Into the Closet-Dark

Josh Malerman – Incidents Around the House

Reviewed by Barry Lee Dejasu

A strong suggestion for potential readers—the less you know about this book going in, the better. Honestly, I knew nothing beyond the dust jacket description going in…and even then, the copy is very cleverly sparse when it comes to giving the reader an idea of what to expect. You see…nearly all the advertised events occur within the first sixth of the book, and from there on out, you’re very much on your own as you wander into what deservingly may be remembered as the scariest novel of the year.

Incidents Around the House is told from the perspective of eight-year-old Bela, keeping a child-level perspective of her life as she interacts with her Mommy, her Daddo, their friends and relatives…and, sneaking out from Bela’s closet at night, Other Mommy. Other Mommy has always been nice to Bela, and has even been something of a secret friend—but she’s been making Bela increasingly uncomfortable with a nightly request: “Can I go into your heart?”

The makings of a good scare in storytelling are varied and more or less infinite, but as is often the case with live-action media, timing can be a key element. Plotting the setup and pacing the narrative can have every bit as much of an impact as a well-timed jump scare—and in this novel, Josh Malerman very skillfully sets up and executes scenes of disquiet…again, and again, and again.

The formatting of the book is unusual, simple, but very effective, with all dialogue indented from the narrative text, and an extra space between each section. In some ways it reads like a script, which may be part of the effectiveness of its delivered spooks. Instead of creating calm situations that get “SUDDENLY” interrupted by something scary, Malerman perfectly captures the matter-of-fact, almost stream-of-consciousness perspective of its child narrator, often dropping hints or even explicit glimpses of the horror right alongside the more mundane elements. After all, a child generally hasn’t experienced enough of the world, and of life, to know every turn of what’s safe and what isn’t. Turn by turn, you’ll go from watching TV to going to the bathroom, passing the darkened kitchen and saying hi to the shadow standing in its doorway, and right back to the living room again—and by the time the horror strikes, you’re already very much aware of it, but instead of it being a burst of tension, you’ll know well enough to look back at that doorway and watch that shadow take confident steps into full view. Though Malerman tells this horror story from a child’s point of view, he never holds your hand.

There are nearly as many scenes of horror as there are chapters in this book, yet spaced out enough so that you have plenty of time to catch your breath, to step away from the scares, to further interact with the characters and their thoughts and lives, before being jarred with another terrifying instance to leave you reeling back again.

But this isn’t to say that this book is solely a showcase of effective scares—far from it. There are many very grown-up conversations at work, either delivered delicately to Bela or candidly discussed in her presence, sometimes with and sometimes without her full comprehension or understanding. Through these, we are subjected to how much Mommy and Daddo are painfully, and often unflatteringly, flawed characters, while also being every bit as endearing and caring as Bela thinks of them. Bela is conscientious of the moods and vibes going on around her—which is why she also is often the first person to know (and to convey to the reader) when the horror is literally rising up beside her. There are many heartwarming and heartbreaking conversations and monologues as there are scenes of horror throughout this novel, and they make the scares so much more potent—and vice versa. And this is all to carefully say nothing about its unforgettable conclusion, which you will have to experience for yourself.

There have been many praised horror novels published already this year, and there are bound to be more. Critics and audiences alike will have their own takes on what works in them and what doesn’t, from the quality of the writing to the originality of the creepy descriptions and moods, but for a genre that has jaded many a reader, few of them are likely to be known for actually being scary.

Make no mistake about this one, however. Incidents Around the House IS truly scary, and as you read it, you will have Josh Malerman to thank for the uncertain glances you’ll make at every creak and shadow in your home.