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Come Closer
Demonic possession or psychic break? One of Esquire's Top 50 horror novels of all time delves deep into the terrifying consequences of losing control.
"A perfect horror novel."—Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World
A recurrent, unidentifiable noise in her apartment. A memo to her boss that's replaced by obscene insults. Amanda—a successful architect in a happy marriage—finds her life going off kilter by degrees. She starts smoking again, and one night for no reason, without even the knowledge that she's doing it, she burns her husband with a cigarette. At night she dreams of a beautiful woman with pointed teeth on the shore of a blood-red sea.
The new voice in Amanda's head, the one that tells her to steal things and talk to strange men in bars, is strange and frightening, and Amanda struggles to wrest back control of her life. A book on demon possession suggests that the figure on the shore could be the demon Naamah, known to scholars of the Kabbalah as the second wife of Adam, who stole into his dreams and tricked him into fathering her child. Whatever the case, as the violence of her erratic behavior increases, Amanda knows that she must act to put her life right, or see it destroyed.
This new edition of the cult classic features a brand new post-script by the author and an "Are You Possessed?" questionnaire.
"A perfect horror novel."—Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World
A recurrent, unidentifiable noise in her apartment. A memo to her boss that's replaced by obscene insults. Amanda—a successful architect in a happy marriage—finds her life going off kilter by degrees. She starts smoking again, and one night for no reason, without even the knowledge that she's doing it, she burns her husband with a cigarette. At night she dreams of a beautiful woman with pointed teeth on the shore of a blood-red sea.
The new voice in Amanda's head, the one that tells her to steal things and talk to strange men in bars, is strange and frightening, and Amanda struggles to wrest back control of her life. A book on demon possession suggests that the figure on the shore could be the demon Naamah, known to scholars of the Kabbalah as the second wife of Adam, who stole into his dreams and tricked him into fathering her child. Whatever the case, as the violence of her erratic behavior increases, Amanda knows that she must act to put her life right, or see it destroyed.
This new edition of the cult classic features a brand new post-script by the author and an "Are You Possessed?" questionnaire.
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Community Reviews
This was a great short story. I picked this up a few years ago, and I am really disappointed that I did not read this sooner. I think this book really is asking, Is what you wish for, truly what you want when you get it? Our protagonist Amanda just wanted her husband Edward to love her and never leave her. When Amanda finally gets what she wishes for from another, does she really want that? Great book, and I don't want to say to much as it is a short story and I would hate to give anything away!
“Just when I was on the verge of seeing the truth, when the pieces would start to fall into place and I could almost see that the situation was horribly, drastically wrong, the demon’s voice would step in and tell me No, I was the same Amanda I had always been. Only better.”
✨✨✨✨✨
There have been two books in my life that have completely terrified me—Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” and now Sara Gran’s “Come Closer.” I read this back in December, and it’s taken me up until this point to finally write a review about it.
I think that a lot of stories about possession/hauntings walk the fine line between what might be supernatural and what might be a crisis in mental health; this book is very clearly set in motion by the presence of a demon. And throughout the book Amanda, whose narrative is told in first person, can do little more than watch as her life falls apart.
Intrusive thoughts. Erratic, unusual behavior. Violent outbursts. These start out small, almost reminiscent of an abusive relationship, before reaching a crescendo in which Amanda can find no way out. Even her attempts to receive help are unsuccessful.
If this story sounds dark, depressing, and dismal—it is! For 166 pages, Sara Gran draws out a horrifying amount of fear and psychological distress. I will not be reading this again, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who enjoys this genre of horror; it’s incredibly well-written, and Amanda’s narrative stays with you long after you finish her story.
✨✨✨✨✨
There have been two books in my life that have completely terrified me—Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” and now Sara Gran’s “Come Closer.” I read this back in December, and it’s taken me up until this point to finally write a review about it.
I think that a lot of stories about possession/hauntings walk the fine line between what might be supernatural and what might be a crisis in mental health; this book is very clearly set in motion by the presence of a demon. And throughout the book Amanda, whose narrative is told in first person, can do little more than watch as her life falls apart.
Intrusive thoughts. Erratic, unusual behavior. Violent outbursts. These start out small, almost reminiscent of an abusive relationship, before reaching a crescendo in which Amanda can find no way out. Even her attempts to receive help are unsuccessful.
If this story sounds dark, depressing, and dismal—it is! For 166 pages, Sara Gran draws out a horrifying amount of fear and psychological distress. I will not be reading this again, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who enjoys this genre of horror; it’s incredibly well-written, and Amanda’s narrative stays with you long after you finish her story.
This was a super quick read with many unresolved questions. I’m not sure if that’s why I had issues with this book, but I wouldn’t put it on my reading shelf again.
Really enjoyed the ride on this one! I listened to the audiobook, and loved the narrator. Excellent quick read
could've been creepier but felt like there was too much being spelled out for me when it would've been better to show and not explain so much. i did like the bleak ending though.
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