You know that scene in In the Mouth of Madness when John Trent brings home a stack of Sutter Cane novels and binges on them before passing out on his couch? Cane's books immediately take hold of Trent's imagination, sending him spiraling into a series of progressively disturbing nightmares, each building off its predecessor, phased, evolving. That's a fairly good parallel for how I tore through The Croning, even moreso because the first 150 pages moved so glacially that I kept falling asleep, allowing the book to worm its way into a new realm of my consciousness. Listen, I don't think Barron intended to put his readers to sleep so he could fuck with their dreams, but it more than felt that way at times. The opening chapter, a powerful retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, sends a clear message: although the underlying themes and ideas found in The Croning will feel familiar, time-worn perhaps, you can rest assured that they will be delivered in a new and most memorable way.I feel like I lost a whole week while reading this book, dipping in and out, forgetting where I'd left off, re-reading sections and only half remembering them (the protag's dementia felt infectious after a while), then eventually cranking out the final 100 pages in a fevered state, desperate to see where it was all going, not eating, ignoring phone calls. And. The. Ending. Some novels can only end one way; they are so precisely planned, as if destined. This is one of those books. Read it if not just to see a horror novel deliver a perfect end with a capital E. In fewer words, I haven't reacted to a novel this intensely in a while. It's about as expertly crafted as they come, even despite its tortuously slow start. For those seeking horror that transcends, a story that aims high, shooting for those intensely black pockets of utter beyond, The Croning delivers in spades. Great, great stuff. I love cosmic horror, I love Lovecraft and the mythology he has created. I love the sense of utter dread and powerlessness of humans in his work, and I love how modern authors are building upon this...because for me, it's the scariest type of horror.That being said, I've never read Barron's other works and was unfamiliar with his writing style, but when I found this book on goodreads and read some of the reviews I was intrigued. This book is great, not perfect but really really great, it has all the staples of a good cosmic horror plus good character development and pacing that allows for a finale that pays off:1) The world is like our own and of course what we see on the surface is not all we get (as is the case in this genre). I won't go into the details of the world as that's part of the good stuff when reading it. What I will say is that, Barron has a sure hand and introduces this world at a wonderful pace, you never feel lost (unless he intends you to) and you never feel rushed, it's creeping...just like the book (in the best way).2) The characters in this book are great, they are real, deep, flawed, and interesting. Meeting them in a family gathering setting was great and it allowed for the banter and the atmosphere to build the relationships that factor greatly throughout the book (great writing). Michelle and of course Don are standouts and they are fully realized and you grow to love them and hate them as if they were real humans beings, flaws and all. I think the only thing I would say about the characters in this book that could have been better (without spoiling) is I wish we had a little more snippets to show Don and his personality and it's differences throughout the time lapses in the novel, this way I think we would be more able to witness the creeping and slow ******* that is common in this type of story. A little nitpick but I think it would have made a difference in the final outcome of the book.3) The story...is AMAZING...but also expected. If you read enough of this genre you will know the mythology and what's gonna happen, it's not a big surprise. However, knowing this, what makes a good cosmic horror story is the characters (which as I've said above are written amazingly) and the world they inhabit. Another factor in a good cosmic horror tale is the pacing, the building of tension, the sense of unease and ultimately the finale and the horrors that are to be revealed; in those aspects Barron knocks it out of the park. It's a slow boil, the sense of dread and unease is creeping and slow and seeps into your subconscious until it finally reveals itself. You know very early in the book that things are not quite right (genius use of a fairy tale to book end the story), but it's the slow character building and the slow reveal that makes for a truly great horror story (not just the mindless killing and the gore). This book by the last quarter of the book, made my limbs go numb with unease and dread...and that's the best thing I could possibly say about a book...that I physically felt ill after reading it.This book is amazing, I am absolutely going to read Barron's other works now. His writing style and character building, pacing and plotting were superb and I recommend this book for anyone who wants a great cosmic horror novel akin to the best of Lovecraft.Onward to the next book!
What do You think about El Rito (2014)?
I LOVED this book. The way it plays with memory is interesting and the ending was unexpected.
—kate
Excellent book and creepy, creepy ,creepy!!!!! You can't get it out of your head creepy.
—Elena
a good read that had its moments. i enjoyed the story...
—bbymonsta
Cojonuda mezcla de "noir" y "weird" ;)
—Erinlearay
