The Place [Paperback]

T. M. Wright (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wright ( The Playground ; The Island ) offers another hallucinatory, episodic, almost plotless story in this novel about bright, self-possessed eight-year-old Greta King, whose daydreams transport her to an idyllic fantasy world. While out for a drive, Greta's father, mother and younger brother are threatened by a madman with a rifle; Greta, meanwhile, is worried when she arrives at an empty home. While she waits at a neighbor's, Greta's father unwittingly tips off the psychopath to her wherabouts. The demented creature sees in Greta a kindred spirit: he too has a dreamworld, blood-red and foul, and it exists at the edges of Greta's blue and lovely one. The man wishes to take Greta into his world--and somewhere between the two is the mysterious place where Greta's mother and brother have been hidden. This eerie, teasing tale, unfolding in dreamlike fashion, clearly depicts Greta's confusion, vulnerability and easy victimization by thoughtless adults.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Thus edition (January 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812502949
• ISBN-13: 978-0812502947
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,854,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't Put It Down, April 4, 2008

By 

a customer (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Place (Paperback)

I recently discovered T.W. Wright while browsing for books at a used book store. I came across Nursery Tale and read it within a couple of days. He is an amazing writing that mixes fantasy and horror very well.

The Place is a very engaging novel. As with Nursery Tales, Wright does not just tell the story from one point-of-view, but several intertwining ones. You get to read about what each character is thinking and why they are doing what they are doing. The plot, yes there is one, has to do with how two highly intelligent individuals (the little girl and the crazed murderer) handle their unique `gifts'.

The story starts with a man and his wife and son driving on an unkempt side road. They get stuck and encounter a man with a gun. The wife and son disappear and the rest of the story is about finding them. I can understand why certain aspects of this story may seem a bit out there. However, this is easily forgiven because the story is so well written.

Overall, highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Place will take your mind places you didn't know existed,, May 31, 2010

By 

- Kasia S. (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Place (Paperback)

This book was quite a find, I got it in an ebay auction when it came in a box of horror books, that happened years ago and suddenly one day I just picked this up had had to read it. My first time reading T.M Wright was a blast, I laughed at some of the scenes and shook my head in surprise, this author certainly has skill and some wild imagination, that's for sure. I absolutely loved the characters of Greta and Mrs. Thompson, my eyes followed their every move and word like a set of puppy dogs, I couldn't ever predict what would be said next. Imagine your family on a trip to their potential new home, gone off the road in search of a short cut, stalked and harassed by a silent stranger that makes the wife and son disappear, now you are the father, you hide and stalk to find your kidnapper and potential killer that might be next to you, hiding and waiting in the familiar dark forest, playing a game of sorts, one that you don't know the rules to. This is what happens to the King's, their nine year old Greta is on a school bus but pretty soon something happens, they don't come back, something snap inside of Greta and she knows, something is wrong, what happens next is just wild, but also a lot of fun.

The Place is a real phenomenon in this book, once the reader starts they get an introduction to it and later some more insight, it's a wild and twisted journey but one that I have enjoyed, it's best to simply pick it up and read it, it's different from most books out there, more reminiscent of my favorite 80's horror with no apologies and full of force of some good, intense writing. This is story is like a fusion of Agatha Christie, Stephen King and Salvador Dali all in print form, strange and mysterious at the same time, you can't wait to find what happens next.

- Kasia S.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, bland title, July 27, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: The Place (Paperback)

I almost skipped this one. A "Publishers Weekly" reviewer called this book hallucinatory, episodic, and almost plotless. However, I eventually took a shot and read the book because I liked many of Wright's other books. I'm glad I changed my mind. I wouldn't call "The Place" plotless (or even "hallucinatory," though some of his books are). It's actually pretty suspenseful.

One of the Amazon customers indicated that the second half of the book is pretty bad. I don't agree. It's a great story up to about page 220. The final 58 pages *are* a slight disappointment. I think the ending was drawn out a little too much.

Otherwise the book is great, except for the bland and generic title. (Good cover art, though.)

I also recommend Wright's other books, particularly "Goodlow's Ghosts," "Sleepeasy," and "The Devouring." (This last one was written under the pseudonym F.W. Armstrong.)