A psychological thriller with supernatural overtones, The Birthing House is a tale of one man’s descent into madness, where fantasy and nightmare share the same bed.
In this brilliantly crafted ghost story, a young couple, Conrad and Joanna Harrison, attempt to save their marriage by starting anew in a rural turn-of-the-century former birthing house. One day, when Jo is away at work, the former owner bequeaths a photo album that “belongs to the house.” Thumbing through the antique photos of miserable midwives and pregnant girls in their nineteenth-century dresses, Conrad is chilled to the bone when he sees his own wife staring back at him with rage.
The Birthing House is a story of possession, sexual obsession, and ultimately murder, as a centuries-old crime is reenacted in the present with devastating consequences.
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"An amazingly clever storyline about a mysteryious victorian Birthing House haunted and although the covermight perceive the reader to think the book is about just ghosts and a haunted house it also has a romantic level to it with the choices the main character has to go through a Great Read." — Bren22 (4 out of 5 stars)
"An amazingly clever storyline about a mysteryious victorian Birthing House haunted and although the covermight perceive the reader to think the book is about just ghosts and a haunted house it also has a romantic level to it with the choices the main character has to go through a Great Read."
“Christopher Ransom’s The Birthing House was so all-out scary that it kept me up until the wee hours in a way few novels have since Carrie went to the prom…This book is killer.”
“[An] impressive debut…Replete with subtle symbolism that supports the birthing motif (spiders with bulging egg sacs, a moist clutch of snake eggs, etc.), this addictively readable ghost story will keep readers up all night, with the lights on, of course.”
“As much about the terrors of humankind as it is about the supernatural, this is an exceptional debut, full of action-packed gore and carnal imagery. Ransom’s style mimics that of the early Stephen King and Dan Simmons’ horror fiction.”
“A stunning debut—swaddling the reader in dread from the very first sentence and spiraling into a heart-stopping climax.”
“Author Christopher Ransom provides plenty of chills that will spook even the most dedicated of horror fans, especially as delivered by narrator Edward Herrmann. He reads with a subtle intensity from the very beginning of the story, implanting in listeners a strong sense of foreboding that helps to set the scene for the eventual mayhem. The story is filled with plenty of horror-story clichés but when combined with Herrmann’s skillful performance, the results prove to be compelling. An Audies Finalist.”
“Herrmann captures every disturbing nuance in this evocative debut horror novel…Herrmann perfectly sets the stage, beginning with a pleasant, straightforward recounting of events, before projecting the burgeoning horror as Conrad’s mental state deteriorates…Words and images that might be skimmed over in print reverberate in audio, thanks to Herrmann’s capable reading. He draws listeners in as foreboding builds and clues are revealed. This is all about mood, and Herrmann expertly channels the nightmare.”
“Stage and television actor Edward Herrmann’s narration is smooth, and he creates the appropriate ominous mood. His narration is skillful, professional, chilling.”
" Hated this book although that`s perhaps unfair as I decided that my life was too valuable to spend time reading this dross and I only made it to page 27 before binning it. "
" OMG this book i had to re-read some of the pages to try and get my head around what was happening but another amazing book "
" I started reading it and did not care for it. But decided against my better judgement to see the book through to the end. I wish I hadn't. "
" I really really liked the first 2/3 or so of this book. I felt like the last bit careened out of control, and it was off a bit structurally as well. Still, it's his first novel and they were first-novel types of problems. I thought it was still better than most horror novels, and I'm planning on looking for more by the same author. "
" I started reading this book on October 15, and it's already hooked me. It's a page-turner, really creeping......... "
" I have never read a book by this author and I did not enjoy the book or his writing. I will probably not read another book by this author. "
" This is probably one of the most annoying and stupidly conceived books I have ever read and for that reason it is memorable. I only managed to finish it as I kept expecting it to get better but it never did. "
" There are no words for how much I disliked this book, nuff said. "
" It didn't live up to the hype and book reviews. The elements of the horrors of a birthing house could have been spookier. Instead, it ended up being implausible and unsatisfying. "
" Liked the writing style-but the build up of the story did not match the end (whimper, that is, not bang) "
" I wasn't sure of this book at first but I am glad that I persevered as it turned out to be a very good story. A little chilling I would say. Looking forward to the rest of this authors books. "
" Long and boring. "
" It seemed great in the beginning but by the time I realized I hated it, I was more than halfway through. "
" Migraine inducing crap... "
" A little spooky a lot weird. For the most part I liked this book, but I'm not sure I liked how it ended. "
" I didn't NOT like it enough to not finish it, but it wasn't overly exciting to me either. I think being an easy enough read to finish quickly was what kept me going. It's basically a ghost story which bleeds the past into today. It just didn't really do much for me. "
" Not as scary as the blurb claimed, probably for the best, I did enjoy it and seemed to read it in record time for me! "
" This book had potential...but the execution just wasn't quite right. "
" ....horror in sexuality, interesting break through in the horror genre.... "
" Really really really really REALLY strange book. I'm usually good with strange, and in fact a lot of my favorites are oddballs. However, this one just kinda took it over the edge... "
" Wouldn't recommend anybody to buy it - but it is worth a renting out at the library. "
" I have generously given two stars as I didn't hate it, I just didn't particularly enjoy the book. A good premise but poorly written with a lot of padding and not much else! "
" Gripping at first, but then things just get weird. I really did not get the end, oft he 'shocking' and gruesome, and somewhat unneeded twists! "
" A feat of marketing! The premise is not given its due with this badly-constructed bit of unexamined egocentrism. "
" This book was not really what I expected it to be. It had some spooky parts, but kind of fell apart at the end. Not terrible, but certainly not the best ghost story I've ever read. "
" i just couldn't get into the writing style i'm afraid. might try it again some time "
" Disappointing. Not what I thought it would be. "
" It had an interesting, mysterious nature to it, I'll give it that. I enjoyed the first half, but by the end, I wasn't buying it anymore. Things got too strange, and not in a good way. "
" Fun, sexy and scary. Plus, it takes place in Black Earth, WI! (rather, the artistically liscensed version thereof.) "
Christopher Ransom is a native of Boulder, Colorado, who has lived in New York and Los Angeles. He now resides with his wife and three dogs in a 142-year old former birthing house in Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
Edward Herrmann (1943–2014) was one of America’s top audiobook narrators. He won multiple Audie Awards and twenty-two Earphones Awards, and his narration of the King James version of the Bible remains a benchmark in the industry.
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