Status
Available
Call number
Publication
John Murray (2015), 369 pages
Description
"The eerie, suspenseful debut novel -- hailed as "an amazing piece of fiction" by Stephen King -- that is taking the world by storm. When the remains of a young child are discovered during a winter storm on a stretch of the bleak Lancashire coastline known as the Loney, a man named Smith is forced to confront the terrifying and mysterious events that occurred forty years earlier when he visited the place as a boy. At that time, his devoutly Catholic mother was determined to find healing for Hanny, his disabled older brother. And so the family, along with members of their parish, embarked on an Easter pilgrimage to an ancient shrine. But not all of the locals were pleased to see visitors in the area. And when the two brothers found their lives entangling with a glamorous couple staying at a nearby house, they became involved in more troubling rites. Smith feels he is the only one to know the truth, and he must bear the burden of his knowledge, no matter what the cost. Proclaimed a "modern classic" by the Sunday Telegraph (UK), The Loney marks the arrival of an important new voice in fiction."--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Steve38
A Lancashire version of Rosemary's Baby. A seemingly innocent catholic group retreat to a quiet spot on the Morecambe Bay coast enounters devilish evil. The gloomy, rainy, lonely, surprisingly remote and clannish district plays its full part. If only the ending wasn't quite so soft.
LibraryThing member runner56
Some of the negative reviews describe this book as "strange" and I would agree with that another candidly states" nothing significant happens, never mind eerie" and a third makes the very unflattering comment "it was like reading a soap" I think that all the negative reviews have entirely missed
I was fascinated and enthralled from the first page, as I was transported to a wild, rugged and lonely Lancastrian coast where the quietness and isolation of this god forsaken location instantly created a feeling of dread, fear and approaching evil. The beauty and loneliness of the surroundings was reflected so expertly in the reflective and creative writing style of the author. His command of the English language and his ability to paint a picture by his choice of phrases and words is simply unmatched in anything I have ever read......
"Like the shadow of a huge predatory bird, darkness moved slowly down the hillside, past Moorings, across the marshes, across the beach, across the sea, until all that was left was a muddy orange on the horizon as the last of England's light ebbed away."
"The wind came rushing in off the sea, sweeping its comb through the scrubby grass and sending a shiver through the vast pools of standing water."
"It was an albino, with eyes that looked as if they had been marinated in blood."
The narrator (we only ever get to know his nickname Tonto) his brother Hanny together with "Mummer" and "Farther" embark on their annual pilgrimage to a sacred shrine on a desolate strip of coastline known as the Loney. They are hoping that their faith will result in a cure for Hanny who is unable to speak. The Loney is a place of superstition and fear of hauntings and evil amongst a population equally eccentric and unpredictive in their behaviour. The beliefs and religious participation of all the characters we encounter is in wonderful contrast to the "Wicker Man" style rituals that fill the lives of the residents.
The horror is not what is said or done but in the implied which creates a magic visionary picture and in the final chapters uncovering a murder that had remained hidden for many years.The Loney is a great example of what is really important in both the writing and reading of a book. A good story should have the ability not only to entertain but to make you feel a part of the events unfolding before you, transporting you from the ordinary and mundane to the intellectual thoughts of the author. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and thanks to the good people of netgalley for the free copy I received in exchange for an honest review, and that is what I have written.
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the point of this astounding work of literary fiction. The story does not have to be fast moving, it does not have to have pages filled with action and movement and it is certainly much more than "a boys story of going on a religious pilgrimage"I was fascinated and enthralled from the first page, as I was transported to a wild, rugged and lonely Lancastrian coast where the quietness and isolation of this god forsaken location instantly created a feeling of dread, fear and approaching evil. The beauty and loneliness of the surroundings was reflected so expertly in the reflective and creative writing style of the author. His command of the English language and his ability to paint a picture by his choice of phrases and words is simply unmatched in anything I have ever read......
"Like the shadow of a huge predatory bird, darkness moved slowly down the hillside, past Moorings, across the marshes, across the beach, across the sea, until all that was left was a muddy orange on the horizon as the last of England's light ebbed away."
"The wind came rushing in off the sea, sweeping its comb through the scrubby grass and sending a shiver through the vast pools of standing water."
"It was an albino, with eyes that looked as if they had been marinated in blood."
The narrator (we only ever get to know his nickname Tonto) his brother Hanny together with "Mummer" and "Farther" embark on their annual pilgrimage to a sacred shrine on a desolate strip of coastline known as the Loney. They are hoping that their faith will result in a cure for Hanny who is unable to speak. The Loney is a place of superstition and fear of hauntings and evil amongst a population equally eccentric and unpredictive in their behaviour. The beliefs and religious participation of all the characters we encounter is in wonderful contrast to the "Wicker Man" style rituals that fill the lives of the residents.
The horror is not what is said or done but in the implied which creates a magic visionary picture and in the final chapters uncovering a murder that had remained hidden for many years.The Loney is a great example of what is really important in both the writing and reading of a book. A good story should have the ability not only to entertain but to make you feel a part of the events unfolding before you, transporting you from the ordinary and mundane to the intellectual thoughts of the author. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and thanks to the good people of netgalley for the free copy I received in exchange for an honest review, and that is what I have written.
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LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
How does the saying go: never buy a book because of the pretty cover? Something like that. The Loney is a strange story very well told, but I was never scared - only disturbed by the crazy Catholic mother intent on 'curing' her mute son and the motley crew of ditherers who accompany her to the
The descriptions of the Loney are beautifully atmospheric, particularly the hidden room at the Moorings house and ancient chapel, but the fog never really cleared for me, I must admit. And the characters irritated me to the point where I started skimming through the crucial pages. Why did Mummer get her miracle, and not - say - committed? Why did everyone else just go along with her (I was siding with Miss Bunce, who wanted to go to Wales)? Good choice of religion, though - Catholicism truly is the stuff of horror novels.
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Loney, a miserable spit of land on the northeast coast. The main plotline takes place in the 1970s, but the characters and the setting are pure Dickens. Crazy Catholic Mother - or 'Mummer', as the narrator irritatingly refers to her - drags the new parish priest along with her and a set of other weirdos on a pilgrimage to a random shrine in the middle of nowhere, in the hope of making her silent son speak. She is truly off her trolley, yet apart from the odd 'Now then, Esther' type comments, nobody sets her straight. Of course there is a miracle in the offing, but the Loney exacts a cruel price that haunts Mummer's two boys into adulthood. The descriptions of the Loney are beautifully atmospheric, particularly the hidden room at the Moorings house and ancient chapel, but the fog never really cleared for me, I must admit. And the characters irritated me to the point where I started skimming through the crucial pages. Why did Mummer get her miracle, and not - say - committed? Why did everyone else just go along with her (I was siding with Miss Bunce, who wanted to go to Wales)? Good choice of religion, though - Catholicism truly is the stuff of horror novels.
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LibraryThing member Amsa1959
A poetic, creepy story. A story of hope, faith and loss. A magic landscape, haunting and sinister. Things not being what they seems to be. Strangely timeless and old-fashioned at the same time.
LibraryThing member BrandieC
How to describe Andrew Michael Hurley's The Loney? Some of the adjectives which spring to mind are gothic, eerie, assured, suspenseful, and sinister. The bulk of the book is an extended flashback to a trip the narrator and his mute and intellectually disabled brother Hanny took with Mummer,
This opening is much more jolting to the reader than it sounds, because when Hanny is introduced on the first page, he is a respected pastor, author, husband, and father. How he was "cured" is the central mystery of the novel. Was it a miracle from God, as Hanny's bestselling My Second Life with God suggests? Or was it the result of a darker bargain? It is this tension between Mummer's version of Christianity and the ominous atmosphere at Moorings which gives The Loney its power, although Hurley's description of both locations provides a clue:
"St. Jude's [the Catholic church attended by the narrator's family in London] was a monstrosity. . . . From the outside it was imposing and gloomy and the thick, hexagonal spire gave it the look of a mill or factory. Indeed, it seemed purpose-built in the same sort of way, with each architectural component carefully designed to churn out obedience, faith or hope in units per week according to demand.
. . .
I often thought there was too much time there [the Loney]. That the place was sick with it. Haunted by it. Time didn’t leak away as it should. There was nowhere for it to go and no modernity to hurry it along. It collected as the black water did on the marshes and remained and stagnated in the same way."
One thing that really struck me was Hurley's selection of names for his places and characters. Take "Mummer," for instance. I am used to the British referring to their mothers as "Mum," but I had never seen "Mummer" used as a name before. A mummer, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is "[a]n actor in a traditional masked mime." Is Mummer's faith an act? What might she be hiding behind that mask? The insular village in which she grew up, with its own language and traditions, was "within spitting distance" of Moorings, Coldbarrow, and the Loney, so perhaps her expectations of the shrine's healing power are not those of the traditional Catholic pilgrim. Nuances like these elevate The Loney above the other horror and mystery novels with which it might be shelved.
I received a free copy of The Loney through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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Farther, their priest, and several fellow parishioners to a creepy house in Lancashire known as Moorings. This particular trip was the last in a series of annual pilgrimages to a shrine at which Mummer believes Hanny will miraculously become "normal." The flashback is prompted by the discovery of a baby's skeleton at Coldbarrow, a second creepy house located not far from Moorings.This opening is much more jolting to the reader than it sounds, because when Hanny is introduced on the first page, he is a respected pastor, author, husband, and father. How he was "cured" is the central mystery of the novel. Was it a miracle from God, as Hanny's bestselling My Second Life with God suggests? Or was it the result of a darker bargain? It is this tension between Mummer's version of Christianity and the ominous atmosphere at Moorings which gives The Loney its power, although Hurley's description of both locations provides a clue:
"St. Jude's [the Catholic church attended by the narrator's family in London] was a monstrosity. . . . From the outside it was imposing and gloomy and the thick, hexagonal spire gave it the look of a mill or factory. Indeed, it seemed purpose-built in the same sort of way, with each architectural component carefully designed to churn out obedience, faith or hope in units per week according to demand.
. . .
I often thought there was too much time there [the Loney]. That the place was sick with it. Haunted by it. Time didn’t leak away as it should. There was nowhere for it to go and no modernity to hurry it along. It collected as the black water did on the marshes and remained and stagnated in the same way."
One thing that really struck me was Hurley's selection of names for his places and characters. Take "Mummer," for instance. I am used to the British referring to their mothers as "Mum," but I had never seen "Mummer" used as a name before. A mummer, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is "[a]n actor in a traditional masked mime." Is Mummer's faith an act? What might she be hiding behind that mask? The insular village in which she grew up, with its own language and traditions, was "within spitting distance" of Moorings, Coldbarrow, and the Loney, so perhaps her expectations of the shrine's healing power are not those of the traditional Catholic pilgrim. Nuances like these elevate The Loney above the other horror and mystery novels with which it might be shelved.
I received a free copy of The Loney through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member passion4reading
Looking back to his childhood in the 1970s, the narrator recounts events surrounding two Easter pilgrimages to the Lancashire coast, several years apart – events that still cast a shadow over the surviving participants ...
This is a difficult book to review as it has its heart the contrast between
I wouldn't exactly call it a masterpiece or a great piece of fiction, but then maybe it's one of those books that call out for a second reading. I can certainly see how it gets its hooks into you.
This is a difficult book to review as it has its heart the contrast between
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the physical (represented by the Lancashire coastline and Moorings, the group's lodgings) and the immaterial (covering notions like love, faith and belief). This is a book steeped in atmosphere and will find (and has already found) its fair share of critics as, truth be told, not that much happens. When you commit to it, you really have to be in it for the long haul and be willing to go at the author's pace. Andrew Michael Hurley masterfully adds layer upon layer to the proceedings, at the same time that each consecutive chapter reveals further nuances between the small group of pilgrims. Written in beautiful and eloquent prose, the descriptions evoke the bleak Lancashire coastline so that I could almost hear the surf and feel the wind blowing round my reading chair, while almost from the word go pervading the events with a sense of deep unease. It is a dark and disturbing tale, with one scene in particular standing head and shoulders above the rest, and I find myself still thinking about it hours after closing the back cover.I wouldn't exactly call it a masterpiece or a great piece of fiction, but then maybe it's one of those books that call out for a second reading. I can certainly see how it gets its hooks into you.
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LibraryThing member Welsh_eileen2
A thrilling debut novel set on a lonely stretch of English coast line where a disparate group of people went on a sort of retreat at Easter.
It is a dark modern horror story that had me reading into the night.
Very scary!
Great read!
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher John Murray
It is a dark modern horror story that had me reading into the night.
Very scary!
Great read!
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher John Murray
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via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review. Show Less
LibraryThing member lisapeet
Such a damp book—water-stained walls and feral tides and rain, rain, rain. This was a good, if slightly opaque, theologically-inclined gothic tale, with scary houses and Satanists and faith being questioned left and right. When I first closed the book I thought the ending was as soggy as the
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landscape, but after a bit of thought I've decided it was actually very clever, if maybe a bit too subtle for its own good. But all in all the book kept me rapt and appreciative of being dry; a good spooky tale. Show Less
LibraryThing member jayne_charles
This was a wonderfully haunting and atmospheric read. It didn't matter that I didn't understand what went on in the remote cottage on the coast, it was enough to read the beautiful text, and the intelligent commentary, via the characters, on the nature of religion. I only wished the narrator had
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been named - it's not new or clever any more: this is the second book I've read this year that employed this 'device' and it's only February. One might argue the narrator was hiding his identity in case of legal issues, but he's named his brother and various members of his family and friends, so I don't think Mr Plod would have any difficulty finding him. Show Less
LibraryThing member thejohnsmith
This is a satisfying novel. It took quite a while to get going and some of the jumps between past and present had me re-reading pages to bring the story back into focus but overall the writing is really enjoyable. The plot arouses curiosity and is populated with interesting, cleverly crafted,
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characters who pull on your emotions for love, loathing and pity. Its a well written, interesting and satisfying tale. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dove.
Lately, I read mostly e-books because it is so much more practical. But, once in a while, I come across a book that deserves to be read slowly, patiently, and on paper; a book that I can make marks on and go back and forth with ease. The Loney is one of those books. The language was beautiful and
I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review
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insightful and I found myself highlighting left and right. The characters are well-defined and nature and religion are so vividly portrayed that they feel like characters unto themselves. This doesn't feel like a book written by a first-time author. I highly recommend it!I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review
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LibraryThing member linda.a.
This mesmerising and haunting story is told in flashbacks by the narrator, whom the reader knows by his nickname of Tonto. When he reads news of a child’s body being found on Coldbarrow, situated on the Lancashire coast, disturbing memories come flooding back. As a child he and his brother Hanny
I felt mesmerised by this outstanding story from the very start and it never once loosened its grip on my absolute engagement with its slowly developing tension. My own belief in what I was experiencing as the story unfolded was constantly challenged – it felt every bit as unpredictable as the raw power of the sea and the wild coastline which is central to the mood and development of the story. Themes of faith, the desire for miracles, good and evil, paganism and conventional Christian beliefs wound their way through the story in a thought-provoking and, at times, very disturbing way. Then, set against all these themes, was the recognition that there was nothing predictable or controllable about the forces of nature and that the shifting sands would always, in time, reveal any secrets. I found it interesting that, for all her “conventional” faith and her belief in the power of divine intervention, Mummer was prepared to not only tolerate, but also engage in, some of the pagan rituals of the local people. Throughout the story I felt an awareness that, when they were struggling with their faith, people felt a need to “hedge their bets”, to not pass up any opportunity which might make them feel more in control of their situation.
I would usually be put off any book which is marketed as “Gothic” but I was persuaded to read The Loney partly because I am very familiar with this part of the Lancashire coast, and because the author was due to speak at a book festival I was due to attend. I am just so pleased that I did because this is one of the best books I have read this year. The subtlety of the writing is impressive and, throughout my reading I felt confident that Andrew Hurley was in total control, not only of his development of this haunting, disturbing story, but in his use of language to convey what he wanted to say. Yes, there are gothic elements, supernatural happenings and moments of terror, particularly later in the story, but these are handled in an impressively skilful way. His style is a masterful example of “show don’t tell”, thus allowing the reader to feel fully engaged throughout; it is this very subtlety which allows the reader’s imagination to take flight, to evoke fear and disturbing uncertainty. In addition to everything else I admired in his elegant writing style, I loved the way in which he evoked so vividly and accurately the ever-changing nature of the sea and the landscape; I really did feel transported to the world his characters were inhabiting and their struggles to adapt to it.
In my opinion this is not a conventional horror story, it is much more an exploration of the psychology of people’s belief systems as they attempt to make sense of all those things which challenge their beliefs. I find it remarkable that this is the author’s debut novel so I am now eagerly awaiting his second.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough so I hope my enthusiasm will tempt you to read it for yourself!
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were taken, by Mummer, their ultra-religious mother, Farther, their more reasonable father, other parishioners and their elderly parish priest, on an annual Easter pilgrimage to a religious retreat which overlooked the wild coast and an area called The Loney. These visits would culminate in a visit to a Lourdes-like shrine in the hope that Hanny, who was mute and appeared to be mentally disturbed, would be miraculously cured of his affliction. The year which is being recalled in this story is different because the old priest, whose final visit to the Loney had caused him to have a crisis of faith, has died in mysterious circumstances, and has been replaced by a more modern priest. Although his personality is more appealing to the brothers, his approach to religion and to this pilgrimage is seen as being too modern and cheerful to satisfy the mother’s rigid view of faith and belief. The other characters include a group of local people who are, by turns, both helpful and rather threatening, particularly when they engage in pagan rituals; a shady character in a Daimler and a very young, but pregnant teenager, who may or may not be able to perform miracles. The story revolves around the rituals and influence of the Catholic Church and its rigid adherence to tenets of faith, set alongside equally powerful ancient, pagan practices and the even more powerful, unpredictable and ever-shifting forces of nature. I felt mesmerised by this outstanding story from the very start and it never once loosened its grip on my absolute engagement with its slowly developing tension. My own belief in what I was experiencing as the story unfolded was constantly challenged – it felt every bit as unpredictable as the raw power of the sea and the wild coastline which is central to the mood and development of the story. Themes of faith, the desire for miracles, good and evil, paganism and conventional Christian beliefs wound their way through the story in a thought-provoking and, at times, very disturbing way. Then, set against all these themes, was the recognition that there was nothing predictable or controllable about the forces of nature and that the shifting sands would always, in time, reveal any secrets. I found it interesting that, for all her “conventional” faith and her belief in the power of divine intervention, Mummer was prepared to not only tolerate, but also engage in, some of the pagan rituals of the local people. Throughout the story I felt an awareness that, when they were struggling with their faith, people felt a need to “hedge their bets”, to not pass up any opportunity which might make them feel more in control of their situation.
I would usually be put off any book which is marketed as “Gothic” but I was persuaded to read The Loney partly because I am very familiar with this part of the Lancashire coast, and because the author was due to speak at a book festival I was due to attend. I am just so pleased that I did because this is one of the best books I have read this year. The subtlety of the writing is impressive and, throughout my reading I felt confident that Andrew Hurley was in total control, not only of his development of this haunting, disturbing story, but in his use of language to convey what he wanted to say. Yes, there are gothic elements, supernatural happenings and moments of terror, particularly later in the story, but these are handled in an impressively skilful way. His style is a masterful example of “show don’t tell”, thus allowing the reader to feel fully engaged throughout; it is this very subtlety which allows the reader’s imagination to take flight, to evoke fear and disturbing uncertainty. In addition to everything else I admired in his elegant writing style, I loved the way in which he evoked so vividly and accurately the ever-changing nature of the sea and the landscape; I really did feel transported to the world his characters were inhabiting and their struggles to adapt to it.
In my opinion this is not a conventional horror story, it is much more an exploration of the psychology of people’s belief systems as they attempt to make sense of all those things which challenge their beliefs. I find it remarkable that this is the author’s debut novel so I am now eagerly awaiting his second.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough so I hope my enthusiasm will tempt you to read it for yourself!
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LibraryThing member Coach_of_Alva
A pilgrimage to a shrine with waters that are said to heal leads to a miracle, for sure, but the unreliable narrator leaves the reader uncertain as to what kind, for the ritualistic Catholicism seems cruel and ineffective, the paganism seems cruel but effective, and the temptation of an unforgiving
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and unappealing naturalism tempts. An atmospheric thoughtful read, with unforgettable portraits of a small community of believers, two brothers, a mad priest, and an apparently God-forsaken place. Show Less
LibraryThing member Daftboy1
This is the story set in the Present day. One of the brothers we never know his real name he gets called Tonto when he is young, is remembering the time growing up in the 1970s their Parents are very devout, every year they make a pilgrimage to the Lancashire coast. This is narrated by Tonto who
His very holy Catholic Parents are convinced the power of Prayer will give Hanny his voice.
In 1976 along with the new Parish Priest Father Bernard and 2 other Couples they travel up from London to stay at an old cottage called The Moorings the area is locally known as the Loney. The Grown ups are not convinced Father Bernard is up to the job as Parish Priest.
They meet some strange locals, the boys go on adventures, they come across a couple acting bizarrely with a teenage Pregnant girl called Else. Hanny falls in love with her. He keeps wanting to go and visit her they take some books from Else and in one of the books there is a lot of money.
There are sinister goings on when Hanny and Tonto are taking back to the house were they first met Else they return the money.
The baby Else was pregnant with has been born but the baby is all deformed. Hanny is taken to the basement with this baby and shots are fired. We don't know exactly what happened but its cured Hanny he can now speak.
Jump to the present day Andrew/Hanny is now a Famous, Successful and Published author, Tonto on the other hand is a bitter and a bit of a loner. There was quite a bit of Coastal erosion near the Loney and a babies body from the 70s has ben discovered.
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recalls growing up with his brother Andrew nicknamed Hanny who is mute. His very holy Catholic Parents are convinced the power of Prayer will give Hanny his voice.
In 1976 along with the new Parish Priest Father Bernard and 2 other Couples they travel up from London to stay at an old cottage called The Moorings the area is locally known as the Loney. The Grown ups are not convinced Father Bernard is up to the job as Parish Priest.
They meet some strange locals, the boys go on adventures, they come across a couple acting bizarrely with a teenage Pregnant girl called Else. Hanny falls in love with her. He keeps wanting to go and visit her they take some books from Else and in one of the books there is a lot of money.
There are sinister goings on when Hanny and Tonto are taking back to the house were they first met Else they return the money.
The baby Else was pregnant with has been born but the baby is all deformed. Hanny is taken to the basement with this baby and shots are fired. We don't know exactly what happened but its cured Hanny he can now speak.
Jump to the present day Andrew/Hanny is now a Famous, Successful and Published author, Tonto on the other hand is a bitter and a bit of a loner. There was quite a bit of Coastal erosion near the Loney and a babies body from the 70s has ben discovered.
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LibraryThing member Ken-Me-Old-Mate
Well, I liked it and the setting immensely. The scenes up the coast were evocative, brilliant, inventive, and scary.
The characters were solid and credible. I liked how the story unfolded and was completely immersed in it.
I had a few problems with the end part of the book and won't give spoilers to
Read it on a rainy day, curled up with the doors locked.
The characters were solid and credible. I liked how the story unfolded and was completely immersed in it.
I had a few problems with the end part of the book and won't give spoilers to
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indicate why because you really should read this book if you get the chance. My minor quibbles are just that.Read it on a rainy day, curled up with the doors locked.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
Beautifully written, this novel is suffused with gothic atmosphere. It is set in the 1970s on the sea in England, in a place called the Loney, which is constantly shifting as the tides come in and go out, so it seems both ephemeral and menacing, as the place you are standing could shift under your
The setting is so well drawn that it suffuses the reader. The characters are equally compelling, as we are gradually drawn into their history and their quest at the Loney. This is a slow burn altogether, and while reading it is a pleasure, the payoff is not all that satisfying. The book has a lot to say about faith and the powers at work in the world, but much of what it has to say is vague, and the reader must make their own way without a lot of landmarks to guide them. What happens at the end, and why, is left very ambiguous--frustratingly so, in my opinion. But we do see the effects of that Easter visit on the two boys when they are grown, especially what has happened to their faith, and I think that is rather the point.
Despite these drawbacks, the book is well worth a read just for the strength of its writing. This is the author's first book, and I will be looking for more from him.
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feet. There are two houses, both very old and incredibly creepy. In one house, a group of Catholic pilgrims are staying, three couples and a priest there for Lent and to visit the local shrine. One couple has two sons, the narrator and his older brother, who is mute and mentally disabled; the parents hope to cure him at the shrine. The other house is across the Loney, sometimes cut off, where the two boys encounter a strange couple and a young pregnant girl. The villagers are acting odd and threatening, weird things are found in the woods, the woods themselves are changing in ways they shouldn't. What is happening here? We are not to really know, not fully.The setting is so well drawn that it suffuses the reader. The characters are equally compelling, as we are gradually drawn into their history and their quest at the Loney. This is a slow burn altogether, and while reading it is a pleasure, the payoff is not all that satisfying. The book has a lot to say about faith and the powers at work in the world, but much of what it has to say is vague, and the reader must make their own way without a lot of landmarks to guide them. What happens at the end, and why, is left very ambiguous--frustratingly so, in my opinion. But we do see the effects of that Easter visit on the two boys when they are grown, especially what has happened to their faith, and I think that is rather the point.
Despite these drawbacks, the book is well worth a read just for the strength of its writing. This is the author's first book, and I will be looking for more from him.
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LibraryThing member JBD1
Such an atmospheric and creepy gothic tale set in a particularly suitable spot on the English coast. Enjoyed it thoroughly and will continue making my way through Hurley's works.
LibraryThing member JessicaReadsThings
Based on a copy from NetGalley.
I enjoyed this one, but it was also sort of baffling. Like, I'm still not sure what happened there at the end bit. But, it was a really great read for a cold, rainy, stay-in-with-tea-all-day sort of day.
I enjoyed this one, but it was also sort of baffling. Like, I'm still not sure what happened there at the end bit. But, it was a really great read for a cold, rainy, stay-in-with-tea-all-day sort of day.
LibraryThing member JosephCamilleri
I had placed this contemporary Gothic novel on my mental to-read list when it was first issued as a limited edition hardback by the specialist Tartarus Press. The initial reviews were promising, and the Wicker-man-like plot premise seemed intriguing - a group of Catholic pilgrims on a retreat in a
Now that I've got my hands on a copy (in paperback, alas) I can console myself that it was worth the wait. Yes, this is as good as it has been made out to be, although possibly not for the reasons you were told.
Some reviews have praised the novel's characterisation. I beg to differ. I thought most of the characters remained two-dimensional, despite having rich material worth developing. The dialogue, at times, struck me as too simplistic. The descriptions are altogether more successful. The bleak atmosphere of the Lancashire coast is evoked in prose of lyrical beauty which never ceases to delight. Then again, it must be admitted that to gain effect, Hurley resorts to all the tropes in the Gothic/horror manual, including decaying houses, a preponderance of inclement weather, secret rooms, threatening locals, hints of witchcraft, religious mania... the works.
Where the novel really scores is in its mastery of storytelling. This is the type of superbly paced book which grabs you by the throat from the very first pages, makes you skip meals, keeps you awake at night and then haunts your dreams when you finally switch off the bedside lamp - I read this over the course of a feverish weekend. The really scary parts are few and far between, but the novel is permeated with an uncanny sense of dread which sends shivers down the spine and is hard to dismiss. Days after you finish the book, when its spell starts to wear off, you will start to realise that there were aspects of the story which were not satisfactorily explained, that plot elements which seemed important led nowhere and that the ending was, to be honest, anti-climactic. Strangely, you don't feel this whilst you're immersed in the novel.
Finally, this being a novel about Catholic pilgrims, allow me some comments from the perspective of a Catholic reader. As a fan of classic Gothic literature, with their anti-Catholic sentiment, I was neither surprised nor particularly offended at the negative portrayal of some of the religious characters (primarily Father Wilfred and the narrator's mother or "Mummer", to use her rather sinister petname). What were harder to digest where the suggestions of blasphemous rituals. From the reviews I've read, the novel seemed to leave "secular" readers cold. This leads me to believe that people of a more "religious" bent will likely find certain scenes more shocking (or, if you wish, more effective) - impressionable readers, be prepared. On a more positive note, this novel raises some profound and interesting themes - for instance, should faith lead us to expect or arrogantly "demand" miracles, or should it conversely help us accept with serenity the negative aspects of life? This is a question which the novel explores but leaves unresolved, although it does suggest that convenient short-cuts might have adverse long-term consequences.
To sum up, then, "The Loney" has its share of flaws, but it is an impressively addictive, classy, Gothic page-turner. And even if we don't admit it, we all love page-turners, don't we?
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desolate part of the North-Western English coast where arcane pagan rituals (possibly) survive. The book collector in me is now busily kicking himself for not snapping the book up before it became a mainstream bestseller and a Costa prizewinner.Now that I've got my hands on a copy (in paperback, alas) I can console myself that it was worth the wait. Yes, this is as good as it has been made out to be, although possibly not for the reasons you were told.
Some reviews have praised the novel's characterisation. I beg to differ. I thought most of the characters remained two-dimensional, despite having rich material worth developing. The dialogue, at times, struck me as too simplistic. The descriptions are altogether more successful. The bleak atmosphere of the Lancashire coast is evoked in prose of lyrical beauty which never ceases to delight. Then again, it must be admitted that to gain effect, Hurley resorts to all the tropes in the Gothic/horror manual, including decaying houses, a preponderance of inclement weather, secret rooms, threatening locals, hints of witchcraft, religious mania... the works.
Where the novel really scores is in its mastery of storytelling. This is the type of superbly paced book which grabs you by the throat from the very first pages, makes you skip meals, keeps you awake at night and then haunts your dreams when you finally switch off the bedside lamp - I read this over the course of a feverish weekend. The really scary parts are few and far between, but the novel is permeated with an uncanny sense of dread which sends shivers down the spine and is hard to dismiss. Days after you finish the book, when its spell starts to wear off, you will start to realise that there were aspects of the story which were not satisfactorily explained, that plot elements which seemed important led nowhere and that the ending was, to be honest, anti-climactic. Strangely, you don't feel this whilst you're immersed in the novel.
Finally, this being a novel about Catholic pilgrims, allow me some comments from the perspective of a Catholic reader. As a fan of classic Gothic literature, with their anti-Catholic sentiment, I was neither surprised nor particularly offended at the negative portrayal of some of the religious characters (primarily Father Wilfred and the narrator's mother or "Mummer", to use her rather sinister petname). What were harder to digest where the suggestions of blasphemous rituals. From the reviews I've read, the novel seemed to leave "secular" readers cold. This leads me to believe that people of a more "religious" bent will likely find certain scenes more shocking (or, if you wish, more effective) - impressionable readers, be prepared. On a more positive note, this novel raises some profound and interesting themes - for instance, should faith lead us to expect or arrogantly "demand" miracles, or should it conversely help us accept with serenity the negative aspects of life? This is a question which the novel explores but leaves unresolved, although it does suggest that convenient short-cuts might have adverse long-term consequences.
To sum up, then, "The Loney" has its share of flaws, but it is an impressively addictive, classy, Gothic page-turner. And even if we don't admit it, we all love page-turners, don't we?
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LibraryThing member piemouth
Title refers to a dismal marshy part of England. Memories of an annual family trip there during Holy Week, and the narrator's mother's obsession that drinking water at the shrine there will cure his mute brother. Well there is more going on than holy things, there are signs that villagers are still
It's slowly told, not exactly a ghost story, not exactly crime, and the creepyness is very well done. I liked it a lot.
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practicing the old ways. It's slowly told, not exactly a ghost story, not exactly crime, and the creepyness is very well done. I liked it a lot.
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LibraryThing member adrianburke
Well, I am struggling. Struggling to finish reading this book and struggling with the opinions of others puffed on the book's cover. 1/2 way through and still nothing except some amateurish hints at skulduggery. Glad I did not buy it. This blooming book. Characters turn up who you don't know.
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Nothing much happens. Skimpy description to supposedly add foreboding. Why publish? Show Less
LibraryThing member clairefun
Not my usual read, but I was drawn to the cover and the description, although I ended up being a little disappointed by it. Mostly the story of a boy, his mute older brother, his religious mother and their church friends, going on a religious retreat in the hope of curing the brother. There's
Most of the book is about building the characters, I guess, but there's just soooo much where nothing really happens (except religion!) that when you don't like most of the characters, it drags. The ending was the only bit really where anything happened, and it was...fine. A bit of a letdown but fine. WHat I liked most about the book at all was the scene setting, the scenery, the description, - I could picture the area and the atmosphereand the general damp grey miserableness of their temporary home and the run down landscapes surrounding it. I'm not sure I've been to the exact part of the UK it took place, but I know the type, and I've been to plenty, and it was brilliantly evocative. I know others call it gothic and creepy and so on, but it just made me think of some slightly rubbish holidays I've been on when you can't afford to go anywhere half decent, but there's a cheap place to rent in a quiet place in the countryside when you just make the best of it because sometimes it just rains all week and the fog never lifts and that's just what you get...admittedly there was a lot less religious overtones to my rubbish holidays so they were just gloomy english weather!
So overall - great cover, good potential, slow and meandering but a bit of a nothingy story with unlikable 'good religious folk'. Not really for me.
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flashbacks to the boys earlier days as an altar boy for the previous priest who, according to the boys mother, did everything right unlike the new modern priest with his new fangled ways, and there's a couple of flash forwards to the current day where the boy and his brother are adults and life is different for them. It took a *really* long time to get to the 'point' where these stories converge. If you like an awful lot of religion, belief, masses, etc being described then you'll like this - I'm not a fan. I never found it scary - although the 'scary' characters were fine, but I've seen those sorts of things done so much better - I briefly thought longingly of Margaret Mahy's The Tricksters, where the weird ominous characters infiltrating a family are actually creepy and interesting. Admittedly I didn't really like most of the characters in this, although that's possibly how it's meant to be, the 'new' priest was possibly the most likable of the lot. Most of the book is about building the characters, I guess, but there's just soooo much where nothing really happens (except religion!) that when you don't like most of the characters, it drags. The ending was the only bit really where anything happened, and it was...fine. A bit of a letdown but fine. WHat I liked most about the book at all was the scene setting, the scenery, the description, - I could picture the area and the atmosphereand the general damp grey miserableness of their temporary home and the run down landscapes surrounding it. I'm not sure I've been to the exact part of the UK it took place, but I know the type, and I've been to plenty, and it was brilliantly evocative. I know others call it gothic and creepy and so on, but it just made me think of some slightly rubbish holidays I've been on when you can't afford to go anywhere half decent, but there's a cheap place to rent in a quiet place in the countryside when you just make the best of it because sometimes it just rains all week and the fog never lifts and that's just what you get...admittedly there was a lot less religious overtones to my rubbish holidays so they were just gloomy english weather!
So overall - great cover, good potential, slow and meandering but a bit of a nothingy story with unlikable 'good religious folk'. Not really for me.
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Awards
Costa Book Awards (Shortlist — First Novel — 2015)
Waverton Good Read Award (Longlist — 2015)
Authors' Club First Novel Award (Longlist — 2016)
The British Book Industry Awards (Debut Fiction — 2016)
Language
Original publication date
2014