Kev2012
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The Ghosts of Sleath: - James Herbert
Official Freelance Writers United review of: -
The Ghosts of Sleath, written by James Herbert.
Review by Kevin Martin
This is the first horror book review that F.W.U has done, and what a great way to start off this genre.
The book begins slowly, and doesn't really get out of a steady 2nd gear pace throughout, apart from the brief spasmodic, gruesome and spine tingling scene that leaps out of the pages with such unexpectedness and velocity that you can't help but be taken unawares by them, a great way to make drab scenes appear more scary than they actually are!
But despite the slow pace of the book, the plot is very interesting and thought provoking, and goes into such detail that you can't help but begin to believe that the theory entailed by James Herbert does have some remnants of truth to it. Maybe in retrospect the pace is a deliberate attempt by the Author to give the reader a chance to devour the books very cleverly devised logic.
The book has many, many bit part characters, with most given minimal introduction and only a token history to them, so when things happen to them, which should be traumatic reading, you can't help but feel distanced from the person you are reading about. On the other hand though, the main character of the book, David Ash, is a perfect foil for the sluggish pace and other monotonous characters. He has an immensely deep and interesting background laid out subtly as the book progresses. In typical James Herbert fashion you get drawn mesmerically into the life of Mr, Ash, and follow his trails and tribulations as expert "Psychic Investigator", and you, along with him, get dragged into the picturesque village of Sleath. But as more and more "paranormal" accounts and occurrences come to light, this village doesn't appear so innocent after all, and was once the scene of some santanistic religious activities, the consequences of which the current occupants of Sleath are having to bear.
All in all the story takes it time to unravel, slowly and at times so painstakingly slow that you would rather eat the pages than read them! But then suddenly you are thrust into memorable reading, scenes that shouldn't really be preceded or followed by the boring nothingness in between, and it is this that stops you from tearing the pages out and keeps you turning to the next, because maybe, just maybe, another moment of sporadic James Herbert genius is locked on that very next page. The book is a chore to read, you leap from scene to scene just when you feel you are about to get going, but to be honest everything ties together fantastically, making The Ghosts of Sleath, an enjoyable, at times gruesome, scary and fascinating, but all around solid read.
The advice of Kevin Martin from Freelance Writers United.
"“Try and struggle through the books boring moments, it’s many, many boring moments, because you will no doubt flinch and be troubled by what happens between the books many sleep induced scenes. A recommended read, but only read it once, because a second reading my result in you becoming brain-dead!”"
Plot: - 12/15
Action: - 8/15
Characters: - 12/15
Originality: - 13/15
Written Dialog: - 8/10
Written Narrating: - 9/10
Enjoyment: - 10/20
Total: - 72/100
Post Edited By Kev2012, Feb/12/2007, 8:28 pm
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Oct/5/2004, 8:21 pm
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