Richard and Juliette have lost their only son, Ewan, and neither of them knows how to cope. Starve Acre, the family house that had begun to feel home is now filled with painful memories and shadows of the past.
While Richard retreats into himself and tries to move on, Juliette chooses to live in the past, sleeping in Ewan's room and watching for him, convinced that
his spirit is still in the house.
When a group of spiritualists comes over to help them move on, will they be more help or hindrance to the family's grieving process?
The cover reads "Genuinely and brilliantly disturbing", and the further into this book I got, the more apt this phrase seemed to be. Filled with slow pacey scenes, and dark foreshadowing, this book is a perfect balance between a straightforward narrative and a creeping folkloric nightmare. I was reminded of early classic horror movies like Rosemary's Baby and Vertigo, which embody that spine chilling subtlety of horror, working simple things into the psyche until something simple like a framed photograph or a road map (or a hare...) can send you into nervous convulsions.
The characters in this book were wonderfully crafted from real life, and while I felt for Richard, I found that I did not feel any desire to sympathise with Juliette or take her side. The relationship she had with her family made me so uncomfortable, I think it added a lot to my experience of this claustrophobic tale.
I loved this book all the way through, and enjoyed the ambiguous magic at play, if I may be allowed to call it that. The narrative is told so straightforwardly, and yet there is enough of a veil over what is really happening, to create a somehow plausible realm of story.
My only complaint, and It isn't really that if I'm honest, is the ending. I was frustrated by where the story was left, and how it just suddenly finished without conclusion or explanation. The reason I say this is not really a complaint is that an explanation probably would have ruined the story's eerie subtlety, and conclusions are often not nearly as satisfying as you would hope. At the end of the day I suppose this ending adds a certain something to the book overall, and so who am I to say it was too abrupt?
This folklore noir is a short but languorous work of fiction, and I guarantee that it will capture your imagination for weeks after you finish the last line. For fans of local legends and dark history, this book will certainly keep you on your toes.
I think if you loved this story you should try Lanny by Max Porter, which although very different overall, shares some similarities with Starve Acre.
While Richard retreats into himself and tries to move on, Juliette chooses to live in the past, sleeping in Ewan's room and watching for him, convinced that
his spirit is still in the house.
When a group of spiritualists comes over to help them move on, will they be more help or hindrance to the family's grieving process?
The cover reads "Genuinely and brilliantly disturbing", and the further into this book I got, the more apt this phrase seemed to be. Filled with slow pacey scenes, and dark foreshadowing, this book is a perfect balance between a straightforward narrative and a creeping folkloric nightmare. I was reminded of early classic horror movies like Rosemary's Baby and Vertigo, which embody that spine chilling subtlety of horror, working simple things into the psyche until something simple like a framed photograph or a road map (or a hare...) can send you into nervous convulsions.
The characters in this book were wonderfully crafted from real life, and while I felt for Richard, I found that I did not feel any desire to sympathise with Juliette or take her side. The relationship she had with her family made me so uncomfortable, I think it added a lot to my experience of this claustrophobic tale.
I loved this book all the way through, and enjoyed the ambiguous magic at play, if I may be allowed to call it that. The narrative is told so straightforwardly, and yet there is enough of a veil over what is really happening, to create a somehow plausible realm of story.
My only complaint, and It isn't really that if I'm honest, is the ending. I was frustrated by where the story was left, and how it just suddenly finished without conclusion or explanation. The reason I say this is not really a complaint is that an explanation probably would have ruined the story's eerie subtlety, and conclusions are often not nearly as satisfying as you would hope. At the end of the day I suppose this ending adds a certain something to the book overall, and so who am I to say it was too abrupt?
This folklore noir is a short but languorous work of fiction, and I guarantee that it will capture your imagination for weeks after you finish the last line. For fans of local legends and dark history, this book will certainly keep you on your toes.
I think if you loved this story you should try Lanny by Max Porter, which although very different overall, shares some similarities with Starve Acre.