Customer Reviews

The Dark on the Other Side

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

 

 

I am a big fan of this author, but probably would not have been if this story was the first of hers I had read. Usually, I devour her stories and find them difficult to put them down. This one was okay, but more wordy than she usually is; especially, within the first half of the book. Also, the story was a little less believable than her others. I agree with the previous reviewer in that the reader is to decide what was really happening and even after finishing, the reader determines what they want to believe. But I do not agree that this is Ms. Michaels best.

This book is not the best by Barbara Michaels, but it's still better than 95% percent of the books in print. Though it lacks the wry humor of some of her books, it nevertheless has a nice storyline and some truly spinechilling moments.

A young writer named Michael Collins (I wonder, did Ms. Michaels deliberately give this guy the same name as the Irish rebel? Or a coincidence?) arrives as the home or wealthy intelligent philanthropist millionaire Randolph. Collins is immediately attracted to Randolph's beautiful younger wife Linda, but can't help noticing that Linda is dulling her pain with alcohol, seems to be both hateful toward her husband and terrified of something she can't name. The sight of large dogs, for example, throws her into fainting fits.

Collins also senses something strange and sinister about Randolph, despite the latter's charming and hearty manner. He checks into the backgrounds of people who knew Randolph before he married his wife, and finds disturbing but nebulous results. Then Linda, whom her husband claims is insane, runs away and keeps running, with a bizarre old witch as her only solid ally. But Linda has a counter-claim about Randolph, that implies something far darker and more horrifying than mere insanity.

This book has amazing atmosphere, especially in the first chapter where Linda is clearly terrified and emotionally threadbare, but there is no sign as to why. The creepiness pervades virtually every scene with and about Randolph. Collins himself is a nice, sympathetic character with a great balance of sensitivity and "macho"; as for Linda, it's a little difficult to determine whether she's correct, insane, or a bit of both. As for Randolph--he WILL give you goosebumps.

The book is hardly flawless - Ms. Michaels's brilliant humor is often missing (though I loved Collins' buddy coming in and finding Linda tied down to the bed); there is a large "dead" section in the middle of the book where the characters do little but talk; also, the ending seems to be a bit rushed and hastily written. I also found the smallness of the cast disconcerting, and the character of the witch rather badly drawn.

However, if you're in the mood for a good ol' fashioned thriller with appropriate chills, and no sex or vulgarity, then this is for you!

The Dark on the Other Side is probably my favorite Barbara Michaels. It isn't just about being 'spooky'. It's about basic issues of trust, whether in other people or in your own perceptions. It is about how people use one another to achieve gain or safety. It is about the power of love, both to heal and destroy. There are no chain-saw killers jumping out of the closet, no menacing ghosts. Most of the action takes place in the minds of the characters and you must decide whether their POV is valid. A superficial read won't give you much; but if you really think about Linda Randolph's predicament and the risks both she and Michael Collins take to save her, you will have chills that will keep you up late. (I do wish Barbara Michaels had made Galen a series character. I just love his sang froid.)

This book is expertly crafted and paced so as to keep the reader wondering<B> Is Linda Randolph's husband a werewolf or is she going insane<B> Even when the reader is finished, Michaels does not neatly offer a yes or no<B> Instead she leaves it up to the reader to decide whether or not the villan was truly man or beast<B> The Dark on the Other Side is as good as any new contempory romance with a twist of the supernatural and is defintely one of Barbara Michaels' best

I am a huge Barbara Michaels fan, yet when I read this book I was higly disappointed.

The characters are tranparent and the story line was completely tiresome. I have read mostly all of her novels and I can honstly say this is the worst one she has ever read. If you want to see Barabara Michaels at her peak read SONS OF THE WOLF, VANISH WITH THE ROSE, or STITCHES IN TIME. They will give you insight into the genius of Mrs.Michael's, not this book.

I have loved each and every book by Barbara Michaels and could not wait to get into this one. I am very sad to say it was not at all up to the degree of writing I have come to love in Barbara Michaels books. It really was a difficult read. It was slow and I struggled to continue reading it hoping it would get better. It didn't get better.

Fans of Barbara Michaels, also known as Elizabeth Peters of 'Amelia Peabody' fame, might be a bit surprised by this novel. It has none of the wry humor of the ;Amelia Peabody' or 'Vicky Bliss' novels nor even the moody gothic romances typical of other novels written as Barbara Michaels. The characters are not as well rounded as is usually found in her stories and the plot proceeds by fits and starts as opposed to the usual more even pace of her stories. The reason for this clumsy workmanship can be found in the original publication date - 1970 making this one of her early works.

The story centers around a young wife who could just be going insane. She sees and hears things that those around her do not and has even attacked her husband. Her husband is a very wealthy man who can afford to hire a large staff to keep her protected - and isolated. When a struggling author is approached to write a biography of the husband he is intrigued by the project. Not only is the money an inducement but the subject had been a student of his father's. Entering the isolated estate house the writer soon finds himself drawn into the domestic drama that soon reveals itself to be much more than just sad and tawdry.

This is an interesting novel, not at all up to Michaels/Peters standard but still an acceptable way to spend a few hours. Fans of this author might be curious to see if they can spot any foreshadowing of later works.

I am a huge Barbara Michaels fan, yet when I read this book I was higly disappointed.

The characters are tranparent and the story line was completely tiresome. I have read mostly all of her novels and I can honstly say this is the worst one she has ever written. If you want to see Barabara Michaels at her peak read SONS OF THE WOLF, VANISH WITH THE ROSE, or STITCHES IN TIME. They will give you insight into the genius of Mrs.Michael's, not this book.

While I much admire Ms. Michaels writing, I really don't think that this is one of her best. It seemed rather messy and unresolved. The ending was just not really up to her usual mind-boggling style. All in all though, it was an entertaining read for a gloomy afternoon.