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Dark Harvest
Halloween, 1963. They call him the October Boy, or Ol’ Hacksaw Face, or Sawtooth Jack. Whatever the name, everybody in this small Midwestern town knows who he is. How he rises from the cornfields every Halloween, a butcher knife in his hand, and makes his way toward town, where gangs of teenage boys eagerly await their chance to confront the legendary nightmare. Both the hunter and the hunted, the October Boy is the prize in an annual rite of life and death.
Pete McCormick knows that killing the October Boy is his one chance to escape a dead-end future in this one-horse town. He’s willing to risk everything, including his life, to be a winner for once. But before the night is over, Pete will look into the saw-toothed face of horror--and discover the terrifying true secret of the October Boy . . .
Winner of the Stoker Award and named one of the 100 Best Novels of 2006 by Publishers Weekly, Dark Harvest is a powerhouse thrill-ride with all the resonance of Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery."
Pete McCormick knows that killing the October Boy is his one chance to escape a dead-end future in this one-horse town. He’s willing to risk everything, including his life, to be a winner for once. But before the night is over, Pete will look into the saw-toothed face of horror--and discover the terrifying true secret of the October Boy . . .
Winner of the Stoker Award and named one of the 100 Best Novels of 2006 by Publishers Weekly, Dark Harvest is a powerhouse thrill-ride with all the resonance of Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery."
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
169 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2006
About the author
Norman Partridge
108 books277 followersNorman Partridge’s fiction includes horror, suspense, and the fantastic—“sometimes all in one story” says his friend Joe Lansdale. His compact, thrill-a-minute style has been praised by Stephen King and Peter Straub, and his fiction has received three Bram Stokers and two IHG awards.
Partridge’s career launched a series of firsts during the indie press boom of the early nineties. His first short story appeared in the second issue of Cemetery Dance, and his debut novel, Slippin’ into Darkness, was the first original novel published by CD. Partridge’s chapbook Spyder was one of Subterranean Press’s inaugural titles, while his World Fantasy-nominated collection, Bad Intentions, was the first hardcover in the Subterranean book line.
Since then, Partridge has published pair of critically acclaimed suspense novels featuring ex-boxer Jack Baddalach for Berkley Prime Crime (Saguaro Riptide and The Ten-Ounce Siesta), comics for Mojo and DC, and a series novel (The Crow: Wicked Prayer) which was adapted for the screen. His award-winning collections include Mr. Fox and Other Feral Tales and The Man with the Barbed-Wire Fists. Partridge’s latest novel, Dark Harvest, was chosen by Publishers Weekly as one of the 100 Best Books of 2006.
Whether working in mainstream markets or the independent press, Partridge’s vivid, exuberant writing style has made him a fan favorite. Never content to be pigeon-holed as a writer, Partridge continues to defy categorization. A third-generation Californian, he lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Canadian writer Tia V. Travis.
Partridge’s career launched a series of firsts during the indie press boom of the early nineties. His first short story appeared in the second issue of Cemetery Dance, and his debut novel, Slippin’ into Darkness, was the first original novel published by CD. Partridge’s chapbook Spyder was one of Subterranean Press’s inaugural titles, while his World Fantasy-nominated collection, Bad Intentions, was the first hardcover in the Subterranean book line.
Since then, Partridge has published pair of critically acclaimed suspense novels featuring ex-boxer Jack Baddalach for Berkley Prime Crime (Saguaro Riptide and The Ten-Ounce Siesta), comics for Mojo and DC, and a series novel (The Crow: Wicked Prayer) which was adapted for the screen. His award-winning collections include Mr. Fox and Other Feral Tales and The Man with the Barbed-Wire Fists. Partridge’s latest novel, Dark Harvest, was chosen by Publishers Weekly as one of the 100 Best Books of 2006.
Whether working in mainstream markets or the independent press, Partridge’s vivid, exuberant writing style has made him a fan favorite. Never content to be pigeon-holed as a writer, Partridge continues to defy categorization. A third-generation Californian, he lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Canadian writer Tia V. Travis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,614 reviews
September 19, 2016
When I first started reading this creepy book I thought: "What the feck am I reading?"
The things that happen on Halloween night are really bizarre and messed up and I freaking loved it!
The October Boy is carved and gotten ready for The Run/The Hunt. And while the October Boy is being carved he comes to life. It was freaky cool!
There is this freaking weird ritual in this town that on Halloween there is a hunt for the October Boy. If said boy makes it to the church then he is fine. But if they cut him down then the ritual goes on and the family is rich from the killing and the kid that killed the October Boy can leave the town . . . or can he? And girls are not allowed to participate.
Pete decides on this night that he has had enough. He's ready to get out of town. Pete runs into a girl that is being beat by two other boys. He helps her and off they go into the night. They have an idea about the October Boy and they decide to help him. I thought that was pretty freaking awesome!
The adults in the town are cray beyond! They stand outside all of the shops with guns to keep the kids away from food. They want them hungry for the October Boy that is filled with candy. Yeah, like I said bizarre! And these townspeople have no problem in shooting kids to keep them away and vice versa, it's anarchy!
I just know that for me, this short story was great and it made me even more excited for October scary book and movie month for me :-)
And just remember, if you happy to drive through a little town with a pumpkin head scarecrow in the cornfield, it's probably best to put the petal to the medal!
Only a few get out alive and I'm sure glad they did because they actually had some sense!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
The things that happen on Halloween night are really bizarre and messed up and I freaking loved it!
The October Boy is carved and gotten ready for The Run/The Hunt. And while the October Boy is being carved he comes to life. It was freaky cool!
There is this freaking weird ritual in this town that on Halloween there is a hunt for the October Boy. If said boy makes it to the church then he is fine. But if they cut him down then the ritual goes on and the family is rich from the killing and the kid that killed the October Boy can leave the town . . . or can he? And girls are not allowed to participate.
Pete decides on this night that he has had enough. He's ready to get out of town. Pete runs into a girl that is being beat by two other boys. He helps her and off they go into the night. They have an idea about the October Boy and they decide to help him. I thought that was pretty freaking awesome!
The adults in the town are cray beyond! They stand outside all of the shops with guns to keep the kids away from food. They want them hungry for the October Boy that is filled with candy. Yeah, like I said bizarre! And these townspeople have no problem in shooting kids to keep them away and vice versa, it's anarchy!
I just know that for me, this short story was great and it made me even more excited for October scary book and movie month for me :-)
And just remember, if you happy to drive through a little town with a pumpkin head scarecrow in the cornfield, it's probably best to put the petal to the medal!
Only a few get out alive and I'm sure glad they did because they actually had some sense!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
October 30, 2022
What a cover! I was extremely curious about the book in preparation for Halloween. The story itself was a bit confusing. On the one hand there were great horror motifs like Toothsaw Jack, the October Boy or Pete the boy with the machete. Then there was an eerie rural area, spooky characters and violence all around. But. With all the action I found the storyline a bit missing. The plot itself was very blurry and confusing. This could have been the hell of a Halloween story but not the way the author told it. No chronological storytelling, information here and there, no clue where the story will go... well, I didn't like the direction it took. Always thought it might get better but it didn't. Sad to see the potential here unuued. It was okay but the cover was far better than the book. Maybe for fans of this author only.
May 10, 2018
OK. So. This book definitely had potential and as a critical reader, I can readily see that. HOWEVER, it wasn't for me. I recognize that this would be a hit among many different audiences, it just didn't strike a chord within me. This book required a certain amount of suspension of disbelief, which I couldn't quite reach. There really wasn't anything terrible about the book or the writing.. it just, again, wasn't for me. This book was only 169 pages, but it felt like it dragged on and on forever. And for that reason, I am rating Dark Harvest two stars. On to the next!
April 5, 2024
The Gauntlet Run Has Begun...
DARK HARVEST by Norman Partridge
No spoilers. 5 stars. This is a Halloween tale for the season and its harvest. The kind of story you'd get if THE LOTTERY collided with HARVEST HOME resulting in the spooky kind of tale you might tell around a campfire...
A midwestern town...
You know its name. You were born there... It's Halloween 1963, and things are the same as they've always been in this small farming community...
There's a black road leading straight through town. The road looks like licorice. It's terminus at the old brick church...
The October sky is black...
A long winter is coming. The corn has been hand-picked and shucked, and the stalks are withered and dead, but they won't be plowed under until the first of November...
The October Boy hangs in a dry dead cornfield suspended from a crude cross of weathered boards.
Thick pumpkin vines creep up into the legs and arms of his weather-worn jeans and shirt...
A man walks through the brittle cornfield up to the October Boy and, using a butcher knife, cuts him away from his cross. The Boy drops to the ground...
The man uses his knife to carve a rough face into the pumpkin he has placed on the Boy's shoulders...
The Boy begins to breathe through his crude triangular nose. The man cuts a mouth full of jagged teeth...
Lastly...
The man reaches for a grocery bag heavy with candy and begins stuffing the Boy's clothing and vine-filled body with the treats until the bag is emptied...
The Boy now has innards and guts of Abba Zabba, candy corn, Reese's Peanut Butter cups, and other traditional Halloween treats throughout his body...
The man puts the butcher knife in the Boy's hand and directs him down the black licorice-like road. The Boy starts walking toward the old brick church and survival...
Meanwhile...
Every teenage boy in the community has a weapon of some sort, mainly pitchforks and baseball bats. They have been forced into a five day fast, and...
They are hungry...
They are roving through the town and fields looking to be the one to kill the October Boy and eat his candy before the Boy can reach the church. Before the clock strikes midnight...
The gauntlet run has begun, like a deadly hide & seek...
This was a chilling tale worthy of 5 stars. If you're too old to go out trick-or-treating, try staying home and curling up with this book!
DARK HARVEST by Norman Partridge
No spoilers. 5 stars. This is a Halloween tale for the season and its harvest. The kind of story you'd get if THE LOTTERY collided with HARVEST HOME resulting in the spooky kind of tale you might tell around a campfire...
A midwestern town...
You know its name. You were born there... It's Halloween 1963, and things are the same as they've always been in this small farming community...
There's a black road leading straight through town. The road looks like licorice. It's terminus at the old brick church...
The October sky is black...
A long winter is coming. The corn has been hand-picked and shucked, and the stalks are withered and dead, but they won't be plowed under until the first of November...
The October Boy hangs in a dry dead cornfield suspended from a crude cross of weathered boards.
Thick pumpkin vines creep up into the legs and arms of his weather-worn jeans and shirt...
A man walks through the brittle cornfield up to the October Boy and, using a butcher knife, cuts him away from his cross. The Boy drops to the ground...
The man uses his knife to carve a rough face into the pumpkin he has placed on the Boy's shoulders...
The Boy begins to breathe through his crude triangular nose. The man cuts a mouth full of jagged teeth...
Lastly...
The man reaches for a grocery bag heavy with candy and begins stuffing the Boy's clothing and vine-filled body with the treats until the bag is emptied...
The Boy now has innards and guts of Abba Zabba, candy corn, Reese's Peanut Butter cups, and other traditional Halloween treats throughout his body...
The man puts the butcher knife in the Boy's hand and directs him down the black licorice-like road. The Boy starts walking toward the old brick church and survival...
Meanwhile...
Every teenage boy in the community has a weapon of some sort, mainly pitchforks and baseball bats. They have been forced into a five day fast, and...
They are hungry...
They are roving through the town and fields looking to be the one to kill the October Boy and eat his candy before the Boy can reach the church. Before the clock strikes midnight...
The gauntlet run has begun, like a deadly hide & seek...
This was a chilling tale worthy of 5 stars. If you're too old to go out trick-or-treating, try staying home and curling up with this book!
October 25, 2014
It was entertained but I was expecting something better
NOT REACHED EXPECTATIONS
I had huge expectation about this short novel since I had just read a short story by the same author, Norman Partridge, in the anthology Halloween, edited by Paula Guran. The short story was titled Three Doors and it was one of the stories that I enjoyed the most. That's why I didn't hesitate to engage into this, after that anthology into this novel.
However, I wasn't able to find the same "magic" in the writing of this novel that I found in the previous short story. I detected some hints here and there, but in the overall reading experience, those small oasis of fresh brilliance were dried up in some much cliché horror elements. I don't know if those found hints were that maybe, just maybe, the tale started as a short story but suddenly turned into a little broader novel. If so, and it's just my humble guess, maybe the transition between format ruined the potential of becoming a true gem.
CHARACTERS
The story has a fair ammount of chracters but the real four main characters are:
Pete McCormick: A teenager with troubles with his dad and with the local authority, and who is convinced that "The Run", the annual mysterious event, is his chance to get the means of finally escaping from town and making a life in another place.
Kelly Haines: A smart girl who lost her parents and was forced to live in the town which celebrates this, "The Run", the annual mysterious event with deadly repercusions. She is clever enough to know that "The Run" is more than everybody think.
Jerry Ricks: The town's sheriff and easily the most powerful and fearsome figure of authority in the population. He knows what it's behind of the mystery involving "The Run" and what really is.
The October Boy: A creepy paranormal creature with a pumpkin as head, erupting flames from the holes of the eyes and mouth. It's the pivotal element of the mysterious event known as "The Run" but there is something about "The October Boy" who is unknown to the most of the population.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I don't regret of having read the book and that's something I think, but certainly, after my fulfilling reading experience with the short story Three Doors, with a delightful writing style, that I expected more of this author, having the freedom of lenght of a novel to be able to develop a more complicated and rich story, but keeping the same remarkable and unique style that I found on the mentioned short story.
At the end, Dark Harvest contains some good plot twists and it's an entertained work, but it's not so far from any other horror story with a setup of a retired town, secluded from other populations, involving teenagers, some abusive local authority, and a paranormal entity causing fear used as an intrument to keep in control the town.
NOT REACHED EXPECTATIONS
I had huge expectation about this short novel since I had just read a short story by the same author, Norman Partridge, in the anthology Halloween, edited by Paula Guran. The short story was titled Three Doors and it was one of the stories that I enjoyed the most. That's why I didn't hesitate to engage into this, after that anthology into this novel.
However, I wasn't able to find the same "magic" in the writing of this novel that I found in the previous short story. I detected some hints here and there, but in the overall reading experience, those small oasis of fresh brilliance were dried up in some much cliché horror elements. I don't know if those found hints were that maybe, just maybe, the tale started as a short story but suddenly turned into a little broader novel. If so, and it's just my humble guess, maybe the transition between format ruined the potential of becoming a true gem.
CHARACTERS
The story has a fair ammount of chracters but the real four main characters are:
Pete McCormick: A teenager with troubles with his dad and with the local authority, and who is convinced that "The Run", the annual mysterious event, is his chance to get the means of finally escaping from town and making a life in another place.
Kelly Haines: A smart girl who lost her parents and was forced to live in the town which celebrates this, "The Run", the annual mysterious event with deadly repercusions. She is clever enough to know that "The Run" is more than everybody think.
Jerry Ricks: The town's sheriff and easily the most powerful and fearsome figure of authority in the population. He knows what it's behind of the mystery involving "The Run" and what really is.
The October Boy: A creepy paranormal creature with a pumpkin as head, erupting flames from the holes of the eyes and mouth. It's the pivotal element of the mysterious event known as "The Run" but there is something about "The October Boy" who is unknown to the most of the population.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I don't regret of having read the book and that's something I think, but certainly, after my fulfilling reading experience with the short story Three Doors, with a delightful writing style, that I expected more of this author, having the freedom of lenght of a novel to be able to develop a more complicated and rich story, but keeping the same remarkable and unique style that I found on the mentioned short story.
At the end, Dark Harvest contains some good plot twists and it's an entertained work, but it's not so far from any other horror story with a setup of a retired town, secluded from other populations, involving teenagers, some abusive local authority, and a paranormal entity causing fear used as an intrument to keep in control the town.
November 2, 2021
It is an Unhappy Halloween for the lads in this small Midwestern town, hunting the supernatural being known as the October Boy, trapped in a dead-end race to nothing, trapped as well in this dead-end of a book, a book that is a meaningless and two-dimensional exercise in shitting on the small towns of Midwestern flyover states, written by a 3rd generation Californian living in the San Francisco Bay Area, disinterested in giving his characters, setting, or story any genuine reality let alone any dimensions other than the basic two dimensions of hopeless and pointless, the seething contempt of the narrator mirroring its laughably two-dimensional villain, perhaps mirroring the author's own contempt as well, for places and people he has zero interest in, other than as straw men targets much like the October Boy himself, all are props for this straw man novel, an exercise in shallow contempt that of course won heaps of acclaim because, apparently, contempt for the Midwest and those who live there will always receive accolades.
October 14, 2017
3.5 stars!
I imagined Jack Burton, from Big Trouble in Little China narrating this book for me! 🤣
Once that clicked in place, I really enjoyed it.
I could handle the choppy writing more then normal.
I also wish that the back story of why this happens in the community was brought up. It definitely would have added to the plot in a positive way.
This was a fun and an entertaining book to read around Halloween! I really enjoyed it in all its pumpkin ridiculousness and candy flavored goodness!
Beware the October Boy!! 🎃👻☠️
I imagined Jack Burton, from Big Trouble in Little China narrating this book for me! 🤣
Once that clicked in place, I really enjoyed it.
I could handle the choppy writing more then normal.
I also wish that the back story of why this happens in the community was brought up. It definitely would have added to the plot in a positive way.
This was a fun and an entertaining book to read around Halloween! I really enjoyed it in all its pumpkin ridiculousness and candy flavored goodness!
Beware the October Boy!! 🎃👻☠️
Read
July 28, 2022Ohhhhhhh kay. Ok horror fans. I see you. I see how much you love Halloween stories and writers who can do that *thing* BUT
There are aspects of this story that I did not love and they kinda blew it for me. 🎃 more later…
There are aspects of this story that I did not love and they kinda blew it for me. 🎃 more later…
September 27, 2016
Fuck it. I quit. Recommended to people with sleeping disorders. This is literary Valium at its finest. May God have mercy on my soul for trying to finish.
DNF @ 69%
DNF @ 69%
October 21, 2019
An absolutely amazing book, probably the best I've read so far this year. DARK HARVEST maintains its pulsing, poetic prose and fevered pitch up until the very end. A rich brew, to be sure - the literary equivalent of dark chocolate chased with a shot of whiskey and a whiff of cinnamon - but the tale is told and the plot constructed perfectly to counterbalance the dense tangle of metaphors and imagery that binds the whole thing together.
DARK HARVEST marries the wild creativity of Joe R. Lansdale to the haunted lyricism of Bradbury, and should surely please fans of horror, fantasy and literary fiction alike.
5 Stars - Highest recommendation!
DARK HARVEST marries the wild creativity of Joe R. Lansdale to the haunted lyricism of Bradbury, and should surely please fans of horror, fantasy and literary fiction alike.
5 Stars - Highest recommendation!
October 10, 2023
This book is like an extended version of The Twilight Zone + The Lottery by Shirley Jackson! This would make a great movie - it reminded me of the movie Bubba Ho-Tep: once you suspend belief and just immerse yourself in the story there is a disturbing logic that you are forced to confront; a logic that you would never have considered before.
October 27, 2018
Wow. The opinions for this one are literally all over the place. Some people love it. Some people absolutely hate it, and have some rather choice words for it. I think I'm in the middle. I enjoyed it. Most of it I read in a single sitting, and while yes, it is somewhat derivative, I still had fun. A number of people mentioned that the second-person narration was annoying, but it didn't bother me. Basically, this is a quick Halloween read that was a lot of fun, and that's exactly what I was hoping for. I really liked the October Boy too. He's an interesting character, and one that is well fleshed out. And no, I wasn't trying to dissect the story, so I didn't see the twist coming. I just wanted a fun Halloween read, and I think this one delivered.
July 30, 2013
This was a quick Halloween story- the small town hiding a secret type-deal that most horror readers are familiar with.
Maybe I'm a bit tired of this theme, or maybe this particular story was itself tired, but I was disappointed. I did like October Boy (a very cool creation), but the other characters, with the exception of Ricks, were flat.
This might be a fun tale for a chilly October night, as long as you're not expecting to have your mind blown.
Maybe I'm a bit tired of this theme, or maybe this particular story was itself tired, but I was disappointed. I did like October Boy (a very cool creation), but the other characters, with the exception of Ricks, were flat.
This might be a fun tale for a chilly October night, as long as you're not expecting to have your mind blown.
February 5, 2023
Story 4/5
Narration 5/5
Narration 5/5
December 21, 2021
3.5 Stars
This is a unique, short horror novel that is perfect to read during the Halloween, autumnal season. The narrative is very strange and off kilter, but I kind of liked it.
I reread this one via the audiobook and I highly recommend that experience because the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the narrative to life.
I would recommend this one to people look for a less traditional horror story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of the audiobook from the publisher.
This is a unique, short horror novel that is perfect to read during the Halloween, autumnal season. The narrative is very strange and off kilter, but I kind of liked it.
I reread this one via the audiobook and I highly recommend that experience because the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the narrative to life.
I would recommend this one to people look for a less traditional horror story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of the audiobook from the publisher.
May 30, 2017
Buddy-read with Kasia
What this reads like as of page 42: "Go to aisle 12. Move halfway down the aisle. On your right - no, your left - look down past the top, then the fourth, then the third, then the second, and finally the bottom most shelf. There, look at the jarred pickles. You want to pick up the jar that has 12 fl. oz. To the right and left of this jar will be smaller and larger jars. You want to avoid those. Don't pick up the smaller or larger jars. You want to pick up the one that says 12 fl. oz. Now, extend your arm. At the end of your arm is your hand. And the end of your hand are fingers. Reach down with your arm, move your hand into position, use your fingers to curl around the jar of pickles that is 12 fl. oz. (remembering not to pick up the ones on either side, the ones that are smaller or larger). Using the same force of motion you used to pick up the jar of 12 fl. oz. pickles, reverse it now and bring the jar of pickles back to you, resting them at eye level. Make sure, again, that the label on the jar says 12 fl. oz. Now extend your arm and place the jar of pickles into the grocery cart. You are now ready to move to aisle 11." .. ... .. .. PICK IT UP, MAN!
Done. One word: conflicted. On the one hand, the basic story is good. Almost very good. But the writing. Explaining for ten pages what could be conveyed with the same amount of understanding and feeling in two, max. And the writer being in love with his own writing voice. And never understanding whether the horror was organic, supernatural, what. For a story that belabored all the easy answers, spending page after page explaining what was already understood, not a single sentence was spent giving the reader any idea whether this was a scenario like Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," or if it was something like the Hunger Games (this was published before Collins' novel). Not a sentence.
If you can wade through the overwrought writing, you'll find some sympathetic teenage characters. I felt more for them than I did for Katniss and the gang when we first met. But when you found yourself becoming immersed inside a scene or a character's persona, the writer could not resist throwing around these pseudo hardboiled musings, and those catapulted you out of the story like a bullet from a gun. <--- That right there is another problem. The author used at least two or three of these bloated similes per page. There were times that I found myself chuckling at events that for the characters were not funny at all. But the language and diction was just soooooo overdone!! Finally, finally, by page seventy (give or take) you begin to understand the reason for the aggressive style. But it still doesn't fit, exactly. I read this with my buddy Kasia and while discussing it she said something that paints the perfect picture: she imagines the author getting wasted on a fifth of whiskey and then attempting to do his better Philip Marlowe. Nostalgia. <--- And that's another problem. The story is set in the early 60s and you know this because the author chooses blatant details to tell you THIS STORY IS SET IN THE 1960S, SEE??? Again, with more subtlety, this would work. But as it is is pulls you out of the story like a dentist extracting a tooth.
But for all the faults, I still felt for the characters. Most of them. And characters are for me the deciding factor in a story. If you like horror stories, you may enjoy this one. But skim it. Skim it like Rubell in the backroom of Studio 54.
What this reads like as of page 42: "Go to aisle 12. Move halfway down the aisle. On your right - no, your left - look down past the top, then the fourth, then the third, then the second, and finally the bottom most shelf. There, look at the jarred pickles. You want to pick up the jar that has 12 fl. oz. To the right and left of this jar will be smaller and larger jars. You want to avoid those. Don't pick up the smaller or larger jars. You want to pick up the one that says 12 fl. oz. Now, extend your arm. At the end of your arm is your hand. And the end of your hand are fingers. Reach down with your arm, move your hand into position, use your fingers to curl around the jar of pickles that is 12 fl. oz. (remembering not to pick up the ones on either side, the ones that are smaller or larger). Using the same force of motion you used to pick up the jar of 12 fl. oz. pickles, reverse it now and bring the jar of pickles back to you, resting them at eye level. Make sure, again, that the label on the jar says 12 fl. oz. Now extend your arm and place the jar of pickles into the grocery cart. You are now ready to move to aisle 11." .. ... .. .. PICK IT UP, MAN!
Done. One word: conflicted. On the one hand, the basic story is good. Almost very good. But the writing. Explaining for ten pages what could be conveyed with the same amount of understanding and feeling in two, max. And the writer being in love with his own writing voice. And never understanding whether the horror was organic, supernatural, what. For a story that belabored all the easy answers, spending page after page explaining what was already understood, not a single sentence was spent giving the reader any idea whether this was a scenario like Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," or if it was something like the Hunger Games (this was published before Collins' novel). Not a sentence.
If you can wade through the overwrought writing, you'll find some sympathetic teenage characters. I felt more for them than I did for Katniss and the gang when we first met. But when you found yourself becoming immersed inside a scene or a character's persona, the writer could not resist throwing around these pseudo hardboiled musings, and those catapulted you out of the story like a bullet from a gun. <--- That right there is another problem. The author used at least two or three of these bloated similes per page. There were times that I found myself chuckling at events that for the characters were not funny at all. But the language and diction was just soooooo overdone!! Finally, finally, by page seventy (give or take) you begin to understand the reason for the aggressive style. But it still doesn't fit, exactly. I read this with my buddy Kasia and while discussing it she said something that paints the perfect picture: she imagines the author getting wasted on a fifth of whiskey and then attempting to do his better Philip Marlowe. Nostalgia. <--- And that's another problem. The story is set in the early 60s and you know this because the author chooses blatant details to tell you THIS STORY IS SET IN THE 1960S, SEE??? Again, with more subtlety, this would work. But as it is is pulls you out of the story like a dentist extracting a tooth.
But for all the faults, I still felt for the characters. Most of them. And characters are for me the deciding factor in a story. If you like horror stories, you may enjoy this one. But skim it. Skim it like Rubell in the backroom of Studio 54.
June 6, 2022
Well, I don't know what has broken inside of me, but I found this one a bit boring and I pushed my way through it. It was all adventure and action and characters I didn't really care about so maybe that's it. I don't know and I don't want to explain because everyone else loves it and always recommends it around Halloween time so maybe it's just me.
November 9, 2014
If there was a horror novel(la) which would embody all tropes of Halloween, then Dark Harvest would be it. It's a short novella - under 200 pages - which can easily be read in one or two sittings, and that's exactly what I did - I saved it for the last day of October.
There's really not much that could be said about Dark Harvest, as it recycles all the familiar themes of horror fiction of the past: a remote small town in the 1960's, a closely-knit group of friends, and a terrible secret...there's literally nothing here which has not been done before, and better; Stephen King's classic short story Children of the Corn (collected in Night Shift) blows this book out of the water.
Although Dark Harvest won the Bram Stoker Award for best novella in 2006, I wouldn't recommend it - it's readable but only barely, and only if there really aren't any other options available - which there always are. I'd recommend Ray Bradbury's classic October Country as a much better choice for the season.
There's really not much that could be said about Dark Harvest, as it recycles all the familiar themes of horror fiction of the past: a remote small town in the 1960's, a closely-knit group of friends, and a terrible secret...there's literally nothing here which has not been done before, and better; Stephen King's classic short story Children of the Corn (collected in Night Shift) blows this book out of the water.
Although Dark Harvest won the Bram Stoker Award for best novella in 2006, I wouldn't recommend it - it's readable but only barely, and only if there really aren't any other options available - which there always are. I'd recommend Ray Bradbury's classic October Country as a much better choice for the season.
October 4, 2017
Fun! The action and tension didn't let up. The writing style was really good - I felt like I was there, right in the thick of it - and I liked the unique narrative perspective. Loved that it took place within a short span of time - the story moved fast, but had plenty of suspense. Dark Harvest is definitely a requirement for fall and Halloween reading.
September 5, 2016
An unnamed town in 1963 is home to a yearly event on Halloween called the "Run" which tracks down a thing called October Boy. Grown each year and set free on Halloween, he is given a butcher knife to use against boys between the ages of 16 to 19. The boy that kills October Boy is free to leave the town and his family does not have to pay for a thing for the next year. However, this year the Run is going to be different.
I thought this book was equal parts the Lottery and also The Long Walk. I think my biggest issue is that you don't ever get an explanation on the first Run. How in the world did the townspeople even know how to do the things that they did. Why can't people leave the town? It doesn't seem that something terrible will occur. I think the only reason for things to keep continuing is for the harvest, but the town is small and does not seem well off so I had a hard time with the rationalization for any of this. But that's my big problem with most horror books, it has to make sense to me otherwise I don't enjoy it.
The book switches perspectives a bunch of times. We go from the October Boy, to Pete McCormick, Officer Ricks, Mitch Crenshaw, and a few others. No one gets much development besides Pete McCormick and I would say the October Boy. Everyone else is paper thin as anything.
For example, we get a young girl who is somehow part of the Run. It doesn't even make sense since girls are not to participate. But this one is and when you hear the reasoning why I had to go huh a dozen or so times to myself. It was like that a few times when I came to certain parts.
The writing was repetitive and nothing earth shattering to me. I never want to read the words licorice road again. It is said repeatedly about a road that leads out of town. Maybe because I hate black licorice it was just enough to set me off. Who knows.
The flow was kind of a mess from the frog leaping among characters. There are certain things left unexplained that I decided in the end where not worth the headache of trying to see if it was explained elsewhere.
The setting of a small town gone mad has obviously been done before. I think that besides the cool reveal, there was not much here for me to recommend reading it. It honestly was not scary to me. There are a couple of gruesome things talked about and done, but I have read worse.
The ending definitely leaves one wondering what is going to happen to the town.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2016 and the "Set on Halloween" square. I also was lucky enough to have this count for Horror Aficionados September runner up group read.
I thought this book was equal parts the Lottery and also The Long Walk. I think my biggest issue is that you don't ever get an explanation on the first Run. How in the world did the townspeople even know how to do the things that they did. Why can't people leave the town? It doesn't seem that something terrible will occur. I think the only reason for things to keep continuing is for the harvest, but the town is small and does not seem well off so I had a hard time with the rationalization for any of this. But that's my big problem with most horror books, it has to make sense to me otherwise I don't enjoy it.
The book switches perspectives a bunch of times. We go from the October Boy, to Pete McCormick, Officer Ricks, Mitch Crenshaw, and a few others. No one gets much development besides Pete McCormick and I would say the October Boy. Everyone else is paper thin as anything.
For example, we get a young girl who is somehow part of the Run. It doesn't even make sense since girls are not to participate. But this one is and when you hear the reasoning why I had to go huh a dozen or so times to myself. It was like that a few times when I came to certain parts.
The writing was repetitive and nothing earth shattering to me. I never want to read the words licorice road again. It is said repeatedly about a road that leads out of town. Maybe because I hate black licorice it was just enough to set me off. Who knows.
The flow was kind of a mess from the frog leaping among characters. There are certain things left unexplained that I decided in the end where not worth the headache of trying to see if it was explained elsewhere.
The setting of a small town gone mad has obviously been done before. I think that besides the cool reveal, there was not much here for me to recommend reading it. It honestly was not scary to me. There are a couple of gruesome things talked about and done, but I have read worse.
The ending definitely leaves one wondering what is going to happen to the town.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2016 and the "Set on Halloween" square. I also was lucky enough to have this count for Horror Aficionados September runner up group read.
October 22, 2019
2017
5 stars
I was wandering around in B&N one day and found this in the shelves. Well, the cover alone was amazing and the tale it promised was even better. It was expensive when it first came out, but it was worth it. I have read this many times. It’s a perfect Halloween read or anytime read.
Dark Harvest tends to take the route of the more classic scary tales. It builds the tension and shows you a glimpse into a weird little town that is centered around this one day in the year.... Halloween; when the October boy comes hunting. Kill him and you get to leave the town... you get out of there! No more strange things for you ! Classic villain with a pumpkin for a head but Partridge does this so well when he delivers his twists like a snakebite.
Read it! Come out and chase the October boy!
5 stars
I was wandering around in B&N one day and found this in the shelves. Well, the cover alone was amazing and the tale it promised was even better. It was expensive when it first came out, but it was worth it. I have read this many times. It’s a perfect Halloween read or anytime read.
Dark Harvest tends to take the route of the more classic scary tales. It builds the tension and shows you a glimpse into a weird little town that is centered around this one day in the year.... Halloween; when the October boy comes hunting. Kill him and you get to leave the town... you get out of there! No more strange things for you ! Classic villain with a pumpkin for a head but Partridge does this so well when he delivers his twists like a snakebite.
Read it! Come out and chase the October boy!
October 27, 2007
Fall is here, and with it, that greatest of holidays, Halloween. There's a chill in the air (metaphorically, if not actually), and the times call for a matching chill in reading material. What could be better than a good scary story on a chilly Halloween night?
I came to Norm Partridge's Dark Harvest with high hopes: I'm a big fan of his collection The Man With the Barbed-Wire Fists, so I already knew he could write. But even having read him before, I wasn't prepared for how quickly this book sucked me in.
I'm normally not a fan of second person narrative; it tends to pull me out of the story. But for this one, it works, granting an immediacy and an intimacy necessary for the story's impact.
And what an impact. This story moves, man, and all you can do is hang on for the ride.
It's October, 1963, in Anytown, USA, and the teenage boys 16 and up are getting ready for the Halloween ritual: the Gauntlet, wherein Sawtooth Jack, a pumpkin-headed horror, attempts to make it from the field outside of town where he was born to the church in the middle of the town. It's the job of the boys to stop him (permanently), and the one who does gets a one-way ticket out of town.
We spend most of the book with 2 characters. Pete is 16 and running his first gauntlet. His family life has collapsed with the death of his mother and his father's descent into unemployment and alcoholism. He's had to grow up fast, and he wants more than this backwards little town can offer. He has to win tonight, so he can get out.
Bu things are never quite what they seem. The other character we get to know is the October Boy, and what we learn about him lifts the lid on the dark undercurrents running beneath this small, placid town.
On the one hand, Dark Harvest is a fast-moving Halloween chiller, with action that's fast and furious and genuinely scary. But on the other hand, It's also a coming of age story, and the journey of Pete and the October Boy as they discover the truth of the ritual will both chill your blood and touch your heart.
Dark Harvest is a marvel, and the perfect treat for your Halloween bag.
I came to Norm Partridge's Dark Harvest with high hopes: I'm a big fan of his collection The Man With the Barbed-Wire Fists, so I already knew he could write. But even having read him before, I wasn't prepared for how quickly this book sucked me in.
I'm normally not a fan of second person narrative; it tends to pull me out of the story. But for this one, it works, granting an immediacy and an intimacy necessary for the story's impact.
And what an impact. This story moves, man, and all you can do is hang on for the ride.
It's October, 1963, in Anytown, USA, and the teenage boys 16 and up are getting ready for the Halloween ritual: the Gauntlet, wherein Sawtooth Jack, a pumpkin-headed horror, attempts to make it from the field outside of town where he was born to the church in the middle of the town. It's the job of the boys to stop him (permanently), and the one who does gets a one-way ticket out of town.
We spend most of the book with 2 characters. Pete is 16 and running his first gauntlet. His family life has collapsed with the death of his mother and his father's descent into unemployment and alcoholism. He's had to grow up fast, and he wants more than this backwards little town can offer. He has to win tonight, so he can get out.
Bu things are never quite what they seem. The other character we get to know is the October Boy, and what we learn about him lifts the lid on the dark undercurrents running beneath this small, placid town.
On the one hand, Dark Harvest is a fast-moving Halloween chiller, with action that's fast and furious and genuinely scary. But on the other hand, It's also a coming of age story, and the journey of Pete and the October Boy as they discover the truth of the ritual will both chill your blood and touch your heart.
Dark Harvest is a marvel, and the perfect treat for your Halloween bag.
September 23, 2011
Wasn't an episode of Supernatural based on this book? No? Well, it certainly felt like it. Not that such a thought is an insult, as I loved the show before Season 6. Yet I couldn't get the idea out of my head. I bet Dean and Sam are running around the town trying to kill The October Boy was my main thought through most of the story. Needless to say, I was unable to loose myself within the story. Yet from cover to cover, the pacing was fast and unfolded in a wonderful way, which is the only reason why I am not rating one star. The book was also predictable, the idea did not feel original, and felt as more of a campfire story or urban legend than anything unique.
But far and above, my issue is with the narrative style. Partridge employs a terrible mash and to serve as example...
...The way he sees it, tonight's his only chance at a fresh start, and he's going to grab it.
You want to put a tiger in your tank, that'll do the job. Our buddy Pete's all gassed up and ready to go. It's been a long time for you, but you can't forget, not once you've made the Run on Halloween night. So you've got a pretty solid idea of the tracks Pete's laying down as we follow him up a dark street that heads out of Jerry Rick's neighborhood. That boy's motoring, all right, but he can't keep our pace.
Not now, not where we're going. Which is straight out of town, like a witch riding a broomstick. We leave our buddy Pete in the dust,...
Am I wrong or is every narrative style, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, squished into this tiny excerpt? Partridge jumped back and forth so often, I developed a headache. The reader was addressed and questioned to the point where I was telling the book to shut-up already, saying No, I do not know what it is like. I dislike yelling at my books. And I dislike simple similes, such as the broomstick here cited. And I dislike so many stinking contractions. The book was juvenile and simplistic.
Since so many of my friends loved the story, I really wanted to as well, but sorry folks, this is as far as I go reading anything by this author.
But far and above, my issue is with the narrative style. Partridge employs a terrible mash and to serve as example...
...The way he sees it, tonight's his only chance at a fresh start, and he's going to grab it.
You want to put a tiger in your tank, that'll do the job. Our buddy Pete's all gassed up and ready to go. It's been a long time for you, but you can't forget, not once you've made the Run on Halloween night. So you've got a pretty solid idea of the tracks Pete's laying down as we follow him up a dark street that heads out of Jerry Rick's neighborhood. That boy's motoring, all right, but he can't keep our pace.
Not now, not where we're going. Which is straight out of town, like a witch riding a broomstick. We leave our buddy Pete in the dust,...
Am I wrong or is every narrative style, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, squished into this tiny excerpt? Partridge jumped back and forth so often, I developed a headache. The reader was addressed and questioned to the point where I was telling the book to shut-up already, saying No, I do not know what it is like. I dislike yelling at my books. And I dislike simple similes, such as the broomstick here cited. And I dislike so many stinking contractions. The book was juvenile and simplistic.
Since so many of my friends loved the story, I really wanted to as well, but sorry folks, this is as far as I go reading anything by this author.
October 31, 2023
3,5*
A small town with dark secrets and a very interesting Halloween tradition. It is Halloween night and the teenagers in town are getting ready to play a game. They need to stop the October Boy before it is too late.
But this year the game is going to take a turn for the worse.
------
I really enjoyed the writing and the atmosphere in this town. You could feel trapped there with them. It is the perfect Halloween story to read during the spooky season.
The story of The October Boy and the origin was great.
However I did struggle with the way the chapters were edited and the POV was quite confusing. Especially at the beginning when you are still getting used to every character's voice. The plot also got a bit confusing so I wish the storyline would have been a bit more either straightforward or better outlined.
A small town with dark secrets and a very interesting Halloween tradition. It is Halloween night and the teenagers in town are getting ready to play a game. They need to stop the October Boy before it is too late.
But this year the game is going to take a turn for the worse.
------
I really enjoyed the writing and the atmosphere in this town. You could feel trapped there with them. It is the perfect Halloween story to read during the spooky season.
The story of The October Boy and the origin was great.
However I did struggle with the way the chapters were edited and the POV was quite confusing. Especially at the beginning when you are still getting used to every character's voice. The plot also got a bit confusing so I wish the storyline would have been a bit more either straightforward or better outlined.
October 12, 2023
It's very rare for me to give a book such a low rating, but I absolutely cannot justify giving this any higher of a rating. I never got into this at all. Basically there's a pumpkin-headed creature referred to as "the October Boy" (and holy hell is that name repeated seemingly five million times) and the kids in town try to capture him before midnight on Halloween. This was a struggle to read and I was pretty much annoyed the entire time. You're probably familiar with the feeling of wanting to finish a book so badly just so you can read literally anything else, and that was me during this. I also just found out that a film adaptation of this is releasing soon, and I don't think I have any plans to check that out. This was not good.
September 24, 2016
If your not feeling it by the first 20 pages just give this one up. Don't be tricked by the great cover.
September 21, 2016
I finished this one in one sitting. I liked it, but it was really more a short story than a novel as there were many things left unexplained.
I loved the setting, which to me was the strongest part of the story as I could really picture the cold autumn night. It was slightly predictable at points, although not enough to ruin the story. It had the same type of vibe as Harvest Home or The Wicker Man with the whole sacrifice to nature type theme. The cover was awesome, but the story wasn't quite what the cover promised.
Overall a cool Halloween read I would recommend to most horror fans. It's not ground breaking, but I enjoyed it.
I loved the setting, which to me was the strongest part of the story as I could really picture the cold autumn night. It was slightly predictable at points, although not enough to ruin the story. It had the same type of vibe as Harvest Home or The Wicker Man with the whole sacrifice to nature type theme. The cover was awesome, but the story wasn't quite what the cover promised.
Overall a cool Halloween read I would recommend to most horror fans. It's not ground breaking, but I enjoyed it.
September 4, 2022
Ummm...this felt like it was trying to be something...but I don't know what. You never really get to know any of the characters. I had no idea why anything was happening...and the author "talked" to the reader constantly like we did know everything that was going on.
The cover is fantastic and the narration was quite good...but I don't have anything else nice to say about it...except...at least it was over quickly.
The cover is fantastic and the narration was quite good...but I don't have anything else nice to say about it...except...at least it was over quickly.
December 10, 2014
DARK HARVEST is one of those books that comes along once in a while that is just about perfect.
Halloween themed horror at its finest.
'Nuff said.
Halloween themed horror at its finest.
'Nuff said.
November 11, 2022
3.5 stars
Ok, here's the thing with this novella; although it's beautifully written and very well executed... I liked it but I didn't loved it, and the reason is purely cultural misconnection.
I am from a country where Halloween is being celebrated as massive as in other places just in recent years, so the spooky October vibe failed to land in my Latin American ass, which is such a shame because I would've loved to feel the whole halloween-esque je ne sais quoi everyone is catching after reading this *sad sad sigh*
Ok, here's the thing with this novella; although it's beautifully written and very well executed... I liked it but I didn't loved it, and the reason is purely cultural misconnection.
I am from a country where Halloween is being celebrated as massive as in other places just in recent years, so the spooky October vibe failed to land in my Latin American ass, which is such a shame because I would've loved to feel the whole halloween-esque je ne sais quoi everyone is catching after reading this *sad sad sigh*
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