Widdershins

Widdershins (2014) Jordan L. Hawk (Whyborne & Griffin)

Set in New England in 1897

This is a Lovecraftian story–only without all the racism and misanthropy.

One advantage of not being able to picture things in my head is that I can read things like this:

Its head was worse, however. Thanks to Christine, I’d spent many an hour bent over the art of ancient Egypt and its animal-headed gods. Those gods had a strange nobility and completeness to them. This thing seemed a mockery of the ancient deities. Its misshapen skull retained traces of humanity, but was hideously flattened and distended into an unmistakably crocodilian form.

And be perfectly fine. But to see that in a movie would be unbearable. My brains boils the whole thing down to “unnatural monster” and moves on.

My favorite character in this book is actually a secondary one:

Christine’s voice, strengthened from bellowing orders to workers at dig sites, echoed down the hall. “I will not surrender my profession simply because men throughout history have been unduly enamored of their penises!”

I mean: true.

“(P)erhaps you’re concerned about leaving Dr. Putnam alone with her adversary?”

Christine had hit her stride, but Bradley was now yelling as well. I caught something about “this is what comes of letting women into universities,” and winced.

“No,” I said. “Christine is clever enough not to leave Bradley’s body where anyone will ever find it.

For me, the weakest part of the story is the very end, and the tenor of his discussion with his father.

I just…don’t believe it.

Rating: 7/10

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