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Post by GRWelsh on Feb 5, 2021 7:56:43 GMT -5
I started reading this on the recommendation of Mike Davis of the Lovecraft eZine podcast. It is good so far with the set up and atmosphere. I like it that the main character is from Pittsburgh and she's making a trip to North Carolina, which is something I usually do several times a year since my sister lives there. I always like the set up of an abandoned house in the woods.
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Post by GRWelsh on Feb 11, 2021 11:25:53 GMT -5
I hadn't realized at first that this was a sequel or homage to "The White People" by Arthur Machen. That's pretty cool, since that was one of H. P. Lovecraft's favorite stories. I haven't had much time to read this week since I have been busy with work, but it is good so far and I plan to read this all weekend and finish it. Let it freeze and snow outside, I'll just turn on the gas logs in the fireplace and read!
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Post by GRWelsh on Feb 16, 2021 8:26:50 GMT -5
I'm almost done with this. Not only is this an homage to Machen's "The White People" there is also a Narnia influence, conceptually. And there is a very usable idea for a D&D monster in here! I liked the dark fairy tale vibe. She is a decent writer, and I'll check out some of her other books. I've reserved THE HOLLOW PLACES at the library to read next.
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Post by GRWelsh on Feb 22, 2021 11:29:29 GMT -5
This prompted me to re-read "The White People" which is superior to the sequel/novel it inspired. I'm not so sure THE TWISTED ONES works well as a sequel to that story, however it is good enough to stand on its own. It wants to be a sequel but is better defined as an homage. THE TWISTED ONES has a very contemporary narrative voice, and I liked the main character, her dog, and the other supporting characters. T. Kingfisher reminds me of Nick Cutter in the sense of a writer good enough to pull one effortlessly through the story. "The White People" was written in the late 1890's and has an enchantment all of its own as it contrasts a philosophical discussion between two men on the nature of sin and evil with a diary written by a young girl in stream of consciousness prose that creates a very eerie and dream-like atmosphere. This story also has the first mention of the fictional Aklo language that Lovecraft made use of. Interestingly enough, the final line of the short story is:
"The White People" has a magical uneasiness to it that makes it a classic, while THE TWISTED ONES is an above average weird novel very easy to read.
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Post by geneweigel on Apr 3, 2021 22:58:50 GMT -5
I just happened to spot a copy today so I picked it up. Started reading up to chapter 2.
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Post by geneweigel on Aug 5, 2021 9:09:24 GMT -5
Just finished, the concept was interesting but it was like popping LSD after watching an episode of HOARDERS and the old ALICE sitcom after recently watching the last movie version of the TIME MACHINE and HELLBOY 2 having previously read WATCHERS by Koontz and Lovecraft's letters about Arthur Machen... Personally, if I was there in the story as the protagonist, I would be fixing the "twisted ones" and selling tickets.
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