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When the Wind Blows
The children were waiting. Waiting for centuries. Waiting for someone to hear their cries. Now nine-year-old Christine Lyons has come to live in the house on the hill -- the house where no children have lived for fifty years. Now little Christie will sleep in the old-fashioned nursery on the third floor. Now Christie's terror will begin.
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1981
91 people are currently reading
2261 people want to read
About the author
John Saul
149 books2,830 followersJohn Saul is an American author best known for his bestselling suspense and horror novels, many of which have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list. Born in Pasadena and raised in Whittier, California, Saul attended several universities without earning a degree. He spent years honing his craft, writing under pen names before finding mainstream success. His breakout novel, Suffer the Children (1977), launched a prolific career, with over 60 million copies of his books in print. Saul’s work includes Cry for the Strangers, later adapted into a TV movie, and The Blackstone Chronicles series. He is also a playwright, with one-act plays produced in Los Angeles and Seattle. In 2023, he received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement. Openly gay, he has lived with his partner—also his creative collaborator—for nearly 50 years. Saul divides his time between Seattle, the San Juan Islands, and Hawaii, and frequently speaks at writers’ conferences, including the Maui Writers' Conference. His enduring popularity in the horror genre stems from a blend of psychological tension, supernatural elements, and deep emotional undercurrents that have resonated with readers for decades.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
November 18, 2020
READ:
11/18/'2020
I have done some Saul rereads. This was not a favorite although I seem to remember liking it more as a young one! But some of Saul's books have held up so good over time. I did not feel this one did.
But....
It still has the crept factor..greatly.
Oh wow was this book creepy! Trust good Ole John Saul to scare the living daylights out of me once again!
So as I said, this was a reread. I grew up with Saul and some of his books just never lose their scare power. This is one of them.
This book is about Cristy. She is an orphan and put into the care of Diana and her mother Edna. This is in a small and rural community in Colorado.
Cristy is scared. She does not fel comfortable in her new home. And she especially doesn't feel comfortable when the wind blows...
Like I said this is a creepy read. But it is also frustrating and never really captured me in the way some of Saul's others like Punish The Sinners and Comes the Blind Fury did.
Gave me a new take on the wind blowing. Even know when I hear it blow I am reminded of this book.
Honestly? This book probably deserved a 4 but the ending was odd. I did not actually understand it then nor do I now. I do not usually have that issue with Saul's books. This was a major frustration.
End spoilers:
So if babies die, why didn't Christy take off..immediately?
Is Christy supposed to have become Diana now?
There was so much about the ending I did not get. If YOU understood it, please explain because even with the reread..I simply did not understand it.
But the book is a creeper! I wish I'd loved this but it was still an OK read for me. Worth a read if you are looking for a scare fest. You will never look at the wind blowing in the same way again, trust me!
11/18/'2020
I have done some Saul rereads. This was not a favorite although I seem to remember liking it more as a young one! But some of Saul's books have held up so good over time. I did not feel this one did.
But....
It still has the crept factor..greatly.
Oh wow was this book creepy! Trust good Ole John Saul to scare the living daylights out of me once again!
So as I said, this was a reread. I grew up with Saul and some of his books just never lose their scare power. This is one of them.
This book is about Cristy. She is an orphan and put into the care of Diana and her mother Edna. This is in a small and rural community in Colorado.
Cristy is scared. She does not fel comfortable in her new home. And she especially doesn't feel comfortable when the wind blows...
Like I said this is a creepy read. But it is also frustrating and never really captured me in the way some of Saul's others like Punish The Sinners and Comes the Blind Fury did.
Gave me a new take on the wind blowing. Even know when I hear it blow I am reminded of this book.
Honestly? This book probably deserved a 4 but the ending was odd. I did not actually understand it then nor do I now. I do not usually have that issue with Saul's books. This was a major frustration.
End spoilers:
So if babies die, why didn't Christy take off..immediately?
Is Christy supposed to have become Diana now?
There was so much about the ending I did not get. If YOU understood it, please explain because even with the reread..I simply did not understand it.
But the book is a creeper! I wish I'd loved this but it was still an OK read for me. Worth a read if you are looking for a scare fest. You will never look at the wind blowing in the same way again, trust me!
May 1, 2017
"I think something is way wrong out at the Ambers’"
That pretty much sums up this book.
I started reading John Saul's books from the beginning and this has been my favorite so far. While it has the same feel as the ones before it, the storyline and the suspense are tighter, more creative, and less contrived. While some of it still stretches the imagination quite a bit, at least it doesn't feel silly.
Also, the evil element is this book is interesting. I won't say much more than that to avoid spoilers. But, I will say if you like a good thriller, this one is worth a try.
That pretty much sums up this book.
I started reading John Saul's books from the beginning and this has been my favorite so far. While it has the same feel as the ones before it, the storyline and the suspense are tighter, more creative, and less contrived. While some of it still stretches the imagination quite a bit, at least it doesn't feel silly.
Also, the evil element is this book is interesting. I won't say much more than that to avoid spoilers. But, I will say if you like a good thriller, this one is worth a try.
January 20, 2020
This, and The Unloved channel V.C. Andrews' domestic gothic horror, with John Saul preferring to splatter his prose with the blood of his maddened characters rather than other genre scare tactics.
Souls' books are often confined within the claustrophobic walls of a house recently inherited/inhabited, the central character (often a child) slowly succumbs to the wicked ways of their insane care-taker and its no different here, however, Saul hints at something supernatual but that's smoke and mirrors; the devil's all too human.
A decent dabble into maddens fueled by a macabre family secret - 3 stars.
Souls' books are often confined within the claustrophobic walls of a house recently inherited/inhabited, the central character (often a child) slowly succumbs to the wicked ways of their insane care-taker and its no different here, however, Saul hints at something supernatual but that's smoke and mirrors; the devil's all too human.
A decent dabble into maddens fueled by a macabre family secret - 3 stars.
September 26, 2022
What a great read this was. I own four of John Sauls books and had them on the shelf for a while unread so decided now is the time to give him a try with this novel.
This is quiet small town horror, nothing over the top in terms of gore or death but had me intrigued and loved all the characters. It revolves around a wealthy family, a mine which over the years seems to cause its fair share of "accidential" deaths and an Indian legend of the "water babies" who can be heard crying..when the wind blows.
Really really enjoyed this.
This is quiet small town horror, nothing over the top in terms of gore or death but had me intrigued and loved all the characters. It revolves around a wealthy family, a mine which over the years seems to cause its fair share of "accidential" deaths and an Indian legend of the "water babies" who can be heard crying..when the wind blows.
Really really enjoyed this.
July 10, 2014
This is basically Mommie Dearest if there was also a Grannie Dearest thrown in the mix.
I don't know what weird fetish this author has by killing off children in the most gruesome ways, it's like kiddy torture porn. In all the books I've read from him at least a child dies, so much it's become ridiculously morbid and predictable at this point.
I don't know what weird fetish this author has by killing off children in the most gruesome ways, it's like kiddy torture porn. In all the books I've read from him at least a child dies, so much it's become ridiculously morbid and predictable at this point.
August 25, 2020
I have read a fair amount of Saul and this is definitely one of his better novels. As usual, it takes place in a small town and mostly involves family dynamics. The family in this case are the Ambers-- one old lady (80+) Edna and her daughter Diana (50). The town in the mountains of Colorado basically came into existence due to the Amber's coal mine in the 1800s, but a terrible cave in/flood in 1910 killed all the miners, including Mr. Amber, leaving Edna and Diana all alone. Diana was born the day of the tragedy. Now, the town has recovered somewhat, becoming a tourist destination, but the Ambers decide they want to reopen the mine. Unfortunately, the mining engineer they hire to do so dies in the mine, leaving his young 9 year old daughter with no parents and no living relatives. Unsure of what to do, young Christie is taken to the Amber household, as the mining engineer named Diana as a guardian in his will.
Also as usual for Saul, we have an old spanish crone who serves as the local lore hound, and still lives by the mine as her husband (also killed in 1910) was a supervisor there. The local Indians (Utes?) have a legend about the area that predates the mine; there is a cave there where they uses to take their stillborn children who would later be reincarnated. When the wind blows, it is said you can here them crying. As the title suggests, wind plays a major role in the novel.
Without going into too much detail regarding the plot, old Edna comes across at first as someone who makes Mommy Dearest look like an angel. She has keep her 50 year old daughter away from everyone in town, and Diana basically lives to serve her mother's whims. Edna does not want Diana to adopt Christie, but Diana seemingly finely shows some spine and rebuffs her mother regarding this. Diana comes across as a Jeckle and Hyde figure-- nice and loving until the wind blows, and then very cruel. Christie does not know what to do. The most horrific aspect of this book concerns the child abuse-- both in the present with Christie and in Diana's past. Some parts regarding this were almost too difficult to read. So, while not much regarding the supernatural, When the Winds Blow still packs a punch. 3.5 stars, rounding up the 4 wire hangers.
Also as usual for Saul, we have an old spanish crone who serves as the local lore hound, and still lives by the mine as her husband (also killed in 1910) was a supervisor there. The local Indians (Utes?) have a legend about the area that predates the mine; there is a cave there where they uses to take their stillborn children who would later be reincarnated. When the wind blows, it is said you can here them crying. As the title suggests, wind plays a major role in the novel.
Without going into too much detail regarding the plot, old Edna comes across at first as someone who makes Mommy Dearest look like an angel. She has keep her 50 year old daughter away from everyone in town, and Diana basically lives to serve her mother's whims. Edna does not want Diana to adopt Christie, but Diana seemingly finely shows some spine and rebuffs her mother regarding this. Diana comes across as a Jeckle and Hyde figure-- nice and loving until the wind blows, and then very cruel. Christie does not know what to do. The most horrific aspect of this book concerns the child abuse-- both in the present with Christie and in Diana's past. Some parts regarding this were almost too difficult to read. So, while not much regarding the supernatural, When the Winds Blow still packs a punch. 3.5 stars, rounding up the 4 wire hangers.
January 9, 2022
Es mi tercer libro del autor John saul y si bien no hizo retorcerme de miedo como esperaba, me gustó la historia, la trama, me atrapó es bastante intrigante, me hubiese gustado un desarrollo más profundo en el tema de la leyenda del pueblo de amberton eso quizás le hubiera dado más profundidad al libro.
November 11, 2012
"When the Wind Blows" is another selection from a giant bag of books a coworker gave me.
I should start my own imprint of mystery/thrillers: "Giant Bag of Coworker's Books, an imprint of HarperCollins."
In Amberton, Colorado, "When the Wind Blows" is a time when bad things happen. The Amber family founded the town (ergo, Amberton), based on a huge coal mine. The local Native Americans and Mexicans know there's something cursed about the mine: when the Wind blows, you can hear the cries of the water babies.
I capitalize Wind advisedly, for when the Wind starts blowing, weirdness ensues.
Anyway, the water babies are spirits of stillborn babies. The Native Americans interred their stillborns in a cave adjacent to the mine. Here, their spirits reside until it's time for them to be reborn. They don't like the Wind, so they cry.
Meanwhile, a widower mining engineer named Mr. Lyons comes to town to try and get the mine restarted. He dies, leaving behind his nine year-old daughter, Christie. In his will, he gives guardianship to the Amber family: 80-ish crone Edna, and 50-ish crackpot, Diane. Christie soon finds that Diane treats her like a toddler--insisting on giving her baths, and making her sleep in a crib. Also, whenever Christie cries, Diane starts beating the shit out of her.
And Diane is the more pleasant Amber to be around. Miss Edna, as she's known, is acid-tongued, and downright cruel; some Amberton townsfolk think she's a witch.
So every time the Wind blows, Diane goes a little crazy. She enters a sort of fugue state, and does things she can't remember. Like kill Christie's friends, her horse, and freak out a little that she can hear her baby crying in the distance.
"When the Wind Blows" goes back and forth between which Ms. Amber is crazier: the mother or the daughter. Really? Flip a coin.
Ultimately, we learn the reason Diane's so screwed up, and Edna's so mean. By the time we get this information, though, I had a really hard time caring. I just wanted a house to fall on them both and be done with it.
I couldn't help but feel bad for young Christie. She was an innocent, thrust into this bizarre pas de deux of whackjobs. The most interesting character, a Mexican woman named Esperanza, is deplorably underused. She has spiritual wisdom regarding the water babies and the sanctity of the mine, and she tells Christie the first day she moves into the Amber estate: "If you need me, come running, and I'll protect you." This could have set-up some interesting scenarios. Sadly, though, she seems to be an afterthought, like a character who'd be written into a picnic scene because none of the other characters brought macaroni salad. I felt like she had a lot more to offer, and it only made sense to me that Christie would escape to Esperanza's house the first chance she had. Edna made it clear she doesn't want Christie living there, and Diane's gone round the twist, so it would be easy enough to arrange. The good news is that a girl who apparently went to the same insufferable brat school as Nellie Olsen ends up dead at the bottom of the mineshaft.
It sounds horrible to relish a nine year-old girl's death--even a deplorable brat of a nine year-old--but I found a paucity of Big Moments in this book, so my conscience is clear.
Nor did I really find many of the characters interesting. Most of them were nice, but one-dimensional. The key relationship is the triad between Christie, Edna, and Diane. Christie was okay--plucky enough, with a slight ability to learn how not to get Diane smacking her or Edna yelling at her and swatting her with her cane. (I sort of stopped caring, though, when Christie didn't just get on one of the horses and ride like hell away to the Town Marshal's house, or to Esperanza's, places she could be safe).
Early in "When the Wind Blows," Diane comes off like an overly sheltered woman who's been cowed by her wicked mother. Then we sense that she's a little crazy too. Then we're led to believe that Edna was protecting Diane from herself. Then...
Hell, I quit caring about either of them around the halfway mark.
I remember reading a John Saul novel in the past, and really enjoying it. This particular effort, though, didn't work for me.
Except, of course, when the little brat falls down the mine shaft. If that's the highlight, I can't really recommend this to anyone except the author's fans. (note: "When the Wind Blows" has a decent enough Goodreads average, so maybe it's just me. (Then again, nah: it's not just me))
I should start my own imprint of mystery/thrillers: "Giant Bag of Coworker's Books, an imprint of HarperCollins."
In Amberton, Colorado, "When the Wind Blows" is a time when bad things happen. The Amber family founded the town (ergo, Amberton), based on a huge coal mine. The local Native Americans and Mexicans know there's something cursed about the mine: when the Wind blows, you can hear the cries of the water babies.
I capitalize Wind advisedly, for when the Wind starts blowing, weirdness ensues.
Anyway, the water babies are spirits of stillborn babies. The Native Americans interred their stillborns in a cave adjacent to the mine. Here, their spirits reside until it's time for them to be reborn. They don't like the Wind, so they cry.
Meanwhile, a widower mining engineer named Mr. Lyons comes to town to try and get the mine restarted. He dies, leaving behind his nine year-old daughter, Christie. In his will, he gives guardianship to the Amber family: 80-ish crone Edna, and 50-ish crackpot, Diane. Christie soon finds that Diane treats her like a toddler--insisting on giving her baths, and making her sleep in a crib. Also, whenever Christie cries, Diane starts beating the shit out of her.
And Diane is the more pleasant Amber to be around. Miss Edna, as she's known, is acid-tongued, and downright cruel; some Amberton townsfolk think she's a witch.
So every time the Wind blows, Diane goes a little crazy. She enters a sort of fugue state, and does things she can't remember. Like kill Christie's friends, her horse, and freak out a little that she can hear her baby crying in the distance.
"When the Wind Blows" goes back and forth between which Ms. Amber is crazier: the mother or the daughter. Really? Flip a coin.
Ultimately, we learn the reason Diane's so screwed up, and Edna's so mean. By the time we get this information, though, I had a really hard time caring. I just wanted a house to fall on them both and be done with it.
I couldn't help but feel bad for young Christie. She was an innocent, thrust into this bizarre pas de deux of whackjobs. The most interesting character, a Mexican woman named Esperanza, is deplorably underused. She has spiritual wisdom regarding the water babies and the sanctity of the mine, and she tells Christie the first day she moves into the Amber estate: "If you need me, come running, and I'll protect you." This could have set-up some interesting scenarios. Sadly, though, she seems to be an afterthought, like a character who'd be written into a picnic scene because none of the other characters brought macaroni salad. I felt like she had a lot more to offer, and it only made sense to me that Christie would escape to Esperanza's house the first chance she had. Edna made it clear she doesn't want Christie living there, and Diane's gone round the twist, so it would be easy enough to arrange. The good news is that a girl who apparently went to the same insufferable brat school as Nellie Olsen ends up dead at the bottom of the mineshaft.
It sounds horrible to relish a nine year-old girl's death--even a deplorable brat of a nine year-old--but I found a paucity of Big Moments in this book, so my conscience is clear.
Nor did I really find many of the characters interesting. Most of them were nice, but one-dimensional. The key relationship is the triad between Christie, Edna, and Diane. Christie was okay--plucky enough, with a slight ability to learn how not to get Diane smacking her or Edna yelling at her and swatting her with her cane. (I sort of stopped caring, though, when Christie didn't just get on one of the horses and ride like hell away to the Town Marshal's house, or to Esperanza's, places she could be safe).
Early in "When the Wind Blows," Diane comes off like an overly sheltered woman who's been cowed by her wicked mother. Then we sense that she's a little crazy too. Then we're led to believe that Edna was protecting Diane from herself. Then...
Hell, I quit caring about either of them around the halfway mark.
I remember reading a John Saul novel in the past, and really enjoying it. This particular effort, though, didn't work for me.
Except, of course, when the little brat falls down the mine shaft. If that's the highlight, I can't really recommend this to anyone except the author's fans. (note: "When the Wind Blows" has a decent enough Goodreads average, so maybe it's just me. (Then again, nah: it's not just me))
March 26, 2020
So, as I am probably one of if not the Biggest John Saul fan EVER......(I personally knew him when I still lived in Seattle, and most all my books are autographed by him) I am re-reading all 36 of his horror classics in publishing order. Since he is retired from writing, it is sad that we will never get anything else from him. Here is a link to my most recent video book review; from my YouTube channel; AreYouIntoHorror here:
https://youtu.be/Fn0DAuZwuNo
If you are not already subscribed to my channel, and love horror as much as I do....Subscribe to it.
Thanks so much for stopping by to read this. Richard.
https://youtu.be/Fn0DAuZwuNo
If you are not already subscribed to my channel, and love horror as much as I do....Subscribe to it.
Thanks so much for stopping by to read this. Richard.
June 22, 2024
Another solid horror thriller from John Saul. 1981's "When the Wind Blows", his fifth book (and the seventh Saul I've read) takes place in the fictitious mining town of Amberton somewhere in the Rockies. All the familiar Saul tropes are in this one: tragic family past, supernatural legends (this one of Native American origin), creepy kids in peril, mental illness, and plenty of murder going on. Feels especially similar to Saul's third novel, "Cry for the Strangers", which uses the storms instead of the wind blowing as its catalyst for the evil that ensues, causing similar short term memory loss in its homicidal crazies. Saul's tried and true formula for putting together a story always works well for me, despite his writing style not being the most literary. I equate it to film: who wants to watch "Ghandi" - albeit a cinematic masterpiece - when you're in the mood for the thrilling and fun "Raiders of the Lost Ark"? Once again, Saul is all about building that tension, revealing a little at a time, and has some particularly effective scenes of cruelty, though not as arresting as some of his other books I've read. Since this one also has the theme of a single parent/grandparent sheltering their children, particularly involving an attic, I'm willing to bet John Saul was heavily influenced by V. C. Andrews 1979 debut best-seller "Flowers in the Attic" which has similar themes. After all, Saul started his horror career by being asked by his agent to write a Stephen King style horror story as his debut, and the brilliant 1977 novel Suffer the Children was born. The embattled relationship between mother and daughter in "When The Wind Blows" is grating at times, particularly the dialogue and the wild swings in mood, but that helps reflect both characters extreme mental states, also filling it with creepy dark humor that is part of its charm. I'm now going to read V. C. Andrews "Flowers in the Attic" to see what all the fuss was about. I kinda know that twist too, but I need to read Saul's source for "When the Wind Blows". Then I'll likely continue my John Saul journey with 1982's "The God Project", his next novel.
January 18, 2013
After reading John Saul's, When the Wind Blows, I can't say that I'm a fan of his but I'm not putting him down for the count. When it comes to being a reader, I can't say that I'm specific to any genre. If I had to pick one it would be children's or YA, not mystery, suspense, horror or thriller, all of which this novel could be classified under. Since none of the above is my forte, so to speak, I feel as if I must tread lightly when judging a book by an author who is much loved by many. Almost, like judging King while saying, "I never read horror." or Tolkien while claiming that you don't care for fantasy, never even touched the stuff. I won't say that I've never read in these genres, I've for sure have "touched the stuff", but I'm not joining the mystery readers guild or anything of that sort.
But though I may not be an expert in the matters of such, I can say that I do believe that I have come to some understanding about such genres. I believe that some mysteries, suspense and horror books fall just like comedies. How many comedy movies have you watched in which you thought to yourself, "This is funny?" or said, " I thought this was once funny but now..."? Over time the jokes are no longer funny. Horror and the such falls much the same way. Over time, years later when one picks it up and reads or watches it, the scenes of blood and the lines, "The stairs creaked underfoot." no longer have the same effect.
In this case, for John Saul, I think this has happened.
In no way does this make the book a "bad" read. Actually it is decent, it's just that you are comparing 1980's main stream fiction to our time. It is just like music, some is unforgettable, some you wish to forget and others you only remember fondly when you catch a jingle of it on "VH1's I Love the 80's". This book would be the latter. If I had read it in 1980 (when I was only about...2 months old) I would be looking fondly back at this book and in my mind I would be saying, "Oh I remember how that book scared the crap out of me!" But I'm not and it did not.
In today's world all I can say is that the book held my attention from beginning to end. It was predictable but I was okay with that because the way it was written, I wanted to keep on reading. I became attached to characters and the setting and I had to find out who stayed and who didn't. While I knew who the killer was, I wanted to know why. In the end, I wanted to know who the next killer would be. And, when I finished the book, I looked fondly at it and said, "Hmmm, I wonder if there was a sequel?"
John Saul's, When the Wind Blows, is not a classic in its genre, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth reading, especially if you are a die hard Saul fan or fan of the genre.
But though I may not be an expert in the matters of such, I can say that I do believe that I have come to some understanding about such genres. I believe that some mysteries, suspense and horror books fall just like comedies. How many comedy movies have you watched in which you thought to yourself, "This is funny?" or said, " I thought this was once funny but now..."? Over time the jokes are no longer funny. Horror and the such falls much the same way. Over time, years later when one picks it up and reads or watches it, the scenes of blood and the lines, "The stairs creaked underfoot." no longer have the same effect.
In this case, for John Saul, I think this has happened.
In no way does this make the book a "bad" read. Actually it is decent, it's just that you are comparing 1980's main stream fiction to our time. It is just like music, some is unforgettable, some you wish to forget and others you only remember fondly when you catch a jingle of it on "VH1's I Love the 80's". This book would be the latter. If I had read it in 1980 (when I was only about...2 months old) I would be looking fondly back at this book and in my mind I would be saying, "Oh I remember how that book scared the crap out of me!" But I'm not and it did not.
In today's world all I can say is that the book held my attention from beginning to end. It was predictable but I was okay with that because the way it was written, I wanted to keep on reading. I became attached to characters and the setting and I had to find out who stayed and who didn't. While I knew who the killer was, I wanted to know why. In the end, I wanted to know who the next killer would be. And, when I finished the book, I looked fondly at it and said, "Hmmm, I wonder if there was a sequel?"
John Saul's, When the Wind Blows, is not a classic in its genre, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth reading, especially if you are a die hard Saul fan or fan of the genre.
February 20, 2015
It was good, not great. The way children are treated in some of John Saul's stories might lead some to believe the writer really detests kids. I am sure that is not the case. Maybe he feels it makes for better storytelling. If I were him I would be a little more creative with my plots instead of rewriting the same stories with different characters.
April 1, 2014
A quick and somewhat formulaic read but still fun in that Lifetime movie, early 1980's horror kind of way. The town of Amberville is haunted by the shadow of a fifty-year old mining disaster which affected every family living there. Now Christie Lyons' father has come to town to try to reopen the mine. Soon enough she's orphaned and living with the Edna and Dianna Amber, the town's nasty matriarch and her doormat of a daughter. Dark secrets abound. Who is killing young Christie's friends? Does it have something to do with the old Indian cave used as a repository for stillborn babies? And what's up with that wind? You get the idea. Add a half-star if, like me, you are a fan of the paperback horror B-Listers of the 80's
March 17, 2021
La historia me ha gustado bastante, pero tiene un par de detalles flojos y ambos acaban arruinando el final:
- Uno de los personajes no llega a expresar lo que puede pasar si ocurre X, y sus balbuceos torpes (porque es en lo que quedan, muy triste teniendo en cuenta que al principio parecía que este personaje iba a ser fuerte y a tener un papel crucial) no hacen más que provocar el efecto contrario de lo que pretende. Si al menos hubiera dado alguna pista, algo que pudiera atarse con el final, el personaje no habría resultado un bulto.
- De repente resulta que lo que hemos visto de Tal personaje es mentira, porque cada vez que Y resulta que Z. Esto no se ha visto, así que puede o ser un error por parte del autor o tratarse de un caso de "zas, sorpresa, ahora Tal es igual que Cual y por tanto Tal 2 es como Tal antes". Ocurre tan rápido que la única explicación que se me ocurre que no sea que el autor ha querido (en vano) meter un finalazo es que la casa esté encantada. Y eso en ningún momento se ha visto. Lo siento por el pequeño spoiler, pero esta no es una historia de una casa encantada.
- Uno de los personajes no llega a expresar lo que puede pasar si ocurre X, y sus balbuceos torpes (porque es en lo que quedan, muy triste teniendo en cuenta que al principio parecía que este personaje iba a ser fuerte y a tener un papel crucial) no hacen más que provocar el efecto contrario de lo que pretende. Si al menos hubiera dado alguna pista, algo que pudiera atarse con el final, el personaje no habría resultado un bulto.
- De repente resulta que lo que hemos visto de Tal personaje es mentira, porque cada vez que Y resulta que Z. Esto no se ha visto, así que puede o ser un error por parte del autor o tratarse de un caso de "zas, sorpresa, ahora Tal es igual que Cual y por tanto Tal 2 es como Tal antes". Ocurre tan rápido que la única explicación que se me ocurre que no sea que el autor ha querido (en vano) meter un finalazo es que la casa esté encantada. Y eso en ningún momento se ha visto. Lo siento por el pequeño spoiler, pero esta no es una historia de una casa encantada.
July 12, 2017
Old timey horror. These are the books I would steal from my brother when I was a teenager. A simple story with simple wording. Good for a laugh, atrocious with spelling and grammatical errors (I would have expected more from a well known horror author) and lots of conversations vs paragraphs. A decent quickie horror read.
April 26, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but it wasn't a disappointment. It's more of a psychological horror and shows the affects that severe emotional and physical abuse can do to a child who has grown to adulthood. It was hard to read at times but that's what makes it a horror I guess.
I enjoyed the twist this book has with the characters. In the beginning you get a pretty clear idea on who is the bad guy and who is the victim. But then about half way through, you end up questioning what's going on and realising that the good guy isn't really that good.
I'm interested in what else this author has.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but it wasn't a disappointment. It's more of a psychological horror and shows the affects that severe emotional and physical abuse can do to a child who has grown to adulthood. It was hard to read at times but that's what makes it a horror I guess.
I enjoyed the twist this book has with the characters. In the beginning you get a pretty clear idea on who is the bad guy and who is the victim. But then about half way through, you end up questioning what's going on and realising that the good guy isn't really that good.
I'm interested in what else this author has.
November 1, 2020
I read this as a teenager, which I think is probably the age it was written for. Still, it was good for a little spookiness on Halloween.
September 20, 2025
couldn't get into this book
July 23, 2024
This is only my second John Saul book, and I was really looking forward to reading it. I was not disappointed!
It takes place in a small town who have a mine which is the centre of attention and has stories about it. The Ambers family own the mine and several years ago the mine suffered a flood resulting in deaths. The only Ambers left are Edna with her daughter Diana. They are both now old adults who do not have a great relationship. Diana takes into her care a young girl called Christie which Edna is not happy about at all. Christie starts to feel the strangeness in the mine and the Amber family.
It seems that something is going on with the mine which has heavily impacted on the Ambers. There are legends about a cave by the mine which have young children’s spirits coming in the wind, hence ……..”When the Wind Blows”
The story builds and is creepy, unsettling, and disturbing.
It takes place in a small town who have a mine which is the centre of attention and has stories about it. The Ambers family own the mine and several years ago the mine suffered a flood resulting in deaths. The only Ambers left are Edna with her daughter Diana. They are both now old adults who do not have a great relationship. Diana takes into her care a young girl called Christie which Edna is not happy about at all. Christie starts to feel the strangeness in the mine and the Amber family.
It seems that something is going on with the mine which has heavily impacted on the Ambers. There are legends about a cave by the mine which have young children’s spirits coming in the wind, hence ……..”When the Wind Blows”
The story builds and is creepy, unsettling, and disturbing.
October 19, 2013
Amberton, een klein stadje, gelegen aan de onderkant van een mijn, is 50 jaar rustig geweest. Maar de opening van de mijn brengt daar verandering in. Als de opzichter Dhr. Lyons bij een ongeluk om het leven komt, gaat zijn dochter, Christie, tijdelijk bij Diana Amber en haar moeder Edna wonen. Maar dan gebeuren er rare dingen en stort Christie's wereld geleidelijk in. Edna is namelijk alleen maar boos en Diana is niet te pijlen. Het belangrijkste is dat als de wind waait Christie lief moet zijn.
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Een apart verhaal vanuit een aparte hoek. De wind en de mijn spelen in het verhaal een belangrijke rol. Het verhaal sleept je mee, maar het hield mij niet echt vast. Het is spannend zoals we gewend zijn, maar het heeft niet helemaal dat beetje wat me trekt.
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John Saul is geboren in 1942 in Pasadena, Californië. Hij groeide op in Whittier en haalde zijn diploma in 1959 van de Whittier High School.
Na verschillende opleidingen aan net zoveel beroepsopleidingen te hebben gevolgd zonder het behalen van een diploma of graad, besloot hij van school te gaan en auteur te worden. In de daarop 15 jaar schreef Saul verschillende manuscripten en had hij verschillende baantjes. geen enkele uitgever zag iets in zijn verhalen, totdat zijn agent bij Dell terecht kwam. Daar wilden ze niets kopen, maar vroegen ze hem of hij een psychologische thriller kon schrijven. Saul maakte een verhaallijn, schreef het uit en hoopte dat het goed genoeg was. Zowel zijn agent als Dell waren laaiend enthusiast en zagen in dit verhaal een bestseller. Dell pakte groots uit. Advertenties en TV spots voor deze onbekende auteur werden gemaakt. En het slaagde. Saul werd in een klap wereldberoemd. Suffer the Children was geboren. Alle boeken die erna kwamen kwamen wel in de Bestsellerlijsten en zijn boeken werden wereldwijd uitgebracht en in verschillende talen vertaalt. De boeken werden uitgegeven door uitgeverijen die zijn verbonden aan Random House. Naast auteur is Saul ook acteur, scriptschrijver en is 1 van zijn boeken in 1984 uitgebracht als film.
Meer informatie over John Saul is te vinden op een van de onderstaande sites.
http://www.johnsaul.com/index.html
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0766657/
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Boekinformatie
Uitgeverij Phoenix
ISBN: 90.6879.012.9
239 pagina's; paperback
---
Een apart verhaal vanuit een aparte hoek. De wind en de mijn spelen in het verhaal een belangrijke rol. Het verhaal sleept je mee, maar het hield mij niet echt vast. Het is spannend zoals we gewend zijn, maar het heeft niet helemaal dat beetje wat me trekt.
---
John Saul is geboren in 1942 in Pasadena, Californië. Hij groeide op in Whittier en haalde zijn diploma in 1959 van de Whittier High School.
Na verschillende opleidingen aan net zoveel beroepsopleidingen te hebben gevolgd zonder het behalen van een diploma of graad, besloot hij van school te gaan en auteur te worden. In de daarop 15 jaar schreef Saul verschillende manuscripten en had hij verschillende baantjes. geen enkele uitgever zag iets in zijn verhalen, totdat zijn agent bij Dell terecht kwam. Daar wilden ze niets kopen, maar vroegen ze hem of hij een psychologische thriller kon schrijven. Saul maakte een verhaallijn, schreef het uit en hoopte dat het goed genoeg was. Zowel zijn agent als Dell waren laaiend enthusiast en zagen in dit verhaal een bestseller. Dell pakte groots uit. Advertenties en TV spots voor deze onbekende auteur werden gemaakt. En het slaagde. Saul werd in een klap wereldberoemd. Suffer the Children was geboren. Alle boeken die erna kwamen kwamen wel in de Bestsellerlijsten en zijn boeken werden wereldwijd uitgebracht en in verschillende talen vertaalt. De boeken werden uitgegeven door uitgeverijen die zijn verbonden aan Random House. Naast auteur is Saul ook acteur, scriptschrijver en is 1 van zijn boeken in 1984 uitgebracht als film.
Meer informatie over John Saul is te vinden op een van de onderstaande sites.
http://www.johnsaul.com/index.html
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0766657/
---
Boekinformatie
Uitgeverij Phoenix
ISBN: 90.6879.012.9
239 pagina's; paperback
January 30, 2018
Segundo que leo de este autor maltratado en España.
La edición es mala y muy difícil de encontrar, con gran cantidad de erratas.
Cuenta como en un pueblo, cada vez que el viento sopla, hay algunas personas que reaccionan mal, no saben lo que hacen y luego no se acuerda. Una huérfana llegara a la casa de una familia con su abuela, madre e hija. Descubriremos que paso con el hijo de la madre.
Lectura diáfana y simplona. Sentía que estaba viendo una telenovela mexicana.
La edición es mala y muy difícil de encontrar, con gran cantidad de erratas.
Cuenta como en un pueblo, cada vez que el viento sopla, hay algunas personas que reaccionan mal, no saben lo que hacen y luego no se acuerda. Una huérfana llegara a la casa de una familia con su abuela, madre e hija. Descubriremos que paso con el hijo de la madre.
Lectura diáfana y simplona. Sentía que estaba viendo una telenovela mexicana.
September 10, 2008
Haven't read early John Saul since I was a teenager. Can't remember hardly a thing other than they scared me at the time and contributed to my love of horror. I can't imagine any of his books would have the same effect on me now. John Saul just isn't that good of a writer, even all these years later, I don't think he's gotten any better.
October 10, 2019
Het duurde even voordat Stemmen in de Storm op gang kwam. Ik was ongeveer halverwege toen ik het pas spannend begon te vinden. Dit is een bovennatuurlijk horrorverhaal wat gebaseerd is op een (waarschijnlijk) fictieve Indiaanse legende. Hoewel ik eerst dacht dat deze Saul echt minder was vind ik dit boek uiteindelijk toch best goed.
July 16, 2011
Though predictable, I did get gripped in the whole family legacy dynamic offered in this book. At times, there was a bit of a "Carrie" theme in the storyline. I am not sure if it worthy to be shelved on my "spooks" shelf though and may have to "sub-shelf" it on "crazy."
November 23, 2015
I'd probably give this more like a 3.5 star rating. This is definitely a strange one, but I guess that's what you get from John Saul. If you're looking for something that makes you go "what the?" then this is a story for you.
October 23, 2008
I read this book many years ago (early 80's). According to the records I've always kept of the books I've read, I thought this book was good. In my early teen years I read mostly all horror books.
March 9, 2012
Well, John Saul has certainly created some crazy characters in this one. a disturbing tale of mother/child relationships gone horribly wrong.
October 1, 2018
Probably the best book i read this year! The last page... whoa!!! Goosebumps!!!
April 25, 2023
very good reading, unexpected ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews