Chase Talks About the Horror Genre: Readers and Protagonists

My original intention for this paper was to get more in depth about the emotions that are associated with the horror genre. However, I found lots of information relating to the readers of horror fiction and how they relate to the characters they are reading about. This angle resonated a lot more with me. When I read, I typically cast myself as one of the characters if not the main character even though some times the author's descriptions don't necessarily describe me. Anyway I thought that was the more interesting approach to the subject.

If readers of horror fiction had an audience watching them, surely someone in that audience would shout, “Oooo, girl, don’t open that book,” much like they would tell a teenage camp counselor to not go skinny dipping alone in the middle of the night. What that sentiment translates into is - why would any sensible reader want to be scared? Essentially, fear is the purpose of the horror genre, which employs various means and devices, and it appeals on “a very deep emotional level.” (Saricks, 2009, Loc 2975) Many of the things that scared people as children find their way into these stories such as monsters in the closets or supernatural forces scratching at the window. The feelings that those type of images bring about stay with the reader even after they set the book down. Horror fiction serves its purpose best when it mixes unexplainable events with unknown creatures that bring threatening peril to the characters and evokes terror in its readers.

The first thing is that you have to separate the readers of horror fiction from horror movie fans. With the written word, the reader is able to participate in creating that world. This makes them already emotionally invested in the story. Once that world is established, they need to connect with the protagonists of the story. There are personal ways that they can connect with the characters such as being a mom caring about her daughter. They can also connect in universal ways. In horror fiction, this could be the fear of death that most people have. The reader must also accept that what's happening to the protagonist is real and is also a threat to them as well. Horror fiction is unique in that it can offer a catharsis for the reader as the characters rise up, face the monster, and come out for the better. In a sense, the reader did as well.

Stephen King explained horror as such: “The work of horror really is a dance— a moving rhythmic search. And what it’s looking for is the place where you, the viewer or the reader, live at your most primitive level.” With that said, it isn't too hard to imagine the reader and the protagonist sharing in that dance.

Chase Talks About Oprah's Book Club

I was working as the head of the Circulation Department at a medium-sized library during the reign of Oprah's Book Club. We could always tell when Oprah's show was over because the calls would start to come in. "I saw a book today on Oprah, and I was wondering if you could get it," they'd say. The next caller would ask, "Do you know that book they had on Oprah today?" We'd respond, "Yes, someone called five minutes ago and requested it before you. Would you like us to put it on hold for you." Silence. "Umm, how long do you think it would take?" "Oh, I'd say about three weeks or so." Then our next move would be to call down to Tech Services, "Oprah announced another one. We might want to order multiple copies."

Eventually, we created a shelf dedicated to Oprah's selections right where we displayed our new books. Some of the books we had already had previously to her announcement, and those copies did not have her book club selection logo on them. To make it easier for my pages to recognize those books, I created an Oprah spine label using a photo of her head (similar to the one above.) It amused me especially when there were multiple books on the shelf displaying an entire row of Oprah heads. The picture I used wasn't all that flattering either. I also took pleasure in having our Tech Services department call me requesting more Oprah heads. In job interviews, I'm tempted to tell them that one of my greatest accomplishments in my library career was those spine labels.

Regardless of how much fun I had making fun of Oprah's head, her book club brought a lot of people into the library looking for her suggestions. However, the cloud inside that silver lining was that Oprah's idea of a great book didn't necessarily gel with that of small town library patrons. Oprah liked books that gave her enlightenment - or - as she would say her "a-ha moment." Our library patrons wanted a good story, which I'm sure the books had, but they weren't necessarily looking for the same deep moving experience that Oprah was. Her "a-ha moment" was sometimes their "uh-what moment." I'm not suggesting that the majority of her books were misses with our patrons. Still, the strongest reactions were from the books they didn't like, and those tended to be the stories that were not so straight forward.

On the other hand, the books that Oprah suggested that were not a part of her book club were bigger hits with our patrons. Those books were usually the self-help type of books where she'd have the author/expert on to talk about problems that many people across the country experienced. Books on decorating, cooking healthy, organization, etc. Again, we would know when Oprah was over because the calls came in. If the patron did not remember the name or author, it was harder for us to track down in this case. Thankfully, they started putting "books mentioned on the show" on her website. Similarly, the people that Oprah endorsed and brought into her family like Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Nate Berkus, were also big hits with our patrons. When Oprah endorsed the self-help book The Secret, people skipped calling and came right on in to the library to get it. I believe that one even inspired a vision board making program at our library.

I do love Oprah though. The book publishing industry loves Oprah. Even if she missed the mark on some occasions, her influence brought a lot of attention to reading and in turn to public libraries.

Chase Talks About the Mystery of "Grist Mill Road"

Grist Mill Road by Christopher J. Yates

Synopsis:

A twelve-year-old Patrick sat back and watched as his friend, Matthew, fired 49 rounds from a BB gun at a young girl, Hannah, who was bound to a tree less than a hundred miles north of New York City in the summer of 1982.

This senseless, childhood crime ties these three people together 26 years later in traumatic memories in this whydunit. Patrick and Hannah are now married after reconnecting as adults with the promise to never speak of that day. Patrick spends his days blogging about a fantasy restaurant and its menu while Hannah is now a crime reporter. The appearance of Matthew just as Patrick hits a low point in his life fuels his fear of Hannah finding out about having not stepped in to stop her shooting and losing her to his one-time friend.

Each person is hiding a piece of that day as they tell their stories from that day. The rising tension finds the three back in that spot of their shared childhood for a chilling confrontation.

Mystery Elements in Grist Mill Road:

·      The book involves many faceted layers about the plot and its characters that come together until the crime reaches its conclusion.

·      Characters’ personal lives as delved into deeply along with those of secondary characters.

·      The setting in the New York mountains and surrounding woods is filled with geographic details. The reader gets a sense of the surroundings.

·      There’s a strong sinister tone in the adults’ memories of their shared childhood moment.

·      Characters sometimes converse through texts and e-mails.

·      The pace is helped by the appeal of the characters and what has and will happen to them.

Read-Alikes:

·      See What I’ve Done by Sarah Schmidt

o   Character-driven

o   Multiple perspectives

o   Compelling

·      All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

o   Unreliable narrator

o   Character-driven

o   Disturbing crime

·      Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka

o   Character-drive

o   Multiple perspectives

o   Disturbing crime (against teens)