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3 thoughts on “Gibbons, Alan – Dark Spaces and Other Stories”
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This was a pretty good book, and it is divided into many differing short stories. I liked the short story ‘Sanctuary’ the most, as it was pretty in-dept. The book is pretty good for those who love horror. It has some pretty interesting turns in the plot, as well. Most of the stories end in cliff-hangers, and Gibbons had made some surprises in most of the stories.
I think I met Alan Gibbons once. I can’t be sure, though.
I think I’ll be reading this book soon.
During the holiday, I finished a book called “Dark Spaces and Other Stories”, written by Alan Gibbons, who was at his chilling best. My guts trembled as I read along the book. There are seven short horror stories in the book, which are “The Blood Market”, “Dark Spaces”, “Home Alone”, “The House of Fun”, “Sanctuary”, “Mercy” and “Mousetrap”. The stories were about vampires, ghosts, treachery, etc., yet the story that I like the most is “The House of Fun.” So, the story goes like this, but be ready because it is going to be so (too) chilling.
Jack, the most adventurous boy, call it the House of Fun, which is an odd and abandoned house. Three boys, Jack, Smiler, which was of course his real name was Liam, and Paul decide to stay in the abandoned house all night. It seems like a great idea at first, but it turn out to be the worst decision of their entire lives. There is no light. The place has been abandoned for years. The house, once glorious, belonged to the Rathmore family. The icy wind penetrate their clothes. When they open the door, the house is full of surprises. Paul look up to the attic room at the top of the house. Then he notice that the attic is on the third floor, but they never find a way in to the attic. They search for the room to get at least comfortable. By the time they find the door of the room, they see the heavy velvet curtains hanging in tatters at the windows, litter and glass crutch underfoot. Then, just when they were about to clean up the mess, they hear somebody play the piano. It is a handful of notes, a short plaintive song. The boys get so scared, they try to get out of the room, but the heavy oaken door slam shut. They hurry over and twist the door handle, but they realize that they are stuck. In that same split-second, they all freeze. The house is no longer the vandalized ruin they had entered. Gaslights illuminate the immense hallway, the floor has changed into crimson carpets and instead of spray-caneed walls, they are freshly painted. At the same time, they gaze at the staircase, and see a young girl coming down the stairs, barefoot and wearing a nightdress. She warn them to get of the house before her father comes because he has fearful rages sometimes. Before the girl can say another word, there is a heavy sound above their heads. It is her after Rathmore. They try to open the door, but obviously, they cannot. He ask his daughter, Emily, whether she invited them or not without his permission, and she says they were not invited, bur are just fought, village boys. Liam protest that the door was open, but Rathmore declares that to be impossible because the door is always locked at precisely none o’ clock. Then, Rathmore says that he will only punish the ringleader because he is a fair-minded man. Jack grasps. Rathmore notes that Jack is the ringleader at once. Jack refuses to be the ringleader and plead with his friends to say something, but Paul and Liam stay silent. They betray Jack. They abandoned him to his fate. The years flow by.
Smiler and Paul are still friends. Sometimes they take their own children up to the House of Fun, though never after dark. Once in a while Paul fancy seeing Jack up there, in the attic window. Jack seems to be pounding against the glass, pleading to be set free, which is impossible. Whenever Paul fancies Jack up in the attic, he turn his back on the House of Fun, just as he turned his back on Jack all those years.
My favorite part is: “Then I turn my back on the House of Fun, just as I turned back on Jack all those years ago.” (66) because it makes me think: what would I do when I came across a case like this? Would I betray my friend, or would I be with my friend? I feel very sorry for Jack, but I think it might have been the only choice that Liam and Paul could have made to survive. I think most of the people would make same decision (Liam and Paul) when they were in a situation like them, including me.
I would recommend this book to people who had the similar situation as the two children. I would like to reassure them that they weren’t only bad; there would have been nothing that they could have done. I would like them no to feel guilty betraying a friend, even though it is a pity, because friendship is not always the most important during every time.