Status
Available
Collection
Publication
New York : Arbor House, c1980.
Description
" A] superior example of horror fiction ... a vision out of hell ... an original and awesome adventure that should be read in broad daylight, when one is not alone." - "Publishers Weekly" "It takes no special critical powers to recognize in Cady an exceptional writer, who is not just promising but has already achieved some remarkable feats." - Joyce Carol Oates " A] haunted house story ... intelligently written both in terms of concept and style ... Cady develops his horrors with subtlety." - "Enc
User reviews
LibraryThing member Jonathan_M
*Partial spoilers ahead*
The Well, Jack Cady's debut, presents a problem for readers and reviewers alike. Firstly, despite the lurid illustrations on both the hardcover and paperback editions (and the tagline "If you do not believe in evil...you will not know when it takes you"), it's not a horror
On the plus side, Cady's work is characterized by a seriousness of tone and purpose that one rarely encounters in popular fiction; he was writing about difficult, weighty matters and treated them with the proper gravity. The Well is a disjointed effort, but because Cady was so thoughtful and intelligent (and also, perhaps, because I relate to the central character's need to confront his family's singularly dark history), I have a soft spot for it. Two and a half stars.
The Well, Jack Cady's debut, presents a problem for readers and reviewers alike. Firstly, despite the lurid illustrations on both the hardcover and paperback editions (and the tagline "If you do not believe in evil...you will not know when it takes you"), it's not a horror
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novel: it's a psychological drama with some of the superficial trappings of a horror novel. That's perfectly fine as long as you know what you're getting into, but a little irksome when you've been led to expect something else. Secondly, it's monotonous: there are, essentially, just two characters (one of whom abruptly disappears from the story without ever being fully developed, only to be dredged up again a page shy of the ending) and a single major setting. Finally, Cady too often sacrifices clarity to indulge in an oblique, circuitous style which seems to have no function apart from filling up space.On the plus side, Cady's work is characterized by a seriousness of tone and purpose that one rarely encounters in popular fiction; he was writing about difficult, weighty matters and treated them with the proper gravity. The Well is a disjointed effort, but because Cady was so thoughtful and intelligent (and also, perhaps, because I relate to the central character's need to confront his family's singularly dark history), I have a soft spot for it. Two and a half stars.
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