Community Reviews
David Sodergren’s The Haar is a short horror novel that is unique, unapologetic, and surprisingly romantic.
The first thing that stood out to me about the book was the amazing cover art. Shoutout to Trevor Henderson! It was so shocking and raw, but simultaneously eerie and hypnotic. It was what lured me to wanting to read the book in the first place. Most, if not all, modern books have pretty underwhelming cover arts.
The story itself was fast-paced and well-written. I didn’t expect the book to be so short, but I didn’t mind it after finishing it. The format and structure reminded me of the short stories written by Shirley Jackson. A book doesn’t have to be overtly long to be meaningful. A book just has to be well written.
The book also worked because of its unique tone. It was not just filled with intense gore and vulgarity, even though it had those moments, but it was also equally comedic and romantic even. There was a lot of humanity in the book, specifically with the main character, Muriel McAuley. Which made her more sympathetic and relatable for the reader. Horror as a genre, whether in cinematic format or literary format, works best when it doesn’t take itself so seriously.
This was a great horror novel. I finished it quickly. I loved it deeply. I recommend it strongly.
The first thing that stood out to me about the book was the amazing cover art. Shoutout to Trevor Henderson! It was so shocking and raw, but simultaneously eerie and hypnotic. It was what lured me to wanting to read the book in the first place. Most, if not all, modern books have pretty underwhelming cover arts.
The story itself was fast-paced and well-written. I didn’t expect the book to be so short, but I didn’t mind it after finishing it. The format and structure reminded me of the short stories written by Shirley Jackson. A book doesn’t have to be overtly long to be meaningful. A book just has to be well written.
The book also worked because of its unique tone. It was not just filled with intense gore and vulgarity, even though it had those moments, but it was also equally comedic and romantic even. There was a lot of humanity in the book, specifically with the main character, Muriel McAuley. Which made her more sympathetic and relatable for the reader. Horror as a genre, whether in cinematic format or literary format, works best when it doesn’t take itself so seriously.
This was a great horror novel. I finished it quickly. I loved it deeply. I recommend it strongly.
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