Heart-Shaped Box, the award-winning debut novel of Joe Hill, is a 2007 ghost story/revenge tale. I don't read much horror at all but always include something from that genre in my reading for October. This was perfect for me. I'll probably look for others by this author.
from the back of the book:
Aging death-metal rock legend Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals... a used hangman's noose... a snuff film. But nothing he possesses is as unique or as dreadful as his latest purchase off the Internet: a one-of-a-kind curiosity that arrives at his door in a black heart-shaped box... a musty dead man's suit still inhabited by the spirit of it's late owner. And now everywhere Judas Coyne goes, the old man is there -watching, waiting, dangling a razor blade on a chain from his bony hand.The New York Times calls it "a wild, mesmerizing, perversely witty tale of horror" and says,
In a book much too smart to sound like the work of a neophyte, he builds character invitingly and plants an otherworldly surprise around every corner. It would be much easier to compare Mr. Hill’s work to Stephen King’s if Stephen King were not his actual father. (His full name is Joseph Hillstrom King.)Time Magazine says it's "a top-notch piece of horror fiction". Strange Horizons calls it "a good novel and worth reading" but "conventional". Kirkus Reviews concludes, "He’s got horror down pat, and his debut is hair-raising fun."
The title comes from the Nirvana song:
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Sounds like a fascinating read, and hopefully the horror apple doesn't fall far from the proverbial tree.
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween!!!
I don't read much horror, but I did enjoy this. The talent does seem to have been passed down :)
DeleteI remember hearing something on NPR about this author and his being S.King's son. I will have to see if the library has this book. I don't read much horror either and after about 4 S. King books I dropped him from my list of authors. Maybe the son will hold up better for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm not even sure why I chose this one. I haven't read much King and didn't know the connection. Seeing that title in the horror section, I guess, appealed to me somehow.
DeleteJoe Hill also wrote Horns, I thought it was a little better than Heart Shaped Box.
ReplyDeleteI'll look for that one. Thx for the recommendation. I really don't read much horror and am at a loss when I want something, standing in front of the shelves....
DeleteI hope he is a better writer than his father in that he can complete what he starts. Stephen King is a great concept man but rarely follows through with decent endings. He can a better short story writer where he is pressured to try to have a beginning, middle, and ending. He's had whole towns fall into the earth because he couldn't think how to end the story but the worst example is the Dark Tower series. After that egotistical fiasco he was off my reading list for good.
ReplyDeleteI read the first Dark Tower book but found it slow, and when I looked at how many books there were I didn't persevere. I may have to go back to them, though, before I see the film adaptation. I have one of his books (The Shining, maybe, I forget) on my tbr shelf but haven't read much by him. It's discouraging to look for horror and seeing shelves full of King but not much else :(
DeleteThis was Hill's debut novel, so it's hard to judge him by it. Bob in the comment above says Horns is better, and I'll try it and see. I quite liked the ending of this one, though, but I don't really know what a horror book ending should look like.