The High House

Rating:
Summary: Simply an incredible book
Review: "The High House" is truly one of the best fantasy novels that has ever been written. Every page of it explodes with an amazing level of creativity, and the descriptions are so vivid and realistic that all of the settings seem to come alive. The novel is suspenseful from beginning to end, the characters are well-drawn, and the story is written in a nice, succinct style that never gets bogged down. In the end, I have to say that this book is a masterpiece, one that deserves to be placed next to the greatest high fantasy works of modern times.

The main character, Carter Anderson, is born and grows up in a mysterious Victorian mansion named 'Evenmere'. One day, acting on advice from a sinister stranger, he steals his father's keys and opens a forbidden door in the attic of the house. For reasons that aren't immediately clear, this action leads to Carter being sent away to boarding school for several years. When he returns, he learns that his father has apparently vanished without a trace, and that he must find some way to protect the house from a group of anarchists hoping to invade it. There's lots more that happens before the final showdown with the bad guys, but I won't ruin it for you. I will say that Stoddard uses tons of imagination in creating the storyline. How many other books do you know of where the author goes on a quest to his own basement to battle an evil couch?

I could spend pages praising Stoddard's skill at developing characters. He never goes in for stereotypes, but instead insists on fully fleshing out every person in the book. Carter Anderson is a wonderful protagonist and hero. He has his strengths and flaws, but in the end comes across as a real human being who you might actually want to know and be friends with, rather than as some all-powerful superman. The novel is populated by a fantastic array of minor characters, and some of the most thought-provoking passages involve exploring those people's backgrounds, although they never get in the way of the main story.

Most of today's fantasy novels either ignore the topic of religion or else brush over it very lightly. In contrast, "The High House" includes religious overtones, but rest assured that they aren't out of place. With the exception of one hokey scene at the very end, the discussions of God and Creation fit well into the story. It's not necessary that you be Christian or Jewish to enjoy this book, it's only necessary to have an open mind and the ability to appreciate great creativity. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the novel is the sense of mystery. Stoddard doesn't reveal all the information about Evenmere right at the start. Instead, he offers up small amounts of information about the house's true nature one at a time, and even the ending doesn't entirely solve all of the riddles presented in the book.

Rating:
Summary: Simply an incredible book
Review: "The High House" is truly one of the best fantasy novels that has ever been written. Every page of it explodes with an amazing level of creativity, and the descriptions are so vivid and realistic that all of the settings seem to come alive. The novel is suspenseful from beginning to end, the characters are well-drawn, and the story is written in a nice, succinct style that never gets bogged down. In the end, I have to say that this book is a masterpiece, one that deserves to be placed next to the greatest high fantasy works of modern times.

The main character, Carter Anderson, is born and grows up in a mysterious Victorian mansion named 'Evenmere'. One day, acting on advice from a sinister stranger, he steals his father's keys and opens a forbidden door in the attic of the house. For reasons that aren't immediately clear, this action leads to Carter being sent away to boarding school for several years. When he returns, he learns that his father has apparently vanished without a trace, and that he must find some way to protect the house from a group of anarchists hoping to invade it. There's lots more that happens before the final showdown with the bad guys, but I won't ruin it for you. I will say that Stoddard uses tons of imagination in creating the storyline. How many other books do you know of where the author goes on a quest to his own basement to battle an evil couch?

I could spend pages praising Stoddard's skill at developing characters. He never goes in for stereotypes, but instead insists on fully fleshing out every person in the book. Carter Anderson is a wonderful protagonist and hero. He has his strengths and flaws, but in the end comes across as a real human being who you might actually want to know and be friends with, rather than as some all-powerful superman. The novel is populated by a fantastic array of minor characters, and some of the most thought-provoking passages involve exploring those people's backgrounds, although they never get in the way of the main story.

Most of today's fantasy novels either ignore the topic of religion or else brush over it very lightly. In contrast, "The High House" includes religious overtones, but rest assured that they aren't out of place. With the exception of one hokey scene at the very end, the discussions of God and Creation fit well into the story. It's not necessary that you be Christian or Jewish to enjoy this book, it's only necessary to have an open mind and the ability to appreciate great creativity. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the novel is the sense of mystery. Stoddard doesn't reveal all the information about Evenmere right at the start. Instead, he offers up small amounts of information about the house's true nature one at a time, and even the ending doesn't entirely solve all of the riddles presented in the book.

Rating:
Summary: "What is the High House?"
Review: "...If we stood here until the end of the world, you and I, the explanation would not be done, for I could tell you...a thousand different ways:...It would all mean nothing--pictures with words painted in mud, tinfoil copies of precious jewels, oil-slick dabbings with watercolor easels. Never close to the real thing. "But I will tell you this, the High House is shooting stars and children's tears, rainbows and the small tiny cracks between the bricks where the young grass grows; cold graves and gooseflesh, clear water when drowning, gray dust when dying of thirst, ancient engineers in railroad yards, mad ladies mumbling in the street. Is that clear? No? It will have to do. What is the next question?" _The High House_ is a fabulous book. Where to start? The writing is amazing. If I hadn't known it was published in 1998, I would have easily believed it was 1898. It reminds me of Tolkien--what Tolkien might have written if he hadn't been so dry and impersonal. The ideas are original and refreshing. From the gnawlings to Jormungand to, especially, the House itself, all the details of this book will remain with me for a long, long time. I can't think of any aspect of this book that isn't just about perfect. All my book-loving friends are getting this for Christmas. Very highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: My father's house has many rooms
Review: "The hidden room in man's house where God sits all the year, /The secret window whence the world looks small and very dear" (from "Lepanto" by G.K. Chesterton).

Every good fantasy is allegorical of some view of the universe. "The High House" concerns itself with the battle between the created Universe and Chaos. I use 'created' in the religious sense of the word. This book is filled with robust, old-fashioned Victorian religion--"Onward, Christian Soldiers" and all that--in which God and Newton ordered the heavens and our world.

The Master of High House (also called Evenmere) has been given the task of balancing the forces of chaos against those of the created universe. In High House, which seems to have an infinity of corridors and rooms, certain lamps must always be lit against nightfall, and certain clocks must always be kept wound.

Leviathan lives in the attic, and the dark river of Entropy is kept behind a locked door in the cellar.

There is also a Room of Horrors in the cellar where the Master's little son, Carter is imprisoned by the Forces of Chaos, whose representative is a faceless English Bobby. His father rescues him, but Chaos steals the master keys to the hidden rooms of High House. After the faceless Bobby catches Carter again and throws him down a well, the Master of High House decides to foster Carter out to friends, who live in safe, sane Victorian England.

Fourteen years pass before Carter returns to Evenmere and sees it as an adult:

"For the first time he realized it was a truly beautiful pile of building, all masonry, oak, and deep golden brick, a unique blend of styles--Elizabethan and Jacobean fused with Baroque...Upon the balustrades and turrets stood carved lions, knights, gnomes, and pinecones; iron crows faced outward at the four corners. The Elizabethan entrance, the centerpiece of the manor, was framed by gargantuan gate piers and pavilions, combining Baroque outlines with Jacobean ornamentation...At the main entrance stood the tall, gray marble sculpture of a figure dressed in the robe of a monk, his hood thrown back from his face, his long locks rippling over his shoulders, eyes to the sky, his muscled arms held before him as if he faced a great northern storm, more like a god of thunder, despite the cross hanging from his neck, than a pious pilgrim."

Carter's father, the Master of High House has disappeared down one of the House's hidden corridors to the Land of the Rainbow Sea. In his absence, the Forces of Chaos erupt into the House, and Carter must do battle with them, as he learns the awesome secret of High House and discovers how he might rescue his missing father.

"The High House" is a unique venture into fantasy. I had to keep checking the publication date (1998) to convince myself it was actually written in the twentieth, not the nineteenth century. The House itself is lovingly described in all of its beauty and horror. Unfortunately the characters are not as well delineated--the only two who stood out for me were Enoch, who might have been an Old Testament prophet (he had long talks with God) and is now the clock-winder in High House; and Leviathan, the shadowy, omniscient monster in the attic. The female characters were pretty two-dimensional (another Victorian conceit?). There is the standard wicked step-mother. Anina, the goddess of Order, and a Porcelain Duchess play minor roles, along with a gaggle of faceless maids. The book rises above the standard, male-bonding, fantasy quest only through the grandly imagined eccentricities and unique byways of the House itself.

Rating:
Summary: Open the door to what may be the fantasy novel of the year
Review:

Carter Anderson was a young lad when he accidentally gave the master keys to Evenmere, the High House, away to the Bobby, the head of the Society of Anarchists. His father realizes that the youthful error was not the fault of his son, but really caused by him not being more diligent with his son, but now he must recover the keys. To protect Carter, he is sent away from the only home he ever had.

Fourteen years later, Carter has been summoned to finally return to his home. He has not heard from his father in years and is shocked to learn that his sire is not in residence. With the help of his half-brother, Carter begins a dangerous quest to restore the rightful lord, his beloved father, to Evenmere.

THE HIGH HOUSE is high level fantasy tale that may be the genre's novel of the year. James Stoddard in his debut novel opens an incredible new world for readers to explore. The Anderson family consists of magical, awe-inspiring characters who will arouse the interest of fans. The incredible High House with its doors leading to every corner of the universe steals the show due to its invigoratingly fresh environs. The superb story line is action-packed and filled with angst, propelling readers to want Mr. Stoddard to open more of Evenmere's doors in future novels.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: a wonderful read
Review: a great book where the reader travels throughout different lands trying to help fight against evil. Yet all these lands are found in this house. A house where the owner can be visited by kings and queens from other regions. Yet, evil is everywhere. A book for the person who enjoys a differnet look at fantsay writing that may leave you hoping for a sequel and more.

Rating:
Summary: Fans of High Fantasy - Rejoice !
Review: After years of reading about interchangeable warriors/evil kings/sorcerors/gods and lengthy books like in the Wheel of Time series, which have no beginning, no ending and little in between, this is finally a novel to love.

Stoddards setting and his characters are extremely interesting (for example the introduction of the biblical character Enoch!), and he actually uses a plot ;)

And last but not least, The High House is a homage to the authors who created the genre (Carter likes sitting by his well and reading "The Well at the End of the World"....)

If you are a fan of High Fantays, this is a novel not to miss!

Rating:
Summary: Good reading.
Review: An interesting and imaginative book not at all like a typical bad Tolkien imitation. The house in some fashion is the embodiment or focal point of all creation, and its rooms lead to other worlds. Curiously and interestingly, outside and inside mingle in some of those worlds in a fashion my brief description does no justice too. It's a setting as interesting as Gormenghast, but the storytelling is orders of magnitude better, and the very concept of the High House and its Master have mythopoetic quality.

Rating:
Summary: The best fantasy author I've read!
Review: I absolutely loved this book. I recommend to to all ages.

Rating:
Summary: an amazing book!
Review: I am 13 years old, and I recently finished reading The High House after my aunt recommended it to me. I usually find fantasy books over my head, and difficult to piece together, but this one changed my whole perception of the genre! Stoddard's writing style is deep, thoughtful, and descriptive, with a clarity lacking in most of today's fiction. There is a great deal of suspense and excitement in The High House, which makes it incredibly hard to put down. If Mr. Stoddard reads this, I would like him to know that I greatly admire his creativity and talent for writing, and thank him for using it to create such an enjoyable book!
:-) <(I can't wait to read the sequel!)