Once
(Herbert; James)
James Herbert has long held the title of 'Britains Master of Horror',
and for good reason. His novels have terrified readers for more than
twenty years, and each one has found its way to the bestseller lists,
at home and abroad.Once is the tale of Thom Kindred; a man returning to the rural quite of
the english countryside where he spent his childhood. He's barely
arrived when strange happenings occur...there are lights shimmering
through the trees at night,and he feels fearful of the forest where
once he ran free. And who is the alluring stranger sent by his
childhood freind to help him recover? Why does he fear her so deeply?Once is a slight departure from Herberts usual work. It walks new ground as it flirts between outright horror and fairytale lore. With this novel he has crossed genres with great success, invoking the childlike wonder of faeryfolk myth and legend, whilst remaining true to his horror sensibilities. The novel is a fairy tale, but its a very adult fairy tale. The witches her are no green faced hags, they're erotically charged devils capable of unspeakable evil. Likewise the fairyfolks defy common expectations, appearing as they do in a wild array of shapes, size's and species.The joy of this work is that is is still immediatly recognisable as Herberts previous works. It has all the staples of his past novels; lush English countryside, explicit sexual content, graphic violence and elements of the supernatural. Yet more than this it has magical quality to it. A dreamlike quality permeates the whole novel, as it draws you deeper into the forest, (figuratively and literally). It delves fearlessly into the mythology of faeryfolk, and should be essential reading for anyone interested in the subject. It inspired me to learn more about the legends surrounding fairies and the intricasies of witchcraft, both light and dark.One word of warning though, I'm an arachnophobe, and this book contains a scene of dark magic that had me clenching my teeth and fighting to get through it. If you fear spiders, this chapters a killer. It's utterly terrifying!But then again, isn't that what good horror is all about?
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