The BasicsNora lives in an upscale suburb where it just so happens a serial killer is on the loose. The latest disappearance of a woman who leaves a blood-drenched bedroom behind has Nora more embroiled in these killings than she ever wanted to be. And it makes her a new target.My ThoughtsThat’s a really bad attempt at “The Basics" up there. Because all that was definitely true. The book is about a woman named Nora who comes face-to-face with a serial killer who makes her life hell. It’s also a book about a book, a fantasy classic Straub invented purely for this tale called Night Journey. In the midst of everything that’s happening to her, Nora takes it upon herself to solve the mysteries behind Night Journey, which proves to be a really satisfying arc. It’s also about Nora and Davey’s failing marriage, the fault of which lies mostly upon Davey’s father. Are you seeing how long “The Basics" could’ve gotten?Normally this would be the part where I say the book was too busy and didn’t focus enough. This all sounds like a lot for a novel to carry, and it is, but it does all of it so incredibly well. It’s dense and packed with so much information and character development and twists and turns to the point of being epic, but it never felt like the novel was losing itself. It’s a long story well worth investing time in.It has a strong lead in Nora, who carries this story while surrounded and hounded by a plethora of men who don’t understand her and yet imagine they have her figured out. I love reading a male writer who can find it within himself to connect with a female the way Straub did with Nora. He was with her every step of the way, therefore the reader is, as well.This was my second attempt at Straub, and I’m glad I didn’t write him off. The first book I’d tried to read by him left me feeling confused and unsatisfied, to the point that I didn’t finish it. I wonder now if I was too young and easily distracted to appreciate what Straub does. He creates an atmosphere, and he doesn’t worry about whether what you’re seeing entirely makes sense. He concerns himself with what he’s making you feel. In the case of The Hellfire Club, it’s dread. Dread permeates this book, rises from it like a vapor, so that you can’t ignore it. It gets in the back of your mind and stays there. I feel like I had a full experience here because I decided to trust him even when things got surreal, and after worrying I was going to have to wash my hands of Straub, I’m ready to tackle another.Final Rating5/5
Let me say right off the bat that this is my first Peter Straub book. I'm not sure if this is representative of his work, but I will say that overall, I liked this book. There were parts that were fascinating, others...not so much. I've been wanting to read this book for years. I acquired a hardcover version of it a long time ago, and the blurbs on the back made it seem like a terrifying, leave-the-lights-on thriller. It wasn't quite that terrifying...but it's a mostly solid thriller. I won't bother you with the details of the plot - it's already spelled out for you above this review in the official Goodreads synopsis. What I will tell you is how I felt about the execution of this novel. The bad guy, Dick Dart, is a marvelous invention. I was disappointed that he wasn't in the book more often. He makes his debut roughly halfway into the book, disappears for a while, and returns again for the final chapters. He really is one of the most despicable, evil characters I've encountered in a thriller in a long time. A lot of people complain that there's little character motivation in this book. I'm inclined to agree, but I believe that the back story makes up for it - Night Journey, Chancel House, Shorelands, the literary society of the late 1930s that provides the backdrop for a lot of what happens in the present. I also felt that there were too many convenient coincidences in the story. Too many characters appear at just the right time in order to move the story along. These types of books normally have a built-in suspension of disbelief - it comes with the territory - but there were a few moments when I just had to say, out loud, "Oh, come ON!"Reading this book, I'm reminded of "The Genius," an excellent mystery novel by Jesse Kellerman (son of Jonathan and Faye Kellerman). It's a novel that takes place in the art world, contains some fascinating back story, and manages to weave that history in perfectly with a present-day whodunit, in the meantime, creating a compelling, unforgettable character (Victor Cracke, based loosely on real-life artist Henry Darger). I can't help thinking that "The Hellfire Club" (which was published 12 years before "The Genius") had a lot of potential that just wasn't used fully. So I'm recommending it, with some reservations.
What do You think about The Hellfire Club (2004)?
Not a horror story. When I try new novels like this one, it reminds me why half the time I just listen to Salem's Lot over again. But, I've listened to everything Stephen King has on audiobook, so I keep trying new titles by different authors.This is my second novel by Peter Straub. Ghost Story was the first, which was actually a horror novel. I reread the jacket, and I feel like The Hellfire Club tries to portray itself as horror, so it only gets one star. I had hope in the beginning, but then it drifted from surreal and possibly paranormal back to ho-hum. However, if I wasn't expecting horror, it wasn't actually that bad (except I never would have bought it). Dick Dart's character is very entertaining and interesting. However, I feel like there is too much nonessential dialogue by Nora. I guess I could never get into the whole authorship drama thing around Night Journey. And I'm not crazy about the ending.So it looks like this is my last Straub novel unless someone recommends a novel of his that will scare the living daylights out of me. ;)Oh, for anyone who has read Bag of Bones, did you ever notice similarities between the two novels, with the multi-generational plot development?
—Evan
I wanted to like this book because I like Peter Straub. Unfortunately, I got really bored with it really fast. It never really picked up. Eventually I put it down and put it in my very small pile of unwanted books.It took me months, but I ended up picking it up again. I tried re-reading it and failed. I tried skimming to the point I was at and seriously reading from there, and ultimately couldn't be bothered. I was determined to find something I liked about though because I usually love Straub's work. I basically skimmed through the book until I found scenes that I enjoyed (which were short and near the end of the book). I don't even remember how the book ended because the parts that captured my attention were short lived and ended before the book ended.It wasn't my forte. I hope it was salvageable and even enjoyable for someone else. I was extremely disappointed.
—Lindsey Albright
An wildly intense and somewhat raw story.This was another wonderfully written thriller-horror-mystery combination. The characters all had strong and interesting traits. Dick Dart with his cucumber cock and yearning to be of the opposite sex was a fantastically troubling character. The entwining of the mystery of the book worked along the story of the kidnapping and Nora Chancel's will to live seamlessly. All along it seemed just as important that she find out as to avoid becoming a victim of rape, again... well maybe not quite as important, but close.Although it's easy to assume the Hellfire Club was something, it's never really outlined and in not doing so, I think it added to the appeal of the club in the story. In the end it unfolded in a very fuzzy feeling.This was the quickest moving of Peter Straub's books I've read yet and I enjoyed it.A very good read.
—S.L. Dixon
