Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
London : Century, 1987, c1986.
Description
"In every respect, Campbell's best." - Kirkus Reviews Isolated on the moors of northern England, the town of Moonwell has remained faithful to their Druid traditions and kept their old rituals alive. Right-wing evangelist Godwin Mann isn't about to let that continue, and his intolerant brand of fundamentalism has struck a chord with the residents. But Mann goes too far when he descends into the pit where the ancient being who's been worshipped by the Druids for centuries is said to dwell. What emerges is a demon in Mann's shape, and only the town's outcasts can see that something is horribly wrong. As the evil spreads, Moonwell becomes cut off from the rest of the world... FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
I've read a few of Ramsey Campbell's short stories, and I've liked them. The Hungry Moon is the first novel of his I've read. It is straight-up weird horror, with no overtures to the Lovecraftian "mythos." Set in the secluded English town of Moonwell, it includes a diverse ensemble of central
The town is named after a large cave out on the moors that has a folkloric legacy, decorated every midsummer in some survival of pagan custom. An American evangelist comes to town to purge this "godlessness" and exorcise the cave, only to liberate the dormant evil that is actually confined in its depths. The stakes are raised by the presence of a nearby military base with nuclear weapons.
As the influence from the cave waxes, the town becomes thoroughly isolated from outside, and the residents are turned against each other. Much of the menace of the story comes from the religious fervor of the townspeople consolidated under the evangelist Godwin Mann. But there are unquestionably supernatural events, with little effort made to rationalize them; on the contrary, they often seem calculated to defy explanation. Additionally, the malefic influence exploits the psychological idiosyncrasies and weaknesses of various characters in other ways besides the hymn-singing cult. Before the story has ended, many of the characters have, and in an assortment of grisly ways.
The book is a fast read of 67 short chapters, oppressively spooky, and likely to satisfy fans of its genre.
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characters. The heroine -- who does not really dominate the narrative -- is an American expatriate schoolteacher named Diana Kramer. Other important figures include a couple of booksellers, the town postman, a local midwife, a young boy and his parents (who operate a sporting goods store), a journalist from out of town, the blind man who is the town's eldest resident, and so on. Each of these have their own perspectives on the terrible events of the story as it unfolds.The town is named after a large cave out on the moors that has a folkloric legacy, decorated every midsummer in some survival of pagan custom. An American evangelist comes to town to purge this "godlessness" and exorcise the cave, only to liberate the dormant evil that is actually confined in its depths. The stakes are raised by the presence of a nearby military base with nuclear weapons.
As the influence from the cave waxes, the town becomes thoroughly isolated from outside, and the residents are turned against each other. Much of the menace of the story comes from the religious fervor of the townspeople consolidated under the evangelist Godwin Mann. But there are unquestionably supernatural events, with little effort made to rationalize them; on the contrary, they often seem calculated to defy explanation. Additionally, the malefic influence exploits the psychological idiosyncrasies and weaknesses of various characters in other ways besides the hymn-singing cult. Before the story has ended, many of the characters have, and in an assortment of grisly ways.
The book is a fast read of 67 short chapters, oppressively spooky, and likely to satisfy fans of its genre.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
If you like a good creepy story, then you'll really like this one!
The book begins with a newspaper reporter, trying to get in touch with a woman in the town of Moonwell (in England somewhere), but no one seems to have heard of the town. It is not listed in any atlas, the telephone operator has no
On the sidelines, an American evangelist has come into Moonwell, ready to "exorcise" the evil there as instructed by God. He whips the town's inhabitants (all but a few sane people) into a religious frenzy and soon the town becomes crazy with religious fervor. But not everyone is sure that the evil should be exorcised -- and that long-standing traditions should be disrupted in favor of the plans that God has for the evangelist.
I won't say more, except that this was a very creepy story and a real page turner. I finished it in about three hours, largely because I didn't want to stop.
I would recommend it to readers who are willing to dwell in the realm of disbelief for a while and who just want to relax and have fun with a good old-fashioned horror story. I liked it.
The book begins with a newspaper reporter, trying to get in touch with a woman in the town of Moonwell (in England somewhere), but no one seems to have heard of the town. It is not listed in any atlas, the telephone operator has no
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clue of what the reporter (Nick) is talking about, and yet, Nick knew he had been there! What is going on?On the sidelines, an American evangelist has come into Moonwell, ready to "exorcise" the evil there as instructed by God. He whips the town's inhabitants (all but a few sane people) into a religious frenzy and soon the town becomes crazy with religious fervor. But not everyone is sure that the evil should be exorcised -- and that long-standing traditions should be disrupted in favor of the plans that God has for the evangelist.
I won't say more, except that this was a very creepy story and a real page turner. I finished it in about three hours, largely because I didn't want to stop.
I would recommend it to readers who are willing to dwell in the realm of disbelief for a while and who just want to relax and have fun with a good old-fashioned horror story. I liked it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Joybee
A creepy story centering around a small town called Moonwell. Things are strange in Moonwell where there are a lot of myths and legends about Druids and a cave/well out on the moors. Things become even more strange when an American evangelist comes to town with a hoard of his followers and stirs up
This book had great suspense, and was very creepy. It was hard to follow at first because the story jumps around between the townspeople, but once you get a handle on who everyone is it becomes a great read. The plot is very involved, so it wasn't a quick read.
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religious fervor, making the people in town who do not agree with his ways become out casts. All the suspense builds leading up to St. John the baptist day where the evangelist goes into the cave to cast out the demons. Then the town goes dark, people from the outside forget all about the town, and no one can leave the town. What is the cause of this? Could it be evil? Will the town survive?This book had great suspense, and was very creepy. It was hard to follow at first because the story jumps around between the townspeople, but once you get a handle on who everyone is it becomes a great read. The plot is very involved, so it wasn't a quick read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member aadyer
An interesting Lovecraft Ian tales from the monumental Ramsey Campbell. This centres around a folk horror ritual that occurs in Derbyshire. It was initially an incredibly evocative, Macon or Blackwood type piece. Unfortunately, it’s took the form of an adventure film in the last third. I felt
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that this week in the pram eyes of the whole venture. I also feel that Campbell’s An interesting Lovecraft Ian tales from the monumental Ramsey Campbell. This centres around a folk horror ritual that occurs in Derbyshire. It was initially an incredibly evocative, Macon or Blackwood type piece. Unfortunately, it’s took the form of a adventure film in the last third. I felt that this weakened the premise of the whole venture. I also feel that Campbell is better when describing the set up rather than When the creature finally emerges. Good but can be missed if one is not a Campbell completist. Show Less
Awards
British Fantasy Award (Winner — August Derleth Fantasy Award — 1988)
Language
Physical description
22 cm
ISBN
0712614419 / 9780712614412