Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York, Knopf; [distributed by Random House] 1973.
Description
In a country village, a family of New Yorkers encounters a chilling ancient rite After watching his asthmatic daughter suffer in the foul city air, Theodore Constantine decides to get back to the land. When he and his wife search New England for the perfect nineteenth-century home, they find no township more charming, no countryside more idyllic than the farming village of Cornwall Coombe. Here they begin a new life: simple, pure, close to nature-and ultimately more terrifying than Manhattan's darkest alley. When the Constantines win the friendship of the town matriarch, the mysterious Widow Fortune, they are invited to join the ancient festival of Harvest Home, a ceremony whose quaintness disguises dark intentions. In this bucolic hamlet, where bootleggers work by moonlight and all of the villagers seem to share the same last name, the past is more present than outsiders can fathom-and something far more sinister than the annual harvest is about to rise out of the earth.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member sturlington
An artist moves his family to a small Connecticut town, where he discovers horrific secrets behind the quaint harvest rituals.
Granted, Harvest Home is a schlocky horror novel published in the 1970s. However, the fear of women expressed in the novel, and the resulting hatred of them, is so palpable
Read for Thanksgiving 2014.
Granted, Harvest Home is a schlocky horror novel published in the 1970s. However, the fear of women expressed in the novel, and the resulting hatred of them, is so palpable
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that reading it felt icky. I wanted to wash my hands each time I turned the page. The story presents women as unfathomable to men, and ultimately violent toward and oppressive of them. Women are linked to an ancient mother Earth force that imbues them with the power to do whatever they want, despite the objections of some of the male characters. One of the "horrors" of the story is when the male protagonist loses control over his wife and daughter, and they begin acting independently to fulfill their needs and desires. In this book, women are the “other,” portrayed as essentially different and opposed to men, wrong where men are right. This worldview just doesn't do it for me. Women are neither mysterious and unknowable goddesses, nor are they automatons only meant for sex, reproduction and raising children. Furthermore, the "twists" are completely predictable. This book was a disappointing follow-up to The Other.Read for Thanksgiving 2014.
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LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
Turns out I love this genre to death, even though (just like The Wicker Man) I don't find the story particularly horrific when it's about bad things happening to a main character I just don't like very much. This is a fantastic book, though, and it's a tragedy it's out of print.
LibraryThing member SqueakyChu
What a horrifying story! What a great book!
This is the story of what awaits Ned Constantine, his wife Beth, and his daughter Kate after they leave urban life behind and move to the rural Connecticut town of Cornwall Coombe. Its population of individuals, most notably the herbalist Widow Fortune and
The characters of this story are positively creepy. It turns out that you can't tell the good guys from the bad guys (or gals). I really liked the main character Ned who was an artist. He, at first, saw the beauty of Cornwall Coombe and tried to capture it in his paintings. His intention was to make a better life for his family. Unfortunately, he didn't realize his mistake until too late.
If you love taut writing, unpredictable characters, small town settings, and unsettling scenes, you'll appreciate this book. if you have a queasy stomache for grizzly scenes, it might be better to just pass this book along to someone else who finds horror novels entertaining.
This is the story of what awaits Ned Constantine, his wife Beth, and his daughter Kate after they leave urban life behind and move to the rural Connecticut town of Cornwall Coombe. Its population of individuals, most notably the herbalist Widow Fortune and
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the postal worker Tamar Penrose, carry out their ancient harvest traditions and festivals, having as their crescendo the rite of Harvest Home, an ancient secret ceremony celebrating the corn harvest and ritually symbolizing earthly renewal. The characters of this story are positively creepy. It turns out that you can't tell the good guys from the bad guys (or gals). I really liked the main character Ned who was an artist. He, at first, saw the beauty of Cornwall Coombe and tried to capture it in his paintings. His intention was to make a better life for his family. Unfortunately, he didn't realize his mistake until too late.
If you love taut writing, unpredictable characters, small town settings, and unsettling scenes, you'll appreciate this book. if you have a queasy stomache for grizzly scenes, it might be better to just pass this book along to someone else who finds horror novels entertaining.
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LibraryThing member Fainting_Project
A rather dated (and sadly misogynistic) suspense tale, in the tradition of Shirley Jackson's far superior short story "The Lottery" or the horror film The Wicker Man, of sinister traditions brewing behind an isolated, quaintly wholesome rural community.
LibraryThing member xuebi
An exquisite gothic horror story that taps into fertility cult rituals and neo-paganism prominent during the 70s to create a slow-burning but intense rural, gothic horror story. Lyrical and deeply descriptive, the novel demonstrates the author's knack for story-telling, and Tryon weaves a
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spell-binding but chilling tale. Show Less
LibraryThing member Equestrienne
After reading the book, my only regret is that Cornwall Coombe is not a real place and I cannot go live there. Too bad, because I would fit right in.....I'd totally give that Tamar Penrose a run for her money in succeeding the Widow Fortune as the village matriarch.
LibraryThing member SumisBooks
This book and I really did an interesting back and forth dance at first. This book was extremely difficult for me to read and get into up until about chapter 13 of 30. However, once it picked up, it really picked up and climaxed very quickly and well. Being a horror fan I was able to figure out the
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"twist" at the end however I'm sure the leisure reader would be thrown for a loop by it. The detail in the book went way overboard at times and by the end of the book the author's tendency to over-explain settings and/or situations became rather monotonous. But again, the story's core was well thought out and worth the read in the end. And I definitely love the story. I would definitely recommend this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member luvlylibrarian
Might have given four stars but the first half of the book is very boring, and there is way too much talk about corn.
LibraryThing member annwieland
I loved it!!! Of course, I love everything Tom Tryon ever wrote. Does it still count?
LibraryThing member readingover50
I thought this was a great book. The pacing is a little slow, but I didn't mind because I was so caught up in the descriptions of adapting to life in a small town. Cornwall Coombe seemed like a perfect place to live. I thought there was a little too much foreshadowing throughout the book. Often the
Since I am reading this in 2014, it was pretty easy to see where the story was going and what the "big secret" was. But I still enjoyed the journey. Truthfully, as the story progressed, I felt Ned's character became more and more annoying. Just because people like to keep old customs, doesn't mean they should be looked upon with scorn. I thought the ending was satisfying and a good conclusion to the story.
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narrator, Ned, would say things like this was the last day we were happy, or something similar. Since I am reading this in 2014, it was pretty easy to see where the story was going and what the "big secret" was. But I still enjoyed the journey. Truthfully, as the story progressed, I felt Ned's character became more and more annoying. Just because people like to keep old customs, doesn't mean they should be looked upon with scorn. I thought the ending was satisfying and a good conclusion to the story.
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LibraryThing member Charrlygirl
This book was incredible! It was beautifully written and paced. The story successfully blends mankind's (or perhaps womankind's ) oldest themes with small town New England life- in the most creepy atmosphere possible. A slow burning tale involving a move from the city to a simple country life ruled
This is an example of why horror literature (that's right, I called it literature!), became so popular in America in the 80's. Authors like Thomas Tryon sparked the imagination of those horror writers that became the mainstream later on, like King or McCammon. Here, you can find the seeds of all that came later. Children of the Corn? It's here. Evil in a small town? It's here.
Some may find the subject to be dated or the denouement disappointing, but that wasn't the case with me. It was refreshingly, (mostly), gore free, while maintaining a humming level of tension throughout. I sat down and read the last hour and a half straight through. It was a wild ride and I highly recommend it!
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by the land. These characters, the locals, were multi-layered and fascinating. This is an example of why horror literature (that's right, I called it literature!), became so popular in America in the 80's. Authors like Thomas Tryon sparked the imagination of those horror writers that became the mainstream later on, like King or McCammon. Here, you can find the seeds of all that came later. Children of the Corn? It's here. Evil in a small town? It's here.
Some may find the subject to be dated or the denouement disappointing, but that wasn't the case with me. It was refreshingly, (mostly), gore free, while maintaining a humming level of tension throughout. I sat down and read the last hour and a half straight through. It was a wild ride and I highly recommend it!
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LibraryThing member BookNookRetreat7
Well.....I tried with this book, but it is too much of a slow burn for me. There were a couple of freaky things that happened around the 21%/23% mark of the book, but when a book drags along and I am falling asleep which I did some last night when trying to get through it, I know it is time to put
Lots of characters too within the story, but not enough suspense and tension to keep me invested in it. Maybe it is the mood I am in too - for now it is just not for me. Maybe down the road I will pick it back up. Also just because I wasn't into it doesn't mean that other people won't be. Different strokes for different folks. As with books I give a "dnf" on there will be no rating as I don't rate books I don't finish.
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it down. Lots of characters too within the story, but not enough suspense and tension to keep me invested in it. Maybe it is the mood I am in too - for now it is just not for me. Maybe down the road I will pick it back up. Also just because I wasn't into it doesn't mean that other people won't be. Different strokes for different folks. As with books I give a "dnf" on there will be no rating as I don't rate books I don't finish.
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LibraryThing member ritaer
New England village practices ancient rites and newcomers are slow to understand
LibraryThing member caanderson
A slow, long, descriptive mystery into a small town that hasn’t changed since its founding.
LibraryThing member burritapal
A really strange book: shades of Rosemary's Baby. A New England village with only white people is the setting for this story where the villagers believe pagan sacrifice rituals are the only way to keep the corn growing. The characters are shallowly drawn, though they're hateful enough. I had to
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finish it, though I'm miffed that it took so long. Show Less
LibraryThing member JHemlock
I watched this film 45 years ago and it terrified me. For nearly 50 years it has stuck with me and planted dark slithering things in my mind. I was only five years old and worked the fields with my family and that association with those evil people has never left. Now the book is an incredibly well
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measured and put together story. A slow...very slow build up of something that you know is going to come not out of the dark, but out of the very souls of those surrounding you. I do not want to give away the plot by any means, but if someone tells you to mind your own business...guess what? DO IT. The characters are real and well written, The main character Ned, really seems like a good guy but he has not he common sense to just shut his mouth. The story will draw you in and the inhabitants of the village will make sure you stay there. Show Less
LibraryThing member jengel
What is going down in the little sleepy Amish-like community? What's with all the fertility rituals? What the hell is going on here? Dread builds as the story unfolds.
LibraryThing member Jfranklin592262
This is another vintage classic I found from Grady Hendrix paperbacks from hell book. A true horror classic! Small town oddities and twisted religious ideals galore. A truly scary setting and vibe. This is a definite must read......and will definitely be a reread for me!
Language
Original publication date
1973
Physical description
458 p.; 22 inches
ISBN
0394485289 / 9780394485287