Conjure Wife

Rating:
Summary: Holy Spirits!
Review: Another one of Leiber's early novles that explores the relationship between science and the supernatural. The story, though simple in its plot, is deep in character and the concept of good vs. evil witchcraft. While not as intrigate as his other stories (ie: Gather, Darkness) it is still an enlightening read, one published ahead of its time. The Gregg Press edition only adds to the understanding by including a forward by Charles L. Grant and Foster Hirsch, and pictures from couple of the movies based on te story.

Rating:
Summary: Holy Spirits!
Review: Another one of Leiber's early novles that explores the relationship between science and the supernatural. The story, though simple in its plot, is deep in character and the concept of good vs. evil witchcraft. While not as intrigate as his other stories (ie: Gather, Darkness) it is still an enlightening read, one published ahead of its time. The Gregg Press edition only adds to the understanding by including a forward by Charles L. Grant and Foster Hirsch, and pictures from couple of the movies based on te story.

Rating:
Summary: Eppur si muove "nevertheless, it moves"
Review: Professor Saylor and his wife Tansy are newcomers to the university. Even thought they are not of the same conservative material as the others they seem to be doing quite well. Professor Norman Saylor of the sociology department is the author of "Parallelism in Superstition and Neurosis." He gets this irresistible urge to snoop around in Tansy's personals and is surprised to find that she is a practitioner of the craft. He is not really upset, and only wants to help her to free her self by burning all the paraphernalia (except her diary).

It is not hard to guess what happens next. Yep his life falls apart and he is destined to be run over by a truck if other evil things do not get to him first. He finds that there are more evil forces at work (all female of course) each with her own agenda.

The real question is does Norman ever get sucked up in the system or is he still convinced that it is just coincidence?

As with most movies that are an abbreviation of the book the one made for his story has the same feel "Night of The Eagle, aka Burn Witch Burn" (1962) with Peter Wyngarde as Norman, and Janet Bliar as Tansy.


Rating:
Summary: It's All In Your Mind. Or is it?
Review: What if half the world's population practiced witchcraft? Specifically, what if =women= practiced witchcraft and kept it a secret from men? (At this point, the men in the audience are smiling crookedly and the women are nodding knowingly.)

And what if a husband found his wife's charms, spells and totems and made her destroy them all, considering them dangerous neurotic superstitiousness? And, what if, perhaps somewhat naturally, through suggestion and his own neuroses, things started to go wrong for this selfsame husband?

I think you get the idea behind "Conjure Wife", a typically well-written work from one of the great speculative fiction writers of the 20th century. In typical style, much of the book's "action" is internal. The main character is left to speculate on what he experiences and to question his own sense of reality. I suspect one reason Leiber's works are not routinely made into movies (and when they are made, as in the case of this book, they're not representative at all of Leiber's spirit) is because so much of what they relate is internal.

This book is a bit dated, being essentially WWII-based, but that adds considerably to its charm for me. Very trendy (for the time) talk of neuroses and psychoanalysis. And one of the big issues is restraining co-ed licentiousness on the campus of the small, eastern private college in which the story takes place through chaperoning and dress codes. These conspire to give the novel a sort of quaint feel.

But I suppose the college politics which form the basis of the plot probably haven't changed much.

It's a good, quick read with a fun premise and which resonates greatly on serious themes: How women protect and aid their men behind the scenes, often with their men unaware or even patronizing, for example. Or, one of my favorite themes, what we consider to be real and how strongly we'll cling to those considerations, even if the face of crushing evidence to the contrary.

Although out of print, you can find this novel in the "Dark Ladies" collection, here at Amazon.com.

Rating:
Summary: Hmmm, started out great but couldn't hold me
Review: When Norman Saylor discovers that his wife Tansy has been dabbling in witchcraft he demands that she cease all witchy activity and then demands that she remove all of her protective spells placed upon their home.

This is a mistake Norman will soon live to regret as his comfortable life begins to unravel. See, it seems that Tansy wasn't the only one practicing witchcraft and the grasping wives of Norman's colleagues at the college have been practicing as well. Now, what with the protections ceasing to exist, the Saylor's are wide open to dangerous forces that do not wish them well!

Initially I found this book very interesting and it pleasantly reminded me of those old black and white creepy movies I used to watch during my childhood. Sadly, as I continued to read I somehow lost my way and found it difficult to maintain my enthusiasm to turn the pages. The story mainly consists of Norman's internal monologue and his attempt to find a solution to the heart-rending predicament in which he finds himself. Maybe it was my mood, maybe it was the dated feel of the story or maybe it was the format but I found the book a tad too slow moving and too easy to put down. Though it was exceptionally creepy at times it just didn't click with me.

Rating:
Summary: An overview of Conjure Wife / Our Lady of Darkness
Review: Where to start?
Both Conjure Wife and Our Lady of Darkness are masterpeices of supernatural fiction. Conjure Wife, written by Fritz Leiber in the 1940's, is both frightening and thought-provoking, it is also suprisingly up to date. The proposition that all women are witches and utterly control their husbands lives is followed through in a very personal narrative. Don't be put off by the film versions (particularly Night of The Eage, aka Burn Witch Burn), this is a complex story which has an eerie power akin to his famous story 'Smoke Ghost'.
Our Lady of Darkness, was written by Fritz Leiber in the late seventies and is one of his finest novels. Autobiographical (the location, the alcoholism and the loss of his wife are all based on fact) and thus very upsetting in parts. It weaves a magical vision of modern urban horror, a theme that he used throughout his career. At the centre of the book lies horror fiction itself in the form of Lovecraft and particularly Clark Ashton Smith (both of whom Fritz corresponded with). A lot of the book is a voyage of discovery, the central character is recovering from an alcaholic wake and is slowly waking up into reality again.
This volume brings together Fritz Leibers finest supernatural novels, something not to be missed