Title:
House of Darkness House of Light: The True Story Volume 1 Author: Andrea Perron Publisher: Author House Pages: 528 pages
Kindle Edition
From Amazon:
Roger and Carolyn Perron purchased the home of their dreams and eventual nightmares in December of 1970. The Arnold Estate, located just beyond the village of Harrisville, Rhode Island seemed the idyllic setting in which to raise a family. The couple unwittingly moved their five young daughters into the ancient and mysterious farmhouse. Secrets were kept and then revealed within a space shared by mortal and immortal alike. Time suddenly became irrelevant; fractured by spirits making their presence known then dispersing into the ether. The house is a portal to the past and a passage to the future. This is a sacred story of spiritual enlightenment, told some thirty years hence. The family is now somewhat less reticent to divulge a closely-guarded experience. Their odyssey is chronicled by the eldest sibling and is an unabridged account of a supernatural excursion. Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated this haunting in a futile attempt to intervene on their behalf. They consider the Perron family saga to be one of the most compelling and significant of a famously ghost-storied career as paranormal researchers. During a séance gone horribly wrong, they unleashed an unholy hostess; the spirit called Bathsheba…a God-forsaken soul. Perceiving herself to be mistress of the house, she did not appreciate the competition. Carolyn had long been under siege; overt threats issued in the form of fire…a mother’s greatest fear. It transformed the woman in unimaginable ways. After nearly a decade the family left a once beloved home behind though it will never leave them, as each remains haunted by a memory. This tale is an inspiring testament to the resilience of the human spirit on a pathway of discovery: an eternal journey for the living and the dead.
Notice that I included the words so far in the title. I purchased this book a couple months ago. I read that it was the true story behind the movie The Conjuring. This intrigued me for several reasons. First, I am an avid fan of true hauntings and read all I can get my hands on. Second, this was a case covered by Ed and Lorraine Warren. I am a huge fan of the Warrens and also read everything by/ about their cases that I can find. Third, I truly wanted to see the movie but, as a rule, I never see a movie without reading the book first. I am not a huge movie fan anyway (notice this is a book review blog- not a movie review blog). That being said, I couldn't wait to download this story.
Before going further let me say that I think reviewing a book without having read the entire book is cheating and, therefore, I am not reviewing the book. I am stating why I can not bring myself to finish it at this point.
Why can't I finish it? Simply put, the author's writing style detracts so much from the story that I can't bear to read it. The speech is so flowery, contrived, and over-wrought that it becomes frustrating.
An example:
"Carolyn settled into total relaxation; a true indulgence for a mother of five. A few more words residing in the recesses of her mind found their way to her lips; private suggestions floating on whispers aimed toward a husband's ear; some shameless hussy remarks regarding Adam and Eve."
Really? I would expect this from a Victorian novel, but today? It sounds like an overly gifted child who hasn't spent near enough time around other children. It detracts from the actual story to the extent that I can not bear to finish it at this time. I just can't. I won't be posting this as a review, because I feel it would be unfair. If I ever bring myself to finish it, I will do so.
This is a great story- one that deserves to be told. However, I think it would be best if it were told by someone else.
This is just my opinion.
