Dave Schaafsma’s review of A Guest in the House

I astir surely request to reread this queer scary schematic caller by scary maestro Emily Carroll, which is acold much analyzable than I initially realized. Initially, I thought that it mightiness beryllium somewhat akin to Daphne du Maurier/Hitchcock's Rebecca, successful that a man of suspicious intentions remarries aft his woman dies, wanting thing for illustration his first woman successful his 2nd wife. That is true, that our main characteristic Abby marries a widowed dentist and she besides assumes nan domiciled of mother to Crystal, but location are layers I americium conscionable uncovering. I tin ideate galore readers successful my position: What nan Hell did I conscionable read?! Is it worthy it to person to activity this difficult to understand nan story? In short, I opportunity yes. And nan artwork is stunning moreover if you ne'er publication a azygous word, but it is besides clear she is simply a maestro writer of horror.

Spoiler alert.

I'll revise this if I ever get amended clarity, but it appears for overmuch of nan communicative that nan shade of nan first wife, Sheila, lives successful this caller house. Dad took his girl crossed state (Canada) to unrecorded successful a mini colony and joined Abby, but it progressively seems for illustration nan man whitethorn person "disposed of" his first wife. Crystal tells Abby that he hated his wife, Crystal's mother. And nan shade of nan first woman is coming passim nan story, interacting pinch Abby a lot. And Abby originates to for illustration nan shade much than her dull and controlling husband, initially sympathizing pinch her. Then there's immoderate eroticism that seems to make its measurement (seeps? drips? I'm not trying to beryllium crude; I'm describing immoderate of nan artwork) into nan story. And a neighbour we meet doesn't moreover unrecorded anyplace adjacent there. Is she Sheila? And/or (I mean that, it could beryllium both) does nan "the ghost" really successful Abby's head, arsenic a figment of her imagination?

See what I mean?

If we only look astatine panels involving Abby we spot she dreams she is simply a knight successful sparkling armor. She besides seems to spot herself committing. . . suicide? All of her dreams and visions are highly colorful, nightmare visions pinch tons of Carroll's favourite color, humor red. Abby's life successful wide is gray, dull, moving astatine Valu-Save market store. She's quiet, reserved, she thinks of herself arsenic a benignant of ghost, passive, hardly there. It would look she is falling successful love, though, and nan entity of her emotion seems to be. . . nan shade aliases her imagined emotion object. . . Sheila!? Her ain queer self?!

I will publication different reviews and reread this, but nan creation unsocial is worthy seeing, and provides I deliberation a colour representation to what is really going on. I conjecture it would beryllium emblematic to telephone this "gothic" successful that it has ghosts and execution (or is it "murder"?!) and nan location figures successful arsenic a tract for nan horror. But this ain't your awesome great grandmother's scary yarn. Or possibly Carroll would reason that overmuch scary has an seductive subtext? Worth checking retired for yourself! I'll revise, but this is simply a unsocial blend of nan seductive and family play and personality and sadness and possibly a benignant of madness. What is going connected successful Abby's caput possibly conscionable beryllium a batch for illustration what is going connected successful writer Emily Carroll's head, nan gathering of scary and sensuality. Sound cool? Queer horror!