The Fall

I read this book in high school and finally bought myself a copy because I’ve been kinda wanting to reread it. I’ve never really been a huge fan of reading so take that as you may.If you are used to more strong horror don’t get your hopes up. This is what I like to call semi spooky ambient lore for Edgar Allan Poe’s classic story “The Fall Of The House Usher”. It goes through the life a a girl from the family of usher and what she goes through in the house with with her familial experiences and the curse witch afflicts her family. It is mildly confusing to read at first because if I remember correctly it jumps between her pov to diary entries. It takes a little bit to get used too but once I did I couldn’t put it down.I thought it was super unique and It will likely be on my list of favorite books for a long while.

The Fall of the House of Usher is one of my stories by Edgar Allan Poe. When I saw this book and read the synopsis I just knew I had to get it! I preordered it and everything, let me just tell you the cover is amazing! Anyways on to the actual story!I was not completely head over heels for The Fall by Bethany Griffin. There were things that enjoyed and thought were really well done and then there were some things that I found annoying and frustrating. The book was really atmospheric, that dark and creepy feeling was definitely reminiscent of Poe’s work and created a great overall feeling throughout the whole story! If you have read the original piece of work that this story was based off you will know it is a little vague and jumps in leaving you questioning so many things. Griffin takes the story and really runs with it.The overall writing was well done, I feel like Griffin put together a well crafted backstory that was intriguing and had me really interested throughout the whole story of where she would take it. Where the book fell short for me was the execution of the storyline. The book jumps around with each chapter being at a different age in Madeline’s life. I do not have a problem with chapters going back and forth between the past and the present because I think that it allows for the story to slowly unfold. Especially in this case where you are learning about the house and the curse, the slowly unraveling creepiness takes ahold of you and won’t let go. But that is not what happens, the story jumps continuously all over the place and it becomes very confusing and hard to follow what was happening when.Griffin does a fantastic job of making the house come to life and really seem like an ominous villain. For me the characters were done great! At times I felt like there was not much development and the characters at time were vague, but it added to the atmosphere and you do learn about them. I really felt for Madeline and everything she was going through. You start to question her reliability and the events that are taking place. All of the connections to the house are relations are an interesting twist and shocked me a little.Overall I thought this was an interesting story that really had the gothic horror feel and was fascinating retelling that did not just copy the original, but took the bones of the story and developed a dark and gripping book that explored some interesting ideas of a backstory and lead up to the original story by Poe! The book wasn’t without its faults, but I think it is worth a read for any fans of Poe’s work!

This surprisingly decent take on Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher" starts off as a creepy ghost story, as we learn about the influence of the House on the Usher family. However, it eventually devolves into a sappy young adult love story, as the main character is torn between her young doctor, her brother, and her brother's gay lover. Stop reading about seventy pages from the end so you won't have to suffer through this Twilight rehash of an ending.

*Shudder* OK. So, I'm having a hard time shaking off the creeps, after reading this mind-melting, spooky story.Bethany Griffin's take on Poe's Fall of the House of Usher is one of those books that messes with your mind as well as your 'spook-sense'.Every muscle I owned stayed in full-on clench mode, the entire way through this book. From page one, I was scared for main character Madeline. I WORRIED about her. And isn't that the best praise any reader can offer?Author Griffins perfect blend of ghosts and madness made for an utterly creep-tastic read.(Though never at night and never, EVER alone.)HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

I am a fan of creepy. The stories that have you double checking the locks on the doors and wondering what is making that shadow over there. I had high hopes based on the reviews I read here and the fact this story was based on an Edgar Allan Poe story. The only thing creepy in this book was the young doctor leering at Madeline as she stripped naked for her routine exams. Perv. I honestly never felt invested in or felt sorry for any of the characters except the dog. The author presented the story in odd two or three page chapters of the protagonist's memories at a variety of ages. It was far more annoying than an effective literary tool. Ultimately the author never managed to make the house frightening nor did I ever hold my breath at what came next. Stick to the original Poe story and skip this rather lifeless imitation.

I'm generally not a fan of horror books, except when it comes to Gothic classics. And so The Fall was a pleasant surprise. I liked the slow creepiness of the story and the bite-sized chapters. I liked the world building of the House and that the House was the world. This is one of the few books I've read recently that I would actually go back and read again.

This is a fantastic spin on Edgar Allen Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher". It is a very imaginative and keeps you wanting to read on and find out what happens in the end. If you are a fan of suspenseful and mysterious story lines than this is a book for you!

Not much that I can say except that this book was boring as hell with boring characters. Not only was it not creepy and intense as it should be but I don't think there was a reason for this book to be this long in the first place. Seriously, The Fall just drags on and on and you the reader are left unsatisfied.Wish I would have borrowed this from the library.

I loved this book. It was action all the way through. From the first few pages. I was sucked in. Felt sorry for her by the end. She so wanted to get away. Its a must read for all ages.

My interest for the paranormal should be no surprise by now. When I saw this book, which promises to tell the tale of a haunted house and a cursed family, I decided it was the perfect read for these somewhat dreary autumn nights. My expectations were high, but the Fall doesn’t quite deliver.The Fall by Bethany Griffin is based on the fall of the house of Usher, a short story by one of the older masters of horror Edgar Allan Poe. The original story is told from the perspective of a young man who goes to visit an old friend and his sister who slowly succumb to madness and an undescribed family illness, which leads to the brother putting his sister in the family tomb despite her not being dead. The Fall is told by the sister Madeline. Short memories from her early childhood to her adolescence should enlighten us slowly to what is going on. You see, Madeline is cursed, and as if being cursed isn’t bad enough, the house in which she lives is part of it. It is an almost omniscient presence, an evil presence. It speaks to Madeline, tries to keep her on the estate, but doing so will slowly drive her mad, just like all her ancestors. When she wakes up in a coffin she is not sure whether she will survive at all, let alone break the ancient curse that threatens to claim the life of her dearly beloved twin brother as well as her own.If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be ‘melancholia’. The atmosphere is at times claustrophobic and suffocating, at other times dreary and heavyhearted. The house is truly a main character, you can almost feel it breathing through the pages of the book. The scenery Griffin manages to paint is astonishing in its woefulness and lives up to Poe’s gothic tale.Unfortunately, there were also quite some things that I didn’t like about this novel. The Fall had so much potential. We have a cruel estate, a family illness, a girl slowly going mad: all the ingredients to make for an interesting story. Sorry to disappoint, but it isn’t nearly as interesting as it promises to be. The short chapters could make for such an exciting read, yet they are too repetitive. Yes, we know Madeline is cursed, we know she is physically weak and we know that the house is evil. I think show, don’t tell comes in handy here. I want to see that the house is maleficent way earlier in the text instead of being told so. There isn’t enough happening to justify the length of this novel. Another thing is that the story should be a mystery to us. Through the short pieces of memory, the reader should be able to slowly piece together what is happening. However, I think almost everyone will be able to almost immediately tell what is going on, and this takes away from the little suspense this novel already had. Also, Madeline bugged me at times. She felt utterly useless, though that could be me. She is supposed to be frail and sickly, after all. What I also disliked, was that though the presence of the house felt very real, I couldn’t get a clear picture of it. I don’t think the main characters did, either. Apparently you can live your entire life in the house of Usher without ever seeing more than, say, a third of it.The Fall is really an atmospheric book. It could be improved in some ways, yet I did not find it bothersome to read. It really depends on what you expect and what you like. If you want to read a novel without a chronological timeline that allows you to slowly realise what has happened, I would advise the double shadow by Sally Gardner rather than the fall. You won’t find a horror story full of suspense, either. Do read if you enjoyed Edgar Allan Poe’s the fall of the house of Usher or if you are a big fan of slow-paced, mainly atmospheric psychological horror.

A thoroughly creepy, atmospheric and wonderfully written story.The writer managed to capture the utter desperation and darkness of the house and its effect on its residents, namely the Usher family, in this re-telling of an old 'Poe' tale.Highly recommended for anyone that loves moody gothic horror / haunted tales. However, my only bugbear after such build up was the ending, which I thought was a tad odd. (I had to read it twice to attempt to grasp it, but that's probably just me!)The timeline flitted backwards and forwards using Madeline's ages at a given time to tell the story:i.e. Chapter heading, Madeline is 15, Madeline is 9, Madeline is 11, then back again.Although this didn't run in chronological order, it enforced my sense of Madeline's psychological torment and enhanced her slipping grip on reality throughout.Holds your attention. All in all, a great read.