Customer Reviews

The House

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

This author, touted as a "master of the macabre" by no other than Stephen King, is one of the most inventive writers of the horror genre today. A Bram Stoker Award winner for his horror novel, "The Revelation", he does not disappoint the reader with this one. This is the third novel by this author that I have read, and I will continue to seek his others, as the ones that I have read, thus far, are generally well-written and have had highly original twists. While they have all seemed to have some sexual themes running through them, it has not been inordinately graphic nor has it supplanted the horror at the heart of the always inventive and genuinely creepy story the author has written.

I really loved this one, as the author took a familiar theme, that of the haunted house, and brought it to the next level. Five strangers are each having a major upset in their respective lives. That catalytic event is causing each of them to remember something they would rather forget: their childhood and the strange home in which they each grew up. Compelled to return to their original homesteads, they discover that it is the past that is governing their present. Five separate homes, five separate childhoods, yet, they are all distinctly similar and similarly creepy with memories that each of those who lived there would rather forget. These strangers will be brought together in a way that none of them would ever have imagined.

This book will give one the heebie jeebies. The descriptions of the events propelling the story are genuinely eerie and create the right amount of tension. Some of the odd characters in the book create a sense of dissonance and a creepy atmosphere, while others are downright chilling. This was simply a book that I could not put down, as I was riveted to its pages until every last one was turned.

This is the first book of Bentley Little I've read. I was pretty impressed. Part 1 of the book that brought the five charcters together was intense. I think what made it so intense was the fact that we (the reader) slowing began to realize, at the same time as the characters, what happened to them in that house when they were children.

That little girl scared the hell out of me.

I thought that when the five strangers actually reached the house(s), that the suspense would intensify even more. The opposite occured. The book slowed down to a crawl. It took me only two days to read the first 200 pages. It took me almost a week to read the last 160 pages.

Perhaps, the first half of the book raised my expectations too hight for the 2nd half. Not that the 2nd part wasn't scary, there are some absolutely frightening scenes. But it took too long getting there.

Another problem was that the book left alot of unanswered questions. Too many unanswered questions. About the house, the ghosts, the butler, the girl, the 'Other Side'... I know that alot of the things that scare us are the unknown. But damn, he couldn't just thrown in a little more detail instead of vague answers.

And the ending came so suddenly, I couldn't believe the book had ended. I was thinking to myself, "That's it????"

However, their were too many good, scary, horrible scenes in the book to ignore Bentley Little. I just bought 'The Store' which I'll be starting soon. His a good writer and those who were unhappy with 'The House' should give him another try.

It's been a long time since I read a good haunted house story. Even longer since I read an original one. In his novel UNIVERSITY, Bentley Little revealed his knowledge of this horror sub-genre, and in this novel he makes use of that knowledge, avoiding the common pitfalls and charting territory through what could have been a minefield. Filled with graphioc sex and extremely disturbing imagery, this one is not for the faint-hearted but should please fans of King, Barker, et. al. A great book.

Bentley Little writes two types of books: the first type is the pure horror novel. "The House" falls squarely into this category, as does his novel "The Walking." These books rely heavily on gory scenes mixed with shocking glimpses into the supernatural world. The second type of story Little writes is social satire tales, such as "The Store," or "The Association." These stories often attack the mundane elements of life we Americans take for granted by taking events like shopping and creating stories that go way over the top, while still incorporating horrific elements.

"The House" is a take on the haunted house genre. Certainly any author that attempts to tell a story in this genre is taking his or her chances. So many stories exist in this area that it is important to try and attempt something new. Fortunately, Bentley Little doesn't give his readers rattling chains or flying plates in "The House." What he does give us is a breezy ride of sickening horror designed to shock his readers into submission.

In "The House," five seemingly unrelated strangers begin to discover that their childhood memories are disturbingly absent. As events begin to unfurl that bring back these memories, they find themselves drawn back to their childhood homes. But the homes, regardless of where they are located in the United States, all turn out to be the same type of abode. The houses are linked because they are the essentially the same place, a place that serves a very important purpose by protecting our world from unseen horrors. The houses are haunted, and as the characters return so does a long litany of suppressed horrors. As if some of the spooky events within the houses aren't bad enough, the characters are also reintroduced to two weird people who dwell in the house: Billington, a creepy butler, and Dawn, an evil child with an unusual (and sickening) ability to corrupt the inhabitants of the houses.

A major theme in "The House" is that of the dysfunctional family. All of the characters had extremely unhappy childhoods in the houses due to the inability of family members to communicate to each other concerning the horrors they experienced. When the characters are grown adults, they get the chance to return to the past, so to speak, and mend the problems of their childhood, and to reconnect to their families.

This is one of Little's sickest novels. Pedophilia is graphically presented through the Dawn character, as is murder and other unpleasantness. Those easily affected by such graphic displays may want to look elsewhere for their chills and thrills. It is likely that even iron stomachs used to horrific movies and other horror books might churn a few times over some of the scenes in this book. In short, be prepared.

Once again, the ending leaves a lot to be desired. The build up is excellent, with characters both primary and secondary well drawn. The characters are actually likeable, something that doesn't often occur in a Bentley Little book. But by the time the end of the story rolls around, the story wraps up quickly with an anti-climax that is disconcerting. This happens often in Little's books, and is a problem that will hopefully be soon remedied.

For Bentley Little fans, this is required reading. Those of us who admire his writing skills continue to look forward to new novels as they emerge (which is usually once a year, it seems). Even with the quick and unsatisfying ending, Little still writes stories vastly superior to the large amount of stuff floating around today. Little rejuvenates the horror genre, and for that those of us who like horror should be thankful.

The only thing bad about this book is the little girl as a sex object. I know she was really a demon in the form of a little girl, but I still think Bentley Little just hid behind that, as an excuse to shock people with suggestions of child porn (not as bad as an book I once read called beast house). If Mr. Little had made the demon an adult, I would have given it five stars.

If you are looking for a book that will terrify you, you have found it. The House, by Bentley Little truly lives up to its position as a horror novel. The begining scenes are gripping and the book is a page turner. I was disappointed in two things, however. When finishing the book, I still had many questions. I was also unnerved by the graphic sexual scenes.

I chose this book as part of a reading assignment for my writing class. I wanted a good ghost story (which, honestly, I can find very few). Even so, when I set out to read a book, I always read all the way through expecting "the payoff" (sometimes it takes a little longer than other books). It just never came. In fact, I had more questions on finishing the story than I'd had beginning it. I also found the sexual scenes very offensive. I thought that carrying through to the end would give some insight as to why this child (demon, thing) was the way she was. For what reason was she trying to entice these people, men and women (I'd even understand it if, for instance, one of the characters did have the inclination to molest children -- sort of a downfall through temptation thing). It didn't make sense to make it such a dominant part of the story or so graphically written. I wanted a horror novel not kiddie porn.

I'm already a big fan of Bentley Little's works and with The House he doesn't disappoint. Five complete strangers from different corners of the U.S. have similar erotic, violent dreams. Supernatural occurences plague each character's hometown. The only connection, unbeknownst to them, is the houses of their childhood, which somehow is the same for each. A large house, ominouse and forboding...

This was a pretty good, original spin on the haunted house tale. Bentley Little knows how to write a fast paced, gore filled story that screams of B-movie. The house and everything else supernatural had a Lovecraftian quality and every action sequence was aptly detailed in Little's trademark, unflinching way. This book reminded me somewhat of William Hope Hodgson's "The House on the Borderland" which is also a great read. The use of dolls was a nice, creepy touch, especially when used as a murder weapon. Grisly, original death scenes kept the story moving. The only snags were in characters lacking dimension (which, in some way, is good) that may annoy readers. This is horror as it is meant to be, laughable, offensive, disturbing, under no circumstances to be taken seriously. The ending wasn't as good as I would have liked, but overall I was entertained. For serious horror fans only.

A supernatural force summons five people to return to their childhood home, a spooky house whose hidden secrets have cast a shadow over their adult lives. There the five strangers must uncover and confront the evil of the house, risking death and damnation to escape its grasp.

This book reads more like a short story than a novel. It is short, superficial and simplistic. That said, it's a good pick if your looking for some trashy shock-horror. At its best its a little spooky. Like when a guy walks into the bathroom of an empty movie theatre and finds fruit salad in the toilet. Makes you think "what kind of a psycho would bring a fruit salad into a public restroom? What deranged mind would then dump it in the toilet? Is he hiding in here, watching my reaction with sick fascination? Since when do they serve fruit salad in theatres?" Brrrr... this gave me the chills. At its worst, it resorts to cheap shock tactics that leave the reader feeling embarassed and insulted. For instance the frequent scenes in which a retarded, demonically-possessed ten year old girl begs for sex. This is handled with such coarseness it kills the suspense generated in other scenes. It feels like the book is setting aside the story for a moment to scream in your face, "Look at how controversial I am!".

If you're looking for a lightning quick, trashy, no-brainer, this book is a great one! Since this is what its intended to be, I can't really fault it. BUT if you are looking for a good haunted house novel, try Hell House, House of Bones or The House that Jack Built, they are far better.

This is my first outing with Mr. Little, and I enjoyed it. Like anything in life, there are things I like and things I don't like about this book. Let me share a few or each.

The plot is basically spelled out on the inner folds of the dust jacket so I won't rehash it here. Besides, half of Columbus' fun would have been thwarted had he known EXACTLY what waited for him across the Atlantic. Just think haunted house with a mission and you know enough without knowing too much. I like the fact that I was over halfway through the book before I gained a true understanding of what it was about. I think the prologue did much for the book, including providing a diversionary "what the hell" tactic. Extremely effective, it.

This book lacks nothing in the visionary/creativity department either. Little's onslaught of horrific ideas and spooky scenarios are nearly as haunting as we think the Houses are. Or is there just one house? (Read the book and find out.) I was impressed with nearly every monster hidden behind every turn of the page. I never realized how scary a smiley face could be. Nor had I ever imagined baking a human head (or enough for a small gathering).

What I didn't like was what I call character detachment. I felt separated from the characters emotionally. I didn't really care what happened to them. They generated no sympathy from me and consequently became window dressing. I'm not sure if there were too many characters for such a short novel if they were simply underdeveloped. This won't spoil anything for you, but they do all meet and it seems very anticlimactic. Imagine how The Stand would have reeked if, once all the characters met up, they spoke sparingly and then went their separate ways. Maybe the story was too plotted and not character-driven. I just know that when it was all said and done I felt cheated. I'd gotten to know no one, at least not their inner personalities.

I'm not a huge fan of his writing style either. He tends to fill pages with one-sentence paragraphs and, while this works wonderfully for the likes of Jack Ketchum, it looses emphasis in this book. Sort of like deadening the senses the way your fire alarm does if it's got a hair trigger that screams when you've toasted you bread a little dark. The one-sentence paragraph might be me nitpicking, but it's all about honesty as far as I'm concerned. His use of passive voice is another matter. Sometimes it's OK. The phrase "Were you raised by wolves?" isn't nearly as effective rewritten "Did wolves raise you?" But Little pushes the envelope and, to my tastes, tears it a little, letting some bad stuff crawl out.

Other than a rather abrupt ending for such a suspenseful novel, I find little else displeasing. I would recommend it, but not for everyone. There's some semi-graphic pedophilia that maybe isn't what it seems but it's still something to hold back from the kiddies until they're old enough to deal with such matters. Let `em read J.K. Rowling or R.L. Stine a few more years. Meanwhile, enjoy this one; it's quite original.