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The Backwoods
Returning home, Patricia finds the town of her childhood in the grip of terror, fear, and evil as a dark force with a thirst for blood leaves a trail of mutilated bodies in its wake. Original.
340 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2005
About the author
Edward Lee
223 books1,321 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
October 6, 2011
Note: I was unable to finish this book. It may have gotten better.
According to the back of the book, this is the story of a woman returning to the backwater town she grew up in for her brother-in-law's funeral and discovering something sinister. I made it to the 100 page mark before I decided to abandon it for greener pastures.
"But Dan, why did you abandon it? You've toughed out some pretty bad books!" you say.
Well, this is allegedly a horror novel and not one mildly horrifying thing happened in the first 100 pages. What I got in its place were a lot of descriptions of nipples and nipple sizes, southern dialogue that was folksy to the point of being annoying, and a lot of talk. It read more like a late night movie on Cinemax than a horror novel. The heroine leaves her husband in the city to attend to her mourning sister and suddenly becomes as horny as a toad. I didn't care a wit for any of the characters and whether or not they survived whatever it was that the back cover says is lurking in the backwoods.
I'll likely give Edward Lee another chance but I'll be a bit more selective next time.
According to the back of the book, this is the story of a woman returning to the backwater town she grew up in for her brother-in-law's funeral and discovering something sinister. I made it to the 100 page mark before I decided to abandon it for greener pastures.
"But Dan, why did you abandon it? You've toughed out some pretty bad books!" you say.
Well, this is allegedly a horror novel and not one mildly horrifying thing happened in the first 100 pages. What I got in its place were a lot of descriptions of nipples and nipple sizes, southern dialogue that was folksy to the point of being annoying, and a lot of talk. It read more like a late night movie on Cinemax than a horror novel. The heroine leaves her husband in the city to attend to her mourning sister and suddenly becomes as horny as a toad. I didn't care a wit for any of the characters and whether or not they survived whatever it was that the back cover says is lurking in the backwoods.
I'll likely give Edward Lee another chance but I'll be a bit more selective next time.
April 13, 2024
The Backwoods is a pretty good story of a successful city lawyer returning to a rural backwoods hillbilly town to visit her sister after her husband died in unusual circumstances.
This is more traditional horror from Edward Lee than his usual extreme writings such as Bighead and the Pigs Trilogy. It starts off quite strong and is paced decently once murders start to occur and some supernatural elements are thrown in from the local "squatters". I felt the ending was a bit lackluster compared to some of his other books I have read like "creekers" which was amazing. His characters are all quirky and fun I especially liked the two cops and there dialogue between each other.
Overall its still a fun gory, sexual story but fans of Lee's work may be disappointed that it's not overly horrific as he is normally known for.
3.5 stars.
This is more traditional horror from Edward Lee than his usual extreme writings such as Bighead and the Pigs Trilogy. It starts off quite strong and is paced decently once murders start to occur and some supernatural elements are thrown in from the local "squatters". I felt the ending was a bit lackluster compared to some of his other books I have read like "creekers" which was amazing. His characters are all quirky and fun I especially liked the two cops and there dialogue between each other.
Overall its still a fun gory, sexual story but fans of Lee's work may be disappointed that it's not overly horrific as he is normally known for.
3.5 stars.
February 16, 2014
Well color me surprised. This was not the amazing, twisted Edward Lee book I imagined it would be.
Guess maybe I should listen to those reviews a little more, huh?
I really hoped they were wrong.
But nope.
I was.
The ony thing that kept this book from being a one star review was the writing. It was pretty decent most of the time, with the exception of some strange narrative intrusions here and there.
The set up for the story seemed pretty solid, but holy crap...what a lifeless plot. Zero narrative tension. Basically a series of female wet dreams loosely tied together by a dopey wrap around story involving real estate and a strange "ancient" tribe of squatters that need to leave the land so condos can be built. Yawn.
The whole thing is preposterous and more tragically, boring.
Lee tries his hand at injecting some Laymonesque fun into the proceeding by using the word "nipple" as often as possible, but even the sex scenes come off as flaccid.
To make matters worse, Lee adds an epilogue that somehow manages to make a truly horrible ending to a terrible book even worse.
That's some sort of accomplishment in itself, I suppose.
It's a shame, because I think all the ingredients were here for a really good book, but alas - this isn't one.
Nothing to see here, folks...move along.
Guess maybe I should listen to those reviews a little more, huh?
I really hoped they were wrong.
But nope.
I was.
The ony thing that kept this book from being a one star review was the writing. It was pretty decent most of the time, with the exception of some strange narrative intrusions here and there.
The set up for the story seemed pretty solid, but holy crap...what a lifeless plot. Zero narrative tension. Basically a series of female wet dreams loosely tied together by a dopey wrap around story involving real estate and a strange "ancient" tribe of squatters that need to leave the land so condos can be built. Yawn.
The whole thing is preposterous and more tragically, boring.
Lee tries his hand at injecting some Laymonesque fun into the proceeding by using the word "nipple" as often as possible, but even the sex scenes come off as flaccid.
To make matters worse, Lee adds an epilogue that somehow manages to make a truly horrible ending to a terrible book even worse.
That's some sort of accomplishment in itself, I suppose.
It's a shame, because I think all the ingredients were here for a really good book, but alas - this isn't one.
Nothing to see here, folks...move along.
July 23, 2008
Short Summary: A forty something red headed, large breasted, and eternally horny female lawyer returns to her hometown to attend the funeral of her sister’s sleaze ball husband. The recently murdered died under very strange circumstances and we figure out within the first four pages that he’s been killing random gypsy type people who are very short, ugly in the face, and supermodel in the body… these people are simply called “Squatters.” More people turn up dead, drugs start showing up, and our lead character plays with herself through all of it.
Let me just say that I had hoped Lee had matured a bit, other reviews implied he had and claimed that there was less sex in this book and more story. I’m not sure that we’ve all read the same book, because our leading character spends the majority of the book fantasizing and playing with herself… then there are the multiple rapes, including the rapes of children (thank goodness he didn’t go into detail on that one). And if I had read the word “nipple” one more time I was going to smash my head into my nightstand.
The biggest problem with this book was its complete and total lack of focus. Lee had a good premise here, however parts that needed exploration and definition were left out or glossed over and we spent at least 30% of the book in character’s sexual dreams and fantasies which he NEVER got around to explaining or turning into any sort of valid plot point. Areas that could have used more fleshing out? Well the Squatters for one… there is no history, no real hint at their power or background, all we know is that they eat strange food, don’t drink alcohol, draw sigils on things, and wear chicken heads around their necks… oh and all of their women have size D boobs from the age of 10. A little more history on our lead character’s family since that keeps coming up but is never explained.
When reading this it felt like Lee had many different ideas and had thought of several ways of taking the story… but he never really capitalized on any of them and instead we are left with a very plain mediocre book that only vaguely touches on the supernatural, and leaves the reader very unsatisfied. The ending followed by the epilogue being the worst parts of all, they come out of nowhere, feel forced, hollow and emotionless. I could imagine a 14 year old looking at me after I finished and saying “wasn’t that SHOCKING?” and I would say, ��Yeah, like the ending of High Tension was shocking, because it DIDN’T BELONG!!” there is a difference between a twist ending and dragging crap in from left field and claiming you are a genius because no one saw it coming. Of course they didn’t see it coming; it shouldn’t have happened because it’s got nothing to do with anything else that you’ve written up until that point. I can’t go into detail about the specifics of what irritated the crap out of me because if you are like me you are going to read this either way and I don’t want to ruin it for you. But when you get down to the last 15 pages and nothing has been resolved, you too will realize that you are in for a shoddy ending.
Was this book a complete and total waste of time and money? Not for me&, I got it for free and read it on my lunch break; but I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone, its just so very mediocre, if you like Lee, pick up one of his other works and leave this one lay.
Let me just say that I had hoped Lee had matured a bit, other reviews implied he had and claimed that there was less sex in this book and more story. I’m not sure that we’ve all read the same book, because our leading character spends the majority of the book fantasizing and playing with herself… then there are the multiple rapes, including the rapes of children (thank goodness he didn’t go into detail on that one). And if I had read the word “nipple” one more time I was going to smash my head into my nightstand.
The biggest problem with this book was its complete and total lack of focus. Lee had a good premise here, however parts that needed exploration and definition were left out or glossed over and we spent at least 30% of the book in character’s sexual dreams and fantasies which he NEVER got around to explaining or turning into any sort of valid plot point. Areas that could have used more fleshing out? Well the Squatters for one… there is no history, no real hint at their power or background, all we know is that they eat strange food, don’t drink alcohol, draw sigils on things, and wear chicken heads around their necks… oh and all of their women have size D boobs from the age of 10. A little more history on our lead character’s family since that keeps coming up but is never explained.
When reading this it felt like Lee had many different ideas and had thought of several ways of taking the story… but he never really capitalized on any of them and instead we are left with a very plain mediocre book that only vaguely touches on the supernatural, and leaves the reader very unsatisfied. The ending followed by the epilogue being the worst parts of all, they come out of nowhere, feel forced, hollow and emotionless. I could imagine a 14 year old looking at me after I finished and saying “wasn’t that SHOCKING?” and I would say, ��Yeah, like the ending of High Tension was shocking, because it DIDN’T BELONG!!” there is a difference between a twist ending and dragging crap in from left field and claiming you are a genius because no one saw it coming. Of course they didn’t see it coming; it shouldn’t have happened because it’s got nothing to do with anything else that you’ve written up until that point. I can’t go into detail about the specifics of what irritated the crap out of me because if you are like me you are going to read this either way and I don’t want to ruin it for you. But when you get down to the last 15 pages and nothing has been resolved, you too will realize that you are in for a shoddy ending.
Was this book a complete and total waste of time and money? Not for me&, I got it for free and read it on my lunch break; but I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone, its just so very mediocre, if you like Lee, pick up one of his other works and leave this one lay.
August 27, 2020
Not one of Lee's strongest novels to be sure. Despite the name and the blurb on the rear cover, this is really more of a mystery novel with some supernatural aspects than a horror novel. Also, I do not know what Lee was imbibing/smoking when he wrote this, but the hyper-sexual scenes in the book serve to detract from the story rather than add to it. With a good editor, this might have been a really good novel, but as it stands, is was at best just OK.
The main protagonist is Patricia, now a big time lawyer in D.C., but from a small, backwater town in Virginia. Her parents died long ago, but her sister Judy still lives there and runs a crab packing plant, and doing it quite well. Judy's no-good husband Dwayne just died and Patricia heads back to town to help her sister through the funeral and so forth. Judy (and Patricia, as she is co-owner) have a lot of land on 'the point'--a peninsula in town where the crab plant/docks are as well as 'squattertown', inhabited by a strange clan of squatters who have been there for generations. The squatters mainly work at the crab plant and boats and Judy (like her parents) lets them live rent free and even provides running water and electricity for them.
Anyway, a big developer/magnate is building a swath of upscale condos on the river front and covets Judy's land as another development project. Judy is not inclined to sell, so the developer, working with some no-good local rednecks, comes up with a nasty plan to drive out the squatters and get Judy to sell up. Strange things start to happen, however, the first being Dwayne's cause of death. Dwayne had been killing squatter women as part of the developer's plan to drive the squatters away, but one day they find his body at the point without a head. It is like the head never existed-- skin even covers up where the stump should be. Things start to heat up when the developer turns to some asocial, amoral rednecks to continue with Dwayne's work...
Overall, an interesting plot, but like I said at the start of this, way too hyper-sexual. You know you with Lee you are in for some gory scenes, and some sex scenes, even in his more tame works. Yet, here it just felt excessive. Patricia (a hot redhead) lusting after everyone, and everyone lusting after her. The squatter women described (or at least their breasts) in extreme detail... This book just oozes lust, but that does not really add to the plot or the characters. 2.5 stars.
The main protagonist is Patricia, now a big time lawyer in D.C., but from a small, backwater town in Virginia. Her parents died long ago, but her sister Judy still lives there and runs a crab packing plant, and doing it quite well. Judy's no-good husband Dwayne just died and Patricia heads back to town to help her sister through the funeral and so forth. Judy (and Patricia, as she is co-owner) have a lot of land on 'the point'--a peninsula in town where the crab plant/docks are as well as 'squattertown', inhabited by a strange clan of squatters who have been there for generations. The squatters mainly work at the crab plant and boats and Judy (like her parents) lets them live rent free and even provides running water and electricity for them.
Anyway, a big developer/magnate is building a swath of upscale condos on the river front and covets Judy's land as another development project. Judy is not inclined to sell, so the developer, working with some no-good local rednecks, comes up with a nasty plan to drive out the squatters and get Judy to sell up. Strange things start to happen, however, the first being Dwayne's cause of death. Dwayne had been killing squatter women as part of the developer's plan to drive the squatters away, but one day they find his body at the point without a head. It is like the head never existed-- skin even covers up where the stump should be. Things start to heat up when the developer turns to some asocial, amoral rednecks to continue with Dwayne's work...
Overall, an interesting plot, but like I said at the start of this, way too hyper-sexual. You know you with Lee you are in for some gory scenes, and some sex scenes, even in his more tame works. Yet, here it just felt excessive. Patricia (a hot redhead) lusting after everyone, and everyone lusting after her. The squatter women described (or at least their breasts) in extreme detail... This book just oozes lust, but that does not really add to the plot or the characters. 2.5 stars.
September 22, 2016
Done at last! I can't believe how long it took me to get through this book. I thought I'd be giving it two stars, but it picked up a bit towards the end.
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2.5 stars
I had been looking forward to trying an Edward Lee book, but I'm not too sure that I selected the right one. Maybe it was my mindset but I couldn't get into this one at all, really, until the final twenty-five percent or so (and possibly because I was excited to be so close to finally finishing)! Seriously, this book took over almost three months for me tosuffer through read. I thought for sure that it would get my lowest rating, but the ending was satisfying enough to enable me to round up to a solid three stars.
So why didn't this one work for me? First, I didn't care much for any of the characters. I wasn't intrigued by the storyline, either. It just didn't capture and hold my attention. The writing, at times, was so poor and at other times, quite brilliant. It was as though two authors were collaborating and didn't bother to synchronize their work. Also, part of the story was predictable.
I admit, I absolutely hated, hated, hated Lee's obsession with boobs. I guess there are no average-looking women in Agan's Point--only buxom porn-star lookalikes and morbidly obese trolls. The Chief of Police (far from the perfect male specimen, mind you) lusts after an underage girl while referring to his wife as a "...pale pile of human lard." Surely it's meant to be humorous, but it in my opinion, it just diminished the quality of Lee's writing, rendering it amateurish and too childish.
Okay...enough of my complaints.
The story really wasn't that bad. Patricia White returns to her childhood home in Agan's Point after her sister's husband is freakishly murdered. Home to a peculiar group of people known as "The Squatters," Agan's point is usually a safe, peaceful place. Suddenly, people are being murdered, supposedly due to their involvement in manufacturing/selling crystal methamphetamine. Before long, Patricia finds herself caught up in the danger.
The majority of the story dragged on but the ending was good. I don't really consider this to be a horror novel, but more of a mystery story with some horrific scenes. The gore was decent at times. I think I'll try another Edward Lee book at some point, but not any time soon.
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2.5 stars
I had been looking forward to trying an Edward Lee book, but I'm not too sure that I selected the right one. Maybe it was my mindset but I couldn't get into this one at all, really, until the final twenty-five percent or so (and possibly because I was excited to be so close to finally finishing)! Seriously, this book took over almost three months for me to
So why didn't this one work for me? First, I didn't care much for any of the characters. I wasn't intrigued by the storyline, either. It just didn't capture and hold my attention. The writing, at times, was so poor and at other times, quite brilliant. It was as though two authors were collaborating and didn't bother to synchronize their work. Also, part of the story was predictable.
I admit, I absolutely hated, hated, hated Lee's obsession with boobs. I guess there are no average-looking women in Agan's Point--only buxom porn-star lookalikes and morbidly obese trolls. The Chief of Police (far from the perfect male specimen, mind you) lusts after an underage girl while referring to his wife as a "...pale pile of human lard." Surely it's meant to be humorous, but it in my opinion, it just diminished the quality of Lee's writing, rendering it amateurish and too childish.
Okay...enough of my complaints.
The story really wasn't that bad. Patricia White returns to her childhood home in Agan's Point after her sister's husband is freakishly murdered. Home to a peculiar group of people known as "The Squatters," Agan's point is usually a safe, peaceful place. Suddenly, people are being murdered, supposedly due to their involvement in manufacturing/selling crystal methamphetamine. Before long, Patricia finds herself caught up in the danger.
The majority of the story dragged on but the ending was good. I don't really consider this to be a horror novel, but more of a mystery story with some horrific scenes. The gore was decent at times. I think I'll try another Edward Lee book at some point, but not any time soon.
August 7, 2011
What a misogynistic bunch of tripe. Not one, not two, not three, but four, five, six and more buxom women who are ogled, fantasized about, raped, axed, hanged, and tortured in this southern horror tale. There seems to be two types of women in an Ed Lee book: fuckable, creamy-titted foxes who can't get enough sex in a given day or obese, nagging housewives who make life a living hell for their frustrated husbands. Pass this stinker on by!
I'm giving it two stars because Lee is a wonderful writer in terms of style and grammar. And he's capable of writing much better books such as The Golem and The Black Train.
I'm giving it two stars because Lee is a wonderful writer in terms of style and grammar. And he's capable of writing much better books such as The Golem and The Black Train.
July 31, 2023
A Horror Bookworm Recommendation
The Backwoods by Edward Lee
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
Patricia is returning to the small town of Agan’s Point to support her sibling and attend the funeral of her sister’s husband who was brutally murdered. Going back not only opens doors to unsettling memories but also uncovers a backwoods horror that involves unusual superstitions, corrupt intentions and a disturbing locale where ancestral blood is spilled in buckets.
There are a lot of disturbing working parts to this Edward Lee classic. From a land known as Squatters to disturbing “redneck” territories to a suspicious local law enforcement that are dedicated to uphold and maintain their own version of peace and decency. Murder, deceit and a kind of depravity that must be read to be believed all lead to one heck of a bizarre hillbilly good time.
The nasty nature ridden pages of The Backwoods by Edward Lee holds no morals and supplies brutal shocks gore-lore. Enough in fact to leave the reader grinnin’ like a possum eatin’ a sweet tater. Mr. Lee sure can spin some backwoods hillbilly horror. His crazy characters (drawl and all) is something to experience and encounter. Never mind the rash of missing persons, Junior and Ricky are the only ones that can hold a sociopathic candle to the infamous Balls and Dicky.
I recommend reading this classic book under a Virginian full moon with the rhythmic buzzing noise of cicadas. After that perhaps pop in the classic VHS tape Barnyard Babes #4, which I hear is head and shoulders above titles like Add Momma To The Train, I Dream Of Weenie and of course the quintessential White Men Can’t Hump. A definite five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Reviews.
The Backwoods by Edward Lee
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
Patricia is returning to the small town of Agan’s Point to support her sibling and attend the funeral of her sister’s husband who was brutally murdered. Going back not only opens doors to unsettling memories but also uncovers a backwoods horror that involves unusual superstitions, corrupt intentions and a disturbing locale where ancestral blood is spilled in buckets.
There are a lot of disturbing working parts to this Edward Lee classic. From a land known as Squatters to disturbing “redneck” territories to a suspicious local law enforcement that are dedicated to uphold and maintain their own version of peace and decency. Murder, deceit and a kind of depravity that must be read to be believed all lead to one heck of a bizarre hillbilly good time.
The nasty nature ridden pages of The Backwoods by Edward Lee holds no morals and supplies brutal shocks gore-lore. Enough in fact to leave the reader grinnin’ like a possum eatin’ a sweet tater. Mr. Lee sure can spin some backwoods hillbilly horror. His crazy characters (drawl and all) is something to experience and encounter. Never mind the rash of missing persons, Junior and Ricky are the only ones that can hold a sociopathic candle to the infamous Balls and Dicky.
I recommend reading this classic book under a Virginian full moon with the rhythmic buzzing noise of cicadas. After that perhaps pop in the classic VHS tape Barnyard Babes #4, which I hear is head and shoulders above titles like Add Momma To The Train, I Dream Of Weenie and of course the quintessential White Men Can’t Hump. A definite five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Reviews.
March 7, 2015
A remarkably tame Edward Lee novel. Excellent storytelling with a Stephen King feel to it, with a lot more sex of course.
January 27, 2016
Edward Lee, well known for his demented horror and rich sexual imagery, delivers a rather strange book focusing on a small town dominated by crab picking ‘squatters’. The squatters are about as unusual as you can get when they speak you barely see their mouths move, they’re amazingly short, the women possess eerily appetizing bodies, and they’re all living together on a type of plantation in oddly structured abodes. And of course people such as this practice a different kind of religion that causes all us normal folk to raise an eyebrow or so.
The main character in all this, though, isn’t a squatter. She’s a lawyer, which can be just as bad. Beautiful, intelligent, and protective of her sister, Patricia is back home, pushing away painful memories, and suddenly being overcome by strange sexual urges. Her character is real enough to be believable, and her overall demeanor was likeable. Backwoods is told through multiple points of view, with her dominating the show. Characters in general were interesting enough and didn’t harm the story.
The plot is bleak, strange, a bit depressing, certainly dark - demented Lee style. He never promises happy endings. It’s not possible to guess who will bite the big one and who will live or even, really, who the real friends are. While starting as an intriguing mystery, too much was let out in the beginning. As a result the mystery alone wasn’t the reason to hang on. But have no fear, for horror fans rarely want to read horror to have a mystery, instead they want terror and they certainly get it here. Several scenes are disturbing, gruesome, with not much held back.
Overall this was an entertaining read about an unusual culture, with a captivating main character, sexual tension, and chilling scenarios. On the bad side the very ending let me down a bit, as it seemed cut off and overly grim. Also, I never fully got the sexual urges Patricia experienced; more information in this area is welcome.
If you’re a fan of Lee or bizarre horror, be sure to check this one out.
The main character in all this, though, isn’t a squatter. She’s a lawyer, which can be just as bad. Beautiful, intelligent, and protective of her sister, Patricia is back home, pushing away painful memories, and suddenly being overcome by strange sexual urges. Her character is real enough to be believable, and her overall demeanor was likeable. Backwoods is told through multiple points of view, with her dominating the show. Characters in general were interesting enough and didn’t harm the story.
The plot is bleak, strange, a bit depressing, certainly dark - demented Lee style. He never promises happy endings. It’s not possible to guess who will bite the big one and who will live or even, really, who the real friends are. While starting as an intriguing mystery, too much was let out in the beginning. As a result the mystery alone wasn’t the reason to hang on. But have no fear, for horror fans rarely want to read horror to have a mystery, instead they want terror and they certainly get it here. Several scenes are disturbing, gruesome, with not much held back.
Overall this was an entertaining read about an unusual culture, with a captivating main character, sexual tension, and chilling scenarios. On the bad side the very ending let me down a bit, as it seemed cut off and overly grim. Also, I never fully got the sexual urges Patricia experienced; more information in this area is welcome.
If you’re a fan of Lee or bizarre horror, be sure to check this one out.
February 9, 2017
I am not even sure where to start-- this was recommended to me by a member of a Horror Group I belong to on this sit. At first, it WAS horrific- simply brutal, ghastly, ugly things occurred. It was *almost* graphic just for the sake of being graphic. Then, something happened-- a great story took shape. Patricia returns to her hometown for the funeral of her Judy's (her sister)'s (horrible) husband. Her sister owns a lot of land in their small town, and a group of 'hill people' known as 'The Squatters' live on the land in exchange for working in Judy's crab businesses. This is the way it's been since Judy took over from their parents. After being raped at 16, Patricia does not enjoy her forays to their hometown, and this will be the worst visit yet....a developer who wants to buy Judy's land will not take NO for an answer. Soon, Squatters are turning up dead, then people connected to Judy are turning up dead, then the killers are dying, in the most mysterious, supernatural ways...If you like books about dark magic, then this should be right up your alley. I was surprised to see how invested became in the characters, the mysteries and the overall story of Patricia and the strange, voodoo-ish deaths of the townsfolk. Had to give it 3 stars due to many many typos, and the fact that the ending wrapped up WAY too quickly. Also, the epilogue felt tacked on and not necessary (The part with Byron). Not needed, imo. Also, the author didn't really explain how the leader of the Squatters KNEW what was happening and who to target. I hope this review made sense, because it was a rather difficult story to try to explain. However, after 'getting into it', this book had a unique plot and I am glad to have read it! -Jen from Quebec :0)
August 20, 2019
Fulfilling
This is an amazing book. It has everything. A fantastic storyline with lots of twists, for and upheaval, plots and curiosities and investigations and revenge. All topped.off with desire and greed. Everything flowed together brilliantly giving a fulfilled ending that answered all the questions you were. Thinking throughout the book. Truly a great book. Definitely recommend you give it read.
This is an amazing book. It has everything. A fantastic storyline with lots of twists, for and upheaval, plots and curiosities and investigations and revenge. All topped.off with desire and greed. Everything flowed together brilliantly giving a fulfilled ending that answered all the questions you were. Thinking throughout the book. Truly a great book. Definitely recommend you give it read.
September 26, 2007
The synopsis on the back of this book made it sound good, but it wasn't. I can't think of anything good to say about it...the whole time I was reading it I kept wondering "when is something gonna HAPPEN?"
October 2, 2018
Smutty, smutty horror... fun for October
December 26, 2007
i've only read one other one of edward lee's books (along with a couple of short stories) in the past, but i've also read about him and his works, so i kind of new what to expect--ultra-violence and ultra-sex. basically, ultra-exploitation. to put it cinematically, edward lee is kind of like grindhouse (the genre, not the double-feature) crossed with clive barker.
this book, about a small town in southern virginia that runs into trouble with big-city land developers, fills all of those qualifications. the characters are gigantic stereotypes, from the money-grubbing condo contractor to the goodie-two-shoes good-ol'-boy to the hoity-toity, middle-aged, sex-crazy d.c. real estate lawyer that serves as the protagonist (the word "protagonist" should be used lightly, though, because she doesn't really spend a whole lot of time doing anything to further the plot, she just serves as the voice that says to the reader, "oh, this is what is happening"). they're all over-the-top charicatures, but isn't that the point with this kind of book? either way, it doesn't always work, and most of the time irritates more than anything else.
the sex, with which the book is packed, is also over-the-top and really only makes the reader feel uncomfortably dirty. a lot of it is simply tacked on and doesn't really have any sort of purpose, even when it seems to be trying to (like trying to psychologically validate certain behaviors and actions, as well as serving as a red herring at times).
on the other hand, (the "good side," you might say) the book is very fast-paced (always a plus with this kind of novel), and by-and-large you're delighted to find the bad guys getting what they deserve in the plainest, most black-and-white ways imaginable. the supernatural undercurrents, by which each of those bad guys are dispatched, are also interesting, and really could have been brought more to the forefront, making the book a whole lot better.
literarally (it's not a word, but i'm making it one), this isn't really a good book and especially not compared to other things by edward lee i've read, but, as a book that took all of a few hours to finish while on vacation, it could have been worse.
this book, about a small town in southern virginia that runs into trouble with big-city land developers, fills all of those qualifications. the characters are gigantic stereotypes, from the money-grubbing condo contractor to the goodie-two-shoes good-ol'-boy to the hoity-toity, middle-aged, sex-crazy d.c. real estate lawyer that serves as the protagonist (the word "protagonist" should be used lightly, though, because she doesn't really spend a whole lot of time doing anything to further the plot, she just serves as the voice that says to the reader, "oh, this is what is happening"). they're all over-the-top charicatures, but isn't that the point with this kind of book? either way, it doesn't always work, and most of the time irritates more than anything else.
the sex, with which the book is packed, is also over-the-top and really only makes the reader feel uncomfortably dirty. a lot of it is simply tacked on and doesn't really have any sort of purpose, even when it seems to be trying to (like trying to psychologically validate certain behaviors and actions, as well as serving as a red herring at times).
on the other hand, (the "good side," you might say) the book is very fast-paced (always a plus with this kind of novel), and by-and-large you're delighted to find the bad guys getting what they deserve in the plainest, most black-and-white ways imaginable. the supernatural undercurrents, by which each of those bad guys are dispatched, are also interesting, and really could have been brought more to the forefront, making the book a whole lot better.
literarally (it's not a word, but i'm making it one), this isn't really a good book and especially not compared to other things by edward lee i've read, but, as a book that took all of a few hours to finish while on vacation, it could have been worse.
December 6, 2012
It might not seem like it to first time Edward Lee readers but BACKWOODS is a much more subdued novel than most of the stuff that Lee writes. It has large quantities of sex. It has violent scenes that make you cringe. And it combines the two into different rape scenes by obviously despicable characters. However the majority of the acts are subtle and not quite as in your face as other Lee novels.
The story follows Patricia White who comes back home to the backwoods of Virginia after her sister Judy's husband is murdered. While her deceased husband was a slime ball, Judy is still taking his death hard. Hard enough that she doesn't notice many of the strange things that are happening in town and within the crab processing plant that she owns. Essentially an evil real estate developer is trying to buy some land from Judy so he can build condos. However Judy won't sell because it would leave homeless "The Squatters", an uneducated but friendly group of superstitious people who live for free on her land and work cheap in her crab processing plan. Evil real estate developer decides killing The Squatters is the right way to drive them off the land; meanwhile The Squatters strike back using supernatural means.
The supernatural aspect is very much underplayed and almost an afterthought at times. A larger focus is placed on how evil some people can be and the creative ways to kill people. While a little predictable and populated by flat characters, the book is still enjoyable and a good read. There are a few points where you wonder if people can really be that stupid but that happens in real life too so I didn't question it.
The story follows Patricia White who comes back home to the backwoods of Virginia after her sister Judy's husband is murdered. While her deceased husband was a slime ball, Judy is still taking his death hard. Hard enough that she doesn't notice many of the strange things that are happening in town and within the crab processing plant that she owns. Essentially an evil real estate developer is trying to buy some land from Judy so he can build condos. However Judy won't sell because it would leave homeless "The Squatters", an uneducated but friendly group of superstitious people who live for free on her land and work cheap in her crab processing plan. Evil real estate developer decides killing The Squatters is the right way to drive them off the land; meanwhile The Squatters strike back using supernatural means.
The supernatural aspect is very much underplayed and almost an afterthought at times. A larger focus is placed on how evil some people can be and the creative ways to kill people. While a little predictable and populated by flat characters, the book is still enjoyable and a good read. There are a few points where you wonder if people can really be that stupid but that happens in real life too so I didn't question it.
February 28, 2013
This book felt like an amalgamation of many of the previous Edward Lee books I've read. There's nothing new in it except maybe the way in which people die, which is only slightly interesting and not at all gruesome.
I've seen Lee's characters' libidos go crazy before due to outside interference. This time, I guess he wanted to do it and who cares the reason, because the explanation for it is that Patricia hit 40. No joke.
Every girl in this book has a huge rack, even if they're only 11 years old. I know he's done it in a lot of previous books I've read, too, but this time it just seems like too much.
If you want to know how this book ends, here it is:
There, if you read that, now you pretty much know the entire story and I just saved you a few hours of your life.
I've seen Lee's characters' libidos go crazy before due to outside interference. This time, I guess he wanted to do it and who cares the reason, because the explanation for it is that Patricia hit 40. No joke.
Every girl in this book has a huge rack, even if they're only 11 years old. I know he's done it in a lot of previous books I've read, too, but this time it just seems like too much.
If you want to know how this book ends, here it is:
There, if you read that, now you pretty much know the entire story and I just saved you a few hours of your life.
June 28, 2011
Come on, everyone. The book is called, "The Backwoods". What did you expect? I'm sure Lee blazed through writing this in a matter of weeks -- it has all the standard Lee stuff -- rapes, sex, violent deaths, sex, ridiculous gore, sex, torture, and sex. Look, every few months or so I need my fix of Edward Lee to purge my system. This book worked for me. I had a smile on my face thinking how much fun Edward had writing this. I laughed out loud many times at some of his sexual descriptions. He's not trying to win any awards here. Lighten up. Sure, it's mostly immature, but boy I had a good time.
July 7, 2018
believe the consensus. It's bad. Worst epilogue ever.
July 13, 2021
Mit dem Thriller „Leichenwald“ durfte ich in einem Buddyread meinen zweiten Thriller aus dem Festa-Verlag lesen. Da ich schon von Bekannten wusste, dass manche Festa-Thriller nicht ohne sind, war ich sehr gespannt was mich erwarten wird.
In diesem Buch begleiten wir Patricia White, die sich in ihre verhasste Heimatstadt begibt, da der Mann ihrer Schwester brutal ermordet worden ist. Doch der Ort gehört nicht zu den friedlichsten Städten in Amerika. Tote Prostituierten, verschwundene Kinder, abgeschlachtete Männer und viele Leichen. Der grausame Ort wird von einer Serie von ungewöhnlichen Morde heimgesucht. Die Bewohner sind in Angst und Schrecken. Was geht wirklich vor sich?
In das Buch bin ich ohne Probleme eingestiegen. Das Erste was mir bei diesem Buch aufgefallen ist, ist, dass das Buch nichts für schwache Nerven ist. Der Autor Edward Lee nimmt kein Blatt vor dem Mund und beschreibt einzelne Szenen detailliert sowie mit viel Brutalität. Zudem kann es für den ein oder anderen an manchen Stellen eklig werden. Außerdem war es auffällig, dass viele Szenen eine recht perverse Note aufweisen. Für mich war es für einen Thriller recht ungewöhnlich. So kann ich mir aber auch hier vorstellen, dass dieses Maß an Perversität für manche Leser*innen zu viel sein kann und dadurch abstoßend sein wird. Dies ist zum Beispiel damit zu begründen, dass fast jede der männlichen Figuren nur eine triebgesteuerte Seite aufweist und dementsprechend auch so handelt.
Alle Figuren sind für mich durch den Autor recht blass gezeichnet worden. Diesmal muss ich aber sagen, dass ich es nicht schlimm fand, da es zum Gesamtbuch einfach gut gepasst hat. Würden hier tiefgründige Charaktere vorliegen, würde das Buch mehr darunter leiden als das es positiv wäre.
Spannungstechnisch zeigt sich dieses Buch von einer mittelmäßigen bis guten Seite. Ich fand, dass es viele Szenen gab, in welchen eine gute Spannung vorlag. Nichtsdestotrotz gab es auf der anderen Seite viele Abschnitte, die lediglich recht langweilig waren. Somit zog sich die Handlung, sodass man diese Szenen auch ausschneiden konnte. Sonst kann ich aber sagen, dass mich die Geschichte interessiert hat, da der Plot im Vergleich zu meinem anderen gelesenen Thriller “anders“ ist – bedingt durch den Ekelfaktor, die gesetzten Schwerpunkte sowie die Plotidee.
Fazit: Ich bewerte dieses Buch mit 3,5 Sternen, da es für mich, wie erwähnt, mal ein anderer Thriller war, welcher für mich einfach abwechslungsreich war. So kann ich aber mir auch vorstellen, dass dieses Buch für viele Menschen einfach nicht das Richtige ist, da es halt ekelig und pervers wird. Wer an solche Bücher gewöhnt ist, sollte dieses Buch lesen. Wer jedoch schlüssige Thriller mit tiefgründigen Figuren bevorzugt, sollte die Finger von diesem Buch lassen.
In diesem Buch begleiten wir Patricia White, die sich in ihre verhasste Heimatstadt begibt, da der Mann ihrer Schwester brutal ermordet worden ist. Doch der Ort gehört nicht zu den friedlichsten Städten in Amerika. Tote Prostituierten, verschwundene Kinder, abgeschlachtete Männer und viele Leichen. Der grausame Ort wird von einer Serie von ungewöhnlichen Morde heimgesucht. Die Bewohner sind in Angst und Schrecken. Was geht wirklich vor sich?
In das Buch bin ich ohne Probleme eingestiegen. Das Erste was mir bei diesem Buch aufgefallen ist, ist, dass das Buch nichts für schwache Nerven ist. Der Autor Edward Lee nimmt kein Blatt vor dem Mund und beschreibt einzelne Szenen detailliert sowie mit viel Brutalität. Zudem kann es für den ein oder anderen an manchen Stellen eklig werden. Außerdem war es auffällig, dass viele Szenen eine recht perverse Note aufweisen. Für mich war es für einen Thriller recht ungewöhnlich. So kann ich mir aber auch hier vorstellen, dass dieses Maß an Perversität für manche Leser*innen zu viel sein kann und dadurch abstoßend sein wird. Dies ist zum Beispiel damit zu begründen, dass fast jede der männlichen Figuren nur eine triebgesteuerte Seite aufweist und dementsprechend auch so handelt.
Alle Figuren sind für mich durch den Autor recht blass gezeichnet worden. Diesmal muss ich aber sagen, dass ich es nicht schlimm fand, da es zum Gesamtbuch einfach gut gepasst hat. Würden hier tiefgründige Charaktere vorliegen, würde das Buch mehr darunter leiden als das es positiv wäre.
Spannungstechnisch zeigt sich dieses Buch von einer mittelmäßigen bis guten Seite. Ich fand, dass es viele Szenen gab, in welchen eine gute Spannung vorlag. Nichtsdestotrotz gab es auf der anderen Seite viele Abschnitte, die lediglich recht langweilig waren. Somit zog sich die Handlung, sodass man diese Szenen auch ausschneiden konnte. Sonst kann ich aber sagen, dass mich die Geschichte interessiert hat, da der Plot im Vergleich zu meinem anderen gelesenen Thriller “anders“ ist – bedingt durch den Ekelfaktor, die gesetzten Schwerpunkte sowie die Plotidee.
Fazit: Ich bewerte dieses Buch mit 3,5 Sternen, da es für mich, wie erwähnt, mal ein anderer Thriller war, welcher für mich einfach abwechslungsreich war. So kann ich aber mir auch vorstellen, dass dieses Buch für viele Menschen einfach nicht das Richtige ist, da es halt ekelig und pervers wird. Wer an solche Bücher gewöhnt ist, sollte dieses Buch lesen. Wer jedoch schlüssige Thriller mit tiefgründigen Figuren bevorzugt, sollte die Finger von diesem Buch lassen.
September 22, 2013
Quite simply the worst novel I've ever read.I quit reading it in the last quarter of the book and just looked up the ending online. I'm glad I didn't finish it. I love horror novels and even intense horror novels. This was not a horror novel. The supernatural elements were nearly no existent and there wasn't even a serial killer or stalker. It was about a town of horrible people with no morals who rape, murder, and desecrate everything around them. Simply disgusting for no reason. Scenes of illicit sex were also thrown in without any purpose or driving force to the plot. I was looking for a creepy backwoods slasher and instead got this steaming pile of flat misogynistic crap.
At this point, if you've followed my reviews at all, you probably know that one of my favorite sub-genres of horror is the Old Dark House. Many consider this also as the Chiller genre. Something I haven't touched on as much yet is my close second favorite sub-genre of horror. That's right, the backwoods. There is something so thrilling about the isolation and natural darkness of the wilderness. It gives a new perspective on feeling trapped. When you are in the middle of nowhere and the horror could be in the shadows behind any tree, that's when things begin to get scary. So naturally when I found this leisure horror novel entitled The Backwoods I instantly picked it up and wanted to read it. I got this little book home and popped it open . . . and was ultimately and utterly disappointing from beginning to end.
The story revolves around this little backwoods crabbing town and its strange inhabitants. The main protagonist of the story is Patricia. When her brother-in-law is killed by unusual beheading she goes to the town to attend the funeral and comfort her sister in her loss. After she arrives in the small town of her childhood, a place she loathes and fears, the place where she was raped as a teenager, the carnage begins to heighten. From that point the plot of the story becomes disjointed, poorly constructed, and completely flat.
There are a bunch of different murders throughout the book that all seem pointless. We don't know who these people are or simply could care less about them. On top of that the violence is peppered with a heavy layer of sex and rape scenes. Usually if a book or movie has a rape scene (particularly if it's graphic in any way) I'm instantly done. I close the book or turn off the T.V. and walk away. Rape is never done tactfully and is almost always degrading in the media. Until authors and writers can learn to address a sensitive topic such as rape in a realistic and constructive manner they need to simply not even try. when they do it usually ends up being a misogynistic mess instead. This book is no exception. In fact, this is the most misogynistic and depraved book I have ever read. Thank you Edward Lee.
However, I continued reading this book simply because I was somewhat interested in Patricia. She had a little bit of a flare to her and seemed to be the only decent person in the entirety of the story. I was impressed initially because she seemed to be a somewhat strong female lead. This almost never happened in the media let alone in the horror genre. However, when her story becomes more about her sexual awakening than her relationship with her sister I was done. She goes from being a mildly interesting and strong willed character to a sex object for the reader in a matter of a few chapters. It was a disappointing turn of events . I was waiting for some supernatural explanation for why this character was undergoing such a deep sexual change. Unfortunately, there never was such an explanation therefore marking every sex scene in this novel stuffing to fill the empty gaps between what little pointless story actually existed.
Obviously I dislike this novel. There was pointless sex that didn't drive the plot, violent murders that seemed to mean nothing, and flat characters and story that had no nature of good in them whatsoever. However, I think the thing that bothered me most of all about this book is that it was ultimately NOT a horror novel.
The Backwoods had no element of the horror structure to it. Yes there were brutal murders and a somewhat supernatural townspeople, but overall this was nothing more than an exploitation story with the purpose of making its reader feel utterly gross. Every character in this book was horrible and had no moral reasoning. Everyone was willing to rape and kill one another, not necessarily for gain, but just for the hell of it. So when they all end up getting slaughtered in one way or the other I didn't even care as a reader. This is not how a horror story should work. There was no feeling of dread, we didn't feel lost being alone in the woods, and there was no "monster" character that frightened and stalked us. No backwoods serial killer, no demon from the deep, just a bunch of rotten people being . . . rotten. I may have been disgusted but I was never intrigued, chilled, or frightened. This piece of misogynistic garbage is a product of our modern horror movements, similar to things like Saw, Hostile, and I Spit on Your Grave. These stories claim to be horror but are nothing more than torture porn.
Summing it Up
I hated this book. It has been the worst experience in reading I have ever had. The story was boring and flat with characters I could care less about. It was riddled with graphic rape, sex, and violence that had no purpose or driving force to the plot. I'm not a prude by any means and enjoy a decent splatter novel, but this was simply too much. I may give Edward Lee another try (You can't judge an author by one book alone.) at some point but it won't be for a long time. He's obviously a competent writer and I hope in the future he can prove it.
FOR THIS AND OTHER REVIEWS VISIT WWW.ASLICEOFHORROR.COM
At this point, if you've followed my reviews at all, you probably know that one of my favorite sub-genres of horror is the Old Dark House. Many consider this also as the Chiller genre. Something I haven't touched on as much yet is my close second favorite sub-genre of horror. That's right, the backwoods. There is something so thrilling about the isolation and natural darkness of the wilderness. It gives a new perspective on feeling trapped. When you are in the middle of nowhere and the horror could be in the shadows behind any tree, that's when things begin to get scary. So naturally when I found this leisure horror novel entitled The Backwoods I instantly picked it up and wanted to read it. I got this little book home and popped it open . . . and was ultimately and utterly disappointing from beginning to end.
The story revolves around this little backwoods crabbing town and its strange inhabitants. The main protagonist of the story is Patricia. When her brother-in-law is killed by unusual beheading she goes to the town to attend the funeral and comfort her sister in her loss. After she arrives in the small town of her childhood, a place she loathes and fears, the place where she was raped as a teenager, the carnage begins to heighten. From that point the plot of the story becomes disjointed, poorly constructed, and completely flat.
There are a bunch of different murders throughout the book that all seem pointless. We don't know who these people are or simply could care less about them. On top of that the violence is peppered with a heavy layer of sex and rape scenes. Usually if a book or movie has a rape scene (particularly if it's graphic in any way) I'm instantly done. I close the book or turn off the T.V. and walk away. Rape is never done tactfully and is almost always degrading in the media. Until authors and writers can learn to address a sensitive topic such as rape in a realistic and constructive manner they need to simply not even try. when they do it usually ends up being a misogynistic mess instead. This book is no exception. In fact, this is the most misogynistic and depraved book I have ever read. Thank you Edward Lee.
However, I continued reading this book simply because I was somewhat interested in Patricia. She had a little bit of a flare to her and seemed to be the only decent person in the entirety of the story. I was impressed initially because she seemed to be a somewhat strong female lead. This almost never happened in the media let alone in the horror genre. However, when her story becomes more about her sexual awakening than her relationship with her sister I was done. She goes from being a mildly interesting and strong willed character to a sex object for the reader in a matter of a few chapters. It was a disappointing turn of events . I was waiting for some supernatural explanation for why this character was undergoing such a deep sexual change. Unfortunately, there never was such an explanation therefore marking every sex scene in this novel stuffing to fill the empty gaps between what little pointless story actually existed.
Obviously I dislike this novel. There was pointless sex that didn't drive the plot, violent murders that seemed to mean nothing, and flat characters and story that had no nature of good in them whatsoever. However, I think the thing that bothered me most of all about this book is that it was ultimately NOT a horror novel.
The Backwoods had no element of the horror structure to it. Yes there were brutal murders and a somewhat supernatural townspeople, but overall this was nothing more than an exploitation story with the purpose of making its reader feel utterly gross. Every character in this book was horrible and had no moral reasoning. Everyone was willing to rape and kill one another, not necessarily for gain, but just for the hell of it. So when they all end up getting slaughtered in one way or the other I didn't even care as a reader. This is not how a horror story should work. There was no feeling of dread, we didn't feel lost being alone in the woods, and there was no "monster" character that frightened and stalked us. No backwoods serial killer, no demon from the deep, just a bunch of rotten people being . . . rotten. I may have been disgusted but I was never intrigued, chilled, or frightened. This piece of misogynistic garbage is a product of our modern horror movements, similar to things like Saw, Hostile, and I Spit on Your Grave. These stories claim to be horror but are nothing more than torture porn.
Summing it Up
I hated this book. It has been the worst experience in reading I have ever had. The story was boring and flat with characters I could care less about. It was riddled with graphic rape, sex, and violence that had no purpose or driving force to the plot. I'm not a prude by any means and enjoy a decent splatter novel, but this was simply too much. I may give Edward Lee another try (You can't judge an author by one book alone.) at some point but it won't be for a long time. He's obviously a competent writer and I hope in the future he can prove it.
FOR THIS AND OTHER REVIEWS VISIT WWW.ASLICEOFHORROR.COM
October 1, 2023
Cynthia White is a lawyer living her best life in Washington D.C. when she gets a call that her sister’s husband had died suddenly. She realizes she must go back to her small Virginia town where she grew up to make sure her sister is ok and able to get through this.
Cynthia and her sister, Judy were always lookers since high school. Both women are successful in their own fields. Judy stayed home and took over the family business while Cynthia left for greener pastures. Going back home is a reminder for Cynthia about the trauma that occurred when she was a teen. So she feels obligated to go for her sister, but is dreading it too.
Murder, corruption, and mayhem ensue in this small town and the authorities have no idea what is going on. Just when it seems the impoverished town is turning around with nice condos being built, people are disappearing without a trace!
Surprisingly, Cynthia seems be more than ok in her old home town. She has waves of eroticisms that envelop her dreams and force her to think of sex almost all of the time! Being a lawyer, can she figure out what is going on in this small town before she disappears too?
These backwoods are screwed up! But did we expect anything less from Edward Lee? Magic, superstitions, horrific murder, and sex are all intertwined in this story. Hold on for a wild ride with this one. Lee presses the gas and does not let go until the end! If you have not yet read this gem by Edward Lee, you must!
Cynthia and her sister, Judy were always lookers since high school. Both women are successful in their own fields. Judy stayed home and took over the family business while Cynthia left for greener pastures. Going back home is a reminder for Cynthia about the trauma that occurred when she was a teen. So she feels obligated to go for her sister, but is dreading it too.
Murder, corruption, and mayhem ensue in this small town and the authorities have no idea what is going on. Just when it seems the impoverished town is turning around with nice condos being built, people are disappearing without a trace!
Surprisingly, Cynthia seems be more than ok in her old home town. She has waves of eroticisms that envelop her dreams and force her to think of sex almost all of the time! Being a lawyer, can she figure out what is going on in this small town before she disappears too?
These backwoods are screwed up! But did we expect anything less from Edward Lee? Magic, superstitions, horrific murder, and sex are all intertwined in this story. Hold on for a wild ride with this one. Lee presses the gas and does not let go until the end! If you have not yet read this gem by Edward Lee, you must!
July 4, 2021
Surprisingly tame (horror-wise) for Lee, although the sex is still plentiful. Just a weirdly average story.
February 24, 2022
Die eindimensionalsten Charaktere, die mir je begegnet sind. Jede Frau ist ein williges Supermodel mit Monstermöpsen, jeder Typ ein sexbesessener Soziopath. Der Plot ist quasi nicht vorhanden und die Story hat mehr Logikbrüche als Figuren.
March 27, 2024
Einfach grauenhaft langweilig. Ekelporno ohne Spannung.
August 19, 2008
Edward Lee, The Backwoods (Leisure, 2005)
Lee turns in another fast-paced mystery/thriller with horror elements, though this one is far less a straight-up horror novel than most of the Lee books I've read over the years. If you're familiar with Ed Lee, you know what you're getting into (and, actually, it's kind of toned down here, from the stuff of his I'm used to seeing)-- adrenaline-packed action sequences that usually end up with people being very dead and very bloody, supercharged sex, and places where no one, really, has any right to exist outside the covers of magazines.
Sometimes I get the feeling it's all a ruse, though. Every once in a while Lee pops up with a word or phrase that makes me think he's a whole lot more educated than his aw-shucks diction would have you believe. But still, it fits right in with this tale of nasty doings in a minuscule town in rural southern Virginia, a novel in which our heroine must return to the town where she grew up for her brother-in-law's funeral. The fact that no one at all liked the brother-in-law save her sister doesn't seem to matter much. She leaves comfortable home and loving husband in Washington DC and travels to a town which, when she even thinks about growing up there, gives her the willies. Great idea, huh? All well and good until the bodies start piling up in a town where no one's been murdered for decades, perhaps even centuries. Yes, something weird is going on in Agan's Point, and before she knows it, our heroine is right in the middle of all the weirdness. Oh, and as if the present isn't enough, she's also wrapped up in the past trauma that caused her to flee the village in the first place.
While The Backwoods lacks the squick factor of Slither or the all-out gorefest attitude of City Infernal, and in fact looks almost like a tentative stab at reaching out into the world of the crime thriller, Lee fans will find more than enough blood to satisfy their baser appetites, while thriller fans will be held by the mystery-inside-mystery-inside-mystery layering of the surprisingly complex (though, after a time, predictable, until Lee blindsides you with the mystery he's been making sure you don't think about too closely all the way through) plot. It's not a bad book at all, though I've always held that Lee is stronger in short fiction (“Doing Colfax” is one of those stories that I will simply never forget) and this doesn't put much ammo on the other side of the scale. A good, solid, quick read. ***
Lee turns in another fast-paced mystery/thriller with horror elements, though this one is far less a straight-up horror novel than most of the Lee books I've read over the years. If you're familiar with Ed Lee, you know what you're getting into (and, actually, it's kind of toned down here, from the stuff of his I'm used to seeing)-- adrenaline-packed action sequences that usually end up with people being very dead and very bloody, supercharged sex, and places where no one, really, has any right to exist outside the covers of magazines.
Sometimes I get the feeling it's all a ruse, though. Every once in a while Lee pops up with a word or phrase that makes me think he's a whole lot more educated than his aw-shucks diction would have you believe. But still, it fits right in with this tale of nasty doings in a minuscule town in rural southern Virginia, a novel in which our heroine must return to the town where she grew up for her brother-in-law's funeral. The fact that no one at all liked the brother-in-law save her sister doesn't seem to matter much. She leaves comfortable home and loving husband in Washington DC and travels to a town which, when she even thinks about growing up there, gives her the willies. Great idea, huh? All well and good until the bodies start piling up in a town where no one's been murdered for decades, perhaps even centuries. Yes, something weird is going on in Agan's Point, and before she knows it, our heroine is right in the middle of all the weirdness. Oh, and as if the present isn't enough, she's also wrapped up in the past trauma that caused her to flee the village in the first place.
While The Backwoods lacks the squick factor of Slither or the all-out gorefest attitude of City Infernal, and in fact looks almost like a tentative stab at reaching out into the world of the crime thriller, Lee fans will find more than enough blood to satisfy their baser appetites, while thriller fans will be held by the mystery-inside-mystery-inside-mystery layering of the surprisingly complex (though, after a time, predictable, until Lee blindsides you with the mystery he's been making sure you don't think about too closely all the way through) plot. It's not a bad book at all, though I've always held that Lee is stronger in short fiction (“Doing Colfax” is one of those stories that I will simply never forget) and this doesn't put much ammo on the other side of the scale. A good, solid, quick read. ***
March 6, 2016
In Backwoods, Patricia White is a successful lawyer from Washington DC who goes back to her childhood home in the Chesapeake Bay area to comfort her sister after her husband is killed. As the title of the novel suggests, this is a complete backwoods underdeveloped place filled with squatters that seem like they belong in Deliverance. It was also the area where Patricia had been raped when she was younger. She discovers a crooked land developer who is trying get rid of squatters and creating all kinds of mayhem in the process.
The level of writing in this novel was not particularly impressive. The storytelling is also not cogent. It’s basically a way to fit as many sex scenes into a story as humanly possible. If that’s your thing, then have at it, but if you want a story that makes sense and characters that are relatable, then you will probably want to avoid this novel.
Carl Alves – author of Blood Street
The level of writing in this novel was not particularly impressive. The storytelling is also not cogent. It’s basically a way to fit as many sex scenes into a story as humanly possible. If that’s your thing, then have at it, but if you want a story that makes sense and characters that are relatable, then you will probably want to avoid this novel.
Carl Alves – author of Blood Street
October 3, 2010
Crass, crass, crass! Honestly, this book is overwhelmingly crass - even for a genre that is infused with blood-lust and gratuitous sex, this book is just too much! The language is unsophisticated yet punctuated with intelligent commentary, clearly indicating that the author is capable of better writing, yet, dumbs down the characters to merely make them entertaining. The reader finds it difficult to relate to such one-dimensional characters. Situations, regardless of their gravity, are used as merely props for the narrative that seems to run around in circles. The only reason I finished this book in a day was because it didn't inspire an iota of feelings, emotions, intelligence in me as a reader.
August 9, 2012
A fun read with lots of great Lee dialog and grisly scenes, but it bogs down on occasion and felt a little long. Of course I can reed Ed Lee all day, but some trims would have made this more energetic.
I can say that this is probably the most nipple-centric book I've read in ages! Nipples tingle, they are tweaked, put between missing front teeth, rise, ache and jut. Nipples EVERYWHERE!
Not his strongest, but for fans that love when Lee goes to the redneck horror, there are some great bits to savor like crunchy cicadas.
I can say that this is probably the most nipple-centric book I've read in ages! Nipples tingle, they are tweaked, put between missing front teeth, rise, ache and jut. Nipples EVERYWHERE!
Not his strongest, but for fans that love when Lee goes to the redneck horror, there are some great bits to savor like crunchy cicadas.
August 20, 2012
Wow, a deadbeat town, sexual repression, and gory, ugly violence, this is my kind of author, messy, crude, downright disgusting in parts, still a great story hidden in the folds of sexual expression and uber violence.
I can see that I will read all of this mans works, not matter how depraved they get...can my stomach take it....
I can see that I will read all of this mans works, not matter how depraved they get...can my stomach take it....
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