A well written grouping of stories. It held my attention throughout with its marrying of story lines. Through his own admission, John Saul had made some mistakes in the follow-through details from story to story. Minor errors, still easy to fall into the story, history, continuity, and actions of the various characters throughout the novel.
Surprise revelations throughout, holding my interest. John Saul made smooth introductions to getting to know and understand the people of Blackstone, present and past.
An enjoyable, interesting, cryptic read.

So there I am, looking at what's available for download from the library. "Huh, John Saul ... sounds vaguely familiar? Besteller, I see. Premise sounds okay." I'm in! Ten minutes after downloading it, I remember why the name sounds familiar. Some fifteen years before, in an airport bookstore, I had the same Saul experience! A different book, but the same basic premise -- vague name recognition, note he's a best seller, basic premise sounds fine. I bought it. I read it. And, while I didn't hate it, I was underwhelmed (I don't remember the book, and a few cursory attempts to find it failed; there was a teenager, and some occult rituals, and whatever).

Anyway, I tell you this in part because the book itself is so fucking meh. If I could sum up Saul's talents as a writer, I'd peg him as relentlessly competent. All the sentences make sense! The pacing is fine! And, uh... that is about it. This book throws out some horror tropes like cursed objects, an old asylum full of secrets and a madman's revenge. Not a bad start, if a little run of the mill, right? Except it then proceeds to do literally everything in the most obvious, cliched and uninteresting way possible. The characters? You learn all you need to know simply by hearing their job description: the librarian? A snoopy spinster! The newspaper editor? Wears tweed jackets, is not fond of speculation, confirmed bachelor! The banker? Jimmy Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life, which might be a twist of sorts because he's not a greedy shithead, but c'mon, It's a Wonderful Life is so pervasive it has its own set of cliches. The plot is linear, predictable and dull, and the "twist" is so fucking obvious, I actually convinced myself it had to be something else for about a third of the book because it was just too obvious. It's all written at about an eighth grade level (explains the popularity I suppose...) and it's basically the Nickelback of horror: generic, lifeless shit rendered with a bare modicum of competency, perfectly suited for people with no taste and no ambition. At least, thanks to Goodreads, I am unlikely to make the same mistake with Saul again fifteen years from now...

This was such an enjoyable read. It gave me major needful things vibes and I was hooked. I loved the way Saul created a whole town and neighbourhood and really immersed you in that setting. Creepy asylums and the practices that went on it them in days gone are always fascinating and that was one of the highlights of this novel. The breakdown of the novel into 6 parts worked really well also. One thing is will say is that there are major triggers throughout so please do check this out before reading.

Wow, that’s truly all I can say. Not only was this my first John Saul book, but it was also my first ever “serial novel” that I got to read in pieces the way the author intended. Both of those factors have led this to being one of my favorite books of the year so far!

The blackstone chronicles tells the story of a town with an old, abandoned asylum on the top of a hill that casts a shadow over every one of the town’s inhabitants. At the beginning of part one, it’s in the process of being transformed into a shopping mall, but the asylum has one last stand for the townsfolk. One they’re sure never to forget.

I loved everything about this book. The creepy elements strewn throughout and the way the individual stories intertwined was so well done! The characters are lovable and easy to root for. And the plot twist near the end definitely shocked me to my core. This was also just a fantastic read for the spooky season. Creepy dolls, haunted asylums, everything just fit so well with the season.

I can’t recommend this book enough. 5 stars for me hands down. I loved it and can’t wait to read more of Saul’s work now.

Loved it!!

If you are a big fan of John Saul and have read all his past books, then this is a must read for you.

This book contains particular subjects that I found triggering: Miscarriage, baby murder, and animal killing

Pretty good, quick read for spooktober, nothing that’ll standout to me in years to come, but entertaining for the time. Although all the stories are connected there’s not much plot in them to need to read them all. I skipped book 5 because of the whole gruesome description of animal deaths from the past and then the 6 month puppy came in and I noped right out of there, and it took nothing away from the last book. Although I usually enjoy episodal types of story telling the way this book was written it got pretty boring and I just wanted to get to the meaty bits of the plot.
I knew from book one or two who the culprit was but I didn’t really mind that it was obvious, however the fact that a specific character didn’t recognize his voice didn’t make any sense. But I did like that we got an explanation in the last book. The ending was pretty meh, however.
Good enough for what it was though, a ghost story.

I love the creepy atmosphere of asylums and John Saul is a master of suspense. Put these two together and sprinkle in some spine-chilling WTF-ness and you get Blackstone Chronicles. I would BEG for more of this from Saul. It's been years since I've read this and it still stays with me.

Check out this, other reviews, and more fun bookish things on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!

Until recently, I didn't even know that this series came together in one book. My mom bought the series as it was released, one each month, back in 1997. So I have the original books, which apparently aren't in print anymore, although I'm sure you can find them used.

That being said, I decided to do a review on the book that has all of the parts together, since that is how you can buy it now. Normally I would have done each part separately, and I had planned on it, but to make it easier for everyone, we will do it this way.

First of all, John Saul is one of my favorite authors. Starting when I was around ten, I fell in love with his writing, as my mom owned all of his books. Because of this, I have actually read every single book he has written, and was saddened to learn recently that he is now retired. Since I read all of his books so long ago, I decided to read them again, and I started with The Blackstone Chronicles. Honestly I didn't really remember this one when I started reading it, at least not as well as I remember some of his others, like Midnight Voices and The Manhattan Hunt Club.

The Blackstone Chronicles is a novel written in parts that takes place in the town of Blackstone. Blackstone is full of secrets - especially the Asylum, which stands looming on the hill. Over the years, many people have disappeared into Blackstone Asylum as a patient, and never came back out. Sure, there are stories, but no one really knows the truth - except for the previous owner, who is now dead.

The owner's son, Oliver, is the editor of the Blackstone Chronicle, the town newspaper. He covers a lot of stories of strange happenings around the town, and they only get stranger as soon as the first gift is delivered - an antique doll. After this doll is delivered to one family, things start to take a strange turn within that family's home.

With the arrival of the next artifact to yet another family, a locket, things get ever stranger in the town of Blackstone.

These occurrences go on - each book covering a new artifact from the Blackstone Asylum, delivered to a new family or individual. Each object breaks people down or even causes death in some, and because of this, The Blackstone Curse becomes the talk of the town - if you are delivered an artifact, you better be prepared - you are now cursed by these evil objects.

But are they really evil?

And how are they tied to the history of the Blackstone Asylum? Even more curious - how does the person delivering the items know which items are to be given to which recipients?

The story (and the tension) grow more and more with each book you read, until you finally turn the last page in the shocking conclusion.

Okay, let me just say - this series gets a full 5 stars. It is a freaking masterpiece. This is the kind of book that you sit with and just keep reading.

Each book in this series goes into detail about each artifact that is delivered to the people of Blackstone - not all the details, mind you - that comes later. But just enough to keep you guessing and make you wonder what is going to happen next, and how all of it ties together.

Because it does all tie together.

Not only do all the stories take place in the same town, with the same characters, but there are events in each book that kind of carry over into the next, and the last one is the icing on the cake, so to speak. This book is the longest of the six, and it ties everything up with a neat little bow.

Like I said, John Saul has always been one of my favorite authors. I just love his writing, and his books always deliver that perfect combination of mystery, thriller, and horror that I never get tired of reading. This book (or set of books, depending on what version you pick up) is no different. There was so much time and effort put into this serial novel, and it shows. The characters, the little details, the plot - everything.

I think this series is the perfect thing for someone new to horror or those reluctant to read the genre. The shorter lengths of the books in the series make it a great introduction, because they are short enough that they do not seem intimidating, yet long enough that you can easily get invested in the story and the characters.

I actually read like two of these books a day, because on their own, they average around 85 pages each. I think Asylum was about 92, but that was the longest one, as I mentioned.

I really loved these books and I wouldn't hesitate to read them again in the future, either. They are such great reads for when you are limited on the amount of time you want to commit to one book (and let's face it - we all get in those moods where we just don't want to crack open yet another 600 page novel), and they all intertwine beautifully.

The was an excellent serial story in 6 parts, which had me hooked from the first view pages. The small town of Blackstone is planning to remodel the town's old asylum into a new shopping complex in to try and re-vitalise the town. As the town gets together for the starting ceremony strange things begin to happen. Small gifts are found with no notes, no return address and often no clear recipient. As soon as the gift arrives at house the atmosphere changes and in all cases violent and mysterious death follows close at hand. The town starts gossiping about being curse and fear grips the townsfolk.
What is the connection with the asylum? What if anything do the vivid vision of Oliver Metcalfe (son of the asylum's last director) have to do with strange happenings?
Although each part is relatively short (around 80 -90 pages) Saul manages to pack a lot into them. He build suspense not just in the individual part but across all the connected story so you keep turning the pages wanting to find out what happens next.
Read on but be prepared to be unable to put it down

A place of unspeakable sadness and pain.

A small town.
An abandoned asylum for the ‘insane’.
A past mystery.
A present mystery.

The Blackstone Chronicles consists of six distinct sequences that were originally released in serial format, much in the same fashion as Dickens's work, and more recently, The Green Mile. Each sequence is roughly the length of a novella, and added together they form the complete novel. The good news is that it’s completely cohesive and flawlessly executed, which has to be commended.

Inside the box were two stacks of file folders.
And something else.

Each sequence deals with a gift that anonymously finds its way to one of the prominent families in Blackstone, and the consequent results. I loved how Saul somehow treats insanity as a transmissible affliction. Yes, it’s implausible that the gifts should have such a powerful effect on the lives of people, but that’s neither here nor there: this is a horror novel after all. Paranoia. Compulsion. Delusion. Psychosis. Take your pick.

Behind their locks and barricades they knew precautions were useless, of course, for deep in their souls, each of them understood that if the madness came to invade his home, no locks would keep it out, no shutters hold it at bay. It would slither in through the crevices and cracks, and by morning—

I must admit that this is one of the most insidious stories I’ve ever read; it slowly but surely gets under the skin, in its own unassuming fashion. You have to read with a discerning eye; Saul inserts a few tips into the story regarding the patients and their relation to the current residents of Blackstone. Even though I actually managed to identify the shadowy antagonist of the story, the ending was still rather shocking. Something that did bother me was the reaction of the people who were eventually privy to the truth: a bit too blasé and not very convincing, considering all that had happened.

Something inside its walls—something unknowable—terrified him.

The book flirts with the supernatural, weaving events into the plot that just prevents the reader from discarding every possibility. The Blackstone Chronicles isn’t eerie all the time, but when it’s eerie, it’s very eerie.

The flashlight revealed a bathroom.
A large tiled bathroom, still equipped with an old-fashioned, claw-footed bathtub, a toilet with a flushing tank pinned high on the wall—its pull chain long since disappeared—and a pedestal sink standing below an old-fashioned medicine cabinet with a mirrored door.
[He] played the light into every corner of the room, but once again found nothing even slightly threatening. It was just as barren and grubby as the office next door. But then, as he was turning back toward the door, the beam of the flashlight struck the mirror above the sink. Through the layer of grime that had built up over the years, [he] caught a quick glimpse of the bathtub. Now, in the reflected glow of the beam, it was no longer empty.
Two figures, their eyes glimmering in the light, peered back at him.

¿Qué puedo decir? es John Saul, uno de los pocos autores que me encanta como logra hacer que el lector se sumerja en la historia y quede atrapado dentro de la atmósfera del libro. Y The Blackstone Chronicles no es la excepción, 6 historias que ocurren en el pequeño pueblo de Blackstone, 6 historias que tienen un objeto "maldito" como protagonista, un objeto que traerá el pasado al presente, para acechar a alguna de las familias del pueblo. Más allá de estos objetos, es el ser misterioso que los va repartiendo y se esconde en la oscuridad lo que une cada relato y no es sino hasta llegar al último, que descubrimos quién es y cuáles son sus motivaciones.

Historias cortas, sin relleno y pura acción, pura maldición cayendo sobre cada personaje, algunos nos darán lástima, otros nos parecerá que lo que les ocurre no es castigo suficiente.

Si les gusta las historias de terror, este libro es cien por ciento recomendado, se lee de un tirón y cuando se termina, te quedas aún vagando por las calles de Blackstone, aún te acecha la sombra del antiguo asilo, porque parte de tu espíritu se ha fundido con los habitantes de ese pueblo.