Charnel House

Graham Masterton's Charnel House is comfort food for the horror fan's soul. That may be the first time the words "comfort food" and "horror" have been used in the same sentence, but that's how this book made me feel: like coming home, putting on my pajamas, and curling up in my favorite corner of the couch. Charnel House is the kind of straightforward horror I grew up with in the 1970s (it was originally published in 1978). There is no question that the horror here is external and supernatural; no psychological terror, no convoluted back story, just an ancient evil come to life which must be stopped quickly, with the pacing to match. Make no mistake: Charnel House is a creature of its time, blatantly politically incorrect with its talk of "Red Indians" and its archaic view of the role of women. For example, Masterton generously gives us a female doctor specializing in traumatic brain injury, but sexualizes and dismisses her immediately: "Nicely proportioned though she was, she spoke and behaved like a specialist in brain damage, and so I left well enough alone. One day, she'd find herself a good-looking neurologist and settle down." Those who believe older books should be sanitized to reflect current social values would do well to steer clear. There are times when I want ambiguity in my horror fiction, just as there are times when I want to savor complex flavors in a fine dining restaurant. But there are other times when I want a big ol' bowl of mac and cheese, and at those times, books like Charnel House are the ones I reach for first. I received a free copy of Charnel House from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks go out to Open Road Media, which has apparently acquired the ebook rights to a stunning variety of older horror, mystery, and science fiction titles and is making them available at a reasonable price to a new generation.

a fun, typically short read for the genre. some writing was almost literature-esque, but most of the time it was popular fiction at its horrific best. Would I read another Masterton story? Definitely, but not straight away. God made sunlight for a reason.

With easy, yet flavorful words this book was enjoyable and rewarding. There was never a dull moment following the endeavors of John Hyatt. My only complaint is that I wish it were longer. I finished in only a few hours spread over two days.