The Magic Cottage (edició 2007)

Interesting but not a book that will make me stay up all night reading. Enjoyed the story. ( )

A classic horror story and oh-so-gentle compared to today's monster tales. Herbert is a great writer... I loved the setting. ( )

Entertaining. ( )

Published in 1986, this James Herbert novel is a lot of fun.

Herbert had the talent to write very different types of stories. From flat out splatter like The Rats or The Fog, to comedic humor like the horror story Creed, I know that Herbert guarantees me a good time. The Magic Cottage was not a disappointment.

A fun, slow burning story about a loving couple wanting to get away from things and instead ending up in the middle of things. Strange happenings at their new cottage in the country, happenings that they are slow to pick up on, lead up to an all out crazy ending that I enjoyed.

I had a lot of fun with this book, even though the pacing was a little slow. The vivid images of the cottage and all of the creatures and flowers there will be with me for a while.

Recommended to fans of slow burning horror, James Herbert, and haunted houses. ( )

Herbert died not too long ago, and in one of his obits I read a quote from him about how Britain was still a class society and that he hadn't gotten the sort of recognition or respect he deserved because he was working class. There's something to that. But there's also something to be said for the education he missed out on, and the subtlety and restraint he might have learned having read more of the old masters of this sort of book. Pretty good nonetheless, but just a bit too obvious and a bit too much of its time (1980). ( )