The Auctioneer by Joan Samson (1975)
4 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent example of 'quiet horror'. It's a slow-burn of a story that gets under your skin, fills you with anxiety, and pulls the rug out from beneath your feet. If you like stories set in small towns where people are the real monsters, I'd definitely recommend this one.
The story follows the Moore family - John and Mim, their young daughter Hildie, and John's elderly mother, known as Ma. They run a farm in the small town of Harlowe in New Hampshire. They live a hard life with minimal mod cons, no proper bathroom, having to heat water on the stove to wash, living off the produce of their land.
Then we meet Perly Dunsmore. He rocks up into town and charms the locals with his big plans. It starts off with a couple of auctions. If everyone can donate a few things the money raised at auction can go to fund the pretty much non-existent local police force. But before they know it things get out of hand and, as 'accidents' happen, they are unable to say no.
This is an excellently written novel. Bleak and filled with dread and helplessness. It says a lot about American values and the American way. Owning land and having a home with your family is seen as not only a goal but also a right. It deals with themes of small town community and politics, mob mentality, progress versus tradition. The story went to a couple of places that I wasn't expecting and I thought the ending was perfectly fitting.
This is an excellent example of 'quiet horror'. It's a slow-burn of a story that gets under your skin, fills you with anxiety, and pulls the rug out from beneath your feet. If you like stories set in small towns where people are the real monsters, I'd definitely recommend this one.
The story follows the Moore family - John and Mim, their young daughter Hildie, and John's elderly mother, known as Ma. They run a farm in the small town of Harlowe in New Hampshire. They live a hard life with minimal mod cons, no proper bathroom, having to heat water on the stove to wash, living off the produce of their land.
Then we meet Perly Dunsmore. He rocks up into town and charms the locals with his big plans. It starts off with a couple of auctions. If everyone can donate a few things the money raised at auction can go to fund the pretty much non-existent local police force. But before they know it things get out of hand and, as 'accidents' happen, they are unable to say no.
This is an excellently written novel. Bleak and filled with dread and helplessness. It says a lot about American values and the American way. Owning land and having a home with your family is seen as not only a goal but also a right. It deals with themes of small town community and politics, mob mentality, progress versus tradition. The story went to a couple of places that I wasn't expecting and I thought the ending was perfectly fitting.
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