Review: Excellent Southern Gothic Story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 13, 2012
Having enjoyed Bryan Hall's short story collection "Whispers from the Dark," I was looking forward to reading "The Vagrant," the introductory novelette to his Southern Hauntings Saga. I wasn't disappointed. Steeped in the Southern Gothic tradition, Hall's haunting story, use of subtle horror, and flowing writing style introduces readers to the protagonist of the series, Creighton 'Crate' Northgate, and leaves them wanting more.Crate Northgate is a flawed character who turns to drinking to cope with his haunted past. He possesses the ability to see ghosts, including a ghost from his own past, and helps people (when possible) get rid of these ghosts. By helping others, he remains motivated to make it through to the next day instead of spiraling down into a lost and abysmal existence, much like the character of Ed, the vagrant who he meets in this story. He sees Ed as a kindred spirit, deciding to help him with his own haunting ghost, the man in the suit with the dark eyes.Hall also does a good job of exploring social issues through the course of this story, revealing why the vagrant Ed has been haunted by a ghost for almost two years. But it is done in such a way that, like Hall's use of horror, it is subtle and multi-faceted.Two sentences from this story jumped off the page at me (or rather the screen of my e-reader), both towards the end. The first one is: "And memories fade, and with them the pain that is a part of life and loss and love." This is a powerful statement, one that anyone should be able to relate with. The second sentence sums up the character Crate Northgate in a nutshell: "The dead move on, or they don't. Just like him.""The Vagrant" is an excellent story and brief introduction to Crate and the Southern Hauntings Saga, full of real and flawed characters, detailed descriptions, and subtle and true horror. This novelette is tantalizing and doesn't reveal too much, leaving you wanting more, to continue down the road with Crate Northgate. And with Hall's recent release of the novella "The Girl," readers can delve deeper into this series, which promises not to disappoint.