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A review by justinkhchen
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
3.0
3 stars
Begin my review as usual with a random movie association; structurally, The Silent Companions reminds me of Takashi Shimizu J-Horror classic, The Grudge, where a physical location is occupied by a malevolent energy, and whoever comes in contact (disregarding their virtue) will meet their tragic fate.
Laura Purcell weaves an elegantly structured tale, switching between 3 different timelines, covering the entity's quiet, ominous beginning, all the ways through its wicked manifestation. The stroke of genius is most definitely the incorporation of silent companions as the pivotal 'cursed object'. I wasn't aware of such artifact prior to this, and it is the most perfect prop for this story. For observant readers, The Silent Companions will be a treasure trove; leaving gaps between information and let readers connect the dots. This a novel that will reward people who pay close attention to details.
(p.s.: there's one element that was never fully explained in the book, but its implication is confirmed by the author in the Q&A section on goodreads; I definitely noticed it, but was still mind-blown on how much it changed the reading of certain character dynamic.)
*Minor spoiler ahead**
The novel is so invested in its bleakness, that the actual reading experience is equally (perhaps intentionally) agonizing. The Silent Companions is relentlessly dreary; the story opens with everything already in a state of sorrow, and things just get progressively worse as the story reveals itself. Tonally, it reminds me of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's classic short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, where the Gothic horror tropes are used as vehicle for social commentary. Laura Purcell casts a wide net, covering a gamut of misogyny during the 19th century: ostracism, witchcraft, ableism, and sexual abuse. However, something that works well in short dosage (like a 70+ pages short story), is excessive and counter-effective in long-form without careful calibration: we have a protagonist who lost her husband after weeks of marriage, then lost her pregnancy, then lost her whole staff in mysterious deaths, then lost her only sibling, while being tormented psychologically by the haunting, and ultimately condemned by society. A little levity and tonal shift throughout could've resolved this unpleasantness.
**Minor spoiler ends**
While I fully acknowledge The Silent Companions's intent and merit, I can't say I enjoy it as a book for leisure. It feels scholarly at times, like I should be taking down notes for group discussion, or analyzing its literary expression and societal criticism in essay. Which are all just backhanded compliments for author Laura Purcell, who manages to pack so much substance into this bewildering tale of moving wooden objects. Ultimately, take my lack of enthusiasm with a grain of salt—I went into it anticipating a 'fun and breezy' horror story that will simply give me a good shock or two, but ended up getting a crash course on female oppression.
As long as you know what you're getting into, it's remains a pretty darn polished piece of work.
Begin my review as usual with a random movie association; structurally, The Silent Companions reminds me of Takashi Shimizu J-Horror classic, The Grudge, where a physical location is occupied by a malevolent energy, and whoever comes in contact (disregarding their virtue) will meet their tragic fate.
Laura Purcell weaves an elegantly structured tale, switching between 3 different timelines, covering the entity's quiet, ominous beginning, all the ways through its wicked manifestation. The stroke of genius is most definitely the incorporation of silent companions as the pivotal 'cursed object'. I wasn't aware of such artifact prior to this, and it is the most perfect prop for this story. For observant readers, The Silent Companions will be a treasure trove; leaving gaps between information and let readers connect the dots. This a novel that will reward people who pay close attention to details.
(p.s.: there's one element that was never fully explained in the book, but its implication is confirmed by the author in the Q&A section on goodreads; I definitely noticed it, but was still mind-blown on how much it changed the reading of certain character dynamic.)
*Minor spoiler ahead**
The novel is so invested in its bleakness, that the actual reading experience is equally (perhaps intentionally) agonizing. The Silent Companions is relentlessly dreary; the story opens with everything already in a state of sorrow, and things just get progressively worse as the story reveals itself. Tonally, it reminds me of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's classic short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, where the Gothic horror tropes are used as vehicle for social commentary. Laura Purcell casts a wide net, covering a gamut of misogyny during the 19th century: ostracism, witchcraft, ableism, and sexual abuse. However, something that works well in short dosage (like a 70+ pages short story), is excessive and counter-effective in long-form without careful calibration: we have a protagonist who lost her husband after weeks of marriage, then lost her pregnancy, then lost her whole staff in mysterious deaths, then lost her only sibling, while being tormented psychologically by the haunting, and ultimately condemned by society. A little levity and tonal shift throughout could've resolved this unpleasantness.
**Minor spoiler ends**
While I fully acknowledge The Silent Companions's intent and merit, I can't say I enjoy it as a book for leisure. It feels scholarly at times, like I should be taking down notes for group discussion, or analyzing its literary expression and societal criticism in essay. Which are all just backhanded compliments for author Laura Purcell, who manages to pack so much substance into this bewildering tale of moving wooden objects. Ultimately, take my lack of enthusiasm with a grain of salt—I went into it anticipating a 'fun and breezy' horror story that will simply give me a good shock or two, but ended up getting a crash course on female oppression.
As long as you know what you're getting into, it's remains a pretty darn polished piece of work.