Customer Reviews

The Caretaker of Lorne Field: A Novel

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Beneath Lorne Field are horrific monsters called Aukowies that make themselves manifest as innocent-looking weeds. If they aren't culled daily, Aukowies will emerge and terrorize the pastoral New England village. Billed as "a fantasy wrapped in a horror story inside a mystery," the palpable horror could happen with any aspect of society. Lorne Field and the neighboring town are a microcosm of that society. In this burg, Steven King Street intersects with Elm Street's worst nightmare.

Without politicizing, this novel may be construed to mean that the Caretakers of this country now experience early attacks by increasingly aggressive Aukowies, seemingly innocent weeds that pop up overnight. Nazis started as insignificant Aukowie-like wannabees that were ignored. They grew into monsters, because caretakers of freedom were ignored. With complex simplicity, Zeltserman may have us believe that now there are "Aukowies" disguised as radical sectarian factions that would destroy countries and personal freedoms, begging the question, Who is the next generation of Caretakers?

Woven into the deceptively simple plot is society's viciousness toward values previous generations have held dear, values that by their absence easily can be compared to Aukowies growing out of control. One key character chooses to close his eyes, not see what will happen. "But under no circumstance was he going to open his eyes," with all the effectiveness of a child covering his head with a blanket, to keep the boogeyman from seeing him. This is a startling wake-up call in the form of a noir-ish novel.

When berated by his wife Lydia for not getting a "real job," Jack Durkin says, "Those ain't no weeds I'm pulling. They're Aukowies." He plods on. A 300-year-old contract obligates the eldest son of each Durkin generation to be the next Caretaker. Durkin knows that "eight days would be all one needed to mature and break free from the ground." Durkin "had never seen a flower before growing in that field of death."

Durkin fulfills obligations of the three-century-old contract that requires him to daily kill Aukowies. When he feels unable to continue, Durkin knows that he cannot stop when "his battle-ax of a wife and his two gangly teenage boys," Lester and Bert, derisively disparage him. "That's right, you old fool, he thought to himself. Teach the world a lesson by destroying it." Durkin comes to terms with his situation, by telling Lydia, "I married you only because of the contract. But I didn't love you. I stole that from you. Because of me you never had a chance to marry someone out of love."

Durkin knew "Aukowies weren't born in hell. Most likely they came from another planet, maybe an asteroid that crashed hundreds of years ago." Sort of a Little Shop of Horrors plant that appears to be innocent enough, until it gets out of control. He tries to videotape the Aukowies in action but things go awry. "And now one intentional violation" of the Contract leads to another, and the Aukowies grow faster than he can control them just weeks before the first frost that will give him the winter to regroup.

Chicken Little cried that the sky was falling, with nothing more than an acorn hitting her head. Her feathered friends ran to tell the king, until Foxy Loxy devoured the birdbrains. Is Jack Durkin a foolish old man who only thinks Aukowies are more than innocent weeds? With more twists and turns than intestines horrifically spilled from the abdominal cavity, Dave Zeltzerman deftly weaves his troubling tapestry.

This could be sort of a complex metaphor with meaning that transcends contemporary fiction. Perhaps it's a simple tale of a man with an obsessive/compulsive disorder that compels him to pull weeds. Or could it be literary fiction's finest? THE CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD is one of my Top Ten For `10 picks.

---Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy

There was a time when the position as the Caretaker of Lorne Field was a high honor. A position of respect that came with a small cottage, a decent salary and freebies given by the local residents out of appreciation for the very difficult job held by the Durkin family. After all, only due to the diligent weeding by the Caretaker were the relentless Aukowie held back from rampaging across the world.

But 300 years have passed and in these modern times, few have any respect for the position, the family, or the ancient contract. Nobody but the current caretaker, Jack Durkin, take the Aukowie threat seriously. Not even members of his own family believe he does something that matters. Proving the validity of the threat is difficult due to the requirements of the ancient contract. Requirements that Jack for justifiable reasons is very loathe to break. As the evidence of a lack of threat and various calamities mount against him, Jack Durkin, finds himself increasingly isolated and questioning his own sanity while he struggles to protect the world in The Caretaker of Lorne Field.

Readers familiar with Mr. Zeltserman's work will recognize themes that he has hit before in other books. His stylized version of a redemptive noir is present in this novel where every decision Jack Durkin makes backfires against him worsening the divides inside and outside his family. Those decisions and the wisdom of them are also a key part of the author's often repeated theme questioning the sanity of the primary character. In this case, the division between sanity and insanity is stark. Are the plants the monsters that will take over the world if not plucked from the earth as soon as they sprout like Jack believes? Or, as many others suggest including his own family members, are the plants nothing more that harmless weeds that play a role in his delusions?

Mutually exclusive versions of reality frame events throughout the 237 page book that shifts in point of view from Jack, to his long suffering wife, to others. Along with touching on the themes of discord between brothers, obligations to family and community, respect for others and the themes noted above among others, the author weaves a compelling tale from start to end in The Caretaker of Lorne Field. There are reasons for everything no matter what it is in this fast moving tale that is marketed as horror but really is a mystery with just a touch of horror.


Material provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2010

I became a Zeltserman fan after I read his superb noir trilogy SMALL CRIMES, PARIAH and KILLER. When I heard that he'd written a darkly funny horror (for want of a better genre definition) novel, I was curious -- of course -- but doubted it could top the trilogy. I was wrong. THE CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD is a masterclass in character development, suspense and reader manipulation. Frightening, funny and poignant, it blends the cosmic horror of H. P. Lovecraft with the down-homey terror of Stephen King at his best.

CARETAKER is one of my books of the year.

If you see Dave Zeltserman, tell him he owes me a night's sleep. Zeltersman is arguably best known for his fine works in the crime fiction genre, novels and short stories that are of such high quality that one can recommend them to friends without hesitation. But THE CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD is somewhat different from his previous titles. Of course there is the same care of wordcraft; in fact, he ratchets things up a notch or three. No, Zeltserman makes a shift from urban noir to subtle rural horror and psychological suspense. When one reads this book, one thinks of names like Ambrose Bierce, August Derleth, Manly Wade Wellman, and even W.W. Jacobs, at least topically. Zeltserman's style, though, is all his own.

Jack Durkin is the caretaker of Lorne Field. Well on the downside of middle age, Jack is the representative of the ninth generation of Durkins who is tasked with keeping a large tract of land clear of what he calls Aukowies. An Aukowie is a monster that, if left to grow unchecked, could take over the entirety of the country within two weeks, and not nicely, either. Jack, as the eldest son of an eldest son, possesses the book and the contract that has governed the agreement between his family and the local town. The work is difficult, unrelenting and backbreaking. Think of clearing an area roughly the equivalent of two football fields of weeds that grow back each day, day in and day out, with the only respite occurring during the winter months. Such a job would give anyone a negative attitude, and most certainly Jack has one, even as he is single-mindedly driven to honor the contract to the letter.

The caretaker's position has historically been an honored and revered one, but the terms --- a house for the caretaker near the field, and an $8,000 annual honorarium --- have not changed for over a century. And the original reason for the caretaking of the field has been lost on most citizens in the mists of time. There are still a few older people who hold Jack in high esteem, aware of what he does and why he does it, but most, including Jack's wife and older son, have reached the conclusion that he is either insane or close to it. Lydia is sick of living in poverty and of her husband's negative attitude. Lester, Jack's older son, is an extremely reluctant heir apparent to the position, about which his friends tease and taunt him.

The tipping point occurs when Lydia's friend has an idea that she believes will bring some much needed money into the family coffers and still permit Jack to fulfill what he sees as an honorable covenant. What occurs instead will change everything forever, at least for Jack and perhaps for everyone. He is either delusional or the protector of the world. There is, and will be, no middle ground.

THE CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD succeeds as a horror novel, a psychological thriller and a haunting parable, even in some ways that Zeltserman may not have intended. There are dark levels to this work, some of which are immediately evident and others of which reveal themselves only upon later reflection. I don't know if the book will come to be regarded as a classic, either now or at some point in the future, but it deserves to be.

I picked this book up from a local library and read it in 2 days - after that, I went to the nearest Borders and bought it for my horror collection at home.

If you read a smuch as I do, then part of the fun of doing what we do is stumbling across a novel by a unknown writer whose plot and premise are so simple, and yet so damned ingenious, that you wind up thumping yourself on the forehead with an opened palm and thinking, "Now why in the hell didn't I think of this idea?"

The plot of this neat, concise novel harkens back to what was popular back in the 1930s horror pulps. A caretaker, a married man with two kids, has weeded a field - Lorne Field - for decades. His family have done the same, weeding this very same, acre-sized field, for generations. Why? If Lorne Field is left unattended, the weeds grow into something that could wipe out humanity in a matter of days. So day after day, year after year, this single, lonely man toils back and forth across Lorne Field with his hoe, even as his wife ridicules him, his children mock him, and townsfolk who once respected what the caretaker and his ancestors did have forgotten why, and thus resent him, thinking him eccentric or completely losing his marbles.

This is Dave Zelterman's first foray into the horror genre, and he writes the book with such ease that you, the reader, don't ever really know if there really IS a horrific menace growing out of the grass on Lorne Field, or if the perceived terror isn't a figment of the caretaker's sickening imagaination. At least you won't until reaching the novel's climax. Trust me - it's a doozy.

A brilliant novel. Why "The Caretaker of Lorne Field" wasn't nominated for a Bram Stoker, I'll never know.

After seeing all the glowing reviews for this gem of a novel, I thought I'd chime in as well. This book was so good I went out and ordered a second copy and sent it to a writer buddy of mine for him to read. He loved it too! This short tale is so wild and unbelievable (or is it?) it bears reread upon reread. Blending horror, madness, humor and gore, Zeltserman has crafted a masterpiece of a horror tale that I will revisit regularly. For me, this is the best novel I've read in over two years; it will probably sit forever in my top five all-time favorite horror novels list!!!

I've read a few of Zeltserman's novels and had wrongly assumed this would sort of be like the others I had read, where a tough guy is pushed too far and is forced to get his vengeance to survive. Then when this arrived and I read the cover blurb of what it was about I really wasn't expecting much. I couldn't have been more wrong though! This is a great read, and it's been a long time since the early career novels of Stephen King that I've read a horror novel that I could tell people who aren't even horror novel fans, you have to read this!

The book is written through the eyes mostly of Jack Durkin, a man who from the day his was born was destined with the privilege and curse of being the caretaker of Lorne Field from the day he turned 21. His body is getting old though from the daily torment. The job is not easy, it's mentally and physically draining. Lorne Field is the size of two football fields and he must pull Aukowie's out of every little square centimetre of dirt every single day. It's not an easy job, the Aukowie's have razor sharp teeth and one lapse in concentration will mean serious injury or even death if the Aukowie's can pull it off. In their infancy stage they are manageable, if they grow a few inches they are near impossible to pull out and kill. Any bigger and it's the end of the town, then America and eventually the world in a matter of weeks. So no matter how injured or sick Jack is, he must remove every single Aukowie from Lorne Field, every single day. With a brief respite when the frost comes. There was a time in the 300 year history of the contract which outlines the Durkin family destiny, that the caretaker was looked upon with pity and thanks by the town who were grateful for the sacrifice made. Not anymore, only a few townspeople believe in the Aukowie. Only a few fulfil their role in the contract by providing free food and supplies to help Jack kill the Aukowie. Most at best just think Jack's a nutcase, a lot more even resent him for the measly $8000 the town pays him for providing this service along with a rent free house to live in. His wife is one of those resenters, she married him for the social status that being his wife brought her and so she wouldn't have to work. $8000 had seemed like a lot of money to marry into when she was a waitress. But now she wants Jack to quit the weeding as she sees it and get a real job so she can have nicer things. She punishes Jack by hiding proper food and telling him all they afford is cornflakes. She also tells their oldest son Lester he doesn't have to become the next caretaker in four years if he doesn't want to, which goes against the sacred contract which Jack follows religiously of the first born son taking over when he turns 21. So religiously that when Jack is pelted by tomatoes while in the field he demands that the children who did it are publicly hung as that is what the contract outlines for anyone that interferes with his duties. Of course a lot of the town, especially a sheriff who lusted after his wife when she babysat him as a child and resented Jack ever since, think it's about time that contract was torn up.

This book works because Jack is so well written that you get right inside his head. You do feel sorry for him as he hurts, is mistreated, disrespected and stolen from by the people he is sacrificing each day of his life for. Until the final pages you have no idea if the Aukowie are real, but you do know Jack believes they are. Possible alternative explanations for things that occur throughout the plot are provided by other characters, although they do have ulterior motives so you just don't know. Which is what makes this book so brilliant. Will Jack succeed in being able to kill the Aukowie at least until the frost comes, or will the various villains get their way and stop his work once and for all. Plus since it's a Zeltserman novel, you the reader know, that there's no assurance of a happy ending. Brilliant book, just read it!

jack durkin is the one man saving the world from destruction. every day since his 21st birthday he has spent weeding a field, from sunup to sundown. why? to stop little creatures called aukowies from growing. if left to grow, they will overrun the world in a matter of weeks. that's what he believes, anyway. as to the truth of it, who knows? the premise held my interest for months while i waited for the book to be released, and i was not disappointed.the ambiguous nature of the plot had me hooked from page one until the end, but what i enjoyed the most was the people that inhabited it. author david zeltserman has a keen eye for character development. i endeared myself quickly to the characters, especially jack durkin. i felt myself caring about what happened to these people, what they must have gone through in the upkeep of this duty real or not. all the trials and tribulations come to a head in a hell of a way. i won't give away the ending but it's a doozy.if you're looking for a well written, interesting modern day legend then i highly recommend the caretaker of lorne field.

I admit I am a huge Dave Zeltserman fan and with the 10 for 1 points promotion on kindle books I finally caved in and bought all his remaining novels I didn't own. Although this one is not a typical Zeltserman (crime-noir) novel its one of the best books I have read in a very long time. I usually don't read a book in one sitting (although this is the second Zeltserman book that I have done that with) but I just had to find out the truth about those stupid weeds.

Very Simple Premise: Jack Durkin is the 9th generation of Durkin men who for about 300 years have been contractually obligated to pull weeds from Lorne Field, located in a small New England town. Legend has it that unless Durkin carefully pulls these weeds out daily from spring until the first frost they will within days grow into deadly creatures called the Aukowies, who will consume the entire world. After all its in his contract. Only a few elderly people of the town still actually believe Durkin is literally saving the world every day. Durkin's wife is fed up with him, his eldest son Lester who's the next in line as the Caretaker doesn't believe him and most of the town think Jack maybe scamming them. But Durkin is sure that the world's fate is in his hands.

So what actually happens if Durkin doesn't tend to Lorne Field? Is he an unappreciated savior of the world or just a crazy old loon pulling weeds everyday? Zeltserman's searing hot prose ratchets up the tension, and throws in some clues that keeps you guessing until the very end. It also has one of the most perfect endings... in fact it couldn't have ended any other way.

C'mon, you want to know what the deal is with those weeds? This is a great fast paced read. Strongly recommended.

Many say this is a "horror" story but it reminded me of one of the finer "Twilight Zone" episodes. What are we to make of Jack? Crazy and telling the truth? Or just plain crazy? We all know of a guy like Jack, but what if he were right about the horror that hangs over us like a giant razor blade?