Customer Reviews

The Painted Darkness

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THE PAINTED DARKNESS: Novella Review

Grade: A

Before reading The Painted Darkness, I had heard of Brian James Freeman before. He'd published (or is about to publish) a handful of books with Cemetery Dance publications, and is currently one of the editors of the Cemetery Dance magazine. He's gone by several names--James Kidman, Brian Freeman, and finally Brian James Freeman. (He says he's sticking with the latter.) But...I'd never really read him before. His other novella, Blue November Storms, has long been OOP from Cemetery Dance, and his Leisure novel, Black Fire, is stuck somewhere in the Everest that is my To-Be-Read mountain. The only work I'd read by him previous to The Painted Darkness was a short story, "One More Day", in Shivers V--and, to put it frankly, I thought it paled in comparison to the other talent held in that anthology.

Yet here in The Painted Darkness, Freeman has obviously matured much as a writer since my last encounter with his work. The Painted Darkness reads like something Stephen King would put into words; something that a well-renowned author who has had years to hone his writing would write. It reads like a master of the craft has written it.

Freeman uses the novella format to tell his story, switching back and forth between the present and the past. It works great; and because the story isn't novel-length, the constant switching never becomes tiresome.

The plot tells the tale of Henry, a man who doesn't realize just how much of his childhood is left inside of him, buried under several layers of fear and sorrow. That's all I'll say; since the book isn't very long readers should go in unprepared for what they're about to experience. As for the experience itself: well, let's just say that Freeman knows how to slowly build his mysteries, adding layer after layer of fright and wonder into them. The final chapters of The Painted Darkness will fly by as you delve into Henry's world of imagination and terror.

So I'd never really read Brian James Freeman before. I'd never actually taken the time to dig up his works. Now, after experiencing the darkness? I can only see him going uphill from here.

I opened this compelling novella late one evening with the intention of reading a few pages and then getting off the computer to watch a movie. Many pages later, I was still online and reading, the movie long since forgotten. I finished the tale the next day and promptly began to seek out other fiction by Freeman. A bundle of short stories to read via Kindle software are now waiting in my laptop and I'm looking forward to meeting up with this writer again in the dark corners of the imagination. I'd recommend you do the same.

Up until now, Brian James Freeman (aka James Kidman and Brian Freeman) has flown (somewhat) under the radar. Well, no more. He's long been one of the best horror and suspense writers around. His novel Black Fire (a finalist for the Bram Stoker award) is a great example, as is his previous novella "Blue November Storms," and a handful of amazing short stories (including my personal favorite, "Answering the Call," from Borderlands 5). Brian's prose is crisp and clean, smoother than anything this side of Ray Bradbury. He has often drawn comparisons to Stephen King, and the sense of nostalgia that colors his work certainly yields this comparison, but the focus of his writing differs. He is much closer to Bradbury or the late Charles L. Grant than King.

The Painted Darkness flip flops between two timelines. In one, Henry, a child, lives what will become the most significant day of his young life. The sense of foreboding and childhood innocence in this timeline is nearly unmatched in modern literature. In the other he is an adult, an artist, and haunted by what he sees in his current work, a past he cannot remember, and what he senses is hiding in the basement. In this timeline, Freeman trades in foreboding and innocence for flourishes of insanity, dread, and terror. The contrast--and the way these plots work together--enhances each timeline, each building upon the other, before reaching a brilliant and heartbreaking conclusion.

Freeman is at the forefront of modern literary horror. If you're looking for blood and guts, he may not be for you, but if you're looking for the kind of stories that made horror the cultural phenomenon it was in the late '70's and early '80's, with writers like King, Straub, McCammon, Bradbury, Ellison, Ramsey Campbell, and Grant, then he's the best you're likely to find. Freeman's writing makes you think, but more importantly it makes you feel.

I strongly recommend The Painted Darkness.

Written in a style reminiscent of Stephen King, The Painted Darkness by Brian James Freeman takes the reader on a harrowing, suspense-building, and maddening journey into the mind and world of Henry. During the course of the ride, you will meet both adult Henry and childhood Henry as both stories, separate at first, become increasingly and seamlessly entwined as the book progresses.

Henry paints against the darkness. He doesn't know why and he has no recollection of the terrible and horrific events that happened during his childhood that led to his obsession. After an argument with his wife leaves him alone in the middle of a violent winter storm, Henry must face the monsters from his childhood that have seemingly and impossibly found their way into his cellar if he is to survive.

The Painted Darkness is a creepy, spooky, descent into madness that will have you turning the pages well into the night just as long as you remember to read with a light on.

Freeman is right up there with the best of them. King, Koontz, Bradbury, Clegg, etc. I can see this as a movie. Is anyone in the industry listening.?? Thank you for making this available for free. I wouldn't be SCARED to buy his books anymore. Great job.

I had finished my text version of this story earlier this week and I am grateful to had read this on. Thank you Briane. I have took the liberty of purchasing this to my collection and will read more of his work from past and present. Greatful for your gift of The Painted Darkness. One of your respected readers ~Waylon M. From Washington.

What a great way to get to know an author you may not have read before. Thank you Cemetary Dance and Brian James Freeman for making the book available in these online formats. I downloaded the eBook pdf and then the audio so I could enjoy both. The beginning narration of the audio calls back memories of The Twilight Zone series and I could almost hear Rod Serling as the story began to unfold. The eBook version has many great additions which add another level of enjoyment for you, dear reader. Enjoy, and BEWARE OF BUNNIES WITH RED EYES!!!

Tim Martin says......You Will Not Be Disappointed so buy this book and read it!!! You will not be disappointed or bored...Well worth a read and well worth the purchase price.

For being a novella the author is able to paint quite a picture and draw you into the story. The ending did not feel rushed or cheapened in any way, which is sometimes the case, with short stories or novellas.

Freeman is definitely an up and comer and I hope to see more from him in the very near future.

Something happens...Is it real or is it not? Years, later you paint... the same event from a different angle. Everything around you is charged with a sense of foreboding... Is it a memory or a just a trick? Do you remember what you saw or do you see what you think/want to remember? Is it or is it not? Was it or wasn't it?

The Painted Darkness is all of the above... and when the last page is turned you are left with the question: Can I really paint the Darkness away...?

Excellent!

The Painted DarknessBeautifully written by Brian James Freeman "The Painted Darkness" takes us on a man's quest to deal with his "Painter's Block". He's in his 20's now and has a family of his own. He is also a successful artist that draws beautiful dark paintings. Brian James Freeman quite deftly weaves the painter's flashbacks from childhood then back to the present while the painter searches for the reason why he can no longer paint. As a child something terrible happened to him that changed his life forever. This fear of remembering is as strong as any child's fear of looking under the bed to see what monster may be lying in wait, and all of us as children can remember that! The painter must come to terms as to what happened that day. He knows he was in the woods behind the house but he eventually he forgot it. He also knows unless he remembers what happened, he may never be able to paint again, but even more terrifying there may be a lot more at risk than his career. He could lose his family because his family lives in a house where something terrible lives in it's basement. The painter, Henry, can remember one thing, "I painted against the darkness", but what was it? Why does it scare him so. Will he remember in time? AND, most importantly what happened to the little innocent child he used to be? Published by Cemetery Dance Publications the masters of publishing works of horror, this tale will pull you in and have you up all night. You won't want to put it down until you learn what happened to Henry as a child and what is lurking in the dark of the basement. Will Henry remember in time and confront the past, to save his family and his future.