The Ghosts of Sleath

Rating:
Summary: The Gore of Sleath
Review: Here's the run down: You've got a emotionally compromised psychic investigator who has been sent to an intellectually compromised town. He's heard creepy stuff has been happening and he's a scientist sent to do his thing. He does everything but behave like one however.

To give him credit, 'ol Herb the author did have some suspense going. But as I was turning the pages, I was grimacing to find out what was next. There was an exceedingly large portion of icky violent scenes. And by ick, I mean things being ripped off, oozing down, cracking apart etc etc... Another con, would be the psychic-link romance quotient... Yeah, who'd a thought.

Rating:
Summary: Prurient self indulgence
Review: I agree with the review on 13th February. There is a line between good descriptive horror writing and dwelling on the obscene sick details of a scene. Herbert crosses this line. I found the descriptive prose in this book to be overlong to the point of tedious. The tension builds and builds......and builds......and builds and then it just goes away, leaving this reader tired and bored.

Rating:
Summary: A Disapoinment, like everything else of his I've read...
Review: I had to read this book as well as "The Haunted" after watching the movie on which, both novels are evidently based. I'm often amazed when a movie is better than the books. And in this case the movie was far superior! In writing, in plot, and pacing, the movie outstrips the books in a way that the author probably finds offensive.

Do not waste precious time on these novels, rent the movie instead. If you must read a suspense novel, particularly a british one, read a great one! I recommend anything by Phil Rickman who is phenomenal to say the very least.

Rating:
Summary: A Disapoinment, like everything else of his I've read...
Review: I had to read this book as well as "The Haunted" after watching the movie on which, both novels are evidently based. I'm often amazed when a movie is better than the books. And in this case the movie was far superior! In writing, in plot, and pacing, the movie outstrips the books in a way that the author probably finds offensive.

Do not waste precious time on these novels, rent the movie instead. If you must read a suspense novel, particularly a british one, read a great one! I recommend anything by Phil Rickman who is phenomenal to say the very least.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best ghost stories!
Review: Psychic investigator David Ash delves into the mysterious events terrorizing the community of Sleath, and as each dark secret is unveiled, evil forces are unleashed, and Ash fears for his own sanity as well as that of the village people. This one of the best ghost stories ever written, scary, compelling and very well written. One of Herbert's best.

Rating:
Summary: SpooOOoooky!
Review: The ghosts of sleath is just a terrific book! This begin may not be very trilling, but the tension build up as the story goes on. A reeaally great twisting storyline, with many many many parts to keep you awake at night. The ending is absoulutely one not to be missed. (thats the spooOOookiest part)

Rating:
Summary: Not quite Herbert's best
Review: Unfortunately Herbert somehow fails to capture the imagination in The Ghosts of Sleath as much as he does in most of his other books. The story centres around psychic investigator, David Ash, who delves into mysterious events that are terrorizing the community of Sleath, where he comes across a dark character called Phelan. Though the premise of the book is sound, and though there are solid descriptions, somehow Herbert doesn't quite capture the imagination. Maybe it's that word 'solid' that gives the clue.

None of Herbert's books could be called weak, and I'd like to give this one three-and-a-half stars, but The Ghosts of Sleath doesn't quite come up to the spendid page-gripping terror that this author is well capable of. Don't let that put you off either this book or James Herbert, because it's still darn good reading.