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Nocturnes #1
Nocturnes
From #1 internationally bestselling author John Connolly comes Nocturnes, a dark, daring, utterly haunting short story anthology of lost lovers and missing children, predatory demons, and vengeful ghosts.
Connolly’s collection of supernatural novellas and stories echoes the work of some of the masters of the genre while never losing his own distinctive voice. In "The New Daughter," a father comes to suspect that a burial mound on his land hides something very ancient, and very much alive; in "The Underbury Witches," two London detectives find themselves battling a particularly female evil in a town culled of its menfolk. And finally, private detective Charlie Parker returns in the long novella "The Reflecting Eye," in which the photograph of an unknown girl turns up in the mailbox of an abandoned house once occupied by an infamous killer. This discovery forces Parker to confront the possibility that the house is not as empty as it appears, and that something has been waiting in the darkness for its chance to kill again.
Connolly’s collection of supernatural novellas and stories echoes the work of some of the masters of the genre while never losing his own distinctive voice. In "The New Daughter," a father comes to suspect that a burial mound on his land hides something very ancient, and very much alive; in "The Underbury Witches," two London detectives find themselves battling a particularly female evil in a town culled of its menfolk. And finally, private detective Charlie Parker returns in the long novella "The Reflecting Eye," in which the photograph of an unknown girl turns up in the mailbox of an abandoned house once occupied by an infamous killer. This discovery forces Parker to confront the possibility that the house is not as empty as it appears, and that something has been waiting in the darkness for its chance to kill again.
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
558 people are currently reading
6474 people want to read
About the author
John Connolly
220 books7,931 followersJohn Connolly was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper, to which he continues to contribute.
He is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States.
This page is administered by John's assistant, Clair, on John's behalf. If you'd like to communicate with John directly, you can do so by writing to contact-at-johnconnollybooks.com, or by following him on Twitter at @JConnollyBooks.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
He is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States.
This page is administered by John's assistant, Clair, on John's behalf. If you'd like to communicate with John directly, you can do so by writing to contact-at-johnconnollybooks.com, or by following him on Twitter at @JConnollyBooks.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 548 reviews
July 11, 2021
John Connolly comienza su recopilación de relatos con “El vaquero del cáncer cabalga”, una narración digna del mismísimo Stephen King, y ya no pierde interés en ninguno de los 19 relatos siguientes. Como es lógico, algunos están más logrados, pero el maestro del terror da sobradas muestras de porqué es un número uno en ventas en su terreno. Sabe infundir miedo, y lo que es mejor, sabe escribir como los ángeles, aunque sus historias nos transporten al lado contrario. A ese inframundo que John Connoly describe como si fuese el propio Lucifer.
Estos relatos fueron originalmente concebidos para su emisión en la cadena de radio 4 de la BBC (una cadena de la que soy fiel seguidor, y en la que he descubierto auténticas maravillas. Aconsejo a quienes dominen el inglés que, si no la conocen, se den una vuelta por su página web o se bajen algún podcast). Tuvieron tanta aceptación, que el autor tuvo que escribir una segunda serie. De ahí pasaron al formato libro. Y para mí ha sido un placer poder leerlos conjuntamente. No más de un par al día. Como las buenas esencias, en pequeñas cantidades se disfrutan mejor.
Estos relatos fueron originalmente concebidos para su emisión en la cadena de radio 4 de la BBC (una cadena de la que soy fiel seguidor, y en la que he descubierto auténticas maravillas. Aconsejo a quienes dominen el inglés que, si no la conocen, se den una vuelta por su página web o se bajen algún podcast). Tuvieron tanta aceptación, que el autor tuvo que escribir una segunda serie. De ahí pasaron al formato libro. Y para mí ha sido un placer poder leerlos conjuntamente. No más de un par al día. Como las buenas esencias, en pequeñas cantidades se disfrutan mejor.
February 7, 2017
The cover says this book is terrifying and delightful I don't know about terrifying, but it is mostly a delightful read.
Framing a collection of short stories, three of which had never previously been published are two novellas, The Cancer Cowboy Rides and The reflecting Eye which features Charlie Parker.
There were a couple of short stories near the beginning of the collection I did not particularly like, but the rest were really good, particularly the Inkpot Monkey. In my opinion, the two novellas were the highlights of this collection.
A good read.
Framing a collection of short stories, three of which had never previously been published are two novellas, The Cancer Cowboy Rides and The reflecting Eye which features Charlie Parker.
There were a couple of short stories near the beginning of the collection I did not particularly like, but the rest were really good, particularly the Inkpot Monkey. In my opinion, the two novellas were the highlights of this collection.
A good read.
January 20, 2016
A really good collection of short stories that I read in the beginning of 2014. Usually, the quality of short stories varies very much, but I think this is one of the best collections of short stories I have ever read. Then again, this is John Connolly, writer of the excellent Charlie Parker series. So of course, these stories must be good!
May 23, 2018
My only problem with John Connolly's short stories is just that - they are short! When I read his books I want at least 450 pages of goodness. Nevertheless Nocturnes is really good.
It did help that it includes a Charlie Parker novella, The Reflecting Eye, especially as it is about The Collector who features so notably in the main series. I enjoyed that very much. Another novella length piece, The Cancer Cowboy Rides, was wonderfully disgusting, telling the tale of a man carrying and passing on a fearsome disease.
Of the short stories I really enjoyed The Inkpot Monkey and Miss Froom, Vampire, but none of the stories let the book down. Connolly has just the right touch when it comes to spooky. The creepiest tale of course had to involve clowns. Some Children Wander by Mistake shows a whole new aspect of these unpleasant creatures and quite frankly I hope never to see a clown again.
Really enjoyable and I do not know why I waited so long to read it.
It did help that it includes a Charlie Parker novella, The Reflecting Eye, especially as it is about The Collector who features so notably in the main series. I enjoyed that very much. Another novella length piece, The Cancer Cowboy Rides, was wonderfully disgusting, telling the tale of a man carrying and passing on a fearsome disease.
Of the short stories I really enjoyed The Inkpot Monkey and Miss Froom, Vampire, but none of the stories let the book down. Connolly has just the right touch when it comes to spooky. The creepiest tale of course had to involve clowns. Some Children Wander by Mistake shows a whole new aspect of these unpleasant creatures and quite frankly I hope never to see a clown again.
Really enjoyable and I do not know why I waited so long to read it.
January 17, 2021
This was a great collection of short stories!!
Books that have lots of short stories in them will either hit the target, or it will be one or two in the collection that are good. The rest will either be “meh” or forgotten in a week.
This was not the case in Nocturnes!
It seemed all of the short stories were good or great!
They were well written and John Connolly did such a great job with this book. There were stories that I wanted more from, but that’s the problem with “short” stories.
It’s just not enough!
I'll give my favorite stories below but if I had to rate the overall book, I would go with 4 stars with this collection.
I came across Nocturnes due to a friend finding out about a Charlie Parker novella in this collection. It was called The Reflecting Eye and it was well done.
It follows the investigation of John Grady (a very evil man) and a character called, The Collector. I see this character showing up in upcoming books in this series.
The novella was creepy and adds to the Charlie Parker series.
Besides this Charlie Parker story, I enjoyed the rest of the stories in the Nocturnes collection!
They had a supernatural flair or a horror element to the plot. I loved this continuous theme throughout the book!
Favorites:
Mr. Pettinger’s Daemon
The Erlking
The New Daughter
The Ritual of the Bones
The Underbury Witches
The Inkpot Monkey
Some Children Wander by Mistake
The Reflecting Eye
The Bridal Bed
The Inn at Shillingford
The Cycle
Once again, if you are looking for a collection of wonderfully written and creepy tales, check this one out!
Books that have lots of short stories in them will either hit the target, or it will be one or two in the collection that are good. The rest will either be “meh” or forgotten in a week.
This was not the case in Nocturnes!
It seemed all of the short stories were good or great!
They were well written and John Connolly did such a great job with this book. There were stories that I wanted more from, but that’s the problem with “short” stories.
It’s just not enough!
I'll give my favorite stories below but if I had to rate the overall book, I would go with 4 stars with this collection.
I came across Nocturnes due to a friend finding out about a Charlie Parker novella in this collection. It was called The Reflecting Eye and it was well done.
It follows the investigation of John Grady (a very evil man) and a character called, The Collector. I see this character showing up in upcoming books in this series.
The novella was creepy and adds to the Charlie Parker series.
Besides this Charlie Parker story, I enjoyed the rest of the stories in the Nocturnes collection!
They had a supernatural flair or a horror element to the plot. I loved this continuous theme throughout the book!
Favorites:
Mr. Pettinger’s Daemon
The Erlking
The New Daughter
The Ritual of the Bones
The Underbury Witches
The Inkpot Monkey
Some Children Wander by Mistake
The Reflecting Eye
The Bridal Bed
The Inn at Shillingford
The Cycle
Once again, if you are looking for a collection of wonderfully written and creepy tales, check this one out!
March 22, 2013
I'll be the first to admit I'm not a huge fan of short story compilations. While I've only read a handful of collections, I find they take a lot of effort to get through. It's not that the quality of the work isn't up to par with that of a full length novel, it's just the ending of one story followed by the beginning of another can sometimes come across as exhausting. You get all invested in a story and it's characters and all of a sudden, it's over. Then, you begin again.
Seeing as Connolly is one of my favorite authors, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and check out his short story collection, Nocturnes. It also didn't hurt that he included a Charlie Parker novella smack dab in the middle.
The book kicked off strong with The Cancer Cowboy Rides Again. Not a lot of background is given up front regarding the main character but that only adds to the horror surrounding his existence. A story about a man that needs to pass along his disease to hold off death was pretty terrifying. Solid story.
Some great storytelling with Mr. Pettinger's Daemon, Nocturnes and especially with The New Daughter. The New Daughter must have grabbed someone the right way as it was adapted for the big screen with a starring Kevin Costner. Haven’t seen the film yet but I plan on it.
Without a doubt, the crown jewel of this collection is Charlie Parker's The Reflecting Eye. This is by far, one of the best Parker appearances in Connolly's canaan. Not only is the story's villain both engaging and creepy, the novella is an important one as it debuts one of Parker's most notorious adversaries, The Collector. Connolly actually re-released this tale as a standalone book last year prior to the release of The Wrath of Angels, which also involves a key role for The Collector. I believe it was a limited release but I'm sure you can still find a few copies floating around.
Nocturnes is one of the few overwhelmingly positive experiences I've had with a short story anthology. Nothing really drags here as Connolly moves things along briskly - especially with the placement of the Parker novella right in the middle. If you're a Parker fan, you really need to read The Reflecting Eye above all else.
A solid recommendation from someone who at times struggles with short story collections.
Seeing as Connolly is one of my favorite authors, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and check out his short story collection, Nocturnes. It also didn't hurt that he included a Charlie Parker novella smack dab in the middle.
The book kicked off strong with The Cancer Cowboy Rides Again. Not a lot of background is given up front regarding the main character but that only adds to the horror surrounding his existence. A story about a man that needs to pass along his disease to hold off death was pretty terrifying. Solid story.
Some great storytelling with Mr. Pettinger's Daemon, Nocturnes and especially with The New Daughter. The New Daughter must have grabbed someone the right way as it was adapted for the big screen with a starring Kevin Costner. Haven’t seen the film yet but I plan on it.
Without a doubt, the crown jewel of this collection is Charlie Parker's The Reflecting Eye. This is by far, one of the best Parker appearances in Connolly's canaan. Not only is the story's villain both engaging and creepy, the novella is an important one as it debuts one of Parker's most notorious adversaries, The Collector. Connolly actually re-released this tale as a standalone book last year prior to the release of The Wrath of Angels, which also involves a key role for The Collector. I believe it was a limited release but I'm sure you can still find a few copies floating around.
Nocturnes is one of the few overwhelmingly positive experiences I've had with a short story anthology. Nothing really drags here as Connolly moves things along briskly - especially with the placement of the Parker novella right in the middle. If you're a Parker fan, you really need to read The Reflecting Eye above all else.
A solid recommendation from someone who at times struggles with short story collections.
April 22, 2024
Me sorprende lo desapercibida que se encuentra esta recopilación de relatos de John Connolly del radar de los amantes al terror. Quizás porque fue publicada en una época donde no existían las redes sociales o porque no solemos asociar a Connolly como autor referente del género, centrándonos más en su vertiente de autor de novela negra. O simplemente la razón es que he sido yo el que ha llegado tarde al descubrimiento de esta fascinante colección de historias que ha conseguido que pase por más de pasar un momento de sobrecogimiento y diversión. Soy consciente que este libro de relato no es perfecto. Aunque tampoco esperaba gran cosa, por cierto, pero tras terminar de leer la propuesta podría arriesgarme a recomendar estar colección como una de esas apuestas ideales para regalar a todos aquellos que quisieran iniciarse en todo eso que amamos los que leemos terror. Una colección de relatos contundente, variada, consciente de aquello que tiene entre manos y, sobre todo, honesta y sincera con el lector.
De ahí que encontremos entre sus palabras todos y cada unos de los horrores que nos suelen acompañar en nuestras pesadillas hasta conformar esas veinte historias que componen esta recopilación. Desde pinceladas de vampiros a otras de demonios, fantasmas, brujas, criaturas lovecraftianas y otro tipo de entidades, maldiciones, payasos, folclore, hombres lobos, casas encantadas o lo que sea que nos pase por la cabeza, manteniendo un cierto nivel de entretenimiento que consigue que no te aburras en ningún momento entre sus páginas.
Claro está que la antología adolece de capacidad de sorpresa y que, en cierto modo, peca de querer acercarse demasiado al fatalismo que impregnan este tipo de historias. De ahí que abuse de ese recurso tan manido de culminar los relatos con un leve giro final que nos recuerde que nunca podremos relajarnos ante el eterno enfrentamiento contra el mal, pero son detalles que no entorpecen la experiencia generada a lo largo de su lectura, manteniendo la satisfacción por las historias e invitando al lector a continuar con la siguiente.
Entre las veinte propuestas destacaría el comienzo de la recopilación, en donde nos acercamos a la esencia de la maldad con ese Vaquero del cáncer cabalga que aprovecha su esencia para diseminar la muerte a su paso. Es el relato más extenso y con mayor desarrollo, lo que permite crear ese mal cuerpo que merece este tipo de historias, en cierto, modo filosóficas. También me entusiasmó esa fijación por atormentar a los niños que surge en narraciones como el Rey de los Elfos, Nocturno o también, en cierta medida, con ese acercamiento al vampirismo que nos ofrece La nueva hija, relatos que apelan al temor inherente a esa terrible sensación de perder aquello que más quieres. También destacaría ese cuento que, desde su título da lo que promete: La señorita Froom, vampiro, narración que no deja de presentar una alternativa sencilla y certera acerca de la criatura que tanto amamos.
Pero es que cualquiera de las historias tiene momentos de inspiración. Colegios con rituales iniciáticos, demonios encerrados bajo tierra dispuestos a regresar, aguas estancadas que esconden maldiciones, brujas dispuestas a cumplir sus ancestras maldiciones, pequeñas ninfas dispuestas a ofrecerte inspiración a cambio de un poco de sangre, exploraciones hacia lo desconocido…un crisol de historias que entretiene consiguiendo lo que todos estamos buscando: pasar un buen rato leyendo historias de miedo.
December 14, 2015
This is one of the best story collections that I have read. Nocturnes is a great title as the stories are truly the stuff that nightmares are made of. It is rare that a single author collection doesn't have one story that would be better off in the dustbin but that is the case here. Even the worst story is pretty darn good.
On a side note, as Connolly is the author of the excellent Charlie Parker detective series I thought that some of the stories in this collection, particularly The Underbury Witches featuring Inspector Burke and Sergeant Stokes, could serve as a seed for another series, sort of a Scotland Yard/X-Files/Hound of the Baskervilles mash-up. Just a thought in case Connolly ever reads this review.
FYI: Nocturnes is considered book 4.5 of the Charlie Parker mystery series as it includes the novella, The Reflecting Eye which includes significant events in the Charlie Parker story arc.
Another FYI: Nocturnes II, Night Music: Nocturnes Volume Two has recently been published. I'm looking forward to reading that one as well.
On a side note, as Connolly is the author of the excellent Charlie Parker detective series I thought that some of the stories in this collection, particularly The Underbury Witches featuring Inspector Burke and Sergeant Stokes, could serve as a seed for another series, sort of a Scotland Yard/X-Files/Hound of the Baskervilles mash-up. Just a thought in case Connolly ever reads this review.
FYI: Nocturnes is considered book 4.5 of the Charlie Parker mystery series as it includes the novella, The Reflecting Eye which includes significant events in the Charlie Parker story arc.
Another FYI: Nocturnes II, Night Music: Nocturnes Volume Two has recently been published. I'm looking forward to reading that one as well.
June 28, 2016
In hindsight, the title for this book was rather apt. While I did not think about it at the time of reading, all the stories here are ones where the night is dark and full of terrors. There are things here that go bump in the night and the night itself gives you the biggest bumps of them all. Connolly was not an author whose books I had read before and he did turn out to be good ( in the early Stephen King kind of way). These are short stories packed with punches, teeth and claws. Here is what I thought :
The Cancer Cowboy Rides : An isolated little town to which evil comes shambling in cowboy boots. Buddy the Cowboy isn’t a shade of grey, he is mindless evil with a mind as dark as pitch. The gore factor in this story is pretty high but considering what Buddy carries within him, this is quite justified. 5 stars.
Mr. Pettinger's Daemon : An old church with the images of benevolent and benign deity upstairs and something ancient and evil downstairs form the crux of the story here. This is a very small tale even by the standards of the book. Nothing very outstanding. 2 stars.
The Erlking : There is something in the woods just beyond the windows of your home and as darkness falls, the trees whisper to each other and like the darkness itself comes The Erlking. The unspeakable horror that such an entity can emblazon onto a young mind and the defiance of a child against this horror is what the tale is all about. 3 stars.
The New Daughter : We go around our lives while believing that the people and things in our life shall forever retain a semblance of normalcy. What if such a person slowly evolves into something (note the word some’thing’) that you can no longer recognize ? What if that something is primal and bestial ? Now imagine if that something was your own child ! This is a creepy story and the backdrop of an abandoned home and an isolated family spreads the dread. 4 stars.
The Ritual of the Bones : The closed ranks of an ivy league school is where this tale begins and ends. While it does have its moments, this is not a great story per se. It has a faint whiff of a cliché. 2 stars.
The Furnace Room : Crime always pays in the end and so says this tale. The Furnace Room is a dreamy take on how we reap what we sow. Then again it is a very cliché story. 2 stars.
The Witches of Underbury : A centuries old curse and a trio of witches go head on with modern law enforcement (modern in the early 1900’s). The strength of this tale is in the trio of witches – the solemn/serious, the flirtatious/dangerous and the unwilling/naïve accomplice. The story is slightly novella length and executes itself beautifully. 4 stars.
The Inkpot Monkey : A twisted fable with a very dark sense of humour. 3 stars.
The Shifting of the Sands : Here’s to Lovecraft and the elder Gods ! With love – John Connolly. 3 stars.
Some Children Wander By Mistake : Considering how scary clowns are, why do people invite them to be close to their kids ? Wasn’t Pennywise warning enough ? 3 stars !
Deep, Dark Green : A lyrical story about a fleeting comfort that awaits the unwary in deep, dark and green waters. The story is like water as it flows all around you and as you bask in its comfort, a sudden pull from beneath drags you under and then there is only darkness. 4 stars.
Miss Froom, Vampire : A humorous take on an aging female vampire and her dull life in a small neighbourhood. What do we do with retired vampires ? 3 stars.
Nocturne : When the night falls and the last light goes out, the dead come out to play. Good old ghost story. 3 stars.
The Wakeford Abyss : Crevices in the earth within whose deep, dark hollows dwell things which are better off undisturbed. Two explorers rappelling down such a crevice come face to face with a chitinous horror. 4 stars.
The Reflecting Eye : A haunted mansion gets a full makeover in this story and it also introduced me to Connolly’s iconic character – Charlie Parker. While copycat killers have been overused to the point of blandness in multiple stories, here the focus is on an entirely different antagonist. Connolly lays down the ground work for making The Collector a much more formidable presence in his books to come. This story however has a logical ending. A whodunit with elements of horror thrown in to just the right levels. 5 stars.
Mr.Gray’s Folly : Connolly seems to have an attraction to ancient evil and how it can come back to haunt you after generations. Mr. Gray and his wife living in a palatial mansion fall prey to such a curse. Not a very original story. 2 stars.
The Cycle : The tale with a twist and Connolly pulls a Jeffery Deaver here. There are however clues scattered all through the story : the full moon, the aches in the body, fur and claws….’nuff said. 4 stars.
The Bridal Bed : True love beckons to one even from beyond the grave. How far would a man go to reach his one true love ? 3 stars.
The man from the second fifteen : Never stop your car on a strange and deserted stretch of the road. No matter what ! 3 stars.
The Inn at Shillingford : Do strange hotel rooms make you wonder what would really have happened in those rooms before you came in ? I don’t mean the big brands but the places where when left without a choice you walk in for a night’s rest ? Are there rusty, brown stains on the towels and walls ? When you go to sleep at night do you hear strange noises both within and outside the room ? Welcome to the Inn at Shllingford ! We wish you a very pleasant stay. 4 stars.
The Cancer Cowboy Rides : An isolated little town to which evil comes shambling in cowboy boots. Buddy the Cowboy isn’t a shade of grey, he is mindless evil with a mind as dark as pitch. The gore factor in this story is pretty high but considering what Buddy carries within him, this is quite justified. 5 stars.
Mr. Pettinger's Daemon : An old church with the images of benevolent and benign deity upstairs and something ancient and evil downstairs form the crux of the story here. This is a very small tale even by the standards of the book. Nothing very outstanding. 2 stars.
The Erlking : There is something in the woods just beyond the windows of your home and as darkness falls, the trees whisper to each other and like the darkness itself comes The Erlking. The unspeakable horror that such an entity can emblazon onto a young mind and the defiance of a child against this horror is what the tale is all about. 3 stars.
The New Daughter : We go around our lives while believing that the people and things in our life shall forever retain a semblance of normalcy. What if such a person slowly evolves into something (note the word some’thing’) that you can no longer recognize ? What if that something is primal and bestial ? Now imagine if that something was your own child ! This is a creepy story and the backdrop of an abandoned home and an isolated family spreads the dread. 4 stars.
The Ritual of the Bones : The closed ranks of an ivy league school is where this tale begins and ends. While it does have its moments, this is not a great story per se. It has a faint whiff of a cliché. 2 stars.
The Furnace Room : Crime always pays in the end and so says this tale. The Furnace Room is a dreamy take on how we reap what we sow. Then again it is a very cliché story. 2 stars.
The Witches of Underbury : A centuries old curse and a trio of witches go head on with modern law enforcement (modern in the early 1900’s). The strength of this tale is in the trio of witches – the solemn/serious, the flirtatious/dangerous and the unwilling/naïve accomplice. The story is slightly novella length and executes itself beautifully. 4 stars.
The Inkpot Monkey : A twisted fable with a very dark sense of humour. 3 stars.
The Shifting of the Sands : Here’s to Lovecraft and the elder Gods ! With love – John Connolly. 3 stars.
Some Children Wander By Mistake : Considering how scary clowns are, why do people invite them to be close to their kids ? Wasn’t Pennywise warning enough ? 3 stars !
Deep, Dark Green : A lyrical story about a fleeting comfort that awaits the unwary in deep, dark and green waters. The story is like water as it flows all around you and as you bask in its comfort, a sudden pull from beneath drags you under and then there is only darkness. 4 stars.
Miss Froom, Vampire : A humorous take on an aging female vampire and her dull life in a small neighbourhood. What do we do with retired vampires ? 3 stars.
Nocturne : When the night falls and the last light goes out, the dead come out to play. Good old ghost story. 3 stars.
The Wakeford Abyss : Crevices in the earth within whose deep, dark hollows dwell things which are better off undisturbed. Two explorers rappelling down such a crevice come face to face with a chitinous horror. 4 stars.
The Reflecting Eye : A haunted mansion gets a full makeover in this story and it also introduced me to Connolly’s iconic character – Charlie Parker. While copycat killers have been overused to the point of blandness in multiple stories, here the focus is on an entirely different antagonist. Connolly lays down the ground work for making The Collector a much more formidable presence in his books to come. This story however has a logical ending. A whodunit with elements of horror thrown in to just the right levels. 5 stars.
Mr.Gray’s Folly : Connolly seems to have an attraction to ancient evil and how it can come back to haunt you after generations. Mr. Gray and his wife living in a palatial mansion fall prey to such a curse. Not a very original story. 2 stars.
The Cycle : The tale with a twist and Connolly pulls a Jeffery Deaver here. There are however clues scattered all through the story : the full moon, the aches in the body, fur and claws….’nuff said. 4 stars.
The Bridal Bed : True love beckons to one even from beyond the grave. How far would a man go to reach his one true love ? 3 stars.
The man from the second fifteen : Never stop your car on a strange and deserted stretch of the road. No matter what ! 3 stars.
The Inn at Shillingford : Do strange hotel rooms make you wonder what would really have happened in those rooms before you came in ? I don’t mean the big brands but the places where when left without a choice you walk in for a night’s rest ? Are there rusty, brown stains on the towels and walls ? When you go to sleep at night do you hear strange noises both within and outside the room ? Welcome to the Inn at Shllingford ! We wish you a very pleasant stay. 4 stars.
July 28, 2020
What a wonderful anthology. We even get a Charlie Parker story thrown in which I appreciated.
I can't really say too much about this one besides every story was wonderfully written and some scared the crap out of me. Yep, scared to the point that I didn't like to read this one too close to my bedtime cause I kept having nightmares about things in the woods coming closer or some unknown thing "chittering" at me in the dark. There are 19 stories (or chapters) altogether. Per usual I rate based on all of the stories, but provide individual ratings for those who are interested.
The Cancer Cowboy Rides (3.5 stars)-A slow start to this collection. A mysterious man has something terribly wrong with him and then it spreads. I liked the characters in this one though I thought the ending didn't really work.
Mr. Pettinger's Daemon (4.5 stars)-Someone goes digging and finds more than they bargained for. I thought this was an interesting story especially with the backdrop of the war in this one.
The Erlking (5 stars)-What a dark story that definitely will have you scared to open any windows or go wandering in the darkest parts of the wood.
The New Daughter (4.5 stars)-Reminded me a bit about the earlier story with a man and his son and daughter moving to a new home with a mysterious fairy mound.
The Ritual of the Bones (5 stars)-I wanted this to be longer! Wow it was great and also I now have a horror of boarding schools in England. Good job!
The Furnace Room (4 stars)-Not bad and definitely creepy. The ending made me shudder a bit and I liked how Connolly played with the whole see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil trope.
The Underbury Witches (4 stars)-I liked this one and this and some others in here shows a growing horror of women who are not what they seem, but are always feared and loathed by some of the men in the stories. I do think that the ending in this one didn't really work though. It felt like a weird thing to do when I think the story was tidied up enough.
The Inkpot Monkey (3.5 stars)-Not bad, but just kind of okay compared to the other stories. Also slightly humorous and dark.
The Shifting of the Sands (4 stars)-Seriously mysterious villages are not our friends people.
Some Children Wander by Mistake (5 stars)-Look I don't like clowns. This story did not help with that. At all. Shudder.
Deep, Dark Green (4.5 stars)-A very sad story about an old man's first love and what became of her. FYI, don't go swimming in weird lakes.
Miss Froom, Vampire (5 stars)-I thought this one was pretty cute in a morbid kind of way. I definitely got a Blanche DuBois moment with Miss Froom and the kindness of strangers.
Nocturne (4 stars)-Very creepy and dark and a piano plays a part.
The Wakeford Abyss (5 damn stars!)-Ugh. Chittering.
The Reflecting Eye: A Charlie Parker Novella (5 damn stars!)-Wow. So now I know why my friend yelled at me to go back and read this collection before continuing with my next Charlie Parker book. It sets up so much that I felt a little lost in when I was reading "The Black Angel."
The Bridal Bed (3.5 stars)-A bit of a letdown after the Charlie Parker novella. Not bad, but should have been in the first part of this collection.
The Man from the Second Fifteen (4 stars)-I think Connolly loves telling stories about places that seem okay and then you find out something dark and ancient is there and wants to rip your face off.
The Inn at Shillingford (5 stars)-In this case we have a haunted inn.
Mr. Gray's Folly (4 stars)-A story again showing how men are afraid of women. I loved the twists in this one, but thought the ending was a little... I don't know. I wanted it to be more. I loved the ending in the last one and would have liked that type of ending here.
The Cycle (5 stars)-Yeah, I thought it was about that too. Not so much. Two wannabe rapists get their just desserts.
I can't really say too much about this one besides every story was wonderfully written and some scared the crap out of me. Yep, scared to the point that I didn't like to read this one too close to my bedtime cause I kept having nightmares about things in the woods coming closer or some unknown thing "chittering" at me in the dark. There are 19 stories (or chapters) altogether. Per usual I rate based on all of the stories, but provide individual ratings for those who are interested.
The Cancer Cowboy Rides (3.5 stars)-A slow start to this collection. A mysterious man has something terribly wrong with him and then it spreads. I liked the characters in this one though I thought the ending didn't really work.
Mr. Pettinger's Daemon (4.5 stars)-Someone goes digging and finds more than they bargained for. I thought this was an interesting story especially with the backdrop of the war in this one.
The Erlking (5 stars)-What a dark story that definitely will have you scared to open any windows or go wandering in the darkest parts of the wood.
The New Daughter (4.5 stars)-Reminded me a bit about the earlier story with a man and his son and daughter moving to a new home with a mysterious fairy mound.
The Ritual of the Bones (5 stars)-I wanted this to be longer! Wow it was great and also I now have a horror of boarding schools in England. Good job!
The Furnace Room (4 stars)-Not bad and definitely creepy. The ending made me shudder a bit and I liked how Connolly played with the whole see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil trope.
The Underbury Witches (4 stars)-I liked this one and this and some others in here shows a growing horror of women who are not what they seem, but are always feared and loathed by some of the men in the stories. I do think that the ending in this one didn't really work though. It felt like a weird thing to do when I think the story was tidied up enough.
The Inkpot Monkey (3.5 stars)-Not bad, but just kind of okay compared to the other stories. Also slightly humorous and dark.
The Shifting of the Sands (4 stars)-Seriously mysterious villages are not our friends people.
Some Children Wander by Mistake (5 stars)-Look I don't like clowns. This story did not help with that. At all. Shudder.
Deep, Dark Green (4.5 stars)-A very sad story about an old man's first love and what became of her. FYI, don't go swimming in weird lakes.
Miss Froom, Vampire (5 stars)-I thought this one was pretty cute in a morbid kind of way. I definitely got a Blanche DuBois moment with Miss Froom and the kindness of strangers.
Nocturne (4 stars)-Very creepy and dark and a piano plays a part.
The Wakeford Abyss (5 damn stars!)-Ugh. Chittering.
The Reflecting Eye: A Charlie Parker Novella (5 damn stars!)-Wow. So now I know why my friend yelled at me to go back and read this collection before continuing with my next Charlie Parker book. It sets up so much that I felt a little lost in when I was reading "The Black Angel."
The Bridal Bed (3.5 stars)-A bit of a letdown after the Charlie Parker novella. Not bad, but should have been in the first part of this collection.
The Man from the Second Fifteen (4 stars)-I think Connolly loves telling stories about places that seem okay and then you find out something dark and ancient is there and wants to rip your face off.
The Inn at Shillingford (5 stars)-In this case we have a haunted inn.
Mr. Gray's Folly (4 stars)-A story again showing how men are afraid of women. I loved the twists in this one, but thought the ending was a little... I don't know. I wanted it to be more. I loved the ending in the last one and would have liked that type of ending here.
The Cycle (5 stars)-Yeah, I thought it was about that too. Not so much. Two wannabe rapists get their just desserts.
November 27, 2024
A delightful collection of tales of the macabre that were deliciously chilling and unsettling. Also includes a Charlie Parker novella ; The Reflecting Eye which introduces one of my favourite characters; The Collector.
A perfect read for those who like a little darkness to go with their festive cheer.
A perfect read for those who like a little darkness to go with their festive cheer.
December 24, 2013
El irlandés John Connolly es mundialmente conocido por las novelas protagonizadas por Charlie Parker, y ha demostrado más que de sobra su capacidad para crear atmósferas sobrenaturales. Siempre pensé que Connolly sería un buen escritor de relatos cortos, y con ‘Nocturnos’ lo ha conseguido con creces. Sus relatos recuerdan a los autores de fantasmas más reconocidos, M.R. James, E.F. Benson o Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, pero también hay elementos de Stephen King, e incluso algo de Clive Barker.
A lo largo de los diecinueve relatos incluidos en ‘Nocturnos’, Connolly nos acerca al horror más primario, la mayoría de las veces desde un escenario cotidiano, y otras veces desde lugares macabros y tenebrosos. Son relatos de corta extensión, excepto el primero. En ellos nos encontramos los elementos más comunes del mal: un enigmático vaquero que se dedica a contaminar a otras personas, criaturas ocultas en iglesias, bestias subterráneas, embalses malditos, extraños payasos, brujas ocultas, mujeres lobo, elfos, vampiros. En resumen, estamos ante una muy buena colección de cuentos que disfrutará cualquier amante del género.
A lo largo de los diecinueve relatos incluidos en ‘Nocturnos’, Connolly nos acerca al horror más primario, la mayoría de las veces desde un escenario cotidiano, y otras veces desde lugares macabros y tenebrosos. Son relatos de corta extensión, excepto el primero. En ellos nos encontramos los elementos más comunes del mal: un enigmático vaquero que se dedica a contaminar a otras personas, criaturas ocultas en iglesias, bestias subterráneas, embalses malditos, extraños payasos, brujas ocultas, mujeres lobo, elfos, vampiros. En resumen, estamos ante una muy buena colección de cuentos que disfrutará cualquier amante del género.
October 1, 2018
Extraordinaria colección de relatos de terror. Nada menos que diecinueve cuentos donde encontramos de todo: extraños virus que afectan a una población, hombres lobo, vampiros, regresados de la muerte, casas encantadas, lagos siniestros..ect
Connolly sabe ambientar cada cuento y el libro nunca se hace repetitivo o pesado, eso si recomiendo leer un par cada dia para no tener sobredosis.
Relatos a destacar:
El vaquero del cáncer cabalga: Un siniestro personaje siembra la muerte a su paso con el virus que lleva dentro.
Algunos niños se extravían por error: Un siniestro circo llega a un pueblo apartado y los payasos hacen de las suyas.
Señorita Froom vampiro: Una grnial vuelta de tuerca al género vampírico.
El mono del tintero: Un escritor que ha perdido la inspiración compra un extraño tintero con un mono en su parte superior. El vendedor asegura que hará que recupere la inspiración pero tal vez pierda algo durante el proceso.
Connolly sabe ambientar cada cuento y el libro nunca se hace repetitivo o pesado, eso si recomiendo leer un par cada dia para no tener sobredosis.
Relatos a destacar:
El vaquero del cáncer cabalga: Un siniestro personaje siembra la muerte a su paso con el virus que lleva dentro.
Algunos niños se extravían por error: Un siniestro circo llega a un pueblo apartado y los payasos hacen de las suyas.
Señorita Froom vampiro: Una grnial vuelta de tuerca al género vampírico.
El mono del tintero: Un escritor que ha perdido la inspiración compra un extraño tintero con un mono en su parte superior. El vendedor asegura que hará que recupere la inspiración pero tal vez pierda algo durante el proceso.
September 28, 2017
Absolutely fabulous collection of horror stories. Loved it, loved it, loved it!
I first picked this up to read the novella at the end, as it concerns a 'villain' who shows up in the Charlie Parker series which Mr. Connolly also writes. It was obvious - in this other book, a novel - that I had missed something, though it was made clear who and what this villainous person was. Still, he had a back story and I hadn't read it. So...
I read that novella first and it fit into the series perfectly, precisely, pointedly. Then I read all the other stories. Some are long shorts;, some are shorter, but not a one is less than wonderful. Scary, poignant, heartfelt, horrifying, weird, creepy - you name it, it's here; and better yet, Mr. Connolly is a skilled and articulate writer. I just love his descriptions. Transitions, dialogue, setting, sense of place and all that, it's here in spades.
He has another collection; I'm going to read that one, too. Can't wait!
And by the way, I read most of this particular book while alone in a spooky house with the windows open (screened windows) and the sounds of screech owls and crickets and the occasional cries of children at play in the background. (And yeah, in the dark of early evening.) Loved that, too.
Five glorious stars.
I first picked this up to read the novella at the end, as it concerns a 'villain' who shows up in the Charlie Parker series which Mr. Connolly also writes. It was obvious - in this other book, a novel - that I had missed something, though it was made clear who and what this villainous person was. Still, he had a back story and I hadn't read it. So...
I read that novella first and it fit into the series perfectly, precisely, pointedly. Then I read all the other stories. Some are long shorts;, some are shorter, but not a one is less than wonderful. Scary, poignant, heartfelt, horrifying, weird, creepy - you name it, it's here; and better yet, Mr. Connolly is a skilled and articulate writer. I just love his descriptions. Transitions, dialogue, setting, sense of place and all that, it's here in spades.
He has another collection; I'm going to read that one, too. Can't wait!
And by the way, I read most of this particular book while alone in a spooky house with the windows open (screened windows) and the sounds of screech owls and crickets and the occasional cries of children at play in the background. (And yeah, in the dark of early evening.) Loved that, too.
Five glorious stars.
February 23, 2014
A wonderful selection of short stories from Mr Connolly, including one featuring Charlie Parker (The Reflecting Eye) , I re-read these, some each night over the last little while (February 2014) and once again was enthralled and delighted by each of them.
There is a great mix here – my favourite being “The Underbury Witches” – I do like a good evil witch story – closely followed by “Some Children Wander By Mistake” which, frankly, freaked me out, anyone who has the clown phobia should beware!
The Reflecting Eye, as well as telling us a bit more about Mr Parker, introduces a villain (hero? I kind of love him!) that those of us who follow the series avidly will come to know well – The Collector – as such it will remain with me until Charlie’s story comes to an end, whenever that may be.
You will also find a fun filled little vampire story and a creepy atmospheric ghost story amongst other things – I will leave you to discover for yourself.
Let me know which one gave you the nightmares!
Happy Reading Folks!
There is a great mix here – my favourite being “The Underbury Witches” – I do like a good evil witch story – closely followed by “Some Children Wander By Mistake” which, frankly, freaked me out, anyone who has the clown phobia should beware!
The Reflecting Eye, as well as telling us a bit more about Mr Parker, introduces a villain (hero? I kind of love him!) that those of us who follow the series avidly will come to know well – The Collector – as such it will remain with me until Charlie’s story comes to an end, whenever that may be.
You will also find a fun filled little vampire story and a creepy atmospheric ghost story amongst other things – I will leave you to discover for yourself.
Let me know which one gave you the nightmares!
Happy Reading Folks!
July 12, 2014
Generally I consider most short story collections a mixed bag at best, unless your name is Stephen King. And the reason I read this one is firstly the inclusion of a Charlie Parker story, which was imho the best story in the book at the same time. Secondly I was kind of curious how mr. Connely did do outside of "Charlie Parker universe". And while he did not really dissapoint he did not always deliver as good. I did enjoy the opening novella and the short story on the Witches, which might have been more interesting had it been taken as the seed for a novel on its own.
Most of all I find the art of short story writing to be far more difficult for any writer and Connolly does not always make the stories come alive in the same sense he does with his longer novels.
That said it was time well spend.
Most of all I find the art of short story writing to be far more difficult for any writer and Connolly does not always make the stories come alive in the same sense he does with his longer novels.
That said it was time well spend.
July 13, 2015
Señores que este jefazo es todo un ESCRITOR. Es lo primero que leo y no descarto leer sus novelas detectivescas (aún sabiendo que no me gusta ese género).
Buen terror y tratante de todo su ámbito, con el clásico de fantasmas, psicológicos y otros de criaturas monstruosas. Enfermedades oscuras y confusiones familiares.
Ninguno malo, lo cual es un éxito en una recopilación de relatos.
Si te gusta el terror: LEANLO.
Buen terror y tratante de todo su ámbito, con el clásico de fantasmas, psicológicos y otros de criaturas monstruosas. Enfermedades oscuras y confusiones familiares.
Ninguno malo, lo cual es un éxito en una recopilación de relatos.
Si te gusta el terror: LEANLO.
November 5, 2016
Pretty good collection, I really enjoyed The Cancer Cowboy Rides Again, The Underbury Witches, Nocturne and Deep, Dark Green. But the Charlie Parker novella The Reflecting Eye pushed it up to 4 stars.
7/10
7/10
April 20, 2020
En el libro de relatos Nocturnos (2004), John Connlloy (1968-) cambia el género policiaco por el más puro terror y lo sobrenatural. A lo largo de los 19 relatos que componen esta obra, encontramos la mayoría de temas habituales en este género: monstruos, vampiros, demonios, casas encantadas, etc, etc., pero, para mí, ahí se queda todo.
Es indudable que Connolly escribe bien y eso te hace disfrutar de la lectura y ha conseguido que termine la obra, pero ni las historias, ni los personajes, ni su resolución me han emocionado lo suficiente, ni he encontrado ese tono de suspense que me esperaba en este autor, porque los relatos son demasiado lineales, demasiado obvios, sin esa pizca de sorpresa que todos los cuentos creo que deben tener.
Quizá yo no sea el más adecuado para opinar, porque mis lecturas sobre este genero se limitan a Poe y algo, poco, de King, pero desde luego me esperaba más.
En mi opinión no alcanza la altura de su saga de Charly Parker y, como no quiero dejar a un lado la narrativa de este autor, he decidido pasar a mi lista de próximos otra novela del inspector.
Es indudable que Connolly escribe bien y eso te hace disfrutar de la lectura y ha conseguido que termine la obra, pero ni las historias, ni los personajes, ni su resolución me han emocionado lo suficiente, ni he encontrado ese tono de suspense que me esperaba en este autor, porque los relatos son demasiado lineales, demasiado obvios, sin esa pizca de sorpresa que todos los cuentos creo que deben tener.
Quizá yo no sea el más adecuado para opinar, porque mis lecturas sobre este genero se limitan a Poe y algo, poco, de King, pero desde luego me esperaba más.
En mi opinión no alcanza la altura de su saga de Charly Parker y, como no quiero dejar a un lado la narrativa de este autor, he decidido pasar a mi lista de próximos otra novela del inspector.
February 5, 2015
This is a book of short stories, so I would think that the best way to respond would be to each one individually ... all 15 (though there is, apparently, a different version with even more stories - so it looks like I will be buying the updated copy at some point!):
"The Cancer Cowboy Rides" - This was a quite chilling and remarkably grotesque story about a living cancer, embodied in "Buddy". A truly disgusting story, it was certainly entertaining and a quite solid short story.
"Mr. Pettinger's Daemon" - A much shorter story, but no less eerie and very reminiscent of The Descent... this one would be good for expansion, as many questions to the nature of the Beast have gone unanswered. The most interesting tidbit was the reference to the cannibalism of WWI... I wonder if that is actually based on historical record.
"The Erlking" - An eerie short story that reminded me of The Book of Lost Things more than anything else he's written so far. I thought I read somewhere that this one was going to be expanded into a screenplay, that I would certainly be interested in seeing! This one is the most fairy-tale-like so far.
"The New Daughter" - Yikes... this was by far the creepiest story... and the best so far as expansion into a movie, I think. This one is my favorite so far... so creepy! I do hope that the movie is made! I would definitely see it - though I might be a bit scared to!
"The Ritual of the Bones" - Ehhh... gross, but this one wasn't as darkly enchanting as the previous two. All in all, an average scary story.
"The Furnace Room" - An interesting twist of Hear-No-Evil, See-No-Evil and Speak-No-Evil, mixed with the Fates... fun and quick, but not terribly thought provoking.
"The Witches of Underbury" - The is was a very interesting short story and it would be interesting to learn if the actual witches in that town are based on a true story.
"The Inkpot Monkey" - A "cute" scary story, focusing on the "hazards" of writer's block. More funny and quaint than creepy, but still an enjoyable story.
"The Shifting of the Sands" - The problem with these short stories is that they are so... short. They are intriguing and do have a beginning, middle and usually a rather haunting open ending, but the would be better with more detail, stronger characters... in other words, length.
"Some Children Wander By Mistake" - A clown story - yikes! Though a pretty typical scary story and not too terribly unique.
"Deep, Dark Green" - Something about this short story reminded me of a poem... there was just something oddly poetic about it.
"Miss Froom, Vampire" - What a fun little vampire story! I just love a fun vampire story - who doesn't?
"Nocturne" - A more typical ghost story - still eerie, but not anything very remarkable.
"The Wakeford Abyss" - Spiders!!! Yuck! Also reminiscent of The Descent... I wonder if Connolly has read that book...
"The Reflecting Eye" - I was surprised that this Charlie Parker story was included, though I did enjoy it and it did bridge some of the gaps around his daughter's birth. He is a very good writer, with a real talent for humourous dialogue, building suspense and inclusion of "normal" paranormal activity. The ending certainly surprised me, though some questions were left quite unanswered. It just makes me eager for the next Charlie Parker novel!!
Upon Re-Reading "The Reflecting Eye": This Charlie Parker novella, within Connolly’s Nocturnes, a collection of spooky stories, chronologically follows The White Road in the series. Fitting in with the overall collection, this one has a strong supernatural bend to it. It also includes series regulars and introduces characters who will come to play larger roles in the books to come. Samantha, Charlie and Rachel’s daughter, is born here and the enigmatic Collector makes his debut as well. Though he is certainly a darker character, I have always found the Collector to be a particularly intriguing character and it is surprising to me that this slim novella contains so much pivotal action to the overall series and the character arcs.
"The Cancer Cowboy Rides" - This was a quite chilling and remarkably grotesque story about a living cancer, embodied in "Buddy". A truly disgusting story, it was certainly entertaining and a quite solid short story.
"Mr. Pettinger's Daemon" - A much shorter story, but no less eerie and very reminiscent of The Descent... this one would be good for expansion, as many questions to the nature of the Beast have gone unanswered. The most interesting tidbit was the reference to the cannibalism of WWI... I wonder if that is actually based on historical record.
"The Erlking" - An eerie short story that reminded me of The Book of Lost Things more than anything else he's written so far. I thought I read somewhere that this one was going to be expanded into a screenplay, that I would certainly be interested in seeing! This one is the most fairy-tale-like so far.
"The New Daughter" - Yikes... this was by far the creepiest story... and the best so far as expansion into a movie, I think. This one is my favorite so far... so creepy! I do hope that the movie is made! I would definitely see it - though I might be a bit scared to!
"The Ritual of the Bones" - Ehhh... gross, but this one wasn't as darkly enchanting as the previous two. All in all, an average scary story.
"The Furnace Room" - An interesting twist of Hear-No-Evil, See-No-Evil and Speak-No-Evil, mixed with the Fates... fun and quick, but not terribly thought provoking.
"The Witches of Underbury" - The is was a very interesting short story and it would be interesting to learn if the actual witches in that town are based on a true story.
"The Inkpot Monkey" - A "cute" scary story, focusing on the "hazards" of writer's block. More funny and quaint than creepy, but still an enjoyable story.
"The Shifting of the Sands" - The problem with these short stories is that they are so... short. They are intriguing and do have a beginning, middle and usually a rather haunting open ending, but the would be better with more detail, stronger characters... in other words, length.
"Some Children Wander By Mistake" - A clown story - yikes! Though a pretty typical scary story and not too terribly unique.
"Deep, Dark Green" - Something about this short story reminded me of a poem... there was just something oddly poetic about it.
"Miss Froom, Vampire" - What a fun little vampire story! I just love a fun vampire story - who doesn't?
"Nocturne" - A more typical ghost story - still eerie, but not anything very remarkable.
"The Wakeford Abyss" - Spiders!!! Yuck! Also reminiscent of The Descent... I wonder if Connolly has read that book...
"The Reflecting Eye" - I was surprised that this Charlie Parker story was included, though I did enjoy it and it did bridge some of the gaps around his daughter's birth. He is a very good writer, with a real talent for humourous dialogue, building suspense and inclusion of "normal" paranormal activity. The ending certainly surprised me, though some questions were left quite unanswered. It just makes me eager for the next Charlie Parker novel!!
Upon Re-Reading "The Reflecting Eye": This Charlie Parker novella, within Connolly’s Nocturnes, a collection of spooky stories, chronologically follows The White Road in the series. Fitting in with the overall collection, this one has a strong supernatural bend to it. It also includes series regulars and introduces characters who will come to play larger roles in the books to come. Samantha, Charlie and Rachel’s daughter, is born here and the enigmatic Collector makes his debut as well. Though he is certainly a darker character, I have always found the Collector to be a particularly intriguing character and it is surprising to me that this slim novella contains so much pivotal action to the overall series and the character arcs.
December 23, 2020
Nocturnes by John Connolly is a collection of supernatural short stories and novellas of varying quality that play on people's common fears. Only one novella is a Charlie Parker story. I think it is worth reading the 'Acknowledgements' and 'A Coda' to get a sense of how these stories came about. Most of the stories are well written, but not especially scary or unsettling. Some were read over the radio and may have been more impactful in that medium. There is an article linked to this book on Connolly's website that delves into this type of story through history and across cultures.
Connolly continues to exhibit his excellent use of English with his vivid and efficient descriptions of scenes and characters and the occasional laugh out loud cynical humor. This writing style works well in short stories. The normal little bits of history that pepper his earlier Charlie Parker books are not really evident in this book although they show up in some stories.
1. The Cancer Cowboy Rides (4/5) - an unsettling story that combines two common fears; cancer and attacks by strangers. A stranger endangers a small town. This is the only story that unsettled me.
2. Mr. Pettinger’s Daemon (3/5) - A WWI chaplain is assigned to minister to a fellow cleric and instead finds a daemon.
3. The Erlking (3/5) - The fear of losing a child to a stranger told as a story of Goethe's Erlking.
4. The New Daughter (3/5) - Another take on losing a child to strangers told as a story about the fairy folk.
5. The Ritual of the Bones (3/5) - the fear of being an outsider told from the perspective of the scholarship student in a British public school.
6. The Furnace Room (3/5) - paying for one’s sins through supernatural means.
7. The Underburv Witches 3.5/5) - two London police investigate a rural death and encounter strong women.
8. The lnkpot Monkey (3/5) - a writer with writer's block gives his all to regain his muse
9. The Shifting of the Sands (3.5/5) - a cleric battles the old gods in a remote village
10. Some Children Wander by Mistake (3/5) - a misfit child finds his unfortunate place in the world
11. Deep, Dark Green (3/5) - playing on our fears of dark eerie places
12. Miss Froom, Vampire (3.5/5) - all vampires don't follow the popular role.
13. Nocturne (3/5) - houses gain a personality that may impinge on new inhabitants
14. The Wakeford Abyss (3/5) - two ex-military men decide to go spelunking as a change from mountain climbing in a crevasse avoided by the local population and their animals. .
15. The Reflecting Eye: A Charlie Parker Novella (4.5/5) - This is better than the other stories in this book and is one of the best Charlie Parker stories. It is set around the time when Rachel is due to give birth. If you like the little chuckles that Connolly included in the earlier books, this one has more than a few. Louis and Angel, in bit parts, put in an appearance as does the Collector. I enjoyed the dialogue. Several of the interviewees made comments about Charlie that give us another view into his character and encourage some introspective moments for him. I liked that Charlie was known to the police, but not yet a pariah in their eyes. I liked how the story slowly evolved and left us with several dangling threads. Speculum speculorum.
16. The Bridal Bed (3/5) - What do you do when your fiance, who you love unconditionally, is murdered a week before the weddng?
17. The Man from the Second Fifteen (3/5)- does being in the 2nd tier at school affect the direction of your life?
18. The Inn at Shillingford (3/5) - Sometimes the past breaks into the present.
19. Mr. Gray’s Folly (3.5/5) - Another story about men's fear of strong women. The current occupant of a beautiful old estate finds an ugly structure in his garden and his wife's behavior becomes increasingly mean spirited and violent.
20. The Cycle (3.5) - Two thugs accost a woman on a train when she just wants to get home and address her monthly visitor in peace. Another fear of strong women story.
Connolly continues to exhibit his excellent use of English with his vivid and efficient descriptions of scenes and characters and the occasional laugh out loud cynical humor. This writing style works well in short stories. The normal little bits of history that pepper his earlier Charlie Parker books are not really evident in this book although they show up in some stories.
1. The Cancer Cowboy Rides (4/5) - an unsettling story that combines two common fears; cancer and attacks by strangers. A stranger endangers a small town. This is the only story that unsettled me.
2. Mr. Pettinger’s Daemon (3/5) - A WWI chaplain is assigned to minister to a fellow cleric and instead finds a daemon.
3. The Erlking (3/5) - The fear of losing a child to a stranger told as a story of Goethe's Erlking.
4. The New Daughter (3/5) - Another take on losing a child to strangers told as a story about the fairy folk.
5. The Ritual of the Bones (3/5) - the fear of being an outsider told from the perspective of the scholarship student in a British public school.
6. The Furnace Room (3/5) - paying for one’s sins through supernatural means.
7. The Underburv Witches 3.5/5) - two London police investigate a rural death and encounter strong women.
8. The lnkpot Monkey (3/5) - a writer with writer's block gives his all to regain his muse
9. The Shifting of the Sands (3.5/5) - a cleric battles the old gods in a remote village
10. Some Children Wander by Mistake (3/5) - a misfit child finds his unfortunate place in the world
11. Deep, Dark Green (3/5) - playing on our fears of dark eerie places
12. Miss Froom, Vampire (3.5/5) - all vampires don't follow the popular role.
13. Nocturne (3/5) - houses gain a personality that may impinge on new inhabitants
14. The Wakeford Abyss (3/5) - two ex-military men decide to go spelunking as a change from mountain climbing in a crevasse avoided by the local population and their animals. .
15. The Reflecting Eye: A Charlie Parker Novella (4.5/5) - This is better than the other stories in this book and is one of the best Charlie Parker stories. It is set around the time when Rachel is due to give birth. If you like the little chuckles that Connolly included in the earlier books, this one has more than a few. Louis and Angel, in bit parts, put in an appearance as does the Collector. I enjoyed the dialogue. Several of the interviewees made comments about Charlie that give us another view into his character and encourage some introspective moments for him. I liked that Charlie was known to the police, but not yet a pariah in their eyes. I liked how the story slowly evolved and left us with several dangling threads. Speculum speculorum.
16. The Bridal Bed (3/5) - What do you do when your fiance, who you love unconditionally, is murdered a week before the weddng?
17. The Man from the Second Fifteen (3/5)- does being in the 2nd tier at school affect the direction of your life?
18. The Inn at Shillingford (3/5) - Sometimes the past breaks into the present.
19. Mr. Gray’s Folly (3.5/5) - Another story about men's fear of strong women. The current occupant of a beautiful old estate finds an ugly structure in his garden and his wife's behavior becomes increasingly mean spirited and violent.
20. The Cycle (3.5) - Two thugs accost a woman on a train when she just wants to get home and address her monthly visitor in peace. Another fear of strong women story.
July 26, 2013
Смело вече мога да твърдя, че Джон Конъли е любимият ми писател. За пръв път издава сборник с разкази - досега всичките му книги са романи. Единственият автор, на който имам пълната библиография. Разказите са страхотни просто - някои са в стил Стивън Кинг, други в стил Хауърд Лъвкрафт, трети са чисто авторов стил, оригинален Джон Конъли. Правя кратко резюме на разказите:
1. Канцерогенният Каубой - готин разказ, стил Стивън Кинг в апогея си;
2. Демонът на Петинджър - стил чист Лъвкрафт, малко пряка реч, църкви, свещеници, страх, бррр;
3. Горския Цар - типичен Конъли стил, най-любимия ми разказ, страшна приказка за деца, нещо уникално, направо нов герой за плашене на малките;
4. Новата Дъщеря - подобен по описание на предходния, но коренно различен, интересен много;
5. Ритуал на Костите - извънредно оригинален, тайни общества и едно гнусно създание, смесица между паяк и скорпион;
6. Пещта - не е кой знае какво, но става, напомня ми този път писанията на Клайв Баркър;
7. Ъндърбърските Вещици - не особено оригинална идея, но великолепно развита;
8. Мастилената Маймуна - напомня ми сюжет от старите филми на ужаса, много, много добро;
9. Подвижни Пясъци - напомния по описание втория разказ, главен герой свещеник и пр, напомня Лъвкрафт и морските му истории;
10. Цирк "Калибан" - бррр, напомни ми "Бленуващите Кристали" на Стърджън, обреченост;
11. Дълбоко, тъмнозелено - дълбините на езерота, хахаааа, разказ в стил Кинг;
12. Госпожица Фрум, вампир - леко забавно и хумористично, бива;
13. Ноктюрно - става, един мъж, едно дете, едно пиано... и един злодей...;
14. Уейкфордската Бездна - алпинисти, заклещени в капан между ужасни създания;
15. Огледалното Око - новела за Чарли Паркър, отново истории с деца и сериен убиец на такива. Историята леко доскучава по едно време, за да завърши в грандиозна внезапна развръзка. Тук е и първият сблъсък на Паркър с един персонаж, който е вер��ятно неунищожим: Колекционера;
16. Брачна Постеля - стара история, любимият и неговата призрачна любима;
17. Среща на Випуска - зверски създания в нощта, нещо средно между старите на Кинг и няколко хорър-произведения на родни автори;
18. Шилингфордският Хан - историята за призрачната сграда, дом на стари, позабравени злокобни случки.
1. Канцерогенният Каубой - готин разказ, стил Стивън Кинг в апогея си;
2. Демонът на Петинджър - стил чист Лъвкрафт, малко пряка реч, църкви, свещеници, страх, бррр;
3. Горския Цар - типичен Конъли стил, най-любимия ми разказ, страшна приказка за деца, нещо уникално, направо нов герой за плашене на малките;
4. Новата Дъщеря - подобен по описание на предходния, но коренно различен, интересен много;
5. Ритуал на Костите - извънредно оригинален, тайни общества и едно гнусно създание, смесица между паяк и скорпион;
6. Пещта - не е кой знае какво, но става, напомня ми този път писанията на Клайв Баркър;
7. Ъндърбърските Вещици - не особено оригинална идея, но великолепно развита;
8. Мастилената Маймуна - напомня ми сюжет от старите филми на ужаса, много, много добро;
9. Подвижни Пясъци - напомния по описание втория разказ, главен герой свещеник и пр, напомня Лъвкрафт и морските му истории;
10. Цирк "Калибан" - бррр, напомни ми "Бленуващите Кристали" на Стърджън, обреченост;
11. Дълбоко, тъмнозелено - дълбините на езерота, хахаааа, разказ в стил Кинг;
12. Госпожица Фрум, вампир - леко забавно и хумористично, бива;
13. Ноктюрно - става, един мъж, едно дете, едно пиано... и един злодей...;
14. Уейкфордската Бездна - алпинисти, заклещени в капан между ужасни създания;
15. Огледалното Око - новела за Чарли Паркър, отново истории с деца и сериен убиец на такива. Историята леко доскучава по едно време, за да завърши в грандиозна внезапна развръзка. Тук е и първият сблъсък на Паркър с един персонаж, който е вер��ятно неунищожим: Колекционера;
16. Брачна Постеля - стара история, любимият и неговата призрачна любима;
17. Среща на Випуска - зверски създания в нощта, нещо средно между старите на Кинг и няколко хорър-произведения на родни автори;
18. Шилингфордският Хан - историята за призрачната сграда, дом на стари, позабравени злокобни случки.
February 6, 2017
I really have a love and hate relationship with horror short stories. Every now and then I really love one and it affects me. Yes, Shirley Jackson I'm talking you! This was my first book by John Connolly and it really wasn't the best one for me to pick. I should've started with "The Book of Lost Things." I will still get to that one though, I think it will be more my style.
I listened to this one on audio. It took me forever. To be fair, it always takes me longer on audio because I'm antsy. I've been trying to get better at listening to them though because they can be an amazing thing. That was not really the case with this one. Narrator, Jeff Harding, did horrible accents. I cringed every time he did a woman's voice. It probably took away from a lot of the stories.
I liked a couple of the stories. Most of them I had a hard time keeping focus because I kept getting bored. I did like Cancer Cowboy, New Daughter and the one about the clowns (can't think of the name right now).
I can't really personally recommend it since I didn't enjoy it but I also wouldn't say not to read it. Lots of people seem to really like this one, so if it sounds like something that might interest you then go for it. It certainly wasn't badly written. I would NOT recommend the audio on this one though.
June 8, 2015
In every one of these short stories Connolly succeeds in raising my neck hairs, even if at times it is only a small bit. I like to think that I'm immune to the average horror story atmospheres and tropes which is to say that for an author to have any pull on my emotions they must do either A) take the normal horror game to new heights or B) Do something completely off the wall altogether. Connolly does a mixture of both of these options which produces many diverse and refreshing stories. I really appreciate it when an author can mould both a plot and character so well in under twelve pages, especially from an author who is in no way renown for his skills at the short story. Having said that, Connolly is not going to win any prestigious literary awards for work like this, but it definitely serves for those not wanting to sleep too soundly at night or who are interested in feeling the side effects of book induced paranoia.
I have saved "The Reflecting Eye",i.e. the Charlie Parker novella, until I have finished reading Every Dead Thing. I can only imagine what sorts he will achieve when his canvas is expanded from twelve to four hundred pages.
I have saved "The Reflecting Eye",i.e. the Charlie Parker novella, until I have finished reading Every Dead Thing. I can only imagine what sorts he will achieve when his canvas is expanded from twelve to four hundred pages.
April 14, 2016
Group read with Literary Darkness GR group
When reading this book I kept thinking: "I'd read something like this before!", so perhaps I did read plenty of those short stories from somewhere else in the past.
Plus, John Connolly's themes, style and writing reminds me strongly of Clive Barker's short stories, I'm not saying who is ripping off who, but the resemblance is still strong.
When reading this book I kept thinking: "I'd read something like this before!", so perhaps I did read plenty of those short stories from somewhere else in the past.
Plus, John Connolly's themes, style and writing reminds me strongly of Clive Barker's short stories, I'm not saying who is ripping off who, but the resemblance is still strong.
November 26, 2023
A truly excellent short story collection, packed with great horror and a pleasing dose of humour too.
November 7, 2024
After reading this several years ago I liked it somewhat better this time. The problem for me is I’ve never really cared for short stories by anyone. There are exceptions of course, some short stories are great.
There is a certain level of creepiness in several of the stories in this first installment of Nocturnes which is exactly what I like. My favorite story is 'The Reflecting Eye' which is of course a Charlie Parker Novella. Plus, I just love the character within it - The Collector. Other than that, I was not crazy about the book.
So probably a low four stars but definitely not three stars.
There is a certain level of creepiness in several of the stories in this first installment of Nocturnes which is exactly what I like. My favorite story is 'The Reflecting Eye' which is of course a Charlie Parker Novella. Plus, I just love the character within it - The Collector. Other than that, I was not crazy about the book.
So probably a low four stars but definitely not three stars.
October 19, 2023
John Connolly tiene el honor de ser el único autor de novela negra que leo, y eso se debe no solo a la calidad de sus historias, sino a que difícilmente podrían considerarse como novela negra. De hecho, la primera entrega de su detective atormentado, que se ajusta más a los cánones del género, es la que menos me gusta, aunque ya incluya los elementos que hacen destacar su obra por sobre la de otros compañeros del gremio: la inclusión de sucesos sobrenaturales y del género del terror. Si bien sus historias nunca caen en lo fantástico y la resolución de sus casos siempre se ajustan a las leyes físicas que gobiernan nuestra anodina realidad, Connolly trabaja sus atmósferas como si leyéramos un cuento de fantasmas, crea una mitología alrededor de los antagonistas que, pese a partir de un suceso histórico real, suele caer en lo fantástico y sobrenatural. Es más, mucho de sus villanos se creen imbuidos por un poder sobrenatural y, claro, al igual que los orcos en Warhammer, muchas veces creer es poder.
Dado el gusto que tiene el autor por lo terrorífico y por el género del horror, no es de extrañar que haya cultivado el formato breve. Por eso me lancé a por esta colección, partiendo de la premisa de que, si lo que más disfrutaba de sus novelas era su componente terrorífico, sus píldoras de género concentradas las iba a disfrutar el doble o el triple. Craso error.
La colección incluye los siguientes relatos:
-El vaquero del cáncer cabalga (****): un hombre encuentra a una familia de fanáticos religiosos, que viven aislados en una casa a las afueras del pueblo, consumidos por una enfermedad que les ha desfigurado y podrido el cuerpo en vida. Pocas semanas después, estos mismos síntomas comienzan a aparecer en otro pueblo, muy alejado del primero. Y es que al parecer alguien esta esparciendo la enfermedad deliberadamente, con aviesas intenciones. Quizá por su extensión, quizá por estar particularmente sensibilizado con este tema, este me ha resultado el mejor relato de la colección, el más Connolly. Lo mejor no es la amenaza en sí y el horrible destino que le espera a cualquiera que entra en contacto con este sanguinario vaquero carcinógeno, sino el componente humano que permea todo el texto. El autor, sin dejar de centrarse en la parte aterradora, se permite trabajar con el dolor físico y mental, directo e indirecto, que provoca esta enfermedad en quien la padece y en quienes son testigos de ella. Un relato brutal y contundente, con un final muy satisfactorio.
-El demonio del señor Pettinger (***): en un convento apartado de una población aislada, el cura ha hecho un descubrimiento terrible tras leer una serie de documentos y tratados históricos. El convento guarda un secreto subterráneo: hay algo atrapado bajo sus cimientos. Como suele ocurrir, la curiosidad mató al gato. No está mal, pero no es muy memorable.
-El rey de los elfos (***): Los terrores infantiles que hacen las delicias de pequeños y adultos. En este caso, tenemos a una criatura feérica directamente extraída de los cuentos de los hermanos Grimm, esto es, con sus ansias homicidas intactas. Un padre tendrá que luchar contra el acoso implacable de un hada que quiere hacerse con su jugoso vástago. Tampoco está mal, pero es, si cabe, aún menos memorable que el anterior.
-La nueva hija (***): Un padre soltero a cargo de sus dos hijos es testigo de cómo su hija sufre los cambios propios de la edad: humor voluble, falta de comunicación padre-hija, ojos rojos, ganas de matar. La clásica pubertad. Connolly vuelve a trabajar los elementos del cuento anterior y de numerosos cuentos posteriores: casa en el campo abandonada de la mano de Dios, una amenaza que quiere apoderarse de sus hijos, la impotencia de un padre al ser incapaz de proteger a su familia...
-El ritual de los huesos (*): Aquí entramos ya en el campo de la vergüenza ajena. En un elitista y antiguo colegio privado, un alumno de clase baja descubrirá cómo las novatadas, con la connivencia del profesorado, se van de las manos. No sé qué me produce mayor sonrojo, si la burda crítica a las clases altas o que los profesores tengan nombres de escritores de terror famosos. Director Lovecraft... ¿En serio?
-La sala de la caldera (**): Un hombre con un trágico pasado entra a trabajar como vigilante nocturno de un edificio abandonado. En su primera noche, observa cómo un grupo de vagabundos con distintas mutilaciones y deformaciones se mueve por el lugar con misteriosos propósitos. Al final, pasado y presente se unen de manera trágica. En manos de Ligotti, este relato hubiera sido una maravilla; en manos de King, hubiera sido correcto: en manos de Connolly, no convence.
-Las brujas de Underbury (***): Un cuento ambientado en la campiña inglesa de principios de siglo XX. Unos investigadores de Scotland Yard acuden a un pueblo para investigar el asesinato en extrañas circunstancias de uno de sus ciudadanos, uno no especialmente querido por su bilioso temperamento y sus lúbricos apetitos. Para aderezar este misterioso crimen, tenemos un caso de brujería ocurrido trescientos años antes que se cobró la víctima de tres mujeres... ¿inocentes? No sabría decir si este relato tiene un toque feminista o misógino. No deja de ser una venganza sobrenatural perpetrada contra un violador, pero, claro, las protagonistas no son las brujas, sino los detectives que han ido a detener a los culpables. Y lo hacen, vaya que si lo hacen. Es un buen relato.
-El mono del tintero (***): un relato muy simpático sobre escribir, en particular, sobre lo difícil que es escribir cuando no se tiene ni el talento ni la capacidad de sacrificio necesaria. Un escritor mediocre se bate contra la página en blanco y pierde asalto tras asalto. Como buen advenedizo, busca un atajo, y lo encuentra en forma de tintero chino. Siguiendo las instrucciones, recupera la inspiración y gana en calidad. Pero, claro, hay un precio a pagar.
-Arenas movedizas (***): volvemos a escenarios típicos del folk horror, a saber, extranjero en tierra extraña, a la sazón cura, una población rural aislada y cerrada, paganismo y una amenaza sobrenatural. Un cura llega a una pueblo en el que la religión ortodoxa y reglada no ha arraigado correctamente, en parte por las tradiciones endogámicas de los habitantes, en parte porque tienen una divinidad de poder manifiesto que vela por ellos. Es folk horror puro, y eso siempre es alegría.
-Algunos niños se extravían por error (**): el circo llega al pueblo, y un chaval solitario decide acudir al espectáculo. Los payasos le resultan especialmente inquietantes ¿y a quién no? Como dije antes, en manos de Ligotti este relato hubiera sido brutal, pero Connolly lo convierte en una chorrada demasiado obvia. Por Dios, que el puñetero circo se llama Calibán.
-Profundidades verdes y oscuras (**): por echar un corchete todos hemos hecho muchas tonterías, como ver el diario de Noah o sobrevivir a un concierto de Dover -esto es una historia sincera-. En esta ocasión, un chaval decide demostrar su gallardía acompañando a su ligue a darse un bañito en el embalse del pueblo, un pantano con muy mala fama que, para su construcción, hubo de sumergir un pueblo entero bajo las aguas. Digamos que el baño les sale muy caro.
-La señorita Froom, vampiro (***): un cuento que parece querer deconstruir la figura del vampiro pero que, al final, resulta que no, que es un cuento de vampiros normal y corriente. La señora Froom es un activo muy querido del pueblo por su naturaleza voluntariosa, los servicios que ofrece desinteresadamente a sus convecinos y el exquisito gusto que tiene para la decoración. Sin embargo, nadie sabe precisar su edad, su ascendencia o su pasado, pues mantiene una respetuosa distancia con sus semejantes. Un día, un joven que pasa por ahí es reclamado por la señorita Froom, que necesita ayuda en su jardín. Entonces conoceremos su historia.
-El abismo de Wakeford (**): una pareja de excursionistas, veteranos escaladores y aficionados espeleólogos, decide descender por unas cuevas con muy mala fama pese a las muchas advertencias de los lugareños. Cómo suele ocurrir cuando desciendes a una caverna misteriosa, descubrirán demasiado tarde que la oquedad subterránea, más que caverna, es cubil. Si los animales pequeños con muchas patas os producen repeluco, seguramente vosotros le pongáis más estrellas a este relato.
-Nocturno (**): regresamos al terror familiar. Un padre soltero que ha perdido a uno de su hijo se muda junto a su retoño superviviente a otra localidad. En esta nueva casa, sospechosamente barata, hay un piano. Y, por supuesto, el instrumento tiene la mala costumbre de tocarse solo a horas intempestivas. Por si no fuera suficiente razón para largarse del lugar cagando leches, el pequeño de la familia dice que el piano lo esta tocando su hermano fallecido. Sorpresa sorpresa: no es su hermano.
-El capricho del señor Gray (**): un matrimonio malavenido se muda a una mansión solariega que cuenta con un capricho, un cenador antiguo que no armoniza ni con la casa ni con el paisaje. Pronto, ese capricho comienza a ejercer una extraña influencia en la mujer, y es que la construcción encierra bajo sus cimientos un secreto. De nuevo, un cuento que no sabes si pretende ser feminista o misógino, aunque este creo que me inclino más por lo segundo. Ojo, en absoluto acuso a John Connolly de serlo porque a) este relato se ambienta a principios de siglo XX y los personajes se comportan de acuerdo a los normas y costumbres de la época, b) en la saga de Charlie Parker no hay ningún punto de misoginia y c) el siguiente relato no tiene nada de este tufillo. Es decir, que quizá este cuento lo parezca más por tratarse de una historia fallida que por convencimiento del autor.
-El ciclo (****): coger el último tranvía de la jornada es asunto peligroso, especialmente cuando eres una joven y estas en esos días en que los rigores fisiológicos te provocan dolorosas sensaciones en el bajo vientre, una desagradable agudización de los sentidos, un metálico mal resabio en la boca, y un hirsutismo incipiente. Este relato me ha gustado mucho por lo satisfactorio de su final.
-El lecho nupcial (**): una pareja enamorada a punto de casarse ven sus esperanzas de ayuntar por primera vez en el lecho nupcial truncadas al toparse la muchacha con un asesino. Sin embargo, el desamparado enamorado no puede resistir el deseo de encontrarse con su amada una última vez. La rica necrofilia, siempre presente en nuestros corazones.
-El hombre de los Segundos Quince (*): a un urbanita le deja tirado su coche en mitad de un camino rural en una desapacible noche de lluvia. Allí, un bromista comienza a atormentarle. De esos cuentos que tienes que volver sobre ellos porque no recuerdas ni que los has leído.
-La posada de Shillingford (**): un cuento de hoteles encantados. Un viajante hace una parada estratégica para pernoctar en la ya conocida posada. Allí pasará una noche de las que quedan para el recuerdo. Un relato correcto, pero, también, muy poco memorable.
Dado el gusto que tiene el autor por lo terrorífico y por el género del horror, no es de extrañar que haya cultivado el formato breve. Por eso me lancé a por esta colección, partiendo de la premisa de que, si lo que más disfrutaba de sus novelas era su componente terrorífico, sus píldoras de género concentradas las iba a disfrutar el doble o el triple. Craso error.
La colección incluye los siguientes relatos:
-El vaquero del cáncer cabalga (****): un hombre encuentra a una familia de fanáticos religiosos, que viven aislados en una casa a las afueras del pueblo, consumidos por una enfermedad que les ha desfigurado y podrido el cuerpo en vida. Pocas semanas después, estos mismos síntomas comienzan a aparecer en otro pueblo, muy alejado del primero. Y es que al parecer alguien esta esparciendo la enfermedad deliberadamente, con aviesas intenciones. Quizá por su extensión, quizá por estar particularmente sensibilizado con este tema, este me ha resultado el mejor relato de la colección, el más Connolly. Lo mejor no es la amenaza en sí y el horrible destino que le espera a cualquiera que entra en contacto con este sanguinario vaquero carcinógeno, sino el componente humano que permea todo el texto. El autor, sin dejar de centrarse en la parte aterradora, se permite trabajar con el dolor físico y mental, directo e indirecto, que provoca esta enfermedad en quien la padece y en quienes son testigos de ella. Un relato brutal y contundente, con un final muy satisfactorio.
-El demonio del señor Pettinger (***): en un convento apartado de una población aislada, el cura ha hecho un descubrimiento terrible tras leer una serie de documentos y tratados históricos. El convento guarda un secreto subterráneo: hay algo atrapado bajo sus cimientos. Como suele ocurrir, la curiosidad mató al gato. No está mal, pero no es muy memorable.
-El rey de los elfos (***): Los terrores infantiles que hacen las delicias de pequeños y adultos. En este caso, tenemos a una criatura feérica directamente extraída de los cuentos de los hermanos Grimm, esto es, con sus ansias homicidas intactas. Un padre tendrá que luchar contra el acoso implacable de un hada que quiere hacerse con su jugoso vástago. Tampoco está mal, pero es, si cabe, aún menos memorable que el anterior.
-La nueva hija (***): Un padre soltero a cargo de sus dos hijos es testigo de cómo su hija sufre los cambios propios de la edad: humor voluble, falta de comunicación padre-hija, ojos rojos, ganas de matar. La clásica pubertad. Connolly vuelve a trabajar los elementos del cuento anterior y de numerosos cuentos posteriores: casa en el campo abandonada de la mano de Dios, una amenaza que quiere apoderarse de sus hijos, la impotencia de un padre al ser incapaz de proteger a su familia...
-El ritual de los huesos (*): Aquí entramos ya en el campo de la vergüenza ajena. En un elitista y antiguo colegio privado, un alumno de clase baja descubrirá cómo las novatadas, con la connivencia del profesorado, se van de las manos. No sé qué me produce mayor sonrojo, si la burda crítica a las clases altas o que los profesores tengan nombres de escritores de terror famosos. Director Lovecraft... ¿En serio?
-La sala de la caldera (**): Un hombre con un trágico pasado entra a trabajar como vigilante nocturno de un edificio abandonado. En su primera noche, observa cómo un grupo de vagabundos con distintas mutilaciones y deformaciones se mueve por el lugar con misteriosos propósitos. Al final, pasado y presente se unen de manera trágica. En manos de Ligotti, este relato hubiera sido una maravilla; en manos de King, hubiera sido correcto: en manos de Connolly, no convence.
-Las brujas de Underbury (***): Un cuento ambientado en la campiña inglesa de principios de siglo XX. Unos investigadores de Scotland Yard acuden a un pueblo para investigar el asesinato en extrañas circunstancias de uno de sus ciudadanos, uno no especialmente querido por su bilioso temperamento y sus lúbricos apetitos. Para aderezar este misterioso crimen, tenemos un caso de brujería ocurrido trescientos años antes que se cobró la víctima de tres mujeres... ¿inocentes? No sabría decir si este relato tiene un toque feminista o misógino. No deja de ser una venganza sobrenatural perpetrada contra un violador, pero, claro, las protagonistas no son las brujas, sino los detectives que han ido a detener a los culpables. Y lo hacen, vaya que si lo hacen. Es un buen relato.
-El mono del tintero (***): un relato muy simpático sobre escribir, en particular, sobre lo difícil que es escribir cuando no se tiene ni el talento ni la capacidad de sacrificio necesaria. Un escritor mediocre se bate contra la página en blanco y pierde asalto tras asalto. Como buen advenedizo, busca un atajo, y lo encuentra en forma de tintero chino. Siguiendo las instrucciones, recupera la inspiración y gana en calidad. Pero, claro, hay un precio a pagar.
-Arenas movedizas (***): volvemos a escenarios típicos del folk horror, a saber, extranjero en tierra extraña, a la sazón cura, una población rural aislada y cerrada, paganismo y una amenaza sobrenatural. Un cura llega a una pueblo en el que la religión ortodoxa y reglada no ha arraigado correctamente, en parte por las tradiciones endogámicas de los habitantes, en parte porque tienen una divinidad de poder manifiesto que vela por ellos. Es folk horror puro, y eso siempre es alegría.
-Algunos niños se extravían por error (**): el circo llega al pueblo, y un chaval solitario decide acudir al espectáculo. Los payasos le resultan especialmente inquietantes ¿y a quién no? Como dije antes, en manos de Ligotti este relato hubiera sido brutal, pero Connolly lo convierte en una chorrada demasiado obvia. Por Dios, que el puñetero circo se llama Calibán.
-Profundidades verdes y oscuras (**): por echar un corchete todos hemos hecho muchas tonterías, como ver el diario de Noah o sobrevivir a un concierto de Dover -esto es una historia sincera-. En esta ocasión, un chaval decide demostrar su gallardía acompañando a su ligue a darse un bañito en el embalse del pueblo, un pantano con muy mala fama que, para su construcción, hubo de sumergir un pueblo entero bajo las aguas. Digamos que el baño les sale muy caro.
-La señorita Froom, vampiro (***): un cuento que parece querer deconstruir la figura del vampiro pero que, al final, resulta que no, que es un cuento de vampiros normal y corriente. La señora Froom es un activo muy querido del pueblo por su naturaleza voluntariosa, los servicios que ofrece desinteresadamente a sus convecinos y el exquisito gusto que tiene para la decoración. Sin embargo, nadie sabe precisar su edad, su ascendencia o su pasado, pues mantiene una respetuosa distancia con sus semejantes. Un día, un joven que pasa por ahí es reclamado por la señorita Froom, que necesita ayuda en su jardín. Entonces conoceremos su historia.
-El abismo de Wakeford (**): una pareja de excursionistas, veteranos escaladores y aficionados espeleólogos, decide descender por unas cuevas con muy mala fama pese a las muchas advertencias de los lugareños. Cómo suele ocurrir cuando desciendes a una caverna misteriosa, descubrirán demasiado tarde que la oquedad subterránea, más que caverna, es cubil. Si los animales pequeños con muchas patas os producen repeluco, seguramente vosotros le pongáis más estrellas a este relato.
-Nocturno (**): regresamos al terror familiar. Un padre soltero que ha perdido a uno de su hijo se muda junto a su retoño superviviente a otra localidad. En esta nueva casa, sospechosamente barata, hay un piano. Y, por supuesto, el instrumento tiene la mala costumbre de tocarse solo a horas intempestivas. Por si no fuera suficiente razón para largarse del lugar cagando leches, el pequeño de la familia dice que el piano lo esta tocando su hermano fallecido. Sorpresa sorpresa: no es su hermano.
-El capricho del señor Gray (**): un matrimonio malavenido se muda a una mansión solariega que cuenta con un capricho, un cenador antiguo que no armoniza ni con la casa ni con el paisaje. Pronto, ese capricho comienza a ejercer una extraña influencia en la mujer, y es que la construcción encierra bajo sus cimientos un secreto. De nuevo, un cuento que no sabes si pretende ser feminista o misógino, aunque este creo que me inclino más por lo segundo. Ojo, en absoluto acuso a John Connolly de serlo porque a) este relato se ambienta a principios de siglo XX y los personajes se comportan de acuerdo a los normas y costumbres de la época, b) en la saga de Charlie Parker no hay ningún punto de misoginia y c) el siguiente relato no tiene nada de este tufillo. Es decir, que quizá este cuento lo parezca más por tratarse de una historia fallida que por convencimiento del autor.
-El ciclo (****): coger el último tranvía de la jornada es asunto peligroso, especialmente cuando eres una joven y estas en esos días en que los rigores fisiológicos te provocan dolorosas sensaciones en el bajo vientre, una desagradable agudización de los sentidos, un metálico mal resabio en la boca, y un hirsutismo incipiente. Este relato me ha gustado mucho por lo satisfactorio de su final.
-El lecho nupcial (**): una pareja enamorada a punto de casarse ven sus esperanzas de ayuntar por primera vez en el lecho nupcial truncadas al toparse la muchacha con un asesino. Sin embargo, el desamparado enamorado no puede resistir el deseo de encontrarse con su amada una última vez. La rica necrofilia, siempre presente en nuestros corazones.
-El hombre de los Segundos Quince (*): a un urbanita le deja tirado su coche en mitad de un camino rural en una desapacible noche de lluvia. Allí, un bromista comienza a atormentarle. De esos cuentos que tienes que volver sobre ellos porque no recuerdas ni que los has leído.
-La posada de Shillingford (**): un cuento de hoteles encantados. Un viajante hace una parada estratégica para pernoctar en la ya conocida posada. Allí pasará una noche de las que quedan para el recuerdo. Un relato correcto, pero, también, muy poco memorable.
June 5, 2007
I've never read anything else of John Connolly's, but from this collection of short stories, it seems he has real women issues. Every female character fits directly into the succubus category, with sagging breasts, rotting flesh, and a great desire to consume men. To Connolly, it seems that every woman is a Lilith, a witch from which men must escape or die. I guess he's had some bad relationships.
January 12, 2018
El relato de terror más académico no puede ser mucho mejor que el de Connolly. Cuentos de gran solidez, con momentos inquietantes y que se leen de principio a fin con la mirada pegada a sus bellas palabras. Difícil encontrar a alguien que pueda detestar esta literatura.
Cómo escribe, Connolly. Es la primera vez que lo leo, pero la sensación (en la que muchos coinciden) es que no solo conoce su oficio, sino que lo desempeña con la maestría del mejor artesano. Del artesano que, incluso, tiene destellos de artista. Porque no son raras las frases de gran lucidez, los detalles que toman una escena potencialmente mediocre y le aportan el toque justo que las eleva hasta hacerlas fascinantes, evocadoras y, casi, hermosas. La traducción es igualmente excelente, de gran elegancia y con la palabra justa siempre a tiempo.
Algo le impide terminar de arrasar y es su academicismo; la literatura sin vanguardismo tiene unos límites, a los que se acerca Connolly pero le falta el extra. El extra de valentía, de deseo de ruptura, de ir más allá. Las historias son en exceso previsibles. Es obvio que el autor no busca la originalidad, sino la eficacia, la perfección de una forma clásica que disfruta elaborando por sí mismo, desplegando toda su pericia estilística e imaginación. Se nota el placer del escritor. Pero siempre en los márgenes de lo ya visto. Los ecos son tantos que son probablemente autoconscientes, más temáticos que estilísticos: James y Benson en los relatos de terror parroquial; una de las historias más Poe que he leído en el siglo XXI en 'El capricho del señor Gray'; por supuesto, retazos lovecraftianos en, por ejemplo, 'El abismo de Wakeford'; la influencia del horror moderno de King y Barker, superando al primero en su campo ('Profundidades verdes y oscuras', 'El vaquero del cáncer cabalga') y encontrando cierta afinidad con el segundo ('La sala de la caldera'). Hasta el Kafka satírico se deja caer por 'El mono del tintero'.
El estilo de Connolly, por otro lado, tiene un deje del autor de novelas que no termina de adaptarse al formato corto. Muchos de los cuentos comienzan con una lentitud casi excesiva, al detenerse en descripciones de lugares y personajes como lo haría el primer capítulo de una novela, pero rara vez se ve en el relato breve con tanta claridad. Connolly usa esos arranques para desplegar los temas y símbolos de cada historia, pero como un novelista o, como mucho, un cuentista algo pasado de moda. La previsibilidad de las historias es lo que ralentiza esos inicios. Aun así, sus estructuras por lo general terminan funcionando y varios de los clímax son inolvidables. De nuevo, gracias a ciertas frases.
En definitiva, es un libro de gran solidez en todos los aspectos, muy disfrutable y no solo como divertimento ligero. Apenas hay historias que bajen el nivel ('El ritual de los huesos' o 'Las brujas de Underbury' se acercan a la mediocridad, sin grandes puntos de salvación, aunque sin molestar) y en casi todas hay descripciones físicas (la mayor parte de sus horrores son criaturas y demonios) con destellos de tremenda potencia evocadora. Entre mis favoritos, por afinidad personal y no porque destaquen por encima de otros, diría 'Profundidades verdes y oscuras' o 'El lecho nupcial', ambas de intenso arrebato romántico.
Algunos relatos son empobrecidos por su explicitud y simpleza como comentario social ('El ritual de los huesos' y su alegoría de las clases sociales; una cierta intención feminista en varios relatos de, por cierto, contradictorio carácter, casi misógino), pero Connolly dota a muchos otros cuentos de un hálito onírico, pesadillesco perfecto para este tipo de obras. Escribirlo con tanta elegancia y eficacia no es fácil.
Cómo escribe, Connolly. Es la primera vez que lo leo, pero la sensación (en la que muchos coinciden) es que no solo conoce su oficio, sino que lo desempeña con la maestría del mejor artesano. Del artesano que, incluso, tiene destellos de artista. Porque no son raras las frases de gran lucidez, los detalles que toman una escena potencialmente mediocre y le aportan el toque justo que las eleva hasta hacerlas fascinantes, evocadoras y, casi, hermosas. La traducción es igualmente excelente, de gran elegancia y con la palabra justa siempre a tiempo.
Algo le impide terminar de arrasar y es su academicismo; la literatura sin vanguardismo tiene unos límites, a los que se acerca Connolly pero le falta el extra. El extra de valentía, de deseo de ruptura, de ir más allá. Las historias son en exceso previsibles. Es obvio que el autor no busca la originalidad, sino la eficacia, la perfección de una forma clásica que disfruta elaborando por sí mismo, desplegando toda su pericia estilística e imaginación. Se nota el placer del escritor. Pero siempre en los márgenes de lo ya visto. Los ecos son tantos que son probablemente autoconscientes, más temáticos que estilísticos: James y Benson en los relatos de terror parroquial; una de las historias más Poe que he leído en el siglo XXI en 'El capricho del señor Gray'; por supuesto, retazos lovecraftianos en, por ejemplo, 'El abismo de Wakeford'; la influencia del horror moderno de King y Barker, superando al primero en su campo ('Profundidades verdes y oscuras', 'El vaquero del cáncer cabalga') y encontrando cierta afinidad con el segundo ('La sala de la caldera'). Hasta el Kafka satírico se deja caer por 'El mono del tintero'.
El estilo de Connolly, por otro lado, tiene un deje del autor de novelas que no termina de adaptarse al formato corto. Muchos de los cuentos comienzan con una lentitud casi excesiva, al detenerse en descripciones de lugares y personajes como lo haría el primer capítulo de una novela, pero rara vez se ve en el relato breve con tanta claridad. Connolly usa esos arranques para desplegar los temas y símbolos de cada historia, pero como un novelista o, como mucho, un cuentista algo pasado de moda. La previsibilidad de las historias es lo que ralentiza esos inicios. Aun así, sus estructuras por lo general terminan funcionando y varios de los clímax son inolvidables. De nuevo, gracias a ciertas frases.
En definitiva, es un libro de gran solidez en todos los aspectos, muy disfrutable y no solo como divertimento ligero. Apenas hay historias que bajen el nivel ('El ritual de los huesos' o 'Las brujas de Underbury' se acercan a la mediocridad, sin grandes puntos de salvación, aunque sin molestar) y en casi todas hay descripciones físicas (la mayor parte de sus horrores son criaturas y demonios) con destellos de tremenda potencia evocadora. Entre mis favoritos, por afinidad personal y no porque destaquen por encima de otros, diría 'Profundidades verdes y oscuras' o 'El lecho nupcial', ambas de intenso arrebato romántico.
Algunos relatos son empobrecidos por su explicitud y simpleza como comentario social ('El ritual de los huesos' y su alegoría de las clases sociales; una cierta intención feminista en varios relatos de, por cierto, contradictorio carácter, casi misógino), pero Connolly dota a muchos otros cuentos de un hálito onírico, pesadillesco perfecto para este tipo de obras. Escribirlo con tanta elegancia y eficacia no es fácil.
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