Usher's Passing

I think the reason why I enjoy this book so much is its use of typical gothic horror trappings, which I love. What can I say, I like the classic, i.e. what others might call "tired out cliches." "Usher's Passing" by Robert McCammon, a very fine author, is just a good old fashioned horror story. The story starts off with a vignette from the past. The Ushers are a real family, and their patriarch is angry that Edgar Allan Poe has come so close to the truth about their peculiar form of degeneracy. But when he sees how badly off Poe is himself, he realizes he can let it slide and no one would believe him anyway. Forward to the "present day" (in this case, 1984). Rix Usher is a descendant of the original Ushers of the Poe tale, and he's very troubled. He's kind of a loser prone to crippling panic attacks (which we learn is a malady all the Ushers suffer from), and he is recovering from his wife's suicide. His father, who he broke with when he was growing up, is dying, and either Rix, his older, disgusting brother Boone (think of a combination of Animal House's Bluto and Back To The Future's Biff Tannen, and you have Boone), or his sleek drug adddict model sister Kat will inherit the vast estate in the mountains of southwest North Carolina known as "Usherland" along with the $10 billion armanent company that the family has grown fat on. So they all return to the eerie estate and find much more in store for them then they had in mind. This book positively oozes that feeling of autumn horror in a way unlike anything I've read since Ray Bradbury. The setting is wonderful - Usherland is a sprawling, enormous mountain estate made even more fascinating through a number of facets. For instance, a bunch of backwards hillfolk live on the fringes of the estate (it's thousands of acres, hard to keep an eye on that much land). All the leaves are changing color, giving it that harvest time Halloween effect. It has cliffs, holes, and briarpatches, making it extremely difficult to navigate. What's more, this parcel of land is stalked by not one but two supernatural killers - the black-as-pitch panther Greediguts and the terrifying Pumpkin Man, both of whom have been killing for ages in the area. If that's not enough for you, somewhere on this property is an abandoned, ruined lodge that no one will set foot in and Rix has horrible half-memories of getting lost in as a child. I really like that set-up, and the story's execution is quite good as well, but I have to agree somewhat with the previous review that the nosy reporter and the rather unbelievable media interest in the family were the weakest points of the story. Yet, they were necessary to move the story along. The story has some good surprises along the way and the loose ends all get wrapped up. It's a great read that trades well off its fantastic atmosphere and setting. Highly recommended.

I read Usher's Passing a number of years ago, when I was in my early teens. At the time I found the book to be terrifying and even now, in my early 20's I am haunted by the image of the Pumpkin Man peering down from the dark at that little boy. I decided to read it again, just because it had never left my mind; I needed to find out if it was really as frightening as I remembered. It is. I have also read Swan Song and Boy's Life, and can easily say that R. McCammon is my favorite author and that Usher's Passing is the scariest book I have ever read.

McCammon takes on Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher" and spins a new story from where it all left off. Images of Usher history leading towards the present and intermingled with present-day suspense add a disturbingly quiet element to things. Missing children, a legacy of destruction, a house beyond understanding -- Rix Usher's life, his destiny, all of it, is tied in with the dark secrets of his family. Another reviewer said it was not the kind of book to read again and again; wait a few years, but I disagree. This is the kind of book that demands reading again and again, for there's something new to find with every read. It's not a lightweight read -- you MUST think about it, process it. It is by far the most frightening book I've ever read in terms of its implications for the characters -- and ourselves.

but one of his best. Let me start by saying that R. C. McCammon is easily my favorte author. And this is his second best work (after "Swan Song"). Based off the E. A. Poe work "Fall of the House of Usher", "Usher's Passing" keeps the atmosphere as oppressive as possible. Considering the story line, this is the perfect feeling. This is the only McCammon novel that doesn't suffer his fatal flaw... Quick endings. This is not a good multiple read novel (once every several years is enough), due to its dark nature and disturbing images. But you certainly won't regret taking the time to read this one.