The Accursed

By: Joyce Carol Oates

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

A major historical novel from "one of the great artistic forces of our time" (The Nation) - an eerie, unforgettable story of possession, power, and loss in early-20th-century Princeton, a cultural crossroads of the powerful and the damned.

Princeton, New Jersey, at the turn of the 20th century: a tranquil place to raise a family, a genteel town for genteel souls. But something dark and dangerous lurks at the edges of the town, corrupting and infecting its residents. Vampires and ghosts haunt the dreams of the innocent. A powerful curse besets the elite families of Princeton; their daughters begin disappearing. A young bride on the verge of the altar is seduced and abducted by a dangerously compelling man - a shape-shifting, vaguely European prince who might just be the devil, and who spreads his curse upon a richly deserving community of white Anglo-Saxon privilege. And in the Pine Barrens that border the town, a lush and terrifying underworld opens up.

When the bride's brother sets out against all odds to find her, his path will cross those of Princeton's most formidable people, from Grover Cleveland, fresh out of his second term in the White House and retired to town for a quieter life, to soon-to-be commander in chief Woodrow Wilson, president of the university and a complex individual obsessed to the point of madness with his need to retain power; from the young Socialist idealist Upton Sinclair to his charismatic comrade Jack London, and the most famous writer of the era, Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain - all plagued by "accursed" visions.

An utterly fresh work from Oates, The Accursed marks new territory for the masterful writer. Narrated with her unmistakable psychological insight, it combines beautifully transporting historical detail with chilling supernatural elements to stunning effect.

©2013 The Ontario Review (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Not for the typical Horror fan

What made the experience of listening to The Accursed the most enjoyable?

The story. It was incredibly multi-faceted, and made me feel more connected to characters that are otherwise unattainable in our present. Upton Sinclair, Mark Twain, Teddy Roosevelt, Jack London, Woodrow Wilson are just a few people who appear in Oates' book. I loved that I was listening to canon-worthy gothic novel.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Puss and Upton Sinclair were the stars of the book for me. Though, Puss doesn't last though the whole book. Upton Sinclair provides a sense of moral concreteness in line with what most of us believe in today, and acted as the voice of reason for the present day readers, as well as serving as a contrast to the conservative bigotry of the early 20th century.

What three words best describe Grover Gardner’s performance?

Odd, uncanny, imperfect

Who was the most memorable character of The Accursed and why?

Upton Sinclair, mostly because he is a powerful (yet meek) voice in the novel. Perhaps I just "heard" him more because I fall in line philosophically more than other characters.

Any additional comments?

If you are looking for a horror novel, this is not it. However, if you enjoy well-written literature that is rich with history and meaning, but also delves into the gothic, this is the book for you. To get through this book you must possess more than a desire to be frightened. If you are intrigued by dysfunction, love history, and get a kick out of the mystical (in addition to possessing some literary prowess) then read this book. I personally loved it, and even found myself frightened at times (like the violent scene featuring Copplestone). I implore you, if you are a true literature lover (not book lover, but literature lover) read this book. It is incredible, and worth the decades of effort Oates put into it.

Loved It!

My favorite book so far this year. I've been telling everyone about it. Well written and well performed.

Profoundly original

The story remains always surprising, the subtle and insightful links between the different lines of the story reveal themselves slowly. The extraordinary deliberate artificiality of the narrator‘s point of view makes you smile. The historical, social and political comments are made indirectly by making the reader like or dislike the characters‘ thoughts or feelings. And of course, it is a horror story of sorts.

Social Issues Abound in Mixed Genre--

Looking for a spooky vampire/ghost book? This isn't it.

How about an easy book to listen to that flows smoothly? Nope.

Anyone who reads Joyce Carol Oates knows that isn't what she is about. Nothing is ever really black and white. This is a massive undertaking by Oates which took decades of research and writing (it apparently was developed over 30 years.) Still, I think it kind of fell flat.

I don't even know if I could really call this work by Oates enjoyable. I loved some prior novels like We Were the Mulvaneys and The Falls. This one takes work to get through.

SOCIAL INJUSTICE is front and center - social issues which still exist today. Racism, sexism, (lots of sexism) class hostility, and issues with the meat processing industry thrown in for good measure.

The "meat" of the book:

There is a Curse raging in Princeton, NJ against the elite blue-bloods. Told from the point of view of an amateur historian, the main character throughout is Rev. Winslow Slade and his family. His children are picked off one by one as they fall prey to demons or spirits. Of course, they are not the only casualties of the vampire/ghost things. All told with a metaphorical slant.

Although the book is basically historical fiction, there are real people involved in actual events from that time (1905-1906) -along with fictional characters to round out the drama.

Some of the real people involved were Woodrow Wilson, Upton Sinclair, Jack London, Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt. Mark Twain and Sherlock Holmes even make appearances. What do all these people have to do with each other? Not a lot.

There was an interesting exchange between Upton Sinclair and Jack London after Sinclair wrote The Jungle and he tried to engage London to help him with his social causes. London had also just written a best seller, and came to speak at a book event at the request of Sinclair--which didn't turn out as Sinclair had hoped.

Also, a lot of political maneuvering- some involving Woodrow Wilson and his mentor, Rev. Slade. Wilson was the President of Princeton University at the time, and had a lot of problems with the staff and students. He felt there were underhanded challenges to his authority, and looked to Slade for suggestions.

I found the spiritual/demon sprinkling throughout to be unnecessary and not very effective.

At times I was frustrated and disappointed with the sections that dragged (60%)
I found some of it interesting, when I would have a "finally" moment (20%)
Some of the novel could have been eliminated without losing content (20%)

I got through the whole thing partly due to the excellent narration by Grover Gardner.

Even so, I don't think I could give this a favorable recommendation unless you are a complete Oates die-hard fan--and are prepared to be bored a large part of the time.

An Original Story, An Awesome Achievement!

If you could sum up The Accursed in three words, what would they be?

Imaginative, Historical, Magical

What did you like best about this story?

The endlessly inventive imagination of the author

Which scene was your favorite?

When "Sherlock Holmes" enters the story, briefly

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Impossible to make a film of this book. Whoever tries will be cursed.

Any additional comments?

If you are looking for something "normal," look elsewhere. The Accursed is for the reader looking for something truly new and original.

Confused story with too much detail

This story was odd and I wasn't sure what kind of demons or if there were demons or just obnoxious self centered people in Princeton. I thought some of the characters were not pertinent to the story and was occassionally distracted by their story lines. I am still not sure if this was all someones dream or drug induced hallucination as there were many drugs taken by many different people in this book. And if Woodrow Wilson was really that sickly and insecure we are lucky we survived as a nation with him as President.

Not your typical Vampire story

If your expecting twilight then skip this. Oates is one of the best living writers today and would not sink to that level. A fine mixture of Princeton history and fiction. I hated to see it end.

Slow at start, slow at finish

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes and no. It's a good story, but it just takes so damn long for anything to happen. Then the epilogue is so long and flowery, it just drags.

Has The Accursed turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

What aspect of Grover Gardner’s performance would you have changed?

Great reading of the book.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

A bit of a disappointment from one of my favorite authors.

Not for the easily distracted

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No....very drawn out and difficult to follow.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Grover Gardner?

Maybe

Could you see The Accursed being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No

Any additional comments?

Love Oates's work....had high expectations but was very disappointed. Made it 2/3 of the way through but finally gave up.

Take a Nap....You Won't Miss Much!

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book might be enjoyed by someone who likes a convoluted, and a never quite connected, story-line.

Have you listened to any of Grover Gardner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. He did a great a great performance...the only redeeming thing about this purchase.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Accursed?

ALL of the footnotes! Ego-centric blather that did nothing to enhance the story in my opinion.

Any additional comments?

This is the first book I stopped listening to after the first part. I've been a member for a number of years and generally am very satisfied with the books I purchase. My mind wandered so much due to the boring rhetoric that I couldn't keep the characters straight and repeatedly had to rewind to review. Too much effort for little pay-off. Sorry to be so negative...but this was an epic yawn! Someday I may try to go back and start over...just on principle. I hate to leave a book unfinished.