Thou shalt not judge a film by it’s opening scene,Thou shalt not judge a film by it’s opening scene,Thou shalt not judge a film by it’s opening scene, etc’ The story itself follows Muriel as she struggles to comprehend how this place she loves with all of her heart is being ripped away from her. She doesn’t have many years left and just wants to enjoy them in the home she’s lived in for decades. Oh dear! There may be spoilers. 2 stars. I'm sorry, but I didn't find this story the least bit plausible or entertaining... If there was ever a story I wish I could erase from my mind only to read over and over again…it would be this one! It is the perfect love story with a Cthulhu twist, and although I don’t foresee anything like this happening to me, it has really made me think about my own relationships in my life. It’s a wonderful piece about humanity and what we are as creatures in this vast world. I have never felt so small and meaningless in this world, and yet my heart has never been so full. Now, I haven’t forgotten about that ‘gore-soaked’ aspect either. Expect the brutality and bloodbath that David is known for. Think ‘Maggie’s Grave’ and you’ll have an idea, and while this one doesn’t have as much as most of his books, it works perfectly to highlight the horrors and events Muriel is living through.

Muriel is a resilient and resourceful octogenarian deeply connected to the land. Her husband, Billy, has disappeared at sea and she misses him every day. Despite her age, she refuses to submit to the greedy and rich. Her unwavering determination is respectable and proves you can’t get everything by throwing money at it (although the cynic in me whispers that this is another fairy-tale element of the story). Romantic and deranged, THE HAAR is a gore-soaked folk horror fairy tale from David Sodergren, author of The Forgotten Island and Maggie’s Grave. The HAAR by David Sodergren is my first read by the author. I'm glad that I choose The HAAR because it is a little on the weird side, it's quite gory in parts, it's a lot of fun, and it's a surprisingly touching story about love and loss. Bonus recommendation: I think a viewing of the film Castle Freak starring Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton would go nicely with this book! Treat yourself to both of them. For all the inhumanity of the creature’s biology, however, this critter from the fog rivals Muriel in its complexity. He’s endearing, even when he’s begging to get a good feast from human blood and flesh. Surprisingly, Muriel starts a kind of romance with the creature when it takes the form of her long-gone husband, Billy McAuley. This romance might be weird, but it’s entirely heartfelt and gorgeous. I even found myself rooting for each moment this new Billy gets to give Muriel the closure she never had in life.

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A cemetery. Ambitious crane shots and Steadicam work reminiscent of Halloween. A young girl in a gothic crypt. Mario Bava-esque lighting. Reader, I wasn’t prepared. The Haar contains everything we love from Sodergren’s body of work with a beautifully portrayed main character, an unexpected romance, and a fun little plot somewhat inspired by Donald Trump’s attempts at building a golf course in Scotland. Then there's the cliche yelled from a police blow horn at an 80-something year old widow: You are surrounded! Come out with your hands up!!...

The Forgotten Island, ήμουν σίγουρος πως ήθελα να ξαναδιαβάσω κάτι δικό του. Δεν θεώρησα πως βρήκα την επόμενη μεγάλη αγάπη μου, ωστόσο ήταν ένα καλογραμμένο βιβλίο και ο συγγραφέας, έχοντας γνώση του τί γράφει, ε��μεταλλευόταν στο έπακρο τις συμβάσεις του είδους, για να παραδόσει μια εθιστική διήγηση. Εδώ επιστρέφει σε μεγάλη φόρμα. Το Night Shoot συνδυάζει το slasher, με την γοτθική φρίκη των μυστηρίων ενός πύργου (βλ. Ρεμπέκκα για παράδειγμα) και των αμερικάνικων ιστοριών southern βλαχο-κανιβαλισμού. Sodergren has a great feel for pacing, building up main character Elspeth so that she feels completely relatable, even when she is at her most vulnerable. I loved the moments in the book that are edging on meta, taking digs at bad horror movie tropes (What’s with all the unnecessary nudity and showering?) and really hammering home all those points we love and love to hate about watching horror on the screen.

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I don’t fear death… but they do.” Muriel McAuley has lived in the Scottish fishing village of Witchaven all her life. She was born there, and she intends to die there. But when an overseas property developer threatens to evict the residents from their homes and raze Witchaven to the ground in the name of progress, all seems lost… until the day a mysterious fog bank creeps inland. THE HAAR To some it brings redemption… to others, it brings only madness and death. What macabre secrets lie within… THE HAAR Romantic and deranged, THE HAAR is a gore-soaked folk horror fairy tale from David Sodergren, author of The Forgotten Island and Maggie’s Grave The Haar by David Sodergren – eBook Details