Okay ghost story. ( )

Impressive, highly atmospheric haunted house story may be too slow-moving or lack the extreme frights needed to satisfy some readers. But Hawkes impressively creates a mystery of what happened in a house in a small New England town where tenant after tenant has left in a hurry. A young pair of psychic researchers, married less than a year, move into the house and begin a very scientific investigation. The author includes passages of textbook descriptions of various psychic phenomena, making the book sort of the Moby Dick of haunted house stories--if you don't understand my reference, take a glance at an unabridged copy of Moby Dick. The elderly local librarian becomes their ally in trying to track down facts about the house and its occupants, and he emerges as the third major character. But it is Sally, the wife, who has shown strong telepathic ability, but who has never wanted to be a medium or has any training, who emerges as the emotional center of the book. She watches her husband, David, seem to be transformed by the power of the house, and perhaps by a former occupant. Or does she? The book provides other characters who try to downplay the phenomena. After all, the mind can conjure up most anything. I think the author's intent here is clear however, and one is left to speculate about what might happen after the last page of the book is turned. It is an effective ending. Go into this one with an open mind, and you should be well entertained. For the most part, Hawkes writes very well, although at times the descriptions can go on for a few words too many. Comparisons to Shirley Jackson are somewhat apt, although this book is too long to have the impact of Jackson's best work. ( )

Sally and David Curtiss knew that the old New England house that they had just moved into was rumored to be haunted. However, the newly wed couple of parapsychologists were not scared at all. They had bought the house willingly and planned on studying it in order to find any evidence of supernatural activity.

Sally and David have also planned to work on some recent problems in their marriage. Sally is a somewhat reluctant psychic, and David is secretly jealous of her abilities. He has never had any psychic experiences himself, but desperately wants to have such an experience.

All of the Curtiss' hi-tech equipment shows absolutely no sign of any supernatural activity, but David is still convinced that Sally senses something in the house. As the Curtiss' continue to research the the house's strange and mysterious history, they both begin to experience unusual dreams that reveal the Curtiss' hidden fears and desires.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. The horror built slowly but surely, and the book was very well-written in my opinion. I never actually figured out what form the haunting took. At times it seemed to me that it was primarily possession that was at work, and then it seemed that the house itself had developed a personality throughout the years that was an evil influence in itself.

If I did have one problem with the book, it was that I found that the ending slightly rushed and a little bit of a let down for me. Overall though, I give Julian's House by Judith Hawkes an A+! I will definitely be keeping this book to read again at some point. ( )

This was ok. Drawn out, thought it would be scarier. Did not like how the book ended. ( )