Rate this book

Whitstable (2013)

by Stephen Volk(Favorite Author)

4.36 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

Spectral Press

review 1: Whitstable by Stephen Volk is, on the surface, a compact thriller in which the most famous fictional monster hunter pits himself against monsters of a scarier, more human kind... but it's also an evocative period piece, a valiantly raw examination of grief and depression, a loving homage to a screen legend and a moving meditation on genre that lucidly offers reasons why some of us want, need and love dark stories. All of this in under 150 pages too - you can't ask for many more good things in such a splendidly small package!
review 2: In 1971, a recently bereaved Peter Cushing locks himself away in his Whitstable home, intending to cut himself off from day-to-day life in order to grieve privately. For years, as the star of numerous horror films, he has despatc... morehed creatures of the night with their fake fangs, pelts and blood but after a trip to the beach and an encounter with a young boy, he quickly discovers that some monsters are human. With grief weighing heavily on him but a strong desire to protect the innocent, Peter Cushing now faces a very real terror. Using certain real-life events, Volk deftly creates a loving - if occasionally harsh and unblinking - fictional biography of an actor most (if not all) genre fans are familiar with and through the strength of his writing, we come to love Peter Cushing, feeling his immense hurt and pain and wanting the absolute best for him. Interwoven with this is a beautifully underplayed horror story - with no ghosts or ghoulies - where Cushing comes up against Les Gledhill, a man whose step-son-to-be thinks of as a vampire but is, in reality, much worse. Their two key exchanges, once on the doorstep of Cushing’s house and another, at the local cinema, are fantastic, with tour-de-force writing that managed to enthral, terrify and appal this reader. In addition, the latter confrontation takes place whilst the two men are watching “The Vampires Lovers” and Volk intersperses scenes from the film in a way I’ve never read before, that is about as cinematic as it’s possible to be on the printed page. Richy detailed (1971 is lovingly and painstakingly reproduced and even if you’ve never been to Canterbury, you have been in that tea shop), with some amusing exchanges (Carl, the boy who starts it all off, can’t quite work out what connection this Peter Cushing person might have to Van Helsing ) and nicely written memories (of Morecombe & Wise and the personalities he worked with on the Hammer films) this is the kind of book you wish you could read anew each and every time. Darkly elegant and full of almost poetic moments (“Cushing trembled a smile…”), showing the horrors of life and the consequences of losing a beloved whilst also remaining strong in the belief that love is forever, this is a truly beautiful book, scary, moving and hopeful in equal measures, that should be read by everyone who has even a passing interest in the horror genre. Highly recommended. less

Download links for: Whitstable

Advertising