The Haar: A Horror Novel

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But when an overseas property developer threatens to evict the residents from their homes and raze Witchaven to the ground in the name of progress, all seems lost… until the day a mysterious fog bank creeps inland.

David Sodergren’s The Haar is Beautifully Haar-iffic David Sodergren’s The Haar is Beautifully Haar-iffic

Muriel McAuley is one of the most delightful elderly heroines I’ve met in literature, yet at the same time she has a terrifying amount of gumption and unwillingness to give in. Muriel has lived in the remote Scottish village of Witchaven her entire life – she literally knows nothing else and has no desire to go to a new place, especially at 80+ years old. The ending was perfect and the varying POV’s we get to see some of those last moments through was fantastic to really highlight the emotional aspect of this book.But when an overseas property developer, headed by a powerful billionaire, threatens to evict the remaining residents from their homes and raze Witchaven to the ground in the name of progress… all seems lost. Until the day a mysterious fog bank creeps inland…

The Haar by David Sodergren | Goodreads

The novel centers on the little Scottish town of Witchaven and an 80-something year old widow woman, Muriel... Speaking of ugly, what about portraying the youth of Scotland as murderous thugs hired by the Ugly Americans to rob and kill their elderly folk...

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Muriel is a resilient and resourceful octogenarian deeply connected to the land. Her husband, Billy, has disappeared at sea and she misses him every day. Despite her age, she refuses to submit to the greedy and rich. Her unwavering determination is respectable and proves you can’t get everything by throwing money at it (although the cynic in me whispers that this is another fairy-tale element of the story).

Review: The Haar by David Sodergren – Escaping in Paper

Thou shalt not judge a film by it’s opening scene,Thou shalt not judge a film by it’s opening scene,Thou shalt not judge a film by it’s opening scene, etc’ It gets pretty gruesome, but there's a genuine heart running through it. That's all I kind of want to say without ruining anything. Like I've said many times before, I rarely read a synopsis. I most often go on an author's previous efforts or recommendations from fellow readers. With David Sodergren, it's a no-brainer. He never lets me down. Because it’s another one of those films that begins with a dynamite sequence of horror and then flails around like a fish out of water for the rest of its runtime. But let’s enjoy the good while it lasts. Update: I've managed to read the rest of the book, thankfully the worst parts were over by then. The ending was quite satisfying, so I've updated the rating, but my point still stands: some parts were unnecessary, disgusting and disappoining.

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Muriel is left hopeless – until, after a particularly dense fog (called a “ haar“), she finds a mysterious blob on the beach. Little does Muriel know, saving this blob will not only spell her salvation, but a new hope for her future. Cheers, Jonny! This one was really awesome. I’d also suggest The Forgotten Island, as that one also has an adventure aspect that works really really well! The characters are mostly solid, especially our heroes. The bad guys, mainly the villains, do become what you might think of as "typical", but they really didn't need that much fleshing out. The story is all from Muriel's pov with the villains playing a smaller role. The story is more about Muriel trying to stay where she belongs, to spend the rest of her life with what remains of her friends, to die where she was born. Most of all, to heal from the loss of her husband. The story is a reminder: don't take advantage of life or the ones you love the most because no one is exempt from the final destination. A cemetery. Ambitious crane shots and Steadicam work reminiscent of Halloween. A young girl in a gothic crypt. Mario Bava-esque lighting. The HAAR by David Sodergren is my first read by the author. I'm glad that I choose The HAAR because it is a little on the weird side, it's quite gory in parts, it's a lot of fun, and it's a surprisingly touching story about love and loss.