Ghost Train: 02/16/07

Service began on the London Underground on January 10, 1863 and the subway has been inspiring stories ever since. Horror, especially in the form of demonic ghost stories is a genre of subway stories that fascinates me and the reason why I wanted to read Ghost Train.

Despite the blurb on the back of the book, very little of the story takes place on the Underground. Most of the story is told in dreams and flashbacks. The first two thirds of the novel is stuck in a cycle of Mark having a bad dream and then trying to get on the trains in the Underground only to freak out and go home. By about the third time Mark was having a nightmare I wanted to strangle the character myself.

These dreams are supposed to build a sense of terror and suspense but they fail to do either. The evil that is stalking Mark (or perhaps living inside of him) apparently has ties to Druidic beliefs (though this connection is presented weakly at best) and manifests itself as a purple cloud of pain. Ooh scary.

Near the end of the book, Mark's daughter is attacked by the demon and she blows it off. She can't be bothered by bad dreams. At that point I lost my last thread of interest in the book. Clearly the adults in the book (Mark isn't the only adult affected) are weak and gullible, if a child can blow off the demon's attack.

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