Shadowland

Came into this story with high expectations because of the riveting tale of Straub's, "Ghost Story". However, it was a serious letdown. Although the book was well-written, many times, the concepts appeared to difficult to convey from Straub's mind to the printed page. The novel starts out with an unnamed narrator ruminating over the memories of an all boys prep school and the various negative encounters with the school headmaster and a hyped up super bully named Skeleton Ridpath. Naturally, the boys are picked on, chased, harassed, and terrorized by Skeleton and the school administration alike and there is a climatic fire that takes place at the school and I was thinking, "Well, we have finally gotten to a turning point in the book" and there is going to be some resolution of the conflicts with the bully and the headmaster.And then, the novel changes gears entirely! Now, we move to another story where where the teenage protagonist and his milquetoast friend go to visit an oddball uncle at a mysterious place called "Shadowland". WTF! What happened after the fire at the school? How was the conflict with the school headmaster and the bully resolved? What happened to the other students at the school that had some character development and you wanted to learn more about their various sub-stories.So, for some inexplicable reason, the teenage protagonist and his milquetoast friend go to visit the oddball uncle, who is going to teach them some magic tricks and tutor them in how to have a successful stage presence as a magician. Strange things begin happening, like the appearance of some troll like guys killing badgers and a totally inexplicable appearance by the Brothers Grimm, who speak in enigmatic phrases and makes one think of the eccentric characters from "Through the Looking Glass" or Alice in Wonderland. Eventually, the oddball uncle emits an almost Vincent Price like persona of saying oddball things and making oddball threats against the protagonist and the milquetoast friend. As to be expected, the hapless damsel in distress appears mysteriously and causes a rift between the teenage protagonist and his milquestoast friend.This sets up a whole series of very dull encounters and senseless confrontations with the oddball uncle, who calls himself Collins and he begins telling the boys stories from World War II and how he became a sensational and all-powerful sorcerer. It is later revealed that he is looking for an "apprentice" to succeed him as a sensational and all-powerful sorcerer. Again, there are some unexplained motivations about what is actually taking place and exactly why the oddball uncle wants to terrorize his nephew and his friend.I finished the novel last night, but for the life of me, I cannot recall how the conflict between the oddball uncle and the teenage protagonist was resolved. But, I don't really care to go back and re-read it and I have been trying to find a Cliffs note type of conclusion on the web just to see how the book concluded. The novel was neither scary, creepy, or suspenseful in any shape or form. I had the assumption that since the book was overly long that it would be as compelling to read as "Ghost Story" had been. I was sadly mistaken. I would take a pass on this one because it's just not worth the unresolved plot holes and leaves the reader feeling unsatisfied and confused. If you are hell-bent on reading a Straub novel, you may want to read or revisit the superb, "Ghost Story".

Ghost Story and Shadow-Land are my two favorite horror stories.Shadow-Land is constructed as a kind of... biography of sorts. The narrator has only a fleeting connection to the events in the story, retelling the gruesome experiences of the protagonist and his companion. The book is also broken into two parts, the first focusing on the rough experiences of boys in a tyrannical school environment, the second half focusing on the "protagonists" on the private estate of an eccentric (and sinister) stage-magician.The crux of the narrative follows one boy in the wake of personal tragedy, making friends with a meeker child in their horrid school, where they both explore a love of stage magic- in no small part due to the meeker child having a world-famous magician as a relative (uncle or great uncle, I can't quite remember which is the case). Both boys go on holiday to stay with this uncle, where stage magic gives way the real thing.A few secondary stories exist within Shadow-Lands, intriguingly interconnected with the dangerous misadventure the main characters find themselves in. It's a riveting read, though probably more subdued than a sword-and-sorcery enthusiast might be looking for. Definitely not an analog to Harry Potter... but that's a good thing, frankly. This is a dark story, in its own way a coming of age tale, one I highly recommend.

This is my third novel by the author, and while it was pretty entertaining, I thought it was just a bit too over-the-top for my taste. The first part of the book, the first hundred and forty pages or so, was the most conventional. Author's choice of narrator was a bit baffling, but it wasn't a huge distraction. His tendency to describe what the characters are wearing, though, was annoying. Things get really confusing when Tom and Del go to be with Del's uncle, a magician, for the summer. It's here where things got quite confusing, but thankfully pretty soon I got used to it and could keep up. From here on, the novel was always over-the-top, one strange occurrence after another. The only thing that broke that pattern were some of the stories the magician told Tom and Del, which I liked very much.Overall, Shadowland wasn't boring, but it was way over-the-top for my taste. I prefer novels that blend realism with the fantastic (like the author's "lost boy lost girl"), without getting too into the fantastic. I don't regret reading it, and I had no problem finishing it, but at the end of the day, it really wasn't my kind of novel. I'll definitely read more from this author. The Hellfire Club sounds more to my taste.

The writing can be somewhat cumbersome. The concept of the novel, the mood of the novel, and the settings, help create a subtle yet unsettling mood. Characterization is in depth and the main characters are worth learning about. Admired the protagonist, believed in the magician mentor’s foul personality, and felt sorry for the sidekick/nephew, exactly as the author intended.

ordered a book, it came early & in great shape!

The first part of the book starts out very slowly- a lot of prose in the beginning to set scenes, leading to a lot of narration and not much action.This changes once you get to the part where Del and Tom visit Del's uncle Coleman and they enter the magician's world, Shadowland. For a contemporary fantasy/horror novel you get sucked in around this part and the vivid descriptions of illusions, spell casting, a girl who exists (or does she?), and a plot which, while a bit repetitive at times, is well-crafted.The only thing holding this book back is the opening part which I felt didn't get us to Coleman's Shadowland mansion fast enough. Overall this book comes highly recommended. I look forward to seeing Shadowland on NBC when the show comes out.

This is my second copy. I was young and impressionable when I first read it. Now I am older and need a second fix of possibility and dreaming. Not much measures up to the story. Fans of Stephen King and James Herbert will uncover a greater depth in plot and enjoy the creep toward conclusion. But it's not really a horror: more a suspense? It's about people; young people and their willingness to be led into others' beliefs. Kinship and friendship to a degree. Above all, it's magical and all contained in one single bound book. A book so difficult to put down, so engaging, and so easy to read again and again you'll need to buy two copies and put one in a safe place. Just in case one is disappeared.

One of the best books I have ever read. Was 12 when I first read it, I remember getting it from the local library. The story seared itself into my mind and I find myself returning to it every 10 years or so. Straub is always excellent but with Shadowland he has set a standard that has only been matched by Ghost Story, Koko and The Throat.Shadowland is the story of a boyhood friendship tested by tragedy, jealousy, and a desire to impress and gain the love of a dubious uncle who appears to be a master magician hellbent on setting the boys against each other. There is true magic at play in Shadowland, but is it white or black? And what is the cost of wielding that magic? The boys will find out as they spend an endless summer with their uncle. Their journey from the school to Shadowland, their adventures there, and the consequences of their rite of passage will haunt you long after you close the book. Straub weaves stories within stories and once again proves that he is a master craftsman.This book is a must read for fans of great fiction. If you like Clive Barker or Stephen King (or Richard Matheson, or Shirley Jackson) then you will love Shadowland. In fact, try to read Barker's 'The Thief of Always' if you like Shadowland (and vice versa). Shadowland still casts a long shadow.This edition of the book also has a lovely cover.ACTON

Great service and a book I can read every few years and still love it as much as I did the first time I read it.

Brilliant storytelling... With the first part set in the school, its slow and tedious at times and you want to just give up on it, but stay strong. The second half draws you in and has you on the edge of the seat till the very last page.

Just loved it. Atmospheric and unpredictable...yum, yum.