Candlenight [Paperback]

Phil Rickman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 12, 1993

Giles Freeman is delighted when his wife Claire inherits an old cottage in a remote village in Wales. Y Groves is small, friendly and very alluring - the perfect escape from London. But American reporter Berry Morelli tries to talk Giles out of moving, believing something is very wrong.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This heartfelt account of Celtic terror by British author Rickman is more a socio-political commentary on globalization and nationalism than a horror novel. In Wales, where hoards of English immigrants buy up the land and dilute the cultural identity, folks in the town of Y Groes uphold the ancient traditions. There, the air is clearer, the light brighter and the population blessedly free of English inhabitants until the arrival of Claire and Giles Freeman. Giles tries desperately to fit in with the old-fashioned locals, but things become strained when his Welsh wife starts to transform into some sort of Druid priestess. An inordinate number of English deaths in this tiny town prompts Giles's American journalist buddy to investigate. Rickman's expertise with pastoral horror is reminiscent of Algernon Blackwood or Arthur Machen. He evokes a frigid beauty in the peaceful countryside peppered with pagan cemeteries and populated by angry people whose hatred is as hard and unyielding as their oak forests and black books of forbidden lore. So strong are his characterizations, he needs but a whiff of the supernatural to support his idea of the corruption of magic. Although Candlenight is only Rickman's second novel to be published here, it should add to the acclaim he received for Curfew.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Praise for Phil Rickman's ghost stories:

‘Grimly sinister - written with blood-curdling aplomb.’ Sunday Telegraph 

‘Classic.’ The Times

‘Remarkable.’ Stephen King

‘Wonderful.’ Bernard Cornwell

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Pan Books (February 12, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330325205
• ISBN-13: 978-0330325202
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,526,459 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classical Gothic Horror Novel, March 10, 2005

By 

Kyra_Athena "Kyra_Athena" (Georgia USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Candlenight (Hardcover)

This book is one of those spooky ones, where you keep wanting to cheer for the hero, but you have the feeling he's going to be killed at any minute. A modern English couple move to Wales where Claire's father left her his cottage. Things become strange from there. They are English and the Welsh are not too fond of things English. This is a very small town, where even people from the next village might be considered "foreigners." And guess what? There's something very evil afoot. Recommended if you're into gothic-type horror novels. I recommend reading Crybbe or Curfew as well.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars corpse candles, June 28, 2005

By 

Linda Pagliuco "katknit" (CT, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Candlenight (Paperback)

Phil Rickman writes in the horror genre, but not with gratuitous, sadistic violence. His settings are atmospheric, his plots original, his prose tight and intelligent, and his characters likeably human. Candle Night is one of his very first novels, and it's folklore, mystery, murder, and human nature tightly packed between two covers. Glad I didn't read this story before I visited Wales, or I might have chickened out. A page turner.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Candlenight .....was the first....and just the beginning!!!, November 16, 2000

By 

Tanya Dunn (San Diego, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Candlenight (Paperback)

I found CANDLENIGHT,first... not having ever heard of or read anything by Phil Rickman.....seeing it was endorsed by S. King was a bit of a plug to get my hand tugging at this book on the shelf....and it led to my hungered search for anything else I could find by this extraordinary, original (in a class of his own), and stunningly gifted writer. I was so happy to find a book of quality length and even more so quality of content of story. I opened it up and the journey began. I found unique blending of a fiction story, enterwoven with Wales own history and beliefs, I found clarification of wording, places, and understanding of this culture of people, and I found myself looking over my shoulder a lot! It is that smouldering awareness of perhaps there is some truth to tales, and it frames ones allure of 'all is right with the world uh huh' in giving ones mind that edge of wonder, and doubting that "all is right...." . Making sure the doors are locked, and feeling that it really won't matter...and still not being able to explain this to anyone who has not read Mr. Rickmans outstanding works. I finally felt that I had found a 'genre' of the type of books that dug inside and grabbed at many different feelings, that truly I could not put down...to the point of having on hand at least two copies...one for home, the other to go with me in my backpack. I am left feeling that bit of unsettledness that causes me to be ever in search of another book by him...and another...and I finally found an author who pulls me right into his creation-hesitating or not.......fearfull or not....ready or not.....and I would not miss it for anything. READ the works by this man...you won't regreat a single hour, a single page....CANDLENIGHT was my introduction to him, then followed with CURFEW (CRYBBE), third DECEMBER....I am find that this, in retrospect, was a good way to begin this journey...I just want to be able to access in the U.S. the rest of his works..and thank goodness that is coming true.