The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
by James Hogg
read: 2016
Guardian 1000 Novels

The structure of this novel is odd. The titular "memoirs and confessions" is presented as a document within the story, published a third of the way through the novel. The preceding third has a somewhat comical air, mocking the stern religious scruples of Reverend Wringhim and his ward Robert. For the most part, that section contains the story of Robert's brother George, but when George is murdered the tone shifts abruptly and it becomes a horror story told from Robert's perspective. Like in The Turn of the Screw, Hogg never spells out the nature of the supernatural evil and leaves the reader to wonder whether Gil-Martin is real or a figment of Robert's imagination.

The Turn of the Screw

The Turn of the Screw
by Henry James
read: 2016
Guardian 1000 Novels

Man, the ending is so weird and abrupt, and left me with a lot of unanswered questions. Why does Miles die? Is Flora spared his fate because she leaves Bly? Does the governess fail Miles in some way? Why did Miss Grose not see Miss Jessel while the governess does? Are the children being possessed by the ghosts or just manipulated? What is the master's role in all of this? Why did Miss Jessel die? Was the governess' death, only alluded to in the frame story, also premature and unnatural? Why have the frame story at all?

Locke and Key

Locke & Key
by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
read: 2016

It's been a while since I read a graphic novel, but a couple of my friends lent me this set with high recommendations. I don't generally think horror plays up well in the comics medium, and I can't say I was terrified by anything in Locke & Key, but the story was compelling. Like his father Stephen King, Hill spins tales of the supernatural that are grounded in relatable human struggles. One of my favorite parts involved Kinsey pulling fear and sadness out of her psyche through supernatural means. This has certain advantages as the family struggles to combat the evil forces haunting them, but it causes her to be cruel to her friends and love interests as she navigates high school. That sort of poignant twist makes Locke & Key stand out. There's a ton of clever plotting and backstory here, but the characters make those elements ultimately mean something.