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List Price: $7.99 | | Publisher: Pocket
Salesrank: 400389
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| Media: Mass Market Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
Reluctant to return home, Rix Usher, heir to the notorious House of Usher, nonetheless takes over ownership from his dying father and soon learns the house's legacy of depravity and bloodshed. Reprint. AB.
Description of Usher's Passing:
In this most gothic of Robert McCammon's novels, setting is key: the continuing saga of the Usher family (descended from the brother of Roderick and Madeline of Edgar Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher") takes place in the weird and picturesque heart of the North Carolina mountains. The haughty, aristocratic Ushers live in a mansion near Asheville; the poor but crafty mountain folk (whose families are just as ancient) live on Briartop Mountain nearby. At harvest time, when the book's action unfolds, the mountains are a blaze of color. Add to the mixture a sinister history of mountain kids disappearing every year, a journalist investigating those disappearances, a monster called "The Pumpkin Man," moldy books and paintings in a huge old library at the Usher estate, and a secret chamber with a strange device involving a brass pendulum and tuning forks--and you've got a splendid recipe for atmospheric horror.
Usher's Passing Reviews:
rivals stephen king and dean koontz 
2009-09-21 - the very first book i ever read by mccammon was THEY THIRST (i love vampires!!) which got me hooked. i lost him for years but when i started using amazon, i found him again. USHERS PASSING was a great story even though i figured out who the pumpkin man was right away. if you like this kind of genre, please read this. you will not be disappointed!!!!
I really didn't want it to end!
2009-04-13 - I just finished Usher's Passing, and I was blown away, this was a very well crafted Novel. The way McCammon took an old Poe Story and expounded upon it was flawless to say the least. There was so much going on in this novel, what with the stories of the whole Usher family and their jaded past.
The story revolves around the modern Usher Family, who has lived in the same property for over 150 years and who are some of the richest people on the planet. Rix Usher the lead is the "black sheep" of the family and one who doesn't want to carry on the family business "Weapons Manufacturing" As a result there is much infighting from the family, but there is more than meets the eye in the novel, we are presented a long family history of mayhem and inhuman treatment. The family is odd, and could even be considered crazy. But this is only the surface, Usher's Passing will captivate you, it has everything, from a Haunted Home, Supernatural, monsters, mystery, world ending weapons of mass destruction and a great conclusion that had me glued to the book. This is a very well crafted novel and a great take on an old story from Poe. I will say this is my favorite McCammon novel to date. I really didn't want it to end.
A new twist on a old tale
2008-01-11 - The fall of usher is one of my faves from Edgar Allen Poe and Mr Mccammons story is very interesting.I just love how he has created a whole new cast of characters of Ushers and pute them in this well crafted and nicley plotted story.Loved it
Coming Home
2007-12-08 - I first read this book back in 1988 and recently read it again. It would be difficult for me to pick a favorite Robert McCammon novel but Usher's Passing ranks as one of the best horror stories I have ever read. I am amazed at how many horror fans have never even heard of Robert McCammon. When people think of horror writers, the first names they think of are usually Stephen King or Dean Koontz. McCammon, in my opinion, is better. Now that I've read Usher's Passing again, I'm going to re-read some of his other books too. I'm already 200 pages into The Wolf's Hour and it's better than it was the first time.
Probably his best!
2006-12-20 - I've enjoyed all of the Robert McCammond books, but this is probably my favorite.
The premise is based on the E.A. Poe story, Fall of the House of Usher. In McCammond's version, the Ushers go on to become fabulously wealthy as leading munitions producers in the modern day,though it brings little joy to the family.
Highlights include a compelling investigation of the family's history by its black sheep, a creepy haunted lodge, and host of well concieved plot twists-- I literally could not put the book down for the last 100 pages.
There's particular chapter where a nasty bully gets his comeuppance, going from "king of the world" to shattered blubbering in the process. Without giving anything up, it's an outstanding example of Hitchcock-like escalation of tension.
The twists were foreshadowed subtly throughout the book, and held up well when I immediately re-read it.
One last thing, I've read some of the character comparisons on this website, and personally the Ushers reminded me of a sick and twisted version of the Bluths from FOX's defunct Sunday night gem, Arrested Development (especially the MOTHER, SISTER, and WORTHLESS OLDER BROTHER!!)
If you like Steven King but are tired of the same 2-3 concepts he's driven into the ground since 1989-- I cannot recommend McCammond enough.
