For this special Halloween selection, some classics, little known or forgotten, and a new one that is worth the detour if you still haven’t come across it. Comfortably installed under a blanket, let yourself be carried away by the horror of Spookie Season ! We have goosebumps…
Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus – Mary Shelley
Victor Frankenstein, a Geneva scientist, is rescued by a crew en route to the North Pole. Very disturbed, he tells the captain the story that led him there: he created a superhuman creature, but it sowed terror around it. Meanwhile, Robert Walton, the captain of the expedition, writes to his sister to describe the strange discovery he has just made: a man in distress on an iceberg, with a sled. Frankenstein then explains that he is pursuing this monstrous creature, responsible for many crimes, and that he must stop him at all costs.
What do we like? Mary Shelley, wrote this novel at only 20 years old at a time (19th century) when it was not advisable for women to write, let alone gothic novels.
Misery – Stephen King
Misery Chastain is dead, killed by Paul Sheldon, her creator. The main character in his novels, Misery brought him a lot of money, but Paul finally freed himself from it to write a new book. However, after a car accident, he falls into the hands of Annie Wilkes, a nurse obsessed with his novels. She refuses Misery’s death and forces Paul, paralyzed, to revive her. A nightmare by Stephen King, where madness mixes with implacable logic.
What do we like? The intensity of this distressing closed session can be read quickly. Certainly one of the author’s best books.
The dangers of smoking in bed – Mariana Enriquez
Favorite. This collection of twelve short stories from Mariana Enriquez plunges into a universe mixing horror and fantasy. We follow marginal characters confronted with nightmarish situations: a little girl who discovers bones, the ghost of a decomposing baby, or even missing children who reappear without having grown up. Populated by rebellious teenagers, witches and wandering ghosts, each story revisits the codes of horror. Enriquez explores themes of sexuality, obsessions and deep fears with tenderness for his characters, while revealing the darkest abysses of the soul.
What do we like? Modern-day horror with the darkest sides of humanity. Terribly contemporary. Bright.
L’arbre d’Halloween – Ray Bradbury
Tom and his friends, dressed up for Halloween, knock on the door of Montsuaire without suspecting the adventure that awaits them. They then begin a journey through space and time, in search of the origins of Halloween. From the sun celebrated in Egypt millennia ago, to the gargoyles of Notre-Dame, this fantastic quest reveals the mysteries and ancient history of this celebration.
What do we like? Ray Bradbury in a genre other than science fiction and discover his incredible talents as a storyteller. Without bragging.
Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier
Manderley Manor is marked by the shadow of Rebecca de Winter, the deceased former owner. A year after his death, his memory still haunts the estate and its inhabitants. Maxim de Winter’s new wife, young and naive, struggles to escape this omnipresent presence. Immortalized on film by Hitchcock, Daphne du Maurier’s “Rebecca” is a fascinating masterpiece, retranslated to capture all the darkness and evocative power of the original text.
What do we like? The romance, the descriptions and then the shivers down your spine. The ending is resounding.
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Written by victory, the October 21, 2024
