The Devils Day Off

'Devil's Day' is an assured follow-up to 'The Loney' that considers to great effect in The Loney, where a children's hide-out evolved into an.
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T I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. The eerie start of the book sets the tone - the story of The Devil visiting the Endlands, and the curse he lay on the land. Returning to modern day, we meet John, a school teacher, who has just returned to the bleak place where his family live; struggling to survive on their farm.

He takes his pregnant wife Kat with him, and from the start, we get a strong sense of their 'otherness' - that this slim, soft-handed couple are not built to cope with the harshness of the moors. Throw in Grace, a sinister teenager who acts in an eerie, occasionally downright freaky way, plus the recently departed Gaffer, who clearly has secrets to hide, and you've suddenly got a novel that's fraught with suspicion and a sense of the unsettling.

For the most part, I was totally immersed in the landscape that the author creates.

The Murderdolls - The Devil Make Me Do It (Live At Big Day Out 2003)

It's as rich and believable as the dialogue itself, and every page dips the reader headfirst into this rough, harsh world. The characters too were absolutely wonderful; again, totally believable and artfully depicted, with no needless fluffy description. There were also a few parts in the book that I shut off a little, only to be sucked right back in at a later date.

It was definitely a book that ebbed and flowed, much like the hilly landscape that the story is set in! Overall, I'd say this is an example of an exceptionally strong writer, who really knows how to create atmosphere, and whose turns of phrase are often exquisitely lovely.

Where it falls short on occasion, is its flow - but this can be overlooked based on the book's other considerable strengths. Nov 18, Nancy Oakes added it.

Devil’s Day REVIEW: An unsettling return to old traditions

Andrew Michael Hurley is a gifted author; there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I will be reading every book this man writes. He has this uncanny ability to bring nature and landscape to life to the point where they are inextricably bound to plot and characters. The Loney is a perfect example of how he does this, and he's managed it once again here, in Devil's Day , set in a remote farming village in Northern Lancashire. The book starts out with a bang.

As the a 3. As the back cover blurb reveals, "All stories in the valley have to begin with the Devil," and this one is no exception: Only this year, while the shepherds were pulling a pair of wayward lambs from a peat bog, the Devil killed one of the ewes and tore off her fleece to hide himself among the flock. I can't really explain in writer or reviewer terms because I'm neither -- just an average reader person the depth that this man can reach in his writing but his ability to get there is, for me, what sets him apart from a number of writers these days.

Now, having said that, I felt that the pace of this novel was just plain dragging in parts -- it starts out so well and is so lovely, and then it slows to where a snail could have traveled the distance of the Endlands before things picked up again. And then there's the constant telegraphing of the future no surprise there and as I'd waited for an explanation of how all that came about, I was rather disappointed that it was all tied up in a few paragraphs. To add to my disappointment, the story of the main character's boyhood was rather obvious in how things were all going to turn out -- it was almost to the point where I'm just like "get it over already, since I know what's going to happen.

I'm really torn on my reactions to this novel. I love the writing as a whole, I love the central focus of this book, I love the landscape. I wasn't exactly enamored of parts of this book, which I thought could have been handled better. What can I say? I'm a picky audience. However, yes to recommending this book, because this man is an author to keep an eye on, and no one should bypass the first two novels or any that he plans to write in the future.

I don't often find new novelists I admire this much, and even though I had issues with Devil's Day , in the long run it's all about the writing for me.

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This review can also be found on my blog! Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC! This will be published October 2nd. It follows the story of John Pentecost going home to his small town near the moors after the death of his grandfather, affectionately called the Gaffer. He goes to see his father, Dadda, with his new wife, Katherine, who is also pregnant. And with that writing style comes my biggest issue.

I read that earlier this year and DNFed it as well because it had the same writing style. Lots was written but nothing said. So, sadly, a DNF. There was nothing drawing me to keep reading it. Aug 25, Lily S. Feeling a little underwhelmed by this book, I decided to leave 2. The premise is very exciting, John Pentecost goes back to the place where he grew up to help gather the sheep from the moor. In the small, highly conservative village there are tales of the Devil and each year they proceed with their own rituals and celebrations to prevent the 'Owd Feller' from infiltrating the community.

While things hardly ever change that year John's grandfather died and he takes his w Feeling a little underwhelmed by this book, I decided to leave 2. While things hardly ever change that year John's grandfather died and he takes his wife for the first time with him. Hurley's writing very precisely portrays the brooding surroundings and the bleakness of the place, however a lot of times it felt like there is nothing really going on in the book.

For me painting an elaborate backdrop now matter how compelling it might be is not enough if there's nothing meaningful and it remains just device to set the atmosphere. A lot of people wrote it's eerie but it just came off as dull instead of creeping me out. I didn't really get to know the characters, they almost seemed to be secondary compared to the descriptions of nature around them.

It might have been on purpose, to show how living in a remote area like that hollows people out, but it still made me feel the book is lacking in this sense. Even more of a problem was that I didn't really see the motivation of the characters, for example, why did it become so important to keep the place running for John when he practically fleed from there when he was younger.

Things rarely happen in the book, and whenever something does happen it becomes completely fragmented because of the frequent time skips in the narrative. I know it is a frequently used way of storytelling but after a while, it has become frustrating. I remember from reading his first novel, The Loney, that the author has a talent for creating atmosphere and was delighted to see more of the same here.

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The open moorland, vulnerable to extremes of weather, the often brutal life of farmers in these hills and valleys, the superstitions clinging on in an isolated setting - all come together to make a striking impression. Added to this is a creeping sense of foreboding With thanks to John Murray Press via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this. Added to this is a creeping sense of foreboding and danger, fuelled by unexplained incidents, scary folklore and guarded secrets. To give a flavour of the tone: Nothing was ever finished.

Nothing was ever settled. Everyone here died in the midst of repairing something. Chores and damage were inherited. Nothing ever belonged to anyone, but was always in the act of being handed on. The first half and more progresses very slowly. I loved all the detail of day-to-day life and preparations for annual celebrations, so much so that I was rather taken aback by the speed of events towards the end. The tensions between them that so dominated most of the novel seemed just to vanish on the wind.

I would recommend, though, especially as winter approaches for us all. Is it all a bit of fun, or necessary for surviving supernatural threat? However, he focuses on two points fr 3. However, he focuses on two points from his past: The Endlands is a tight-knit community with a long history of being cut off from everywhere else, which makes it an awfully good place to keep secrets.

The first and last quarters of the book flew by for me, while the middle dragged a bit. The rural atmosphere and the subtle air of menace reminded me of Elmet and Bellman and Black. Mar 29, Jessica Woodbury rated it really liked it Shelves: If you're looking for a novel with a deep sense of place with mythology so woven into the fabric of it that the tales people tell are meant more literally than metaphorically, then you can't really go wrong with DEVIL'S DAY.

Set in a remote part of Lancashire in Northern England called the Endlands, this is a place where people refer to the devil as an everyday kind of being, where their rituals to call him forth and shut him out are done for show but are absolutely necessary to survive. John Pen If you're looking for a novel with a deep sense of place with mythology so woven into the fabric of it that the tales people tell are meant more literally than metaphorically, then you can't really go wrong with DEVIL'S DAY.

John Pentecost grew up in the Endlands with his father and grandfather it took me nearly half the book to realize that the character referred to only as "the Gaffer" was John's grandfather , and was happy to escape for the regular world as a young adult.

Now after the Gaffer's death, with his newly pregnant wife, he returns to help the shorthanded family farm through gathering on the sheep farm. As John tells the story he moves fluidly from this time on the farm to his childhood and into the future with his son. The prose is singular, deep with tradition, unhurried and lush, with a distinct rhythm.

The devil is just as real as the characters in the book, and nothing really feels at all supernatural since there is so much accepted history that all the characters accept as the devil's doing. The only one who doesn't see it that way is Kat, John's wife, who doesn't understand why John is suddenly so connected to this place after he's always told her he would never want to live there permanently.

With all that said. This is a book where there is a truly ridiculous man who is acting ridiculously. And there is a perfectly rational woman who everyone treats as if she is an idiot. There were still some things that made me quite wary the maleness of it in particular but there seemed a clear design behind all of it instead of just casual misogyny so I continued on. The things I worried about most did not come to pass and I was able to get past my own frustration with the character by reminding myself that this was not a real world in the way I am used to.

I gave myself over to the book, I let it be what it clearly wanted to be, and in the end it worked out. More atmospheric than actually scary, there are a few very unsettling moments. Interesting story and Hurley is good writer. Every autumn, John Pentecost returns to the family farm to help gather the sheep from the moors for the winter.

This year he brings his new wife, Kat, who is pregnant. And this year they will be attending the funeral of his grandfather, the Gaffer. John discovers how much he misses the farm and realizes now that the Gaffer is gone, his aging father will need help. He tells Kat he wants to return home to raise their family and help with the family farm. However, after hearing about a crime the Gaffer committed just before his passing, Kat wants nothing to do with the farm and tries to persuade John to leave immediately.

The story is full of secrets, rituals, superstitions, feuds and traditions. I felt that the changes were confusing and there were times I had to reread a portion, because I missed the switch and was lost. The story was slow at times. As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher through bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.

Just over one hundred years ago a blizzard struck in the Endlands. Bad luck and ill omens befell the community and resulted in the subsequent deaths of a score of the local vil As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: Bad luck and ill omens befell the community and resulted in the subsequent deaths of a score of the local villagers and farmers.

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The devil was blamed, the farmers had been gathering their sheep on the moors and it was believed that the devil had killed one of the sheep, wore the fleece and then hid amongst the flock coming down from the moors in the guise of a sheep. After the flock arrived down in the Endlands the devil being able to shape-shift then jumped from animal to animal, human to human and went from farm to farm and house to house causing havoc and spreading disease and death.

John Pentecost grew up in the Endlands before moving away to university and then to pursue a career in teaching. Returning to his home brings back emotions and memories for John. This year both the call of the land and the familial responsibilities John feels towards his father now that the Gaffer is gone are growing. Where once he wanted to escape life in the Endlands John now finds himself being lured back and wanting to stay permanently in his ancestral home thanks to the ties that bind.

The Endlands plays a huge part in the whole book as the entire way of life for the close-knit farming community and inhabitants of the area revolve around the rituals and superstitions as folklore and traditions abound in the harshness that is the isolated and rural Endlands. With much of the focus being on the actual Endlands, I did feel that the character development suffered and that some of the characters themselves fell flat.


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I would have liked to have seen more well-rounded characters to balance out the book and for me, John and Kat could both have been more likeable. It has a very atmospheric mood to it but not much ever really happens. Feb 04, Ruth Jones rated it it was amazing Shelves: Dec 04, Rob Twinem rated it it was ok. Having enjoyed immensely The Loney with the quiet and isolated Lancastrian coast, I was hoping to be equally enthralled by Devil's Day where John Pentecost returns to the place of his childhood, the rural farming community of the Briardale Valley known as the Endlands.

On this trip he is accompanied by his wife Katherine who is heavily pregnant with their first child. Whereas The Loney used the landscape to great affect creating a wonderful modern horror story Devil's Day has some good ideas and moments played out through the characters of John, Kat, Adam, Grace and Dadda but essentially little seems to happen and ultimately leading to a somewhat predictable conclusion. Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher John Murray for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

It was tremendous, set in a bleak North West coast in the , sold as the British Lourdes. John Pentecost sturdy, religious old name comes from generations of smallholders on the Lancashire moors but has rather moved away from his sheep farming ancestry. New life comes with him, his wife Kat, very much an outsider, is pregnant. There are some dark and shady traditions, and a strong belief that the Devil is real, and moreover has to be guarded against.

This is, again a story of the power of deep dark religion, and also a story of the conflict between modern urban life, where we move away from our roots, and what and how might draw us back to them Powerful themes, but I have to say that the strands did not work so well for me on this book, and the slow, very slow pace, which I had loved in The Loney felt more irritating than mesmeric. One person found this helpful 2 people found this helpful.

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Amazon Inspire Digital Educational Resources. Yet there is also the unpredictability of the elements that is quite menacing and threatens to undermine all this. I never wanted to write it in a romantic kind of way. Religion is a theme in both your books… Obviously The Loney was predominantly about faith.

You were raised a Catholic and served as an altar boy. It must have given you an understanding of ritual. Those very insular, inward-looking communities are absolutely reliant on myth and ritual for their own stability and survival. They have to keep telling these stories about their own self-reliance, or strength, or importance, in order for them to exist.

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