Gothic/Horror Month Review: The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley
October 10, 2016 / mrvolpone
I've seen The Loney described as both gothic and folk horror, and also literary fiction, and all those labels fit. It's the story of the Catholic Smith family and friends who take a pilgrimage from their church in London to a desolate patch of coast in Northern England. They stay at the Moorings, a rental house once home to a taxidermist. But it is the stretch of coast itself, The Loney, with its deadly tides, and the mysterious Thessaly, an abandoned cottage on the tidal island of Coldbarrow, which are really at the heart of the mystery. For years, the group visited the nearby shrine with their old priest, Father Wilfred. But on their previous visit, Father Wilfred mysteriously changed, and soon after died. This time a new priest accompanies them.
The story is narrated by one of the boys from the Smith family, now grown-up. His older brother, Hanny, was mute and had learning disabilities when they were young, and the narrator often acts as his protector. Every pilgrimage, the family hoped that Hanny would be cured, though the narrator knew what a strain that expectation placed on his brother. The story begins by looking back at that time, at the final pilgrimage, but from an adult point of view. In the present, we know that adult Hanny has somehow recovered from his condition, but not how, and we're told of a baby discovered in a landslide at Coldbarrow. Though it takes the book to explain why, this event prompts the narrator to tell the story of the final pilgrimage to The Loney. The retrospective style builds the sense of mystery.
The Loney is fantastically atmospheric. The bleak and deadly landscape is a character in itself, and there's a brooding sense of doom that overlays the whole story. From the start, there are hints of folk magic, of the dark history of the place, and of something not quite right about the locals. As the story grows, this becomes increasingly apparent, but it takes a long time to discover the truth. I can't stress this enough, this book is a slow burn, so if you like a fast pace, this isn't for you. However, I'm not the most patient person in the world, and the rich characterisation and atmosphere were enough food to keep me going.
Catholicism plays a big part alongside the folk magic, and there's brutality there as well, mostly in the form of the older fire and brimstone priest and the legacy he left. There's a lurking question that seems to hang over the story about the fate of those who are cast out by The Church. But it's not a complete trashing of religion. The new priest is much more open minded, and genuinely caring, and the story also stresses the comfort and hope that faith provides, as well as some of the darker excesses of religion. There's no one single message about belief, but a lot of ambiguity.
The biggest ambiguity comes at the end. I won't give it away, but it's an ending that stays with me, that haunts with its lingering questions. The narrator, who I don't think is ever given a first name, plays his role of protector to the end.
book review, horror, Uncategorized
andrew michael hurley, book review, books, fiction, gothic, gothic horror, gothic/horror month, horror, the loney
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