Shop top categories that ship internationally
This item cannot be shipped to your selected delivery location. Please choose a different delivery location.
Similar items shipping to Austria
AT
Austria
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Elizabeth Hand
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Wylding Hall Hardcover – July 1, 2015

by Elizabeth Hand (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 1,415 ratings
See all formats and editions
After the tragic and mysterious death of one of their founding members, the young musicians in a British acid-folk band hole up at Wylding Hall, an ancient country house with its own dark secrets. There they record the classic album that will make their reputation but at a terrifying cost, when Julian Blake, their lead singer, disappears within the mansion and is never seen again. Now, years later, each of the surviving musicians, their friends and lovers (including a psychic, a photographer, and the band s manager) meets with a young documentary filmmaker to tell his or her own version of what happened during that summer but whose story is the true one? And what really happened to Julian Blake? "Elizabeth Hand s Wylding Hall is not only beautifully written, but also a story about the essences of an age past that still haunt the bucolic reaches of England s countryside. The pagan elements utilized for their creepy and mythopoeic presence more than outright horror, the resulting story is Robert Johnson standing at the crossroads of British folk. Heaven can be touched, but you must pay the dark spirits of nature, not the devil.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    146 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    PS Publishing
  4. Publication date
    July 1, 2015
  5. ISBN-10
    1848638930
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1848638938
  7. See all details
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
1,415 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the story suspenseful and interesting. They describe the book as a delightful, fun read with well-written prose that keeps them curious. Readers appreciate the fast-paced yet slow-burning story with a hint of mystery. The characters are varied and interesting, with clear yet distinct voices. The gothic style and atmosphere are also praised, with giant fireplaces and Gothic dreamlike house settings.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Suspenseful storyEnjoymentWriting stylePacingCharacter varietyGothic stylePerspectiveAtmosphere
104 customers mention "Suspenseful story"87 positive17 negative

Customers find the story engaging and suspenseful. They describe it as a haunting, Gothic tale about folk traditions. The premise is interesting and the author creates an eerie atmosphere through the characters.

"...Elizabeth Hand even creates an eerie, haunting atmosphere, just from the characters’ present-day reflections, retelling odd occurrences that..." Read more

"...This approach gives the story immediacy, intimacy and an in-the-moment quality that is effective...." Read more

"...That said, the story itself is haunting, and the girl, who is the mystery figure here, was truly chilling, and I couldn't stop thinking about her..." Read more

"Elizabeth Hand's brilliant horror novella is told as an oral history of a 1970s British psychedelic folk band called Windhollow Faire...." Read more

56 customers mention "Enjoyment"49 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it delightful, compelling, and fun to read. The book is described as brilliant, engaging, and a must-read for fans of the author's work.

"...I found the novella very effective, a surreal ghost story and compelling read...." Read more

"...I'm sure this is a must-read for fans of her work, and it may be that it simply isn't the best intro...." Read more

"...This is a fantastic book, deliciously weird, and perfect for any reader who loves slow, subtle, creepy horror...." Read more

"...I am definitely going to check out Hand’s other books. This one is fun to read, an amazing tale and highly recommended. I urge you to read it now...." Read more

50 customers mention "Writing style"47 positive3 negative

Customers find the writing style engaging and poetic. They appreciate the varied perspectives and sharp writing that keeps the story moving along. The author does a good job of detailing the creepy house and making everything seem realistic.

"...Wylding Hall is written as a present-day documentary; all the key players are interviewed individually, commenting on others’ interviews or..." Read more

"...This story is structured as a series of interviews, supposedly for a documentary about the folk band Windhollow Faire and its final album Wylding..." Read more

"...The way the writer brings in various elements of folk story and music was lovely: I am still thinking about the Wren and the hunting of the wrens..." Read more

"...book, deliciously weird, and perfect for any reader who loves slow, subtle, creepy horror...." Read more

23 customers mention "Pacing"23 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book. They find it quick but enjoyable, with a slow build to the mystery. The setting is well-developed and the imagery is gorgeous.

"...This is a fantastic book, deliciously weird, and perfect for any reader who loves slow, subtle, creepy horror...." Read more

"...ethereal, Gothic tale that pulls you in and holds on to you until the last page...." Read more

"...and stories that let you decide what happened, pick up a copy of the fast-paced, award-winning Wylding Hall. It's a fun way to spend an hour or two." Read more

"...They are all well-developed and unique from each other, but I will also say that they are a little tough to get a grasp on--to picture distinctly in..." Read more

18 customers mention "Character variety"15 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the variety of characters in the book. They find the characters interesting, solid, and well-developed. The band is a mix of personalities, all skilled musicians and young. The multiple actors contribute to character reliability.

"...The characters are varied and interesting, as are the snippets of folk song history...." Read more

"...The band is a mix of personalities, all skilled musicians, and all very young...." Read more

"...Beyond the five band members, the estate, Wilding Hall, is a character unto itself...." Read more

"...They are all well-developed and unique from each other, but I will also say that they are a little tough to get a grasp on--to picture distinctly in..." Read more

17 customers mention "Gothic style"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's gothic style. They find the house in the country appealing with its Gothic features like cathedral ceilings and large fireplaces. The book is presented as a beautiful dust-jacketed hardcover.

"...The hall is surrounded by natural beauty and awash in dark secrets...." Read more

"...This supernatural mystery features a decaying, stately country house, a folk band on the cusp of celebrity and a record that soars to popularity,..." Read more

"...The master of Wylding Hall is cruel, capricious, beautiful, bizarre, monstrous, and all-powerful...." Read more

"...The house is a Gothic dream. There are giant fireplaces. Cathedral ceilings in the Great Hall...." Read more

14 customers mention "Perspective"11 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the varied perspectives and interpretations of events in the book. They find the first-person narration clear and inspiring. The book serves as a reminder of the 1970s English folk scene.

"...wonders in how it introduces us to the characters and shows us their perspective of events (and their interpretations) all these years later...." Read more

"...Elizabeth Hand's story is told in alternating points of view...." Read more

"...of so we know we're not alone in the dark." It's beautiful and hopeful and inspiring, because while there is the implication of things that go..." Read more

"...Each of the first person points of view is unique—and there's nine of them, with a few supporting cast members adding their voices to the bands' and..." Read more

13 customers mention "Atmosphere"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book has a rich, atmospheric setting that builds unease. They describe it as an ethereal Gothic tale that draws them in. The stones and bricks of the ancient castle have their own aura. Macabre images strike home with the author's carefully crafted imagery.

"...Hand’s writing has its moments of poetic, lyrical beauty, creating lush summer days and chilly, atmospheric nights...." Read more

"Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand is an atmospheric, ethereal, Gothic tale that pulls you in and holds on to you until the last page...." Read more

"...The word that best describes this novella is haunting. It's not overdone, not trying to invoke dread where none is present, but there's this quiet..." Read more

"...with its eternally fair summer weather and distortions of time and space within and without the manor itself...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Chris
    5.0 out of 5 stars A haunting modern take on the traditional ghost story
    Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    It’s England, summer of 1972. The acid-folk band Windhollow Faire is reeling from the apparent suicide of former singer Arianna, which is why their manager compels them to hole up at an old manor in the country to write and record their next LP. Wylding Hall, it’s called, an ancient building; part of it dates back to the Norman Conquest. The hall is surrounded by natural beauty and awash in dark secrets. Nobody from the band could predict what would happen next: the sudden and strange disappearance of lead singer/songwriter Julian Blake…

    Now, decades later, a young documentary filmmaker wants to tell the story of Wylding Hall and Julian’s disappearance, interviewing the surviving musicians, their manager, their ex-lovers. Each tells their own versions of what happened that fateful summer, dredging up old memories filtered through personal biases, nostalgia, and the passage of time. The details begin to add up, though it brings us no closer to finding the mystery of Julian Blake. Whose story, if any, is true? What happened to Julian Blake? And what about that strange girl who appeared out of nowhere, and vanished with Blake into the nothingness from which she came?

    Wylding Hall is written as a present-day documentary; all the key players are interviewed individually, commenting on others’ interviews or responding to questions from a filmmaker/interviewer who never appears in the text. These characters look back on a halcyon summer that turned into a surreal mystery; some seekers of the occult read supernatural influences into the matter, while non believers take more rational approaches. And I have to say, that documentary approach is masterful. It feels so authentic and real, like the author was writing a transcript of a real show and not just a novella. It also works wonders in how it introduces us to the characters and shows us their perspective of events (and their interpretations) all these years later.

    Elizabeth Hand even creates an eerie, haunting atmosphere, just from the characters’ present-day reflections, retelling odd occurrences that happened while they recorded their breakthrough album. It’s not a scary horror story by any means, a methodical ghost story that uses its rich atmosphere to build unease. You start to get strange feelings as certain themes or details pop up in the musicians’ interviews, things that they may not have even picked up on. Different characters saw pieces of the puzzle, and only we as readers are lucky enough to see it all put together. And even then, the details are hazy and incomplete… the “true” story of Julian Blake may never be known.

    I found the novella very effective, a surreal ghost story and compelling read. Its view of the ’70s folk-rock scene feels authentic and genuine, and that look into ’70s counterculture helped draw me in even though it’s not something I’m that familiar with. Elizabeth Hand’s writing has its moments of poetic, lyrical beauty, creating lush summer days and chilly, atmospheric nights. The novella won the Shirley Jackson Award, and for good reason: this novella is a gem. If you are a fan of ghost stories, weird tales, or supernatural fiction, this is one you should read. Fans of ’70s psychedelic folk may also get a kick out of it.
    11 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jeannette Hartman
    4.0 out of 5 stars An atmospheric modern ghost story
    Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Elizabeth Hand is a gifted teller of dark, spooky stories. This supernatural mystery features a decaying, stately country house, a folk band on the cusp of celebrity and a record that soars to popularity, wanes and then becomes a cult favorite.

    This story is structured as a series of interviews, supposedly for a documentary about the folk band Windhollow Faire and its final album Wylding Hall. What has given the band lasting notoriety is that immediately after the record was produced, the band's leading singer/song writer Julian Blake vanishes without a trace.

    This approach gives the story immediacy, intimacy and an in-the-moment quality that is effective. It allows the story to be told from different perspectives. The characters are varied and interesting, as are the snippets of folk song history.

    The plot is a classic ghost story of the sort you might tell around a campfire. But Hand's modernization and talents as a story teller give it freshness and interest that it wouldn't otherwise have.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Desert Mambo
    3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings about this haunting tale
    Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is the first book of Hand's I have read, and I'm both drawn to her writing now--the story itself intrigued me--and also a bit repelled by her style. I'll start with the negatives first: this story should probably not have been told as an interview by all the survivors (not giving anything away by saying that: we learn "what happens" very quickly. I was very put off by the chapters that included very short segments by different narrators. It was a tough opening for this novella, and I did think about simply not continuing. I couldn't keep the characters straight at they had not become developed as characters yet (and frankly, some of the band members never were very well developed at all), and had to keep going back to check the dramatis personae (which is annoying in an ebook). About mid-way through, the sections got longer, which made for easier reading, but I still think this book suffers from too many points of view, especially since all those points of view were crammed into individual chapters (sometimes 4 or 5 characters might "speak" in one chapter, which is really too much. There's a reason most novels that use multiple povs do so in individual chapters, rather than switching pov in a single chapter). Too many characters and too many povs also meant that many story strands were never fully developed: I wanted to know a little bit more about where the characters were in the "present" of the novel, especially as that and many other things were alluded to but not developed further (such as the dig on the burial chamber). So in some ways, this was a frustrating read for me (though it did get better about midway through).

    That said, the story itself is haunting, and the girl, who is the mystery figure here, was truly chilling, and I couldn't stop thinking about her afterwards. The way the writer brings in various elements of folk story and music was lovely: I am still thinking about the Wren and the hunting of the wrens (a tradition I knew a bit about, but will look into more after reading this novel), and how that connected with the overall story. I haven't stopped thinking about those elements of the novella since I read it, a sign of an intriguing and haunting story.

    So I have mixed feelings about this book, but I am glad I read it. I might try more of this author's work--I know she is quite well respected, but I haven't been able to quite connect with her work previously. I'm sure this is a must-read for fans of her work, and it may be that it simply isn't the best intro. to her work for people like me, who have read nothing else of hers. A haunting story, worth taking a chance on if you can get through the constant shifting of povs. (I do think this novella might have worked better as a short story with less pov shifting).

    And the premise of this book reminded me very much of a novel I love by Phil Rickman, December, which covers much of the same ground: a group of musicians going to a haunted place to record music. For those who are interested in the era, in the connection between music and folktales, I'd recommend that novel, too. I found the characters much better developed in that (longer) novel.
    37 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • lostlobo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Spuk auf zarten Schwingen
    Reviewed in Germany on June 8, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Nicht immer muss das Grauen tentakelbewehrt oder vor Reißzähnen und Klauen starrend auf den Plan treten. Nein, es kann sich auch zierlich und verletzlich manifestieren – wie ein zartes Vögelchen…

    Gehen wir zurück in die frühen 70er. Flowerpower steht in Hochblüte. Sex, Drugs and Rock n‘ Roll auch. Oder in diesem Fall der traditionsbetontere Acid Folk. Der Manager der Band Windhollow Faire hat im entlegensten ruralen Hampshire – fernab vom Trubel des Swinging London – ein altes, prächtiges, aber desolates Herrenhaus für seine fünf Schützlinge – vier Männer und eine Frau – angemietet: Wylding Hall.

    Dort soll die Band ungestört und vom Genius loci des antiken Gemäuers inspiriert an ihrem zweiten Album arbeiten. Alle Mitglieder von Windhollow Faire stehen in ihren späten Teenager-Jahren; sind hoch motiviert, ebenso talentiert und kreativ. Doch einer sticht als primus inter pares heraus: Julian, Singer/Songwriter und Leadgitarrist.

    Er ist blass, großgewachsen, scheu, verabscheut Berührungen und trägt den Nimbus den unnahbaren Genies mit sich. Kein anderer Musiker seiner Zeit entlockt der Gitarre Klänge wie er. Gepaart mit seiner einzigartigen Stimme erzeugt dies ein fast anderweltliches auditives Erlebnis. Er kann singen, als würde er sanft, aber bestimmt beschwören. Und Julian interessiert sich für Magie, für magick mit k, die dunkleren Seiten der okkulten Kunst…
    Eines Tages ist dieser Schöngeist verschwunden, aus seinem Schlafgemach, wie vom Erdboden verschluckt. Niemand weiß, wohin oder wieso. Kurz zuvor erschien ein Mädchen: schweigsam, platinblondes Haar, sonderbare Augen, Alabaster-Teint, barfuß, in ein altertümlich weißes Kleid gewandet…

    Die auf 148 Seiten verteilten 19 kurzen Kapitel des Buches sind in einem imaginären Interviewstil gehalten. Die anderen vier Bandmitglieder schildern abwechselnd die Vorkommnisse vor, während und nach Julians Verschwinden, so als würden sie dazu befragt. Hinzu kommen die Zeugnisse einer Musikjournalistin, einer medial veranlagten Frau, eines örtlichen Hobbyfotografen sowie des Managers.

    „Wylding Hall“ ist eine haunted house story vom Allerfeinsten. Das unheilschwangere Anwesen inmitten der sommerlich blühenden Natur mit ihren bunten Blüten und zwitschernden Vögel stellt einen Kontrapunkt dar. Das Gebäude ist weitläufig, mit vielen verästelten Korridoren, in denen man sich – von Angstgefühlen befallen – leicht verirren kann. Niemand wohnt seit geraumer Zeit darin, zumindest nichts Menschliches. Wylding Hall hält versteckte Räume parat, die an einem Tag zugänglich sind, am anderen nicht. Nachts kann es vorkommen, dass Geräusche hoch oben im Gebälk mulmige Gefühle auslösen, so als wollte etwas aus dem Gemäuer entweichen. Vielleicht aber auch möchte es hinein…

    Die einzelnen Trakte des Herrenhauses stammen aus verschiedenen Epochen: viktorianisch, elisabethanisch, Normannenstil. Sogar Mauern der Angelsachsen trotzen der Zeit. Und es geht noch weiter, viel weiter zurück in die Vergangenheit…

    Das Buch ist sehr schön produziert. Das Innenhardcover zeigt einen Zaunkönig vor verschlossenem Fenster. Dieser kleine Wren und seine Artgenossen spielen eine tragende Rolle zum Verständnis der Vorkommnisse, auf die Texte uralter Folksongs Hinweise hinterließen.

    Unheilschwanger, gespenstisch, poetisch, vergänglich und ewig zugleich. Ich wage zu behaupten, dass Elizabeth Hand mit „Wylding Hall“ einen Genre-Klassiker der feinen Klinge – oder besser: Feder – abgeliefert hat. One for the ages. Möge jede/r seine oder ihre Interpretation der Geschichte finden!
    Report
  • Clarebobacus
    5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting story about haunted musicians
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Haunting, folky mystery that stayed in my mind for a long time after. The story blending 60s folk rock band shenanigans with a traditional English superstition is creepy, intense and creates a real sense of impending doom. The scene regarding the photography for the album cover is terrifying. Very original book, I want more from Elizabeth Hand, she casts a spell with her words. Would love to see this made into a film by Ben Wheatley.
    Report
  • Falke
    5.0 out of 5 stars Underrated Modern Classic
    Reviewed in Germany on April 11, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Most haunted house stories have the same formula, but this one is not like the other thousands of those haunted house books. The things that are written aren't extremely scary, but the way everything is taped togheter makes its one of most creepy books of all time. The ending is excellent and it left me creeped out
    Report
  • Anne
    4.0 out of 5 stars Short but spooky
    Reviewed in Canada on May 25, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    A short but creepy little novella. I love haunted house stories, and this was a well-written, unsettling tale. An ambiguous ending, though, but it didn’t spoil the book for me.
    Report
  • SMNZ
    3.0 out of 5 stars Don't Believe The Hype
    Reviewed in Australia on December 20, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    A good read but don't believe the hype - this is not the next Haunting of Hill House or anything close.
    Just feels a little underdone to me.
    (Plus, when the cover of the book is supposed to be the cover of the album, shouldn't the image match the description? It's not like it's a spoiler. LAZY DESIGN work.)
    Report