Customer Reviews

Burial: A Novel of the Manitou

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is by far the BEST novel MASTERton has EVER written. It was written very well and down to EVERY bit of detail that you can imagine. I recommend this book to all you gore fans that love horror topics about Indian magic. The ending was highly unexpected and was a great one! You will NOT be upset about this book, though it might be wise to read the Manitou and Revenge of the Manitou before reading this one (I never read part 1 but I did read part two!)

"Burial" is the third, and currently final, book in the Manitou series by Graham Masterton. Masterton's horror fiction began with the publication of "The Manitou" in the mid 70's. Although it had its faults, that one was a good read as well. The story continued in "The Revenge of the Manitou" a few years later, but that one was not up to par with the first book.

Twenty years after the first book, Masterton wrote "Burial" as a conclusion to the series. The characters are also older as well to reflect the actual passage of time. The main character, Harry Erskine, is a practicing card reader/fortune teller who has tried to distance himself from the past. However, Karen, the woman who "gave birth" to Misquamacus (the Manitou) in the first book, returns and soon they both discover that the Manitou, an Indian witch doctor, has returned and has vowed to return the lands of North America to the way they were when Native Americans were the primary inhabitants.

Old friends return (Singing Rock) and new ones are made (Martin, EC Dude, Papago Joe) in the fight against the Manitou. Karen is overtaken by the Manitou again and it's up to Harry and friends to not only free her, but to stop the destruction of North American cities (Phoenix, Chicago, Las Vegas, small towns in Colorado experience some "changes"). The buildup to the finale is fast paced and the ending is well executed. The battle at Little Big Horn played a big role in the past and does so again.

While the book does have its faults (characters left hanging with no resolution, more detail could have been given on the pact between the Manitou, the Indian god and the other involved party, etc.), overall it's a very entertaining read. The first two books should be read before this one to better understand the history of the Manitou and the characters. The book is very gory in places (the jail scene, for example), but this is what fans of Masterton have come to expect. While not his best work (the Night Warriors series is slightly better), it is still better than most of the horror fiction out there.

I've been reading a lot of Graham Masterton novels, and have found them to be occasionally brilliant, but always gory, and sometimes not so good but still entertaining.

"Burial" is the third in the "Manitou" series, the first of which I found silly, the second of which I thought was quite good (although I think most Masterton fans prefer the first; I disagree).

So how do you approach this novel when reviewing it? As part of the series, or as a stand-alone novel on its own merits? Either way, this book fails.

It fails as part of the series because Masterton made a huge error, which he has recognized in interviews and on his web site. Two characters who died in the first book are alive in this one. Apparently he forgot that they had died because they did not die in the movie version. That's just plain sloppy.

It fails as a stand-alone, as well. The plot is just plain absurd, and the effects of the magic are inconsistent. It makes no sense that no one but the main characters are able to resist to some degree the forces that are driving cities underground, and the characters' use of magic to fake some sort of death so they can visit the Happy Hunting Ground (or whatever) does not prevent them from coming back as they please to make phone calls and stay at hotels.

And, finally, here's the deal: If you are going to read Masterton, you are going to have to put up with gore. If you can't handle gore, don't read Masterton. But even I think he went overboard here. Lots of hanging intestines, guts, limbs . . . just too much of it. I understand that gore can be part of horror, but there's way more gore than there are chills. And if you read this, prepare yourself for something gruesome being done to one woman's vagina (Masterton seems to have a thing for genital mutilation), that really is not necessary to move the plot along.

I am giving this book two stars because it's not completely unentertaining (that's the best I can say).

Masterton is a pretty good writer and I'm willing to suspend disbelief especially when reading horror but this just made no sense. He mixes in a bunch of Native American spiritual mumbo jumbo as well as voodoo which could be fine but there are way too many inconsistencies to overlook. There was no suspense just a lot of gratuitous gore and a really squirm inducing sex scene (yuck!). I read "The House that Jack Built" too and it had the same credibility problems. I guess I'm just not a fan of Masterton.

Book 3 in the Manitou series and by far the best and goriest one around. The Manitou, a Native American spirit, Misquacamus, has come back to seek vengeance one last time against the White man. He almost succeeds if not for one small problem: a measly, fake Fortune-teller named Harry Erskine.

This is a MUST read (along with The Manitou and Revenge of the Manitou) as it is scary, gory and will keep you literally on your toes with the scenes and graphic details that he keeps throwing at you.