5 books for Halloween – you’ll love the thrill!
For this special Halloween selection, we’ve got a few classics, some little-known and some forgotten, and a new one that’s well worth a look if you haven’t yet stumbled across it. Let yourself be carried away by the horror of the Spookie Season! We’ve got goosebumps…
Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus – Mary Shelley
Victor Frankenstein, a scientist from Geneva, is rescued by a crew en route to the North Pole. Disturbed, he tells the captain the story of how he came to be there: he has created a superhuman creature, but it has spread terror around him. Meanwhile, Robert Walton, the expedition’s captain, writes to his sister describing the strange discovery he has just made: a man lost on an iceberg, with a sledge. Frankenstein explains that he is pursuing this monstrous creature, responsible for many crimes, and must stop him at all costs.
What do we like? Mary Shelley wrote this novel at just 20 years of age, at a time (in the 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 made him a lot of money, but Paul finally freed himself to write a new book. However, after a car accident, it falls into the hands of Annie Wilkes, a nurse obsessed with his novels. She refuses to let Misery die, and forces the paralyzed Paul to revive her. A Stephen King nightmare of madness and implacable logic.
What do we like? The intensity of this agonizing, fast-paced in camera story. Certainly one of the author’s best books.
The dangers of smoking in bed – Mariana Enriquez
A favorite. This collection of twelve short stories by Mariana Enriquez plunges us into a universe blending horror and fantasy. We follow marginal characters confronted with nightmarish situations: a little girl who discovers bones, the ghost of a decomposing baby, or 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-seated fears with a tenderness for her characters, while revealing the darkest abysses of the soul.
What do we like? Modern-day horror with the darkest side of mankind. Terribly contemporary. Brilliant.
The Halloween Tree – Ray Bradbury
Tom and his friends, dressed up for Halloween, knock on the door of Montsuaire, unaware of the adventure that awaits them. They embark on a journey through time and space, 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 festival.
What do we like? Ray Bradbury in a genre other than science fiction, and discover his incredible storytelling talents. No showboating.
Rebecca – Daphné du Maurier
Manderley Manor is marked by the shadow of Rebecca de Winter, the deceased former owner. A year after her death, her memory still haunts the estate and its inhabitants. Maxim de Winter’s new wife, young and naive, struggles to escape this omnipresent presence. Immortalized in 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 chills down your spine. The ending is resounding.
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