The Croning

The Croning by Laird Barron is a brilliant example of cosmic horror. However, it is much more than just an exciting, masterfully written, and unique novel. It could be said that it is an insightful metaphor for the human experience under a cosmic sky. A cautionary tale. As stated in Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men: “You can’t stop what’s coming.” After reading The Croning, readers may begin looking behind their backs, trying desperately to see what’s coming and wondering what omens they had failed to notice. When a text is born to the public, it takes on a life of its own and offers many avenues of entrance and understanding. The reader becomes the co-author. This is very true of The Croning. Barron’s writing style is pristine, high end, and intelligent with no hint of egocentricity. It’s all about the story, and it is a pleasure to read such a skilled, unpretentious application of language—the perfect meeting of style and substance. Readers will be transported into the world of cosmic horror in every sense by the clarity of the author’s voice. Evocative descriptions carry readers to varied locations across the United States and Mexico. The plot is reinforced by an extensive array of characters with varied personalities. Their often suspicious actions leave a trail of breadcrumbs that astute readers might employ in order to deconstruct the plot and to understand the dangers faced by the protagonist. Every character is an important cog in the gears of the universe. Most notable would be the protagonist’s wife whose prophetic last name is Mock. The plot of this novel is a highly complex, nonlinear collection of episodes from the life of Don Miller, the protagonist. Casual readers may become confused after reading the first few chapters, wondering where the story is going, but perseverance will be richly rewarded. The first chapter is an augmented version of the Rumpelstiltskin story. It could be said that this chapter is a unique example of post-modern reading instructions that set the stage for what is to come. It is an integral element of the text that ultimately serves to complete the circle of life at the end. Perceptive readers will notice a disturbing pattern of mysterious experiences that affect the protagonist’s life. He goes on stumbling through life never following the thread of clues that the universe has left for him. Will he be able to reconstruct his fragmented memories? Only the most astute reader will guess what is coming. The stunning double-conclusion comes full circle and ties up all the loose ends, positing the question that perhaps nobody can stop what is coming, not even the brother of a queen. After completing this epic work, readers may be given to look back upon their own lives in fear that they may have missed warning signs that could have helped them come to the realization that they may simply be cog in a larger game they may never win because they had been sleepwalking through life like a slaughter animal that wanders through its short life, totally unaware of the evil that his masters have plotted for him The Croning comes highly recommended and should be considered a brilliant cautionary tale, a wakeup call. The knowing is half the battle. Rougeskireview

Donald Miller is in crisis. He's well into his 70's and experiencing signs of dementia. He's always been absent minded, but he's realizing now that he has significant memory gaps around key events in his life. He's beginning to suspect something sinister is afoot and that his beautiful wife of 50 years is somehow involved. Is he going crazy or does true evil lurk? The Croning is an ambitious novel wrapping the fears of old age around a tale of cosmic horror. There's mystery, intrigue, spy novel adventure, a nice tie-in to the Rumplestiltskin fable, and terrifying horror. Barron is an excellent wordsmith and his prose shines throughout. Unfortunately, the whole thing feels a bit unbalanced. There's a lot of time hopping as Barron peels back the layers via creepy flashbacks. They're entertaining, but uneven, and when you get to the end you realize one of the longer ones made no contribution at all to the larger plot. Maybe it was meant as a decoy to keep us guessing, or perhaps it was meaningful in an earlier draft and the connections were edited away. Either way, the result is clunky (albeit entertaining). I thought Barron missed a huge opportunity with the ending too. He went in a different direction, which was fine, but he somewhat fumbled that too by not providing enough development to make the payoff believable. Barron is considered a rising master in the field of weird fiction with several highly regarded short stories. This was only his first or second novel and was the first of his works I'd ever read. I've since sampled his short stories and he's clearly in his element there. I enjoyed this one a lot, but it should have been better. It has superb ideas and the ingredients for 5-star greatness, but it reads more like a draft than a finished novel. I would still recommend it to fans of weird fiction.

The Croning follows Don Miller, a genial yet seemingly addle-minded older gent whose career in geology has trailed off, along with his mental acuity. Don's wife Michelle, though nearly the same age, continues jetting around the globe, exploring, conferencing, and occasionally vanishing in ways that seem both secretive and suspicious. Don keeps meaning to pin her down about mysterious past events -- where she went, who she was with, what happened to him, what it was all about -- but the gradual deterioration of his mental faculties means all such intentions to learn more about his wife, to understand what happened and why, eventually trail off and fade away. The book begins with an altered and mood-shifted version of the Rumplestilskin fable, which takes place in some indeterminate distant past, and also connects to the later story of Don, Michelle and their families. From there, the story moves from the 1950s to the 1980s to the present day. Time is not merely linear and forward-moving, in fact the looping, repetitive and continuous nature of time is a matter of repeated focus here. We encounter secret agents, corrupt police, weird rituals, and Barron's oft-present bored, wealthy decadents messing with things they oughtn't. The stories of Don, Michelle, their ancestors and the shadowy followers of Old Leach are full of dark mysteries, secrecy and possible betrayals. Don moves past these things, always affable and seemingly balanced despite the accumulated darkness trailing behind. He's essentially an unreliable narrator, whose unreliability becomes clarified as elements of his obscured history are revealed, both to him and to the reader. Much is made about the novella and novelette being the ideal length for tales of horror, the idea being that a short story is too brief to adequately develop a situation, yet a novel is too long to sustain tension for its full length. Recently, Laird Barron has done more with these mid-length forms than anyone else in the genres of weird fiction, horror and dark fantasy. He's also expressed a preference for the novella as his "sweet spot." At the same time, it's difficult for any writer to focus exclusively on short stories or novellas. Most readers are more interested in novels, which is the reason publishers want to see writers write them. It was inevitable that a writer as acclaimed and awarded as Barron would have everyone clamoring for him to write a novel. So how does he handle the larger canvas, hundreds of pages in length? And as a critic, even an informal one, do I compare The Croning against Barron's masterful shorter works, or against contemporary novels of horror and weird fiction by other authors? I'd say by any standard The Croning is a success. That's not to say The Croning eclipses such masterworks as "The Forest," "The Imago Sequence" or "Mysterium Tremendum" in craft, narrative impact or overall quality. Rather he equals the standard set by his own shorter works, and by doing so in the more widely accepted and commercially viable form of the novel, takes that necessary next step toward asserting a more general dominance over the horror/weird genre. Write a powerful novella, or collection of them, and you'll impress the critics, awards panels, fellow writers, and that narrow segment of the reading community that follows shorter forms. Show yourself capable of writing a powerful novel, and the mainstream of genre fandom will take notice, along with publishers who might not have known what to done with a writer like Barron until now. A few years ago, any mention of Laird Barron's work invariably mentioned the word "Lovecraftian," yet over time Barron's work removed any question that his brand of cosmic horror had more going on than emulation of Lovecraft. Barron is in the process of establishing his own mythos with its own geography, including complex legends and interlocking structures of cause and effect. Readers familiar with his previous stories such as "The Men From Porlock" and others, will spot elements in The Croning which echo, either explicitly or implicitly, names, locations or events from earlier stories. With The Croning, Laird Barron steps outside the short fiction arena and proves his style, combining the brisk energy of pulp storytelling with the dense richness of literary prose, translates well to novel length. This broader canvas allows Barron time to accumulate disorientation, build up a painful tension, and gradually lower the reader into cosmic, abyssal darkness. After reading the last page, I felt the need to reorient myself, the way a diver must decompress after delving into deep waters. This is a powerful, affecting work of fiction, and the fact that it's a first novel implies great things are ahead for Barron and his readers. This guy is doing work of the highest order, and any fan of weird fiction, horror or dark fantasy needs to check it out. If you've held off checking out Laird Barron because you don't like short fiction, start with The Croning.

I’m giving The Crooning four stars because it perfectly captures that eerie, slow-burn kind of horror that stays with you. From the very first chapter, I was hooked by the unsettling tone and the mystery behind the “crooning.” The story builds tension in such a quiet, creeping way that I found myself holding my breath more than once. It’s not about jump scares, it’s about that feeling that something is watching, just out of sight. The writing really stood out to me. The author does an amazing job creating atmosphere, you can almost hear the wind and feel the chill in the air. The story itself is original and haunting, with moments that genuinely gave me goosebumps. I did find parts of it confusing, especially toward the middle where some of the plot threads felt tangled. There were times I had to pause and piece things together, but honestly, it didn’t ruin the experience for me. If anything, it made me want to go back and catch what I missed. Overall, The Crooning is an eerie, beautifully written story that blends mystery and horror in a memorable way. It’s strange, haunting, and absolutely worth the read.

Lately, I have been wanting to get my hands on as much cosmic horror as possible; to be swept into a stygian landscape teeming with existential dread. Luckily, I got The Croning and was not disappointed. For any fan of Lovecraft or of films such as "The Witch" and "Hereditary", you will find kindred themes on full display here. I will start with my only real gripe which in and of it self I believe was an intentional choice by Barron: namely that I found the protagonist Don to be barely relatable at all. He seemed soft, uninteresting, and barely noticeable in a story full of colorful and more interesting characters. Thematically this makes sense, as the main premise of cosmic horror drifts towards mind-bending experiences being foisted upon regular people; however, I think Don is probably the least interesting and frankly the most milquetoast character I have ever read. This is saved by Barron's ability as a storyteller to continually push his reader along with mere soupcons of the supernatural, tantalizing the reader with a gradual spiral into the abyss. I definitely recommend this book to anyone wishing to be swept up for awhile in a world of beautifully written words about truly horrible occurrences. Barron's syntax is a direct descendant of Lovecraft, evoking the darkest of vistas with deliberate and appurtenant language, making this as much a joy to read for its words as its meaning.

Upon the release of THE IMAGO SEQUENCE , his stunning debut collection of short fiction, Laird Barron was deservedly hailed as a new and startlingly original voice in the horror genre. His followup collection, OCCULTATION , cemented his reputation as perhaps the foremost practitioner of weird fiction working today. Now, with THE CRONING, Barron unleashes his first full-length novel upon us, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt (as if there were any such doubt) that his fearsome prowess at creating frightening and unnerving short stories extends to longer works as well. In relating the story of Donald Miller, an elderly geologist whose entire adult life has been spent teetering on the verge of terrifying discoveries about his family in particular and human existence in general, Barron expands and elaborates upon the mythos he's been working at creating for the past several years. Given a larger canvas to work with, Barron makes the most of it; after an opening set in medieval times that redefines the origin of a well-known fairy tale character, the novel jumps back and forth in time, from the late 1950s to 1980 and the present day, although at one point, time itself becomes somewhat elastic (not in a good way, of course). The extended length of THE CRONING also means that we become even more invested in the protagonist, and therefore even more afraid of what unspeakable things might happen to him. As the novel speeds toward its shattering conclusion, the sinister fog that surrounds Miller's life begins to disperse, and we fear for his sanity and his life (although, as in many of Barron's works, corporeal death isn't necessarily the worst thing that can happen to you). As with many of Barron's previous stories, THE CRONING is set largely in Washington state (his former home - we miss you, Laird), although there's a sinister side trip to Mexico and a couple of off-screen jaunts by other characters to the dark places of the world. There are numerous references to these other stories peppered throughout the book; although it's not at all necessary to have read them to comprehend what's going on, it certainly adds to the texture and enriches the overall experience, and I would highly recommend picking up OCCULTATION at the very least as a companion piece ("The Men from Porlock," which can be found in the anthology THE BOOK OF CTHULHU , may be useful as well). As the great H.P. Lovecraft did before him, Laird Barron is creating a literary canon that shockingly demonstrates humankind's ultimate insignificance in the grand scheme of things, but while Lovecraft's writing style sometimes keeps readers at a distance, Barron's elegant prose brings the horror home. He's a magnificently gifted writer, and devotees of horror fiction ought to be thankful that he has chosen this genre as his primary focus. Grand in scale yet fiendishly intimate, for me, THE CRONING represents the zenith of cosmic horror fiction.

For all of his influence on a generation of horror writers, there may be no writer who's inspired more lackluster imitations - or whose followers so often miss the point - as H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft specialized in horror on a cosmic, utterly alien scale - a world just beyond ours, where angles didn't align, where colors we had never seen might exist, and where horrific elder gods slumbered - luckily for us. They were stories more about dread and unease than anything else, which has made it more and more difficult for modern writers to mimic his style - we need our payoffs, we need our plotting, we need our confrontations, and Lovecraft had no interest in any of those. But one of the rare exceptions to that rule lays in the work of Laird Barron, whose work is undeniably Lovecraftian, yes, but also wholly his own, bringing Lovecraft's command of tone and unease into the modern world, telling more "conventional" stories without ever compromising on the alien, malevolent force just beyond the range of our vision. But while Barron cut his teeth on short story collections, the question raised by The Croning - his first novel - is whether he could manage that same feat in a longer, full-length story? Oh, yes he can. Make no mistake, though: The Croning demands your patience. It will keep you uneasy for a long amount of time, even anxious, but it's going to make you wait for the payoffs - but when they come, there's no holding back. Mind you, the payoffs don't only come at the end of the novel; in keeping with his short story roots, Barron writes The Croning almost as a series of eight connected short stories, albeit ones which tell a single, ongoing story. None of which, however, will prepare you for the opening chapter, which finds Barron retelling the legend of Rumpelstiltskin as something more haunting, something darker, something more nightmarish and primal in its intentions. It's an odd opening to a book that's otherwise set in the modern day, telling the story of an academic named Don whose relationship with his wife constantly skirts the edge of darker, more sinister mythologies. For Michelle, his wife, is an anthropologist, and her fascination with some ancient tribes seems to have had an impact on Don's whole life - something that he is only beginning to understand. And as Barron leaps back and forth throughout several key incidents in Don's life, we start to understand the wider pattern, but only as we also realize that there won't be much to be done to prevent any of it from unfolding. Barron's pacing here is a thing of beauty. Yes, for some readers, The Croning may feel slow and lethargic, but for those who can appreciate his work, The Croning unfolds like a nightmare - relentless, uncertain, and indescribable. Barron's patience makes his payoffs and resolutions all the more powerfully effective, giving them an anxiety and a tension they couldn't otherwise have. But helping that along, in no small way, is Barron's incredible writing, which is literate and thoughtful in a way that few genre writers bother with: "Neither light nor heat could withstand it; to gaze into that nullity and to comprehend its scope was to have one’s humanity snuffed. Only the inhuman thrived in out there in deep black." "For they were the stuff of nightmares; maggoty abominations possessed of incalculable and vile intellect that donned flesh and spines of men and beasts to shield themselves from the sun and enable themselves to walk upright instead of merely slithering." Those quotes give you a sense of Barron's writing, but can't quite convey what it's like to lose yourself in his words - and, more importantly, in the nightmarish visions he can convey. More than anything, Barron's prose builds a world - both a real one and one beyond the veil - that has a way of overwhelming you, suffocating you with horrors until there's no escape. In short, it's horror for horror connoisseurs. It's not for casual readers, and it's not for those who can't handle their horror unflinching, unblinking, and nightmarish. But for those brave enough to handle its pages, you're in for something unforgettable. Just don't plan on having easy dreams for a while.

I've given this book only four stars, mostly because I found the first quarter or so of the book a bit harder to sink into than the other works of Laird Barron which I have read previously. I find his stories to be like quicksand; you take a step in and then another and soon you are being sucked under the spell of his compelling, entrancing writing. Stretching the analogy a bit further, I found I could have extricated myself from the quicksand much further into the book than is typical for me when reading LB. I could have just put the book down and moved on. But I trust Mr. Barron and hung in and I am glad I did. The story is Lovecraftian, without doubt. That said,it is also LB'S book. No one I know of writing today can craft a sentence or turn a phrase and create such a gripping sense of horror (with the exception of Caitlin R.Kiernan) as can Laird Barron. This story is about that dark shadow of this life that many of us dread exists with the same strength of belief with which we embrace the more obvious world of light that seems so much more real. Nagging at our consciousness, at some level, is the knowledge that the brightest light casts the darkest shadow. In "The Croning" LB takes us deep into that shadow world/dimension and casts a flickering light onto the horrors that await us there. His writing is seductive enough that as the reader gets deeper into the story, a sickening sense that LB may just have given us a glimpse of the greater reality in which we like. The Darkness is coming to devour us all, or is it? Read this book and decide for yourself, even as your guts become twisted with sickening doubt and your dreams become just a bit darker.