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A Good And Happy Child

post #1 of 19
6/29/07 at 9:14am
Thread Starter 
by Justin Evans
I doubt I'll read a better horror novel this year. Right now, having just finished the book and floating on a euphoric high, I would say it's better than last year's The Ruins.
It's like The Wonder Years meets The Exorcist, with a dash of Rosemary's Baby. Somebody else read this so we can talk about how awesome it is.
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post #2 of 19
6/29/07 at 10:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark
by Justin Evans
I doubt I'll read a better horror novel this year. Right now, having just finished the book and floating on a euphoric high, I would say it's better than last year's The Ruins.
It's like The Wonder Years meets The Exorcist, with a dash of Rosemary's Baby. Somebody else read this so we can talk about how awesome it is.
I think I might look this up after I finish The Bourne Betrayal, I've been lusting for a good horror read after the action-ish spy routine that the Bourne books have given me. Thanks for the referral.
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post #3 of 19
6/29/07 at 11:57am
Damn, my library system sucks.
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post #4 of 19
6/29/07 at 1:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark
by Justin Evans
I doubt I'll read a better horror novel this year. Right now, having just finished the book and floating on a euphoric high, I would say it's better than last year's The Ruins.
It's like The Wonder Years meets The Exorcist, with a dash of Rosemary's Baby. Somebody else read this so we can talk about how awesome it is.
This was in EW's summer "hot list" or some such nonsense, and their write up was actually quite interesting. Planning on picking it up soon. Sorry I don't have anything else to add to the discussion yet.
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post #5 of 19
6/29/07 at 1:45pm
Thread Starter 
What hooked me was the covor blurb from Tom Perrota (Little Children, which I loved).
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post #6 of 19
7/3/07 at 11:06pm
Have to pick this up.
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post #7 of 19
7/15/07 at 3:08pm
I just finished this. Could not put it down and it went somewhere different than where I was thinking. But I'm not sure I got the ending. I need it spelled out for me. Highlight Below.

Did he jump with his kid out the window?
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post #8 of 19
7/15/07 at 3:24pm
Thread Starter 
My interpretation-
He saves his son by embracing his role as the boy's father, something his own father didn't do. The demon at the window screams because it knows it is defeated. The beauty of that ending is that it works on both levels- the supernatural and the psychiatric.
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post #9 of 19
1/3/09 at 11:43pm
BUMP!
Just finished this. So, I agree with Bob's interpretation of the ending, as well as his assessment of the book overall. So, here's my question for possible discussion, spoiler-texted below:

Was George possessed, or suffering the same psychosis' that Richard and his current psychiatrist diagnosed? Does it matter?
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post #10 of 19
1/5/09 at 12:53pm
Thread Starter 
I like to think he was possessed. But that's just me.
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post #11 of 19
1/5/09 at 1:28pm
The text really does allow for either interpretation, but based on the fact that the narrator is unreliable, I tend to lean more to the psychosis angle. Either way, Bob is right on the money. By embracing his role as father, the main character is able to end the "curse" that has been haunting his family.
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post #12 of 19
1/5/09 at 1:41pm
I think it's possesion, but I like the fact that aside from the shower door incident, it could go either way, or possibly a compbination of the two.
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post #13 of 19
1/5/09 at 3:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Miller View Post
...aside from the shower door incident, it could go either way, or possibly a compbination of the two.
Spoilers-



Wasn't that dude's hanging quite obviously murder?
As I recall that really tipped the scales toward possession.
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post #14 of 19
1/5/09 at 3:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark View Post
Spoilers-



Wasn't that dude's hanging quite obviously murder?
As I recall that really tipped the scales toward possession.
I think:
It could have gone either way. It's possible that the demon who possesed George used supernatural strength to kill Kurt, I think it's also possible that Kurt chased George up the tree, and was already up there, making it easier for George to wrap the tire swing around his neck and give him a shove (while, in his psychosis, thinking he was doing it to his Friend).
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post #15 of 19
1/6/09 at 9:39pm
I've heard this is already optioned for a movie. It's a shame the book and subsequent movie didn't come out a few years ago, as, for some reason, I kept picturing Fred Gwynn as Tom Harris.
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post #16 of 19
1/7/09 at 11:30am
Thread Starter 
I picture Al Lewis.
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post #17 of 19
1/8/09 at 5:32am
Best book I've read in loooong time. Really well written.

SPOILERS

I don't even know what to think about the ending. I do love that you can take either interpretation (though possession is perhaps the more likely). It also got me reading articles on how mental disorders were likely the true cause of most assumed possessions throughout the middle ages (and even up into today). Fascinating stuff, and I can't wait to see what Evans does next.
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post #18 of 19
2/2/09 at 4:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark View Post
Spoilers-



Wasn't that dude's hanging quite obviously murder?
As I recall that really tipped the scales toward possession.
As did the baseball bat-beating he gave his mother.

Liked the book a lot. It was really engrossing and a quick read. I agree with others who said that the ending reads with George "defeating" the demon with his parenting skills.

A movie version of this would have to Cronenberg-precise in tone and execution.
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post #19 of 19
6/17/09 at 4:57pm
Fuck me, what a book. I was trembling while readin the last few pages.

Spoilers



I'm actually tending towards everything being the result of psychosis or schizophrenia. There're definitely things I can't explain (how he knew about the letters, the possessed woman's knowledge of his dad etc.) but as someone already said so much hinges on the fact that these are an eleven-year-old's memories and interpretations. My biggest clues are the actions that the demon provokes - beating his mom, killing kurt, trying to kill tom harris (both of whom were in a position to take his father's place). They seem like the doings of someone with very deep-seated daddy issues, not someone who's possessed - though either side could be argued. My other reason for thinking so is pretty subjective but for some reason I find that his ACTUALLY being possessed would kind of cheapen the story for me.
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