In "No One Goes Alone" by Erik Larson, a team of researchers embarks on a journey to a remote island to investigate the mysterious disappearances of a family in 1905. The book blends history and science with an eerie, atmospheric ghost story that keeps the characters wavering between skepticism and belief, confusion and reason. The narrative style builds tension gradually, leading to an intense and frightening climax that captivates the reader.
The story unfolds as the island comes alive with unexplainable events, drawing the characters deeper into the ghostly mysteries surrounding them. Larson's writing mimics the pattern and structure of his nonfiction books, combining actual events with fiction to create a compelling tale that would make Agatha Christie proud. The book is best enjoyed through audio, as the narrator brings the story to life with a strong narrative voice that enhances the eerie atmosphere of the ghost story.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains themes of light gore, including references to crude autopsies and unsettling supernatural events, warranting a medium content warning.
From The Publisher:
From New York Times best-selling author Erik Larson comes his first venture into fiction, an otherworldly tale of intrigue and the impossible that marshals his trademark approach to nonfiction to create something new: a ghost story thoroughly grounded in history.
Pioneering psychologist William James leads an expedition to a remote isle in search of answers after a family inexplicably vanishes. Was the cause rooted in the physical world...or were there forces more paranormal and sinister at work? Available only on audio, because as Larson says, ghost stories are best told aloud.
A group of researchers sets sail for the Isle of Dorn in the North Atlantic in 1905 to explore the cause of several mysterious disappearances, most notably a family of four who vanished without a trace after a weeklong holiday on the island. Led by Professor James, a prominent member of the Society for Psychical Research, they begin to explore the island's sole cottage and surrounding landscape in search of a logical explanation.
The idyllic setting belies an undercurrent of danger and treachery, with raging storms and unnerving discoveries adding to the sense of menace. As increasingly unexplainable events unfold, the now-stranded investigators are unsure whether they can trust their own eyes, their instincts, one another - or even themselves.
Erik Larson has written a terrifying tale of suspense, underpinned with actual people and events. Created specifically to entertain audio listeners, this eerie blend of the ghostly and the real will keep listeners captivated till the blood-chilling end.
Featuring Erik Larson reading his Notes for a Narrator.
Ratings (4)
It Was OK (2) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (5):
Read It (4) | |
Not Interested (1) |
2 comment(s)
Another book in short period of time that had a promising premise but by the end didn't deliver. Had difficulty getting invested in the story as nothing seemed to draw me in even if the writing what decent. Perhaps wrong format to listen to the audiobook but I think in this case I just didnt enjoy it
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Susan Hill’s classic ghost story The Woman in Black was combined with long-winded explanations about the invention of telegraphy and the obsession with the paranormal of the early 20th century? No? Me neither but here we are. This was…not terrible? Hence the three stars. But I definitely wouldn’t read it again. It veered between being boring, full of lazy tropes (the beautiful one! The aloof, cynical one! The motherly one! The virtuous dying one! etc), confusing, and requiring an insane level of suspension of belief (“There are ghosts, what should we do?!” “I know! LET’S SET AN ENTIRE MEADOW ON FIRE!” “…perfect.”) The only thing this book succeeded in for me was creating the gloomy mood that it was shooting for which, in a ghost story, is pretty vital. But Susan Hill still did it better.
What can you read after
No One Goes Alone?
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