There’s a difference between horror and terror. Straub
understands that principle. Ghost Story is perhaps a bit more literary for some
readers, but his use of language blurs the lines between the supernatural and
the mundane. His use of language creates this nightmarish mindscape where it
all plays out in slow motion but there isn’t a damned thing the reader/character
can do to stop the events.
The Chowder Society reels from the sudden and tragic
loss of a close friend. If there is one thing that this piece could be criticized
for is the literary fiction aspect to it, but again, this adds a richness to
the story and digs deeper than what most horror readers may be comfortable
with. This seems like the Horror book J.K. Rowling may have written. If there
exists a parallel between Rowling and Straub it is their characterization and
how they plot.
Straub writes an airtight narrative where there are
calm periods, but those don’t last long. Ghost story builds up on itself in a
sense. There’s a visible chain connecting the events which is evident early on.
The Chowder Society use ghost stories to as a coping mechanism for real life
issues. Infidelity being one of them. Regret being another. Regret is a ghost
residing within the space in the skull.
What I found interesting about this novel was the
realism. There are not many horror novels that do realism well. This one does.
The darkness in this novel is real. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this
novel is the shroud of darkness that is only a veil for something worse: the
phantoms that linger in our memories. Dr. Jaffrey must confront the fear that
his wife is unfaithful and finds unhealthy coping mechanisms, as do his
friends. I found a part of me connecting to the good doctor.
Speaking of unhealthy coping mechanisms, which is
perhaps the most morbid and terrifying aspect of this novel is how each
character tried to deal with their issues. Jaffrey keeps things to himself,
something I found particularly morbid. His own vision of his strength turned
out to be his own flaw.
I made mention of the writing (more than I should,
perhaps), but the writing is a trap! Why I didn’t realize this earlier, I am
not sure. If this novel could be condensed into a phrase, it would be this: the
darkness we carry may appear gentle at times, but it eats away at us by first
touching us in the right places and embracing us, telling us it will be okay.
Not.
No matter how much money and success the characters
found, there is something holding them. And it manifests in different ways.
Jaffrey stood out and he always will because I found something of myself in
him. Straub didn’t need a ghastly ghost or awful monster, they were there. The
monster were them in a way. The ghosts were of their own making.
Thematically, this novel gets to me. The threads of
the story were soft and welcoming in the most morbid way: they are comfortable
until the tapestry starts to suffocate you and you cannot get out.
I completely agree that the literary aspect of the book adds to the richness of the story. The fact that you mentioned JK Rowling is funny because I kept thinking about the book A Casual Vacancy while reading this. While I enjoy literary fiction and probably read about as much of it as genre fiction, I don't know if the fact that it is a more literary story excuses the erroneous parts of the books. While I was able to really feel like I was in the town and knew the characters within it, I don't know if every detour and side plot was necessary. That being said, I can't argue with the final result, which, as you say, welcomes you in and then traps you. There was something about the overall book that seemed haunting to me, and I couldn't really put my finger on it until I read your review. The overall atmosphere of the novel was really well done and perhaps the most haunting aspect of the story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the realism stands out in this book compared to the other two we have read. This book, aside from the shape-shifters, this could be a story about the skeletons in the closet of a number of people in a small town and how these regrets/emotions haunt them.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the thematic elements of the story-how the ghosts and darkness of the past haunted those involved. They can’t get rid of the darkness either, they can only suppress it and try to deal with it in other ways, like telling ghost stories and infidelity. I thought the realism, especially in the beginning, was well done too. Until the actual monsters appeared, of course. But I was intrigued about what haunted the men and how the story would unfold.
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