Usher's Passing

I finally managed to skim through the last 100 pages or so of the book.

To be honest, it wasn't a terrible read. However, considering the plethora of 4 - 5 star novels available in the market, I wouldn't really recommend this one.

If you are a fan of Robert R. McCammon and are looking for a great read by him, then this particular book might not be the best place to start.

Instead, I would highly suggest picking up either Boy's Life or Swan Song.

These two novels are widely regarded as some of his best works and are sure to provide an engaging and thrilling reading experience.

So, if you want to truly领略 McCammon's writing prowess, it would be advisable to start with one of these two masterpieces.

“Spiritual darkness. Moral darkness. Blasphemy and decay.” His eyes closed. “Poe’s tale may have been fiction, Rix, but it cut very close to the bone. The Ushers have everything. Everything. But they are dead in their souls.”

This was supposed to be part of my Halloween Reads 2017 but missed the October dateline by a whole week. This was due to the shortage of time and the book’s length. Usher's Passing, which is 416 pages long, not exactly a doorstopper but this kind of length takes me one or two weeks depending on the free time available. It is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher and features Roderick Usher’s descendants and a much more overt supernatural element.

Rix Usher is a moderately successful writer of horror fiction. He chose this not so prosperous occupation over the family’s business of weapons manufacturing for the US military. After his wife’s inexplicable suicide, he lives alone in Atlanta. One day, he is summoned to “Usherland”, the family’s sprawling estate in North Carolina. This estate includes Gatehouse, the family mansion, and the super spooky The Lodge, where the Usher’s ancestors used to live. At the estate, Rix discovers that he has to deal not only with his dysfunctional family but also an ancient evil that has been causing trouble for the entire town for years.

In the Eighties, Robert R. McCammon was one of my favorite horror fiction authors. While Stephen King was the king, McCammon was like a prince. However, in the early Nineties, he achieved more commercial success with two “southern gothic” books, Boy's Life and Gone South. Unfortunately, both of these books didn't appeal to me much.

Usher's Passing is an entertaining read for fans of horror fiction. However, it is a little overwritten. I think it would be more engaging if it was 25% shorter. Unlike McCammon’s best books, this one is entirely humorless, and too much of the narrative focuses on the dysfunctionality of the Usher family. For me, soap opera doesn't mix well with horror. On the positive side, I like the concept of the Usher family’s strange hereditary illness and panic attacks that require each family member to have their own padded “quiet rooms”. The supernatural mystery is well-developed and reaches a spectacular climax that even includes a touch of sci-fi. The monsters are okay, but McCammon has given them rather silly names. I wish he had chosen more fearsome names instead. The connection to Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher is quite weak. If you love that story, don't expect Usher's Passing to be a direct sequel.

I can recommend Usher's Passing with some reservations regarding the length and pacing. If you want to read McCammon at his best, pick up Swan Song.

Notes:

• As mentioned above, Swan Song is, in my opinion, his best book. It is an epic supernatural post-apocalypse fantasy that can rival The Stand.

(Note to self, to reread and re-review).

• After the publication of Gone South, he took a hiatus from writing for about nine years. He returned to full-time writing with the historical fiction Speaks the Nightbird, which became a series. I'm happy for his success, but I haven't read any of his books after Boy's Life.

Here is such a story! It seems that I have discovered a great author for myself (yes, in time - the person is already 69 years old).

The Esher family is well-known and closed. Each generation of the Esher family manages the family concern for the production of modern weapons. There is a lot of money, and the money is dirty. The family lives in their residence, Esherland, around which many terrible stories and legends have long accumulated. What is the truth in this, what is the meaning of the hereditary disease of the Eshers, from which all the blood relatives of the family suffer, and which of the three children will inherit the family business if their father is now already on his deathbed?

At the beginning of the story, Edgar Allan Poe himself will appear in person and not without reason, because McCammon's book is a kind of continuation (or perhaps a dialogue) of the story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by this American classic.

At the end, understanding that the heroes are approaching the culminating moment, I was already sitting in such tension... And not in vain! The solution shocks and at the same time combines into a single picture all the strange, fantastic and terrible things that were scattered throughout the book before this!

In short, what a wonderful reading I chose for myself in Galway!

Wow…really, that’s all I can say just as I finished my first McCammon novel.

Wow! What a brilliant storyteller he is! There was so much going on in the book, but the author managed to keep it simple yet complex. McCammon writes with such ease, weaving a brilliant and intricate tale that consists of several story lines and flashbacks. Everything is presented with a perfect pitch and a high level of interest and mystery. (I just love the mountain lore and the concept of the Pumpkin Man!)

Every single one of his characters evolves throughout the novel. Each character has his or her own unique voice, depth, and emotion. And it’s not just the individual characters themselves, but also how the relationships between all the characters develop that makes the book so captivating.

I have to admit that I was intrigued by the idea of a sequel to my favorite Poe story, “The Fall of the House of Usher” (if I had to pick just one). I believe McCammon did the Poe tale great justice. He paid the highest form of praise possible from a fellow writer by adding to the original in terms of both story and character development. McCammon enriches the Usher family by not just providing a sequel (as I originally thought it would be), but by developing a complete back story to the “malady” and several generations of Ushers.

Although I never imagined that I wanted anything “added” to the Poe classic, now that I’ve read this novel, I’m so thrilled with McCammon’s vision! (But I do like that I’ve had plenty of time to digest and enjoy the original Poe tale on its own multiple times, and waited some years before reading the much longer and deeper McCammon companion.)

But still, what I loved best is McCammon’s writing and his ability to weave so many generations of characters into one fluid and exciting story. I also liked how McCammon used his own voice and did not try to write identically to Poe’s style. That being said, however, McCammon’s own description of the Usher estate and tradition did evoke a beautiful gothic feeling, without being a full-blown gothic novel (or dare I say, “goth wanna be”).

Wow…as I’m writing this, I’m aware of how tongue-tied I am. It still amazes me how the author blends the classic with the contemporary! Again, as this is my first McCammon novel, please allow me to gush with excitement and amazement!

I once read a review in which a guy asserted that he would give his "left nut" to be able to write like that particular author. Sadly, I can't recall who that author was. However, I want to take it a step further:

I'd be more than willing to give both of that guy's nuts, along with his spleen, scrotum, and all his sphincters. Heck, I'll even throw in that guy's coccyx for free!

You have good authors and great authors. And then there are authors like Robert R. McCammon, who was seemingly born to pen stories. This is far beyond what practice can achieve - he possesses the God-given talent, that elusive so-called x-factor - and the world is indeed a better place because he can share his gift with us.

And, to all those budding young authors out there - this (Kindle) book consists of more than 400 pages and was originally published in 1984. Now, aside from one stray comma, can you guess how many editing mistakes there were?

Nada. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero. And a whole bunch of diddly-squat.

Alright, so let's get into the story:

The Ushers from Usherland - and this is definitely not the title of a reality TV show about the singer Usher, whom I've almost (but not quite yet) forgiven for introducing Justin Bieber to the world - are wealthy. No, not just rich, but seriously affluent. In fact, I'd go as far as to say they are giraffe rich...

Okay, I might need to clarify this. I believe it was Dave Chappell who, during a talk-show appearance, described Michael Jackson as giraffe rich - meaning that if you could afford a giraffe as a pet, you had more money than you knew what to do with.

They own Usher Armaments, a company that manufactures weapons for, among others, the government and is rumored to be worth ten billion dollars - in 1984, that would equate to either 10 Bill Gates's or a billion of me...

And the patriarch is on his deathbed.

The main character is Rix Usher, the black sheep who has turned his back on the family, left Usherland, and became a horror writer. He has an older brother, Boone, who is a bully, and a younger sister, who is a model and a recovering drug addict.

So, who will take over...

Then you have the poorest of the poor, those individuals who are "dirt poor," residing on Briartop Mountain, right next to Usherland.

Another side note - sorry - do you know where the expression dirt poor originates from? It dates back many years, when people constructed their shelters. If they had the means to add floors, they were better off than those whose floor was simply the "dirt" (ground).

For many years, children have been vanishing from the mountain, and the legend of Pumpkin Man and his familiar, Greediguts, came into being. These people have nothing and they are unwilling to accept any assistance from outsiders.

And then there's the Mountain King, who knows and does things that nobody can explain...

Oh, there is so much to share about this tale, but I can't give anything away. This is good, old-fashioned horror as it was intended to be told.

McCammon is extremely clever in the way he creates and develops his characters - the age-old sayings about money not being able to buy happiness and the burdens of responsibility, etc.

I adored absolutely everything about this story. I knew halfway through that, unless he seriously botched something at the end, this book was going to be a five-star read. Everything just worked.

Horror fans - read this book!

Although it began rather sluggishly in the initial stages,

it ultimately proved to be an outstanding story,

masterfully written with an engaging little twist at the conclusion,

much like most thrillers are wont to possess!

I will most definitely peruse more of McCammon's works,

as this was my very first encounter with his writing.

His ability to build tension and keep the reader on the edge of their seat is truly remarkable.

The slow start actually served to enhance the overall impact of the story,

allowing the reader to become fully invested in the characters and their fates.

By the time the twist arrived,

it was both unexpected and satisfying,

leaving me eager to see what else McCammon has in store for his readers.

I am confident that I will not be disappointed,

as this initial foray into his writing has left a lasting impression.

I am a die-hard Robert McCammon fan. I have devoured most of his books and have been completely enamored with them all... until now. Oh man, what a huge letdown.

Usher’s Passing seemed like the quintessential Halloween read, having been penned and published during the peak of the ‘80s horror boom. Prior to this, McCammon had released two of my absolute favorite novels, They Thirst and Mystery Walk - a couple of his most spine-chilling and suspenseful works to date. However, Usher’s Passing is far from being scary or suspenseful.

Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” (a story that I must admit I’ve never been a fan of), this novel is McCammon’s imaginative take on the Usher family: their sordid past, their scandalous secrets, and their air of mystery. It should have been utterly captivating; I had anticipated a southern gothic masterpiece that would haunt my nightmares and make me abandon all my other current reads. But alas, that wasn’t the case. Instead, I was presented with an uneven and underwhelming narrative told from three perspectives, none of which were particularly enthralling. It feels like McCammon tried to cram far too much into this relatively short 400-page novel, with the missing children, the reporter desperate to get her scoop, and the convoluted Usher family drama. Not to mention all the numerous flashbacks to long-dead Ushers. It’s just all too much for its length. One can almost sense McCammon’s longing to break free and tell a truly epic tale; and he would indeed achieve that with his next novel, Swan Song.

Despite all this novel’s shortcomings, McCammon does manage to mostly capture the atmosphere. The evocation of Usherland is relatively strong, especially that of the Lodge. But I just wanted... more. I could never fully immerse myself in this world, nor could I sympathize with the characters. And when the bodies started piling up in the final quarter, I simply couldn’t bring myself to care.

Although this is not the worst book I’ve read this year, it is undoubtedly the most disappointing.

I wanna add a half star upon reread.

This is a rich, nuanced twist on the infamous Usber clan. The story delves deep into the lives and secrets of this particular family, presenting a complex and multi-faceted narrative.

We are introduced to the various members of the Usber clan, each with their own unique personalities, desires, and flaws. As the plot unfolds, we witness the web of relationships and conflicts that exist within the family.

The author has done an excellent job of creating a vivid and engaging world, filled with rich details and interesting characters. The twist in the story adds an extra layer of excitement and mystery, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end.

Overall, this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good family drama with a touch of mystery and intrigue.