“She hesitated at the corner of the verandah. Her curiosity was intense: she had not forgot all her animosity toward her father for bringing her to this godforsaken place. Yet something kept India from mounting the steps of the verandah; something told her not to peer into the windows of that house where no one came to stay; something held her even from pushing her toe into the last grains of white sand that had spilled from the top of the dune onto the bare ground at her feet” – Michael McDowell, The Elementals
It has been a long time since the last book review. With my least-favorite time of year (summer) coming to an end to make way for my favorite time of year (fall), I wanted to re-read a horror novel that represents the lesser-appreciated horrors involved in oppressive heat. I immediately landed on The Elementals, a 1981 horror novel by Michael McDowell (screenwriter of Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas). It is a hidden gem of a Southern Gothic horror novel that should be on the to-read list of every reader who loves horror.
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The book begins at the funeral of the matriarch of the novel’s central family: Marian Savage. Estranged members of the family gather in a church in Mobile, Alabama to mourn her. Before the coffin is taken by the pallbearers, the daughters of Marian Savage carry out a family funeral ritual: plunging a knife an inch into the chest of the deceased to ensure she is no longer alive. Shortly after the funeral, the family head to Beldame, the Savage family’s estate on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. Three Victorian houses neighbor each other on the beach. The first two houses are in livable condition; the third house sits empty and silent as the white sand of the beach gradually consumes it. At high tide, Beldame is an island, cut off from the rest of the coast until the water recedes.
Still disturbed by the ritual with the knife, the visiting family members learn more about the Savage family’s unusual lineage as well as some strange occurrences at the third house witnessed from afar. As the blazing summer continues with no air conditioning and unreliable electricity, the relatives encounter unexplainable events in the house. When exploring the trio of houses for answers, the characters encounter the Elementals: spectral beings who manipulate the nature and elements around them to torment the family. Their only choice is to flee Beldame and go back to their lives…if the Elementals will let them.
Rereading this book, I drew a few comparisons to one of my favorite writers: Shirley Jackson. The character-driven story, brooding atmosphere, and the role of the actual home in reminded me of works such as The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. If you enjoy these or similar works, The Elementals is a perfect next read. The engaging plot and complex characters create an atmosphere that is even more chilling than the supernatural antagonist(s) we are meant to fear. The Elementals reminds us that the light of day is scary, too. Nature is always waiting to make its move.
Readalikes:
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Shining by Stephen King
Hell House by Richard Matheson
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
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Until next time,
Jordan
By Night 