The Dark

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I was absolutely loving this until around three quarters of the way through. It started off as a classic horror story with paranormal and mystery elements which I enjoy reading but it soon became a slog to get through. I think that Herbert was trying to make this more complex than it needed to be and it did not pay off. This is a book of two halves. The first half I struggled to stay interested. Jon Childes is a man running from his past. A reluctant psychic who solved a murder case but resulted in divorce and publicity he did not want. So he now lives on a channel island teaching computer science at several schools. This has led him to repress and avoid his psychic ability. Uninspiring & boring for large parts, The Dark is not the strongest of his work & you’ll find yourself inadvertently skimming over paragraphs hoping to get to a more interesting part.

James Herbert: Devil In The Dark - James Herbert James Herbert: Devil In The Dark - James Herbert

I loved it this was the first James Herbert book I have read. Others say it is not that good but I differ it has a lot going for it.

This was MY first novel by James Herbert. Having seen his books mentioned quite often, I thought to give it a go with Moon. First impression, Herbert is a brilliant writer. I genuinely couldn’t put this book down. Not because I was overly gripped by the story, per se. However, the plot and characters were interesting. But because I was ensnared with the way Herbert wrote and unfolded the tale as a perfectly paced thriller and for the most part, kept the overindulgence to a minimum. James designed most of his book covers himself. He was gifted in all the arts and studied everything from graphic design to print and photography at the Hornsey college of art. He was even a member of a small band in his younger days. However, he later became art director in Charles Barker advertising company. James Herbert sells millions of horror books A tad boring' is not a good thing to say about a horror book. It wasn't bad, but the writing was so eighties' thriller that it was slightly annoying. The characters were about as empty as empty can be. The plot itself, however, was not too bad. I mean, nothing really surprising, but still kept me reading one more chapter way more often than I'd care to admit. So it wasn't all bad. Just... you know, mostly bad.

The Dark - Wikipedia The Dark - Wikipedia

In 2010 several great things happened to this man, he was awarded with ‘Master of Horror’ at the world horror connection, the award was presented by his very good friend Stephen King. He had fled from the terrors of his past, finding refuge in the quietness of the island. And for a time he lived in peace. Until the "sightings" began, visions of horror seeping into his mind like poisonous tendrils, violent acts that were hideously macabre, the thoughts becoming intense. but how do you fight the dark? Bishop, because of his findings is dragged into the middle of everything desperate to stop the chaos but hiding his own dark past. Our protagonist Childes has fled to this island "from the terrors of his past" , fighting his demons (don't they all!!!) while trying to maintain his relationship his Amy! Oh, did I tell you that he also get visions of horrible murders and mutilations. Then people in his vicinity start dying, bodies keep pilling up and finally get to the climax -- which was very abrupt in my opinion. This was my first book by James Herbert. I had heard or to be more precise read a lot about Herbert's skill as horror storyteller. Unsurprisingly I had some pretty high expectations from this book and which it failed to live up to.From the title and the cover art I had assumed that it was going to be a werewolf tale. But, I was wrong. There are no werewolves in the novel whatsoever. There is a mysterious killer however. Anyway, I am not going to delve in the story in detail. In brief the major events of the novel take place in the island of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands in the English Channel near the French coast. The island really exists. The idea in the book as good and evil being an energy force that can be controlled is an interesting one that raises many questions as you progress through the book. Can people be that easily influenced? Can you? Then, too many years later, I found this in the university library's "giving away for free" shelf. So of course I had to take it, because FREE BOOKS! And then it sat in my shelf for several years waiting for its moment.

Horror Book Review: The Dark (James Herbert) - GAMES Horror Book Review: The Dark (James Herbert) - GAMES

I'm disappointed as I originally had this as a 4 star book (first read about 20 years ago) but I didn't enjoy it much this time around :( The main character is basically a guy who teaches computing to schoolkids and who ends up teaching at a girl’s school on an island as he tries to get away from his past. He has some psychic powers, despite the fact that he doesn’t really believe in them, and he finds himself witnessing all sorts of horrible things, including some brutal killings. A pesar de no contar con los mismos recursos que el cine para producir terror (imágenes truculentas, juegos de luz y oscuridad, música aterradora...) sigo pensando que es posible lograr lo mismo a través de un libro.

If that's the point, then okay. It makes sense but that just means we now have an unlikable main character surrounded on an island with other unlikeable characters. On a positive note, the characters were interesting and likeable. The dynamics between them were also cleverly developed throughout. Sadly, though, I just did not enjoy the chapters which pulled the reader away from the main protagonists and into the perspectives of some random people who I didn't care for. Unfortunately, this became a major part of the novel towards the end. Likewise, I did not care for the ending - admittedly, I haven't fully wrapped my head around what occurred at the end but I do not have the motivation to do so. Having said that, I do admire the way in which Herbert melded the elements of the paranormal and science together at the end. I can see why Stephan King loves Herbert! Stunning displays of violence perpetuated by 'normal' people and London is ripped asunder. The Dark is one of my favorite Herbert novels, and I think he set a record for introducing characters before they succumb to some sort of nasty foo. First published in 1980, The Dark rides the paranormal wave that was so popular in that era.

The Dark (Herbert novel) - Wikipedia

The Dark is my fourth favourite James Herbert novel after The Rats, Lair and The Fog. Very similar to The Fog (evil force sends people barmy and evil), but also rather different in its own way, The Dark is the ideal book with which to curl up on a cold winter's evening. For me, the wonderful highlight of my 1980 reading pursuits! This book was really creepy, heart stopping and mind boggling. Throughout the book from beginning to end, it's filled with gore, bloodshed and massacre. It brings the controvsial "debate" in whether whatever causes the bloodshed is based on scientific meaning or some sort of unknown forces that are trying to get rid of the human or at least the physical part of mankind. The Fog felt very raw in its depiction of horror, possibly due to it being Herbert's second novel, despite the writing being kinda mediocre. By the time Herbert wrote The Dark he had become a slightly better writer, however, the rawness was gone, and the book definitely suffered for this. The Dark felt disjointed at times, overblown, and, the cardinal sin, boring. Yes! there are big (really big at times) scenes involving pretty decent horror, but the book is constantly bouncing around the point-of-view from the main characters, and minor characters who are just there for the body count.He was very afraid of the dark as a small child, known to cower under the covers at the shadows that moved around his room. As he grew older he lost this fear and then only became afraid of spiders. Bit like myself, not with the little ones, but those big monsters give me the shivers!