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Come Closer
A recurrent, unidentifiable noise in her apartment. A memo to her boss that's replaced by obscene insults. Amanda—a successful architect in a happy marriage—finds her life going off kilter by degrees. She starts smoking again, and one night for no reason, without even the knowledge that she's doing it, she burns her husband with a cigarette. At night she dreams of a beautiful woman with pointed teeth on the shore of a blood-red sea.
The new voice in Amanda's head, the one that tells her to steal things and talk to strange men in bars, is strange and frightening, and Amanda struggles to wrest back control of her life. A book on demon possession suggests that the figure on the shore could be the demon Naamah, known to scholars of the Kabbalah as the second wife of Adam, who stole into his dreams and tricked him into fathering her child. Whatever the case, as the violence of her erratic behavior increases, Amanda knows that she must act to put her life right, or see it destroyed.
The new voice in Amanda's head, the one that tells her to steal things and talk to strange men in bars, is strange and frightening, and Amanda struggles to wrest back control of her life. A book on demon possession suggests that the figure on the shore could be the demon Naamah, known to scholars of the Kabbalah as the second wife of Adam, who stole into his dreams and tricked him into fathering her child. Whatever the case, as the violence of her erratic behavior increases, Amanda knows that she must act to put her life right, or see it destroyed.
168 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2003
About the author
Sara Gran
16 books1,769 followersSara Gran's most recent book is THE BOOK OF MOST PRECIOUS SUBSTANCE, available from Dreamland Books in the US and Faber Books in the UK. She is the author of 6 1/2 previous novels, a screenwriter, and a publisher.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,949 reviews
August 1, 2024
Wow!
I don’t think that I have any words that can describe this book.
I don’t wish to mention any spoilers, so…l guess that all l can say is, if you love a great psychological thriller, then this is the one to read.
There are a lot of things going on in this story. A lot of delusions. A lot of confusion. A lot of insanity. 😱 Beware! 😳
Highly recommended!
Five fantastic stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
I don’t think that I have any words that can describe this book.
I don’t wish to mention any spoilers, so…l guess that all l can say is, if you love a great psychological thriller, then this is the one to read.
There are a lot of things going on in this story. A lot of delusions. A lot of confusion. A lot of insanity. 😱 Beware! 😳
Highly recommended!
Five fantastic stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
October 31, 2020
HEY, QUARANTINERS! i wrote another readalong/booklist thing for f(r)iction! this book is on it: The Call Is Coming From Inside You
this is short and anything but sweet, somehow managing to pack a whole lot of creepiness into just under 200 pages.
it’s a story of a woman’s disintegration as she is invaded by a demonic presence that insinuates itself into her body and mind, slowly and irrevocably supplanting her free will, causing her to engage in increasingly self-destructive behaviors, blowing up her life as it sinks its claws ever-deeper into her mind; jeopardizing her marriage, her job, her reputation, and her list of “never have i evers,” leading her helplessly down a violent path…as much as she can recall of it.
it’s a truly chilling little story of a character’s descent into madness, her blackouts leaving the reader to fill in some of the pieces themselves, but showing enough of the gruesome aftermath to know that whatever she did, it ain’t gonna win her any good citizen awards.
a few months back, i read Freshwater, which is (in part) about possession manifesting as mental disorder/insanity, and i thought emezi did a fantastic job of writing that headspace—making it accessible and sympathetic to the reader. this is just as effective, but gran spins her similar situation in a different direction. instead of emezi's transcendent/poetic/mythological realm, Come Closer shows, through a tantalizingly slow psychological slippage, how easy it is to give in, to let it all go, how freeing, sometimes, to let the demon tear down the whole damn house of cards.
and that, my friends, is terrifying.
*********************************
SPOOKTOBER READING CONTINUES!!
come to my blog!
this is short and anything but sweet, somehow managing to pack a whole lot of creepiness into just under 200 pages.
it’s a story of a woman’s disintegration as she is invaded by a demonic presence that insinuates itself into her body and mind, slowly and irrevocably supplanting her free will, causing her to engage in increasingly self-destructive behaviors, blowing up her life as it sinks its claws ever-deeper into her mind; jeopardizing her marriage, her job, her reputation, and her list of “never have i evers,” leading her helplessly down a violent path…as much as she can recall of it.
it’s a truly chilling little story of a character’s descent into madness, her blackouts leaving the reader to fill in some of the pieces themselves, but showing enough of the gruesome aftermath to know that whatever she did, it ain’t gonna win her any good citizen awards.
a few months back, i read Freshwater, which is (in part) about possession manifesting as mental disorder/insanity, and i thought emezi did a fantastic job of writing that headspace—making it accessible and sympathetic to the reader. this is just as effective, but gran spins her similar situation in a different direction. instead of emezi's transcendent/poetic/mythological realm, Come Closer shows, through a tantalizingly slow psychological slippage, how easy it is to give in, to let it all go, how freeing, sometimes, to let the demon tear down the whole damn house of cards.
and that, my friends, is terrifying.
*********************************
SPOOKTOBER READING CONTINUES!!
come to my blog!
November 3, 2021
What scares you?
I’ve been reflecting on that question more and more as the true horror books I’ve read lately have failed to give me any reason to keep the lights on. After some analysis of my past Halloween reading lists, I’ve realized the following applies for me:
Not scary: Haunted houses, monsters, ghosts and witches
Scary: Demonic possession and creepy kids
Since I’ve read the “classics” with those tropes, the interwebs were helpful in directing me to this little 2006 gem by Sara Gran. In Come Closer, readers are taken into the first-person perspective of Amanda, a young woman who slowly begins to realize she’s possessed by a demon. While she’s aware of it - she knows who the demon is and has been able to research her origins back to a biblical story - there’s nothing she can do to rid herself of her sinister companion.
At a mere 194 pages, this novella packed the paranormal - and paranoia - punch I’d been looking for. Scary, indeed.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
I’ve been reflecting on that question more and more as the true horror books I’ve read lately have failed to give me any reason to keep the lights on. After some analysis of my past Halloween reading lists, I’ve realized the following applies for me:
Not scary: Haunted houses, monsters, ghosts and witches
Scary: Demonic possession and creepy kids
Since I’ve read the “classics” with those tropes, the interwebs were helpful in directing me to this little 2006 gem by Sara Gran. In Come Closer, readers are taken into the first-person perspective of Amanda, a young woman who slowly begins to realize she’s possessed by a demon. While she’s aware of it - she knows who the demon is and has been able to research her origins back to a biblical story - there’s nothing she can do to rid herself of her sinister companion.
At a mere 194 pages, this novella packed the paranormal - and paranoia - punch I’d been looking for. Scary, indeed.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
June 6, 2021
5.0 Stars
This is an incredibly short novel that manages to pack a punch in a limited number of pages. The details of the story are vivid and memorable, creating a sense of unease.
Told in the first person perspective, most of the horror of this book resides within the mind of protagonist. This unique choice blends together elements of traditional horror with psychological suspense. The story itself is fairly quiet and slow paced with minimal action, yet I found it to be incredibly suspenseful and psychologically scary.
The strength of the story should come from the subtle details and unreliable nature of the main character. This book deals with themes of marriage and mental health, while providing a horrorifying story. This has become my favourite horror novella... ever.
This is an incredibly short novel that manages to pack a punch in a limited number of pages. The details of the story are vivid and memorable, creating a sense of unease.
Told in the first person perspective, most of the horror of this book resides within the mind of protagonist. This unique choice blends together elements of traditional horror with psychological suspense. The story itself is fairly quiet and slow paced with minimal action, yet I found it to be incredibly suspenseful and psychologically scary.
The strength of the story should come from the subtle details and unreliable nature of the main character. This book deals with themes of marriage and mental health, while providing a horrorifying story. This has become my favourite horror novella... ever.
July 3, 2022
“Come Closer” by Sara Gran was such a genuine page-turner, it was extremely hard to put this novel down once I started. It was the first time I’ve ever read anything by Gran as her writing style is fantastic making it an amazing reading experience that checks all the boxes for this horror reader.
I won’t spoil anything for you but this was genuinely one of the creepiest, scariest, and most realistic demon possession novels I’ve ever read. It truly hits you from all angles as you start to see what ultimately happens to Amanda as you keep reading. Just flat-out terrifying, to say the least.
From the gory scenes, dialogue, characters, atmosphere, and insane ending, I’d highly recommend this novel to anyone that wants one hell of a demonic horror novel. It’s great, easy to read, and something I’ll never forget for years to come.
I give “Come Closer” by Sara Gran a perfect 5/5 as she has a new fan in me! Looking forward to reading her previous and future work as she’s truly an excellent author. This was a brilliantly written demonic horror novel that is perfect for a quick weekend read or something to keep you up as you read deep into the night in one sitting. It’s that good!
I won’t spoil anything for you but this was genuinely one of the creepiest, scariest, and most realistic demon possession novels I’ve ever read. It truly hits you from all angles as you start to see what ultimately happens to Amanda as you keep reading. Just flat-out terrifying, to say the least.
From the gory scenes, dialogue, characters, atmosphere, and insane ending, I’d highly recommend this novel to anyone that wants one hell of a demonic horror novel. It’s great, easy to read, and something I’ll never forget for years to come.
I give “Come Closer” by Sara Gran a perfect 5/5 as she has a new fan in me! Looking forward to reading her previous and future work as she’s truly an excellent author. This was a brilliantly written demonic horror novel that is perfect for a quick weekend read or something to keep you up as you read deep into the night in one sitting. It’s that good!
November 10, 2021
This has a super interesting premise, and I love the idea of this book — but the execution wasn’t my favorite. For how short of a book this is I’m surprised by how it felt so repetitive and almost like it was dragging? I think the concept is absolutely fascinating and I see what the author was trying to do, I just expected it to be a little more scary and creepy. While there were a few unsettling moments, it just didn’t do it for me sadly.
June 7, 2021
Sarah Gran's novella is a haunting horror thriller, interspersed with the darkest of humour, chillingly ambiguous about the central character, the suitably unreliable Amanda. She is an ambitious architect working on her biggest project to date, the Fitzgerald House, which she is hoping will lead to her moving on from her current employers, Fields and Carmine, to set up in business on her own. She is happily married to Ed, living in a loft apartment, where it all begins with the sinister tapping that never seems to stop, which we are later to learn is the first sign of demonic possession. From here, we slowly see the disintegration of Amanda, her personal and professional spiralling out of her control. As is stated by Amanda “We could devote our lives to making sense of the odd, the inexplicable, the coincidental. But most of us don’t, and I didn’t either.”
Without doubt, a series of strange and odd events do occur, the German Alsation dog close to home that was initially so friendly to Amanda, turning hostile and fearful, the all too vivid dreams, the rising number of arguments she has with Ed, the blackouts where she can remember nothing of what happens, the shoplifting, taking up smoking again after having successfully quit, and the delivery of the wrong book, Demon Possession, Past and Present. However, can Amanda's account really be trusted? Is she really possessed by the demon Naamah, her unfortunate history outlined in Christian and Jewish history or is it her mental health issues that are contributing to her breakdown? Amanda's disturbing and unsettling downwards slide into the concluding nightmare of horror is inevitable, marked by her increasing scores in the demonic possession quiz.
This is the perfect read for those time of the year where horror and supernatural fiction comes into its own, such as Halloween, or whenever you feel in the need to venture into darker reading territory. I particularly like the ambiguity of this relatively short story, with Amanda visiting the spiritual advisor, Sister Maria, and a psychotherapist, Dr Fenton, both unsettling in their different way for her. This is a wonderfully intense and eerie read, which I think will appeal to many readers of horror. Many thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book.
Without doubt, a series of strange and odd events do occur, the German Alsation dog close to home that was initially so friendly to Amanda, turning hostile and fearful, the all too vivid dreams, the rising number of arguments she has with Ed, the blackouts where she can remember nothing of what happens, the shoplifting, taking up smoking again after having successfully quit, and the delivery of the wrong book, Demon Possession, Past and Present. However, can Amanda's account really be trusted? Is she really possessed by the demon Naamah, her unfortunate history outlined in Christian and Jewish history or is it her mental health issues that are contributing to her breakdown? Amanda's disturbing and unsettling downwards slide into the concluding nightmare of horror is inevitable, marked by her increasing scores in the demonic possession quiz.
This is the perfect read for those time of the year where horror and supernatural fiction comes into its own, such as Halloween, or whenever you feel in the need to venture into darker reading territory. I particularly like the ambiguity of this relatively short story, with Amanda visiting the spiritual advisor, Sister Maria, and a psychotherapist, Dr Fenton, both unsettling in their different way for her. This is a wonderfully intense and eerie read, which I think will appeal to many readers of horror. Many thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book.
February 15, 2019
I just finished this book. I started it a couple days ago and I would have devoured it in one sitting but, you know--life--so I gulped down huge chunks of it in whatever reading time I could steal. I can't believe it's just under 200 pages! I feel like so much happened in these pages...
...certain things are going to scare certain people. Okay? Let's just start there. Not everything is going to have the same impact on every, single reader because we all come to the story with so much baggage--preferences, worldviews, triggers, perspectives, pet peeves, history, so much baggage.
For me, Sara Gran touches on a subject that hits very close to home. So, the protagonist, Amanda--I can relate to her.
Things happen to her that feel akin to my context.
And then when the author starts to turn up the heat and the bubbles begin to gather around the edges of the pot...the water starts getting warm...and then hot...hotter...and then BOILING...I felt it all. I felt everything Amanda did and it just straight terrified me.
This book got under my skin in the worst/best way.
Like, I even wondered about myself there for a minute, you know??
People who have read this book, are you nodding your head in agreement? Did you go over that checklist and you're like, hmmmm, I could score a 3 or a 4 right now...
Ack! *shivers*
Those of you who haven't read this book, this is for you:
I'm recommending this read for people who enjoy those psychological, unreliable-narrator, creeping-dread, disturbing stories that just get more and more messed up and crazy as it goes on.
Truly, there were some stand out moment here that if this was a movie, I’d cover my eyes.
Scary, scary, scary.
Maybe not for some--I understand that, but it was for ME. Big time.
...certain things are going to scare certain people. Okay? Let's just start there. Not everything is going to have the same impact on every, single reader because we all come to the story with so much baggage--preferences, worldviews, triggers, perspectives, pet peeves, history, so much baggage.
For me, Sara Gran touches on a subject that hits very close to home. So, the protagonist, Amanda--I can relate to her.
Things happen to her that feel akin to my context.
And then when the author starts to turn up the heat and the bubbles begin to gather around the edges of the pot...the water starts getting warm...and then hot...hotter...and then BOILING...I felt it all. I felt everything Amanda did and it just straight terrified me.
This book got under my skin in the worst/best way.
Like, I even wondered about myself there for a minute, you know??
People who have read this book, are you nodding your head in agreement? Did you go over that checklist and you're like, hmmmm, I could score a 3 or a 4 right now...
Ack! *shivers*
Those of you who haven't read this book, this is for you:
I'm recommending this read for people who enjoy those psychological, unreliable-narrator, creeping-dread, disturbing stories that just get more and more messed up and crazy as it goes on.
Truly, there were some stand out moment here that if this was a movie, I’d cover my eyes.
Scary, scary, scary.
Maybe not for some--I understand that, but it was for ME. Big time.
March 13, 2024
Thoroughly creepy and deeply unsettling, especially for how short it was. I loved it.
June 20, 2022
Gripping novella detailing someone's life taking a major U-turn. Unravelling from successful and happily married, to madness, paranoia, blackouts and possible demonic possession.
May 3, 2023
The Year of Women--in which I'm devoting 2021 to reading female authors only--comes out at the bell with a southpaw knockout punch. Published in 2003, Come Closer was the sophomore novel by author Sara Gran, whose jagged detective story Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead I very much liked when I read it a few years ago. I had no idea what I was in store for here (the choice of Bret Easton Ellis to write the blurb was foreboding). If you like first-person narratives that knock you on your ass, stop reading before I spoil anything and throw this on your reading docket.
Questions. Have profane Post-It notes appeared on a proposal you placed on your boss's desk? Do you hear strange tapping in the walls of your home? Have arguments between you and your husband become more frequent? Have you had unusual dreams lately? Do animals or children react strangely around you? Stress manifests itself in mysterious ways. Perhaps you need to relax, go somewhere and get away from it all. Maybe it's this election, or the pandemic. Or maybe you've been possessed by a demon.
Our narrator Amanda is an architect for a small firm. She lives with her husband of six years, Edward, in an apartment they purchased at her insistence, a fixer-upper in what was once an aspirin factory in an industrial section of town so deserted that stray dogs outnumber neighbors. Edward is on the neat and fussy side, but quirks and peccadilloes aside, Amanda has a stable marriage. Then she starts experiencing vivid dreams of an imaginary friend she hasn't thought of since she was a girl. She takes up cigarette smoking again. She orders a book titled Design Issues Past and Present but is instead delivered Demon Possession Past and Present.
On the first page there was a little quiz:
Are YOU Possessed by a Demon?
1. I hear strange noises in my home, especially at night, which family members tell me only occur when I am present.
2. I have new activities and pastimes that seem "out of character," and I do things that I did not intend and do not understand.
3. I'm short and ill-tempered with my friends and loved ones.
4. I can understand languages I've never studied, and have the ability to know things I couldn't know through ordinary means.
5. I have blackouts not caused by drugs, alcohol, or a pre-existing health condition.
6. I have unusual new thoughts, or hear voices in my head.
7. I've had visions or dreams of personalities who may be demons.
8. A psychic, minister, or other spiritualist has told me I'm possessed.
9. I have urges to hurt or kill animals and other people.
10. I have hurt or killed animals or people.
On the next page was an analysis of the quiz results. I had scored a four out of ten; there was the noise in our apartment, I had started smoking again, I had been fighting with Ed, and I had been having strange dreams.
0-3: You are probably not possessed. See a doctor or mental health professional for an evaluation.
3-6: You may be haunted, or in the early stages of possession. Seek a spiritual counselor for assistance.
6-10: You are possessed. Consult with your spiritual counselor immediately. You may be a threat to the safety of yourself and your family.
The first thing I LOVED about Come Closer is that Sara Gran isn't fucking around here. This is not another homage to the horror movies of the '70s or '80s with winks and elbows as it shuffles through scenarios we've seen before, slyly commenting on them. I don't want to read a joke book, I want to read something that seems real, and this novel did that. Gran doesn't barrel down the highway of any one genre. Amanda doesn't act like a character acting out a Psychological Thriller or a Black Comedy or a Horror novel. The author blurs the lines between genres with aplomb.
Gran has this wonderful plainsong prose that does propel the book forward and reminded me of a wallflower type, a socially withdrawn person who doesn't speak much but usually makes her words count, and possesses a great degree of wit. Amanda isn't static, though. As the book progresses, both her behavior and her delivery changes as she gradually falls under the influence of some voice or spirit within her which is at such odds with her body or lifestyle that I couldn't help but laugh. Gran brings these changes on very subtly. The devil is in the details.
I lit a cigarette. Edward gently rolled his eyes. We had made an agreement that I would keep my smoking in the loft to a minimum, a concession to Ed's tragic allergies. I ignored him. I smoked and looked at my book, half listening to the television. The cigarette was in its usual place between the first and second fingers of my right hand.
I thought, What if I stuck Edward with this cigarette?
Everyone has thoughts like this from time to time: What if I burned my husband? What I pushed him off this cliff? What if I jumped off this roof? The thought came into my head and then disappeared just as quickly. I lifted the cigarette to my lips for a last drag. Then, in my mind, I took it down to stub it out in the little white custard cup I used as an ashtray. Very nice, French, we had gotten a set of six as a wedding present, I don't remember from whom. I do know that I never before or after made a custard. In my mind my hand moved towards the table and snuffed out the cigarette in the little white cup. My fingers, with a chipped brown manicure, were at my lips, the brown filter suspended between the first and second fingers of my right hand. I took the last drag and then released my lips. I assumed my hand would move down to the table and put out the cigarette.
One of the criticisms of The Exorcist is that it's about men taming or torturing a young woman into submission. Come Closer is written completely from Amanda's point of view and as the demon Naamah gains more power, suggests that Amanda is being empowered, that her mild-mannered life before the demon was the prison and that with new powers, she can be set free. I was rooting for the demon, not the establishment to make Amanda all better again. And Gran doesn't wimp out on the ending. She doesn't come to the page lightly. She made a mark on me.
Word count: 55,506 words
Sara Gran was born in 1971. Her website states she was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and that she now lives in California.
Questions. Have profane Post-It notes appeared on a proposal you placed on your boss's desk? Do you hear strange tapping in the walls of your home? Have arguments between you and your husband become more frequent? Have you had unusual dreams lately? Do animals or children react strangely around you? Stress manifests itself in mysterious ways. Perhaps you need to relax, go somewhere and get away from it all. Maybe it's this election, or the pandemic. Or maybe you've been possessed by a demon.
Our narrator Amanda is an architect for a small firm. She lives with her husband of six years, Edward, in an apartment they purchased at her insistence, a fixer-upper in what was once an aspirin factory in an industrial section of town so deserted that stray dogs outnumber neighbors. Edward is on the neat and fussy side, but quirks and peccadilloes aside, Amanda has a stable marriage. Then she starts experiencing vivid dreams of an imaginary friend she hasn't thought of since she was a girl. She takes up cigarette smoking again. She orders a book titled Design Issues Past and Present but is instead delivered Demon Possession Past and Present.
On the first page there was a little quiz:
Are YOU Possessed by a Demon?
1. I hear strange noises in my home, especially at night, which family members tell me only occur when I am present.
2. I have new activities and pastimes that seem "out of character," and I do things that I did not intend and do not understand.
3. I'm short and ill-tempered with my friends and loved ones.
4. I can understand languages I've never studied, and have the ability to know things I couldn't know through ordinary means.
5. I have blackouts not caused by drugs, alcohol, or a pre-existing health condition.
6. I have unusual new thoughts, or hear voices in my head.
7. I've had visions or dreams of personalities who may be demons.
8. A psychic, minister, or other spiritualist has told me I'm possessed.
9. I have urges to hurt or kill animals and other people.
10. I have hurt or killed animals or people.
On the next page was an analysis of the quiz results. I had scored a four out of ten; there was the noise in our apartment, I had started smoking again, I had been fighting with Ed, and I had been having strange dreams.
0-3: You are probably not possessed. See a doctor or mental health professional for an evaluation.
3-6: You may be haunted, or in the early stages of possession. Seek a spiritual counselor for assistance.
6-10: You are possessed. Consult with your spiritual counselor immediately. You may be a threat to the safety of yourself and your family.
The first thing I LOVED about Come Closer is that Sara Gran isn't fucking around here. This is not another homage to the horror movies of the '70s or '80s with winks and elbows as it shuffles through scenarios we've seen before, slyly commenting on them. I don't want to read a joke book, I want to read something that seems real, and this novel did that. Gran doesn't barrel down the highway of any one genre. Amanda doesn't act like a character acting out a Psychological Thriller or a Black Comedy or a Horror novel. The author blurs the lines between genres with aplomb.
Gran has this wonderful plainsong prose that does propel the book forward and reminded me of a wallflower type, a socially withdrawn person who doesn't speak much but usually makes her words count, and possesses a great degree of wit. Amanda isn't static, though. As the book progresses, both her behavior and her delivery changes as she gradually falls under the influence of some voice or spirit within her which is at such odds with her body or lifestyle that I couldn't help but laugh. Gran brings these changes on very subtly. The devil is in the details.
I lit a cigarette. Edward gently rolled his eyes. We had made an agreement that I would keep my smoking in the loft to a minimum, a concession to Ed's tragic allergies. I ignored him. I smoked and looked at my book, half listening to the television. The cigarette was in its usual place between the first and second fingers of my right hand.
I thought, What if I stuck Edward with this cigarette?
Everyone has thoughts like this from time to time: What if I burned my husband? What I pushed him off this cliff? What if I jumped off this roof? The thought came into my head and then disappeared just as quickly. I lifted the cigarette to my lips for a last drag. Then, in my mind, I took it down to stub it out in the little white custard cup I used as an ashtray. Very nice, French, we had gotten a set of six as a wedding present, I don't remember from whom. I do know that I never before or after made a custard. In my mind my hand moved towards the table and snuffed out the cigarette in the little white cup. My fingers, with a chipped brown manicure, were at my lips, the brown filter suspended between the first and second fingers of my right hand. I took the last drag and then released my lips. I assumed my hand would move down to the table and put out the cigarette.
One of the criticisms of The Exorcist is that it's about men taming or torturing a young woman into submission. Come Closer is written completely from Amanda's point of view and as the demon Naamah gains more power, suggests that Amanda is being empowered, that her mild-mannered life before the demon was the prison and that with new powers, she can be set free. I was rooting for the demon, not the establishment to make Amanda all better again. And Gran doesn't wimp out on the ending. She doesn't come to the page lightly. She made a mark on me.
Word count: 55,506 words
Sara Gran was born in 1971. Her website states she was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and that she now lives in California.
October 12, 2023
Mira que odio las historias de posesiones y lo que he amado este libro.
Que si las odio es porque me dan miedo, y este libro da bastante mal rollo, no lo voy a negar, hay cosas que me pusieron la piel de gallina... pero también me hizo reír, me hizo empatizar, me indignó...
Es un libro breve que cuenta su historia con mucha habilidad, que te engancha desde la primera página y va arrastrando cada vez más para conocer a ese demonio que ¿a quién no ha conquistado?
Un libro sobre los impulsos que todos tenemos (los lleguemos a liberar o no), sobre la vida de muchas parejas, la carga de muchas mujeres, sobre nuestra sociedad actual y sobre ese absurdo espejismo que queremos crear de nuestras vidas con nosotros mismos.
Sigo pensando en él.
Que si las odio es porque me dan miedo, y este libro da bastante mal rollo, no lo voy a negar, hay cosas que me pusieron la piel de gallina... pero también me hizo reír, me hizo empatizar, me indignó...
Es un libro breve que cuenta su historia con mucha habilidad, que te engancha desde la primera página y va arrastrando cada vez más para conocer a ese demonio que ¿a quién no ha conquistado?
Un libro sobre los impulsos que todos tenemos (los lleguemos a liberar o no), sobre la vida de muchas parejas, la carga de muchas mujeres, sobre nuestra sociedad actual y sobre ese absurdo espejismo que queremos crear de nuestras vidas con nosotros mismos.
Sigo pensando en él.
February 10, 2022
One of those short, shocking stories, Come Closer is a terrific little descent into terror. The dreadful images stay with you, although most of the gore is out of sight, as the main character has trouble remembering the worst of her acts. There are enough that she does recall to keep you cringing. Sara Gran has heaps of talent.
July 13, 2023
Come Closer is a tragic and horrifying tale about a woman's decent into madness.
When main character, Amanda, realizes she is hearing strange sounds and visions she is terrified of her drastic change in behavior. - Fighting with her husband, terrifying dreams, picking up strange men, and waking up covered in blood in strange places.
Is she possessed by a demon? Or is she insane? This may be short but it sure packs a powerful punch. The ultimate in psychological terror. Definitely plan on reading more of Gran's work.
When main character, Amanda, realizes she is hearing strange sounds and visions she is terrified of her drastic change in behavior. - Fighting with her husband, terrifying dreams, picking up strange men, and waking up covered in blood in strange places.
Is she possessed by a demon? Or is she insane? This may be short but it sure packs a powerful punch. The ultimate in psychological terror. Definitely plan on reading more of Gran's work.
June 2, 2018
Many of the popular horror story tropes don't really affect me. Vampires, zombies, slasher killers, monsters. But demonic possession always freaks me out a little. Losing control of myself has always been one of my biggest fears, and the idea that a purely evil spirit is capable of controlling my susceptible body, soul, and thoughts is a little nerve-wracking. This book is a very well-done portrait of one woman as she slowly loses that control.
Author Sara Gran skillfully crafts this perfectly paced descent. How terrifying would it be to lose long lengths of time from your day, not knowing what happened, or what you did during that time? I love the subtlety and control of tone Gran maintains through most of the book. It's not all out horror, but instead it's a great psychological exploration, creepy and hypnotic.
*By the way, this little book has some great covers. Here's probably the coolest cover:
Author Sara Gran skillfully crafts this perfectly paced descent. How terrifying would it be to lose long lengths of time from your day, not knowing what happened, or what you did during that time? I love the subtlety and control of tone Gran maintains through most of the book. It's not all out horror, but instead it's a great psychological exploration, creepy and hypnotic.
*By the way, this little book has some great covers. Here's probably the coolest cover:
October 9, 2018
2.5 stars. This was such a weird lil book.
But as much as I try, mostly what I remember is the bedroom filled with blood.
At under 200 pages, Come Closer is a delightfully fast read. Also can I just say how much I fucking love this cover!
LOOK AT IT!
Unfortunately, it's not exactly the most original, or exciting. The story starts out on a track where you think you know will happen. Then...it happens. It's very predictable.
It was occasionally interesting. I will ALWAYS have a soft spot for possession stories, and with such a small page count it was easy to fly through the story. But the brevity of the story also worked against it. There was barely any time to develop Amanda and Ed as characters. It's just like, boom here are your characters and now let the (predictably) spooky stuff start.
It's also really not scary. I wanted to be chilled or spooked or creeped out or something. I got some cool imagery of a bloody lake and sharp teeth? But no chills. Which is especially disappointing during my favorite month - October, aka Halloween days 1 - 31.
“I choose you,” she said.
“You’ll never leave?” I asked.
“Never,” she said. “Nothing can get me out.”
Really, it needed more time to develop, to make me care about the characters. How am I supposed to root for Amanda when I have no sense of what it is she's losing? Her family, her career, her identity - I know logically what's at stake, but it's hard to care about it at all.
Come Closer unfortunately never ascends beyond a straightforward, shallow story. It sometimes entertains, but fails to achieve anything beyond the predictable.
But as much as I try, mostly what I remember is the bedroom filled with blood.
At under 200 pages, Come Closer is a delightfully fast read. Also can I just say how much I fucking love this cover!
LOOK AT IT!
Unfortunately, it's not exactly the most original, or exciting. The story starts out on a track where you think you know will happen. Then...it happens. It's very predictable.
It was occasionally interesting. I will ALWAYS have a soft spot for possession stories, and with such a small page count it was easy to fly through the story. But the brevity of the story also worked against it. There was barely any time to develop Amanda and Ed as characters. It's just like, boom here are your characters and now let the (predictably) spooky stuff start.
It's also really not scary. I wanted to be chilled or spooked or creeped out or something. I got some cool imagery of a bloody lake and sharp teeth? But no chills. Which is especially disappointing during my favorite month - October, aka Halloween days 1 - 31.
“I choose you,” she said.
“You’ll never leave?” I asked.
“Never,” she said. “Nothing can get me out.”
Really, it needed more time to develop, to make me care about the characters. How am I supposed to root for Amanda when I have no sense of what it is she's losing? Her family, her career, her identity - I know logically what's at stake, but it's hard to care about it at all.
Come Closer unfortunately never ascends beyond a straightforward, shallow story. It sometimes entertains, but fails to achieve anything beyond the predictable.
April 14, 2021
oh wow this was fucking boring 🥱
April 27, 2024
This novella started off slow, the characters seem to have nothing to know about them just standard regular people. And the plot was classic possessing story that followed many at the same beats every other possessing story.
It was right around the halfway point that things really kicked off for me. Things got more exciting in the characters Individual personalities became more well-rounded. They were still regular people but they felt more real like this kind of person you could actually meet. You could really feel like you knew them, and was key to impact of all the horrible things that happened to them.
The end of the blew me away! It was perfect. When the book was creeping towards the end I didn’t think there’s gonna be enough time to get everything finished, it didn’t look like there was enough of a page count left to do so. This equal some very intensive pages of horror.
I can really appreciate the slow start at I finish the story having all the little build ups and character moments that came with it. It was a slow burn done, right. But this gives a point of warning, if you decide to get this book of chance is up with the right expectations that it is a little burnt at the start but it is worth it and it will pay off in the second half.
It was right around the halfway point that things really kicked off for me. Things got more exciting in the characters Individual personalities became more well-rounded. They were still regular people but they felt more real like this kind of person you could actually meet. You could really feel like you knew them, and was key to impact of all the horrible things that happened to them.
The end of the blew me away! It was perfect. When the book was creeping towards the end I didn’t think there’s gonna be enough time to get everything finished, it didn’t look like there was enough of a page count left to do so. This equal some very intensive pages of horror.
I can really appreciate the slow start at I finish the story having all the little build ups and character moments that came with it. It was a slow burn done, right. But this gives a point of warning, if you decide to get this book of chance is up with the right expectations that it is a little burnt at the start but it is worth it and it will pay off in the second half.
July 6, 2022
I loved this book!
We could devote our lives to making sense of the odd, the inexplicable, the coincidental. But most of us don’t, and I didn’t either.
Come Closer is a quick, dark tale of a women's slow descent into demonic possession. The plot was well thought out and felt more realistic than most of the other possession books out there.
She might be the kind of person who takes men like that and rips them limb from fucking limb with her bare hands.
This is a great pallet cleanser for any horror reader. I highly recommend. 5 stars!
We could devote our lives to making sense of the odd, the inexplicable, the coincidental. But most of us don’t, and I didn’t either.
Come Closer is a quick, dark tale of a women's slow descent into demonic possession. The plot was well thought out and felt more realistic than most of the other possession books out there.
She might be the kind of person who takes men like that and rips them limb from fucking limb with her bare hands.
This is a great pallet cleanser for any horror reader. I highly recommend. 5 stars!
June 25, 2024
"Podríamos dedicar nuestras vidas a encontrarle sentido a lo extraño, a lo inexplicable, a lo fortuito, pero la mayoría de nosotros no lo hacemos. Y yo tampoco lo hice."
La biblioteca de Carfax nos trae esta pequeña novela sobre posesiones demoníacas de la autora Sara Gran. Con prólogo de Mariana Enríquez 👌🏻🖤
En ella nos cuenta como Amanda, una joven arquitecta de 36 años que vive con su marido Ed, le empiezan a suceder una serie de hechos que cada vez van cobrando un cariz más siniestro. Lo que al principio se manifiesta como unos simples golpeteos rítmicos (toc, toc) muy poco a poco va cobrando más protagonismo en su vida, llegando incluso a tener extraños sueños donde una bella mujer muy parecida a ella pero con una larga cabellera negra y unos dientes afilados, se le aparece cada vez más en ese mundo onírico de pesadilla que cada vez va teniendo mayor relevancia en su día a día.
En ellos solo está la enigmática mujer y una playa roja como la sangre🩸
Lo cierto es que esperaba mucho más, en parte a las buenas críticas que he leído y a esa portada tan llamativa y perturbadora, pero la historia no me ha llegado, y la forma de narrarla menos.
Uno de los principales elementos que ha hecho que no conecte del todo con esta lectura como digo, es su prosa, tan directa y sin pararse en descripciones irrelevantes que puede parecer muy simple y fría.
Esto, a su vez, ha facilitado enormemente su lectura, sumado a unos capítulos muy cortos hacen que te leas la novela prácticamente de una sentada.
Es un terror muy sutil, con alguna escena inquietante pero nada más. También las notas de humor serán protagonistas sobre todo al empezar la historia, reconozco que lograron sacarme alguna sonrisa pero sobre todo me dejaron descolocada, en especial en las que un perro era el protagonista.
Pero poco a poco se irá volviendo todo más oscuro.
Sueños incluidos.
"La batalla era solo mía y era obvio lo rápido que la estaba perdiendo."
Me ha gustado la perspectiva que Sara Gran le ha dado a la historia, haciendo que sea Amanda la que nos narre los cambios que va sintiendo. En ese sentido no es la típica historia de posesiones, porque sentiremos todo como si fuéramos la propia Amanda. Su terror e impotencia ante determinadas situaciones y cambios que se van dando y la total incomprensión de su entorno ante estos hechos, en especial de su marido, Ed.
Otro aspecto a destacar es la parte donde conoceremos al ente demoníaco y sus orígenes; Naamah se muestra como una mujer poderosa, gemela de la bíblica Lilith, con un gran poder de seducción sobre los hombres.
Lo he leído en conjunta con Devoradora de libros y hemos tenido percepciones muy similares.
En definitiva, no es la novela sobre posesiones demoníacas que esperábamos.
No hay exorcismos, algo que por otro lado agradezco ya que en mi caso ha llegado a un punto que, en general y depende de como me lo muestren, no me aportan nada nuevo. Pero, lamentablemente, la prosa me ha parecido muy simple y la historia muy previsible.
Lo mejor es el prólogo de Mariana Enríquez, aunque a mi juicio destripa demasiado de la trama, la perspectiva que se le da a la novela, siendo la propia poseída la que narra los cambios que le van sucediendo y los temas que abarca, llegando a tocar algo tan sensible como la salud mental así como los convencionalismos sociales a los que las mujeres tenemos que amoldarnos, más en concreto a los roles de pareja o la liberación de las represiones que nos rodean. En este sentido, a Naamah se la representa como fuente de esa ansiada liberación.
Un último apunte son algunas erratas que me he encontrado durante su lectura ⤵️
✍🏻 Como la de la página 150: "[...] con una sonrisa burlona a mis espadas."
Y ocho páginas más adelante otra: "[...] y luego seabrieron aun más [...]"
Cosillas a mejorar si hubieran otras ediciones 👌🏻
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?i... 🖤📖
La biblioteca de Carfax nos trae esta pequeña novela sobre posesiones demoníacas de la autora Sara Gran. Con prólogo de Mariana Enríquez 👌🏻🖤
En ella nos cuenta como Amanda, una joven arquitecta de 36 años que vive con su marido Ed, le empiezan a suceder una serie de hechos que cada vez van cobrando un cariz más siniestro. Lo que al principio se manifiesta como unos simples golpeteos rítmicos (toc, toc) muy poco a poco va cobrando más protagonismo en su vida, llegando incluso a tener extraños sueños donde una bella mujer muy parecida a ella pero con una larga cabellera negra y unos dientes afilados, se le aparece cada vez más en ese mundo onírico de pesadilla que cada vez va teniendo mayor relevancia en su día a día.
En ellos solo está la enigmática mujer y una playa roja como la sangre🩸
Lo cierto es que esperaba mucho más, en parte a las buenas críticas que he leído y a esa portada tan llamativa y perturbadora, pero la historia no me ha llegado, y la forma de narrarla menos.
Uno de los principales elementos que ha hecho que no conecte del todo con esta lectura como digo, es su prosa, tan directa y sin pararse en descripciones irrelevantes que puede parecer muy simple y fría.
Esto, a su vez, ha facilitado enormemente su lectura, sumado a unos capítulos muy cortos hacen que te leas la novela prácticamente de una sentada.
Es un terror muy sutil, con alguna escena inquietante pero nada más. También las notas de humor serán protagonistas sobre todo al empezar la historia, reconozco que lograron sacarme alguna sonrisa pero sobre todo me dejaron descolocada, en especial en las que un perro era el protagonista.
Pero poco a poco se irá volviendo todo más oscuro.
Sueños incluidos.
"La batalla era solo mía y era obvio lo rápido que la estaba perdiendo."
Me ha gustado la perspectiva que Sara Gran le ha dado a la historia, haciendo que sea Amanda la que nos narre los cambios que va sintiendo. En ese sentido no es la típica historia de posesiones, porque sentiremos todo como si fuéramos la propia Amanda. Su terror e impotencia ante determinadas situaciones y cambios que se van dando y la total incomprensión de su entorno ante estos hechos, en especial de su marido, Ed.
Otro aspecto a destacar es la parte donde conoceremos al ente demoníaco y sus orígenes; Naamah se muestra como una mujer poderosa, gemela de la bíblica Lilith, con un gran poder de seducción sobre los hombres.
Lo he leído en conjunta con Devoradora de libros y hemos tenido percepciones muy similares.
En definitiva, no es la novela sobre posesiones demoníacas que esperábamos.
No hay exorcismos, algo que por otro lado agradezco ya que en mi caso ha llegado a un punto que, en general y depende de como me lo muestren, no me aportan nada nuevo. Pero, lamentablemente, la prosa me ha parecido muy simple y la historia muy previsible.
Lo mejor es el prólogo de Mariana Enríquez, aunque a mi juicio destripa demasiado de la trama, la perspectiva que se le da a la novela, siendo la propia poseída la que narra los cambios que le van sucediendo y los temas que abarca, llegando a tocar algo tan sensible como la salud mental así como los convencionalismos sociales a los que las mujeres tenemos que amoldarnos, más en concreto a los roles de pareja o la liberación de las represiones que nos rodean. En este sentido, a Naamah se la representa como fuente de esa ansiada liberación.
Un último apunte son algunas erratas que me he encontrado durante su lectura ⤵️
✍🏻 Como la de la página 150: "[...] con una sonrisa burlona a mis espadas."
Y ocho páginas más adelante otra: "[...] y luego seabrieron aun más [...]"
Cosillas a mejorar si hubieran otras ediciones 👌🏻
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?i... 🖤📖
October 17, 2016
Great literary horror is few and far between, so when my friends at Goodreads* started raving about a book called Come Closer, I had to read it.
Sara Gran has written more than a dark fiction about demon possession, she wrote a book about the female psyche, about the impulse of civilized people to do harm to those we love and those we don't know, and she gave her story a shot of the old "turn of the screw" by having a pretty, confident architect inadvertently invite the spirit Naamah from Jewish lore to take over her mind and whittle the world away until there is nothing left but these two.
Amanda lives in Manhattan with her husband, Edward, and theirs is a solid marriage. Trendy restaurants and flea-market weekends make up their complacent existence. But the tapping in the walls of their small apartment follow them to their dream loft, and one day Amanda receives a book she didn't order on how to tell if you're possessed by a demon—complete with quizzes—and she starts wondering about puzzling urges that have overtaken her daily life, such as the urge to steal small items from stores or burn her husband with her cigarette or drown the young daughter of a friend. At night she dreams of lying on a red beach next to a woman with crazy hair and pointy teeth who hugs her so fiercely she can barely breathe. Then come the blackouts and the coming to consciousness in hotel rooms with strange men. She starts scoring higher on the quizzes, but is she really possessed, or is it a case of a woman on a downward spiral into insanity?
Sara Gran has written more than a dark fiction about demon possession, she wrote a book about the female psyche, about the impulse of civilized people to do harm to those we love and those we don't know, and she gave her story a shot of the old "turn of the screw" by having a pretty, confident architect inadvertently invite the spirit Naamah from Jewish lore to take over her mind and whittle the world away until there is nothing left but these two.
Amanda lives in Manhattan with her husband, Edward, and theirs is a solid marriage. Trendy restaurants and flea-market weekends make up their complacent existence. But the tapping in the walls of their small apartment follow them to their dream loft, and one day Amanda receives a book she didn't order on how to tell if you're possessed by a demon—complete with quizzes—and she starts wondering about puzzling urges that have overtaken her daily life, such as the urge to steal small items from stores or burn her husband with her cigarette or drown the young daughter of a friend. At night she dreams of lying on a red beach next to a woman with crazy hair and pointy teeth who hugs her so fiercely she can barely breathe. Then come the blackouts and the coming to consciousness in hotel rooms with strange men. She starts scoring higher on the quizzes, but is she really possessed, or is it a case of a woman on a downward spiral into insanity?
March 30, 2024
Por ahora puedo decir con seguridad que me ha fascinado, el nivel de inmersión en la mente de la protagonista y esa dicotomía que se va desarrollando a lo largo de la historia me ha hipnotizado por completo.
Reseña.
Amanda tiene una vida exitosa, con planes, aspiraciones, está casada, y todo va según su "rutina", hasta que comienza a experimentar extraños cambios, pensamientos, escuchar ruidos, hacer cosas que no haría, y que la irán perturbando cada vez más.
La autora nos presenta una delgada línea entorno a la posesión, donde nosotros, los lectores, tendremos que sacar nuestras propias conclusiones.
El nivel de inmersión en la mente de la protagonista y la dicotomía que vemos desarrollarse a lo largo de la historia hipnotizan por completo. El cómo cada parte se enfrenta a la situación estremece profundamente, por un lado se nos presenta el dominio, la seducción, tentación, y por el otro soledad, angustia, pérdida y sobre todo desconcierto e incredulidad.
Y por si fuera poco unas líneas finales que cierran perfectamente esta corta pero minuciosa historia, haciéndola cercana, inquietante, terrorífica y dejando ese exquisito destello de incertidumbre.
De forma superficial puede sentirse predecible, pero lo importante aquí está en el proceso, lo que transmite, en el camino recorrido, en lo que trasciende.
Sin duda, este pequeño libro, muy original en sus características, se fue directo a mi lista de mejores lecturas del año 2023.🖤
Reseña.
Amanda tiene una vida exitosa, con planes, aspiraciones, está casada, y todo va según su "rutina", hasta que comienza a experimentar extraños cambios, pensamientos, escuchar ruidos, hacer cosas que no haría, y que la irán perturbando cada vez más.
La autora nos presenta una delgada línea entorno a la posesión, donde nosotros, los lectores, tendremos que sacar nuestras propias conclusiones.
El nivel de inmersión en la mente de la protagonista y la dicotomía que vemos desarrollarse a lo largo de la historia hipnotizan por completo. El cómo cada parte se enfrenta a la situación estremece profundamente, por un lado se nos presenta el dominio, la seducción, tentación, y por el otro soledad, angustia, pérdida y sobre todo desconcierto e incredulidad.
Y por si fuera poco unas líneas finales que cierran perfectamente esta corta pero minuciosa historia, haciéndola cercana, inquietante, terrorífica y dejando ese exquisito destello de incertidumbre.
De forma superficial puede sentirse predecible, pero lo importante aquí está en el proceso, lo que transmite, en el camino recorrido, en lo que trasciende.
Sin duda, este pequeño libro, muy original en sus características, se fue directo a mi lista de mejores lecturas del año 2023.🖤
July 11, 2024
This was a very interesting novella length possession tale about the slow disintegration of the protagonists' life; both mentally, psychologically and physically; that to me seems lacking (albeit not in any extreme way) in the necessary horror and chills factor.
It's certainly not lacking in atmosphere and in how the story depicts the internal processes of our protagonist as she questions her reality and her world slowly unravels before her eyes.
This reads more like a supernatural thriller rather than horror but nevertheless still enjoyable. Recommended.
2022 Read
It's certainly not lacking in atmosphere and in how the story depicts the internal processes of our protagonist as she questions her reality and her world slowly unravels before her eyes.
This reads more like a supernatural thriller rather than horror but nevertheless still enjoyable. Recommended.
2022 Read
July 18, 2011
I discovered this book last year at a bookstore and was immediately attracted by the french cover (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76...) and then the synopsis. But at the time, only the hardcover was available and it was too expensive so I waited for the paperback version... goodness, I did well. No wonder we say "Don't judge a book by its cover".
The good points of this book are that it's short and easy to read... that's all for me.
The only thing that comes to mind after the last page (well actually during the whole thing) is boring.
I was expecting something scary... it wasn't in the slightest. From the start we know exactly what's happening, then we understand quickly what will happen and can easily guess how it'll end.
Moreover, the fact that no "relationship" is built between the reader and the main character doesn't help at all in creating a creepy, disturbing, frightening ambiance. I didn't care about Amanda, I didn't feel anything towards her, I kept reading because I was curious to see how it would end. I don't know how to explain but it felt a bit like observing ants and their routine just out of curiosity and not because you care. I felt utterly indifferent to Amanda and her husband.
I wouldn't say it's a bad book or I wouldn't have finished it but with so many good reviews and such an interesting synopsis, I was expecting much more than that. I guess I'm just not the right reader for this kind of novel because I'm sorry but Come Closer is certainly not a scary novel to me.
The good points of this book are that it's short and easy to read... that's all for me.
The only thing that comes to mind after the last page (well actually during the whole thing) is boring.
I was expecting something scary... it wasn't in the slightest. From the start we know exactly what's happening, then we understand quickly what will happen and can easily guess how it'll end.
Moreover, the fact that no "relationship" is built between the reader and the main character doesn't help at all in creating a creepy, disturbing, frightening ambiance. I didn't care about Amanda, I didn't feel anything towards her, I kept reading because I was curious to see how it would end. I don't know how to explain but it felt a bit like observing ants and their routine just out of curiosity and not because you care. I felt utterly indifferent to Amanda and her husband.
I wouldn't say it's a bad book or I wouldn't have finished it but with so many good reviews and such an interesting synopsis, I was expecting much more than that. I guess I'm just not the right reader for this kind of novel because I'm sorry but Come Closer is certainly not a scary novel to me.
July 14, 2021
Well, that was grim.
March 20, 2021
The dialogue used in the opening few pages of Come Closer made me think “am I actually going to enjoy this?!”
But as soon as I got into the main bulk of this fast paced story, I was hooked.
It follows a woman called Amanda, and her husband Edward, as slowly cracks start to appear in their relationship. Often, arguments that they have are accompanied by a strange tapping noise in their home.
Over time, there are subtle changes to Amanda, such as little parts of her appearance and her temperament. She finds herself feeling increasingly more annoyed by her husband and one day she impulsively stubs out her cigarette on his hand. It starts out as an intrusive thought and then all of a sudden, she acts on it and starts feeling more out of control of her own actions and emotions...
But what is causing Amanda to act this way?
She often dreams of a woman with long black hair, sharp teeth and a scarlet red beach. She remembers this mystery woman from her dreams as her imaginary friend friend from childhood.
She picks up some books about Demons, trying to find some answers.
Could it be a Demon possessing Amanda or is she losing grip on her sanity?
Come Closer is a creepy tale which builds suspense and the eery feeling that *something* is wrong very well. You do find yourself racing towards the end, wanting to know exactly what is going on with Amanda.
”We could devote our lives to making sense of the odd, the inexplicable, the coincidental. But most of us don’t, and I didn��t either.”
But as soon as I got into the main bulk of this fast paced story, I was hooked.
It follows a woman called Amanda, and her husband Edward, as slowly cracks start to appear in their relationship. Often, arguments that they have are accompanied by a strange tapping noise in their home.
Over time, there are subtle changes to Amanda, such as little parts of her appearance and her temperament. She finds herself feeling increasingly more annoyed by her husband and one day she impulsively stubs out her cigarette on his hand. It starts out as an intrusive thought and then all of a sudden, she acts on it and starts feeling more out of control of her own actions and emotions...
But what is causing Amanda to act this way?
She often dreams of a woman with long black hair, sharp teeth and a scarlet red beach. She remembers this mystery woman from her dreams as her imaginary friend friend from childhood.
She picks up some books about Demons, trying to find some answers.
Could it be a Demon possessing Amanda or is she losing grip on her sanity?
Come Closer is a creepy tale which builds suspense and the eery feeling that *something* is wrong very well. You do find yourself racing towards the end, wanting to know exactly what is going on with Amanda.
”We could devote our lives to making sense of the odd, the inexplicable, the coincidental. But most of us don’t, and I didn��t either.”
February 18, 2024
Clasificado como en parte thriller y en parte terror, Acércate es una buena lectura para los amantes de esos géneros en particular. Con 200 páginas, no tomará mucho tiempo leerlo, pero la acción comienza en la página uno y no acaba hasta la última pagina. En un intenso y emocionante viaje psicológico que hace que uno se pregunte qué significa ser feliz o estar loco, ser dueño de sí mismo o estar poseído por un demonio.
Amanda está descontenta con su vida, lo cual es una gran razón (en mi opinión) por la cual ciertos eventos se desarrollan como lo hacen. Ha cambiado todo por su marido y, en última instancia, no actúa de acuerdo con su verdadero yo en el día a día. Debido a su irritación inconsciente por su vida, el lector siente simpatía por Amanda incluso cuando sus acciones y ciertos eventos se salen de control. Se podría argumentar entonces que la posesión es una metáfora de la libertad: libertad de las restricciones autoimpuestas que ella misma agregó a su vida. cuando decidió establecerse con su marido, la libertad de ser quien realmente debía ser.
El tema de la posesión es, en sí mismo, bastante interesante. ¿Es una metáfora de la libertad, de la locura, de la obsesión, de la pérdida de control o de todo lo anterior? También se podría argumentar que la posesión demoníaca es un hecho real. Independientemente de las creencias de cada uno, lo que le ocurre a Amanda genera algunas preguntas interesantes. ¿Hasta dónde deberían llegar los seres queridos para salvar a alguien de una espiral descendente, por el motivo que sea? ¿Lo combatimos? ¿Nos rendimos o cedemos a las demandas de uno? ¿Nos sentamos y observamos lo que sucedió sin pestañear?
Acércate es deliciosamente espeluznante, atractivo, muy bien escrito y sorprendentemente divertido. No se podría pensar que el descenso a la locura pueda ser divertido, pero la señora Gran confirma que una historia puede ser aterradora y divertida al mismo tiempo. Es una combinación que funciona bien, haciendo de Come Closer una lectura rápida y convincente al mismo tiempo que proporciona elementos para reflexionar sobre las relaciones y las obligaciones de uno en esas relaciones. Acércate funciona gracias a estas preguntas convincentes y al toque de lo macabro.
Amanda está descontenta con su vida, lo cual es una gran razón (en mi opinión) por la cual ciertos eventos se desarrollan como lo hacen. Ha cambiado todo por su marido y, en última instancia, no actúa de acuerdo con su verdadero yo en el día a día. Debido a su irritación inconsciente por su vida, el lector siente simpatía por Amanda incluso cuando sus acciones y ciertos eventos se salen de control. Se podría argumentar entonces que la posesión es una metáfora de la libertad: libertad de las restricciones autoimpuestas que ella misma agregó a su vida. cuando decidió establecerse con su marido, la libertad de ser quien realmente debía ser.
El tema de la posesión es, en sí mismo, bastante interesante. ¿Es una metáfora de la libertad, de la locura, de la obsesión, de la pérdida de control o de todo lo anterior? También se podría argumentar que la posesión demoníaca es un hecho real. Independientemente de las creencias de cada uno, lo que le ocurre a Amanda genera algunas preguntas interesantes. ¿Hasta dónde deberían llegar los seres queridos para salvar a alguien de una espiral descendente, por el motivo que sea? ¿Lo combatimos? ¿Nos rendimos o cedemos a las demandas de uno? ¿Nos sentamos y observamos lo que sucedió sin pestañear?
Acércate es deliciosamente espeluznante, atractivo, muy bien escrito y sorprendentemente divertido. No se podría pensar que el descenso a la locura pueda ser divertido, pero la señora Gran confirma que una historia puede ser aterradora y divertida al mismo tiempo. Es una combinación que funciona bien, haciendo de Come Closer una lectura rápida y convincente al mismo tiempo que proporciona elementos para reflexionar sobre las relaciones y las obligaciones de uno en esas relaciones. Acércate funciona gracias a estas preguntas convincentes y al toque de lo macabro.
December 17, 2022
✦ the demonic possession premise, and the whole progression of it, was super interesting to read about, especially because it's written from the possessed person's point of view.
✦ you basically get to witness this person slowly lose control of their choices, their mind and body, and then, ultimately, everything that was once important to them. no happy endings here.
✦ i have heard many people say that this is one of the most disturbing books ever, and while this made me feel slightly off kilter, it didn't give me any of those scary or disturbing feelings i craved or was promised lol. however, this was still a short, creepy and "fun" horror novella overall. i highly recommend it. 3.5 stars rounded up.
✦ you basically get to witness this person slowly lose control of their choices, their mind and body, and then, ultimately, everything that was once important to them. no happy endings here.
✦ i have heard many people say that this is one of the most disturbing books ever, and while this made me feel slightly off kilter, it didn't give me any of those scary or disturbing feelings i craved or was promised lol. however, this was still a short, creepy and "fun" horror novella overall. i highly recommend it. 3.5 stars rounded up.
June 23, 2024
Have you ever found yourself googling 'Am I possessed by a demon?'
☆☆☆☆ (4.5 stars)
ARE YOU POSSESSED BY A DEMON?
1. I hear strange noises in my home, especially at night, which family members tell me only occur when I am present.
2. I have new activities and pastimes that seem "out of character," and I do things that I did not intend and do not understand.
3. I'm short and ill-tempered with my friends and loved ones.
4. I can understand languages I've never studied, and have the ability to know things I couldn't know through ordinary means.
5. I have blackouts not caused by drugs, alcohol, or a preexisting condition.
6. I have unusual new thoughts, or hear voices in my head.
7. I've had visions or dreams of personalities who may be demons.
8. A psychic, minister, or other spiritualist has told me I'm possessed.
9. I have urges to hurt or kill animals and other people.
10. I have hurt or killed animals or people.
Scoring:
0 - 3: Probably not possessed.
3 - 6: May be haunted or about to become possessed.
6 - 10: Oh, you're possessed.
Amanda scores a perfect 10.
This alone should make you want to read this book. But if you still don't, let me tell you, it's a quick read and so good. I love the pacing and the fact that we get to see how it feels for the protagonist to become possessed, instead of what someone sees on the outside looking in.
☆☆☆☆ (4.5 stars)
ARE YOU POSSESSED BY A DEMON?
1. I hear strange noises in my home, especially at night, which family members tell me only occur when I am present.
2. I have new activities and pastimes that seem "out of character," and I do things that I did not intend and do not understand.
3. I'm short and ill-tempered with my friends and loved ones.
4. I can understand languages I've never studied, and have the ability to know things I couldn't know through ordinary means.
5. I have blackouts not caused by drugs, alcohol, or a preexisting condition.
6. I have unusual new thoughts, or hear voices in my head.
7. I've had visions or dreams of personalities who may be demons.
8. A psychic, minister, or other spiritualist has told me I'm possessed.
9. I have urges to hurt or kill animals and other people.
10. I have hurt or killed animals or people.
Scoring:
0 - 3: Probably not possessed.
3 - 6: May be haunted or about to become possessed.
6 - 10: Oh, you're possessed.
Amanda scores a perfect 10.
This alone should make you want to read this book. But if you still don't, let me tell you, it's a quick read and so good. I love the pacing and the fact that we get to see how it feels for the protagonist to become possessed, instead of what someone sees on the outside looking in.
March 30, 2023
This novella was great! It's a short, gritty look at someone who is slowly losing grasp of reality and falling into a hole of self-deprecating horror. Amanda is smart, pretty, has a great job, and a stable marriage—until she starts to see an invisible friend. This invisible friend starts to haunt her dreams and make her do things she doesn’t want to do—or does she?
It is a hard book to talk about without spoilers, but early on, I think you get an inkling that this is much more than an otherworldly possession tale. The manifestations, the odd behavior, the perpetual habits, and the forbidden desires point to something hidden deep in her persona. Try as she might, she visits spiritualists, doctors, and therapists to help put her mind at ease.
What is being unlocked in her psyche to make her do these awful things? Some people try to hide these urges day in and day out, but for Amanda, it might be a little too late.
──∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗── 3.5 ★'s ──∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗──
It is a hard book to talk about without spoilers, but early on, I think you get an inkling that this is much more than an otherworldly possession tale. The manifestations, the odd behavior, the perpetual habits, and the forbidden desires point to something hidden deep in her persona. Try as she might, she visits spiritualists, doctors, and therapists to help put her mind at ease.
What is being unlocked in her psyche to make her do these awful things? Some people try to hide these urges day in and day out, but for Amanda, it might be a little too late.
──∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗── 3.5 ★'s ──∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗──
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