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Rating: 
Summary: A gothic like horror novel that is good reading material
Review: A man who lives in the seaport city of Crow's-end has inherited land in the mountain town of Hoole. He knows that he has to go to Hoole as soon as possible so he gets his affairs in order and boards the carriage that will take him to the isolated mountain town. There is a passenger in the carriage, a taciturn reticent person, who doesn't allow his fellow passenger to draw him into conversation until the carriage reaches an unexpected town. The man who is traveling to Hoole sees a destitute and deserted village with no traces of life, either human or animal. The quiet passenger tells him that he was in Shilston Upcot eleven years ago when the isolated village was populated with people until the horrible events happened that turned a happy little village into a ghost town. Later that night, at a regular stop at an inn he tells his acquaintance the terrifying and dark events that destroyed a thriving community. The growing feelings of foreboding and the supernatural events that happened to the villagers are reminiscent of the works of Lovecraft. THE HOUSE IN THE WOODS is a gothic like, slow moving work that allows the audience to fully comprehend events and the growing horror that absorbed the villagers. Jeffrey E Barlough has not written an action packed thriller but an atmospheric novel that digs deep inside the guts of the reader. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Absorbing book, frustrating universe
Review: Barlough's virtues have been well listed by the other reviewers. His characters are compelling and his style, often compared to a Dickens-Doyle-Lovecraft blend, is different and absobing. The world of these books, however, is a bit odd. Although sometimes described as psuedo-victorian, in fact it feels older, perhaps 18th or early 19th Century. Curiously, unless I missed it, there appears to be no gunpowder, and the cities do not have railroads or any other late 19th Century devices. And how does the "sundering," be it comet strike or something else, explain those prehistoric animals? Perhaps the next book will explain, perhaps not. In any event, these are certainly worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing book, frustrating universe
Review: Barlough's virtues have been well listed by the other reviewers. His characters are compelling and his style, often compared to a Dickens-Doyle-Lovecraft blend, is different and absobing. The world of these books, however, is a bit odd. Although sometimes described as psuedo-victorian, in fact it feels older, perhaps 18th or early 19th Century. Curiously, unless I missed it, there appears to be no gunpowder, and the cities do not have railroads or any other late 19th Century devices. And how does the "sundering," be it comet strike or something else, explain those prehistoric animals? Perhaps the next book will explain, perhaps not. In any event, these are certainly worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: Delightfully original
Review: Jefferey Barlough is without a doubt the most creative writer that I have encountered in the last year. "House in the High Woods" along with "Dark Sleeper", his first novel, is set in a 19th century Earth (at least developmentally speaking) that has been plunged into a dark ages of sorts, by an undefined cataclysm (although indications are that it was an extraterrestrial impact). At the same time, familiar fauna from the Ice Ages never went extinct; wooly mammoths, saber tooth tigers and giant sloth, among others, still roam the Earth. These differences make for a unique, and yet disturbingly familiar world. However, it is not Barlough's surplus of creativity that sets him apart, rather, it is his writing. Everything about it is incredible: his use of language is superb, his pacing strings you along at a perfect level of tension, and his characterizations are without parallel. What I enjoy most, however, is something less concrete...he creates a world of detail that would be excruciating to describe, and that is yet fascinating to read. Every aspect of the characters' lives are examined: meals, style of dress, mannerisms, their surrounding geography, etc. Barlough definitely values the journey as much as the destination. While not all of the pages in this novel are directly pertinent to the conclusion, it is an absolute pleasure just to visit his world for a while. As for "House in the High Woods" in particular, fans of his first novel will not be disappointed. While it exists in the same world and general chronology, it is by no means a sequel. Rather, it is what looks to be a series of examinations of a familiar, and yet fundamentally different Earth from a variety of perspectives. Of particular note, I found that "House in the High Woods" was much more disturbing, much more likely to keep you up at night than its predecessor. As the characters delve ever deeper into the dark mysteries of the small town of Shilston Upcot, the reader will find it almost impossible to put the book down. Fans of "Dark Sleeper" will definitely enjoy this novel, perhaps even more than the original. Barlough's writing, already very solid in "Dark Sleeper" is even sharper, and the plot is much more engaging. To those readers new to the author, I highly recommend both novels, and I see no particular advantage to reading one or the other first. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A dark and compelling fantasy
Review: Over the span of two novels Jeffrey Barlough has become one of my favorite writers. Barlough's strengths lie in his picturesque depictions of a world in the aftermath of a great cataclysm (that either hasn't been fully explained yet or that I have unfortunately missed) and his marvelously vivid characters. Barlough's charming characters have great names like Mr. Nicodemus Binks, Mr. Shank Bottom, Miss Cherry Ives, and Mr. Alfred Snorem. Barlough writes with a non-traditional writing style. Both of his current novels read much like a Charles Dickens novel. But Barlough's novels have entertaining plots too. In _The House in the High Wood_, Barlough introduces the reader to the small town of Shilston Upcot, which has a dark and mysterious past. The reclusive squire, Mark Trench, sets out to uncover the hideous secrets behind the disappearance of his father many years past. I think that a reader coming to this novel without a great deal of patience will not fully appreciate it. Barlough's story moves at a leisurely pace with frequent digressions to explain a character's backstory. One of the complaints that I heard frequently with regards to Barlough's first novel, _Dark Sleeper_, is that the plot was subsumed by Barlough's characters. Those who agree with this statement will likely find much of the same in this novel. Those of us who enjoy intriguing characters and wonderful stylistic differences will love both of Barlough's first novels. _The House in the High Wood_ is one of my favorite fantasies of 2001. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A dark and compelling fantasy
Review: Over the span of two novels Jeffrey Barlough has become one of my favorite writers. Barlough's strengths lie in his picturesque depictions of a world in the aftermath of a great cataclysm (that either hasn't been fully explained yet or that I have unfortunately missed) and his marvelously vivid characters. Barlough's charming characters have great names like Mr. Nicodemus Binks, Mr. Shank Bottom, Miss Cherry Ives, and Mr. Alfred Snorem. Barlough writes with a non-traditional writing style. Both of his current novels read much like a Charles Dickens novel. But Barlough's novels have entertaining plots too. In _The House in the High Wood_, Barlough introduces the reader to the small town of Shilston Upcot, which has a dark and mysterious past. The reclusive squire, Mark Trench, sets out to uncover the hideous secrets behind the disappearance of his father many years past. I think that a reader coming to this novel without a great deal of patience will not fully appreciate it. Barlough's story moves at a leisurely pace with frequent digressions to explain a character's backstory. One of the complaints that I heard frequently with regards to Barlough's first novel, _Dark Sleeper_, is that the plot was subsumed by Barlough's characters. Those who agree with this statement will likely find much of the same in this novel. Those of us who enjoy intriguing characters and wonderful stylistic differences will love both of Barlough's first novels. _The House in the High Wood_ is one of my favorite fantasies of 2001. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: One of the strongest, most original dark fantasies in years
Review: Sadly the horror field produces so very few great writers. Most of those working the genre at present are poor King immatators (though King himself should be given his due as a remarkable storyteller) who relay on stock tricks and grue to create what little terror thier books engender. Here then is something decidedly, brilliantly different. Mr. Barlough provides a story filled with full deep characters and plenty of sunshine that is only slowly undermined by the brooding horror at the its heart. His style is fresh, his pacing masterful, his language artful and the resulting creation enjoyable while at the same time being deeply distrubing. I highly recomend this title to any finds of thinking horror or dark fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: House in the High Wood
Review: Where have all the people of the village on the lake vanished away to? One man remembers the horrific truth... Barlough creates an astonishing--one hesitates even to call it an imitation--believably nineteenth-century gothic style in this novel, which is more horrific in theme than its similarly styled prequel. His chosen style means that Barlough sacrifices something in characterization perforce, but he manages to do a fair amount. In this second book the plot is less unwieldy than in the first, and is timed and handled gracefully. Though the style will put off some readers, I found this an enjoyable book, strikingly original in its combination of period and fantastic detail.
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