| Title | : | Gothic |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1587678403 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781587678400 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 408 |
| Publication | : | First published February 3, 2023 |
A continent away, a mysterious woman makes inquiries with her sources around the world, seeking the whereabouts of a certain artifact her family has been hunting for centuries. With the help of a New York City private detective, she finally finds what she’s been looking for.
It’s in the home of Tyson Parks.
Meanwhile, as Tyson begins to use his new desk, he begins acting... strange. Violent. His writing more disturbing than anything he’s done before. But publishers are paying top dollar, convinced his new work will be a hit, and Tyson will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound success.
Even if it means the destruction of the ones he loves.
Even if it means his own sanity.
Gothic Reviews
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Gothic by Philip Fracassi reads like one of those horror novels from the late 70s and early 80s where a demonic item comes into the hands of an innocent family and lays wreckage to their whole world.
It was like I stumbled onto a forgotten John Farris classic. And fans of 80s horror know what I mean when I say John Farris. They're getting out the peroxide to wash away the stains as we speak.
But for the rest of you younger kids, it means that this book is as nasty as a rusty fish hook stuck in your testicle.
Make no mistake: GOTHIC is mean.
Not in quantity of gore or nastiness, but in quality.
It leaves a lot to your imagination but it's got such a cruel streak that leaving those images to your imagination doesn't feel exactly kind or tasteful. Like the book will heavily detail a spiral fracture and then leave you with just enough description to visualise the godawful aftermath in your mind's eye. OH DEAR. So. Much. Blood.
Most of Fracassi's work has teeth, but this one is coming for your teeth. For a story that's basically about a killer demonic desk, GOTHIC is rushing out of the gate with gut-punches like Bas Rutten in a bar-fight. I was double-checking my underwear for Dr. Pepper stains after this novel was finished laying body shots into my kidneys.
Right from the beginning we get a castle siege full of plundering, we get ravished women, we get demon worship, human sacrifice and acid-spitting wizards. And then we get tables crushing people. We get soul-splitting corruption and spousal abuse. We get an evil drawer turning a character's hand into gory guacamole. We get decorative wooden tentacle violation that makes the Tree from Evil Dead look like a wholesome Paul Rudd character. All that and a desk-top becoming a portal to a dimensional hell like something out of The Manitou.
And then the end goes full In the Mouth of Madness meta-horror commentary as a series of horror novels warp America's fragile little mind and lead to self-inflicted slaughter on the scale of a Sion Sono film.
All this and a horror author basically telling a censor-happy nimrod what every horror author would secretly like to say to a censor-happy nimrod.
It's short, it's funny, I laughed, I cried, I noticed a lot of parallels between this book and stuff like Son of the Endless Night, The Ceremonies, Stephen King and old school Lovecraft.
It's about indulging our worst impulses and how that ultimately leads to our own self-destruction, not only physically, but emotionally and on a personal level. How chasing one kind of demon can lead to so much of what you think you want at the expense of everything that made up your life. And in the end, when the collecting comes due, you owe a lot more than just money.
GOTHIC sets the characters up against a powerful supernatural horror and just when you think there might be a solution, that a heroic figure might appear, things escalate in the worst direction imaginable. Suffocating you with a sense of superficial gain at the expense of incalculable loss.
GOTHIC is swimming in the deep waters of cosmic horror. And like the best of the genre, the climatic duel is a huge mismatch. Puny, fragile little humans walk into the path of ancient dread magic from beyond the stars. So what's gonna happen? Who's cuisine will reign supreme? If you're being honest with the readers? Humans are gonna go splat.
GOTHIC doesn't try to cheat the reader from the inevitable finale. So on one hand you'll see it coming from a mile away, but on the other hand, YOU SEE IT COMING FROM A MILE AWAY.
There's a Hitchcock level dread going on here.
It's not poetic. It's not polished. It's a mean old book. There's something awful and dark sitting in the pages of this novel that's hard to wrestle with emotionally.
I like that.
I like horror that sometimes just flips you the bird and spits in your eye. Horror has to do that every now and again. It can't always be safe mittens and friendship is magic. Sometimes horror has to remind you what it is, and why it's here. And describe some boobies at exhaustive length.
GOTHIC is both absurd and cruel. Nostalgic, funny and deadly serious at the same time.
You've heard of the bed that eats? Well this is the desk that fucks.
So if that's what you want, baby, that's what you'll get.
8.5/10 -
Gothic is a hateful book about a possessed author writing a hateful book. "Hateful" is not my word of choice but a character's, and I thought it was apt.
The first half of the book was rough for me. None of the characters were likeable and I couldn't find a reason to care about the plot whatsoever. But the second half really brought it together. There was a lightbulb moment about two-thirds of the way in where I just got it.
Gothic is purposely grim. It has the atmosphere of classic horror and cleverly takes us on a twisted journey so bleak it will stay with you for a while. -
"Do this in remembrance of me."
Tyson Parks was once a best selling author but nowadays not so much. It appears his ideas and creativity have all but dried up. He has a deadline looming, one his agent won't let him forget about, and the stress of it all is weighing on him.
His lovely girlfriend, Sarah, has found the perfect gift for his 59th birthday: A new writing desk! An antique to be sure, high shine finish, engraved wood, intricate detailing make this a one of a kind showpiece and one that she hopes rekindles his writing spirit.
Tyson has never seen anything so beautiful. As soon as he sits at the desk it's as if it's talking to him, becoming him, giving him the very ideas he needs for his next best-selling book. While the desk seems to be giving him everything he could ever ask for it's also taking from him the very essence of his being. Turning a once mild-mannered man into a monster of his own making.
Obviously if your reading a book about a possessed desk some suspension of disbelief has to be involved. While this bothers me in almost every other genre I am much more forgiving in horror. Hey, I know what I signed up for after all. That being said I wish I had liked Tyson more right from the get go because I would have been a lot more invested in this story had I of been. Tyson went from a whiney slouch to a violent prick and neither version resonated with me as a reader. Did this story really need a rape scene? No, it did not. There are many ways you can show a characters descent into madness without resorting to that.
Where's the scares? Beats me. I didn't get so much as a chill or a goosebump reading this.
One of my most common complaints is going to rear its ugly head yet again: this book is too long. While Tyson may have been struggling for words Fracassi suffers from no such ailment. I personally think this book would have been much more successful at a 300 page count rather than 400+. That's a big investment so the pay-off had better be stellar.
And the pay-off? It's pretty darn good considering.
So there are highlights, lowlights, and a little in-between. I wouldn't hesitate to read more from this author, he definitely knows his way around keyboard, and I hope his future offerings give me the chills I'm looking for. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Cemetery Dance Publication for my complimentary copy. -
Do This in Remembrance of Me...
GOTHIC by Philip Fracassi
No spoilers. 4 stars. In NYC, Tyson Parks is a bestselling horror author experiencing a writer's block...
He needs to write a follow-up novel to his latest story, and he has a deadline to meet...
Meanwhile, in another part of the world...
Wealthy Diana Montressor is spending a fortune looking for a desk which was once an ancient altar...
Diana will spend whatever it takes and dispose of anyone who gets in her way trying to retrieve the artifact...
The solution to both their problems can be found in a NYC antique store...
But...
This antique desk demands blood. It is engraved with the words: Do This In Remembrance of Me...
Just what does that phrase mean?...
This was a well-written story centering around a desk/altar that gives its owner whatever they desire but not without paying a great price.
This novel was just as good as this author's excellent novella SHILOH. -
Not since Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’ and Jack Torrance - has the descent of a writer into madness been so masterfully rendered on the page.
Philip Fracassi’s ‘Gothic’ forces the reader to run the gamut of inner turmoil and suffering; as they are held captive to his beguiling storytelling and transcendent prose that ensure to leave the reader in slack-jawed in amazement and trembling with fear. Gothic cements Fracassi as one of the major horror writers working today.
In ‘Gothic’ we witness the fragility of the human condition in all its ghastly shades, a story that enraptures the reader with the premise of getting everything you’ve ever wished for; but at what cost?
Fracassi pulls at ours and the protagonists heartstrings throughout, until all that is left is a blackened, atrophying heart the centre of this suspenseful and addictive story.
‘Gothic’ is triumph of a book and one not to be missed. -
I absolutely love horror books, and Gothic certainly delivered.
The book centers around Tyson Parks-once a celebrated horror writer- he’s now much older, in serious debt and desperately trying to write his next great hit. Everything is a struggle for him and he’s desperate to change his “has-been” reputation- he just needs to find inspiration and motivation.
The desk! On Tyson’s 59th birthday, he is gifted a beautiful and ornate desk by his girlfriend and Tyson’s luck suddenly changes, at least at first.
No spoilers but Gothic is a very creepy and atmospheric book. I throughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend to readers that love horror/dark books. -
Tyson Parks is a famous horror novelist who is in desperate need of a hot selling book. His partner Sarah presents him with a very expensive and gothic looking desk for him to write his next bestseller on. At the same time, a mysterious woman is desperately seeking this desk in order to destroy it and end the evil curse attached to it. Immediately upon working at the desk, a gory, violent story begins and Tyson literally cannot type fast enough. I really enjoyed this story and honestly could not believe how violent, gory and just downright evil it becomes. A true horror story. I thank Netgalley and Cemetery Dance Publications for the opportunity to read and review this book.
-
I really thought this was going to be a win for me after reading the synopsis but it didn't do anything for me. Tyson is an a bitter pretty unlikable character and I really couldn't connect with him.
I did enjoy the nods to popular authors and the insights into the publishing world. The main premise of this book was about a man and his family being tormented and driven insane by a writing desk, it sounds so weird and wonderful and yet it fell flat for me. I noticed the mention of SK's Christine, but this is no comparison. The body horror was well written, but very drawn out and often sexual in nature it did remind me of Richard Laymon who was also named dropped.
So why didn't this book work for me, well there a numerous reasons, one of which being the timeline the plot flicked between past and present events poorly it completely took me out of the story and it felt like I was reading two different books at once. I think this book suffers from how much it tries to do to, there's a demon, there's sexual and mental abuse, madness, a portal to hell and plenty of messy deaths and I don't feel like any part of it was done well because there was just too much happening.
For a book that sounded so original and interesting it left me pretty underwhelmed and disappointed, if I was someone who DNF'd I think I would have ended this read about 40% in. -
3.0 Stars
This is a very traditional horror novel that hits on the usual tropes of the genres. For a book published in 2023, it read more like a piece of vintage horror. I typically prefer more modern narratives that subvert the classic tropes more.
I have previously read the author's previous novel, A Child Among Strangers, and was surprised how different this one read. I honestly wouldn't have figured out that these two books were written by the same author if I hadn't seen the name.
As far as the story, it was incredibly slow burning and I just never got fully invested in the characters or the plot. I would primarily recommend this one to fans of older horror because they'll likely get more out of the story than I did.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher. -
Reading this book gave me chills! It was so creepy and atmospheric. Some parts left me terrified! It is a but graphic at times so be aware if you plan on reading this but I loved it!
Tyson Parks receives antique desk for his 59th birthday. The perfect gift for a famous, struggling horror writer, his partner Sarah got it for a good price. She’s hoping it’ll give him inspiration to write. Tyson begins using the desk and after awhile begins acting unlike himself. He’s become angry and violent. His is writing faster and more than ever before. But his writing is disturbing. His publishers are ecstatic with the turnaround are believe it will be very successful. Tyson will do whatever it takes to protect his success even at the expense of his family and his own sanity.
Gothic is available February 3, 2023.
Thank you netgalley and cemetery dance publications for this arc in exchange for my honest review. -
Fracassi has become a must-read author for me. And it didn’t take long. Boys in the Valley was fantastic and now Gothic solidifies Fracassi as a master of dark, twisted fun.
Gothic is a story about a famous author, Tyson Parks, whose career is fading. He has grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle that’s become nearly unaffordable with his waning book sales. He’s feeling desperate and old even as he has a loving family and all he truly needs. When his special lady friend gifts him a gorgeous sculpted deep dark wood desk for his birthday, his fortunes flip almost immediately.
At its heart it’s a story about addiction and compulsion and the destructive force of obsession. It’s an exploration of the overwhelming corrosive effects of power.
I loved it. It was dark and bloody and more fun than I expected. You have to know what’s next and you’re never disappointed by what’s next. Fracassi upends expectations and if you’re looking for the standard Hollywood ending you won’t find it here.
There are notes of The Shining with a desperate author on his last second chance. And Hellbound Heart with a cursed item that opens a door to a place no one wants to go.
It’s a page turner that makes you question love and power between each page. It’s as thought-provoking as it is pulse-pounding. You can also just enjoy the ride. It’s a fun one with a lot of dark areas. And those dark passages might not have any light but they’re filled with other things. Things that reach and rend and never stop even after you stop screaming.
Highly recommend!! 4.5 stars. -
Like a mix between The Shining, Christine (and really soooo many other King books and filled with King-isms), but about a haunted desk.
Everything reminded me of a King book. To the dialogue, the internal monologues and the way that capitalization was used, and so much more.
That being said, I enjoyed it for the most part!! It’s pretty vivid, and doesn’t shy away from the gore and dark imagery. One scene with a desk drawer made my arm sore just thinking about it 😂
There is rape/sexual violence and I think how that was written+the aftermath is my biggest gripe with the story. It’s also just in general pretty misogynistic.
If you’re looking for a new retro-king-esq horror, look no further!! -
EDIT: I initially wrote a kind of mean review for this. I have since removed it from Goodreads (it's still on my blog, I don't think I should pretend I never wrote it at all.) At any rate, I am sorry, Philip Fracassi. I am not actually a mean person. This book grossed me out and made me angry but it's just one book and I may give your other stories a try in the future.
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Me ha encantado! Que el antagonista de la historia sea "un escritorio" me parece sublime!
Engancha desde el principio, crea muy buena atmósfera y el desenlace es espectacular. El homenaje al King más clásico me ha parecido todo un detalle. Pero eso sí, lo mejor de todo la ambientación tan opresiva que es capaz de crear dentro del estudio de un escrito... INCREÍBLE! al más puro estilo de la novela gótica! -
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Feb 3, 2023
Horror author and screenwriter
Philip Fracassi’s new novel, “Gothic” adds a haunting, no-holds-barred, next level creep factor to the genre, with a terrifyingly dark premise and a pulse-pounding plot.
Author Tyson Parks receives an antique desk for his fifty-ninth birthday from his partner, Sarah, in hopes that it will free him of his writer’s block. Across the continent, a young woman named Diana has paid a lot of money in hopes of finding a long-lost family heirloom, an item with a dark and tragic past that Diana knows she must locate in order to keep it, and the people around it, safe from harm. Her investigation leads her to the home of Tyson Parks. The desk, however, is inspiring Tyson, and he’s not willing to part with it. Tyson has written more books with the desk as its muse than he has in years, even though the desk is causing Tyson to have dark thoughts, and causing even darker actions, Tyson will not give the desk up. Nor is it willing to give him up…..
Fracassi is an award-winning author, with so many books in his repertoire that I can’t even count. That being said, I am disappointed to admit that “Gothic” was my introduction to this author and screenwriter.
Tyson is the main protagonist of this story, although Sarah and Diana (and Tyson’s daughter, Violet) do share their thoughts in small segments periodically. As a middle-aged author, desperate to once again have the fame his first novels brought to him, Tyson is likable and relatable- until he isn’t (this is an intentional move on Fracassi’s part), although I was too enraptured in the plot to not want to see how Tyson’s arc ended. As strange as it seems to me to classify the desk as a “living entity”, this is entirely the case. Fracassi’s depictions of the antique behemoth are terrifying, and they will definitely give you chills.
Tyson, the character, has an understandable envy and adulation of the great
Stephen King, and it is obvious from Fracassi’s writing that he has a fair amount of love for the King as well. In fact, Tyson even makes a quip about his desk being similar to the possessed car,
Christine, in King’s novel by the same name. Although it is hard to compete with the Great One (of Horror, not Hockey), Fracassi definitely has the talent to come close. “Gothic” is paralyzingly scary, and I loved every minute of it. -
Philip Fracassi is an auto buy author for me, so when I saw the opportunity to get an advance copy of this one on NetGalley, I jumped all over it.
Author Tyson Parks finds inspiration and renewed success after receiving a very unique 59th birthday present. A real one-of-a-kind antique writing desk. Suddenly he is churning out the best work of his career. All due to his new muse. But there is a price to be paid for fame, and when the bill comes due, it will be a heavy price indeed.
Fracassi sets the table so well that by the time it all starts hitting the fan you are heavily invested and consumed in the narrative. Makes his work very hard to put down.
4.5 Stars and Highly Recommended (Rounded up to 5 stars because I didn't have a half-star option and Fracassi is so damn good) -
Gothic is my second book of this author and while it seemed to take a while for me to get into making it look like a 4⭐, the last one third was pure craziness, so grim that I had to give it a 5⭐. A down on the luck horror author finds a new muse that slowly splinters his mind making him a mere pawn. The presence of the muse doesn't just turn his luck on writing though. Dun dun dunnnn. This book had a slithering quality to it, that's the best way I can describe it.
-
Tengo la sensación de que con el paso de los años se ha perdido una determinada manera de enfocar la narración de terror para tener que adaptarse al momento actual en el que vivimos. En cierto modo, los autores de género actuales se han visto esclavos a tener que justificar todo aquello que te quieren contar, perdiendo sus palabras en tener que encontrar explicaciones a lo que se esconde tras la propia esencia de la maldad. Esa manera de narrar no es mala, aunque en cierta medida suaviza el impacto que te produce una buena historia de terror. No hay que olvidar que horror brilla en los relatos, sin que las páginas requieran una exposición innecesaria de lo que se quiere contar. Limitarse a esas tendencias termina trayendo consigo un cierto distanciamiento de la propia esencia del horror, de aquello que no puede ser controlado, que genera inquietud, desasosiego, incomodidad en el lector cuya imaginación se ve guía hacia un descenso a sus infiernos personales.
Sin embargo, no se puede crecer sin contar con el soporte de aquellas historias que nos nutrían en el pasado. No existe Lovecraft sin Poe ni King sin la estela de Jackson. Los autores de terror que hoy en día nos invitan a sus moradas sustentan sus miedos entre los escombros de la literatura que les vio crecer, sin que la herencia les impida probar nuevos caminos que les confiera su propia personalidad.
En el caso de Ghotic, la nueva propuesta de Phillip Fracassi tras el éxito de Los chicos del valle, nos adentramos en una historia cuyos ecos de décadas pasadas resuenan en cada página. Ni siquiera trata de ocultar esa fascinación por esa manera de narrar historias, referenciando abiertamente a obras y autores entre los sucesos que se desencadenan en Ghotic. Cualquier aficionado al género sonreirá ante el saludo de referencias que les llevará a tantas historias que les cobijaron en su pasado.
En el caso de esta novela nos encontramos con un escritor frustrado por su declive que, tras recibir un objeto maldito, comienza a recuperar su inspiración. Creo que cualquiera que lea esa premisa podría hacerse una idea de todos los acontecimientos que pasarán en la novela y, de seguro, acertarán. Ya lo vimos en la pata de mono de Jacobs. Como también conocemos la fijación por esas narraciones pseudo autobiográficas en donde los narradores forman parte de la propia ficción o en donde el infierno se presenta más oscuro tras el velo de la conciencia.
Todo eso lastra una historia que, por otra parte, se lee y disfruta de una sentada. O quizás sea esa innecesaria comparación con la obra previa de Fracassi y con la sorpresa que supuso entre los que nos aterrorizamos ante la frescura y crueldad de la historia que nos presentaban sus chicos. En Ghotic lo que nos presenta el autor fractura cualquier expectativa que tenga el lector, puesto que los acontecimientos que se narran entre sus páginas los saborea sin sentir el placer de lo exótico.
Pero Fracassi escribe muy bien sus historias y confía en el poder que se desprende de sus palabras. Y, por encima de todo, confía en la necesidad de tomarse todo el tiempo del mundo en presentar a sus personajes, en acompañarlos, en reír y sufrir con ellos, sentirlos, empatizar con lo que ocurre en esas vidas que podrían ser la de cualquiera de sus lectores para, a continuación, hacer con ellos lo que tenía planeado desde un principio.
De ahí que esta obra suponga todo un deleite para aquellos que, como comentaba en un inicio, disfruten de una manera de enfocar el terror propia de la década de los setenta, o principios de los ochenta, en la que la maldad adquiere su aspecto más devastador. Y que los lectores ávidos de los rasgos característicos de la narrativa de Fracassi vuelvan a encontrar entre sus páginas aquellos elementos que lo convierten en un escritor dispuesto a todo para conseguir estremecer entre sus páginas. El último tercio de esta historia es una buena muestra de ello, poniendo sobre la mesa toda ese plato que había ido cocinando mientras hablaba contigo tomándose una copa de vino para, después, limpiarse los labios con una servilleta de seda.
Porque apenas recuerdo todas las dudas que me generaba la historia mientras la leía. Lo que me cuesta olvidar es el mal cuerpo que me quedó al final -
As a horror writer myself, the whole premise of this novel had me hooked. A former best-selling author, now run dry, turns his life around when he is gifted a mysterious desk as a birthday present. As writers, we all experience that sense of dread from time to time, so I could well imagine the MC's euphoria when he discovered that suddenly the words just flowed. Another bonus for me was the use of the desk as a magical item/cursed object with a life of its own. Anthropomorphism is always a winner if done well, and it was done well. Exceedingly so.
The opening chapters had me hooked, then we were provided a bit of back story. When we arrived at Part Three and the back story, I have to admit my heart sank a little, because I thought the rest of the novel was going to travel back and fore in time. However, this was not the case, and the back story was entirely necessary.
With the arrival of the desk the story moved up another notch, and I found myself more and more engrossed. Tyson's lust for greed and fame is his undoing. We sense this, we feel it in our bones, but when an opportunity arrives to undo the damage I willed him with all my heart to grab it with both hands, knowing all the while he wouldn't.
Did I sympathize with the MC? No, for the reason stated above. Could I empathize, though? Yes.
To sum up: well written, as I knew it would be. Great story-telling and just the right amount of horror.
I would like to thank the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this novel. -
My thanks to Netgalley and Cemetery Dance Publications for the opportunity.
And thanks also for introducing me to a new horror author, Philip Fracassi, whose new work, "Gothic" was foreboding and spooky enough to match the title, but equally gruesome and graphic enough to appease the modern horror reader.
The novel is the story of a famous, middle aged horror novelist, past his prime and out of creative juices to pen the next big thing. He's already spent his advance on the next book, which isn't written yet, and bills are coming due. Yet, he can't seem to ask for help from his beloved girlfriend of many years, or his college-aged daughter, whom he adores more than life itself.
All of this comes unglued when Tyson's girlfriend buys him an expensive antique desk for his birthday as a surprise. A dark desk with a shiny stone surface and intricate carvings with faces and strange glyphs on the side. A desk that seems to emanate power, and whose carved faces move upon closer reflection. A desk that completely changes the writer's life forever.
So, yea, the trope is a used one: a struggling artist finds inspiration, fame, and wealth through a possessed object, only to rue this discovery in the end. But Fracassi does this story so well, that the characters and the desk come alive, and I was caught up in the story of this demonically charged object. The last chapter of the book was amazing, and the ending lines of the epilogue were pure gold.
I very much look forward to more works by this author! -
Tyson Parks, once upon a bestselling author, is struggling both creatively and financially. He’s already spent the advance he received for the book he was supposed to be writing and his agent isn’t exactly thrilled that the work in progress Tyson presents to him doesn’t even remotely resemble the pitch. Sent away with an impossible deadline and strict instructions to write the book he was supposed to be writing, Tyson feels defeated.
Sarah, Tyson’s partner, goes all out for his birthday, buying him a one of a kind antique desk. They both hope this will give Tyson the boost he needs to get back in the game.
Now, instead of completing the historical horror novel he wanted to write, Tyson finds himself embroiled in a real life historical horror, one that’s almost three hundred years in the making.
I found this book easy to get into and I was keen to see how the history of Tyson’s desk impacted on his present. Almost immediately I started comparing Tyson to Jack Torrance. It was hard not to. The author even references Jack, and adds a few other King references in for good measure.
I was completely on board until the
If it wasn’t for this scene, I probably would have continued to enjoy this read. It coloured everything I read after it, though, and I never made it back to my initial enjoyment.
Because I really liked the way this novel started, I’d be interested in trying another book by this author. I’d definitely check out the reviews first to make sure I chose one that’s right for me.
Content warnings include domestic abuse and sexual assault.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Cemetery Dance Publications for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 2.5 stars.
Blog -
https://schizanthusnerd.com -
It's amazing to witness the rise of Fracassi's career as he has steadily planted his flag among the crowd in the literary horror genre. I've been reading his work since I discovered his short stories and novellas early on and he has quickly become a priority author for me. He's recently been on a roll with his novel releases and this one does not disappoint!
The setup is simple, introducing Tyson Park, a washed-up horror novelist with writer's block, who is gifted a new desk that ends up being a bit more than just new furniture. Turns out that the desk is made of material from an ancient occult altar and Tyson begins to succumb to its influence. It's pretty unnerving to witness Tyson's gradual corruption, rotating between seeing it from his POV and the view of others around him. I felt dirty being in his head with his thoughts as they became more and more disturbing until I realized that the person that I was reading about is not the same person I was introduced to earlier.
There are effective horror sequences in this book as well, right up there with the best of the best. So if you're looking for engaging classic King-style horror storytelling, by an author flexing his powers, check out this great novel. -
Wow. Just wow.
I am not sure I like starting a review like this, but I can not think of a word that better expresses how much I enjoyed this book.
It did take me a couple of chapters to get into the writers writing style, but that is on me (and not him) but once I had, I found I could hardly put the book down. His use of prose in amping up the atmosphere was amazing, it oozed a "creep" factor that was palpable as I read what was happening.
The glimpse back in time was perfect, good detailing and filled in the gaps to the artifacts history that we had before then.
But the direction the story eventually takes you is one I don't think anyone could guess. Well, I sure as hell did not anyway. Loved the ending, it was so different to have a book end like that, it was like a refreshing surprise.
You like horror? Then this is a must for your bedside table, especially to read in the dead of the night. -
My first foray into Fracassi and it won’t be my last! Very dark and brutal at times, lots of trigger warnings, but on the whole very entertaining.
-
So this is one of those holy crap no holds barred tales of absolutely vivid horror. It’s the kind of story that stays with you long after the last page.
It’s definitely reminiscent of the beautifully dark horror of the 1980’s, yet feels fresh, modern, and extremely eerie.
And THAT DESK. Yeah, that’s a nope for me. Immediate kindling!
I was torn between love and loathing for Tyson, but as the book went on, his foibles became a little too much for me. I got to the point where I wanted dark things to eat him so that other people in his life would be okay.
No hints as to how it all ends. I’ll just say it’s a gut punch of a book and a very satisfying read.
• ARC via Publisher -
STAR review in the January 2023 issue of Library Journal
Three Words: Cursed Object, immersive, palpable terror
Draft Review:
Tyson Parks, a successful horror author, hasn’t had a hit in years, and is struggling with his latest deadline. His longtime girlfriend, Sarah, hoping to help, has purchased Tyson a gorgeous, antique writing desk for his 59th birthday. However, this desk is actually a dangerous occult artifact, one that a mysterious French woman has spent her life trying to locate. Now ensconced in Tyson’s office, the desk uses him as a conduit to tell its story, an extreme horror novel that will bewitch readers and catapult Tyson back onto the bestseller list. The paralyzing terror caused by the ancient evil posessing the desk, engulfs both charcaters and readers from the start, but it is further amplified by Fracassi’s masterful storytelling. Told through multiple points of view, including peeks back into the past, and broken up into 8 ominously titled sections, the structure itself escalates the dread, horror, and violence, keeping the reader glued to the page, afraid to look away. With unnerving verisimilitude, Fracassi has captured the dark emotions at the core of the genre, as he asks both Tyson and the reader to contemplate just how much they are willing to sacrifice for success. The answer will horrify all.
Verdict: Fracassi, coming off a Bram Stoker Award nomination for his fiction collection, is on a roll. A violent and original entry into both the cursed object and writer descending into madness tropes with palpable fear leaping off the page, grabbing the reader, and threatening to never let go similar to The Only Good Indians by Jones and Echo by Olde Heuvelt.
Notes as I read: Great writer descending into madness frame.
I had to take breaks because I literally felt the fear.
It's a longer novel, but it is also broken up into sections labeled with ominous titles that add a layer of suspense. They break the story into more manageable chunks while also urging the reader to just keep going and read one more section. The structure adds MORE dread, more intense terror, and yet keeps the reader also glued to the pages.
Narration is the family and Diana-- the mysterious woman who has the family connection to the desk
Readalikes: violent and realistically terrifying curses playing out in what feels like the real world-- like Hex or The Only Good Indians or Heart Shaped Box. Also that descent into madness theme-- Like The Shining or a newer title like The Return by Harrison. And now that I think about it, the desk is more than cursed, it violently possesses Tyson, so also may be more like Echo by Olde Huevelt than Hex. -
This book is fantastic. It’s an ode to old school horror, very reminiscent of early Stephen King, with Fracassi’s tight prose and effective scares. There’s some great body horror here, too.
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This might be my favorite horror novel this year. I've been wanting to read a book from this author for a while now and I'm glad that I finally did. Now I have to get all of his other books. The TBR list grows. 5 🌟
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I had just about given up on new horror when I decided to take a chance with an intriguing title (and cool cover) that kept popping up on my Facebook feed. As a fan of gothic fiction, I had to check it out. I'm so glad I did because I absolutely loved this old-school page-turner. A complete discussion is coming to my YouTube channel soon. I just want to get it out there that GOTHIC is great! I downloaded it from Netgalley. There were a few formatting issues, but nothing that distracted me from the story. This might be my best read all year, definitely the best new-fiction read. Do check it out if you can.
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As he sits there, smiling and sipping cabernet sauvignon, watching the women work, he's surprised to find himself wondering what it would be like to see their insides.
So...yeah. Gothic was my first experience with Philip Fracassi's writing, and ultimately there were some things I enjoyed about it and some things I didn't.
Tyson Parks is a horror writer past his relevance, struggling both professionally and financially, when his longtime girlfriend Sarah gifts him with a new desk for his 59th birthday. The desk is a massive piece of Gothic furniture, all stone and shiny black wood and intricate carvings, and as soon as Tyson sits behind it, he feels truly inspired for the first time in years. Soon, he is producing a new novel at a frenetic pace -- the best thing he's ever written. So what if something about the process is turning him into a man he doesn't recognize? Because at the same time that the desk is infusing Tyson with inspiration, it's taking something from him too: his very humanity.
Yep, it's a possessed desk. Suspend your disbelief, ladies and gentlemen: We're in the horror genre, where anything goes. And as unbelievable as it sounds, it's a concept that worked for me. I love stories about a writer possessed (
Jack Torrance, I'm looking at you), and I thought it was a creative take to tie that possession to a physical object. Fracassi relays Tyson's descent into madness in fascinating, disturbing ways. The horror elements are well done (mostly -- I could have dealt without the diversion into the 1700s), and I found the imagery with the desk, specifically the carved vine tendrils, to be incredibly compelling. The book never quite scared me, really, but there was a scene involving a desk drawer that was pretty visceral and exactly the sort of thing you'd expect (and honestly hope) to find in a book like this.
One of my issues, though, was that Tyson is never a likeable character, so it made it hard to sympathize with him when the desk starts in with its nastiness. The very first time we meet him, he is ogling his agent's assistant, and he's full of entitlement and self-pity. Honestly, the only thing that saved his character for me was picturing him as Matt Berry's Laszlo character from What We Do in the Shadows, complete with that accent and that wardrobe.
Speaking of the agent's assistant, though -- that's my second issue: Fracassi definitely engages in some objectification of his female characters. Gothic is the only book of his I've read, so I'm speaking specifically about this book, but the female characters are not written very well or with much depth. And that brings me to my third and biggest issue, which is the on-page rape scene. I'm not even hiding that behind a spoiler tag, because if you are planning to read this, you should know going in that it contains a graphic depiction of sexual assault, which feels completely unnecessary. There were plenty of other ways, even within Tyson's relationship with Sarah, that Fracassi could have shown Tyson's devolving humanity. The assault felt gratuitous, and Fracassi's attempts at justifying its occurrence felt icky.
So overall, Gothic was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the horror elements, but found it hard to forgive some other things about the book. I'd definitely read another book by Philip Fracassi, because I did like the old-school horror vibe of Gothic. Thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications and NetGalley for the complimentary reading opportunity. 2.5 stars rounded up.
