Money’s tight and their new home is a fixer-upper. Deep in rural South West England, with an ancient wood at the foot of the garden, Tom and his family are miles from anywhere and anyone familiar. His wife, Fiona, was never convinced that buying the money-pit at auction was a good idea. Not least because the previous owner committed suicide. Though no one can explain why.
Within days of crossing the threshold, when hostilities break out with the elderly couple next door, Tom’s dreams of future contentment are threatened by an escalating tit-for-tat campaign of petty damage and disruption.
Increasingly isolated and tormented, Tom risks losing his home, everyone dear to him and his mind. Because, surely, only the mad would suspect that the oddballs across the hedgerow command unearthly powers. A malicious magic even older than the eerie wood and the strange barrow therein. A hallowed realm from where, he suspects, his neighbours draw a hideous power.
It’s nearly Halloween so it seems appropriate that this week’s review falls very much into the horror genre*.
The chance of a new beginning is an enticing prospect, the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. In Cunning Folk by Adam Nevill, Tom, Fiona and Gracey have turned their back on city life. A tumbledown property in the middle of nowhere is their new home. Sadly, all is not as it first appears. There is a darkness in the building and it’s watching them with envious eyes. The promise of new life in the country quickly sours. What begins with a simple enough disagreement over a fence** soon devolves into something far more sinister.
Weird things keep happening, and Tom becomes convinced his new neighbours are to blame. He becomes fixated on figuring out what is going on. So obsessed that everything else, including his wife and daughter are ignored. This is going to sound terrible but this is one of the things I like most about Adam Nevill’s writing, his ability to chip away at the sanity of his characters. It’s what makes the horror of the situation feel that much more real. Tom unravels in small increments. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy. As events spiral out of control, that sense of increasing desperation feels palpable. Tom’s preoccupation with his new neighbours, the fabulously monikered Magi and Madea Moot, overshadows everything. You know it’s only a matter of time before he is going to go full Jack Torrance.
As a counterpoint to Tom’s growing mania, there is Fiona’s increasing uncertainty and Gracey’s confusion. Fiona is beginning to have doubts about the man she married and Gracey doesn’t know what to make of her funny daddy. The collapse of the family adds a heart-breaking extra dimension to the story. You could be fooled into thinking that Cunning Folk is an old-fashioned haunted house story but that is not the way I viewed it at all. This is a darker than dark love story. Tom lives for his wife and daughter; he will do absolutely anything to protect and care for them. If that means sacrificing himself to ensure their safety, then so be it. Sounds sort of like the ultimate act of love to me.
I think it is fair to say the majority of the horror in Cunning Folk is psychological in nature. Nevill expertly dissects Tom’s increasingly fragile mental state. That said there are also some suitably visceral moments for those who enjoy their action a bit bloodier.
What with The Ritual and No One Gets Out Alive receiving a much-deserved leap from page to screen, I can only hope Cunning Folk gets the same treatment. If this does happen, I hope the story remains set in the depths of the English countryside. I’m not sure it would be quite so impactful if it was envisaged elsewhere. The creepy folklore of the deep woods works best against the quintessential British rural idyll.
Cunning Folk is published by Ritual Limited and is available now. Highly recommended
My musical recommendation to accompany Cunning Folk is the soundtrack to Malignant by Joseph Bishara. It has an air of disquiet that perfectly captures the tone of the escalating menace in the novel.
*This is becoming quite the tradition. Hard to believe, I know, but this is the fifth year in a row I’ve reviewed Adam Nevill’s latest at this time of year. What can I say? If he is going to continue to write some of my favourite horror fiction I am going to continue to review it.
**I’ve been there once or twice myself. If you are fortunate enough to have good neighbours, consider yourself lucky.
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