Ratings38
Average rating3.8
Les aigües fosques i glaçades del riu Blackwater inunden Perdido, un petit poble al sud d’Alabama. Allà, els Caskey, un clan de rics terratinents, intenten fer front als danys causats per la riuada. Liderats per la Mary-Love, l’omnipotent matriarca, i l’Òscar, el seu fill obedient, els Caskey treballen per refer-se i protegir la seva fortuna. Però no compten amb l’aparició de la misteriosa Elinor Dammert. Una jove bonica però molt parca en paraules que només sembla tenir un objectiu: apropar-se als Caskey costi el que costi.
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This book is special. I intentionally put off finishing this book because I didn't want it to end. McDowell once said “I am a commercial writer and I'm proud of that. I am writing things to be put in the bookstore next month. I think it is a mistake to try to write for the ages.” It is safe to say that his writing has lasted for the ages even if it was never his intention.
Blackwater chronicles the lives of the Caskey family and those who are in their orbit. Our story begins with Elinor being found in one of the hotel rooms in the flooded town of Perdido, AL.
First published as a serialization you can see where the reader gets a little recap before diving back into the action of the family. Although very heavy on the interpersonal relationships between the family members there are moments where you can see how this story is classified as horror.
Vaya salseo se traen todos o sea estoy LIVING y la Mary Love?? Pfff que MARUJA SOS ES LA MEJOR
The main elements which made me curious about the Blackwater saga were mainly two: the incredible art style of the Italian publication, whose cover is so good that his creator is featured among the main comic convention here around; the suggestion made by Stephen Kings which says he loves this world and all the horror elements which composes it. When I was approaching the first book of this franchise I immediately felt thrilled, the same sensation you can try when you are going to a big event in your city, and the fact that the reduced dimensions of the new edition granted me to read it during my daily trips was that plus which increased the atmosphere of the moment. As soon as the story starts, we feel the flood happening because of the overflow of the Perdido River, and we make acquaintance with the mysterious Elinor Dammert...all the events evolve in Mary Shelley's like stuff. Because what I didn't know about Blackwater is that the gothic horror it purports to be is nothing else than a mix of lovecraftian weird events and family vicissitudes. In particular, the development of the Caskey's Family is built around the fight between two generations. The young one, polite and open-minded to news and people from outside the protagonist city and the old ones, ready to control others or accept facts only for their individual objectives. We enter an intricate web made of marriages, love affairs, threats and heritage problems, on the background of a racist town of the end of 19th Century. The entire representation of all the peculiar characteristics of that age are wonderful, granting the reader the curiosity around the intriguing destiny of every single figure, even the most secondary ones. As you can imagine reading these worlds, it seems really difficult to find, inside Blackwater, horror traits. Lots of the creepiest moments are linked with the true nature, shown at the very beginning of the book, of one of the center of the narrative, a powerful lady who doesn't display herself completely, while weaving her plans and killing around in the most brutal way. A villain which is incredible in premises, but then the scenes in which we really understand the potential of this danger are only a few.
We can't say that Blackwater is not engaging, mainly because of good stylistic choices and an organic system made by fantastic art features and atmospheric moments of great tension. Yet, all the qualities are engraved inside this “noblemen and houses” fiction, whose predominance sacrifices the space which would be granted to purest horror.
STYLE: 3,5
STORY: 3
WORLDBUILDING: 4
RHYTHM: 3,5
MAIN CHARACTERS: 3
VILLAINS: 4
ARTISTIC FEATURE: 5
ATMOSPHERE: 4
EMOTIONAL IMPACT: 3
FINAL VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Featured Series
6 primary booksBlackwater is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 1983 with contributions by Michael McDowell and Elena Cantoni.
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