Comes the Blind Fury

When I found myself without a book to read this week, I decided to go a little retro and dig through a box of paperbacks I haven't gotten around to reading. What I selected was an unfortunately stripped book, its front cover removed long before making its acquaintance with me. But what was on the outside was by no means the whole story with this wounded paperback. It was John Saul's "Comes the Blind Fury," originally published in 1980 and the one tragedy therein is that I didn't find the time to read it before this week.

"Comes the Blind Fury" is a simple take on the classic 'ghost story.' A New England family moves into a grandiose Victorian estate on the seashore, only to find that they got more than they bargained for. If my show more description sounds cliche, sue me. Because at its foundation, this story is just as jaded. But Saul's masterful prose kept the pages turning, even when I thought I knew what was going to happen next. In all honesty, I was right sometimes and wrong others; I didn't bother working out the right to wrong ratio, I just took the victories with the losses and continued reading.

Saul's characterization was hit or miss in this book- though I must say that he seemed to have captured exactly what he was aiming for. An important character, the father of the protagonist, started off as a truly enjoyable person to read... but before long he became an introverted and downright loathsome character that I would love to slap in the face, should I meet a living incarnation of him. I guess this is what defines great characterization, and I'm embittered by the fact that this character turned so surly when I wanted him to stay the Nice Guy supporting character he had originally been. His wife- the yin to his yang, as it were- was just the opposite. In the beginning I wasn't all that interested in what her character was bringing to the table. But by the time the plot had thickened, I saw that June Pendleton was an embodiment of the compassionate and understanding mother that we all wanted. A June Cleaver without the obnoxious sentiments.

The problem I have with "Comes the Blind Fury" should be an important one, as it involves the main character, Michelle, and the main conflict (that the ghost is making Michelle do terrible things which she is later blamed for). The problem I had was that Michelle, at times, seemed almost willing to perform these horrific murders- as if all she needed was a little infinitesimal nudge to do so. In fact, the only time she resisted the will of the specter, she successfully saved a life with very little trouble at all.

But this is a minor problem, against all odds, because Saul's narrative voice kept the story moving, even in parts that should have felt slow. And because his characterization was strong enough that these people seemed real to me- and never stepped out of character unless it was pivotal to the plot.

Overall, I'm rating John Saul's "Comes the Blind Fury" a 4 out of 5. There was a little to leave desired- up to and including the dramatic, almost Shakespearean ending and modern horror B-movie epilogue- but what little I felt it lacked was inconsequential in the face of what it possessed. I will recommend this read heartily, though not to absolute horror connoisseurs. But how many of us are there really?

I'm also going to mention the dialog as a completely personal opinion... I felt myself shaking my head a little bit at the way the characters spoke to each other. Not because they talked in an unrealistic manner, but because the way Americans speak has changed so much in the last thirty years. While I know for a fact that Saul's dialog was spot-on in its time, reading it was like hearing Dennis the Menace saying, "Gee, Mr. Wilson, that sure is swell!" in the old TV shows. I haven't thought much about the current stage of our language's evolution, but I'm certainly going to be looking for more examples as poignant as in "Comes the Blind Fury." show less

Cal and June Pendleton, along with their adopted 12-year-old daughter, Michelle, leave their urban lives in Boston for the peaceful, slower paced life Paradise Point has to offer. Despite the idyllic name and New England locale, Paradise Point is seething with secrets. Set in 1980, the locals fear the century old story of a 12-year-old named Amanda who was blind. Taunted by her peers, Amanda is forced off a cliff to an early death. Amanda's travails parallel those of Michelle. The former honor student who had no demerits or other negative marks on her previous report cards in Boston does an about face in Paradise Point. Michelle's life is soon taken over by Amanda only to learn that there is another Amanda on the scene who died in 1880. show more But was Amanda real? Was Amanda really dead or had she somehow been reanimated? Was Michelle imagining things? The parallel travails of two girls, separated by a century in time makes for some very riveting reading.

This was the first John Saul book I ever read and the one that got me hooked. I have since read every book he has ever written. show less

The Pendleton family arrive at their new home in Paradise Point (a village a couple of hours northeast of Boston). Dr. Calvin Pendleton has switched jobs, from working at a hospital in Boston, to a small clinic in Paradise Point. After treating a small boy in Boston who had an accident and died (he fell from a roof) Cal now feels guilty over the boy's death and is questioning his abilities/judgment. Another doctor that originally worked on the boy, who happened to be from Paradise Point, suggested that Cal move there and take up practice in the small village. He even sold his house to Cal. So Cal moves from Boston to Paradise Point with his family---his pregnant wife June, and their twelve-year-old adopted daughter Michelle.

One day, show more while unpacking, Michelle finds an old-fashioned antique doll in her closet and she names it Amanda. She later finds out from her friends at school that there's rumors of a ghost that roams the cliffs of Paradise Point---the ghost of a twelve-year-old blind girl that fell off the cliff to her death after being taunted by her classmates over a hundred years ago, and her name was Amanda. Michelle and her friends find it odd that she happened to name the doll Amanda. And Michelle is also starting to have dreams, and visions, of a small girl, dressed in black, wearing old-fashioned clothes, calling to her. One day, while at a picnic with some friends at the cove, Michelle gets picked on and taunted/teased for being adopted. Her mother recently gave birth to a new daughter, Jenny, and a cruel classmate suggests her parents won't love her anymore. Hurt, Michelle runs away, and has an accident. She now has trouble walking and is alone alot. She is being picked on by the kids at school. She wants a friend, someone who loves her. Amanda seems to be calling to her. Amanda will be her friend...

I don't want to give too much more away, but I really enjoyed this book. It was an absorbing, eerie, and sometimes sad read. I liked Michelle, she was a really sweet and likable young girl. She went from being outgoing and friendly to anti-social and alone. Some of the secondary characters I liked, some were annoying. I really hated Michelle’s mean classmate Susan! And although I liked Michelle’s father Cal at the beginning of the book, as the story progressed he turned into a real jerk/wimp. I did like the people who were noticing the changes in Michelle and tried to help her, like her teacher Corinne Hatcher and her mother, June. Michelle’s friend Sally was likable too. This story had good atmosphere---the cemetery, the cliffs, the sea, the fog, the ghost Amanda (Amanda always appeared with the fog swirling around her). This was my first read by John Saul and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future. show less

Saul doesn't pull any punches in this old school horror yarn. As ususal the supernatural is low key, a mencaing undercurrent, whilst the actions of the central charatcers are the keystones of this pageturner. The fractured family and little-girl-lost approach were far fresher back when this was written, however it plats out better than many of today's similar stories.

The writing is a little clumsy for Saul, the stalling in the middle parts distracting, however the final fifth made this one of his more memorable tales.

Saul’s rhythm fundamentally clashes with what I like to read.

His structure is often:
Disturbing prologue
New family / town setup
Large amounts of domestic and social texture
Slow revelation
Escalation late

Saul is often closer to:
soap opera
TV melodrama
Gothic domestic suspense

He uses atmosphere alone to carry momentum.

First book by Saul I've read and it hit a solid five on my watch. The story of how a 12-year-old girl becomes entranced by the spirit of another 12-year-old blind girl is solid and compelling, (especially if you are a spiritulist). Makes me want to read more by Saul.

John Saul isn't particularly adventurous with venturing far off formulas, but I remember enjoying this one. It needs a re-read to refresh my memory and so I can give it a proper review.