John Langan (2) (1969–)

I had no idea what to expect going into this book, other than it was supposed to be scary. Honestly, not as scary as people claimed it to be, but still an enjoyable read with spooky elements. The author writes in a way that really makes you feel like you're listening to someone tell a story.
There are fantasy elements to this story which personally I'm not a fan of, but I'm not a big fan of fantasy so I don't hold that against the book. Just thought I should mention it in case you also dislike fantasy. But nonetheless I would recommend the book 👍… (lisätietoja)

This took me a long time to get through, not because of the book but because of a holiday and other things going on although I will admit I’m not a huge fan of first person, which can make some books sound more tell than show. That’s the case here, though I’m unsure if third person would have worked. The story is told in three parts, first and last by Abe, the book’s main character, and the Middle by someone Abe and his fishing buddy meet, when we learn the legend surrounding Dutchman’s Creek. This structure removes one from the story a little in that I found myself far more interested in past characters and events than those of the present ones. I also found the sex scene towards the end gratuitous. Fans of Lovecraft type literary tales should love this book. For others who don’t like the gothic slow burn they may not appreciate it so well. The world the author creates, he brought to life, and the narrative invoked all the right imagery. It’s an excellent book — fantastical, imaginative, dark, visceral in places, subtle in others, mythological, epic — and the right reader will love it. The end was satisfying, though left me questioning the fate of the world, and the possibility of one the horrors presented ever bleeding to a greater degree into our reality.… (lisätietoja)