Dream House [Paperback]

Christopher Fahy (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Zebra; First Edition edition (November 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821722069
• ISBN-13: 978-0821722060
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,350,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christopher Fahy is the author of collections of short stories and poetry, and
eight novels. He won the 1987 Maine Arts Commission Fiction
Competition, judged by Mary McCarthy, with his chapbook of stories, One
Day in the Short Life of Anna Banana. In 1999 he won a Grand Prize in the
International Poetry Competition sponsored by Atlanta Review. Also in
1999 he published Limerock: Maine Stories. Fever 42, a novel, was
published in 2002, and the novel Breaking Point in 2004. Fahy lives with his
wife, children's book author Davene Fahy, on the coast of Maine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good horror novel about a family living in an evil house, January 8, 2001

By 

David "Laymon Fan" (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dream House (Paperback)

A good horror novel about a family's move to an infamous house where one man had killed his family and another family had died in a fire.

After many years working as an insurance salesman, Peter Willis is denied the promotion he obviously deserves. This triggers a sort of mid-life crisis for Peter and he literally tells his boss to take his job and shove it. He decides to move (with his family), open his own business, and sculpt in his spare time.

Unfortunately, the unscrupulous real-estate agent hid the fact that many people had died on the property. Peter finds Satanist 'paraphernalia' there (a Satanic Bible, a ritualistic robe, a shrine, the previous owners' journal -- and some very gruesome things which I won't mention and spoil the story for you). Afterward, he struggles with his business and the restoration of the house. Peter becomes obsessed with the journal. Tensions run high among Peter, his wife, and his son. Some sort of explosion seems inevitable.

Fahy's story was unpredictable, particularly during the first half. Fahy keeps alive the mystery about just what is happening to the Willis family for a good part of the novel. There is also a very tense, suspenseful chase during the climax.

Fans of Stephen King's "The Shining" would probably enjoy this book a lot. (Don't worry. Fahy's novel is not a clone of King's novel. "Dream House" is similar to "The Shining" to the extent that King's "Salem's Lot" is similar to Bram Stoker's "Dracula".)

I almost gave the story 4 stars (rather than 3), but it's probably just a little too long.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent creepy read., July 24, 2001

By 

Jim Lay (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dream House (Paperback)

It's been years since I read this novel but it's stayed with me all this time. A family moves into an old house and finds violence and evil in it's past. An evil that seems to resonate still, threatening their lives... Fahy is really an underappreciated writer. I've read all but one of his novels and had a great time with all of them. I also recently discovered that he is alive and well and still writing. Looking forward to more of your work, Mr. Fahy!