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Wylding Hall
When the young members of a British acid-folk band are compelled by their manager to record their unique music, they hole up at Wylding Hall, an ancient country house with dark secrets. There they create the album that will make their reputation, but at a terrifying cost: Julian Blake, the group’s lead singer, disappears within the mansion and is never seen or heard from again.
Now, years later, the surviving musicians, along with their friends and lovers—including a psychic, a photographer, and the band’s manager—meet with a young documentary filmmaker to tell their own versions of what happened that summer. But whose story is true? And what really happened to Julian Blake?
Now, years later, the surviving musicians, along with their friends and lovers—including a psychic, a photographer, and the band’s manager—meet with a young documentary filmmaker to tell their own versions of what happened that summer. But whose story is true? And what really happened to Julian Blake?
176 pages, ebook
First published March 20, 2015
498 people are currently reading
16760 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Hand
186 books1,311 followersA New York Times notable and multiple award– winning author, Elizabeth Hand has written seven novels, including the cult classic Waking the Moon, and short-story collections. She is a longtime contributor to numerous publications, including the Washington Post Book World and the Village Voice Literary Supplement. She and her two children divide their time between the coast of Maine and North London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,648 reviews
October 19, 2018
Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand is a 2015 Open Road Media publication.
Sex, drugs, rock and roll…. And a ghost?
In the mid-seventies, a folk -rock group loses one of its members, tragically. Needing them to regroup, focus, and get some songs written and recorded, their management carts them off to an old country house where they will stay, removed from any distractions. They produce their most infamous album, but before they leave the crumbling estate, their most popular group member, Julian, will have vanished into thin air, never to be seen or heard from again. It’s the stuff legends are made of.
But, now the surviving members are looking back on those sessions and the weird atmosphere of the house, and speculate on what may have happened to Julian, revealing a supernatural tale of gothic horror.
I am so picky when it comes to horror novels. I tend to choose the older ones or re-read favorite classics because the newer releases are too centered on gore. This one is not all that old, and sounded very promising, plus, it keeps popping up on my radar. It always seems to make top gothic, horror, or ghost story list, and it has such high ratings, so I decided to take the plunge, hoping this would be great October/Halloween story.
The book started off with the perfect setting, the perfect atmosphere, and all the elements in place for a good ghost story. The members of the group tell the story from a present -day perspective, recalling the time they spent recording their now famous album while at the old country house, pondering on the mysterious woman that had bewitched Julian, all leading up to his sudden disappearance.
I was initially thrilled by the strong Gothic tones, even though this typically means a slower pace, which is why I gave the book much more patience than I normally would. However, the dramas, romances, hijinks, and conflicts within the band takes up more time and space than anything else. The author drops a hint here, a hint there, an unusual occurrence or behavior, hints of occult interests within the group, and a few weird sightings, but nothing too vivid and all of it very, very vague. But, I stayed with it, especially since the book wasn’t all that long. I kept waiting for something to develop that would give me the shivers. However, nothing ever took place that was all that exciting, and the ‘stunner’ at the end was very anti-climactic, tepid, and disappointing. There wasn’t enough information given to the reader to give it much of a bite and I ended up feeling underwhelmed.
The story had a lot going for it, but unfortunately it fell flat. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad story, really, just a little over-hyped. The book just needed a few more shivery thrills, and while keeping the nature of the evil hidden from the reader can be effective under some circumstances, here it robbed the story of its edge. The author had the right idea, though, and I’d love to see more horror authors following this lead and write stories with more chills and atmosphere, than sickening gore and gross side effects.
3 stars
Sex, drugs, rock and roll…. And a ghost?
In the mid-seventies, a folk -rock group loses one of its members, tragically. Needing them to regroup, focus, and get some songs written and recorded, their management carts them off to an old country house where they will stay, removed from any distractions. They produce their most infamous album, but before they leave the crumbling estate, their most popular group member, Julian, will have vanished into thin air, never to be seen or heard from again. It’s the stuff legends are made of.
But, now the surviving members are looking back on those sessions and the weird atmosphere of the house, and speculate on what may have happened to Julian, revealing a supernatural tale of gothic horror.
I am so picky when it comes to horror novels. I tend to choose the older ones or re-read favorite classics because the newer releases are too centered on gore. This one is not all that old, and sounded very promising, plus, it keeps popping up on my radar. It always seems to make top gothic, horror, or ghost story list, and it has such high ratings, so I decided to take the plunge, hoping this would be great October/Halloween story.
The book started off with the perfect setting, the perfect atmosphere, and all the elements in place for a good ghost story. The members of the group tell the story from a present -day perspective, recalling the time they spent recording their now famous album while at the old country house, pondering on the mysterious woman that had bewitched Julian, all leading up to his sudden disappearance.
I was initially thrilled by the strong Gothic tones, even though this typically means a slower pace, which is why I gave the book much more patience than I normally would. However, the dramas, romances, hijinks, and conflicts within the band takes up more time and space than anything else. The author drops a hint here, a hint there, an unusual occurrence or behavior, hints of occult interests within the group, and a few weird sightings, but nothing too vivid and all of it very, very vague. But, I stayed with it, especially since the book wasn’t all that long. I kept waiting for something to develop that would give me the shivers. However, nothing ever took place that was all that exciting, and the ‘stunner’ at the end was very anti-climactic, tepid, and disappointing. There wasn’t enough information given to the reader to give it much of a bite and I ended up feeling underwhelmed.
The story had a lot going for it, but unfortunately it fell flat. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad story, really, just a little over-hyped. The book just needed a few more shivery thrills, and while keeping the nature of the evil hidden from the reader can be effective under some circumstances, here it robbed the story of its edge. The author had the right idea, though, and I’d love to see more horror authors following this lead and write stories with more chills and atmosphere, than sickening gore and gross side effects.
3 stars
February 1, 2018
2.1.18-I've been thinking about this story since I finished it and as such, I've decided to up my rating to the full 5/5 stars.
WYLDING HALL is a fun novella that doesn't neatly fit into any single category other than, perhaps, dark fiction.
It looks like a thousand other people have already written reviews so I'll just say: this is a beautifully written example of a quiet horror story with building tension and dread.
WYLDING HALL is my second reading of Hand's work, the first being her collection SAFFRON AND BRIMSTONE, which I also enjoyed. I'm looking forward to reading more from her and I think I'll do that starting with BLACK LIGHT.
Highly recommended!
You can get a copy here: Wylding Hall
*I bought this book with my hard earned money and this is my honest opinion.*
WYLDING HALL is a fun novella that doesn't neatly fit into any single category other than, perhaps, dark fiction.
It looks like a thousand other people have already written reviews so I'll just say: this is a beautifully written example of a quiet horror story with building tension and dread.
WYLDING HALL is my second reading of Hand's work, the first being her collection SAFFRON AND BRIMSTONE, which I also enjoyed. I'm looking forward to reading more from her and I think I'll do that starting with BLACK LIGHT.
Highly recommended!
You can get a copy here: Wylding Hall
*I bought this book with my hard earned money and this is my honest opinion.*
September 14, 2021
Modern Day Gothic Horror Story
Five stars is not enough for this book. I was entranced, frightened and enthralled by the story of a young folk band who get to stay in an old mansion in the British countryside to work on their second album. They are all typical young people in their interest in sex and drugs, but atypical in their beauty and immense talent, especially Julian and Lesley.
Julian is gorgeous with a voice of an angel, but when he discovers some occult books in the house library, he taps into the ancient past of the house and it's environs. Julian believes there are two spaces, the normal everyday world and the spiritual which humans can tap into through religion and art. These shared, communal experiences, like religious ceremonies or music are in this different space. He seeks this other world to his detriment. Lesley and the others sense his estrangement and other worldliness and try to coax him back, but he has gone too far.
Five stars is not enough for this book. I was entranced, frightened and enthralled by the story of a young folk band who get to stay in an old mansion in the British countryside to work on their second album. They are all typical young people in their interest in sex and drugs, but atypical in their beauty and immense talent, especially Julian and Lesley.
Julian is gorgeous with a voice of an angel, but when he discovers some occult books in the house library, he taps into the ancient past of the house and it's environs. Julian believes there are two spaces, the normal everyday world and the spiritual which humans can tap into through religion and art. These shared, communal experiences, like religious ceremonies or music are in this different space. He seeks this other world to his detriment. Lesley and the others sense his estrangement and other worldliness and try to coax him back, but he has gone too far.
June 2, 2023
Interesting story about a folk group (Windhollow Faire) in the 1970’s who go to an isolated old house (Wylding Hall) in the country because their manager wants them to get away from it all and concentrate on making their new album. This story is told in interview style by members of the band in present day, letting us know what happened all those years ago at Wylding Hall which led up to the vanishing of their charismatic lead singer, Julian Blake. Eerie and spooky at times, this was quite a captivating read. But I did have a lot of unanswered questions about what exactly happened to Julian and the mysterious girl, among other things, by the end of the book.
April 20, 2020
I've mentioned before that haunted house stories are probably my favorite sub-genre of horror. This is one of those books that I see mentioned online in "Great Horror Books" lists all the time, and my curiosity has grown over the years. I mean 70s folk rockers in a haunted house? That sounds awesome!
Finally I decided to give it a shot. My Thoughts?
A solid "Ugh."
Plot: Done in the form of several interviews with band, their manager and a few others involved, Wylding Hall is the story of of a 70s folk rock band going on retreat. After the release of their first album and the suicide of one member; they need a rest, they need a place that can rejuvenate their creativity, they need someplace like Wylding Hall. This old estate though has a past and at least one of these musicians is going to learn all about it.
From a plot standpoint, the idea of a bad exploring a haunted house while recording an album has potential. It drew me to the book as there were so many possibilities there. I expected voices in their recordings, things messing with the equipment, music in the middle of the night, possibly even the horror of the past member's suicide revisited... Well,
This is an extremely slow building horror, which usually I'm all for, but at a page count of around 150, they needed more time to actually, well, be scary. In fact there was only one scene that I found effectively unnerving Everything else in the book was just underwhelming.
There is zero tension for most of the book. We get an interview with all the band members (40 years after the events) minus one showing that they all come out relatively okay, well, minus the one. Any tension that could be had as to what happens to him is negated by the fact that they spell out what happened to him repeatedly before it actually happens.
The ending is an utter disappointment that falls completely flat. The entire thing feels like the author was fed up with it and ended as quickly as possible, sadly this is right after things were actually starting to happen. This leaves several questions (which is not necessarily bad) and also feels like we didn't get a conclusion so much as just an abrupt finish.
Overall, this book is a massive disappointment. I've debated on the two or dreaded one star rating. Initially I felt like 2 stars as there is some good here, but I was so massively underwhelmed by the ending that honestly it soured the entire experience and I can recommend it to no one.
A rare 1/5 stars.
Finally I decided to give it a shot. My Thoughts?
A solid "Ugh."
Plot: Done in the form of several interviews with band, their manager and a few others involved, Wylding Hall is the story of of a 70s folk rock band going on retreat. After the release of their first album and the suicide of one member; they need a rest, they need a place that can rejuvenate their creativity, they need someplace like Wylding Hall. This old estate though has a past and at least one of these musicians is going to learn all about it.
From a plot standpoint, the idea of a bad exploring a haunted house while recording an album has potential. It drew me to the book as there were so many possibilities there. I expected voices in their recordings, things messing with the equipment, music in the middle of the night, possibly even the horror of the past member's suicide revisited... Well,
This is an extremely slow building horror, which usually I'm all for, but at a page count of around 150, they needed more time to actually, well, be scary. In fact there was only one scene that I found effectively unnerving Everything else in the book was just underwhelming.
There is zero tension for most of the book. We get an interview with all the band members (40 years after the events) minus one showing that they all come out relatively okay, well, minus the one. Any tension that could be had as to what happens to him is negated by the fact that they spell out what happened to him repeatedly before it actually happens.
The ending is an utter disappointment that falls completely flat. The entire thing feels like the author was fed up with it and ended as quickly as possible, sadly this is right after things were actually starting to happen. This leaves several questions (which is not necessarily bad) and also feels like we didn't get a conclusion so much as just an abrupt finish.
Overall, this book is a massive disappointment. I've debated on the two or dreaded one star rating. Initially I felt like 2 stars as there is some good here, but I was so massively underwhelmed by the ending that honestly it soured the entire experience and I can recommend it to no one.
A rare 1/5 stars.
September 10, 2020
This is a fantastic ghost story!!!
It's the seventies and a British acid folk rock band decide to spend the summer holed up at Wylding Hall in order to write and record their second album. There is plenty of LSD, hash, and booze to go around. Times are good and the music they are creating is almost otherworldly and sure to make them famous. Then one member of the band vanishes into the night never to be seen again.
I loved the interview format in which this story was told. I honestly could not stop turning the pages wondering what in the heck was happening. At just under 200 pages I started this morning and just wrapped it up with a satisfying smile on my face. I can't even think of one complaint I had while reading this. Elizabeth Hand has impressed me. If you are looking for a spooky book for the fall season then you should definitely add this to your list. 4 👻👻👻👻 stars!
It's the seventies and a British acid folk rock band decide to spend the summer holed up at Wylding Hall in order to write and record their second album. There is plenty of LSD, hash, and booze to go around. Times are good and the music they are creating is almost otherworldly and sure to make them famous. Then one member of the band vanishes into the night never to be seen again.
I loved the interview format in which this story was told. I honestly could not stop turning the pages wondering what in the heck was happening. At just under 200 pages I started this morning and just wrapped it up with a satisfying smile on my face. I can't even think of one complaint I had while reading this. Elizabeth Hand has impressed me. If you are looking for a spooky book for the fall season then you should definitely add this to your list. 4 👻👻👻👻 stars!
February 22, 2025
I'd been reading a lot of horror that would fall on the "schlockier" end of the spectrum lately, but after finishing up (and greatly enjoying) The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix, I was suddenly in the mood for a straight up creepy ghost story, and I got that and more here. Very unsettling, evoking Algernon Blackwood's "nature horror," where the woods themselves may have a malevolent spirit or presence about them. I actually got hardcore chills twice while reading this, as well as numerous, lesser chills -- a rarity for me these days.
It's told in first person accounts, which allowed me to connect more with the characters' unnatural ordeal, and added to the "authenticity" of this tale of a rising 70s progressive folk band staying in an old labyrinthine mansion in the English countryside so they can get away from distractions and come up with new material. This doesn't go as planned, as they might have conjured up something, wittingly or unwittingly. I was furiously turning the pages throughout, wanting answers, and when I got some, I needed more.
At 140-some pages, it doesn't overstay its welcome, and maintains its creeping sense of dread through its entirety. Highly recommended, and I'm glad I gave Ms. Hand's work another chance after having been slightly underwhelmed by my two previous reads of hers.
It's told in first person accounts, which allowed me to connect more with the characters' unnatural ordeal, and added to the "authenticity" of this tale of a rising 70s progressive folk band staying in an old labyrinthine mansion in the English countryside so they can get away from distractions and come up with new material. This doesn't go as planned, as they might have conjured up something, wittingly or unwittingly. I was furiously turning the pages throughout, wanting answers, and when I got some, I needed more.
At 140-some pages, it doesn't overstay its welcome, and maintains its creeping sense of dread through its entirety. Highly recommended, and I'm glad I gave Ms. Hand's work another chance after having been slightly underwhelmed by my two previous reads of hers.
April 1, 2025
**Reread was just as good as I remember. The audiobook for this is great!**
Previous review - March 2018
Elizabeth Hand blew me away with this creepy and excellent novella. I have not read anything by her before but she’s got a new fan now!
Wylding Hall starts with the former band members of Windhollow Faire talking about that summer up in Hampshire, England.
Their band manager rents out an old manor house in the middle of nowhere. He hopes the remote setting will get them creative and put out new music for an acid-folk album. Boy does it!
The book is written in an interview format years later for an upcoming documentary that’s talking about that epic and tragic summer. It just works!
Each character in the book is original and has their own theories about what happened to their band member, Julian Blake who goes missing that summer.
I really don’t want to say more in this review. It was great going into this book not knowing much about the plot. That’s what I did and loved it.
The creepiness and tension in this book was fantastic!
I highly recommend this book to fans that love horror, gothic and mysteries. Music lovers will hopefully also dig this novella!
Previous review - March 2018
Elizabeth Hand blew me away with this creepy and excellent novella. I have not read anything by her before but she’s got a new fan now!
Wylding Hall starts with the former band members of Windhollow Faire talking about that summer up in Hampshire, England.
Their band manager rents out an old manor house in the middle of nowhere. He hopes the remote setting will get them creative and put out new music for an acid-folk album. Boy does it!
The book is written in an interview format years later for an upcoming documentary that’s talking about that epic and tragic summer. It just works!
Each character in the book is original and has their own theories about what happened to their band member, Julian Blake who goes missing that summer.
I really don’t want to say more in this review. It was great going into this book not knowing much about the plot. That’s what I did and loved it.
The creepiness and tension in this book was fantastic!
I highly recommend this book to fans that love horror, gothic and mysteries. Music lovers will hopefully also dig this novella!
December 15, 2021
A psychedelic folk band writes their iconic album while staying at a haunted house. The story is told through varying points of view, from band members to the press and more. Too long to be a short story and too short to be a novel, it fits squarely into the "novella" category.
I found the book on the syllabus for a Gothic literature course. It also won a prestigious Shirley Jackson Award. Presumably a lot of people like it. I'm much more on the fence. The "mockumentary" format with "interviews" didn't appeal to me. No one character stands out and because there are so many characters it's difficult to keep track of them all.
Horror-wise, the scares are more subtle than is my preference. It all builds up to a climax where an eerie presence appears on film. Intriguing, maybe, but not exactly original or particularly chilling. It seems the novel can't quite decide if it's going to be all about the musicians or all about the haunted house. In the end neither gets enough attention. The musician angle is so vague that it seems to hope you'll project your own musical tastes onto the band, and likewise the creepy elements depend on reader imagination.
Kudos are deserved for the experimental structure and some elements of fascinating premise, such as the haunting origins of a fictional album cover. I definitely didn't hate it, but will likely forget all about it in a few months.
I found the book on the syllabus for a Gothic literature course. It also won a prestigious Shirley Jackson Award. Presumably a lot of people like it. I'm much more on the fence. The "mockumentary" format with "interviews" didn't appeal to me. No one character stands out and because there are so many characters it's difficult to keep track of them all.
Horror-wise, the scares are more subtle than is my preference. It all builds up to a climax where an eerie presence appears on film. Intriguing, maybe, but not exactly original or particularly chilling. It seems the novel can't quite decide if it's going to be all about the musicians or all about the haunted house. In the end neither gets enough attention. The musician angle is so vague that it seems to hope you'll project your own musical tastes onto the band, and likewise the creepy elements depend on reader imagination.
Kudos are deserved for the experimental structure and some elements of fascinating premise, such as the haunting origins of a fictional album cover. I definitely didn't hate it, but will likely forget all about it in a few months.
May 19, 2017
Will I ever get tired of stories like this? I assume it'll happen one day, but... not yet. Wylding Hall is a very entertaining ghost story about a folk band who decamp to a crumbling, miles-from-anywhere country house (the only kind there is) to record their second album. The main action takes place in the 1970s, but the story is told by the (remaining) members of the band in the present day, each taking it in turns to relate mini-monologues as though they're being interviewed for a documentary or biography. Naturally, it turns out Wylding Hall is not quite what it seems, the locals have some odd customs and there's an ethereal, weirdly hypnotic girl hanging around. Everything here is well-trodden ground, but it works wonderfully and creates a totally absorbing effect. I loved the characters' voices and the uncanny details were pitch-perfect, just off-kilter enough to be believably unsettling - It only took me a couple of hours to read and when I finished it I immediately wanted more of the same. Recommended to ghost story fans.
September 14, 2018
This was one hell of a striking horror story.
Not because it was overly horrific and the scary bits were positively mild compared to ... almost ANY horror novel out there, but because it was SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN.
Yes. It's a ghost story, but the realization that it WAS a ghost didn't show up till nearly the end. The rest is all details, details, details. That pretty much sums up any great ghost story, of course, but I have to say that Elizabeth Hand NAILED IT.
Plus, I happen to be a huge fan of stories about musicians, and in this case, it's all about singer-songwriter avant-garde 70's folks trying to make a mark by setting up camp in an old unused mansion. Old story, sure, but I was rocking along with all these creative juices flying and enjoying the house and freaking out about the damn birds.
No one was afraid. Just creeped out sometimes. And that made all the difference. I just wanted to learn more about these guys and listen to the actual album. Becoming a cult classic and all is just plain fascinating, and I was on the ground floor to hear the inside scoop.
And the main singer/songwriter's strange disappearance? LEGENDARY. :)
I totally recommend this for music fans and fans of VERY well-constructed ghost stories. :)
Not because it was overly horrific and the scary bits were positively mild compared to ... almost ANY horror novel out there, but because it was SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN.
Yes. It's a ghost story, but the realization that it WAS a ghost didn't show up till nearly the end. The rest is all details, details, details. That pretty much sums up any great ghost story, of course, but I have to say that Elizabeth Hand NAILED IT.
Plus, I happen to be a huge fan of stories about musicians, and in this case, it's all about singer-songwriter avant-garde 70's folks trying to make a mark by setting up camp in an old unused mansion. Old story, sure, but I was rocking along with all these creative juices flying and enjoying the house and freaking out about the damn birds.
No one was afraid. Just creeped out sometimes. And that made all the difference. I just wanted to learn more about these guys and listen to the actual album. Becoming a cult classic and all is just plain fascinating, and I was on the ground floor to hear the inside scoop.
And the main singer/songwriter's strange disappearance? LEGENDARY. :)
I totally recommend this for music fans and fans of VERY well-constructed ghost stories. :)
December 2, 2023
I'm not going to lie, nothing much happens in this book. There are only a few scenes that could be considered even remotely scary, and there's very little of the tension and dread that you'd expect from a horror novel. Yet, somehow, it really worked for me. Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for these documentary-style novels, or perhaps listening to it on audiobook gave it a little extra oomph? It was kind of like a not-so-funny This is Spinal Tap with some supernatural undertones, but with a folk band instead of a rock band. And there's no miniature Stonehenge, and no touring, and no one gets stuck inside a plastic pod. So maybe not so like This is Spinal Tap at all, really? Whatever. Four stars.
April 21, 2020
I greatly enjoyed this novel, which plays out as a slow-burn of quiet horror steeped in a landscape of otherwordliness. The main attractions of Wylding Hall are its cryptic architecture and its lush and uncanny powers of nature. A sense of wonder and growing menace sends chills down the unsuspecting spine.
March 17, 2016
A beautiful, eerie, convincing novel.
Fans of Elizabeth Hand will recognize many of the themes and elements that she likes to return to. (In particular, it reminded me in feel of her story 'The Erl King.') Music, subcultures and magic entwine to create a web that will enrapture the reader just as surely as it entraps her characters.
After a tragedy, the manager of the folk-rock group Windhollow Faire comes up with a plan to keep the band away from unfavorable publicity and get them started on a sophomore album. He rents out a rambling old manor house in a remote corner of England, and sets the band up with a rehearsal space there. His rules are: no friends, no journalists, no groupies. Just music. And they do indeed make wonderful music - the recordings from that summer are acknowledged to be better than anything any of them created before or since. But a bunch of wild hippie teenagers can't be expected to abide by too many rules.
And, it's hinted from the beginning, something else besides music happened that one wild summer. Something else besides drugs and sex, too.
The book proceeds from the idea that there's been a recent resurgence of interest in the music of Windhollow Faire, and a series of interviews on the topic of that summer at Wylding Hall is being conducted.
At first, the format is a little disorienting, as we read answers from people without being quite sure who they all are - but soon enough, the characters are firmly and vividly established, each with their own distinct voice and perspective. It captures a certain time period (the early 70's) and 'scene' perfectly (you can virtually hear the music), and adds in elements of pagan custom, ancient magic, and haunted house tales.
It works so well, because of the characters - how each person is affected (or not) is influenced by who they are. The crafted scenarios make even the oddest events plausible. Just enough is explained, and just enough left as enigma.
A lovely book, and highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Media for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are my own.
_____
March 2016: Nominated for Hugo.
Fans of Elizabeth Hand will recognize many of the themes and elements that she likes to return to. (In particular, it reminded me in feel of her story 'The Erl King.') Music, subcultures and magic entwine to create a web that will enrapture the reader just as surely as it entraps her characters.
After a tragedy, the manager of the folk-rock group Windhollow Faire comes up with a plan to keep the band away from unfavorable publicity and get them started on a sophomore album. He rents out a rambling old manor house in a remote corner of England, and sets the band up with a rehearsal space there. His rules are: no friends, no journalists, no groupies. Just music. And they do indeed make wonderful music - the recordings from that summer are acknowledged to be better than anything any of them created before or since. But a bunch of wild hippie teenagers can't be expected to abide by too many rules.
And, it's hinted from the beginning, something else besides music happened that one wild summer. Something else besides drugs and sex, too.
The book proceeds from the idea that there's been a recent resurgence of interest in the music of Windhollow Faire, and a series of interviews on the topic of that summer at Wylding Hall is being conducted.
At first, the format is a little disorienting, as we read answers from people without being quite sure who they all are - but soon enough, the characters are firmly and vividly established, each with their own distinct voice and perspective. It captures a certain time period (the early 70's) and 'scene' perfectly (you can virtually hear the music), and adds in elements of pagan custom, ancient magic, and haunted house tales.
It works so well, because of the characters - how each person is affected (or not) is influenced by who they are. The crafted scenarios make even the oddest events plausible. Just enough is explained, and just enough left as enigma.
A lovely book, and highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Media for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are my own.
_____
March 2016: Nominated for Hugo.
July 13, 2020
This book is what happens when Daisy Jones and the Six meets the Haunting at Hill House. Parts of this book was spooky and though not horrifying it was definitely disturbing.
Members of a folk band decide to stay at Wylding Hall, an old countryside mansion. They try to create songs for their next album and their manager thinks this setting will inspire them. The world seems to be so different for the band members as they get entangled with the local folklores and people. There are some weird things happening at Wylding Hall. The entire place is very atmospheric. One of the band members, the most popular one Julian Blake seems to become obsessed with the woods around them. One day Julian disappears.
This book is written in the form of short interviews of the band members as they recollect their time at Wylding Hall. Yes, more or less like Daisy Jones.
I loved this book a lot because it's so creepy and magical (though not in a witchy way with spells and potions) and different from the books I usually pick up. I loved the setting of the story and how the reader is slowly pulled into this mystery.
Some readers may be disappointed that this book doesn't give an exact explanation to whatever is happening at Wylding Hall. But there are many clues here and there and its left to the readers to come to a conclusion. I liked this book even more because of this fact as I think it adds to the spookiness of the story. This book was a random pick and I just got lucky! I am deeply fascinated and will definitely read it again!
Recommend this book to people who enjoy weird, slow creepy stories.
Members of a folk band decide to stay at Wylding Hall, an old countryside mansion. They try to create songs for their next album and their manager thinks this setting will inspire them. The world seems to be so different for the band members as they get entangled with the local folklores and people. There are some weird things happening at Wylding Hall. The entire place is very atmospheric. One of the band members, the most popular one Julian Blake seems to become obsessed with the woods around them. One day Julian disappears.
This book is written in the form of short interviews of the band members as they recollect their time at Wylding Hall. Yes, more or less like Daisy Jones.
I loved this book a lot because it's so creepy and magical (though not in a witchy way with spells and potions) and different from the books I usually pick up. I loved the setting of the story and how the reader is slowly pulled into this mystery.
Some readers may be disappointed that this book doesn't give an exact explanation to whatever is happening at Wylding Hall. But there are many clues here and there and its left to the readers to come to a conclusion. I liked this book even more because of this fact as I think it adds to the spookiness of the story. This book was a random pick and I just got lucky! I am deeply fascinated and will definitely read it again!
Recommend this book to people who enjoy weird, slow creepy stories.
May 23, 2021
i listened to this amazing book. this wasn't the first book i had listened to that used this format but i still had trouble keeping the band members straight. even with that little bit of confusion, i loved this book. i listened/read this with a friend. turns out most of the folk songs mentioned in this book are real. i loved that so much!
Elizabeth Hand does such an amazing job of creating atmosphere for Wylding Hall. i would love to visit the manor house even after reading this book. The characters are realistic and believable. here's what i think happened.
lyrics to thrice toss these oaken ashes-
Thrice toss these oaken ashes in the air,
Thrice sit thou mute in this enchanted chair,
Then thrice three times tie up this true love's knot,
And murmur soft 'She will, or she will not.'
Go burn these pois'nous weeds in yon blue fire,
These screech-owl's feathers and this prickling briar,
This cypress gathered at a dead man's grave,
That all my fears and cares an end may have.
Then come, you fairies! dance with me a round;
Melt her hard heart with your melodious sound.
In vain are all the charms I can devise:
She hath an art to break them with her eyes
the most beautiful version of this song i've heard-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVSiv...
2nd reading- still awesome, still gets all the stars!
Elizabeth Hand does such an amazing job of creating atmosphere for Wylding Hall. i would love to visit the manor house even after reading this book. The characters are realistic and believable. here's what i think happened.
lyrics to thrice toss these oaken ashes-
Thrice toss these oaken ashes in the air,
Thrice sit thou mute in this enchanted chair,
Then thrice three times tie up this true love's knot,
And murmur soft 'She will, or she will not.'
Go burn these pois'nous weeds in yon blue fire,
These screech-owl's feathers and this prickling briar,
This cypress gathered at a dead man's grave,
That all my fears and cares an end may have.
Then come, you fairies! dance with me a round;
Melt her hard heart with your melodious sound.
In vain are all the charms I can devise:
She hath an art to break them with her eyes
the most beautiful version of this song i've heard-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVSiv...
2nd reading- still awesome, still gets all the stars!
January 14, 2019
In the early 1970s, a British acid folk music group went to stay at Wylding Hall, a remote, crumbling old house in the country. Their agent sent them there to get away from it all so they could plan and work on their first album. The songs they record that summer make an album that nobody will ever forget....but dark things happen as well. Dark and strange things happen, including the disappearance of the band's lead vocalist, Julian Blake. Decades later, members of the band, their agent and others including a photographer and psychic meet with a documentary filmmaker to talk about their memories of that summer. What really happened that summer at Wylding Hall? And where is Julian Blake?
I loved this story! The plot is so creative and creepy cool! I listened to the audio book version of the story. Narrated by Jennifer Woodward and John Telfer, the audio (Blackstone Audio) is about 4 1/2 hours long. The narrators did a superb job of acting! It was a great listening experience.
The plot builds suspense and keeps it up from beginning to end. I wasn't sure what exactly had happened until the very end. The story has supernatural elements, but it's not over-done. Just enough to be really creepy, but not cheesy. As I finished the book, I found myself wishing that the album was real. I would definitely have a copy! Who could resist with such a creepy background story!
I loved this story! The plot is so creative and creepy cool! I listened to the audio book version of the story. Narrated by Jennifer Woodward and John Telfer, the audio (Blackstone Audio) is about 4 1/2 hours long. The narrators did a superb job of acting! It was a great listening experience.
The plot builds suspense and keeps it up from beginning to end. I wasn't sure what exactly had happened until the very end. The story has supernatural elements, but it's not over-done. Just enough to be really creepy, but not cheesy. As I finished the book, I found myself wishing that the album was real. I would definitely have a copy! Who could resist with such a creepy background story!
July 31, 2015
High praise to Elizabeth Hand's novella "Wylding Hall". What she has done is meld the 1970's folk/rock scene with an imaginative ghost story that made this an exceptionally enjoyable read.
In an afterword by the author she elucidates where further research on the 70's British folk/rock music scene can be found and I applaud her for that further bit of information. However, judging from the appreciation and care she took to tell her story, peppering events of the time with real artists and intricate knowledge of the times she has some investment in that era.
Elizabeth Hand was born March 29, 1957 (age 58), in Yonkers, NY - making her the perfect age to have been part of that glorious time in history where the times were more innocent and music played a greater part of our collective lives. I applaud her for tapping into that portion of history and melding it with the rural residents of a small English setting.
Both thumbs up with a smile.
In an afterword by the author she elucidates where further research on the 70's British folk/rock music scene can be found and I applaud her for that further bit of information. However, judging from the appreciation and care she took to tell her story, peppering events of the time with real artists and intricate knowledge of the times she has some investment in that era.
Elizabeth Hand was born March 29, 1957 (age 58), in Yonkers, NY - making her the perfect age to have been part of that glorious time in history where the times were more innocent and music played a greater part of our collective lives. I applaud her for tapping into that portion of history and melding it with the rural residents of a small English setting.
Both thumbs up with a smile.
April 11, 2015
A while back I fell in love with a series of books called "the Haunted Ballads", songs that took on lives and mysteries of their own, this book reminded me of those.
A group of musicians gathered by this manager to make an album of their songs at the gothic manor, Welding Hall., the album would never be releases, even though it was brilliantly done, and two of its people would disappear and never seem nor heard from again.
So what happened? Loved the strange setting, the music, the characters and the outwardly vibe. A fun, and mystical read, where truth is often stranger than fiction.
ARC from NetGalley.
A group of musicians gathered by this manager to make an album of their songs at the gothic manor, Welding Hall., the album would never be releases, even though it was brilliantly done, and two of its people would disappear and never seem nor heard from again.
So what happened? Loved the strange setting, the music, the characters and the outwardly vibe. A fun, and mystical read, where truth is often stranger than fiction.
ARC from NetGalley.
Read
December 18, 2021This was chilling and delicious, and just what I needed having just been enmeshed in an ultimately satisfying but quite long fantasy novel.
This is a quickish read which, for me, felt more about atmosphere and mystery and a sense of creeping dread than outright horror. Though it’s steeped in English folklore which is pretty bloody horrific just by itself.
Anyway you kind of know this story: it’s the 70s, and up-and-coming acid-folk-rock band are packed off to a creepy ol’ house in the country by their producer/manager. The creepy ol’ house is, of course, the titular Wylding Hall – and while there these promising young musicians do, in fact, create wonderful music. But there are other things going on: things that end in the inevitable tragedy.
The concept behind the book is that there’s been a resurgence of interested in the band and the doomed album produced that summer at Wylding Hall: the story is narrated in fragments of what are supposed to be interviews with the relevant parties, conducted long after the fact for what will become a television documentary. I live for that shit. Multiple unreliable narrators? Yes please.
In any case, it mostly works—although I could have done with a touch more differentiation between the characters. Ashton and Jonathan are supposedly working class, compared to Will and Julian, and Lesley (the vocalist) is American but I felt if I hadn’t been told who was talking/narrating I wouldn’t have been able to guess. And mostly what I did learn about the characters came via another character’s exposition (Lesley is “one of the lads,” Ashton is a sceptic, Julian is weird and beautiful, Will is the one who is actually interested in folklore) rather than feeling embedded in their own sections. And Julian, in particular, the beautiful weirdo about whom all the gathering doom, well, gathers felt notably absent in the character-department. I think I knew he had long fingers and didn’t like to be touched, was a genius at music, and was beautiful and weird? Perhaps that’s enough. Perhaps it was deliberate, I don’t know. (Although I did appreciate he wasn’t gay—beautiful tragic characters are so often gay in these kind of stories. The drummer, a solid working class kid, is the gay one).
I think I was conscious, as I was reading, of a certain tension between the need to present a horror story alongside keep the characters, sketched as they were, at least vaguely consistent. And, for me, this didn’t always quite work. For example, the opening chapter is from the POV of Tom, the producer/manager guy and he closes his section with:
Which is, y’know, a very specific kind of reference to make. From, like, a tech guy rather than a creative. I mean, he does/did produce folk music so maybe he’s just super saturated in those kind images and references anyway, but it’s also kind of clear that he’s very commercially orientated. I guess what struck me about this handful of lines was that they’re an absolutely great way to open, say, a gothic-style horror novel about a doomed folk group from the 70s. But is it actually the sort of thing Tom, as a person, as a character, would say?
But, well, the pedantry of particular types of suspension of disbelief is on me, not on the book – the truth is, I often get stuck in character versus genre questions when I’m reading multi-viewpoint horror/suspense/thrillers. I got it a bit with The Magnus Archives because there’s not actually much differentiation in character voice between, say, a bricklayer and a priest, and isn’t awfully convenient that everyone relates their chilling experiences in a manner extraordinarily suited to a 20-minute horror podcast? Except, y’know. Then Season 3 happened and FAIR PLAY, Magnus Archives, FAIR PLAY.
Anyway, anyway, putting aside my own weirdnesses, I really enjoyed this. It was on just the right boundary for me between “I am nervy and creeped out” and “OH GOD I AM BROKEN AND WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN.” This is important because I’m a total wuss, and I feel haunted by the book, rather than actively traumatised. It winds together its themes so well—the youth of the characters juxtaposed against the age of the house, the unknowing and the unknowable, with the folklore references giving the whole thing an elegiac quality.
I mean, I will say, I don’t super buy into the tragedy of ephemeral youth. I have been young. It sucked balls. Being old is way better.
All of which said, strongly recommended if you want something horror-adjacent that is beautifully written, artfully constructed, gothic in tone and eerie rather than, y’know, miserably bowel-excavating.
This is a quickish read which, for me, felt more about atmosphere and mystery and a sense of creeping dread than outright horror. Though it’s steeped in English folklore which is pretty bloody horrific just by itself.
Anyway you kind of know this story: it’s the 70s, and up-and-coming acid-folk-rock band are packed off to a creepy ol’ house in the country by their producer/manager. The creepy ol’ house is, of course, the titular Wylding Hall – and while there these promising young musicians do, in fact, create wonderful music. But there are other things going on: things that end in the inevitable tragedy.
The concept behind the book is that there’s been a resurgence of interested in the band and the doomed album produced that summer at Wylding Hall: the story is narrated in fragments of what are supposed to be interviews with the relevant parties, conducted long after the fact for what will become a television documentary. I live for that shit. Multiple unreliable narrators? Yes please.
In any case, it mostly works—although I could have done with a touch more differentiation between the characters. Ashton and Jonathan are supposedly working class, compared to Will and Julian, and Lesley (the vocalist) is American but I felt if I hadn’t been told who was talking/narrating I wouldn’t have been able to guess. And mostly what I did learn about the characters came via another character’s exposition (Lesley is “one of the lads,” Ashton is a sceptic, Julian is weird and beautiful, Will is the one who is actually interested in folklore) rather than feeling embedded in their own sections. And Julian, in particular, the beautiful weirdo about whom all the gathering doom, well, gathers felt notably absent in the character-department. I think I knew he had long fingers and didn’t like to be touched, was a genius at music, and was beautiful and weird? Perhaps that’s enough. Perhaps it was deliberate, I don’t know. (Although I did appreciate he wasn’t gay—beautiful tragic characters are so often gay in these kind of stories. The drummer, a solid working class kid, is the gay one).
I think I was conscious, as I was reading, of a certain tension between the need to present a horror story alongside keep the characters, sketched as they were, at least vaguely consistent. And, for me, this didn’t always quite work. For example, the opening chapter is from the POV of Tom, the producer/manager guy and he closes his section with:
They were golden boys and girls, that was a golden summer, and we had the Summer King.
And we all know what happens to the Summer King.
Which is, y’know, a very specific kind of reference to make. From, like, a tech guy rather than a creative. I mean, he does/did produce folk music so maybe he’s just super saturated in those kind images and references anyway, but it’s also kind of clear that he’s very commercially orientated. I guess what struck me about this handful of lines was that they’re an absolutely great way to open, say, a gothic-style horror novel about a doomed folk group from the 70s. But is it actually the sort of thing Tom, as a person, as a character, would say?
But, well, the pedantry of particular types of suspension of disbelief is on me, not on the book – the truth is, I often get stuck in character versus genre questions when I’m reading multi-viewpoint horror/suspense/thrillers. I got it a bit with The Magnus Archives because there’s not actually much differentiation in character voice between, say, a bricklayer and a priest, and isn’t awfully convenient that everyone relates their chilling experiences in a manner extraordinarily suited to a 20-minute horror podcast? Except, y’know. Then Season 3 happened and FAIR PLAY, Magnus Archives, FAIR PLAY.
Anyway, anyway, putting aside my own weirdnesses, I really enjoyed this. It was on just the right boundary for me between “I am nervy and creeped out” and “OH GOD I AM BROKEN AND WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN.” This is important because I’m a total wuss, and I feel haunted by the book, rather than actively traumatised. It winds together its themes so well—the youth of the characters juxtaposed against the age of the house, the unknowing and the unknowable, with the folklore references giving the whole thing an elegiac quality.
I mean, I will say, I don’t super buy into the tragedy of ephemeral youth. I have been young. It sucked balls. Being old is way better.
All of which said, strongly recommended if you want something horror-adjacent that is beautifully written, artfully constructed, gothic in tone and eerie rather than, y’know, miserably bowel-excavating.
March 15, 2021
This was my first book by Elizabeth Hand and she wrote a haunting ghost story that just sweeps you away.
A small backstory:
The story is set in the early 70's of a rock/folk band that decides to spend time in a old manor called Wylding Hall which is rumored to be haunted. Each character has their own view point of what transpired in the manor while they stayed there. The author used each chapter for each character to explain their side of the story, so sometimes it became confusing as to what was going on with the jumping around of view points.
Thoughts:
The author also did a good job of research into British music to set up this story as some of the music that is contained within these pages do exist. The more I became engrossed with the story, the more haunting the tale became as the book took off around midway and I had to keep reading to find out what happened next.
There is a twist in the story near the end of the book that gave me a surprise, but no spoilers here as you will just have to read the book to find out for yourself.
I read this book with a buddy/friend which made discussing the book lots of fun. Giving the book four stars for haunting entertainment!
A small backstory:
The story is set in the early 70's of a rock/folk band that decides to spend time in a old manor called Wylding Hall which is rumored to be haunted. Each character has their own view point of what transpired in the manor while they stayed there. The author used each chapter for each character to explain their side of the story, so sometimes it became confusing as to what was going on with the jumping around of view points.
Thoughts:
The author also did a good job of research into British music to set up this story as some of the music that is contained within these pages do exist. The more I became engrossed with the story, the more haunting the tale became as the book took off around midway and I had to keep reading to find out what happened next.
There is a twist in the story near the end of the book that gave me a surprise, but no spoilers here as you will just have to read the book to find out for yourself.
I read this book with a buddy/friend which made discussing the book lots of fun. Giving the book four stars for haunting entertainment!
October 24, 2023
WYLDING HALL is the first book I have ever read by author Elizabeth Hand. My immediate impression was that I simply loved her writing style. Although this book is told through the point-of-view of multiple characters, even in "their voices'" her prose shone through. The story is told through a series of interviews, of sorts, with the individual members of a band--"Windhollow Faire"--and their manager, Tom Haring. Though it is implied that each person's recounting of their story was isolated from the rest, the resulting tale flows as smoothly as if one person were to have written it all out in a single sitting.
The tale they told in small increments--in each person's own, private reminiscence--is one that happened about 40 years prior, during a three month stay at a rented, half crumbling, mansion in the English countryside.
". . . at the time, spending three months at a beautiful old wreck of a stately home in the English countryside seemed like a good idea . . . "
That idea was for the band to focus solely on creating a new album, without any interruptions or intrusions from others.
". . . I didn't have hindsight. When it came to Windhollow Faire, I was utterly blind."
The band members consisted of Julian Blake--the lead, male singer/songwriter, Will Fogerty, Jon Redheim, Ashton Moorehouse, and their newly enlisted--American--female singer/songwriter, Lesley Stansall.
". . . Word on the street was, Julian Blake was the most beautiful guy anyone had ever set eyes on . . . "
I went into this story without any preconceived notions. When I read the first few portions that were little more than a single person's recollection of a certain day or incident, I'll admit, I didn't think it would amount to much.
". . . I'm not afraid to say I don't understand everything there is to know in this world . . . "
Within fifteen minutes, I imagine my jaw had dropped open as I continued on, spellbound by the tales before me. It was the differences in each person's memory, or the things that garnered their particular attention, that made this book so much more than a standard "Whatever happened to . . . ?" type of cliched story. Hand doesn't blatantly tell you how each member looks or what they believe happened, but through the voices of their friends--and to a lesser extent, their own words--I felt like I knew each of them intimately.
". . . inexplicable--even better, inexplicable and terrible--things are always good for the music business, right? . . . "
Through these varied recollections on events long in their past, you begin to question: "Whose version is what really happened"?
If, in fact, any of them are.
". . . there was a very, very weird vibe at Wylding Hall . . . There was a sense of wrongness, of things being out of balance . . . "
At times the prose made me feel like I was dreaming something magical and otherworldly. Yet at others, it could have been something as commonplace as eating a meal. However, the sense of mystery, of something nobody else was privy to, seemed the most dominant emotion in me.
". . . in the old days they did things for a reason. And if you don't understand why--well, you might end up opening a few doors better left closed . . . "
Even the few lyrics we are told could have held multiple meanings, dependent upon who was doing the reminiscing at the time. With some, it was a common folk song; with others, something much . . . deeper.
". . . And if you kiss my cold lips, your days won't be long . . . "
When you have such a variety of personalities talking about how THEY felt about a past occurrence they lived through, you'd expect a lot of discord and a disjointed tale that doesn't really make any sense when you look at all the pieces before you.
"Have you ever noticed how we accord special privileges, almost magical powers, to people who are beautiful? Particularly if they're beautiful and talented, like Julian . . . "
Yet in Wylding Hall, if you take a mental step back to look at the separate recollections, a faint, barely discernible, common thread begins to weave through them all, piecing things together in your mind.
". . . everything gets broken eventually."
These things may or may not be true, it is up to the individual reader to come to their own conclusions.
". . . He wanted the album itself to be a kind of spell. An enchantment . . . "
Overall, I was so thoroughly impressed with the impact that these completely different voices and their personal outlooks had upon me, that I ended up buying a physical copy of this book to go on my shelves. While looking through it to check on a few facts and quotes, I found myself going to the beginning and re-reading the entire story completely.
The magic was still there.
". . . colliers didn't just bring the canaries into the mines to warn them . . . they took them down because they sang so beautifully, even in the dark."
While the "facts" remain sporadic, few and far between, one thing you'll come away with is the sense that this was destined to remain a mystery on paper. Each individual reader could easily arrive at their own, vastly unique conclusions.
". . . we had accomplished something breathtaking with that session, and I believed it was a harbinger of great things to come . . . when in fact it was the opposite."
I have my own ideas as to what happened during that three month seclusion the band took. I'm certain every other reader will come up with their own version that occurred there, as well. It all comes down to who you believe and which tales you connect. One thing is certain, I STILL can't get this one out of my head.
Whose version of events do you most believe in?
Highest recommendation!
**Re-read May 2021--5 stars!**
**Re-read October 2023--5 stars!**
The tale they told in small increments--in each person's own, private reminiscence--is one that happened about 40 years prior, during a three month stay at a rented, half crumbling, mansion in the English countryside.
". . . at the time, spending three months at a beautiful old wreck of a stately home in the English countryside seemed like a good idea . . . "
That idea was for the band to focus solely on creating a new album, without any interruptions or intrusions from others.
". . . I didn't have hindsight. When it came to Windhollow Faire, I was utterly blind."
The band members consisted of Julian Blake--the lead, male singer/songwriter, Will Fogerty, Jon Redheim, Ashton Moorehouse, and their newly enlisted--American--female singer/songwriter, Lesley Stansall.
". . . Word on the street was, Julian Blake was the most beautiful guy anyone had ever set eyes on . . . "
I went into this story without any preconceived notions. When I read the first few portions that were little more than a single person's recollection of a certain day or incident, I'll admit, I didn't think it would amount to much.
". . . I'm not afraid to say I don't understand everything there is to know in this world . . . "
Within fifteen minutes, I imagine my jaw had dropped open as I continued on, spellbound by the tales before me. It was the differences in each person's memory, or the things that garnered their particular attention, that made this book so much more than a standard "Whatever happened to . . . ?" type of cliched story. Hand doesn't blatantly tell you how each member looks or what they believe happened, but through the voices of their friends--and to a lesser extent, their own words--I felt like I knew each of them intimately.
". . . inexplicable--even better, inexplicable and terrible--things are always good for the music business, right? . . . "
Through these varied recollections on events long in their past, you begin to question: "Whose version is what really happened"?
If, in fact, any of them are.
". . . there was a very, very weird vibe at Wylding Hall . . . There was a sense of wrongness, of things being out of balance . . . "
At times the prose made me feel like I was dreaming something magical and otherworldly. Yet at others, it could have been something as commonplace as eating a meal. However, the sense of mystery, of something nobody else was privy to, seemed the most dominant emotion in me.
". . . in the old days they did things for a reason. And if you don't understand why--well, you might end up opening a few doors better left closed . . . "
Even the few lyrics we are told could have held multiple meanings, dependent upon who was doing the reminiscing at the time. With some, it was a common folk song; with others, something much . . . deeper.
". . . And if you kiss my cold lips, your days won't be long . . . "
When you have such a variety of personalities talking about how THEY felt about a past occurrence they lived through, you'd expect a lot of discord and a disjointed tale that doesn't really make any sense when you look at all the pieces before you.
"Have you ever noticed how we accord special privileges, almost magical powers, to people who are beautiful? Particularly if they're beautiful and talented, like Julian . . . "
Yet in Wylding Hall, if you take a mental step back to look at the separate recollections, a faint, barely discernible, common thread begins to weave through them all, piecing things together in your mind.
". . . everything gets broken eventually."
These things may or may not be true, it is up to the individual reader to come to their own conclusions.
". . . He wanted the album itself to be a kind of spell. An enchantment . . . "
Overall, I was so thoroughly impressed with the impact that these completely different voices and their personal outlooks had upon me, that I ended up buying a physical copy of this book to go on my shelves. While looking through it to check on a few facts and quotes, I found myself going to the beginning and re-reading the entire story completely.
The magic was still there.
". . . colliers didn't just bring the canaries into the mines to warn them . . . they took them down because they sang so beautifully, even in the dark."
While the "facts" remain sporadic, few and far between, one thing you'll come away with is the sense that this was destined to remain a mystery on paper. Each individual reader could easily arrive at their own, vastly unique conclusions.
". . . we had accomplished something breathtaking with that session, and I believed it was a harbinger of great things to come . . . when in fact it was the opposite."
I have my own ideas as to what happened during that three month seclusion the band took. I'm certain every other reader will come up with their own version that occurred there, as well. It all comes down to who you believe and which tales you connect. One thing is certain, I STILL can't get this one out of my head.
Whose version of events do you most believe in?
Highest recommendation!
**Re-read May 2021--5 stars!**
**Re-read October 2023--5 stars!**
March 24, 2015
If you have ever followed a folk group or rock band in the early 70s, a band that went through some strange days in those strange but exciting times, you will very likely enjoy this book. If you have ever been caught up following any music group during your life, a group of mere mortals that you truly loved but then they simply faded from sight, then this book will probably fill some of those empty spaces.
Set in 1972, the members of an acid folk band are sent to Wylding Hall by their manager to work on their follow up album after a fairly successful debut. Wylding Hall itself had presence.
The place itself was immence. From outside, you
just had no idea of the scale. It was originally a
manor house, where a knight would have lived--you
could see where the old part began, because the
walls changed from wood and plaster to herringbone
brick, with massive oaken joists and beams.
The hall grew narrower as I wandered along.
Diamond-paned windows, that beautiful leaded glass
that catches the light and throws it back in
rainbows, like a prism. (loc 839)
It's now unoccupied, in disrepair, but perfect for the band since it's remote, with only a small village nearby.
The setting for this book is the "anniversary" of the album from that time at the Hall as well as the mystery that happened there. It is told through the individual voices of the band members, manager and a couple of other people who happened to show up at the Hall during that summer. It is memory, recreation. I loved it.
I love the Gothic setting and mysterious background, each "you are there" remembrance. The inclusion of actual musical moments from 1972 is a great touch and adds authenticity.
I do recommend this book highly. I believe you will know if this is for you immediately!
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Set in 1972, the members of an acid folk band are sent to Wylding Hall by their manager to work on their follow up album after a fairly successful debut. Wylding Hall itself had presence.
The place itself was immence. From outside, you
just had no idea of the scale. It was originally a
manor house, where a knight would have lived--you
could see where the old part began, because the
walls changed from wood and plaster to herringbone
brick, with massive oaken joists and beams.
The hall grew narrower as I wandered along.
Diamond-paned windows, that beautiful leaded glass
that catches the light and throws it back in
rainbows, like a prism. (loc 839)
It's now unoccupied, in disrepair, but perfect for the band since it's remote, with only a small village nearby.
The setting for this book is the "anniversary" of the album from that time at the Hall as well as the mystery that happened there. It is told through the individual voices of the band members, manager and a couple of other people who happened to show up at the Hall during that summer. It is memory, recreation. I loved it.
I love the Gothic setting and mysterious background, each "you are there" remembrance. The inclusion of actual musical moments from 1972 is a great touch and adds authenticity.
I do recommend this book highly. I believe you will know if this is for you immediately!
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
May 6, 2018
The members of a British folk band are spending the summer at Wylding Hall, composing music for the next album. But there is something mysterious with the manor and the group's lead singer, Julian Blake disappears within the manor and is never seen again.
Many years later the surviving musicians and people that knew them when they were at Wylding Hall will tell their story to a documentary filmmaker. Will Julian Blake's fate finally be revealed?
I found this book to be intriguing and the story was really peculiar. It took some time for me to get used to the form of the story, with everyone taking the turn telling what happened, from the beginning of the summer towards the end. But then again I never read the blurb before I started to read the book yesterday. I prefer to know as little as possible when it comes to stories. Especially stories like this one.
But when I got the hang on people and rhythm of the story, then I really started to enjoy the tale. This is just the kind of story I like, a haunted mansion, people seeing ghosts and very strange events. Something that left me a bit frustrated was that I really wanted to hear the band's music. I was really keen to listen to the music because it “sounded” so wonderful. I wish they would make a movie of this book so that they can make real songs of the fictitious songs in this book.
I liked this book very much and I will without a doubt read more from Elizabeth Hand!
I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review! Thank you!
Many years later the surviving musicians and people that knew them when they were at Wylding Hall will tell their story to a documentary filmmaker. Will Julian Blake's fate finally be revealed?
I found this book to be intriguing and the story was really peculiar. It took some time for me to get used to the form of the story, with everyone taking the turn telling what happened, from the beginning of the summer towards the end. But then again I never read the blurb before I started to read the book yesterday. I prefer to know as little as possible when it comes to stories. Especially stories like this one.
But when I got the hang on people and rhythm of the story, then I really started to enjoy the tale. This is just the kind of story I like, a haunted mansion, people seeing ghosts and very strange events. Something that left me a bit frustrated was that I really wanted to hear the band's music. I was really keen to listen to the music because it “sounded” so wonderful. I wish they would make a movie of this book so that they can make real songs of the fictitious songs in this book.
I liked this book very much and I will without a doubt read more from Elizabeth Hand!
I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review! Thank you!
August 27, 2016
Really good creation of a time and milieu in British folk rock music, with an authentic folk horror haunting. Admirers of the author's long story in a similar vein - 'Near Zennor' - will probably enjoy this novella as much as I did.
April 17, 2017
Loved it. Just enough explanation for it to make sense but not so much you feel you know exactly what happened. i really enjoyed the interview style of this book and think it fit in how this story should be told.
December 16, 2021
Wylding Hall started out a little slow for me, but it gathered speed and ended on a high note. Multiple narrators lent their voices to the audiobook, making the short story a lot of fun.
July 9, 2017
I wanted to like this book more than I did, though that's not to say that I didn't enjoy it. I thought it evoked the early 70's folk rock era very well (I couldn't help but play my copy of Jethro Tull's 'Songs from the Wood' several times while I was reading it) and the story itself, with the interweaving of a magical summer retreat melded with a slowly encroaching supernatural element, was well done overall, but I think I was just expecting a bit more given the relatively gushing praise here on GR.
The book itself purports to be the reminiscences of the former band members of Windhollow Faire in the form of documentary interviews as their sophomore, and final, album Wylding Hall enjoys a resurgence in popularity. The music itself was ahead of its time and the album is universally acknowledged as a lost masterpiece, though just as enticing is the still unsolved mystery of the lead singer's disappearance on the fateful summer retreat that produced the album. This format allows Hand to not only give different perspectives on the events being related, but also lets her keep much hidden without the mystery appearing too contrived.
Perhaps there was just a little *too* much left hidden for my tastes. That's not to say that I want more concrete answers on what actually happened to Julian Blake that summer, the open ended nature of the mystery worked well. I think what I really wanted was for the supernatural menace at the heart of the mystery to play a larger part in the story. Just a few more inexplicable occurrences or perhaps a more pervasive build-up of the supernatural menace surrounding Julian would have gone a long way for me.
The supernatural moments that did exist in the story were suitably creepy and Hand's reconstruction of something resembling a post-hippie commune centering around music, drugs and sex made for a satisfyingly immersive read, but I just wish there had been a bit more eldritch horror mixed in with my sex, drugs, and folk 'n roll.
The book itself purports to be the reminiscences of the former band members of Windhollow Faire in the form of documentary interviews as their sophomore, and final, album Wylding Hall enjoys a resurgence in popularity. The music itself was ahead of its time and the album is universally acknowledged as a lost masterpiece, though just as enticing is the still unsolved mystery of the lead singer's disappearance on the fateful summer retreat that produced the album. This format allows Hand to not only give different perspectives on the events being related, but also lets her keep much hidden without the mystery appearing too contrived.
Perhaps there was just a little *too* much left hidden for my tastes. That's not to say that I want more concrete answers on what actually happened to Julian Blake that summer, the open ended nature of the mystery worked well. I think what I really wanted was for the supernatural menace at the heart of the mystery to play a larger part in the story. Just a few more inexplicable occurrences or perhaps a more pervasive build-up of the supernatural menace surrounding Julian would have gone a long way for me.
The supernatural moments that did exist in the story were suitably creepy and Hand's reconstruction of something resembling a post-hippie commune centering around music, drugs and sex made for a satisfyingly immersive read, but I just wish there had been a bit more eldritch horror mixed in with my sex, drugs, and folk 'n roll.
September 16, 2024
Lectura corta para la spooky season.
Me encanta la parte en la que la casa se va transformando ( recuerda a Rose Red de Stephen King).
Y el momentazo de las fotos.
Cuidado con "la muchacha".
Me encanta la parte en la que la casa se va transformando ( recuerda a Rose Red de Stephen King).
Y el momentazo de las fotos.
Cuidado con "la muchacha".
May 5, 2018
Just an outstanding little novel.
This will not appeal to those of the thriller ilk, there are no silly chase scenes or climatic explosions. No, this is much more unsettling.
Wylding Hall is a slow burn of a haunt, and therefore the type of story that fits right in my wheelhouse. Combine this with the fact that it centers around the members of a folk-rock band from the early 70s and mix in everything that goes with that, playing LPs, smoking hash, and putting a new album together, well, this just filled that wheelhouse of mine.
The story is told from the present day, with all characters relaying what happpened that summer from their perspectives. There is a lot that people my age will connect with, what with all the references to my 70s idols. The story really brought to my mind Led Zeppelin's retreat to Headley Grange when they recorded their third album. Lots of similarities to these days were brought forth by Elizabeth Hand here.
Like I said, the story is a slow burn, and what makes this a five star read is not only the compulsive readability of it, but the lingering the story leaves in your head for hours after (and I suspect I will still be thinking about it for days to come).
An excellent read. Thanks so much to Char, whose review put this book on my radar.
This will not appeal to those of the thriller ilk, there are no silly chase scenes or climatic explosions. No, this is much more unsettling.
Wylding Hall is a slow burn of a haunt, and therefore the type of story that fits right in my wheelhouse. Combine this with the fact that it centers around the members of a folk-rock band from the early 70s and mix in everything that goes with that, playing LPs, smoking hash, and putting a new album together, well, this just filled that wheelhouse of mine.
The story is told from the present day, with all characters relaying what happpened that summer from their perspectives. There is a lot that people my age will connect with, what with all the references to my 70s idols. The story really brought to my mind Led Zeppelin's retreat to Headley Grange when they recorded their third album. Lots of similarities to these days were brought forth by Elizabeth Hand here.
Like I said, the story is a slow burn, and what makes this a five star read is not only the compulsive readability of it, but the lingering the story leaves in your head for hours after (and I suspect I will still be thinking about it for days to come).
An excellent read. Thanks so much to Char, whose review put this book on my radar.
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