Warning: the book reviewed deals with sexual violence. The review mentions it but does not describe it. Plot:Melinda Sordino starts high school with everyone hating her. Her old friends from middle school aren’t talking to her. She really does eat her lunch all by herself. Maybe if she could tell them about what happened, aboutContinue reading “Review of “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson”
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Review of “The Undying Thing” by Barry Pain: Halloween Countdown
Plot: Sir Edric murdered his wife, Alice, and sent their son away. He loves his present wife, Eve. For some unexplained reason, he began keeping wolves on his estate. Eve begged him to “destroy” the animals, but he liked them until they attacked Eve without biting her (huh?). He then shot them all himself. NowContinue reading “Review of “The Undying Thing” by Barry Pain: Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Thing from ‘Outside’” by George Allan England: Halloween Countdown
Plot:A party of Americans traveling in the Canadian wilderness finds themselves deserted by their Indigenous guides after they come across a “circular print on a rock-ledge.” They hear the guides scream, fire shots, and conclude they’re dead and “out of harm’s way.” On the other hand, the present company is “two hundred and fifty wickedContinue reading “Review of “The Thing from ‘Outside’” by George Allan England: Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens: Halloween Countdown
Plot:Our hero visits a signalman in a railroad tunnel where he works, signaling trains that come through and passing messages along. He announces his presence by shouting from atop the hill, “Halloa! Below there!” Much to his surprise, the man walks away as if he hasn’t heard him. After some more screaming, the narrator getsContinue reading “Review of “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens: Halloween Countdown”
Review of “Scoured Silk” by Marjorie Bowen: Halloween Countdown
Plot: Some twenty years earlier, Mr. Humphrey Orford moved to Covent Garden with his young wife. The understanding is that his family was from Suffolk, where he had considerable estates that he never visited. Only a few weeks after they arrived, his wife, Flora, fell ill and passed away. He erected a small plaque: Flora,Continue reading “Review of “Scoured Silk” by Marjorie Bowen: Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Moonlit Road” by Ambrose Bierce: Halloween Countdown
Plot:The following things happened: Joel Hetman returned from a trip at an unexpected time and used the back door without disturbing anyone. He chased what appeared to be a prowler into the woods, who got away. His wife, Julia, was strangled to death in her bedroom. He summoned his nineteen-year-old son, Joel, Jr., home fromContinue reading “Review of “The Moonlit Road” by Ambrose Bierce: Halloween Countdown”
Review of “Master of Fallen Years” by Vincent O’Sullivan: Halloween Countdown
Plot:Augustus Barber works in a paper-box manufacturing business in London. The narrator is at pains to tell the reader how ordinary, if commonplace, Augustus is. He doesn’t read anything outside of newspapers and shows no interest in anything spiritual or metaphysical. After falling ill to the point that he was expected not to recover, BarberContinue reading “Review of “Master of Fallen Years” by Vincent O’Sullivan: Halloween Countdown”
Review of “The Marble Hands” by Bernard Capes: Halloween Countdwon
Plot:Our hero rides his bike with his friend Heriot to the churchyard. Heriot wants him to check something out but doesn’t want to see it himself. Our hero soon finds what he’s looking for—a grave with no headstone or inscription. A beveled marble curb encloses a graveled area. In the graveled area stand two marbleContinue reading “Review of “The Marble Hands” by Bernard Capes: Halloween Countdwon”
Review of “The Wolf-Man” by Erckmann-Chatrian: Halloween Countdown
Plot:Around Christmas time in the year 18—, our hero Fritz lies fast asleep at the Cygne in Fribourg in the Black Forest when someone awakens him, telling him: “I have good news for you; I am going to take you to Nideck, two leagues from this place. You know Nideck, the finest baronial castle inContinue reading “Review of “The Wolf-Man” by Erckmann-Chatrian: Halloween Countdown”
Review of “Luella Miller” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: Halloween Countdown
Plot:The only person alive who remembers Luella Miller is Lydia Anderson, now eighty years old. She never thought Luella was pretty, though her husband Erastus worshipped the ground she walked on. Luella came to teach school but didn’t do much of the teaching. The work was left to one of the older girls, Lottie Henderson,Continue reading “Review of “Luella Miller” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: Halloween Countdown”
Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old 