House Next Door

The "haunted house" has been done to death, and thus it takes a writer of considerable skill and imagination to write a "haunted house" novel that isn't just a re-write of a dozen (or maybe a hundred) other novels that preceded it. In doing so, Siddons took on a very formidable task-- and that she largely succeeded in her endeavor is a credit to her skill and imagination.

*WARNING:* Those who think that a "horror" novel must have guts and gore dripping from every page will be sorely disappointed with this book. Except for some animals savagely killed on the lot where the house is built, there is no "splatter" in this book-- and even those incidents are not dwelled upon or described in detail. Siddons is not Stephen King and she does not rub the reader's nose in lurid descriptions of carnage; instead, she leaves the details to the reader's imagination. In describing the remains of the puppy belonging to the first owners of the house, she says only, "The puppy was literally destroyed"-- and leaves it to the reader to imagine what that means. Simmons expects the reader to do his share of the "work," not only in using his imagination, but in reading between the lines. Readers who expect to have everything spoon-fed to them will also be sorely disappointed with this book.

Some reviewers have made a great "deal" of the fact that the novel was written in the late 1970s, and have referred to the "1970s lifestyle." That's nonsense. The book is set in an established, upper-middle-class, insular neighborhood, occupied by upper-middle-class people who are comfortable and rather smug. There's nothing peculiarly "1970s" about that, because such neighborhoods and such people have always existed and still exist-- and always will.

The narrator, Colquitt Kennedy (apparently named after a city in Georgia), is not a likeable person. She and her husband, Walter, are successful and self-centered-- and endlessly smug about it. Their lives are an orderly and predictable round of mostly enjoyable, mundane activities-- working, collecting rocks for the rock garden, having drinks at the country club, attending parties.

Here is Colquitt describing herself and her husband and their lives: "We like our lives and our possessions to run smoothly. Chaos, violence, disorder, mindlessness all upset us. They do not frighten us, precisely, because we are aware of them. We watch the news, we are active in our own brand of rather liberal politics. We know we have built a shell for ourselves, but we have worked hard for the means to do it; we have chosen it. Surely we have the right to do that." When her husband accuses her of being spoiled, she says, "So are you," to which he replies, "And we'll keep it that way, I promise. That's what we're all about."

Some reviewers have expressed a great deal of class resentment and venom toward Colquitt and her neighbors, merely because they *are* well-off and live in an affluent neighborhood. However, that comfort and affluence are a large part of what makes the book "work." Had the events occurred in a working-class neighborhood or a crime-ridden, lower-class neighborhood, they would not have had as much impact. Shirley Jackson used this kind of contrast in "The Haunting of Hill House": throughout that book, it is emphasized that Hill House is not some decrepit, dilapidated, "creepy" house, but instead is a very handsome house that has been very well kept-up-- "Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut...."

The Kennedys are self-centered, shallow, and smug, and look forward to remaining that way for the rest of their lives. Instead, their lives are disrupted and then turned upside-down, first by the construction of a house on the vacant lot next door-- a lot formerly covered with trees and bushes and wildflowers, a sort of mini-forest-- and then by the events that occur there and the conclusion to which those events force Colquitt and Walter, very much against their nature and beliefs, to come-- that the house next door is evil and destroys everyone who lives in it, in one way or another.

Having realized that, they realize what they must do-- and for all their shallowness, selfishness, and smugness, they find the courage and will to do it, even at great cost to themselves. This is why I think people who harp on what spoiled, pampered, selfish people the Kennedys are didn't bother to finish the book.

Several reviewers have criticized the ending, but I think the ending is just right. Had it been drawn out, it would not have been as effective. As it is, there is the sense of Colquitt and Walter being dragged, inexorably and rapidly, into an ending they did not envision, did not anticipate, and do not want-- an ending that forces them, finally and horribly, to confront the true nature of "the house next door."

Siddons has written a classic in the "horror" genre-- a "haunted house" novel that is truly original, truly "different," truly something that has never been done before. That is an achievement to which few writers would even aspire, much less accomplish. If anyone has since done it better, I've not heard of it or read it.

Stephen King devotes a significant number of pages to Anne Rivers Siddon's The House Next Door in Danse Macabre, his remarkable study of all things horror. Without King's reference, I would probably have never crossed paths with this novel. Siddons is not a horror writer, yet in this, her second published novel, she has produced a rather remarkable work of psychological horror, tilling the same fertile fields of Southern Gothicism that a William Faulkner might have worked in decades earlier. The Atlanta suburb of Siddons' creation is a social microcosm of the South in juxtaposition between the old and the new, a place where one's identity is determined by one's position and set of friends, and it is the effects of the house next door on this tight-knit, structured community that really serve as the focus of Siddons' attention. As such, the "haunting" is never really creepy and is certainly not frightening in the least, especially given the fact that we see the effects of the horror through the eyes of our protagonist and her husband, relying on their reports of sights and sounds we really never get to witness firsthand. There is no ghost in the normal sense here, no discernible force that seems to lie behind the horror of events. Siddons' grounding of her tale in reality and in a community her readers can visualize and relate to in a tangible way is absolutely necessary in order for this novel to work. As Siddons has said in reference to The House Next Door, "Without belief, there is no terror."
Some readers have had trouble fully connecting with the narrator of events, Colquitt Kennedy, and her husband Walter, but I really do not. Colquitt can sometimes become a little tiring in terms of her laments of mounting pain and sorrow, but she does not come across to me as a person who puts her social or mildly affluent social position ahead of her humanity. After all, the Kennedys make some entirely self-less decisions when it comes to warning future homeowners of the danger lurking in the walls of the beautiful house next door. The house is unique and brand new, a brilliantly designed structure erected on a site local architects claimed could never support a house. The very antithesis of the traditional haunted Southern manor or plantation house, the house uses its loveliness to entice families inside its seemingly normal walls, somehow isolating each family member's greatest weaknesses and vulnerabilities and playing upon those to enact the destruction it thrives on. The brilliant young architect becomes an important player in this drama, and his character helps build a bridge of plausibility between the brand new home and the tragedies befalling those who live within it. The book is basically broken up into three sections, each one telling the story and eventual tragedy of a different new family, the haunting and tragic factors increasing dramatically as the house feeds itself on the evil forces it unleashes. This premise works beautifully, making The House Next Door a fascinating read for both horror lovers and general readers alike, casting its nets far and wide to entrap readers of all sorts in its unsettling clutches. The ending, which seems to disappoint some readers, really feels right to me and is by no means anticlimactic. Anne Rivers Siddons succeeds in transplanting classic Southern Gothic horror into a modern, idyllic setting in which it seemingly does not belong. This is what makes the house so dangerous and makes the story all the more fascinating.

I have to be honest...I never even imagined myself reading an Anne Rivers Siddons book. Never. And that's not to say that I don't think she's a great writer; I just tend to stick with horror or at least with stories that have a darker side. I picked this one up on the recommendation of several fellow horror fans with this thought: "yeah, right, this will be a waste of my time." I suppose if I were truly capable of eating my words, I'd be reaching for a fork.
This novel introduces us to quite a different time in America. It's the 70's, and it's the South, AND the story is set in an upper-class neighborhood where everyone follows an unwritten code of social conduct. Colquitt and Walter Kennedy (never in my life have I met someone named Colquitt) live a quiet, genteel life. Purposefully childless, they enjoy life's luxuries and spend their time hob-nobbing with their equally successful neighbors. Again, this is the 70's--these characters smoke a lot, eat a lot and drink even more; even the most minor of social get togethers is accompanied by a pitcher of martinis, and everyone seems to have the time (and money) to battle hangovers and to throw lavish parties. The Kennedys love their home overlooking a lovely, peaceful empty lot. But then the lot is sold, and a young, spoiled couple build their dream home utilizing the talents of the brilliant up-and-coming architect, Kim Dougherty. The Kennedys befriend Kim and then watch as terror after terror occurs in the beautiful new home. Tenants come and go, and the Kennedys have to choose between their social standing and their perceived duty to stop the suffering by speaking out about the horrible house.
The writing here is wonderful. I could close my eyes and picture every scene. The horror is so subtle that I was surprised to find myself looking over my shoulder throughout this reading. I enjoyed this book, and I've gone on to recommend it to several people. Contrary to some, I liked the ending (and I'll say no more about it). This is one of the best haunted house novels I've ever read, and I plan on holding on to my tattered paperback copy. I never thought I would add a Siddons novel to my horror collection, and I am so happy that I was 100% wrong!

Colquitt & Walter Kennedy are a comfortable couple living out their dreams in an affluent suburb and then the lot next to them is sold . . . It has some very sinister undertones and I'm looking forward to discovering what happens next.

This was a great book. I remember picking it up because it was on Stephen King's recommended reading list in Entertainment Weekly a few years back. It's a story about a group of upper class people who have lived charmed lives until construction begins in a previously unbuildable empty lot in their development. From the beginning ominous events occur and as time goes by the incidents become much more appalling and life changing for the residents nearby. I don't want to give too much away but if you like a good old fashioned soap opera/spooky tale this is as good as they get.

Anne Rivers Siddons is best known for her semi-romantic "woman's" novels set among the genteel spaces of the scenic south. So it was a slight surprise that I discovered she had turned her hand at the haunted house genre. And what an excellent job she did, too! In fact, I would go so far as to put this in among the five or so scariest books I've ever read. It's up there in a league with Hill House and The Shining. The mere memory of this novel, which I initially read five years ago, is creeping me out tonight as I type this review. I'm not kidding.

The House Next Door (doesn't the very name sound ominous?) takes the conventions of its venerable genre and casts them through the basement window. Forget a run-down old mansion, the house in the title is a brand new, lovely dwelling place constructed in suburban Atlanta in the booming 1970's. It sits among other equally gorgeous houses and on the surface seems a highly unlikely location for a tale as dark and eerie as this one becomes.

I hate when a gloriously layered story is wrecked by a ham-handed reviewer, so I'll say very little else except that the nature of the "hauntings" in the house are not of the usual variety. Ghostly entities do not creep and moan among cobwebs and whisper in Victorian lace. No, Siddons masterfully spooks us with the very trappings of our modern existence. (Read this book and you'll know EXACTLY what I mean.) By the last thirty pages, I was totally stumped but very "into" what I was reading. When the cause behind so many vividly malignant effects is made clear to us in Siddons' fine twist ending, a literal, "Oh, my gosh...!" escaped my lips.

Folks, I like this book as you can tell. I have nothing bad to say about it at all. If you want my advice, forego the slasher novellas and tired clichés of the horror aisle and pick this overlooked gem up next time you want to be thoroughly creeped out!

This is certainly not your average haunted house book. There are no nasty shock tactics, no gruesome depictions of gore, and no hideous monsters waiting in dark corners. There is just a magnificent modern and newly built house, which in its own quiet way wreaks havoc on the lives of its unfortunate 3 successive owners, and in turn, the peaceful and prosperous neighbourhood in which it is built.

What is clever in this novel is the introduction of things that are happening in our society, including some quite horrific things, which are frequently and quietly ignored if not accepted. This forms an eerie basis for the things that are to come. The unnatural closeness of a father and his daughter; the spectre of the loss of a child and the resultant mental illness; the suggestion of domestic violence. The author weaves these themes cleverly into the occupants of the house next door, and you just know that some further bad things are going to happen.

At its best level this book is a psychological chiller. The families involved clearly have issues and unfortunate lives - are the things that happen to them simply further misfortunes? Are the caring neighbours who begin to recognise the growing menace that the house next door represents themselves slipping into paranoia and their own mental illness? It is a very clever book - very clever indeed.

This is a book that will stay with you for a long time. I find myself considering its themes of quiet madness in leafy suburbia, intertwined with the great gothic themes of a haunted house, and I think that it is one of the best books I have read in ages, and one that I recommend highly.

If you don't already know, Anne Rivers Siddons has made a name for herself as a writer of Southern novels, generally for women. That's what makes it so surprising that she writes a horror novel that actually works. I don't know that I'd call her the female Stephen King. All I know is that I've read a lot of horror and this book kept me glued to the very end. Somehow Siddons learned what is truly scary without staging a stupid blood bath. She learned how to make the protagonist very likable and the "villain" very scary. She learned how to gradually ratchet up the horror in small doses to reach a fever pitch. She learned to hide the evil instead of having it show its ugly face in clear view. Don't mind that this is Siddon's only horror. I really think you'll like the book.

I enjoyed the creepiness of this novel and the social commentary underneath it: the idea that nothing bad should happen in upper middle class suburbia and that if it does, the well to do just MIGHT have to stand up for their principles for once. Anne Rivers Siddons makes these thematic points in the novel.

I found one of the best things about the book is that I was wondering what would happen to MY family if we moved into the house next door. Every family has problems, secrets, and struggles. The impending horrors of everyday life is the best horror, in my opinion. The premise is a fascinating and truly scary one. I wish Rivers Siddons had written more novels like this one! I like her others, but I enjoyed this different type of book from her.

This book is so different from the usual haunted house fare. There really isn't much that serves as a tangible reason for the house being so evil, it just apparently is. And it's a vicious house for certain, preying on psychological fear rather than manifesting itself as a poltergiest or apparition. Things just "happen" in or around the house, disturbing things. Lives are ruined and that is the only motiff that emerges. It's not a singular entity with just murder in mind. It wants to cause pain to its victims on an inner level and that is extremely frightening in concept. The novel is like a constant mind rape of the characters involved and it is so very delicious in its malice. One of the top 10 horror novels I have ever read and way more intense than Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House or Richard Matheson's Hell House. A must read for any fan of the horror genre or any new home owner.

This story of a house built by an enthusiastic young architect, narrated by a next door resident, Colquitt Kennedy, is masterful and original, its closest relative being another entry on that short list, Shirley Jackson's classic The Haunting of Hill House. As Colquitt and her husband observe over some years, the house is inhabited by three families who all leave under peculiar and tragic circumstances. Meanwhile they have become close friends of the young architect. As time goes on, the Kennedys first suspect, then know that the house is evil, that it destroys its inhabitants morally and psychologically. And they begin to dread that there might be a particular source for this evil-- and what should they do about it? The novel is very well written , in clear and vivid prose, by Ms Siddons-- very different from the eerie, poetic writing of Jackson-- but this makes the horror of the ending all the more powerful. As in Jackson's novel, we are left unsure whether a protagonist or protagonists are correct in their dread, or are they merely unhinged? For in this novel, narrated in first person, has the house claimed even the narrator as a victim? and the last little afterword of the plans being found later and the prospect of another such house is chilling-- brr! An excellent novel.

What made this book different from other "horror" books is that the house doesn't need ghosts or zombies or other traditional horror fare to wreak destruction. It destroys its occupants with their own weaknesses, secrets, tragedies and failings. Home -- a place where we should feel safe -- is the very enemy.

In the end, I wondered what it used to get Colquitt and Walter. Is it that they gave in to the madness of the house and committed murder themselves? Did it kill them, or did it let them live to be destroyed in other ways? And their efforts were for naught because the house plans survived and, as long as people have human frailties and faults, it will continue to destroy.

When I started this book, I was expecting some cheesy haunted house tale...but it was actually a pretty creepy story. Not downright scary, but spooky enough. There were only a couple things that annoyed me slightly about this book.

The first (as another reviewer already mentioned) was the main characters name, Colquitt. Doesn't really glide off the tongue too well, it was a distraction every time I came to it. Also, in the beginning of the book, Colquitt makes her and her husband Walter out to be upper middle class, saying they're just ordinary people who live ordinary lives. Well, as the story goes, you see pretty early on that they are in fact pretty darn wealthy, and live in a very rich neighborhood, attending lavish parties, spending weekends at the club, and vacationing frequently on the shore, Jamaica, and New York. The initial misrepresentation threw me a little.

But overall the story was a good one, it kept me turning the pages to find out what the final horror of the house would be. Basically, a young new architect builds a house for a young newlywed couple. The house is amazing, but before it's even fully completed bad thing start happening. It covers the first year of the houses life, the three different family's that live in it, and the terrifying things that happen to them. Colquitt Kennedy (the next door neighbor) tells the story.

In the end, I'd recommend this book to my friends. I'm not an avid suspense reader, but it was a nice distraction from my normal reading. As I said, not super scary stuff, but just enough to be entertaining.

This a wonderful "house gone bad," haunted house story. Takes place in the south, as many of Anne Rivers Siddons' books do, in an affluent neighborhood in an unnamed city. The story centers around a wealthy, thirty-something couple, who live next door to an empty lot. The lot soon sells, and a newlywed couple hire an architect to build a house for them. The house is modern, amazing, and captures the imagination of the entire neighborhood. What no one knows, however, is just what the house has in store for this neighborhood. Not a story to read before bedtime, it will send you down twists and turns, never quite revealing exactly what is happening, and who is really under the house's spell.

Holy smokes, this is a spooky story! Very well written, the author properly uses grammar and English (a rarity these days) and keeps the reader guessing. I picked this up at a book exchange, pages yellowed and cover curled. I couldn't put it down and read on my work breaks and after dinner, a quick read, about 12 hours in all. This is a VERY good book of a house, possessed. Enjoy!

Ms. Siddons has created a true masterpiece of modern horror. Beautifully written and extremely low-key in approach, this tale of a contemporary house in suburban Atlanta (not even built at the start of the book) begins almost innocently as the residents of the neighborhood discuss the house to be built and speculate about the new neighbors. But soon enough, things go spiraling out of control as the residents of the house (and of the entire neighborhood) are victimized and destroyed by the evil power the house seems to have. I've read this one almost to pieces; here the chills are all the more effective because they seem as if they could actually happen, somehow. A gem.

Ms. Siddons' book reads like a pre-quel to Bentley Little's "The Association." It contains the same basic element; a middle-class, middle-aged, childless couple has their perfect world shaken up by strange goings-on in their swanky neighborhood. But unlike Little's couple, I have to give this couple credit for at least attempting to help the poor schulbs next door before everything goes terribly wrong.
"The House Next Door" starts off with typical horror genre elements; as the new house goes up animals are mysteriously killed and mutilated. But after that the book branches off into daytime television shenanigans; we've got cheating spouses, abused housewives, people who are driven insane, not to mention disastrous housewarming parties. These are the events that occur after each family moves in, 3 in all. Suddenly the "horror" becomes something vague and esoteric. To my chagrin, just when the couple puts down the chardonnay bottle and decide to take some drastic action, the novel ends! Personally, I believe the writer dealt too much with the dull day to day activities of this bourgeois couple and not enough on The House Next Door.

I've read this book twice, seen the Lifetime movie and listened to the audio book as well. I've enjoyed it just as much every time. Once you start, it's almost impossible to put down. It's a horror story unlike any other that I've ever read. I wish that Ms. Siddons would write more books of this genre.
If you're really into horrors and thrillers, try Bentley Little's "The Association", "The Academy" and "The Resort". He's written many others, but those are my personal favorites so far. Beware - They are pretty intense.

I had never read any of Siddons' other novels, though my wife is a great admirer of hers. After hearing that Stephen King was a great fan of this book, I sought it out. It IS a very well-written, entertaining tale of a REALLY haunted house in an upscale neighborhood. Siddons gets beneath the veneer of suburban living, and shows how the unknown can unravel even the most solid realtionships. This book is atmospheric, spooky and unsettling. While others have called the ending a let-down, I think it works well within the context of the story.
Get this one! You won't regret it.

I started reading Anne Siddons novels in the early/ mid- '90's, and end up loving most of them. I read the House Next Door years ago, and thought it was a rather good departure from her normal 'genre,' although if you are a fan of her novels, this little gem should be right up your alley, too!
IMO, her earlier books far outshine her more recent offerings, and The House Next Door did not disappoint. I thought the 'horror' element was subtle, and halfway 'believable.'

This a wonderful "house gone bad," haunted house story. Takes place in the south, as many of Anne Rivers Siddons' books do, in an affluent neighborhood in an unnamed city. The story centers around a wealthy, thirty-something couple, who live next door to an empty lot. The lot soon sells, and a newlywed couple hire an architect to build a house for them. The house is modern, amazing, and captures the imagination of the entire neighborhood. What no one knows, however, is just what the house has in store for this neighborhood. Not a story to read before bedtime, it will send you down twists and turns, never quite revealing exactly what is happening, and who is really under the house's spell.

Don't listen to what anyone says berating the novel's ending, first of all! After reading the last few pages, i almost felt emptied after the emotions ran through--a hanging ending is always preferable to those that have imagination. It will chill your blood! The book as a whole, too, is an excellent horror novel, and an even better interplay between characters (although, as even Stephen King points out, they are characters many may have problems with connecting to completely because of their rather different culture).

Siddons is a master story teller. She creates a world for her characters and you are there. Feeling their feelings, seeing what they see. In this novel it is a world that prompts late-night page turning and rapid pulse. Some have found the end of this book frustrating and/or lacking in creativity. What Siddons has done is let the reader imagine what happend to her central characters. One must have a better-than-average imagination to go along with the novel's premise in the first place, so why should we resent having to invent a fate for this determined couple. Has televsion spoiled us to the point that we want all our mysteries handily solved only to be quickly forgotten? I will not soon forget this couple or stop wondering anytime in the near future about their demise. Or perhaps they survived whatever the monster house threw at them and are happily living on their island.

Colquitt Kennedy is just the kind of neighbor you'd like to have; she's kind, thoughtful, and absolutely normal. She's the sort who would bring you chicken soup if you were sick or meet your kids at the bus if you were running late. In fact, the whole neighborhood seems to be made of up of that kind of people. Solid, salt-of-the-earth types who have known each other for years, seen each others' children grow, shared holidays, and so on.

So when Colquitt begins to think there's something strange and sinister about the house next door, it's a wonder more people don't believe her.

Everyone in this book is so realistically written (from Colquitt and Walter to their old friends and new neighbors) that when the weird stuff starts happening, you get sucked right in.

I've been home for a week with an injury, so I've been catching up on a LOT of reading, and I've read some things I really enjoyed, but this one was so hard to put down that I read it well into the night and finished it first thing when I woke up. When it was over, I was sad to say goodbye, despite the stunning, upside-down ending. I don't know what to pick up next because I'm still so entrenched in Colquitt's world.

This is my first Anne Rivers Siddons book, and from what I understand it's the only one she's written with paranormal elements, but I will be looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Anne Rivers Siddons. Que voilà un nom inconnu pour moi! Jusqu'à un certain jour de 1992, où j'ai découvert son roman et l'ai feuilleté dans la librairie, très rapidement parce que je n'étais pas seule. Un unique souvenir m'est resté: le prénom de l'héroine. Pas le titre, juste... le prénom!! Colquitt. WOW!! Où a-t-elle pêché cela? (Si je pouvais, je le lui demanderais parce que je veux savoir d'où ça vient, c'est original comme prénom) J'ai aussi vu qu'il s'agissait d'une histoire un peu inquiétante, et cela me plaisait bien. Toutefois, je ne l'ai pas acheté. Neuf ans plus tard, je suis retombée dessus tout à fait par hasard, à la bibliothèque de mon quartier. Là, je l'ai reconnu (encore à cause du nom) et je me suis dit "je vais me payer la traite !!" Alors je suis repartie avec lui dans mon sac. De retour chez moi, je l'ai lu tout d'un trait (dévoré, en fait). Après, j'ai remué ciel et terre pour me le procurer.
Ce qui m'a tant plu dans ce livre, c'est l'horreur dans l'ordinaire: de toutes petites choses, du moins au début, et toujours plausibles. Dans ce type de récit, il faut que la trame soit plausible d'un bout à l'autre, sinon, ça ne marche pas et le lecteur peut décrocher. Elle l'est. De léger malaise en petit détail troublant, d'incident en accident, le quotidien se dérègle tranquillement et chaque nouvelle situation, un peu plus étrange et douloureuse que la précédente, met rudement à l'épreuve les liens mutuels d'amour et la crédibilité des deux héros. Qu'ils soient riches ou pauvres n'a pas tellement d'importance. Étant donné que Colquitt et Walter étaient des gens à l'aise financièrement et semblaient jouir d'un statut social relativement enviable, ils avaient bien plus à perdre, en parlant de leurs craintes à leur entourage, que si c'étaient deux "nobodys" sortis de nulle part. C'est la raison pour laquelle, selon moi, Anne Rivers Siddons les a placés dans cette situation au départ. Quant au genre de vie qu'ils menaient, c'était bien typique des années 70. Le lieu non plus n'a pas d'importance: l'histoire est très intemporelle (une autre belle qualité du roman) et aurait tout aussi bien pu se passer à Miami en 1990, à New-York en 1960 ou même à Londres en 1900... elle aurait même pu se passer dans une banlieue huppée de Montréal! L'horreur n'a pas d'âge, pas de lieu et ne suit aucune mode.
Petite critique de ma part: en tant qu'écrivain, j'aurais peut-être davantage tiré parti de certaines situations potentiellement explosives. Quand Walter est arrivé un soir, par exemple, et a trouvé sa femme et Kim dans la cuisine de la fameuse maison (peu importe pour quelle raison, c'était l'état d'esprit de Walter qui comptait à ce moment-là), quelque chose de "weird" aurait pu se passer. Sans qu'il y ait nécessairement du sang à profusion, Walter aurait pu réagir plus intensément et poser un geste regrettable... À tort, bien entendu, mais cela aurait ajouté à l'horreur de la situation. Il faut lire le livre pour comprendre ce que je veux dire!
Il me reste à dire que j'ai bien aimé la manière dont Colquitt parlait de ses chats et de la façon qu'ils avaient de "changer leurs queues de place" (c'était ainsi traduit en français), j'ai trouvé cela bien mignon!! J'ai eu des chats moi-même et j'imaginais sans mal Razz ou Foster prendre des poses en changeant sa queue de place de temps à autre.
La fin du roman. Quelle fin! Moi aussi, j'en ai été surprise et je me suis dit "voyons! ai-je manqué quelque chose??" Mais je ne déteste pas qu'un roman se termine sur une question... Au fond, Anne Rivers Siddons a laissé au lecteur le choix d'imaginer sa propre fin. Vraiment, un excellent roman!

A different genre for ARS. It kept my interest throughout but a very bizarre tale. I enjoy ghost stories but this one was a little too weird. I love her other books- usually set by the sea. Her writing is thoughtful and beautiful and I never feel like I'm wasting my time reading them as I do with some other writers. Siddons reminds me why I truly love a good book but this one missed it for me. Try any of her others, they won't disappoint.

Anne Rivers Siddons' "The House Next Door" is a Masterpiece of Contemporary Horror fiction and doesn't let the reader down. I teach a college class on Gothic Fiction and last semester we studied this as well as "Rosemary's Baby" and Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lovely House". Great examples of how 20th Century writers were able to take all of the themes and aethetics of the Gothic and set them in everyday settings. After all, what is more horrifying than terror in the evryday things that we take for granted, like upscale neighboorhoods and your Manhattan apartment building? I would suggest "The House Next Door" to anyone who likes haunted house stories with a southern gothic twist. I only wish Siddons would revisit this genre!

This novel is pure evil - brilliantly conceived and almost perfectly written. Although unrealistic, the dialogue is more interesting to read than if it had been more authentic. Siddons has created a masterpiece of horror that actually succeeded in shaking me up for an entire afternoon. I finished the last chapter over lunch one day, and couldn't concentrate on the real world until the next morning. Everything seemed to flow from the world she had created, seeming somehow twisted, not right. A must read - one of my all time favorite horror novels, in case you didn't notice.

This is a wonderful novel. I read it after reading Outer Banks so I knew I was in for some kind of treat. I had no idea this book would be as wonderful as it was. Full of suspense to the very, very end. This is great summer reading, folks, I recommend it highly.

I first picked up this book in 1983. Twenty-five years later, I can tell you that this book is one of my favorite horror stories.

Anne Rivers Siddon lulls you into a false security, using home and hearth- a false normalcy - and then smacks you with such supreme horror it rocks you. Her secret,I have noticed, is to allow you to believe that honor, faith in love, and hope in friendships will conquer all. Then she takes a small thread with a pointy fingernail and unravels it with absolute glee!

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a great summer read! (Just make sure the house next door isn't under construction.)

It's difficult to believe this book was initially published in 1978 or that it was only Siddon's second book. There is nothing dated about it! The story pulls you in, with a feeling of dread, that builds step by step. I picked up the book on the recommendation that it is a top notch example of it's genre. I can comfirm that is so.

While I enjoyed this book immensely - the plot and pace - I shared the frustration of the Clare Swanson character when she lost it with Colquitt's secrecy and supposed 'otherness'. Colquitt's self-absorbed perceptions and invented dramas almost overshadowed the real star of the narrative - the house itself - and the actual drama.

While all other characters are changed by the events, Colquitt ends up the same navel-gazing narcissist who began her story with peevish feelings of being invaded by the newcomers. Like Clare, I just wanted to shake her out of her theatrics. The reasons for her trepidation were overwritten - and her devastated reaction at discovering the Buck-Virginia affair really dates the story. Walter was a bit of a non-event, whose chief role in the story seemed to be as a contrast to Colquitt's irritating ways.

Anne Rivers Siddons is one of my absolute favorite authors. The first book I read by her was "Homeplace" and I went on to read everything she has written. The only one I didn't like is "The House Next Door." I do enjoy a good horror novel now and then, especially Stephen King...but he and I didn't see eye to eye on this particular novel. I think Ms. Siddons is at her splendid best when she sticks to her usual genre. In fact, I wish she had been the one to write "Scarlett." That would have been a real page turner!

I'm not at all familiar with Siddons' other work, but was recommended this book by a fellow literary enthusiast. I was remarking how great a book Hell House by Richard Matheson was, & it was suggested that I read The House Next Door.
While well written, the book is incredibly dry, boring & extremely contrived. It's clearly a feeble attempt at a "scary" novel by someone unaccustomed to the genre. Again, Siddons is obviously a great writer in terms of style/skill, but this novel was bad. The two stars are merely given as a nod to her ability as a writer, rather than the story itself.
I have no idea why Stephen King would have such great things to say about this book, as it is certainly not in league with even his worst effort. The only people I imagine would be pleased with this book are those that do not typically read horror/supernatural tales, but are in an "adventurous" mood.

This novel is a compelling page-turner from start to finish. Whenever I read it, I had a hard time putting it down. The characters are vivid, and after only a few pages, I already felt like I knew them. This book is very different from Anne Rivers Siddons' other books as it reads more like a mystery novel. Siddons establishes a dark, eerie mood without compromising a fast-paced, intriguing plot.