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shadowkatFinished TKingfisher's The Twisted Ones which is loosely based on the short story The White People by Arthur Machen. The actual story can be found HERE. And the author actually does borrow a great deal from this book. She's almost, not quite, retelling it. Both the names Ambrose and Cotgrave are in the Twisted Ones. [It's not a violation of copyright - since apparently the story is now in the public domain and was published in 1906 as part of House of Souls.]
Apparently TKingfisher likes to retell others stories in new ways, or so she states in the acknowledgments. Usually it's fairy tales, but this one was pulp horror.
She does a good job of it. And plays around with the concept of the found manuscript, and references Machen's tale throughout. I was unfamiliar with Machen's story, so didn't notice. (Although she was really playing around with HP Lovecraft writing about Machen's story.)
This is a classic pulp horror - and not being a huge fan of the horror genre, particularly classic horror - I was oblivious. Although I did recognize bits and pieces from other things. I studied folklore, and fairy stories in college. And some bits remind me a great deal of Perilious Guard and the Wicker Man. I've not really read Lovecraft, and don't really have much desire to - he was an asshole.
The book, however, is rather well written. It held my interest throughout - which is not an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination. I've found reading strenuous of late - and have not been engrossed in a novel in ages.
Stumbled upon this...and ripped right through it. Now have to hunt another one. Preferably one that I already own.
Oh, it's really creepy in places. The book kept me up at night. (Also hard to do, it's rare that books scare me.) And creeped me out in ways books rarely do. The writer builds well on the psychological suspense and the unknown. Also shies just short of telling everything. Partly helped by a first person point of view. Like all horror tales the characters do dumb things - but in this one, most of the dumb shit can be blamed on the dog.
She has a rhyme in it that works rather well as an earworm... and is creepy as all get out.
Working my way through The Artist's Way - to date have begun the Morning Pages. What is this? Write at least three full pages of free form long hand each morning - first thing. They don't have to be anything important. Just hand on the paper writing. Fill up three pages. Every morning before getting off to work or starting your day. After you get up, first thing.
That's the problem - first thing. I get up, dressed, breakfast than write.
But guessing I'm supposed to write and then the rest - but I fear losing track of time and being later for work - which I have a tendency towards.
At any rate, I'm trying to do it. Written three pages before taking off on commute yesterday, and three today. I may write three pages on the commute on Friday.
Now, I have to figure out when and how to do an Artist Date- that's the next assignment. To take my inner child or artist alone on a date. Go do something fun. Hmm. It can be a walk. Or a trip to a beach. Watching an old movie. Going to a junk store. Anything really - for at least two hours.
Have to do it once a week. But I have to go do something.
Again, time situation. Means not laying about like a lazy ass on Saturday.
Also, on Sunday - have to lug self to church for the class at 12:45 pm. I may go to church on Sunday, but lunch is always an issue. I guess I could try to get soup in the undercroft.
I'm doing this to yank myself out of my rut or trap. It's a life raft or life line to pull me up out of the quicksand of malaise that sank into. Also to get unblocked creatively, we'll see if it works.
Apparently TKingfisher likes to retell others stories in new ways, or so she states in the acknowledgments. Usually it's fairy tales, but this one was pulp horror.
She does a good job of it. And plays around with the concept of the found manuscript, and references Machen's tale throughout. I was unfamiliar with Machen's story, so didn't notice. (Although she was really playing around with HP Lovecraft writing about Machen's story.)
This is a classic pulp horror - and not being a huge fan of the horror genre, particularly classic horror - I was oblivious. Although I did recognize bits and pieces from other things. I studied folklore, and fairy stories in college. And some bits remind me a great deal of Perilious Guard and the Wicker Man. I've not really read Lovecraft, and don't really have much desire to - he was an asshole.
The book, however, is rather well written. It held my interest throughout - which is not an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination. I've found reading strenuous of late - and have not been engrossed in a novel in ages.
Stumbled upon this...and ripped right through it. Now have to hunt another one. Preferably one that I already own.
Oh, it's really creepy in places. The book kept me up at night. (Also hard to do, it's rare that books scare me.) And creeped me out in ways books rarely do. The writer builds well on the psychological suspense and the unknown. Also shies just short of telling everything. Partly helped by a first person point of view. Like all horror tales the characters do dumb things - but in this one, most of the dumb shit can be blamed on the dog.
She has a rhyme in it that works rather well as an earworm... and is creepy as all get out.
Working my way through The Artist's Way - to date have begun the Morning Pages. What is this? Write at least three full pages of free form long hand each morning - first thing. They don't have to be anything important. Just hand on the paper writing. Fill up three pages. Every morning before getting off to work or starting your day. After you get up, first thing.
That's the problem - first thing. I get up, dressed, breakfast than write.
But guessing I'm supposed to write and then the rest - but I fear losing track of time and being later for work - which I have a tendency towards.
At any rate, I'm trying to do it. Written three pages before taking off on commute yesterday, and three today. I may write three pages on the commute on Friday.
Now, I have to figure out when and how to do an Artist Date- that's the next assignment. To take my inner child or artist alone on a date. Go do something fun. Hmm. It can be a walk. Or a trip to a beach. Watching an old movie. Going to a junk store. Anything really - for at least two hours.
Have to do it once a week. But I have to go do something.
Again, time situation. Means not laying about like a lazy ass on Saturday.
Also, on Sunday - have to lug self to church for the class at 12:45 pm. I may go to church on Sunday, but lunch is always an issue. I guess I could try to get soup in the undercroft.
I'm doing this to yank myself out of my rut or trap. It's a life raft or life line to pull me up out of the quicksand of malaise that sank into. Also to get unblocked creatively, we'll see if it works.