Quicksand House

QUICKSAND HOUSE had been recommended to me because Carlton Mellick III's novella SEA OF THE PATCHWORK CATS happens to be one of my favorite bizarro fiction works. So I fully expected this new and longer novel to be haunting, surreal, dreamlike, and wildly imaginative -- and it certainly met those expectations. What I didn't expect is that it would also grab me at the most profound subconscious level and carry me into a world so psychologically compelling, so achingly vivid, so truthful at its core (as all great myths are), that it would surpass any other bizarro fiction novel -- and many of the finest contemporary novels of other genres -- I have ever read. QUICKSAND HOUSE is much more than a survival-horror fantasy tale of two young siblings trapped in a strange, claustrophobic nursery; it is a a metaphor encompassing (on one level) dysfunctional family relationships, parental neglect, psychotic possessiveness, the physical trauma of puberty, the meaning of dreams, and (on another level) the breakdown of society through alienation, greed, materialism, and a cynical disregard for the future consequences of inhumane and destructive policies. Like the labyrinthine setting it describes, QUICKSAND HOUSE is multi-layered -- populated with a vast array of ideas, images, and archetypes that may be horrifying, mysterious, beautiful, or all three at once. There is a reason that I will not go into too much detail about the plot: Just as Carlton Mellick III wrote this 200+ page book in one feverish total-immersion marathon, the reader should plunge head-first into it, allowing oneself to be immersed in it like a newborn being birthed into an unknown world. Beginning each chapter section feels like opening an "Easter Egg" which may dazzle you, shock you, make you weep, or reveal an insight about your own life that you might have been seeking for years -- especially if (like me, or like the author himself) your own childhood and adolescence were considerably less than pleasant. If you love emotionally intense, psychologically profound, and breathtakingly imaginative speculative fiction -- whether your preferred genre is bizarro, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, or surrealism -- you will be blown away by QUICKSAND HOUSE. Five stars? More like ten!

Easy, clear writing that doesn't waste time with frivolous ornamentation and keeps to a tight and well-placed plot, with quirky and fun characters that are sketched out quickly and gracefully. I really don't like writers who overwrite their stories, and like fiction that reads quickly and doesn't trip over itself making it's point, and on technical merits Mellick is superb. This is just a tight, well-told story that doesn't waste your time getting to the point, which is to creep you out.With a plot that borrows less from VC Andrews "Flowers in the Attic" and more from Bradbury's "There Will Come Warm Rains," there is a lot of high weirdness in this book but its less freakish than I expected. No real sex due to the cast of children, there is some mildly gory violence (one scene involving the sister is particularly brutal), but it never reached levels that made me squeamish. That's not a complaint though -- too often writers try to cover up weak storytelling with excessive gore and shock, and Mellick doesn't go for cheap thrills here. Everything builds naturally on itself and none of the shocks feel forced.I knocked one star off for the ending of the book, which rushes a little too quickly to wrap up everything with a too tidy explanation that feels unearned and undercuts the creepiness the book had made work so well -- when the curtain is finally pulled back, the wizard is so very hum-drum.This is definitely a book I would give someone if they wanted to read bizarro fiction but I wasn't sure they could handle it. This is "wading in the kiddie pool" level of bizarro, and if this is too weird for them you'll be glad you didn't hand them a copy of The Baby Jesus Buttplug, and if its not weird enough -- well, there's always Baby Jesus.

Prior to Quicksand House, I'd never read anything by Carlton III Mellick. I'd seen him commenting on Jeremy Robert Johnson's Facebook posts quite frequently, and clicked on his profile out of curiosity, and learned that he was considered a heavy hitter in the Bizarro fiction world. I sort of earmarked him for further review, and forgot all about him until this popped up as a recommendation on my Kindle the other day. The title caught my eye first, followed by the author - "Hey, that guy's name sounds familiar... where have I heard it before?" - and when I read the description, I knew I had to put down whatever I was doing and read it RIGHT NOW.So I did, and it's one of the best books I've read in years. It immediately went on my "top ten of all time" list. There's just something about the setting and the overall theme that captivated me from word one. In fact - and forgive me if this sounds a little silly - I'm almost afraid to read anything else from Mellick. What if I'm setting my expectations too high? What I stumbled onto his best book by a wide margin? I enjoyed this book so much, I'm scared to move on from it; I'm too attached to the characters. I need to convince myself to make the leap. I've got my eye on Adolf in Wonderland, but I'm still hesitating for some reason.Interestingly enough, I do that sometimes with stuff I really love. It's like saving your dessert for last. You know it'll be delicious either way, but somehow, it's BETTER if you make yourself wait a little first.And you know, I think that's what's holding me back. That, and I can't justify the expense at the moment.

Okay the synopsis pretty much explains the storyline so I'm not going to go into that but this was one great read. The character development is great so you get to really care about them. The best thing about this book though was that it was like reading a Roald Dahl book. Well if he was even more messed up than he was. There is something about this story that lmost feels like you are being read to at bed time but as its Mellick and Bizarro it's not something you would read to your kids. It's a bed time story for adults. As usual it's pretty far fetched as you can only expect from this author but he does it well. Loved the house it all takes place in and the whole concept. This book will stay with me for a long time.

Carlton Mellick III's stories are always unusual, original and occasionally nightmarish but with his recent stories he just keeps getting better and better. Quicksand House is a tense and terrifying tale with a real emotional punch. A lot of his earlier stories suffered a little from a tendency to have a passive narrator but Tick and Polly are rounded and complex characters who you really care about and their terrifying escape attempt through a gigantic, decaying house is not easy to put down. I wouldn't be surprised if you finish it in one sitting. Thoroughly recommended. If you have never experienced bizarre fiction in general, or Mellick in particular, this would be an ideal start.

One of Carlton Mellick's most highly regarded books delivers on so many levels. Multi-layered, fascinating, bizarre. A great read, as are all of his books. Dig it. 5 stars.

Another good fun read from Mellick.

Classic.