The Bog [Hardcover]

Michael Talbot (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

American archeologist David Macauley is thrilled when a 2000-year-old body is found, perfectly preserved by peaty water, in an English West Country bog; when another body turns up, David moves his family there. The villagers of Fenchurch St. Jude are a dour, clannish lot and the local lord, Marquis Grenville de L'Isle, isn't much friendlier. David's wife is vaguely worried by the local atmosphere, especially after hearing of a mysterius bog "creature," then David finds odd bite marks on the bog bodies and begins to wonder about their source. Mysterious occurences multiply, and soon David is in deadly conflict with a 4500-year-old necromancer and his demon. The book is a roller-coaster, alternately boring and exciting; the prose is often awkward and wooden, the people never more than cardboard figures, and the ostensibly brilliant David is occasionally pretty dim. While some of the magic lore is interesting, disbelief is never suspended effectively for long. Talbot wrote The Delicate Dependency.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

For modern-day archaeologist David Macauley, Hovern Bog proves a rich source of bog bodies (ancient human remains preserved intact by chemicals in the peat water) and, ultimately, a near-catastrophic horror show for him, his family, and the nearby villagers of Fenchurch St. Jude. While exploring, Macauley encounters sinister local nobleman Grenville and his blood-thirsty demon, Julia. Grenville and Julia, both seemingly immortal, have terrorized the local countryside since the days of the Celts and the Romans. In that long-ago time Julia used Hovern Bog as a dumping ground; now for the most part, she is content slaughtering sheep. But with the appearance of the snoopy Professor Macauley things at Hovern Bog take a bloody turn for the worse. Hurt by a complex plot too dependent on coincidence, this otherwise entertaining horror novel is recommended for larger collections. James B. Hemesath, Adams State Coll. Lib., Alamosa, Col.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 310 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (March 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068805952X
• ISBN-13: 978-0688059521
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,229,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, June 23, 2004

By 

Beamer (Duke University) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bog (Hardcover)

They don't write horror like this anymore.

Don't get me wrong, the plot is fairly ho-hum. Very been-there, done-that.

This book takes care with it's characters, though. Horror these days tends to focus entirely on the actions and gory descriptions. Here you get more of a focus on character depth. Not to say it compares to a story based solely on the depth of characters, but it's just nice to see writing basics taking control instead of mere flash and glitz.

As a matter of fact the subtle changes of the characters during the first half had me enthralled, if only because it was so unexpected. Unfortunately the latter half becomes much more routine, especially as loose ends begin to be tied up. So it goes with nearly every horror story, though.

A worthy read. I read it all in one sitting, something fairly uncommon for me, usually I try to spread a book into two days, but I finished this in a relaxing evening.

I somehow doubt this review will be read, or get much traffic. A shame, the book is lost amongst lesser books with larger pressings and more expensive cover art.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down--and can't forget it., December 23, 2001

By 

Robert F. Gaebler "BoG" (Cedar Rapids, Iowa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bog (Paperback)

This book is eerie; it is gripping, and captivating. The writer relates a masterful buildup of impending horror. Within the story he weaves enough esoteric scientific and historical detail to draw the reader into credibility--and terror. The touching love of the scientist for his son adds a human element that further heightens the reader's sense of reality and presence.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Horror novel that would make a great low-budget movie, March 28, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bog (Paperback)

A serendipitous used-book find for me, this horror thriller has it allŠ the melancholy British bogs, the estranged villagers, the evil Baron, the evil Beauty, the Monster -- not to mention sex, history, suspense, and a father's protective love for his son. No flat spots in this book. The setting is believably woven through all the senses, so that when the Monster makes an appearance, you're a believer. The description of the bog bodies is realistic enough to make you shiver, and that's not even the horrific part.