 The White House of 1853 is a terrifying place…. When you have been reading (and reviewing) horror fiction as long as I have the occasions when ‘new’ authors with extensive back-catalogue are discovered are relatively few. Very few. Since 1999 Andrew Pyper has published ten novels and who knows why I never tried him before now, so thanks to fellow reviewers Steve Stred and Shane Douglas Keene for nudging me in the right direction. These guys understand my taste, and after devouring (and loving) their first recommendation The Demonologist (2013) I jumped straight into Pyper’s brand new novel The Residence. Rest assured I will be diving into that enticing back-catalogue for my third bite very soon. Considering what is presently going on in American politics, a ghost story set in the White House seemed like exactly what I needed to escape the reality of the true horror of 2020. Interestingly, as with Alma Katsu’s The Hunger (inspired by the Donner Party disappearance), the story behind The Residence is based around solid fact laced with an unnerving supernatural twang. Pyper even mentions in his endnotes that in the 1850s, when the novel is set, ghostly sightings were reported in the White House and the author does an exceptionally good job of entwining a personal haunting around a genuine family tragedy. The main character is Franklin Pierce who was the fourteen President of the United States from 1953-57, with the action kicks off he is in the very early stages of his presidency. In the opening pages of the story, his wife Jane and son Bennie are on a train to Washington, which derails and crashes. Tragically, the sole casualty of the accident is the boy, distraught, the couple struggle to recover, with their circumstances worsened by the fact that their two other children are already dead. The story is also told from Jane’s point of view, a sickly woman who is wasting away and hates life in the White House, believing her life to be virtually over, now that her children are all dead. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was a stunning location and Andrew Pyper genuinely breathes life into the old house, which becomes alive as any character within the book. The President rattles around the rundown empty rooms which sign and groan, many are cold and unfurnished, and it does not feel like home. The paintings of his thirteen predecessors seem to frown down upon him, whispering ‘you failure’. At night there are strange noises, whispers, clumps within the walls and the patter of children’s feet. If you are a fan of slow-burning and atmospheric supernatural horror, in the style of Adam Nevill or Ronald Malfi, this is an outstanding book to try, it takes its time, but is never slow, and delicately builds layers of dread as the frazzled couple try to come to terms with the ghosts in the house, or are they their ghosts? Or secrets they have not revealed to each other? The story cleverly taps into the mood of the period, which had both a belief and healthy respect for the supernatural, when the President’s wife uses two renowned mediums to help connect her with the dead son. The story is laced with guilt and revealing flashbacks to childhood and loss from both husband and wife’s point of view. Along the way, and highly convincing, the renowned novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne pops up, which was also based around fact, as it was Hawthorne who wrote some of Pierce’s campaign literature for election. The two had a long friendship dating back to their early twenties which is seamlessly woven into the story and one occasion where Hawthorne turns tale and refuses to stay in the White House after a night of undisclosed terror. A couple of scenes had me reaching for Google and Wikipedia and I was surprised how much was based on fact. The marriage of Pierce and Jane lies at the heart of the story and it is exceptionally convincing and portrayed very sadly. Having lost three children, neither can grieve publicly and inwardly they are broken, sleeping in separate bedrooms Pierce cuts a forlorn figure as he realises the job as President of the United States is not an easy one, or one where things can be changed without some dire consequence or another. This was the 1850s and slavery lurks in the background of the story, as it did in the genuine presidency of Franklin Pierce. Once again, intrigued, I was reaching for Wikipedia to find out how history remembered the fourteenth President of the United States, I was not surprised by what I discovered, but I certainly emphasised with Andrew Pyper’s clever and sympathetic portrayal of a man who was perhaps pushed above his station. The best horror novels must have a convincing supernatural creation beating at their black heart and The Residence has a beauty. Whenever “Sir” appears the pages positively crackle, and he featured in some genuinely outstanding scenes which were laced with tension, fear, and threat. Like a cat playing with a wounded mouse, with the mice being the President and his beleaguered wife. Some of the other supernatural occurrences which are developments from “Sir” were equally good and this was writing of the finest quality. Subtle, sinister, and deeply unsettling, the sort of thing I love. Watch out for the toy soldier in the bed scene! If you are like me and Andrew Pyper is an author which has flown under your radar this is an excellent opportunity to do something about it. The blending of supernatural and convincing historical setting does not come much better than this. I am already mulling over which novel to try next from his back catalogue. Tony Jones  In this terrifying ghost story based on true events, the President's late son haunts the White House, threatening all who live in it--and the divided America beyond its walls. From the bestselling author of The Homecoming.The year is 1853. President-elect Franklin Pierce is traveling with his family to Washington, DC, when tragedy strikes. In an instant, their train runs off the rails, violently flinging passengers about the cabin. When the great iron machine finally comes to rest, the only casualty is the Pierces' son, Bennie. The loss sends First Lady Jane Pierce into mourning, and casts Franklin's presidency under a pall of sorrow and grief. As the Pierces move into the White House, they are soon plagued by events both bizarre and disturbing. Strange sounds seem to come from the walls and ceiling, ghostly voices echo out of time itself, and visions of spirits crushed under the weight of American history pass through empty hallways. But when Jane orchestrates a séance with the infamous Fox Sisters--the most noted Spiritualists of the day--the barrier between this world and the next is torn asunder. Something horrific comes through and takes up residence alongside Franklin and Jane in the very walls of the mansion itself. Only by overcoming their grief and confronting their darkest secrets can Jane and Franklin hope to rid themselves--and America--of the entity that seeks to make the White House its permanent home.   Comments are closed.
|
Archives
May 2023
|
RSS Feed
|
|