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The Fall
Madeline Usher is doomed.
She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.
Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.
In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down? The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.
She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.
Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.
In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down? The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.
420 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2014
About the author
Bethany Griffin
9 books962 followersBethany Griffin teaches high school English and creative writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 508 reviews
October 23, 2014
This was one of my biggest disappointments of the year. This book has 147 chapters. It was about 125 chapters too long. This is about a girl who lives in a cursed house, and that is IT. Nothing happens in this book. This book has 147 chapters.
To put it frankly, this book was so boring, I found myself wishing for the twins in this book to start having sex. Twincest! What can I say. Jamie and Cersei have ruined me.
It's less...
And more...
A haunted house! Incest?! A heroine, slowly going mad! A retelling of the famed Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher...just in time for Halloween! What could go wrong!?
Well...as they say, famous last words.
If you wanted to be terrified out of your mind, you're not going to get it here. If you wanted to be frightened, you're not going to get it here. If you wanted to be put to sleep, you'll get your wish, because this book is exceedingly long and dull. But be warned, you might not even be fearful of the dark after reading this book.
This is a sad and tragic tale, not because the book itself is sad and tragic, but because this book is the perfect example of wasted potential. Incest! A haunted house! A heroine slowly going mad! What could be better?
Well, for starters, some editing would be nice.
I wanted to love this book so desperately. I enjoyed some of its parts, but I can't deny its faults. Those faults being:
1. The book was suffered from the severe want of a decent editor. It was 400 pages long. It read like it was 1000 pages long. And it contained enough relevant material to fill 50 pages. Nothing happened in this book.
Again, this book had 147 chapters. Here are the chapter titles. You can get a good idea of what the chapters are like.
It jumps, chronologically. It is told through epistolary style.
In case you were wondering, the book goes somewhat like this:
Chapter 1: I'm Madeline! I live in a cursed house! I have a twin brother who is weaker than I am!
Chapter 2: I'm Madeline! I'm 15 years old! I live in a cursed house! I'm lonely!
Chapter 3: I'm Madeline! I'm 11 years old! My brother is leaving me in a cursed house!
...
Chapter 5: I'm Madeline! I live in a cursed house! I'm 11 years old! I'm planting a garden! I'm cursed!
...
Chapter 48: I'm Madeline! I live in a cursed house! This doctor is really sexy! Man, this curse really sucks.
...
Chapter 123: I'm Madeline! Man, I really miss my brother! This house is so creepy. I'm pretty sure it's cursed, like me! My brother is looking mighty fine!
Chapter 14.... *snores*
In case I haven't emphasized it enough...nothing happens in this book.
2. The main character is stupid and dull. It cannot be denied. You can say that she is sheltered, but I don't believe so. There is a difference between sheltered and plain dumb, and Madeline is the latter. She has zero common sense. She misses the most obvious clues. I'm not sure if it's due to stupidity or insanity, but it is entirely frustrating.
For example, she overhears what, to me, seems to be a nefarious plot of a girl out to possibly get her sexy (and possibly evil) doctor from a stranger.
And then all of a sudden, she entrusts her with the gold and silver and plans to maybe run away with her.
This book is not scary, it is atmospheric, and it is very long. The narrative goes nowhere. The main character rambles. The writing is beautiful, but it is not worth 400 pages of largely nothing.
To put it frankly, this book was so boring, I found myself wishing for the twins in this book to start having sex. Twincest! What can I say. Jamie and Cersei have ruined me.
It's less...
And more...
A haunted house! Incest?! A heroine, slowly going mad! A retelling of the famed Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher...just in time for Halloween! What could go wrong!?
Well...as they say, famous last words.
If you wanted to be terrified out of your mind, you're not going to get it here. If you wanted to be frightened, you're not going to get it here. If you wanted to be put to sleep, you'll get your wish, because this book is exceedingly long and dull. But be warned, you might not even be fearful of the dark after reading this book.
This is a sad and tragic tale, not because the book itself is sad and tragic, but because this book is the perfect example of wasted potential. Incest! A haunted house! A heroine slowly going mad! What could be better?
Well, for starters, some editing would be nice.
I wanted to love this book so desperately. I enjoyed some of its parts, but I can't deny its faults. Those faults being:
1. The book was suffered from the severe want of a decent editor. It was 400 pages long. It read like it was 1000 pages long. And it contained enough relevant material to fill 50 pages. Nothing happened in this book.
Again, this book had 147 chapters. Here are the chapter titles. You can get a good idea of what the chapters are like.
It jumps, chronologically. It is told through epistolary style.
In case you were wondering, the book goes somewhat like this:
Chapter 1: I'm Madeline! I live in a cursed house! I have a twin brother who is weaker than I am!
Chapter 2: I'm Madeline! I'm 15 years old! I live in a cursed house! I'm lonely!
Chapter 3: I'm Madeline! I'm 11 years old! My brother is leaving me in a cursed house!
...
Chapter 5: I'm Madeline! I live in a cursed house! I'm 11 years old! I'm planting a garden! I'm cursed!
...
Chapter 48: I'm Madeline! I live in a cursed house! This doctor is really sexy! Man, this curse really sucks.
...
Chapter 123: I'm Madeline! Man, I really miss my brother! This house is so creepy. I'm pretty sure it's cursed, like me! My brother is looking mighty fine!
Chapter 14.... *snores*
In case I haven't emphasized it enough...nothing happens in this book.
2. The main character is stupid and dull. It cannot be denied. You can say that she is sheltered, but I don't believe so. There is a difference between sheltered and plain dumb, and Madeline is the latter. She has zero common sense. She misses the most obvious clues. I'm not sure if it's due to stupidity or insanity, but it is entirely frustrating.
For example, she overhears what, to me, seems to be a nefarious plot of a girl out to possibly get her sexy (and possibly evil) doctor from a stranger.
"Roderick says they haven’t hired a governess, so I suspect she’s going there on a fool’s errand, to confront a young man she’s fallen in love with.”And when the girl actually SHOWS UP, Madeline ISN'T THE LEAST BIT SUSPICIOUS WHATSOEVER.
She reaches out to touch my hair.-_____________-
“It’s so beautiful,” she comments. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen hair exactly that color. Maybe on a very young child.” She picks up a tea cake and nibbles on it. “This is a very interesting house. We must be friends, I insist on it.”
She smiles easily, and I envy her worldly manner. Perhaps we could be friends.
And then all of a sudden, she entrusts her with the gold and silver and plans to maybe run away with her.
I let her set up the fake charity so that we will have money. I let her collect gold and silver from throughout the house; I don’t care if she converts it to cash in the city.I guess this is the result of genetic inbreeding: dullness and pure gullibility.
Ushers who married Ushers and had baby Ushers.3. The boring romance. For fuck's sakes, you know something is wrong when Khanh finds herself wishing for more love. This book's romance can best be described as lackluster. Halfhearted. It tries in the way that a boy with 5 sister tries to pretend to like Barbie Dolls. The romance in this book tries to be old-fashioned...but it's not. There is old-fashioned gothic romance, and then there's just...lame, and seriously creepy, not in the "oh, this is so frightening" way, but in the "dude, you're my doctor, are you seriously checking me out when I'm undressing, and am I liking it?" kind of way.
I ignore Dr. Peridue’s querulousness and unbutton my dress with fumbling fingers. Stepping away from my clothing, I try not to let them see that I’m chilled and frightened.And her beauty...it's pretty much the only thing that fascinates her about him. Madeline's relationship with her brother was better by far.
The new doctor stares at me, and then looks at the floor, at the dress I was wearing just moments ago. It is surely still warm.
“I didn’t expect her to be beautiful,” he says.
His hand grips my arm above my elbow. We stare at each other. My shock mirrors his. This must never happen again.Really, the implication that there might be twincest was the only good thing about this book. Interpret that how you will.
This book is not scary, it is atmospheric, and it is very long. The narrative goes nowhere. The main character rambles. The writing is beautiful, but it is not worth 400 pages of largely nothing.
September 10, 2017
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
When I was in college, I CLEP-ed out of Survey of American Literature. I did this b/c I HATE American Lit. I hate Henry James, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Meville, Hemingway, Faulkner, I hate them ALL.
There is one exception . . .
Edgar Allen Poe.
As much as I hate the others, I love Poe.
I love Poe so much that for the first time ever, I felt like I had a legitimate reason for picking one football team over the other in the Superbowl a couple of years ago . . . the Baltimore RAVENS (b/c Poe lived in Baltimore).
It's as good a reason as any, right?
While Poe's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER isn't my favorite of his short stories, I'm familiar with it, and I appreciate it. And more importantly it's the kind of horror I can get down with, the more cerebral kind of horror. It's written from the POV of Roderick Usher's boyhood friend, who has come to visit at Usher's request. The setting is exceedingly ominous, and someone is inevitably buried alive.
So when I saw THE FALL by Bethany Griffin, it was a no-brainer. How cool would it be to use Poe's original story as the foundation of an entire novel, told from to POV of Roderick's sister? SO cool.
SO cool, in theory, anyway.
I rarely read horror (b/c chicken). That being said, when I do read horror, especially when it's October, Autumn (my favorite season) is creeping in, and Halloween is looming in the distance, I want to be, at the very least, seriously creeped out.
The creepiest part of this book was the expectation of a taboo brother/sister relationship, which is, yes, seriously creepy, but it was not the kind of creepy I was looking for.
I wanted sinister, I wanted malevolent, I wanted foreboding . . . and I didn't get it.
Maybe that's on me, maybe it isn't. I don't know.
But that wasn't the only problem.
Roderick and Madeleine Usher are twins. They are the only children in their household, so it's no surprise that they are very close. Even as children, there were hints of something more between them (ICK), but they're separated when, in their mother's attempt to stave off the family illness from her favored offspring, Roderick is sent away to school, leaving Madeleine alone.
Alone except for the house that has chosen her as its heir.
Okay, so that's sufficiently creepy.
But while the idea itself had a definite creep factor, the overall feel of the book, the setting, many of the evidences of the sentience of the house . . . did not. Which is surprising, b/c given the scenario, it should have been like shooting fish in a barrel.
And that's not the worst of it.
When Roderick goes away to school, Madeleine decides to start a garden. We're told that both the house and the surrounding area are cursed, and specifically that the curse causes every growing thing on the grounds to become diseased and/or rot, yet Madeleine is inexplicably able to grow healthy ivy. AND not just any ivy, ivy that can ultimately counter the evil of the house.
Eh?
And sure, I suppose that in a world where a house and family can become cursed, there can be other types of magic as well, be where this alien ivy magic comes from is never revealed.
There is also no explanation for the survival and reappearance of a certain proper noun (sorry, can't tell), presumed dead, after sacrificing itself to save Madeleine from the friendly neighborhood KRAKEN (or monster octopus/squid/whatever--it's unclear, so I went with KRAKEN) that lives in the noxious waters of the House's tarn (a small mountain lake).
Then there was the open ending. *sighs*
But despite all those things, it wasn't all bad. Dr. Winston was a superbly diabolical character, and many of the other characters and situations that were merely hinted at in the original were fleshed-out beautifully in THE FALL. I'd recommend this anyone who thinks they might like horror-lite, or who doesn't get hung up on things like understanding why and/or how the villain is defeated.
When I was in college, I CLEP-ed out of Survey of American Literature. I did this b/c I HATE American Lit. I hate Henry James, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Meville, Hemingway, Faulkner, I hate them ALL.
There is one exception . . .
Edgar Allen Poe.
As much as I hate the others, I love Poe.
I love Poe so much that for the first time ever, I felt like I had a legitimate reason for picking one football team over the other in the Superbowl a couple of years ago . . . the Baltimore RAVENS (b/c Poe lived in Baltimore).
It's as good a reason as any, right?
While Poe's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER isn't my favorite of his short stories, I'm familiar with it, and I appreciate it. And more importantly it's the kind of horror I can get down with, the more cerebral kind of horror. It's written from the POV of Roderick Usher's boyhood friend, who has come to visit at Usher's request. The setting is exceedingly ominous, and someone is inevitably buried alive.
So when I saw THE FALL by Bethany Griffin, it was a no-brainer. How cool would it be to use Poe's original story as the foundation of an entire novel, told from to POV of Roderick's sister? SO cool.
SO cool, in theory, anyway.
I rarely read horror (b/c chicken). That being said, when I do read horror, especially when it's October, Autumn (my favorite season) is creeping in, and Halloween is looming in the distance, I want to be, at the very least, seriously creeped out.
The creepiest part of this book was the expectation of a taboo brother/sister relationship, which is, yes, seriously creepy, but it was not the kind of creepy I was looking for.
I wanted sinister, I wanted malevolent, I wanted foreboding . . . and I didn't get it.
Maybe that's on me, maybe it isn't. I don't know.
But that wasn't the only problem.
Roderick and Madeleine Usher are twins. They are the only children in their household, so it's no surprise that they are very close. Even as children, there were hints of something more between them (ICK), but they're separated when, in their mother's attempt to stave off the family illness from her favored offspring, Roderick is sent away to school, leaving Madeleine alone.
Alone except for the house that has chosen her as its heir.
Okay, so that's sufficiently creepy.
But while the idea itself had a definite creep factor, the overall feel of the book, the setting, many of the evidences of the sentience of the house . . . did not. Which is surprising, b/c given the scenario, it should have been like shooting fish in a barrel.
And that's not the worst of it.
When Roderick goes away to school, Madeleine decides to start a garden. We're told that both the house and the surrounding area are cursed, and specifically that the curse causes every growing thing on the grounds to become diseased and/or rot, yet Madeleine is inexplicably able to grow healthy ivy. AND not just any ivy, ivy that can ultimately counter the evil of the house.
Eh?
And sure, I suppose that in a world where a house and family can become cursed, there can be other types of magic as well, be where this alien ivy magic comes from is never revealed.
There is also no explanation for the survival and reappearance of a certain proper noun (sorry, can't tell), presumed dead, after sacrificing itself to save Madeleine from the friendly neighborhood KRAKEN (or monster octopus/squid/whatever--it's unclear, so I went with KRAKEN) that lives in the noxious waters of the House's tarn (a small mountain lake).
Then there was the open ending. *sighs*
But despite all those things, it wasn't all bad. Dr. Winston was a superbly diabolical character, and many of the other characters and situations that were merely hinted at in the original were fleshed-out beautifully in THE FALL. I'd recommend this anyone who thinks they might like horror-lite, or who doesn't get hung up on things like understanding why and/or how the villain is defeated.
June 15, 2023
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THE FALL starts out great but kind of ends up being a tangle of non-answers and lack of closure. Family madness ends up being a sort of Macguffin for this book and while I liked the vibes, I can see why so many people found the story-telling frustrating. The story is nicely written, though, and Madeline is a sympathetic heroine. I also thought the yo-yoing alternative timelines were pretty well-done. It ended up being a sort of interesting, beautiful mess. I still really liked it though but I wish it had been a little more solid.
2.5 stars
October 11, 2014
The Fall was so very unique and the writing: wonderfully atmospheric. Having really enjoyed Bethany's Masque of the Red Death (I have yet to read the sequel), I knew that I was in for a stunning read. Masque was very well written, gorgeous in its melancholy, really - and that's what I love the most about these historically creepy novels: the way they enchant you into their eerie settings. The Fall was no exception. I felt transported into this ancient house which was truly a character in and of itself. I could see every crack and hear every faint footstep. You could say that I was sufficiently creeped out.
Madeline is living with a curse. A curse revolving around a house that feels alive and vengeful, a house they can never leave, yet never truly live in. It feels as if this family merely exists for the house to have someone to haunt, someone to torment and taunt. I loved the desperation and disorientation this brought on, the constant air of dread, of hopelessness. We learn of Madeline's family history - as well as her own past - through flashbacks where we'll see the POV switch to her younger self for a short chapter or two. This made her story unravel at a slow, yet compelling pace. The short chapters - lasting only a handful of pages each - made for an incredibly quick read. One that was very nearly impossible to put down. This slow pacing, however, does take its toll after a while. About half way through, I felt as though I was waking on a treadmill of fading promises with no end in sight. The storyline started getting repetitive, the mystery not progressing, always at arm's length. It did eventually start moving forward towards the end where we finally get to see the tie-in with the dramatically exciting first chapter, followed by an ending that leaves you wide-eyed.
Regardless, the leisurely pace did not stop me from devouring this novel. I was kept in a trance by the bizarreness of this house and its evil presence. I loved building theories and doubting everything and everyone. I was also very impressed with the transformation of the characters we met in this story - the young doctor, especially, who started out an innocent young man wanting to unravel the mystery behind the family illness, only to become corrupted by the house's malevolence. There were also hints of romance and maybe even incest, but that was only just another part of the house's poison.
Haunting and mesmerizing, creepy in all the right places; The Fall has the perfect balance of mystery and mystique that will keep you turning the page. Plus, the writing itself is dark and irresistible and brilliantly atmospheric. Perfect for fans of Gothic novels and unusual mysteries.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Madeline is living with a curse. A curse revolving around a house that feels alive and vengeful, a house they can never leave, yet never truly live in. It feels as if this family merely exists for the house to have someone to haunt, someone to torment and taunt. I loved the desperation and disorientation this brought on, the constant air of dread, of hopelessness. We learn of Madeline's family history - as well as her own past - through flashbacks where we'll see the POV switch to her younger self for a short chapter or two. This made her story unravel at a slow, yet compelling pace. The short chapters - lasting only a handful of pages each - made for an incredibly quick read. One that was very nearly impossible to put down. This slow pacing, however, does take its toll after a while. About half way through, I felt as though I was waking on a treadmill of fading promises with no end in sight. The storyline started getting repetitive, the mystery not progressing, always at arm's length. It did eventually start moving forward towards the end where we finally get to see the tie-in with the dramatically exciting first chapter, followed by an ending that leaves you wide-eyed.
Regardless, the leisurely pace did not stop me from devouring this novel. I was kept in a trance by the bizarreness of this house and its evil presence. I loved building theories and doubting everything and everyone. I was also very impressed with the transformation of the characters we met in this story - the young doctor, especially, who started out an innocent young man wanting to unravel the mystery behind the family illness, only to become corrupted by the house's malevolence. There were also hints of romance and maybe even incest, but that was only just another part of the house's poison.
Haunting and mesmerizing, creepy in all the right places; The Fall has the perfect balance of mystery and mystique that will keep you turning the page. Plus, the writing itself is dark and irresistible and brilliantly atmospheric. Perfect for fans of Gothic novels and unusual mysteries.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
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November 20, 2014I WANTS IT.
September 14, 2017
This book was a 420 page mess. I was drawn to it by the portrayal of a YA thriller and instead found this to be a confusing, poorly constructed, thesaurus. The book has an unnecessary 147 chapters that document the main characters age from 8-19 in no particular order. I found it difficult to keep up with the barely there story line, and it was impossible to feel any attachment to the characters. The last quarter of the book was bearable since it was in chronological order, and you could actually grasp what was going on in real time. The most disappointing part was the last chapter as it was written completely different from the entire book and gave no closure.
November 3, 2014
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
After finishing this book at around 2am last night, I spent the next hour contemplating on whether I should get out of bed and walk across the hallway to go to the bathroom. Why did I spend an hour? Because this book left me totally freaked out about my own house. Yep, that's right. This book is scared the crap out of me. And no jokes, I nearly pissed my pajama pants because I didn't have the guts to get out of my bed and go to the bathroom. WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME, BOOK?
I did end up going to the bathroom in the end, but it was a terrifying experience. *shudders*
I am not a horror-reading type of person. However, I happen to be a stupid-and-curious type of person so I ended up picking up The Fall anyway. I don't read a lot of horrors and I scare easily, so here's just a warning not to get your hopes to high because it just not be that creepy for you. But for me? Hell yeah. What a ride. The book follows a young woman, Madeline Usher, who has spent her entire life living in this ancient house. The house is a curse, you can never leave the house, but you are never really living in it. The house is cunning and tormenting, and everything must go it's way. This was a truly strange read, and watching the characters go mad and insane just leaves you feeling a little insane as well.
The way this story was told was unique. The story starts off with Madeline in a coffin. She soon realises she's been buried alive under the house. This left me on the edge of my seat and I simply had to know why she was there and what events led up to that moment. Why I call the narrative unique is because after that, we start jumping through Madeline's years. We have a snippet of her life when she was nine, then we go to when she was twelve, next minute we are looking at her at the age of sixteen and so on. We don't actually get to go back to the coffin scene until the end--it's basically a hook and return structure.
The hook and return structure works here for me because I honestly think that I would have DNFed this if I hadn't read that first chapter. Despite the short chapters that each only last a few pages long, the story was incredibly slow paced, and after a while, boring. The mystery never really moves. It just sits there, taking little shuffles forward every now and again. Many of my blogger friends say that the story line got repetitive--I definitely agree. It just began to loose my attention after a while and only dragged the plot line more.
Bethany Griffin captured the atmosphere perfectly here. I felt all the chills and the suspense was great. I haven't read Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher but I can definitely say that Griffin did a fantastic job at building a story around that book.
A paranormal horror that I definitely think is worth taking a look at, The Fall left me chilled to the bone with it's intriguing story line and well created atmosphere. I was bored at times and felt the pacing could have some work, but it was still enjoyable.
After finishing this book at around 2am last night, I spent the next hour contemplating on whether I should get out of bed and walk across the hallway to go to the bathroom. Why did I spend an hour? Because this book left me totally freaked out about my own house. Yep, that's right. This book is scared the crap out of me. And no jokes, I nearly pissed my pajama pants because I didn't have the guts to get out of my bed and go to the bathroom. WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME, BOOK?
I did end up going to the bathroom in the end, but it was a terrifying experience. *shudders*
I am not a horror-reading type of person. However, I happen to be a stupid-and-curious type of person so I ended up picking up The Fall anyway. I don't read a lot of horrors and I scare easily, so here's just a warning not to get your hopes to high because it just not be that creepy for you. But for me? Hell yeah. What a ride. The book follows a young woman, Madeline Usher, who has spent her entire life living in this ancient house. The house is a curse, you can never leave the house, but you are never really living in it. The house is cunning and tormenting, and everything must go it's way. This was a truly strange read, and watching the characters go mad and insane just leaves you feeling a little insane as well.
The way this story was told was unique. The story starts off with Madeline in a coffin. She soon realises she's been buried alive under the house. This left me on the edge of my seat and I simply had to know why she was there and what events led up to that moment. Why I call the narrative unique is because after that, we start jumping through Madeline's years. We have a snippet of her life when she was nine, then we go to when she was twelve, next minute we are looking at her at the age of sixteen and so on. We don't actually get to go back to the coffin scene until the end--it's basically a hook and return structure.
The hook and return structure works here for me because I honestly think that I would have DNFed this if I hadn't read that first chapter. Despite the short chapters that each only last a few pages long, the story was incredibly slow paced, and after a while, boring. The mystery never really moves. It just sits there, taking little shuffles forward every now and again. Many of my blogger friends say that the story line got repetitive--I definitely agree. It just began to loose my attention after a while and only dragged the plot line more.
Bethany Griffin captured the atmosphere perfectly here. I felt all the chills and the suspense was great. I haven't read Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher but I can definitely say that Griffin did a fantastic job at building a story around that book.
A paranormal horror that I definitely think is worth taking a look at, The Fall left me chilled to the bone with it's intriguing story line and well created atmosphere. I was bored at times and felt the pacing could have some work, but it was still enjoyable.
~Thank you Greenwillow Books for sending me this copy!~
May 15, 2022
براساس رمان زوال خاندان اَشر از ادگار آلن پو
خاندان اَشر نسل اندر نسل در خونه اجدادی خود زندگی کردن، حتی با اینکه خونه جون داره! پر از کینه و دشمنیه و اعضای این خاندان رو هرجور شده مجنون و تصاحب می کنه!
مادلین اَشر می دونه که حالا نوبت به اون و برادر دوقلوش رسیده. می دونه قراره قربانی جدید خونه باشه اما... شاید هم بتونه راز خونه رو کشف کنه. شاید بتونه به همه چی پایان بده...
تنها یه نیم نگاه به خلاصه کتاب کافی بود تا بخوام بخونمش! اصولاً در برابر «خانه های جان دار» و «خاندان های رازآلود» نمی تونم مقاومت کنم. خصوصا که از خلاصه ش وایب کارولین گرفتم و خب، کیه ��ه ندونه من انیمیشنی که از این داستان ساخته شده رو می پرستم!!!
روایت کتاب در وهله اول پیچیده ست. ما با چپترهایی اپیزودیک از مادلینِ هجده، نه و پانزده ساله رو به رو می شیم و در کنارش، دفترچه خاطرات الیزابت اَشر رو هم می خونیم. پس اگه یکم گیج شدید، نترسید و ادامه بدید. همین نوع روایت به مرموزیت قصه اضافه کرده و منم که مجنونِ روایتای گیج کننده و قلم های مالیخولیایی!
روند قصه آروم پیش می ره، چیزی که توی داستانای مرموز ثابته؛ تا کم کم به اوج خودش برسه.
قصه پر از مونولوگه. مونولوگ های مادلین و هر اونچه که در سرش می گذره، و کمتر دیالوگ در داستان دخیل می شه. پس این نکته رو هم قبل خوندن مدنظر قرار بدین. من خودم مونولوگ خوانی رو دوست دارم، حتی گاهی بیشتر از دیالوگ خوانی.
با تعاریف من، انتظار عجیب و غریبی از کتاب نداشته باشید. این داستان قرار نیست بمب باشه، حتی پایانش یکم Meh طور میشه! ولی... برای من متفاوت بود، حداقل بین کتابایی که این چند وقت خوندم.
واقعا دلم می خواد یه انیمیشن از این کتاب ببینم.
راستی... اگه کتاب های کارولین و Gallant رو دوست داشتین، این رو بخونید و یا بالعکس!
خاندان اَشر نسل اندر نسل در خونه اجدادی خود زندگی کردن، حتی با اینکه خونه جون داره! پر از کینه و دشمنیه و اعضای این خاندان رو هرجور شده مجنون و تصاحب می کنه!
مادلین اَشر می دونه که حالا نوبت به اون و برادر دوقلوش رسیده. می دونه قراره قربانی جدید خونه باشه اما... شاید هم بتونه راز خونه رو کشف کنه. شاید بتونه به همه چی پایان بده...
تنها یه نیم نگاه به خلاصه کتاب کافی بود تا بخوام بخونمش! اصولاً در برابر «خانه های جان دار» و «خاندان های رازآلود» نمی تونم مقاومت کنم. خصوصا که از خلاصه ش وایب کارولین گرفتم و خب، کیه ��ه ندونه من انیمیشنی که از این داستان ساخته شده رو می پرستم!!!
روایت کتاب در وهله اول پیچیده ست. ما با چپترهایی اپیزودیک از مادلینِ هجده، نه و پانزده ساله رو به رو می شیم و در کنارش، دفترچه خاطرات الیزابت اَشر رو هم می خونیم. پس اگه یکم گیج شدید، نترسید و ادامه بدید. همین نوع روایت به مرموزیت قصه اضافه کرده و منم که مجنونِ روایتای گیج کننده و قلم های مالیخولیایی!
روند قصه آروم پیش می ره، چیزی که توی داستانای مرموز ثابته؛ تا کم کم به اوج خودش برسه.
قصه پر از مونولوگه. مونولوگ های مادلین و هر اونچه که در سرش می گذره، و کمتر دیالوگ در داستان دخیل می شه. پس این نکته رو هم قبل خوندن مدنظر قرار بدین. من خودم مونولوگ خوانی رو دوست دارم، حتی گاهی بیشتر از دیالوگ خوانی.
با تعاریف من، انتظار عجیب و غریبی از کتاب نداشته باشید. این داستان قرار نیست بمب باشه، حتی پایانش یکم Meh طور میشه! ولی... برای من متفاوت بود، حداقل بین کتابایی که این چند وقت خوندم.
واقعا دلم می خواد یه انیمیشن از این کتاب ببینم.
راستی... اگه کتاب های کارولین و Gallant رو دوست داشتین، این رو بخونید و یا بالعکس!
Want to read
August 6, 2014
I cannot wait for this book. Edgar Allen Poe retellings are the greatest.
January 25, 2021
Well, I liked it but I didn't, if that makes any sense. I loved the atmosphere and vivid storytelling but hated the going back and forth through time, diaries and not having that satisfying ending to close that back cover with.
My daughter LOVES Poe and did a project for her college Lit class on Poe's story of "The Fall of the House of Usher" so I will pass this one along to her and see if she loves it or not.
My daughter LOVES Poe and did a project for her college Lit class on Poe's story of "The Fall of the House of Usher" so I will pass this one along to her and see if she loves it or not.
March 28, 2016
What is the worst feeling in the world? For me it's writing a review and accidentally hitting a tab I didn't mean to hit and losing everything I have written. This just happened to me. For Madeline the worst feeling in the world is being left alone and forgotten.
I gave this book 5 stars. It was pretty amazing. Some might think it dull, but if you have an appreciation for Edgar Allen Poe and his writing you will love what Bethany has done with this short story.
The Fall is a re-telling of 'The Fall of the House of Usher'. In the original the narrator/the friend is giving his account of what he saw and felt whilst in the mansion "The House of Usher". He receives word that his childhood friend, Roderick Usher, is ill and needs comfort. So he immediately leaves to help him. As the narrator reaches the house he feels a deep foreboding. Roderick is frail and even though the narrator can find no real illness consuming his friend he can not deny that the suffering is not imagined. The original does mention briefly of a twin sister Madeline. It only states that she too is ill and on the verge of death.
I was impressed with the depth and detail that Bethany was able to create from the original short story. In the original the flowery language focused mainly on the narrators feelings and so to go from a side character, the sister, and flesh out a whole back story and make it as dreary and forlorn as the original, is simply amazing.
I loved that the story creeped along as slow and overwhelming as the vines that Madeline planted near the house. The suffocating claustrophobia of the house is carried through out the book.
The book was very easy to read. It was fast, as in the chapters were very short so it felt like it flew by, but at the same time the content of the story kept the story at a slow pace while it built up to its final act.
I own Bethany's other Poe re-telling 'Masque of the Red Death' and the sequel 'Dance of the Red Death'. I can not wait to read them. Judging by this one, they will be just as awesome!
I gave this book 5 stars. It was pretty amazing. Some might think it dull, but if you have an appreciation for Edgar Allen Poe and his writing you will love what Bethany has done with this short story.
The Fall is a re-telling of 'The Fall of the House of Usher'. In the original the narrator/the friend is giving his account of what he saw and felt whilst in the mansion "The House of Usher". He receives word that his childhood friend, Roderick Usher, is ill and needs comfort. So he immediately leaves to help him. As the narrator reaches the house he feels a deep foreboding. Roderick is frail and even though the narrator can find no real illness consuming his friend he can not deny that the suffering is not imagined. The original does mention briefly of a twin sister Madeline. It only states that she too is ill and on the verge of death.
I was impressed with the depth and detail that Bethany was able to create from the original short story. In the original the flowery language focused mainly on the narrators feelings and so to go from a side character, the sister, and flesh out a whole back story and make it as dreary and forlorn as the original, is simply amazing.
I loved that the story creeped along as slow and overwhelming as the vines that Madeline planted near the house. The suffocating claustrophobia of the house is carried through out the book.
The book was very easy to read. It was fast, as in the chapters were very short so it felt like it flew by, but at the same time the content of the story kept the story at a slow pace while it built up to its final act.
I own Bethany's other Poe re-telling 'Masque of the Red Death' and the sequel 'Dance of the Red Death'. I can not wait to read them. Judging by this one, they will be just as awesome!
September 23, 2014
I was memorized by Griffin's debut duology last year and devoured every single book. Her dark attention to detail and the vivid images she presented were hard to resist. Throw in a classic retelling of a Poe story with lots of equally dark twists and you have one heck of a story. I was so very excited to learn she was doing writing another one and was eager to start it.
I shouldn't have expected anything less from her latest twist on an old Poe tale, The House of Usher.
Once again this was deliciously dark and macabre. Everything you would expect from an Edgar Allen Poe tale with those small steps Griffin takes to truly make this her own story.
This one is hard to explain except to say that if you like those dark stories that will keep you thinking, keep you guessing and completely mess with your mind, this is one you need to try and experience for yourself.
I loved every single minute of it and ended up devouring it.
The ending left me feeling empty and longing for more as well as guessing if there would be a book two, which I am really hoping there will be. I wasn't ready for Madeline's tale to be over or the Usher curse to be broken.
I shouldn't have expected anything less from her latest twist on an old Poe tale, The House of Usher.
Once again this was deliciously dark and macabre. Everything you would expect from an Edgar Allen Poe tale with those small steps Griffin takes to truly make this her own story.
This one is hard to explain except to say that if you like those dark stories that will keep you thinking, keep you guessing and completely mess with your mind, this is one you need to try and experience for yourself.
I loved every single minute of it and ended up devouring it.
The ending left me feeling empty and longing for more as well as guessing if there would be a book two, which I am really hoping there will be. I wasn't ready for Madeline's tale to be over or the Usher curse to be broken.
October 2, 2014
Spooky and atmospheric. The lyrical prose was top notch. It meandered a bit in the middle, but I loved Madeline's voice so much that I didn't mind. The incest was creepy, and I thought unnecessary. The last 15% was a whirlwind and felt rushed and did not match the beautiful build up that came before it. I love EAP, and I think he would be proud and flattered that this story was based on one his short stories. It did a great job of remaining true to the original, but also having a more fleshed out story. Sometimes retellings can be tricky, but this one was a true gem. I haven't read the other Poe retellings by this author, but I am definitely going to check them out soon.
October 25, 2014
I fell asleep five times trying to finish this. Atmospheric writing could not save this for nuts.
A few goosebumps were raised, but if this had the effect of sleeping pills instead of creeptastic chills on me, then maybe avoid this... unless you're suffering from insomnia???
A few goosebumps were raised, but if this had the effect of sleeping pills instead of creeptastic chills on me, then maybe avoid this... unless you're suffering from insomnia???
June 24, 2015
Full review with Gifs on my blog @ Dee's Reads
Partial Review:
When I saw Bethany Griffin had a new release, I was intrigued. Then I saw it was another Poe retelling, based on the famous Fall of the House of Usher and I was shrieking and jumping up and down in my seat. I was overexcited to read this novel..because I just know Griffin can do a mean Poe retelling in YA format. She doesn’t try to lighten up Poe’s dark and moody work. She makes it work, and boy if she didn’t succeed once again in meeting my expectations.
Since I am obsessed with Edgar Allen Poe, I have read all his works. The Fall of the House of Usher is a very good short story. I have long since wanted to read a full novel exploring it from Madeline’s perspective. When I think of the story though, I don’t think of only the text. I also think of the movie starring Vincent Price made in the 1964. I grew up watching all of his movies and his Poe movies were my favorite. The Tomb of Ligeia, Fall of the House of Usher, and The Raven were my favorites. So as I started reading The Fall, I imagined the characters as they appeared in the Vincent Price movie, only a bit younger. I imagined the house as it was in the movie, and all the creepy portraits and coffins/vault and cobwebs quickly filled my imagination.
Thus, as I attempt to review this book I find I cannot review it without sharing some of the images that came to mind while reading Griffin’s gorgeous retelling.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Partial Review:
When I saw Bethany Griffin had a new release, I was intrigued. Then I saw it was another Poe retelling, based on the famous Fall of the House of Usher and I was shrieking and jumping up and down in my seat. I was overexcited to read this novel..because I just know Griffin can do a mean Poe retelling in YA format. She doesn’t try to lighten up Poe’s dark and moody work. She makes it work, and boy if she didn’t succeed once again in meeting my expectations.
Since I am obsessed with Edgar Allen Poe, I have read all his works. The Fall of the House of Usher is a very good short story. I have long since wanted to read a full novel exploring it from Madeline’s perspective. When I think of the story though, I don’t think of only the text. I also think of the movie starring Vincent Price made in the 1964. I grew up watching all of his movies and his Poe movies were my favorite. The Tomb of Ligeia, Fall of the House of Usher, and The Raven were my favorites. So as I started reading The Fall, I imagined the characters as they appeared in the Vincent Price movie, only a bit younger. I imagined the house as it was in the movie, and all the creepy portraits and coffins/vault and cobwebs quickly filled my imagination.
Thus, as I attempt to review this book I find I cannot review it without sharing some of the images that came to mind while reading Griffin’s gorgeous retelling.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
October 10, 2014
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
Madeline and her twin brother Roderick live in a cursed house, and they wonder how long it will be until the house drives them to commit suicide.
This was certainly a haunting tale, but I found it a little hard to follow.
Madeline was a bit of a strange girl, but I did feel sorry for her. The way she was looked down upon while her brother was the golden boy wasn’t very fair, and that she should be stuck in a house and subject to a curse, while her brother was sent away to school also wasn’t very nice.
The storyline in this did have a bit of a creepy feel to it, but I personally wasn’t scared as such. I found the way the story jumped around – Madeline is 18, Madeline is 9, Madeline is 15, Madeline is 9, Madeline is 9, Madeline is 15, a bit confusing, and the fact that the curse wasn’t fully explained made this even more confusing. There were also some very strange statements from Madeline –
“I rest my hand against the wood – too long, because feelings seep into me that are not my own.”
And her father –
“The house is seductive, It reads our deepest desires.”
The pace in this also felt really slow. I wanted to know what was going on, but the story felt like it went on forever.
The ending to this was again hard to follow, but I think I worked out what happened!
Overall; did find this story enjoyable, but I didn’t appreciate the slow pace, jumpiness and confusion.
6 out of 10.
Madeline and her twin brother Roderick live in a cursed house, and they wonder how long it will be until the house drives them to commit suicide.
This was certainly a haunting tale, but I found it a little hard to follow.
Madeline was a bit of a strange girl, but I did feel sorry for her. The way she was looked down upon while her brother was the golden boy wasn’t very fair, and that she should be stuck in a house and subject to a curse, while her brother was sent away to school also wasn’t very nice.
The storyline in this did have a bit of a creepy feel to it, but I personally wasn’t scared as such. I found the way the story jumped around – Madeline is 18, Madeline is 9, Madeline is 15, Madeline is 9, Madeline is 9, Madeline is 15, a bit confusing, and the fact that the curse wasn’t fully explained made this even more confusing. There were also some very strange statements from Madeline –
“I rest my hand against the wood – too long, because feelings seep into me that are not my own.”
And her father –
“The house is seductive, It reads our deepest desires.”
The pace in this also felt really slow. I wanted to know what was going on, but the story felt like it went on forever.
The ending to this was again hard to follow, but I think I worked out what happened!
Overall; did find this story enjoyable, but I didn’t appreciate the slow pace, jumpiness and confusion.
6 out of 10.
October 18, 2014
3.5 stars
I've made no secret of either my adoration of Poe or my continuous disappointment with YA retellings of his masterful works. I know, I know. I sound like a broken record and you're all probably exhausted of me saying the same thing over and over, but, seriously, why do YA authors consistently screw up their Poe retellings? How can such inane bullshit be built upon the magnificent foundation of Poe's stories? It baffles me, honestly. And yes, maybe I am a bit pickier with Poe retellings than any other type, but I've yet to summon anything above mild indifference for one of these retellings. So far, Masque of the Red Death had been in all likelihood one of the most decent YA Poe retellings I'd read, even though I was extremely disappointed with how most of the story was ignored for the sake of the love triangle, but I had enough faith that Griffin could, at the very least, make something beautiful out of some aspect of The Fall of the House of Usher, much like she did with the world she constructed for her retelling of The Masque of the Red Death. As it turns out, my faith was not misplaced. Griffin actually managed to make the story engaging, fascinating and bizarre, while simultaneously being faithful to the original short story and breathing her own life into it. I did not expect it, but this one turned into my favorite YA Poe retelling to date.
This book is strange, almost insane, and I think that worked amazingly well with the themes of madness and paranoia from the original. Griffin took these elements and built the whole novel around them. You can feel the crushing claustrophobia as the mysterious house presses in on Madeline and bends her to its will, you can feel the growing madness born out of isolation and abandonment like a breath on your neck, and you can almost sense the paranoia seep through the page and invade you as it takes over Madeline. The atmosphere in this book is spectacular. From the events that take place to the very way the story is narrated, Griffin used all the tools at her disposal to make the house come alive to the point you can feel its very presence even stronger than most of the characters’.
But in spite of how well the narration worked with the atmosphere of the novel, it was still a bit hard to get into and a bit hard to keep track of. The narration switches constantly between Madeline’s recollections and diary entries, but even more confusing, it constantly shifts back and forth in time and are identified only by how old Madeline was at the time of the memory. I like unconventional narrative styles, and I actually enjoyed how this style played out in relation to the events, the atmosphere and its contribution to the tension in the novel, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t get exasperating once or twice.
The Fall is very different from most YA books I’ve read, not only in structure, but in the way the story developed, the themes it presented and the characterization in the story. The truth is that this book is so strange, it might even border on crazy. I definitely felt like I was going insane right alongside Madeline. While not outright horror in the traditional sense, this book is creepy in a very psychological way. It’s intense, relentless in its delivery of depravity and human darkness, and I sometimes had to put it down for a while because it felt like too much. The damage in all these characters, how the house brought out the ugliness in them and how everything seemed so hopeless, shattered and depraved, they were all executed marvelously. Overall, this novel had the effect of feeling very often like I wasn’t reading YA, like I was reading something older and darker, which worked great for this type of tale, but I don’t think this novel quite crossed the line into the type of dark imagery that identified Poe. This is a perfectly nice retelling, of course, but it never quite felt like it was living up to the original.
All the technical aspects of this novel were fantastic, but there were some bits in the story that I just couldn’t quite connect with, others that, in all honesty, bored me, and some other times when I felt like the story had been allowed to run a bit too freely. The core of the novel is the threat of the house, which I though was a genius way to honor the house from the original Poe story, but there’s a pretty important focus on the relationship between Madeline and her brother, which I actually enjoyed, and then on the whole subplot concerning the other people living in the household. I see why a subplot about doctors in the house obsessed with the family curse and sickness would help in adding a bit more padding to the bulk of the novel, but, when it came down to it, I didn’t like it all that much and, in my opinion, didn’t add much to the story. I understand the particular importance of one of them for Madeline as a character, but that subplot got repetitive very soon and lost some of its impact along the way.
Some parts of the story were vaguely explained or outright left in full obscurity, and the ending itself was left open enough to make your own assumptions about what would come next, which was simultaneously irritating and intriguing. In the end, my biggest issue with the novel is just how much the story is dragged and how that forced it into becoming somewhat repetitive.
The Fall is a much better book than I expected it to be and I feel sorry for having underestimated Griffin's capacity to retell Poe simply because her first attempt was underwhelming for me. This tale was very hard to adapt and I feel like Griffin did a commendable job at adapting it and making it her own while still honoring Poe's original. The technical aspects of the novel are fantastic, but while the content of the novel were a bit hard to get through, this was still an enjoyable reading experience for me and it restored my faith that there can be some worthwhile YA Poe retellings.
I've made no secret of either my adoration of Poe or my continuous disappointment with YA retellings of his masterful works. I know, I know. I sound like a broken record and you're all probably exhausted of me saying the same thing over and over, but, seriously, why do YA authors consistently screw up their Poe retellings? How can such inane bullshit be built upon the magnificent foundation of Poe's stories? It baffles me, honestly. And yes, maybe I am a bit pickier with Poe retellings than any other type, but I've yet to summon anything above mild indifference for one of these retellings. So far, Masque of the Red Death had been in all likelihood one of the most decent YA Poe retellings I'd read, even though I was extremely disappointed with how most of the story was ignored for the sake of the love triangle, but I had enough faith that Griffin could, at the very least, make something beautiful out of some aspect of The Fall of the House of Usher, much like she did with the world she constructed for her retelling of The Masque of the Red Death. As it turns out, my faith was not misplaced. Griffin actually managed to make the story engaging, fascinating and bizarre, while simultaneously being faithful to the original short story and breathing her own life into it. I did not expect it, but this one turned into my favorite YA Poe retelling to date.
This book is strange, almost insane, and I think that worked amazingly well with the themes of madness and paranoia from the original. Griffin took these elements and built the whole novel around them. You can feel the crushing claustrophobia as the mysterious house presses in on Madeline and bends her to its will, you can feel the growing madness born out of isolation and abandonment like a breath on your neck, and you can almost sense the paranoia seep through the page and invade you as it takes over Madeline. The atmosphere in this book is spectacular. From the events that take place to the very way the story is narrated, Griffin used all the tools at her disposal to make the house come alive to the point you can feel its very presence even stronger than most of the characters’.
But in spite of how well the narration worked with the atmosphere of the novel, it was still a bit hard to get into and a bit hard to keep track of. The narration switches constantly between Madeline’s recollections and diary entries, but even more confusing, it constantly shifts back and forth in time and are identified only by how old Madeline was at the time of the memory. I like unconventional narrative styles, and I actually enjoyed how this style played out in relation to the events, the atmosphere and its contribution to the tension in the novel, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t get exasperating once or twice.
The Fall is very different from most YA books I’ve read, not only in structure, but in the way the story developed, the themes it presented and the characterization in the story. The truth is that this book is so strange, it might even border on crazy. I definitely felt like I was going insane right alongside Madeline. While not outright horror in the traditional sense, this book is creepy in a very psychological way. It’s intense, relentless in its delivery of depravity and human darkness, and I sometimes had to put it down for a while because it felt like too much. The damage in all these characters, how the house brought out the ugliness in them and how everything seemed so hopeless, shattered and depraved, they were all executed marvelously. Overall, this novel had the effect of feeling very often like I wasn’t reading YA, like I was reading something older and darker, which worked great for this type of tale, but I don’t think this novel quite crossed the line into the type of dark imagery that identified Poe. This is a perfectly nice retelling, of course, but it never quite felt like it was living up to the original.
All the technical aspects of this novel were fantastic, but there were some bits in the story that I just couldn’t quite connect with, others that, in all honesty, bored me, and some other times when I felt like the story had been allowed to run a bit too freely. The core of the novel is the threat of the house, which I though was a genius way to honor the house from the original Poe story, but there’s a pretty important focus on the relationship between Madeline and her brother, which I actually enjoyed, and then on the whole subplot concerning the other people living in the household. I see why a subplot about doctors in the house obsessed with the family curse and sickness would help in adding a bit more padding to the bulk of the novel, but, when it came down to it, I didn’t like it all that much and, in my opinion, didn’t add much to the story. I understand the particular importance of one of them for Madeline as a character, but that subplot got repetitive very soon and lost some of its impact along the way.
Some parts of the story were vaguely explained or outright left in full obscurity, and the ending itself was left open enough to make your own assumptions about what would come next, which was simultaneously irritating and intriguing. In the end, my biggest issue with the novel is just how much the story is dragged and how that forced it into becoming somewhat repetitive.
The Fall is a much better book than I expected it to be and I feel sorry for having underestimated Griffin's capacity to retell Poe simply because her first attempt was underwhelming for me. This tale was very hard to adapt and I feel like Griffin did a commendable job at adapting it and making it her own while still honoring Poe's original. The technical aspects of the novel are fantastic, but while the content of the novel were a bit hard to get through, this was still an enjoyable reading experience for me and it restored my faith that there can be some worthwhile YA Poe retellings.
November 28, 2014
Nothing here is just anything. This is not just a house. We have never been simply children. We are Ushers.
The Fall of the House of Usher is one of my favorite stories by Edgar Allan Poe so when I had the chance to read and review a retelling of it, I was pretty excited and didn't wait too long to jump into it. It's my first Bethany Griffin book and it was so freaking good! I can't wait to read more books by her!
First of all I should mention that this is not a typical story. The chapters are really short (which I love) and they jump between Madeline's age, between nine and nineteen. At first it was a bit confusing as I didn't really understood it all yet. But soon I really came into it and came to genuinely like how this book was written. It was just so original!
I liked reading about Madeline in every age. I loved learning more about the house, about everything going on in there and how it affected her and the other characters throughout the years. There were also some twists I hadn't seen coming, which made my jaw drop all the time and the horror factor was a pretty big part. Some scenes really creeped me out. And I usually don't get creeped out easily. I would not recommend reading it at night like I did most of the time. I had to stop a few times because I was freaking myself out too much. But oh how I loved that.
The ending really took me aback. I literally had to read that last chapter three times to really get what had happened. It was surprising and also shocking. I hadn't seen it coming at all. But those in my opinion are the best story endings, the ones you don't see coming.
Overall, The Fall by Bethany Griffin is one of the best retellings I ever read. The writing was excellent. It was beautiful, creepy, superb and it, together with the amazingly dark story and omnious yet interesting characters just pulled me in. I loved it!
The Fall of the House of Usher is one of my favorite stories by Edgar Allan Poe so when I had the chance to read and review a retelling of it, I was pretty excited and didn't wait too long to jump into it. It's my first Bethany Griffin book and it was so freaking good! I can't wait to read more books by her!
First of all I should mention that this is not a typical story. The chapters are really short (which I love) and they jump between Madeline's age, between nine and nineteen. At first it was a bit confusing as I didn't really understood it all yet. But soon I really came into it and came to genuinely like how this book was written. It was just so original!
I liked reading about Madeline in every age. I loved learning more about the house, about everything going on in there and how it affected her and the other characters throughout the years. There were also some twists I hadn't seen coming, which made my jaw drop all the time and the horror factor was a pretty big part. Some scenes really creeped me out. And I usually don't get creeped out easily. I would not recommend reading it at night like I did most of the time. I had to stop a few times because I was freaking myself out too much. But oh how I loved that.
The ending really took me aback. I literally had to read that last chapter three times to really get what had happened. It was surprising and also shocking. I hadn't seen it coming at all. But those in my opinion are the best story endings, the ones you don't see coming.
Overall, The Fall by Bethany Griffin is one of the best retellings I ever read. The writing was excellent. It was beautiful, creepy, superb and it, together with the amazingly dark story and omnious yet interesting characters just pulled me in. I loved it!
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August 22, 2014I have been a MAJOR fan of Bethany Griffin, ever since she first released THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, book one in her duology based on Poe's short story.
Bethany's writing style is atmospheric and beautiful, and when I opened up THE FALL, I knew I'd be sucked in. I just didn't realize, totally, what I was getting in to.
THE FALL is creepy with an added punch. The first half of the book, the reader has no idea what is going on--I only knew that I began to look over my shoulder, and the little creaks and noises throughout my house started to sound louder and more sinister than usual.
As the pages of THE FALL unfold, the secrets begin to uncover themselves, and we discover, once again, that Bethany Griffin seems to be on some strange level of understanding with the late Edgar Allan Poe.
She takes his strange, sometimes difficult to understand stories, and weaves them into twisted, beautiful webs. THE FALL is full of what I was hoping for. Creepy scenes, mystery, and just enough of a "modern" touch in the voice to make even reluctant readers want to continue on.
Bravo, yet again, Bethany Griffin. You're a masterful storyteller, and I might be a little bit afraid of the twisted mind you have.
Bethany's writing style is atmospheric and beautiful, and when I opened up THE FALL, I knew I'd be sucked in. I just didn't realize, totally, what I was getting in to.
THE FALL is creepy with an added punch. The first half of the book, the reader has no idea what is going on--I only knew that I began to look over my shoulder, and the little creaks and noises throughout my house started to sound louder and more sinister than usual.
As the pages of THE FALL unfold, the secrets begin to uncover themselves, and we discover, once again, that Bethany Griffin seems to be on some strange level of understanding with the late Edgar Allan Poe.
She takes his strange, sometimes difficult to understand stories, and weaves them into twisted, beautiful webs. THE FALL is full of what I was hoping for. Creepy scenes, mystery, and just enough of a "modern" touch in the voice to make even reluctant readers want to continue on.
Bravo, yet again, Bethany Griffin. You're a masterful storyteller, and I might be a little bit afraid of the twisted mind you have.
October 29, 2014
What?! Whaaaaat?! That ending! I am utterly bewildered. But I can't help but love the mystique in this book. Will there be a follow-up?
February 23, 2017
Once again, I am unsatisfied by an ending. This one was really slow to get started, too, but I stuck with it because of the gothic atmosphere.
Honestly, The Fall was pretty mediocre. I love Bethany Griffin's writing and loved it in The Masque of the Red Death too, but there is very little plot, the characters are not all that well-developed, and it got repetitive and boring fairly quickly. I love gothic books. But there are so many better ones out there than this.
I think the problem is that Poe's short stories are dark and atmospheric, but they don't really work all that great as a full-length novel. There's just not enough plot there to carry an entire book. And just like Fall of the House of Usher, The Fall doesn't really work. There isn't enough story, but there's a whole lot of meandering atmospheric nothingness. Poe's writing is a little weird and not my favorite, but I'd definitely recommend reading the real thing instead of a retelling.
Good things? The book was very unsettling and there's very little romance, which I appreciated because I fully expected the publisher to have forced the author to jam one in there. The voice of Madeline gives off a feeling of despair and hopelessness, and I think that was my favorite thing about the entire book. I appreciate the way the author brought the emotions and the house to life, but there just wasn't enough plot for me to love it.
Honestly, The Fall was pretty mediocre. I love Bethany Griffin's writing and loved it in The Masque of the Red Death too, but there is very little plot, the characters are not all that well-developed, and it got repetitive and boring fairly quickly. I love gothic books. But there are so many better ones out there than this.
I think the problem is that Poe's short stories are dark and atmospheric, but they don't really work all that great as a full-length novel. There's just not enough plot there to carry an entire book. And just like Fall of the House of Usher, The Fall doesn't really work. There isn't enough story, but there's a whole lot of meandering atmospheric nothingness. Poe's writing is a little weird and not my favorite, but I'd definitely recommend reading the real thing instead of a retelling.
Good things? The book was very unsettling and there's very little romance, which I appreciated because I fully expected the publisher to have forced the author to jam one in there. The voice of Madeline gives off a feeling of despair and hopelessness, and I think that was my favorite thing about the entire book. I appreciate the way the author brought the emotions and the house to life, but there just wasn't enough plot for me to love it.
April 30, 2018
This book is a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher and extremely expanded upon, through the eyes of Madeline. I've read Griffin's retelling of The Masque of Red Death (haven't read the sequel yet April 2018) and really liked it. I had this book for EIGHT weeks from the library before I read it in 1.5 days. It's actually a short book but the font is large and the chapters are very short, all 147 of them. This book wasn't terrible but it could've been about 100 page shorter. It bounces around in time, at different ages of Madeline and the important thing happening at that age. I don't know how the father died though! How the mother died is explained. And now, a week after reading, I can't for the life of me remember her twin brother's name!! lol. Roderick? Yes, I think that's it. I didn't like him. I loved how creepy and haunting and psychotic the house was. The Usher curse, the illness, the possessiveness of the house. That was great. But some parts were confusing. Some parts were unnecessary. Overall, the book was okay. Poe did creepy and awesome in so few pages!!
November 3, 2014
I'd planned to read this just before Halloween as a wonderfully spooky and creepy tale. And it's wonderfully gothic and creepy....
on it's own
If you try to compare it to the story it's based on, The Fall of the House of Usher, the book takes quite a bit of creative license and doesn't make the two look too much alike
but if you just look at this story alone, on it's own merit, it's a great spooky story. I loved how each part was revealed and how I always wondered how much Madeline was really accurately telling the story. I also loved trying to guess what someone was really saying or really going on, not always trusting the narrator to tell it right (and guessing what happened during the times she would black out).
this was good. I enjoyed it.
on it's own
If you try to compare it to the story it's based on, The Fall of the House of Usher, the book takes quite a bit of creative license and doesn't make the two look too much alike
but if you just look at this story alone, on it's own merit, it's a great spooky story. I loved how each part was revealed and how I always wondered how much Madeline was really accurately telling the story. I also loved trying to guess what someone was really saying or really going on, not always trusting the narrator to tell it right (and guessing what happened during the times she would black out).
this was good. I enjoyed it.
September 18, 2014
Haunting and delicious, The Fall details the events of the House of Usher, based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe. This creeping, slow descent into madness kept me reading, wanting more. The curse is explained early, but you don't understand the full extent of what it means for the family until you get bits and glimpses through story, personality and experience of the characters.
September 8, 2014
Creepy at first, then it became repetitive :/
I am a bit confused, too. I need to share notes with other bloggers.
I am a bit confused, too. I need to share notes with other bloggers.
June 4, 2020
I'm struggling with just how to write this review because I've never read a book quite like this before.
Like so many books I buy, it was the cover of this one that attracted me, I was also quite intrigued by the blurb. Then I discovered this story is based on the classic 'The Fall of the House of Usher' by Edgar Allan Poe, which I haven't read, and since I'm trying to stretch myself and read some of the more notable classics, I thought this might be an interesting read.
I'm not really into horror books, although I have read a few, and I'm always willing to try different things, this doesn't really fall into that category in my opinion. It is about a haunted house and there are spooky things going on but the majority of that is actually downplayed as we see everything through the eyes of Madeline, the main character, who is stronger than she realises and resists a lot of the horrors surrounding her.
Bethany Griffin does a fantastic job of giving her prose the feel of old world writing without resorting to the complex and often cumbersome wording of those classics. She also adds a great deal of interest by making her chapters incredibly short, anywhere from half a page to a maximum of four pages, and she jumps into different ages of the main character with each chapter change. This technique also allows the author to focus specifically on meaningful aspects of Madeline's life, resulting in the fact that there is no 'fat' in this book, every sentence is relevant.
The ending was not what I was expecting, but I have to say I think it was more satisfying, in the context of the book, than the obvious 'happy ever after'.
I really enjoyed this read, although it's hard to use the word enjoy, simply because of the horrendous life having to be endured by Madeline, but it was utterly intriguing, mainly down to the way the author constructed the story through the book's layout. This was definitely a memorable experience.
Like so many books I buy, it was the cover of this one that attracted me, I was also quite intrigued by the blurb. Then I discovered this story is based on the classic 'The Fall of the House of Usher' by Edgar Allan Poe, which I haven't read, and since I'm trying to stretch myself and read some of the more notable classics, I thought this might be an interesting read.
I'm not really into horror books, although I have read a few, and I'm always willing to try different things, this doesn't really fall into that category in my opinion. It is about a haunted house and there are spooky things going on but the majority of that is actually downplayed as we see everything through the eyes of Madeline, the main character, who is stronger than she realises and resists a lot of the horrors surrounding her.
Bethany Griffin does a fantastic job of giving her prose the feel of old world writing without resorting to the complex and often cumbersome wording of those classics. She also adds a great deal of interest by making her chapters incredibly short, anywhere from half a page to a maximum of four pages, and she jumps into different ages of the main character with each chapter change. This technique also allows the author to focus specifically on meaningful aspects of Madeline's life, resulting in the fact that there is no 'fat' in this book, every sentence is relevant.
The ending was not what I was expecting, but I have to say I think it was more satisfying, in the context of the book, than the obvious 'happy ever after'.
I really enjoyed this read, although it's hard to use the word enjoy, simply because of the horrendous life having to be endured by Madeline, but it was utterly intriguing, mainly down to the way the author constructed the story through the book's layout. This was definitely a memorable experience.
October 12, 2022
3.5-4
Gothic extra +. Confused by ending a bit. More thoughts later.
Gorgeous writing.
Gothic extra +. Confused by ending a bit. More thoughts later.
Gorgeous writing.
October 21, 2014
Original Link to the review at my blog Le' Grande Codex - here
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Bethany Griffin had done it again. After her stint with 'Masque of the Red Death', "The Fall" is another retelling of Edgar Allen Poe's famous "The Fall of the House of Usher". And brilliantly done too. Since I have not read the Poe original, so The Fall confused me at first but gradually I got the hang of things and was visibly intrigues by Griffin's haunting retelling of another classic.
The house of Usher is in one word haunted. Its haunting and it is haunted. With its malicious presence and its thralling powers the house keeps a tight leash on its residents. It is a cursed line, the Usher family. They don't live long. They can never leave the property and are slave to the enticement of the House. Madeline and her twin Roderick are the last of the Usher line and they do everything they can to be free.
The mother favored the brother and the father favored the girl in his moments of lucidity. The brother got carted off to the boarding school but the sister was left behind. The brother then leaned towards logic and reason to explain the malady that affected the family. And Madeline who was firm believer choose to hear the House. Soon, Roderick's visits grew shorter and shorter and Madeline became a favorite to the House. At first she thought the haunted House only wanted to protect its residents but later came to realize the infernal malicious desires of the House and tried out ways to be free before it got her too.
Told primarily from Madeline Usher's perspective with a few in between voice of another relative named Lisbeth Usher. Short chapters ranging between ages 9 to 19 of Madeline. Bethany Griffin's flowing and fitting words bringing this haunting tale to existence. This is Madeline's struggle to freedom, to keep her sanity intact as she searches for ways to defeat the House, to escape the Doctors who do nothing but poke and prod and draw blood. The Fall chronicalizes not just her life but all of her inner-most thoughts and her insecurities. The effects of the House that creep upon her when she least expects it. At the end of the day though, she is the big sister and even if she envies the freedom afforded to her brother all she wants is to protect her brother.
Griffin's description of the House was just bone chilling. Riddled with twists and turns and creepiness. Every chapter produced new hair raising scenarios. Creeping us readers, showing us just how far the House would go beyond its limits just to get what it wants. You must have seen how I have been writing about the haunted House with a capital "H" instead of a small one because the place exerted its own presence throughout the book and the narrative is enough to pin-point just how important it is...... even if it creeped us into the next century. Marvelous job Bethany Griffin. *shivers*
"A hauntingly eerie tale of a cursed House and how the last Ushers defended themselves"
March 16, 2015
The Fall by Bethany Griffin is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. However, this time around instead of being told from the perspective of a visitor from the outside, we get the story directly from Madeline, Roderick's sister. In the original story, we know practically nothing of Madeline aside from what little Roderick tells the unnamed narrator. The original Madeline does not have a voice at all. Here, though, Madeline is the narrator of her own life story growing up in the House of Usher. We find out that a good chunk of her life has hinged around her plan to escape the House and the Curse, to save herself and her brother. The real question is this: will she be able to hang on to her sanity long enough to destroy the House and end the Curse once and for all?
I've always enjoyed Poe (and the Vincent Price Poe movie adaptations!), so I was intrigued when I learned about The Fall by Bethany Griffin. Personally, I say that her YA reimagining of this classic is very well done, everything from the characterization of Madeline to the atmosphere and the sense of impending doom. The characters area all well developed, even the supporting cast. Madeline is a fantastic choice for a narrator as her position really allows the author to show off the malevolence of the House and the effects of the Curse on the Usher family. As I mentioned above, the atmosphere is very thick and you can really get a good sense of the madness, malevolence, and absolute horror when it comes to the House. This novel firmly falls into Gothic psychological thriller territory.
Madeline is also an excellent unreliable narrator which works well for this story and the way it is presented. Her story is told in short chapters that alternate back and forth to various scenes throughout her cursed life at different ages. This jumping back in forth in time between chapters is difficult to get used to at first, but once you get into the swing of the story it's easier to follow. The further along you go, the more you catch up to the present and the story really begins to follow the one solid timeline. This is actually one of the reasons I knocked off a star from my rating because it was so jarring to get used to, plus there are some pacing issues, especially coming right off of that opening chapter.
Overall, I enjoyed this reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's classic. Feel free to dive right in even if you aren't familiar with the source material. It is interesting to already have an idea of where the story is going, but it is not necessary to fully enjoy this thriller. I plan on reading Ms. Griffin's other Poe adaptations. I am looking forward to discovering what she has done with The Masque of the Red Death.
This review is also on my blog.
I've always enjoyed Poe (and the Vincent Price Poe movie adaptations!), so I was intrigued when I learned about The Fall by Bethany Griffin. Personally, I say that her YA reimagining of this classic is very well done, everything from the characterization of Madeline to the atmosphere and the sense of impending doom. The characters area all well developed, even the supporting cast. Madeline is a fantastic choice for a narrator as her position really allows the author to show off the malevolence of the House and the effects of the Curse on the Usher family. As I mentioned above, the atmosphere is very thick and you can really get a good sense of the madness, malevolence, and absolute horror when it comes to the House. This novel firmly falls into Gothic psychological thriller territory.
Madeline is also an excellent unreliable narrator which works well for this story and the way it is presented. Her story is told in short chapters that alternate back and forth to various scenes throughout her cursed life at different ages. This jumping back in forth in time between chapters is difficult to get used to at first, but once you get into the swing of the story it's easier to follow. The further along you go, the more you catch up to the present and the story really begins to follow the one solid timeline. This is actually one of the reasons I knocked off a star from my rating because it was so jarring to get used to, plus there are some pacing issues, especially coming right off of that opening chapter.
Overall, I enjoyed this reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's classic. Feel free to dive right in even if you aren't familiar with the source material. It is interesting to already have an idea of where the story is going, but it is not necessary to fully enjoy this thriller. I plan on reading Ms. Griffin's other Poe adaptations. I am looking forward to discovering what she has done with The Masque of the Red Death.
This review is also on my blog.
October 31, 2015
I read The Fall a little while back, but with it being Halloween I thought that now was the PERFECT time to finally post my review!
I've always been fascinated by Edgar Allan Poe. I haven't read all of his works, but I love the ones that I've read. They're dark, mysterious, and compelling. Bethany Griffin has a way of taking Poe's work, finding inspiration from it, and making it into a wonderful new story that still manages to capture that compelling essence of Poe's work, but is also completely her own. I find that absolutely amazing! I love her books for their connection to Poe, but I love them even more for their unique ability to keep me on my toes, and it never fails to amaze me when Bethany Griffin weaves her own wonderful stories from the inspiration she gets from Poe's.
The Fall is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. If you've read Poe's story...it's pretty dark, suspenseful, fascinating, creepy, and it's gloriously gothic. It's pretty much the perfect story to read around Halloween, and Bethany Griffin takes inspiration from Poe's tale and turns it into an absolutely intriguing and utterly captivating story!
I loved reading Madeline's story! It was mysterious, and extremely interesting trying to figure out what was happening to her...and what the house was doing. The creepiest aspect of the story was definitely the house. It becomes a character all on its own. It's sentient, and Madeline can feel what the house is feeling. While I was reading The Fall, I couldn't help being on edge...hoping that Madeline could somehow escape from the house, and escape from the curse that followed the Ushers.
The story alternates between Madeline's present, moments from her past, and entries from the diary of one of her relatives. This adds to the ethereal and mysterious qualities of the story. As we learn more about Madeline's past, and she learns more about the house and her family, everything intensifies. From the moment I started reading, I couldn't put The Fall down. It's fast-paced, and will leave you gasping for breath and wondering what will happen next right to the very last page.
I absolutely loved The Fall! I loved that it was inspired by Poe, but I loved the way that Bethany Griffin made the The Fall of the House of Usher into her own story even more. Her writing style is beautiful, captivating, and kept me on edge the entire time. Even after I read the last line...I was still on edge, desperate to know what would become of the characters. I'd recommend The Fall to anyone looking for a gloriously creepy, Gothic read, especially if you're a fan of Poe or Gothic stories.
I've always been fascinated by Edgar Allan Poe. I haven't read all of his works, but I love the ones that I've read. They're dark, mysterious, and compelling. Bethany Griffin has a way of taking Poe's work, finding inspiration from it, and making it into a wonderful new story that still manages to capture that compelling essence of Poe's work, but is also completely her own. I find that absolutely amazing! I love her books for their connection to Poe, but I love them even more for their unique ability to keep me on my toes, and it never fails to amaze me when Bethany Griffin weaves her own wonderful stories from the inspiration she gets from Poe's.
The Fall is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. If you've read Poe's story...it's pretty dark, suspenseful, fascinating, creepy, and it's gloriously gothic. It's pretty much the perfect story to read around Halloween, and Bethany Griffin takes inspiration from Poe's tale and turns it into an absolutely intriguing and utterly captivating story!
I loved reading Madeline's story! It was mysterious, and extremely interesting trying to figure out what was happening to her...and what the house was doing. The creepiest aspect of the story was definitely the house. It becomes a character all on its own. It's sentient, and Madeline can feel what the house is feeling. While I was reading The Fall, I couldn't help being on edge...hoping that Madeline could somehow escape from the house, and escape from the curse that followed the Ushers.
The story alternates between Madeline's present, moments from her past, and entries from the diary of one of her relatives. This adds to the ethereal and mysterious qualities of the story. As we learn more about Madeline's past, and she learns more about the house and her family, everything intensifies. From the moment I started reading, I couldn't put The Fall down. It's fast-paced, and will leave you gasping for breath and wondering what will happen next right to the very last page.
I absolutely loved The Fall! I loved that it was inspired by Poe, but I loved the way that Bethany Griffin made the The Fall of the House of Usher into her own story even more. Her writing style is beautiful, captivating, and kept me on edge the entire time. Even after I read the last line...I was still on edge, desperate to know what would become of the characters. I'd recommend The Fall to anyone looking for a gloriously creepy, Gothic read, especially if you're a fan of Poe or Gothic stories.
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