Title: Wylding Hall
Author: Elizabeth Hand
First published March 20, 2015
148 pages, Kindle Edition
Rating: 3.82
Overview
From the award-winning author of Waking the Moon comes a chilling tale of a British acid-folk band and their stay at the mysterious Wylding Hall. Their manager compels them to record their music there, but the ancient country house holds dark secrets.
While creating the album that will make their fame, lead singer Julian Blake disappears without a trace. Years later, the surviving band members, along with their friends and lovers, gather with a young filmmaker to recount their versions of events.
But as the stories unravel, the truth becomes more elusive, and the horror of what happened at Wylding Hall is finally revealed. Don’t miss this haunting novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
About the Author
Elizabeth Hand, an acclaimed author who has won multiple awards and has been recognized by the New York Times, has written seven novels, including the fan-favorite Waking the Moon, as well as several collections of short stories. Her writing has been featured in numerous publications, such as the Washington Post Book World and the Village Voice Literary Supplement.
When not writing, Hand spends her time with her two children between the beautiful coasts of Maine and North London.
Editoral Review
Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand is a haunting and eerie novel that explores the supernatural and the mysteries of the human spirit. Published on March 20, 2015, Hand presents a unique take on the horror genre by intertwining music and folklore, resulting in a captivating read that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish.
Hand is renowned for her works of speculative fiction and mystery and has won numerous awards for her works, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, and Shirley Jackson Awards. Her notable works include Waking the Moon, Black Light, and Available Dark, which have cemented her as a master of creating memorable characters and immersive worlds.
Wylding Hall revolves around a band of young musicians who travel to the remote English countryside to record their new album at the titular Wylding Hall. The novel is structured as a series of interviews with the band members years after their visit to the manor, with each member recounting their experiences and eventual disappearance of their lead singer, Julian Blake.
As the interviews proceed, it becomes increasingly clear that something much darker and otherworldly lies at the heart of the band’s stay in the hall. The characters in Wylding Hall are expertly crafted by Hand, and each member of the band is unique and memorable.
From the romantic tension between the singer, Julian, and the guitarist, Lesley, to the enigmatic and unsettling behavior of the hall’s owner, Hand deftly weaves complex relationships between the characters that pull the reader deeper into the story. One of the novel’s strengths is its use of setting, with Hand conjuring vivid images of the English countryside and the eerie, Gothic atmosphere of Wylding Hall.
The novel’s pacing is slow and deliberate, creating an unsettling sense of tension that builds to a terrifying and satisfying climax. However, the novel’s structure can be confusing at times, with the interviews jumping between perspectives and timelines.
While this can initially be disorienting, it ultimately adds to the feeling of unease that permeates the novel. In its use of music and folklore, Wylding Hall brings a fresh take on the horror genre, and Hand masterfully blends supernatural elements with the struggles and traumas that humans face.
The novel is a poignant exploration of loss, grief, and the ways in which we cope with the unknown. Overall, Wylding Hall is a beautifully crafted and haunting read that will appeal to fans of horror, folklore, and mystery.
Its well-crafted characters and vivid setting make it a standout work, and its poignant themes leave a lasting impression. The Washington Post gives it a score of 4.5 out of 5, and we highly recommend it to anyone looking for an eerie and thought-provoking read.
