Commissioned to paint a portrait at the Woolvercombe House, painter Tom Rigsby is drawn into the secluded mansion's maze of horror and mystery. Original.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
As requested, a review that includes a plotline,
By
This review is from: The Reaping (Paperback)
A recent comment on another review of this book asked the reviewer, who had posted his or her feedback several years ago, to revise the review to tell potential readers of The Reaping what the book is about. Since that reviewer is unlikely to revise a review written that long ago, I'll take up the task here.
Overall, this book was excellent. Unlike the one-star reviewer here, I didn't find the book boring in the least. It does start off slow, to be sure, and there is sometimes a lot of explanation for things that really doesn't need to be there, but those are hallmarks of Taylor's style. I've also read The Godsend and Evil Intent, and both of those books start off exactly the same way but are intriguing pieces of work. One must also keep in mind that this is British horror, which tends to be far more psychological and less "in your face" than most American horror, outside of the novels of Charles L. Grant. So, what's this book about? An artist, Tom Rigby, lost his wife several years prior to the opening of the story to cancer, and he is raising four children with the help of his older sister while also running a successful art and framing shop in London. Rigby is a talented painter, and the personal secretary of a rich woman named Miss Stewart notices his work at a neighborhood art showing. The secretary commissions Rigby to paint the portrait of Miss Stewart's great-niece, Catherine. Rigby travels to the countryside outside Bath to paint the portrait, but all is not what it seems. Strange goings-on, including a seemingly abusive chauffeur and a group of odd nuns on the grounds of Miss Stewart's manor house, are perplexing, and Miss Stewart herself is an enigma. Toward the end of his stay, Rigby is so disturbed by events in and around the manor that he can't wait to get away from the property. I won't go into more detail here, as I would spoil the second half of the novel and give away the nice twist of an ending. I will say, however, that one flaw in the book is keeping me from giving it five stars. The book ends far too abruptly with not enough explanation as to why the things that happen at the end of the book work the way they do. Things just happen, and one is truly left wondering.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book by a Great Writer!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Reaping (Paperback)
Super suspenseful story written by a great but sadly overlooked author who is just as good as Stephen King or Koontz, personally I think he's better. Read; The Godsend, Sweetheart Sweetheart, Madeline, Mother's Boys they are all 5 star books ...
3.0 out of 5 stars
Painting Portraits isn't as Safe a Career as You Might Think,
By
This review is from: The Reaping (Mass Market Paperback)
First published in 1980, The Reaping is one of the harder Bernard Taylor novels to come across. It's not the best of this horror writer masters work, a lengthy number of chapters setting up the second half of the story may leave first time Taylor readers wondering what all his hype was about and maybe not sticking with it to the good parts. But it is worthwhile reading if you can obtain it for a decent price.
Tom Rigby runs a small pictures and supplies shop, even though it is profitable enough to employ six staff, his financial future is looking pretty bleak and as an artist it isn't the successful life as a painter he had dreamed of. He's also recently got a girlfriend but she seems more disappointed in him every day and has chosen to take up an opportunity to work as a makeup artist on a film in another country rather than go on holiday with him. Tom's temporary excitement as finally getting his paintings into an exhibition has also been shattered by the quality of the event and the other participating artists art. However the exhibition did impress upon a staff member of Woolvercombe Mansion whose elderly owner Miss Stewart, is after someone to paint her great niece's portrait. Woolvercombe is within commuting distance to Tom's house so he will have to live there. Since his girlfriends is not in the country and the money is good but it is not long after moving in that Tom discovers weird occurrences such as nuns living in a forbidden area of the property who don't quite act like nuns, violent servant staff and that's just the start of his terror. Taylor is one of the best horror writers out there, he hasn't written a great body of work and his brilliance of bringing pure evil to the pages, although not captured in this novel should definitely be explored with masterpieces such as Evil Intent, Sweetheart, Sweetheart, Madeleine and Mother's Boys.
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