Customer Reviews

Shadows in the Asylum: The Case Files of Dr. Charles Marsh

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I'm not a big fan of horror books, but if you liked the Twilight Zone, you will love this book. It has the single most important ingredient for a horror book: believabilty. You don't have to believe in the supernatural to enjoy this book; you just have to believe that there are those who do. The author does the rest, moving the plot and the characters along beautifully. The mystery and tension build quickly as Dr. Charles Marsh learns about his young patient. Does he begin to believe her because he is scientifically convinced that she is not hallucinating, or is his judgment impaired by his growing love for her (not to mention the drugs)?

The format of the book is a big part of the fun. This is not a straight narrative, but a collection of "documents;" some are handwritten notes, some transcripts of patient therapy sessions, some strange and oddly realistic excerpts from other "books". We get to know the characters quickly and easily through these documents, and the plot barrels along to the surprising and satisfying conclusion.

When any given publisher releases a book with a theme in which it specializes, such a work does not necessarily warrant attention; chaff gets pretty thoroughly mixed with palatable morsels in many cases, and this is as true with horror -- more true, perhaps -- than with many other genres. But when a reputable regional publisher releases a bona fide horror title, it makes a conscientious fan wonder whether it might not be worth a closer look.

This is certainly the case with Emmis Books' Shadows in the Asylum: The Case Files of Dr. Charles Marsh, an innovative work written by D.A. Stern, bestselling author of a number of Blair Witch Project adaptations and spinoffs. Not only does it warrant a closer look, its innovative structure both encourages and compels one.

Unlike more traditional books, Shadows in the Asylum's story unfolds in the form of a variety of documents, including medical records, newspaper clippings, historical documents, journal entries, email messages, and even the scribbled notes of its central character. This makes a passive reading of the book difficult and challenges the reader to glean the information that will reveal the secrets contained within its pages.

Events in the book revolve around the title Dr. Charles Marsh, a man with a dark past who has recently assumed a position as a psychologist at an asylum in Wisconsin. Marsh soon develops an interest in one of the institution's patients, a woman who suffered a mental breakdown while on an archaeological dig in northern Wisconsin and now claims to be haunted by spectral monsters. From that point onward, the lines between patient and healer begin to blur, and Marsh is inexorably drawn into a struggle with his uncertainty about what is real and what is imaginary, and what can be addressed with the tools of science and what cannot.

While the works of horror master H.P. Lovecraft are evoked by the contents of this book -- and, along with the Blair Witch Project, invoked by the publisher in its promotional and backflap materials -- discerning readers will also detect the influence of an earlier by equally seminal father of the genre: Bram Stoker, whose Dracula is a compilation of diary entries, letters, newspaper articles, phonograph transcripts, and the like. Shadows in the Asylum takes this concept a step further by presenting it graphically as well as textually. (A technique, by the way, that would make this book an ideal prop for live-action horror roleplaying games like Cthulhu Live.)

It would not be right to include any spoilers or give away any surprises here, and so this review will forgo providing too many details of the horror that lurks at the roots of this compelling story (although the most fanatic horror aficionados already know what sort of creatures lurk in the cold wastes of the upper Midwest ...). For those looking for that exceptional work that transcends what they have come to expect from an often dissatisfying genre, however, suffice it to say that Shadows in the Asylum will not disappoint.

I changed my review of this book about 3 times before removing most of it. I initially had some spoilers, but decided against including them. I'd really love to discuss this book with someone, to see if I interpreted things correctly while it is all fresh in my head. Not much left of my review after removing the spoilers... I thought the book's content/plot was better than average. The manner in which the content was delivered was superb! As someone with slight ADHD, the book pulled me in, and kept my mind from wandering. That had a lot to do with the way the material was presented. One page would be a patient/doctor session transcript and the next page would be a copy of an email sent from someone to the main character. I'd love to read more books presented in this manner. If you buy this and find you are one of the rare few who finds the first couple dozen or so pages boring, please hang in there. I promise that when the storyline kicks into overdrive, you will not be able to put the book down. I was up till 3:00 AM this morning finishing the book. FYI, I am somewhat of a slow reader and it took me about 5 hours to get through the book.

I bought this yesterday and finished it today and I have to say I was blown away. When first purchasing the book I was a bit hesitant, thinking of how very wrong D.A. Stern could have gotten it. It would be so very easy to make a collection of documents boring. This book reminded me why I love horror so much. It brought back the feelings I had when first reading Lovecraft's many stories. I just can't stop talking about this book. I recommend it to any and all horror lovers, especially fans of Lovecraft.

I bought this book in April of 07. I have been in contact with the author and Emmis Publishing because this book is fantastic! Since I am a theatre director I thought that this book would make a great play, it plays so visually even though a lot of exposition is written in e-mail or recorded therapy "transcripts." Our high school repertory theatre company has commissioned the book to be written into a play and will be opening in December of 07. Mr. Stern is able to take the somewhat unbelievable events of this Psychiatric Institute and infuse them with believability and real relationships between the characters. That is why I wanted to adapt this book into play form. Please go buy this book if you are into supernatural fiction that "feels" real. Every page looks and reads like it was pulled away from some dusty bin and has been thrust upon your lap.

A great piece of horror fiction and a thrilling new way to "write!"

I was looking for a book about asylums in general, but after reading the Amazon reviews on this book, I decided to order it.

Looking for a fiction book that makes you FORGET that it's fiction? This book will not disappoint! I found myself engrossed with reading and re-reading the copies of transcripts, handwritten notes and newspaper clippings which seemed so real, that at times I felt like I was one of the characters trying to solve the mystery. Plus, just when you think you've got it figured out, it takes another turn. I won't give away any spoilers...but trust me. It was chilling.

I could NOT put this book down once I started reading it. Just ask my husband. We didn't end up eating dinner until 10:00 PM!

Yep! I Loved it!

I saw this book on the shelf at random. After flipping through it, I was intrigued by the format in which it was written. Essentially, the story is told through a collection of primary and secondary source documents. You are reading through a collection of documents in the files of the fictional Dr. Marsh. The documents include psychiatric session transcripts, brochures, magazine articles, handwritten notes, etc.The documents were designed by a graphic artist and appear authentic. The sprawling narartive reminds me of Mark Z. Danielewski's HOUSE OF LEAVES. D.A. Stern manages to tell a very haunting story through various forms of documents. It puts the reader in the place of an investigator. The reader goes through the journey alongside Dr. Marsh as he investigates the curious happenings at a mental institution. D.A. Stern treats the readers with intelligence; he leaves clues sprinkled throughout that all come together in the end to take the reader to the chilling conclusion. It dabbles in folklore, metaphysical musings, and medical examination. This book was completely satisfying and left me looking for more original writings by D.A. Stern. Sadly, most of his works are novelizations of TV shows and movies. Hopefully, D.A. Stern will return to original storytelling again soon.