Ash Wednesday (Tor Book)

Rating:
Summary: it rocks
Review: chet williamson is one of the most underated of all horror authors. the review i read online does not understand one of the most powerful concepts of horror fiction: mystery. williamsons depictions of ghosts that don't move or speak let's us use our most powerful device for trancendental horrific experiences: the power of IMAGINATION. highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Ash Wednesday defines "horror"
Review: I read this book close to 10 years ago, and it still pops up in conversations dealing with horror novels I have enjoyed. This book isn't a cheap thrill, run-of-the-mill slasher book like countless others that have driven the horror fiction industry to the brink of death. This novel brings the concept of horror to its' true home. The human heart and soul. The fact that the apparitions are not animated in any way forces the characters as WELL as the readers to examine themselves in a way many might not find so comfortable. You dont need a scaly monster or a knife weilding maniac to instill fear, or to haunt. Sometimes, all you need is a clear view into the depths of the human soul. There is where the real horror lives.

Rating:
Summary: Ash Wednesday defines "horror"
Review: Of this excellent book! They complain that the ghosts don't do anything, that the book focuses on how people react to them... But this is exactly the point! Any great fiction utilizes a device such as ghosts to give us a mirror with which to see ourselves a bit more clearly. That is exactly what Williamson does in Ash Wednesday. The ghosts aren't just spirits of the dead, they represent all of the past sins committed by the people of the town, and serve to remind them that no matter how deeply the past may appear to be buried, a day of reckoning will come for them.

Rating:
Summary: Many people miss the point...
Review: Of this excellent book! They complain that the ghosts don't do anything, that the book focuses on how people react to them... But this is exactly the point! Any great fiction utilizes a device such as ghosts to give us a mirror with which to see ourselves a bit more clearly. That is exactly what Williamson does in Ash Wednesday. The ghosts aren't just spirits of the dead, they represent all of the past sins committed by the people of the town, and serve to remind them that no matter how deeply the past may appear to be buried, a day of reckoning will come for them.