Rating: 
Summary: Judge For Yourself...
Review: I had almost decided not to even attempt this novel after reading some of the other reviews on Amazon.com from readers. However, I have to say I disagree with the majority of reviewers. My theory: they all were looking for a "Horror" story filled with spirits, demons, etc. What they got was a character study on the lives in a small town, a look into spiritual beliefs and the wieght of personal relationships. Much like Mr. Dobyns "Church of the Dead Girls," "Incubus" is more a social study of a small town when things go astray. There are definitly some eriee scenes and some strange happenings, but without the blood & gore of most horror novels today. I would recommend this book but not as a horror novel. Instead, a novel that looks into Middle-America and small town life.
Rating: 
Summary: A horror novel that makes you think
Review: I had to add my two-cent worth and agree with those readers who reviewed this book and found it to be a wonderfully written novel of a woman's, and a towns, descent into hell. Arensberg has taken the myth of the incubus, (an evil spirit that lies on women in their sleep, pinning them down to have sexual intercourse with them), and has asked the question "What if?". What makes this story truly frightening is the way she blends the myth of the incubus into a 21st century setting, a small town in Maine in 1974. Told in retrospective by Cora Whitman, the wife of the local Episcopal minister, she begins to notice the subtle changes that are happening to the people of Dry Falls. But then things take a nasty turn, and Cora finds herself a victim of the evil that has settled over Dry Falls. Arensberg writes with a slow, matter of fact pace yet she is able to evoke a sense of doom and despair. She is a wonderful writer, the scenes she creates pull you in with characters that are real and fully developed. Arensberg has written a horror novel of a higher caliber, and she is one hell of a storyteller.
Rating: 
Summary: A beautifully written nothing
Review: I hesitate to give an unfavourable review to any book; I know how difficult it is to gestate and finally give birth to any work in literature. I have no criticism for Ann Arensberg's prose; her writing is beautiful, her descriptions wonderfully evocative, the similes and metaphors fresh and original. Unfortunately, this is not enough. The story is so disjointed and rambling that after having read over half the book I have given up on it in dismay. This reminds me of the unfortunate experience of Infinite Jest: some parts of it were utterly brilliant, but the rest left the reader thumbing through scores of pages trying to find something meaningful. I happen to love reading good prose for its own sake, but it needs the support of well developed characters and/or a good story. There may very well be a good story in this book, but so far I haven't been able to find it, and the characters are not strong enough to carry us along on their own merit. As I aforesaid, I really dislike writing negative reviews, and would not even bother to do so if the writer of this book was simply a hack out to make a buck. But I can see that this is a carefully written story with little pockets of insight and even brilliance, but it lacks continuity and organization and, most importantly, focus. Ms. Arensberg, if you read this, I hope you don't take it in the wrong way. I advise you to look for a new editor, someone who can really help you without compromising your talent.
Rating:
Summary: This book was much more hype than horror.
Review: I love horror and read this based on the review in "The Washington Post Book World". At first, it appeared to be building to something good, but it went nowhere. No real thought to the plot or characters. This is a waste of time for REAL horror fans.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing but a tad too slow for my tastes
Review: I managed to find the book both compelling and, at the same time, a bit tedious. The underlying story was interesting enough for me to want to continue turning the pages while I often became frustrated at Cora's rambling style of telling the story and her lengthy descriptions of everything surrounding her. Some details were interesting (gardening) while others made me smile (especially those of her friends sex lives) but many were just plain dull. This tidbit, taken from a scene where Cora is describing herself, could just as well describe the author's method of telling her story: "When he (Cora's husband) told me a story I made him repeat himself. When he baptized an infant I asked him to describe the christening dress." (...)Guess this book disturbed me on a level that I wasn't aware of! And, here I thought I was too jaded to be bothered by a story.
Rating:
Summary: It stinks!
Review: I read several recommendations on this book and it sounded like a good read. However, I found the pace way too slow and filled with uninteresting and unnecessary fillers. The supernatural aspect of the book didn't really fit with the small-town feeling I got from it in the beginning. I enjoyed the first half but found the last half dull and unbelievable within the context of the story. It was okay, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I read several recommendations on this book and it sounded like a good read. However, I found the pace way too slow and filled with uninteresting and unnecessary fillers. The supernatural aspect of the book didn't really fit with the small-town feeling I got from it in the beginning. I enjoyed the first half but found the last half dull and unbelievable within the context of the story. It was okay, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not great...
Review: I was expecting a ton of "scares" but only really got a a small handful. There was an amazingly intense scene involving a dog, and that one scene alone is worth a star! But, the author spent way too much time talking about "cooking and gardening" that it took me out of the main storyline. She brought up a number of very interesting ideas and concepts that I would have liked to see explored more, but...and the ending left me a tiny bit confused. Overall, I would recommend the novel, but it could have been great, when it ended up being good!
Rating:
Summary: Good but not great...
Review: I was expecting a ton of "scares" but only really got a a small handful. There was an amazingly intense scene involving a dog, and that one scene alone is worth a star! But, the author spent way too much time talking about "cooking and gardening" that it took me out of the main storyline. She brought up a number of very interesting ideas and concepts that I would have liked to see explored more, but...and the ending left me a tiny bit confused. Overall, I would recommend the novel, but it could have been great, when it ended up being good!
Rating:
Summary: Good but not great...
Review: I was expecting a ton of "scares" but only really got a a small handful. There was an amazingly intense scene involving a dog, and that one scene alone is worth a star! But, the author spent way too much time talking about "cooking and gardening" that it took me out of the main storyline. She brought up a number of very interesting ideas and concepts that I would have liked to see explored more, but...and the ending left me a tiny bit confused. Overall, I would recommend the novel, but it could have been great, when it ended up being good!
|
