Helpful Score: 3
A creepy, austere Victorian-era chiller that combines the best aspects of mystery writing with the creative spookiness of the classic psychological ghost story. "The Seance" is a period-exact novel from writer John Harwood that explores the themes of finding ones place in the world and the bonds of family, all set against a very surreal and spooky backdrop of mystery, murder, and mysticism. If you like movies like "The Others" and "The Innocents", or have read and enjoyed stories such as "The Turn of the Screw", "Sherlock Holmes", "The Haunting of Hill House", and others besides, you will fall under the mystical spell of "The Seance" guaranteed.
This novel had so many layers and stories within stories that it took a while for suspense to build. By the end, though, things were moving along pretty quickly. Enjoyable, though not outstanding.
Helpful Score: 2
The séance isnt a bad book, but its not a really good one either. The idea is interesting a ghost story, a series of deaths and disappearances over many generations at a crumbling manor house, whos account of events can be trusted, who is innocent and who is guilty. The characters are well-drawn, with the most vivid perhaps being Wraxford Manor itself. The weak link is the writing which is basic and rather boring. I kept thinking I was reading an 8th grade term paper.
Helpful Score: 2
A bit of Victorian Gothic novel filled with mystery and suspense. A bit of a slow read at times as the story focuses on two characters. Easy to imagine but at times a bit depressing. I over all liked this book especially the style of writing.
Not a traditional ghost story along the lines of the Haunting of Hill House or The Uninvited, more like old fashioned books such as The Woman in White. It's okay but sometimes a little ponderous and I thought it could have been trimmed a bit as well. It's broken into different parts as written by a number of people spread out over a number of years, all brought together by the first narrator who closes the story with her wrap-up.
I am glad I stuck with this book through the whole thing. The first half of the book was rather boring. Too much story telling and description, and almost zero suspense like I was hoping for. However, it does pick up and I am glad that I chose to finish it. Has some great twists and keeps you wondering (in the second half) "who done it" and what was going to happen next.
