loose sentence structuring. This interferes with the telling of the story. And while I can say this is something of a thoughtful read, I can't say much more than that.
December 16, 2015
This was not at all what I expected. I have had this on my "to read" list for a while, and I'm glad that I read it, because I enjoyed it, quite a lot. This is one of those books that I think people will either really like, or just feel kind of 'meh' about. I think that there were a couple things here that really worked for me.
One of those things is that I have a bit of creation fascination. I am not a creative person really. I have my moments where something will just click, but I have total creation envy for authors and artists and other people who make something out of nothing, especially when the process is an escape from themselves and the world, or maybe an involuntary need to express something. Those kind of compulsory drives to get it out are fascinating to me. And I liked seeing how that was portrayed here.
Another one of those things is the way the story was told, alternating between young Henry and present day adult Henry. I thought that this format worked well. The pacing was just right to keep me interested (and I admit that I was slightly more interested in the Young Henry sections than the Adult Henry ones), and I thought that the tone of the story was excellent. Atmospheric and creepy, while keeping a sense of realism even when things leave realism behind. This wasn't a Shock & Gore story, this was a ...something's just... not... quite... right... story. And I liked it for that. Because it made me think, and wonder, and guess, and I love when stories can do that, and draw me into them and make me care about the characters - or, in this case, character, singular.
This story will stick with me for a while, and even in the process of writing this review, I've been turning it over in my mind and drawing new conclusions and thinking of things in a different way, and I'm liking it even more now because of that.
And, I think I'll just leave it at that.
One of those things is that I have a bit of creation fascination. I am not a creative person really. I have my moments where something will just click, but I have total creation envy for authors and artists and other people who make something out of nothing, especially when the process is an escape from themselves and the world, or maybe an involuntary need to express something. Those kind of compulsory drives to get it out are fascinating to me. And I liked seeing how that was portrayed here.
Another one of those things is the way the story was told, alternating between young Henry and present day adult Henry. I thought that this format worked well. The pacing was just right to keep me interested (and I admit that I was slightly more interested in the Young Henry sections than the Adult Henry ones), and I thought that the tone of the story was excellent. Atmospheric and creepy, while keeping a sense of realism even when things leave realism behind. This wasn't a Shock & Gore story, this was a ...something's just... not... quite... right... story. And I liked it for that. Because it made me think, and wonder, and guess, and I love when stories can do that, and draw me into them and make me care about the characters - or, in this case, character, singular.
This story will stick with me for a while, and even in the process of writing this review, I've been turning it over in my mind and drawing new conclusions and thinking of things in a different way, and I'm liking it even more now because of that.
And, I think I'll just leave it at that.
March 16, 2011
Listening to this courtesy of the "Pod of Horror" podcast. It tells the tale of a small boy who suffered some sort of unspeakable scare during a snowstorm that he has blocked out of his mind. He has been painting away the darkness ever since and it seems to be starting to seep into his day to day life. The story switches back and forth between the time when he was that 5 year old boy and the current day when he's struggling to keep his old boiler fed and maintained. Very creepy read that reminded me a wee bit of early Stephen King minus the long-windedness.
August 29, 2013
The problem with reading an overly enthusiastic foreword is that it creates high expectations. Brian Keene did a great job of singing Freeman's praises to add to those on the back cover and I only wish the book sang to me the same way. It was a fine competently written in a very lyrical style novella about a man whose imagination gets the better of him or maybe just a cautionary tale about old boilers. The art inside the book never went above just ok either. Entertaining enough and a quick read, but I can't imagine paying the $19.99 cover price for this one.
January 16, 2012
This was a thought provoking tale that stays with you and leaves you with various possibilities in what really is going on. A well crafted story. You will not look at a boiler again in the same way, after reading this haunting dark tale.
Yet the darkness is there, and it’s even colder than the night wind, and it’ll be calling for Henry very soon, much louder than any painting ever has.
June 11, 2023
I am confused
This book left me with more questions than answers. But I don't want to spoil it for anyone else. It's a very different story than what I expected. A little boy runs and hides under his bed after experiencing something horrible. His Dad tells him to paint the picture of what he saw but remove the bad stuff so he can control the story. And he becomes an artist. The time period changes every other chapter so it's easy to follow. It was just odd. But I think a child's imagination can be a wonderful thing, but in this case he created the monster in his mind because of what he saw. Or did he?
This book left me with more questions than answers. But I don't want to spoil it for anyone else. It's a very different story than what I expected. A little boy runs and hides under his bed after experiencing something horrible. His Dad tells him to paint the picture of what he saw but remove the bad stuff so he can control the story. And he becomes an artist. The time period changes every other chapter so it's easy to follow. It was just odd. But I think a child's imagination can be a wonderful thing, but in this case he created the monster in his mind because of what he saw. Or did he?
December 1, 2012
An alright story that never really realizes it's full scare potential.
An artist is painting when he hears weird noise from basement, obviously he investigates. Every other chapter goes back to when he was 5 and has a terrifying experience in the woods.
The shifting through time is done well but it kind of breaks up the built tension from one situation to the other. The story in the woods is well told, very creepy and if it were not for going back to present time every few pages it would have severely creeped me out. Also really short...Bam Done.
October 23, 2012
This is an interesting novella about the sometimes blurred line - especially amongst certain artistic types - between reality and imagination, how one can inform the other and how imagination can bring about both our greatest nightmares and happiest dreams.
The story alternates between Henry at five, and an older Henry, going through similar situations. I wasn't sure what I thought of the style, at first, but, while I do think it hampered suspense at some points - as it would build suspense, then cut to the next chapter, and start over again - I did think some of the parallels it drew were interesting.
That said, I could've done without the prologue. The foreshadowing provided within it was kind of clunky, and I think it would've been better, overall, without it.
Anyway - while I found the story interesting, I never really found it tense or scary. Part of this is because I never really clicked with Henry, and I think the novella could've stood to be a bit longer to have the character developed more. Part of it is because I didn't feel it was really all that atmospherically written. It was more "Henry was confused and full of terror" type writing, as opposed to actually making the reader feel said confusion and terror.
Also, I thought it was kind of predictable, after a short while, where it was headed, so that certainly dampened the suspense element.
I would almost give it a two (though it started off as a three, but dipped as the ending became more predictable and the monster more silly than frightening) - but the ending redeemed it a bit, so I'll stick with a three.
Not a bad read, and certainly short and quick, but didn't quite match my hopes of a real scare this Halloween season.
2.5
The story alternates between Henry at five, and an older Henry, going through similar situations. I wasn't sure what I thought of the style, at first, but, while I do think it hampered suspense at some points - as it would build suspense, then cut to the next chapter, and start over again - I did think some of the parallels it drew were interesting.
That said, I could've done without the prologue. The foreshadowing provided within it was kind of clunky, and I think it would've been better, overall, without it.
Anyway - while I found the story interesting, I never really found it tense or scary. Part of this is because I never really clicked with Henry, and I think the novella could've stood to be a bit longer to have the character developed more. Part of it is because I didn't feel it was really all that atmospherically written. It was more "Henry was confused and full of terror" type writing, as opposed to actually making the reader feel said confusion and terror.
Also, I thought it was kind of predictable, after a short while, where it was headed, so that certainly dampened the suspense element.
I would almost give it a two (though it started off as a three, but dipped as the ending became more predictable and the monster more silly than frightening) - but the ending redeemed it a bit, so I'll stick with a three.
Not a bad read, and certainly short and quick, but didn't quite match my hopes of a real scare this Halloween season.
2.5
January 24, 2019
Interesting premise and great commentary on the creative mind. On one hand, I wanted more - longer story, more detail, just more - but on the other hand, this was just the perfect length. Freeman paints a picture and runs away with it. And as a creative person, I empathize. Sometimes in the middle of the night while I lie awake I hear voices in the fan... We all have our demons, and they manifest differently. I could see part of the end, but not the other part. Well written and imaginative.
August 8, 2011
I love a good horror story. Sadly, The Painted Darkness is not a good horror story. The story centers around an artist, Henry, and alternates between the present, when some weird stuff is going down in Henry's home while his wife and kid are away, and the past, when a young Henry sneaks off into the woods and sees some horrible things. This is an interesting, if somewhat formulaic, setup to be sure, but Freeman never seems to go anywhere with it. Or rather, he never goes anywhere interesting, which is the danger of using a setup that has become a genre trope.
The largest problem seems to be that every time the story builds up some suspense, it's immediately squandered because the chapter ends and the viewpoint jumps forward or backward in time where the process starts all over again. The situation is not helped when the source of the problems, both in the past and the present, is finally revealed; its bark is much worse than its bite.
There are a lot of comparisons to Stephen King being tossed about, and frankly that's unfortunate. In The Painted Darkness, Freeman covers a lot of ground that King has covered throughout his career (often several times), but sadly Freeman doesn't seem to have King's insight into the dark corners of the mind (and cellar), and what lurks there. There are one or two interesting ideas to be found in this book, but since one of them is the ending (which isn't expanded upon), it's not really worth bothering. The one saving grace is that this is a short book, so if anyone decides to read it, they won't waste much time.
This reviews was based on a review copy.
The largest problem seems to be that every time the story builds up some suspense, it's immediately squandered because the chapter ends and the viewpoint jumps forward or backward in time where the process starts all over again. The situation is not helped when the source of the problems, both in the past and the present, is finally revealed; its bark is much worse than its bite.
There are a lot of comparisons to Stephen King being tossed about, and frankly that's unfortunate. In The Painted Darkness, Freeman covers a lot of ground that King has covered throughout his career (often several times), but sadly Freeman doesn't seem to have King's insight into the dark corners of the mind (and cellar), and what lurks there. There are one or two interesting ideas to be found in this book, but since one of them is the ending (which isn't expanded upon), it's not really worth bothering. The one saving grace is that this is a short book, so if anyone decides to read it, they won't waste much time.
This reviews was based on a review copy.
December 26, 2011
Brian is currently the Managing Editor of Cemetery Dance magazine, so to say he knows horror may seem a bit of an understatement. His current novel is more than just a horror story. Sure, it has those cringe-worthy elements with rats galore and an evil boiler seemingly come to life, but this is much more than your standard horror fare. I get a real Ray Bradbury feel as I read this story. Ray way always able to take me to real places and make me feel right at home. Brian manages to do just that, particularly with young Henry and his adventures in the woods, behind his home. In the story we find that Henry, as both a 9 year-old and a grown up man with a wife, Sara, and a 3 year-old son, Dillon, has quite the imagination. An imagination that sometimes goes beyond fun and game and is pivotal to the "The Painted Darkness". Available in both hardcover and for the Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_...
November 7, 2010
This novella is a huge success to me. It does what it is supposed to do, it forces you to finish it straight through. This is a tight and taut, fast paced story about a man named Henry who "paints against the darkness" . This is a tension builder horror novel that splits it's time from the present to the past 20 years ago. It is well written, filled with dread, and is scary at times too. This novella reminded me of "The Red Tree"', a horror novel by Caitlin Kiernan, an author that I love. I cannot wait for more from Brian Freeman. Be sure to check this out, the ebook can be had for free...
July 10, 2010
I don't normally like stories that alter between a character's present and past because I find the constant shift distracting. However, while Freeman does use this method of storytelling throughout The Painted Darkness, I found it flowed well. We get to know Henry as a child, while also getting to know Henry as an adult. Henry's past is coming back to haunt him in the true sense of the word! Freeman does a great job of maintaining suspense. And I loved the ending, which I didn't see coming at all.
December 10, 2014
A friend of mine read this recently and said it was great, but pretty dark and creepy. It was definitely that and more. The Painted Darkness is a sort of parable, opening with the image of a boy who comes running out of the woods terrified and bloodied, but initially it isn't explained why. The story then jumps to the boy, Henry, all grown up, but still tormented by something. Again, what "it" is is kept intentionally vague until just the right moment. The story then alternates between what is going on in present day with adult Henry and little glimpses of what happened that day in the woods, each "boyhood" chapter revealing one more part of the secret.
Adult Henry is an artist, painting different versions or POVs of the same painting, though he doesn't realize it at first. The painting comes to illustrate how fighting inner demons can be a daily battle, a war won through small daily victories, learning how to have them work for you instead of against you. Henry's literal meaning of his paintings is explained later on in the book, but I actually interpreted it differently than the explanation given.
Henry never addressed the trauma of whatever happened that day in the woods, so the trauma (in the form of this "monster") starts to physically manifest itself, at least in Henry's mind. Though the monster makes appearances throughout the entire novella, Henry always seems to survive the encounters, even when he's pretty sure he's going to die...another good message -- as bad as it may seem, have the faith and courage to persevere, use that to carry you through to the other side alive and grateful for the experience.
This is one of those stories where it feels like you can't say too much without risking a spoiler so I'll just leave it at yeah, check this one out!! I loved the simple, direct writing style and while I guessed the ending in the opening pages (at least an element of it), I wasn't disappointed in the reading one bit. I look forward to getting into Freeman's other works!
February 9, 2019
Released for free, as a publishing experiment, when no publishers were interested enough in publishing it - The Painted Darkness managed what its author had hoped: that "free" would mean more circulation, and that more circulation would achieve a profitable audience when it may not have had one as a traditionally published novella.
This is a short novel composed of three or four Stephen King ideas that the author seems to have enjoyed. When he says the boiler is based on one in a home he had, you are apparently supposed to stop thinking of it as the boiler from The Shining. That one creeps, while this one gulps, after all. I'm not buying it for a second.
The story ultimately doesn't make sense, and not in the less-than-clean not-making-sense that is intended and at the heart of the story. You couldn't make it more clear with more information... or, if you did, that additional information would not hold the audience's interest. This is only my suspicion - you can't say for certain what something is or isn't, beyond what it is... but I think the illusion of this story being more than it seems is a faulty one, and that the smoke and mirrors we're supposed to be enjoying are instead disheartening crutches that reveal a story that never quite worked or stood on its own two feet.
It's a shallow creation, heartless and without substance in the end. I cared up until the end, but only because I thought I had a lot more story to look forward to - - for the author to reveal what he'd been doing, and for that feat to be interesting and fun. Instead, it felt cheap and disappointing.
Every revelation is exposition. The story may not technically even qualify as one.
This is a short novel composed of three or four Stephen King ideas that the author seems to have enjoyed. When he says the boiler is based on one in a home he had, you are apparently supposed to stop thinking of it as the boiler from The Shining. That one creeps, while this one gulps, after all. I'm not buying it for a second.
The story ultimately doesn't make sense, and not in the less-than-clean not-making-sense that is intended and at the heart of the story. You couldn't make it more clear with more information... or, if you did, that additional information would not hold the audience's interest. This is only my suspicion - you can't say for certain what something is or isn't, beyond what it is... but I think the illusion of this story being more than it seems is a faulty one, and that the smoke and mirrors we're supposed to be enjoying are instead disheartening crutches that reveal a story that never quite worked or stood on its own two feet.
It's a shallow creation, heartless and without substance in the end. I cared up until the end, but only because I thought I had a lot more story to look forward to - - for the author to reveal what he'd been doing, and for that feat to be interesting and fun. Instead, it felt cheap and disappointing.
Every revelation is exposition. The story may not technically even qualify as one.
June 18, 2014
I loved this book.I found the character of Henry amazing.The art work by Jill Bauman only adds to
the joy I had reading this book.Henry is an artist who suffers a tramatic experience as a child.Now
as a grown man he paints some really wild things.The story takes place during the winter in the
house that henry lives in now.
I do not want to give to much away but the story is told with lots of flash back sections.Also
the house is a big part of the story.
This is the second Brian Freeman book that I have read.He now goes by Brian James Freeman as there
is another author with the same name.The other book I read of his is Blue November Storms,also a very good read.He has written a lot of short stories that can be found on line for e readers.
Please check out his writing you will not be disapointed.
Well after a reread I am still as impressed as I was the first time I read this.
The way Brian James Freeman deals with scary situations involving kids is really one of a kind. Some great stuff. Also it is not so much the house as the boiler that takes center stage in this story. The flashback sections are superb.
Again I highly recommend this book.
the joy I had reading this book.Henry is an artist who suffers a tramatic experience as a child.Now
as a grown man he paints some really wild things.The story takes place during the winter in the
house that henry lives in now.
I do not want to give to much away but the story is told with lots of flash back sections.Also
the house is a big part of the story.
This is the second Brian Freeman book that I have read.He now goes by Brian James Freeman as there
is another author with the same name.The other book I read of his is Blue November Storms,also a very good read.He has written a lot of short stories that can be found on line for e readers.
Please check out his writing you will not be disapointed.
Well after a reread I am still as impressed as I was the first time I read this.
The way Brian James Freeman deals with scary situations involving kids is really one of a kind. Some great stuff. Also it is not so much the house as the boiler that takes center stage in this story. The flashback sections are superb.
Again I highly recommend this book.
July 27, 2013
Just loved it. Blasted through it in less than 24 hours (granted it is a small book). Grabbed this at the library and I am so glad I did. Written by the editor of Cemetery Dance Magazine, this tiny treasure is packed with thrills and excellent writing. The imagery was fantastic and I loved the set up of the book--one chapter current, one chapter flashback. It made the suspense even greater and you would just fly through one to get to the next. Some really disturbing images and great imagination. You don't see a lot of books with an old fashioned monster that does not come off as cheesy and this author found a way to give us a monster but also to create great depth. I have high hopes for this author and cannot wait to read his next work. As an artist I found this book especially touching and close to home.
September 5, 2016
Ok read
This book was very fast-paced but reminded me a bit too much of Stephen King's The Shining. With vivid imaginations, boilers requiring maintenance, and "monsters" lurking in the dark, so much was similar...
This book was very fast-paced but reminded me a bit too much of Stephen King's The Shining. With vivid imaginations, boilers requiring maintenance, and "monsters" lurking in the dark, so much was similar...
September 20, 2025
I read in one day so let's start.
Freeman is the person behind Lividian Publications so any kind of comment from people who have their books published by Lividian you should take with a grain of salt. BTW, Great introduction by Brian Keene (Who has no book published by Lividian)
Right from the start, I would say the thing that jumps upfront is the lyrical prose. It's pretty good. The story is set in two different tales, one when the main protagonist was a child of 5 and 20 years later when he is grown man with a family. The way is told (intertwined) provides atmosphere and tension because you know they are connected.
This is what someone calls Quiet Horror but is so damn quite and so far fetch from our eyes (the way is told) that I couldn't really understand what was happening. What I know, what I came to understand is that Henry (the main character) didn't confront the problems when he was a child and throughout his life that came bite in his ass. The problem is that there is a build up and then it just ends. I found this book so boring (yet beautiful) that after reading , in the day after I almost forgot the purpose of it. I Read for the sake of reading. and that's bad. I Will not remember this book by october. and that's a shame. 40/100
Neverthless I will buy a couple of more of his novels/novellas.
Freeman is the person behind Lividian Publications so any kind of comment from people who have their books published by Lividian you should take with a grain of salt. BTW, Great introduction by Brian Keene (Who has no book published by Lividian)
Right from the start, I would say the thing that jumps upfront is the lyrical prose. It's pretty good. The story is set in two different tales, one when the main protagonist was a child of 5 and 20 years later when he is grown man with a family. The way is told (intertwined) provides atmosphere and tension because you know they are connected.
This is what someone calls Quiet Horror but is so damn quite and so far fetch from our eyes (the way is told) that I couldn't really understand what was happening. What I know, what I came to understand is that Henry (the main character) didn't confront the problems when he was a child and throughout his life that came bite in his ass. The problem is that there is a build up and then it just ends. I found this book so boring (yet beautiful) that after reading , in the day after I almost forgot the purpose of it. I Read for the sake of reading. and that's bad. I Will not remember this book by october. and that's a shame. 40/100
Neverthless I will buy a couple of more of his novels/novellas.
March 31, 2019
I loved this book. The writing flows well and the pace was great, alternating between the past and present. There wasn't any minutiae. I became invested in Henry from the start. The creativity was wonderful. The ending unexpected and I loved it. This is my second Freeman book and I will be looking for more by him.
July 11, 2019
Very good - great art !
December 22, 2011
Up until now, Brian James Freeman (aka James Kidman and Brian Freeman) has flown (somewhat) under the radar. Well, no more. He's long been one of the best horror and suspense writers around. His novel Black Fire (a finalist for the Bram Stoker award) is a great example, as is his previous novella "Blue November Storms," and a handful of amazing short stories (including my personal favorite, "Answering the Call," from Borderlands 5). Brian's prose is crisp and clean, smoother than anything this side of Ray Bradbury. He has often drawn comparisons to Stephen King, and the sense of nostalgia that colors his work certainly yields this comparison, but the focus of his writing differs. He is much closer to Bradbury or the late Charles L. Grant than King.
The Painted Darkness flip flops between two timelines. In one, Henry, a child, lives what will become the most significant day of his young life. The sense of foreboding and childhood innocence in this timeline is nearly unmatched in modern literature. In the other he is an adult, an artist, and haunted by what he sees in his current work, a past he cannot remember, and what he senses is hiding in the basement. In this timeline, Freeman trades in foreboding and innocence for flourishes of insanity, dread, and terror. The contrast--and the way these plots work together--enhances each timeline, each building upon the other, before reaching a brilliant and heartbreaking conclusion.
Freeman is at the forefront of modern literary horror. If you're looking for blood and guts, he may not be for you, but if you're looking for the kind of stories that made horror the cultural phenomenon it was in the late '70's and early '80's, with writers like King, Straub, McCammon, Bradbury, Ellison, Ramsey Campbell, and Grant, then he's the best you're likely to find. Freeman's writing makes you think, but more importantly it makes you feel.
I strongly recommend The Painted Darkness.
The Painted Darkness flip flops between two timelines. In one, Henry, a child, lives what will become the most significant day of his young life. The sense of foreboding and childhood innocence in this timeline is nearly unmatched in modern literature. In the other he is an adult, an artist, and haunted by what he sees in his current work, a past he cannot remember, and what he senses is hiding in the basement. In this timeline, Freeman trades in foreboding and innocence for flourishes of insanity, dread, and terror. The contrast--and the way these plots work together--enhances each timeline, each building upon the other, before reaching a brilliant and heartbreaking conclusion.
Freeman is at the forefront of modern literary horror. If you're looking for blood and guts, he may not be for you, but if you're looking for the kind of stories that made horror the cultural phenomenon it was in the late '70's and early '80's, with writers like King, Straub, McCammon, Bradbury, Ellison, Ramsey Campbell, and Grant, then he's the best you're likely to find. Freeman's writing makes you think, but more importantly it makes you feel.
I strongly recommend The Painted Darkness.
January 22, 2016
I was drawn to this by the blurb, which spoke of artistic creativity living uneasily alongside psychosis--one feeding upon the other. The central premise of paint the darkness is exactly that for most artists or writers, I would assume: a creative act of catharsis of personal demons. The execution of the novella doesn't live up to the promise, however. For a start Henry's painting are only described once and they appear almost ludicrously childish--princess in a dungeon with a monster. I find it hard to believe collectors would pay for such works. The childishness of the story is what let it down for me. The novel works in two timelines: Henry as a five-year-old boy and Henry grown up and an artist. The boy's segments are the best. The narrative pov suits such a young child. However, the content and style of the storytelling don't change when dealing with the adult Henry. Living in an isolated house and maintaining the boiler, he turns this ancient steam-driven machine into a personal monster--and there were undeniably Stephen King influences in this depiction, even down to the little yellow rain slicker (It). But grown Henry is just little Henry in his thoughts and mannerisms, and that's where the whole story fell apart for me. We're told he's married and has a little boy, but we don't meet either of these characters, which is a pity because they might have given Henry some definition as an adult man. He snivels and cries and runs from the monster in the cellar, and makes terrible decisions, and yes, I get that it is all in his head and that he's being pushed back into childhood nightmares, but if you have adult characters it's more convincing when they act like, well, adults.
So, not a novel about creative genius or dealing with personal darkness through art, but more a very run-of-the-mill horror about being chased around an old house by a steam boiler.
So, not a novel about creative genius or dealing with personal darkness through art, but more a very run-of-the-mill horror about being chased around an old house by a steam boiler.
November 12, 2014
Every once in a while I read a book that totally blows my mind. Kealan Patrick Burke`s The Turtle Boy, James Newman`s Animosity, Iain Rob Wright`s The Final Winter to name but a few.
Brian James Freeman has just rocketed into that group with The Painted Darkness.
This is a novella about Henry. It continually jumps between his childhood and the present day and in both time zones he is going through a hell on earth. As a child it's the monsters hiding in the shadows. As an adult it's the monsters hiding in the cellar while he is in the attic painting his disturbed paintings he does as a profession. Can he deal with the demons before it is too late?
That's as much as I am going to give away on the plot. You seriously need to read this story. It's so much more than a horror story. It's an xray of all of us and our inner fears and how we deal with them both as a child and an adult. It's so beautifully written you can't help but love Henry's character both as a young child and an adult. It builds the tension and the fear so fantastically well that you find yourself holding your breath for Henry the whole way through.
I bought this about a year and a half ago and for one reason or another didn't get round to reading it till now. Do yourself a favour.......Buy it now and read it now. Don't leave it on the shelf.
Absolutely 5 stars.
Brian James Freeman has just rocketed into that group with The Painted Darkness.
This is a novella about Henry. It continually jumps between his childhood and the present day and in both time zones he is going through a hell on earth. As a child it's the monsters hiding in the shadows. As an adult it's the monsters hiding in the cellar while he is in the attic painting his disturbed paintings he does as a profession. Can he deal with the demons before it is too late?
That's as much as I am going to give away on the plot. You seriously need to read this story. It's so much more than a horror story. It's an xray of all of us and our inner fears and how we deal with them both as a child and an adult. It's so beautifully written you can't help but love Henry's character both as a young child and an adult. It builds the tension and the fear so fantastically well that you find yourself holding your breath for Henry the whole way through.
I bought this about a year and a half ago and for one reason or another didn't get round to reading it till now. Do yourself a favour.......Buy it now and read it now. Don't leave it on the shelf.
Absolutely 5 stars.
January 1, 2011
What a fast read, and not just because the book is short. In this fast-paced book the reader is taken on a thrilling ride between past and present which slowly reveal how the main protagonist Henry came to "paint against the darkness".
While I was pulled into the story from the first page on Brian James Freeman's novella can't really be compared to writers like King or maybe even Koontz, like other reviewers already mentioned. He is certainly moving in the same kind of genre of slightly disturbing and suspenseful thriller with horror elements, but even with the tension building up the end was forseeable, at least to me.
Both a moving and engaging read, it does miss a few things that might have put it above average. Especially with the focus on Henry and all the detailed attention the author gives to his encounter with his childhood monster in the lonely house in the woods, I still missed more details to his persona. And the story missed some padding overall, which would have made it longer, yes, but probably better too.
In short: A quick page-turner for a lazy afternoon, especially for those who love to get spooked a little!
While I was pulled into the story from the first page on Brian James Freeman's novella can't really be compared to writers like King or maybe even Koontz, like other reviewers already mentioned. He is certainly moving in the same kind of genre of slightly disturbing and suspenseful thriller with horror elements, but even with the tension building up the end was forseeable, at least to me.
Both a moving and engaging read, it does miss a few things that might have put it above average. Especially with the focus on Henry and all the detailed attention the author gives to his encounter with his childhood monster in the lonely house in the woods, I still missed more details to his persona. And the story missed some padding overall, which would have made it longer, yes, but probably better too.
In short: A quick page-turner for a lazy afternoon, especially for those who love to get spooked a little!
October 14, 2010
This is a creepy little page-turner that explores the boundaries between reality and imagination.
Freeman tells dual stories surrounding Henry, an artist with a dark imagination. Henry's story is told through chapters that alternate back and forth between "The Present," when Henry is an adult artist who paints to master his dark imagination, and "The Birth of the Artist," when Henry is five and experiences a trauma that shapes the remainder of his life.
Although the novella is short, it is replete with details that create an ambiance of danger, mystery, and threatening darkness. Freeman effectively uses this interplay to drive the narrative forward and urge his readers to uncover the mysteries of the past and the present.
I definitely recommend for readers who like to be a little creeped out.
Freeman tells dual stories surrounding Henry, an artist with a dark imagination. Henry's story is told through chapters that alternate back and forth between "The Present," when Henry is an adult artist who paints to master his dark imagination, and "The Birth of the Artist," when Henry is five and experiences a trauma that shapes the remainder of his life.
Although the novella is short, it is replete with details that create an ambiance of danger, mystery, and threatening darkness. Freeman effectively uses this interplay to drive the narrative forward and urge his readers to uncover the mysteries of the past and the present.
I definitely recommend for readers who like to be a little creeped out.
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