James Herbert: The Magic Cottage

[Kelvi]

Has anyone read the magic Cottage by james herbert? I have read other horror storys but this one i really like the story, after the first read i read it again about 4 years later and i still enjoyed it.

 

[Stewart]

I remember buying The Magic Cottage from a shop in a service station on the way back from a school trip to Germany and Belgium back in 1991. I read it not long after getting home and I can recall enjoying it. I still have that copy sitting on my to-be-got-rid-of-any-old-how shelf.

I recall very little of the novel, other than a character called Midge, a group calling themselves Synergists, and the name Flora Chaldean, who was probably the old dear that had the cottage before hand.

The plot, if I remember, was about the aforementioned group trying to scare the people who bought Chaldean's cottage out of there home so they could control its magic powers. Nonsense, really.

But, along with Haunted, one of Herbert's better novels and a far cry from the drivel he's turning out these days.

 

[Kelvi]

stewart,
You have rememered the story well, but i think once you have read a book all the way through you do remeber the story, i have read about 70 books since then (thats before i read it again) and i still rememered the story.

 

[Stewart]

i think once you have read a book all the way through you do remeber the story

I don't know about that. I read The Bridge Of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder earlier this month and I can't remember much of it. All I can remember is the premise, and a vague recollection of there being a servant girl in the first part and something about a boy going to sea in the second part. As for the third part, can't remember a thing.

Looking back on what I've read this year I'm surprised to see I gave Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad three whole stars. I can't remember anything about it whatsoever. I know I don't like Atwood. What was I thinking? And I gave John Fante's Wait Until Spring, Bandini four stars and have no recollection of it at all.

 

[Justin91]

Looking back on what I've read this year I'm surprised to see I gave Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad three whole stars. I can't remember anything about it whatsoever. I know I don't like Atwood. What was I thinking? And I gave John Fante's Wait Until Spring, Bandini four stars and have no recollection of it at all.

A bit off topic...Stewart, do you keep a database of everything you have read and how the books ranked? I keep a reading journal and a database as well.

Just curious.

I have not read any of James Herbert yet. Any good suggestions?

 

[Stewart]

Stewart, do you keep a database of everything you have read and how the books ranked?

Yes. On Palimpsest, we keep lists and ratings in a thread so that we can go back and edit them as we read more.

The only Herbert I would recommend is Haunted.

 

[Honeybee]

I enjoyed The Magic Cottage very much. And Haunted, although the follow-up, The Ghosts of Sleath, was quite rubbish.

 

[Stewart]

I enjoyed The Magic Cottage very much. And Haunted, although the follow-up, The Ghosts of Sleath, was quite rubbish.

Quite rubbish? It was terrible.

 

[Honeybee]

Ok, I was being diplomatic! It really wasn't very good at all.