The Lost

Rating:
Summary: Avoid reading this one
Review: I read the reviews to this book as soon as I finished it. I was absolutely amazed by what I saw. For all those people who gave it one star, or complained of it being about vampires, or not being about vampires are all totally wrong. This novella is written exactly like Bram Stoker's "Dracula" with extracts and letters telling the story. There is the obvious "undead" link and some extremely unpleasant thoughts planted in our minds by the writer later on, but ultimately Aycliffe has provided us with a fascinating little story that in turn interests, enthralls and finally exhilirates the reader. Reviewers, please try thinking about what you have read before you dismiss it as dross. Otherwise you show to all others that you do not know what you are talking about.

Rating:
Summary: Atmospheric and creepy.
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't quite sure about it when I started, especially after reading some of the reviews on here, but I was pleasantly surprised at just how engrossing it was. It's definitely not an Anne Rice-style book- that's a good thing in my opinion, but I'm sure that some people will come into it expecting that and they'll be disappointed. The Lost gave me the creeps- it's the kind of book that makes you keep looking over your shoulder if you're alone in the house late at night. If you're looking for something different & you enjoy a good gothic, give this a try.

Rating:
Summary: Oozes Atmosphere
Review: I'm not sure what the others here were expecting. Perhaps Anne Rice or some such. I found 'The Lost' to be one of those 'I can't wait to get home from work and finish it' titles. When I did finish the book, laying on the couch at five A.M., I was actually frightened to get up and walk through the empty house, something that rarely happens to me with horror. Aycliffe is a master.

Rating:
Summary: Oozes Atmosphere
Review: I'm not sure what the others here were expecting. Perhaps Anne Rice or some such. I found 'The Lost' to be one of those 'I can't wait to get home from work and finish it' titles. When I did finish the book, laying on the couch at five A.M., I was actually frightened to get up and walk through the empty house, something that rarely happens to me with horror. Aycliffe is a master.

Rating:
Summary: Truly Scary
Review: If you like your horror novels with a ton of gore, don't read this book. If you have imagination, and enjoy suspense, then this is for you. Although the writing style is quite different, the storyline reminds me of King's The Shining. A man comes to an exotic and forboding place, and is possessed and completely corrupted by evil. The author understands that there is one thing more frightening than losing your life: losing your soul.

Rating:
Summary: Derivative but eminently readable...
Review: The debt to Bram Stoker is immediately evident but this shouldn't entirely detract from what is, in its own right, a genuinely disturbing story, set in a Carpathian castle and featuring a spinechilling and gratifying remorseless conclusion. The structure - a series of letters, journals and transcripts - obviously and unapologetically owes much to Bram Stoker. The language is unspectacular but effective; he has a spare and quite classically Gothic style which ensures that the pages keep turning over. Not an epoch-marking book, but certainly worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Horror In a Subtle Vein
Review: THE LOST is billed as a Novel of Dark Discoveries and is a subtle horror that continues right to the last page.

A prep school teacher in England learns that he is descended from Romanian nobility. This knowledge puts him on a quest to reclaim his heritage. There is talk of a family castle. Considering the situation in Romania after the collapse of Russian Communism, the teacher thinks about turning the castle into an orphanage. While pleading his case he enlists the aid of a young woman who tells him his claim will be processed more quickly if he claims he wants to start a hotel. But the castle is very remote and the two are cut off for the winter. Slowly the teacher learns the true heritage of his family. A dark heritage involving the strigoi -- the undead (but not vampires).

The book is laid out as a collection of letters, journal entries and transcripts from taped logs. This format actually adds additional depth to the story. It sort of reminds me of the original The Books of Magic when the battle for the world happens off stage. This book is a lot like that. But remember, this is subtle horror. If you are looking for blood, gore and body parts then this is not for you. But if you like a classic style in a modern setting, then you should definitely take a look at this book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Horror In a Subtle Vein
Review: THE LOST is billed as a Novel of Dark Discoveries and is a subtle horror that continues right to the last page.

A prep school teacher in England learns that he is descended from Romanian nobility. This knowledge puts him on a quest to reclaim his heritage. There is talk of a family castle. Considering the situation in Romania after the collapse of Russian Communism, the teacher thinks about turning the castle into an orphanage. While pleading his case he enlists the aid of a young woman who tells him his claim will be processed more quickly if he claims he wants to start a hotel. But the castle is very remote and the two are cut off for the winter. Slowly the teacher learns the true heritage of his family. A dark heritage involving the strigoi -- the undead (but not vampires).

The book is laid out as a collection of letters, journal entries and transcripts from taped logs. This format actually adds additional depth to the story. It sort of reminds me of the original The Books of Magic when the battle for the world happens off stage. This book is a lot like that. But remember, this is subtle horror. If you are looking for blood, gore and body parts then this is not for you. But if you like a classic style in a modern setting, then you should definitely take a look at this book.

Rating:
Summary: Complete waste of time
Review: The only thing I enjoyed about the entire book was the tragic ,flashback, story of the lovers told in the last quarter of the book. There's absolutely no action. The 'monsters' don't show up until the very end and then they do absolutely nothing. The style is just a gimmick and totally ripped off. I don't understand the links to the happenings back in his hometown. I think he just threw the sex in there to make sure people were still awake.

It's just really bad - don't waste your time.

Rating:
Summary: Mourning "The Lost" time I spent reading this book
Review: This is a truly horrid, boring book from beginning to end.

It starts in the style of Bram Stoker's Dracula, by being a compilation of diaries, letters, notes, etc. from characters. Although it tries to be like Dracula, it falls far short of that goal for several reasons: 1) The lack of plot development; 2) The lack of character development; 3) Anything interesting to keep the reader's interest. After struggling to wade through the mind-numbing text to see how it ended, I found out once I got there that I wished I had never started reading in the first place.

Here's a little tidbit that might provide additional perspective as to how bad I thought the book was. Besides being angry with the author for wasting my time, I am angry at Nancy, Beth, and Aycliffe's editorial team, to whom the book is dedicated. The author says the book would not have happened without their love support and advice. I am uncertain whether to be angry at them because they didn't love the author enough (with more love and advice the book may have been tolerable to read) or they loved him too much (thereby encouring him to write when they should have discouraged him).

Please do not waste your time reading this book.