My Goodreads review: The House Next Door

[ankh_hpl]

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a deeply creepy & well-written haunted house tale that suffers slightly from being dated. The book originally appeared in 1978, & it is very much of its time. People Magazine is still a new, sensational publication; cocktails are less a trendy art form than a way of life, and social mores are much different. This last item is particularly important to the story, though disclosing much more would be a spoiler.

Set in an affluent Atlanta suburb, this novel achieves a Southern Gothic feel without most of the traditional trappings. I don't recall ever reading about a (brand spanking new) house being haunted in quite this way. A lot depends upon whether or not you find the first-person POV character sympathetic, however. I had no problem with her, but some members of my reading group did.

One caveat: Bad Things do happen to pets in this one. Not in graphic detail or often, but late enough that I'd already been hooked by the plot.

Recommended for: ghost story enthusiasts looking for something different, & fans of contemporary slow burn horror.




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