Julia

Rating:
Summary: Classic Straub
Review: JULIA is unlike any of Peter Straub's other books. Maybe because it was his first ghost story, maybe because it was set in England, where he was living at the time, or maybe because it was written before he was influenced (corrupted?) by Stephen King, JULIA of all his novels has a classic feel to it.

First of all, it is a straightforward ghost story in the Victorian tradition. As with other many other Victorian ghost stories, you are never quite sure if the phenomenon that is haunting the characters is real, supernatural or psychological. But it is certainly a ghost, in the broad sense of a ghost, and not a shape-shifter, a toxic cloud/fantastical monster or the collective unconscious of the Vietnamese people (i.e. as in GHOST STORY, FLOATING DRAGON, and THE THROAT.)

Second of all, it is rivaled only by IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW among Straub novels in its conciseness. It is in fact more concise than most actual Victorian ghost stories (just read LeFanu's THE HAUNTED BARONET as an example).

However, of all Straub's novels, it is also the least original and least compelling. Even FLOATING DRAGON, the absolute nadir of Straub's literary career, was a more compelling read than JULIA. However, JULIA is ultimately more satisfying because it accomplishes its modest aims: it tells a hauntingly good tale in an interesting manner.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Straub
Review: JULIA is unlike any of Peter Straub's other books. Maybe because it was his first ghost story, maybe because it was set in England, where he was living at the time, or maybe because it was written before he was influenced (corrupted?) by Stephen King, JULIA of all his novels has a classic feel to it.

First of all, it is a straightforward ghost story in the Victorian tradition. As with other many other Victorian ghost stories, you are never quite sure if the phenomenon that is haunting the characters is real, supernatural or psychological. But it is certainly a ghost, in the broad sense of a ghost, and not a shape-shifter, a toxic cloud/fantastical monster or the collective unconscious of the Vietnamese people (i.e. as in GHOST STORY, FLOATING DRAGON, and THE THROAT.)

Second of all, it is rivaled only by IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW among Straub novels in its conciseness. It is in fact more concise than most actual Victorian ghost stories (just read LeFanu's THE HAUNTED BARONET as an example).

However, of all Straub's novels, it is also the least original and least compelling. Even FLOATING DRAGON, the absolute nadir of Straub's literary career, was a more compelling read than JULIA. However, JULIA is ultimately more satisfying because it accomplishes its modest aims: it tells a hauntingly good tale in an interesting manner.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing re-release of an old novel
Review: My first clue as to the quality of Julia should have been that it is a re-release of a novel first published in 1975, and that I had never heard of it. The characters, particularly Julia, her husband Magnus and her sister-in-law were all annoying and unlikable. Julia, a mother whose daughter has died tragically, moves out of her husband's house and into a home she buys impulsively. Strange things start happening and Julia thinks the house is haunted. The idea is good, but the book is plodding, boring and very weighted down with tons of conversation and little action. If you're looking for a good haunted house novel, definitely buy a book like Tamara Thorne's "Haunted" rather than Julia.

Rating:
Summary: Come meet Julia Lofting. You'll never forget her.
Review: One summer day, Julia Lofting buys a lovely home in a quiet street on the fashionable borough of Kensington, in London. This is the first house she sees, so it's rather hasty, isn't it? However, who could blame her?

In Julia Lofting, Straub gives the first foray on the exquisite architecture of characters that has been a trademark of his craft. Julia, in a way, opens the path for other memorable Straub women, like Alma Mobley (in "Ghost Story"), Laura Allbee and Patsy McCloud (in "Floating Dragon"), Sarah Spence (in "Mystery") and more clearly, Nora Chancel (of "The Hellfire Club"), who in more ways than one seems a sister entity to Julia.

Too wealthy for her own good, Julia is a troubled soul who seems to solve every situation by fleeing. She fled America for England, then she fled an unbearable freedom for marriage to charismatic yet voracious Magnus Lofting, a barrister with a name but no money and a few secrets in his past, then, she fled in tragedy and grief that marriage and an unhappy household in search for solace and the freedom she shunned, but in this lovely Georgian house, Julia finds she won't be able to run anymore, but rather will have to face multiple ghosts, from within and from the past.

Perfectly written, well settled, with an unforgettable climax, "Julia" is Straub's first foray into the supernatural and it suceeds where other novels merely tried. The elements of melodrama and grand-guignol, which seem like recquirements for stories of this type, are schewed and in exchange, Straub follows the rule of the classic gothic novel (all the narrative elements are there, including the heroine, the castle and the ghost)-- including the obsessive fact that the past will become ever more important than the present itself, leading to the atmosphere of ominous angst that is one of the best effects of this memorable novel, that was first published in 1975.

Definitely a novel worth reading; inspiring, haunting, and in more ways than one, unforgettable.

Rating:
Summary: Transportational, Luscious and Atmospheric Gothic Horror
Review: Straub, an American, does an astonishing job of conveying British culture and scenery in this novel. This is perhaps his greatest strength as a novelist, as similarly and yet so differently achieved in other novels, such as Shadowland and If You Could See Me Now.

This novel opens with the protagonist, Julia Lofting, an American heiress, impulsively purchasing a fading mansion. We learn she has just been released from a mental institution proceeding the untimely and accidental death of her daughter. As tormented as she is by the death, Julia realizes it has finally broken the spell of enchantment of her domineering and brutal husband. She feels the purchase of the mansion, where she plans to live alone and reevaluate her life and its direction, will symbolically mark her first step down the road of independence and personal will.

Ironically, it is the house which chooses her for its own expression of will. Julia runs into an eerie little girl in the park across the way who bears an uncanny resemblance to her own daughter. However, unlike her own sweet child, this girl is prone to mutilating small animals and terrorizing the other children of the park. Soon, the malevolent girl begins to appear in the bizarre black and red mirrors of the upper floors of the mansion.

As a reader, we are uncertain at this point whether the sightings are strictly the hallucinations of a distraught and nervous woman, the spectre of her daughter come to haunt her or some demon, eminating from the mansion, toying with her. The rest of the novel delivers the answer in a tense and unrelenting series of climactic events.

The characterizations and conspiring of the characters puts one in mind of Iris Murdoch. While characters bind together to make plans and imagine themselves engineers of events and perceptions, they are in fact being manipulated by outside forces of which they have no knowledge.

DON'T READ THE FOLLOWING--SPOILER--IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK: While the ending may seem unsatisfying, it in fact contains the entire theme of the novel. We realize that this story was not really about Julia, after all, but about the price of her husband's unchallenged reign of cruelty and callousness. Julia, never really a central figure in her own life, turns out not to be the central figure even of this novel which primarily features her.

Her husband Magnus, "king", is seemingly born with a commanding and irresistable personality to which his entire family kowtows. Similarly, his first daughter, Olivia, is born with such an inherently unfeeling and dominating personality. However, being illegitimate and poorly treated by her mother, she has no checks on her own expression of the temperament. The force of her evil is something which cannot be stopped even by death. And she intends to focus her energies to wreak vengeance upon Magnus by destroying everyone close to him, one by one, before going after him personally.

After Julia's death, Magnus and his spinster sister Lily are feeling smug and certain of themselves. They sneer at their new-agey, socialist adopted brother for running off to Los Angeles. And now, not only do they have complete control over Julia's money but they are no longer burdened with the problem of Julia herself. They fancy themselves the king and queen of their own miniature dynasty. Yet, it is clear from the final paragraphs of the novel, that Olivia is not finished with them. Lily spots her right outside her own window and is suddenly gripped with fear, realizing that the ghosts were real and now there may be more than one who is upset with them.

Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful and Terrifying
Review: The book begins with a seemingly innocent scene: Julia Lofting, an attractive American in London struggling to reclaim her independence and begin a new life away from her domineering husband, catches a glimpse of a little, blond-haired girl. What normally would be an unremarkable moment has deep meaning for Julia, as this child resembles Kate, Julia's deceased daughter. Kate's death has never ceased to haunt Julia and it is also from this memory that she wishes to flee.

Almost immediately, Julia has very strange experiences in her new home as well as with the mysterious blond child. Julia attempts to make meaning of these events and at times doubts her sanity. Her struggle to understand it made more difficult by accidentally discovering the details of a gruesome murder of the past which took place in her new home. A murder, which parallels horrifyingly close to Julia's own life. As Julia learns more, she discovers a presence of evil which is determined to destroy her.

Readers of the author's previous work will find the action in this book to be higher paced, which is suitable to the story. The plot never drags and is always interesting. The characters are strong and very real. The author has also done an excellent job of creating an eerie and, at times, surrealistic atmosphere which adds to the terror of the story.

This is by far one of the best horror novels ever published. I recommend it to anyone interested in a frightening tale.

Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful and Terrifying
Review: The book begins with a seemingly innocent scene: Julia Lofting, an attractive American in London struggling to reclaim her independence and begin a new life away from her domineering husband, catches a glimpse of a little, blond-haired girl. What normally would be an unremarkable moment has deep meaning for Julia, as this child resembles Kate, Julia's deceased daughter. Kate's death has never ceased to haunt Julia and it is also from this memory that she wishes to flee.

Almost immediately, Julia has very strange experiences in her new home as well as with the mysterious blond child. Julia attempts to make meaning of these events and at times doubts her sanity. Her struggle to understand it made more difficult by accidentally discovering the details of a gruesome murder of the past which took place in her new home. A murder, which parallels horrifyingly close to Julia's own life. As Julia learns more, she discovers a presence of evil which is determined to destroy her.

Readers of the author's previous work will find the action in this book to be higher paced, which is suitable to the story. The plot never drags and is always interesting. The characters are strong and very real. The author has also done an excellent job of creating an eerie and, at times, surrealistic atmosphere which adds to the terror of the story.

This is by far one of the best horror novels ever published. I recommend it to anyone interested in a frightening tale.

Rating:
Summary: OK, not great.
Review: This early book by Peter Straub is in one way very different from his later novels: It is very, very short. Just over 200 pages, making for a quick read. After his first two novels which I found really, really bad (Marriages and Under Venus, check reviews there) this was clearly an improvement. The problem with this novel is: Straub couldn't decide whether to write a ghost story (no pun intended) or a psychological drama. If you want to see how you mix these genres in a brillant way, check out Shirey Jackson's masterpiece "The Haunting of Hill House". Back to this book. It's an ok ghost novel, although the haunting scenes could be a little bit more eerie and the drawing of the characters is much better in Straub's later novels. I'm not quite sure why this novel kicked off his career, although I'm glad: Maybe he wouldn't have written GHOST STORY if JULIA had flopped. BTW, the film version "The Haunting of Julia" aka "Full Circle" is worth watching if you have read the book. It is rather faithful to it, although it kills off one of the main characters who "survives" the novel. See, a lukewarm review for a lukewarm novel. If you have better stuff to read, read that first, but check it out if you like the books of Peter Straub. Review by Oliver Naujoks, Marburg/Germany.