Saturday, February 15, 2025

Book Review: The Magic Cottage by James Herbert

 

The Magic Cottage: James Herbert



I reread this book again recently after reading it years ago. I enjoyed it the second time around even though I still had a vague memory of what happens. The story focuses on a young couple who both work as artists. Midge is a painter and illustrator while Mike is a musician.

They choose to buy a new home and move away from the city of London for a peaceful space they can work in. They end up buying a cottage called Gramarye, which has an unusual design and looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale. They move in and to start with everything seems great.

Then things start to happen, subtle things at first but escalating as the story continues. I won’t avoid spoilers but there are a few fun twists and turns and some genuinely spooky and uncomfortable imagery. The main characters are interesting and well written, flawed and complementary.

It’s not an overt horror story to my mind, but very much leans into its supernatural elements and highlights how easily humans can rationalise things. Even in the face of overt unexplainable things. The power of belief and the importance of choices and free will.

It’s a good read, nicely spooky and creepy. I’d give it 4 stars and would recommend it to anyone who like horror and supernatural stories. I think the foreshadowing of certain things could have been a little bit more subtle.

Emi The Cat Lady 💜

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