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Julian's House
Julian's House
Author: Judith Hawkes
Already compared to Edgar Allan Poe, Henry James, and Stephen King, first novelist Judith Hawkes' Julian's House features a haunted house -- but is no ordinary ghost story. Newly wed parapsychologists David and Sally are not afraid to move into a haunted house, until they find that there is no safe place in the house -- especially not in...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780899199061
ISBN-10: 0899199062
Publication Date: 11/1989
Pages: 354
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 2

3.8 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Ticknor Fields
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Julian's House on
Helpful Score: 3
This was an intriguing novel about a haunted house and a newly married couple, David and Sally, who are parapsychologist who rent the house for the summer to investigate the historical reports of paranormal happenings. Strange things do happen but is the house actually haunted? Over time, the relationship between the couple seems to deteriorate, as each of them reacts differently to their experiences in Julian's House.

This is a beautifully written story, At times, the descriptive narrative almost reads like poetry. This is a haunted house story in the tradition of Shirley Jackson and a ghost tale as cleverly obscure and ambiguous as Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw". This is as much a story of the interaction between Sally and David and their individual mindscapes, as it is a story of hauntings of an old house. Is David possessed by the ghost of Julian? Is the only way he can hope to become his former self again through an exorcism?
Parisoutlaw avatar reviewed Julian's House on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Here is a true spine tingling ghost story. This home sets the recorded on haunted houses when husband and wife duo come to investagate the pharanormal happenings. Though both are trained in dealing with hauntings and both are excited when they find out that this is new house is actually haunted niether one is prepared for horror that is about to break loose. Dogs disapear lights float in mid air and both seem more and more drawn in to the past as time goes on. Now the question is not about if they can escape the haunting of the house but the possesion that the spirits have taken over them.

I loved this book and have re read it many times it really keeps you on your toes it is not only a great ghost story but a wonderful mystary as well.
reviewed Julian's House on + 335 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Sally and David Curtiss knew that the old New England house was supposed to be haunted. But tey weren't afraid of ghosts. That was before they learned there was nowhere in the house they were safe. Not even in each other's arms. Especially not there.
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emeraldfire avatar reviewed Julian's House on
Sally and David Curtiss knew that the old New England house that they had just moved into was rumored to be haunted. However, the newly wed couple of parapsychologists were not scared at all. They had bought the house willingly and planned on studying it in order to find any evidence of supernatural activity.

Sally and David have also planned to work on some recent problems in their marriage. Sally is a somewhat reluctant psychic, and David is secretly jealous of her abilities. He has never had any psychic experiences himself, but desperately wants to have such an experience.

All of the Curtiss' hi-tech equipment shows absolutely no sign of any supernatural activity, but David is still convinced that Sally senses something in the house. As the Curtiss' continue to research the the house's strange and mysterious history, they both begin to experience unusual dreams that reveal the Curtiss' hidden fears and desires.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. The horror built slowly but surely, and the book was very well-written in my opinion. I never actually figured out what form the haunting took. At times it seemed to me that it was primarily possession that was at work, and then it seemed that the house itself had developed a personality throughout the years that was an evil influence in itself.

If I did have one problem with the book, it was that I found that the ending was slightly rushed and a little bit of a let down for me. Overall though, I give Julian's House by Judith Hawkes an A! I will definitely be keeping this book to read again at some point.
reviewed Julian's House on + 15 more book reviews
This book was a very easy book to understand. It does skip around some with the characters. All in all a good read.
reviewed Julian's House on + 13 more book reviews
A troubled, married pair of paranormal researchers spends time in a haunted house.


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