Review: haunting tale about good vs. evil
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 12, 2011
The Glimpsing is an intriguing and haunting tale of revenge, love, hope, faith, courage, and the age-old battle of good vs. evil.The author creates a very Twilight Zone atmosphere from the beginning of the book, with nods to Alfred Hitchcock, Rod Serling and Stephen King. Although I wouldn't classify it as a horror story, it incorporates the psychological horror and suspense for which the above three are recognized as masters.Portia Childress, brought up by a mother who has the ability to "glimpse", see into the world just beyond our world, wants the one thing she can't find in her relationships with men: true love. How she deals with this unfulfilled need is the center of this tale.The mysterious painting reminds me of aspects of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and subsequent stories involving mysterious, "changing" paintings but this has its own unique flavor.It is easy to identify with Portia's innocence and need but more difficult to understand where she went as result of it. Gabrielle, in spite of her own love for Jack, tries to remain loyal to Portia and to love her best friend. Jack's increasing feelings for Gabrielle only complicate the situation, bringing about some of the ensuing horrors.My favorite character in this story, though a minor one was Jack's housekeeper, Janice. She has the wisdom to get an idea of what is going on after Jack first receives the mysterious painting, offers Gabrielle a way of dealing with her own guilt and ultimately is willing to risk dealing with something she is worried is beyond her ability to handle, because of her belief in doing the right thing.This was a refreshing read, standing out among the current "horror" stories that I have read with its unique presentation of that battle between good and evil. Well worth the time invested in reading the book. Unfortunately because it would give away spoilers, I can't go into the details of the unique perspective presented in this story, but I think any fan of the horror/supernatural realm would enjoy the book