"The Shunned House"

"The Shunned House"
by H.P. Lovecraft


Synopsis:
Our narrator investigates the strange history of a local house.  What is the origin of its troubled past?  Will it remain shunned forever?  


My Reaction (with SPOILERS):
This was a shared "stopgap" read with Donald. 

Strengths:
The build-up to the narrator's first-hand account of his time in the house.  The creepiness of the house's history.  The faux-historical atmosphere of "this really happened".  The totally bizarre and unexpected nature of the discovery under the cellar. 

Weaknesses:
The pseudo-science.  The fact that I still am not completely sure what in the heck was under the house. 

I mean, really.  What was that?!  It had a physical body, apparently... but it was huge.   I was expecting it to be some version of a vampire-- and maybe that's what it was meant to be-- but it's a very odd vampire.  More of a cross between/among vampire, demon, and subterranean giant than a New World Dracula.  The vampire/demon mix is creepy as all get-out, but the ground-dwelling giant aspect was so weird that it weakened the denouement (for me, at least). 


Not Lovecraft's best, by all accounts, but interesting enough-- especially considering that it's just a long short story.  I might be more critical if I'd invested more time in reading it.  

In a Sunburned Country

In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson


Publisher's Blurb:

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiosity.

Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.

My Reaction: 
(I read this with Donald.)

It was about on par with A Walk in the Woods, I'd say.  Much better than the memoir about his childhood... The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid (had to look it up), but that in itself is not glowing praise.  The comparison to A Walk in the Woods is far more flattering. 

The thing about Bill Bryson is... he kind of gets on my nerves, sometimes.  When he's at his best, he's an entertaining writer.  (Though, after Donald did a little background reading on one of the historical anecdotes, we wonder how often he embroiders, tells part of the story, etc. when a harsh-light-of-day account of the facts leaves something to be desired.) 

Anyway, as I was saying, Bryson presents some interesting information in a very readable format, but every now and then something else sneaks into the book-- a glimpse into the attitudes of the author himself, one assumes-- and it's not charming.  Also, the man seems to be absolutely obsessed with having a (few) drink(s) every night.  Maybe I just can't relate, as a non-drinker... I get that some people enjoy a drink every now and then-- but every night?  Does every place he stays have to have a bar or pub within walking distance?  Both of us noticed it, by the way, so it's not just me being picky.  ;o)

...Overall verdict:  We were entertained-- he certainly makes Australia (or parts of it at least) seem appealing-- but I'm glad to move on to something else, now. 

Peril at End House

Peril at End House
by Agatha Christie


Publisher's Blurb:

Nick is an unusual name for a pretty young woman. And Nick Buckley has been leading an unusual life of late. First, on a treacherous Cornish hillside, the brakes on her car fail. Then, on a coastal path, a falling boulder misses her by inches. Safe in bed, she is almost crushed by a painting. Upon discovering a bullet hole in Nick's sun hat, Hercule Poirot (who had come to Cornwall for a simple holiday with his friend Captain Hastings) decides that the girl needs his protection. At the same time, he begins to unravel the mystery of a murder that hasn't been committed. Yet.

My Reaction:
I'm definitely "into" light mysteries, now, even though for years I resisted or ignored suggestions that I might like Agatha Christie.  A murder mystery?  No, surely that would be boring... or unpleasantly confusing... or gruesome, or something.  I'm not sure how it started, but I've been hooked for a while, whether I'm reading them, listening to audio books, or watching TV adaptations.  (This, by the way, was an audio book.  I don't "do" audio books that often, but I hope to get more into the habit of them, now that-- I think-- I've finally gotten my mp3-player sorted out.)

...But as I was saying, I find these "cozy" mysteries (preferably set in the 20s to 50s... preferably British) extremely soothing.  It seems a little strange to describe a murder mystery as cozy and comforting, but these are.   Amazingly absorbing escapism.  I'm not sure how long it'll last, but for the time being, I'm enjoying them.

I'd already seen the TV adaptation of this novel, but didn't remember enough of it to be bored.  By the end, I'd suspected the guilty party-- but again, I wasn't sure, and I'd completely forgotten the... identity twist, shall we call it? 

I suspect that I'm not much of a judge of mysteries, really, but I wasn't disappointed.  Nothing stood out as being unexplained or not "fitting".  

I've read that Agatha Christie herself didn't like Hercule Poirot, but I find him endearing-- though my opinion of the character is undeniably based more on David Suchet's portrayal than what is presented in the books and short stories.  (I haven't read or listened to many of them at all-- a shortcoming that will have to be remedied...)

Enjoyed it!
  

"The Confession of Charles Linkworth"

"The Confession of Charles Linkworth"
by E.F. Benson


Synopsis:
A prison doctor recounts a series of unusual experiences following a convict's execution.  


My Reaction (with SPOILERS):
Eh... It was ok, but nothing special. 

--  A ghost who uses the telephone!  Fancy that!  What'll they think of next?!

--  The ghost of Charles Linkworth is far too articulate to be especially spooky.  When Dr. Teesdale asks who's on the other end of the phone line, he gets this answer: "'Charles Linkworth.  I thought you knew.  I am very miserable.  I can't leave the prison-- and it is cold.  Will you send for the other gentleman?'  'Do you mean the chaplain?' asked Dr. Teesdale.  'Yes, the chaplain.  He read the service when I went across the yard yesterday.  I shan't be so miserable when I have told.'"  ...You almost expect them to chit-chat about the weather-- or casually discuss the experience of "crossing over".   

-- There are one or two unsettling moments and aspects of the story, though.  For instance, despite M.R. James' disapproval of the laziness of physical horror, I got a shiver at the description of the ghost's appearance, with all its signs of death by hanging. 

-- "Dr. Teesdale knelt as he heard the words of the Absolution."  Dr. Teesdale seems a strange sort-- an independently wealthy medical man who is deeply interested in the paranormal (or occult)... and also apparently a Christian.  He's not he first such amalgam in these short stories.  It makes me wonder about E.F. Benson's own beliefs as the highly educated son of an archbishop.  Was his dabbling in ghost stories merely that of one who enjoyed reading and writing them, or did he honestly believe in-- or wish to believe in-- the existence of ghosts? 

--  "'Take the rope that is there and burn it, Parker,' he said.  There was a moment's silence.  'There is no rope, sir,' said Parker."   *GASP*   ...Was that supposed to be a twist?