One of the best parts of your 3 part interview with Adam, or maybe the one that excited me the most is how he itches for a sequel to the Reddening. Also my first novel from Adam, and based on a review by yourself, I found it to be an absolute masterpiece--its images festered under my skin long after I closed the cover. I just finished Cunning Folk last night and loved it. The focus and tension i could feel on my fingertips as i traced the words sticks with me in my thoughts as i try to sleep. I am anxious to recieve my 4th Nevill novel today, last days. My only worry is that I wont be able to finish it before April 2nd--a big day for Nevill fans. Great list Mike, I enjoyed listening to it.
Thanks😁You really can't go wrong with an Adam Nevill horror! Although, I'm usually not a big fan of sequels, it's true I would happily read a sequel to The Redenning! (ot a sequel to Last Days, for that matter)
Thank you very much for the very good reviews. I discovered Adam Neville's work about a year ago. Since then I enjoy reading and waiting for news from him. I enjoyed listening to all three parts of your conversation. Many thanks for this opportunity as well.
Thank you for the kind words! I love it, and I appreciate you stopping by to say hi. Maybe there is a Georgian author (whose been translated) you can recommend for me?
I've been a massive fan of Adam's for many years. He is my favourite consistent modern writer. I've read and re-read many. I don't have this attachment to any other modern writer. I've been pleased to communicate with Adam over social media (albeit now a while ago) and i salute his taste in music. He's a cool guy. My ranking, which I've enjoyed curating whilst watching your video; (AND I GET THAT IT'S DIFFICULT AS THEY ARE ALL SO ENJOYABLE AND WELL WRITTEN) From favourite to least favourite; 1. Last Days 2. The Reddening (depending on my mood, this might be number 1) 3. No one gets out.. featuring some of the scariest sequences I've ever seen in print) 4. Cunning Folk. 5. Banquet of the Damned 6. The Ritual 7. Under A Watchful Eye. (really enjoyed this one, just not as much as the above) 8. Apartment 16 9. House of Small Shadows (looking forward to rereading this one too) 10. The Vessel. 11. Lost Girl. (very different to the others) Now I'm going to watch your interview. If you like spooky music as well as spooky books, keep an eye out, I'm releasing an album of haunting classical guitar music in May. All the best to you.
Excellent! Thanks for the feedback. I'm a former classical guitarist. (had to give it up when I lost my mind; long story) Let me know when the album drops; would love to give it a listen.
Yes, indeed. Adam Neville is not just perhaps the best doing it right now, he's one of the best to ever do it. I haven't read all of his work and finished The Reddening this year. My personal favorites are quite different from yours as I like Last Days much more and The Ritual much less than you do - but that's perfectly fine (and yes, the videographer aspect of Last Days falls flat.). That Neville often brings in a substantial of where intellectual, artistic and religious movements go wrong is, I think, an important part of his appeal to me. You can see this in this depiction of apocalyptic communitarian Protestant movements in Last Days, or expressionist art in Apartment 16, or folk rock paganism in The Reddening or multiple other places in his work. This is sometimes viewed as being about "cults" which is true in the case of Last Days or The Reddening or The Ritual, but this part of Neville's work goes well beyond that.
Yeah, I'm excited! You'll have to let me know how your experience goes. Don't forget to prepare with stretching and breathing exercises before you start. Read Adam Nevill responsibly!😉
I read 8 of his books, including some short story collections and i agree with your top two rankings. But for me he really shines in his dark, depraved and gritty short stories.
Hi Jeanette. Thanks for the feedback. I'm looking forward to reading his short stories. I'm not sure which one I'll start with. Probably with the earliest he put out and work my way from there?
Outstanding overview of the the great man's work! Well done. It's always interesting to see how Nevill fans sort his books. As they're all fantastic in their own way, it's impossible to get your ranking wrong. For my part, I thought The Reddening was his weakest effort. It doesn't fail in the ingenuity of the plotting, but I thought so much of the action was telegraphed and his prose didn't hit his usual lofty heights. Still glad to have read it though. The Ritual (my first) and Last Days stand at the top of his corpus for me, with No One Gets Out Alive with the bronze. I just got his latest, which I'm settling in to this weekend with great expectations. Forgive the long comment...was just so delighted with your reviews. Keep up the great work.
Thank you for the kind words😁 I'm hoping his latest works on you like it did for me. Chck out my interviews with him about that book and his others. And thanks for watching and commenting!😁
Loved the Adam Neville interviews! Just got to the bit about the Ritual film - I get it, but I did enjoy it, but No one Gets out Alive!! It was unrecognisable!! I won’t watch it again… I’m a huge fan of Adam - I’ve read everything he’s done (horror) & I think he’s the best there is!
I love the positive vibes! Thank you. We're agreed, Adam Nevill is the best (or one of). You are braver than I. I survived the book No One Gets Out Alive. I'm calling it a win and skipping the movie! I'm sorry to hear it wasn't so good. But how could it compare!?
The protagonist in House of Leaves is a photographer and that works perfectly for the story being told. I appreciate this video, I think Adam Nevill is a great writer, it took me a while though, No One Here Gets Out Alive crept up on me. It is set in the same part of the country I live in, at the start I was not impressed, by the end I was devistated.
Yes! Great comment! House of Leaves made the top spot on my ranking of best reads of 2023. How did I not think of it? In defence, I believe he was an ex-photographer (retired) and wasn't practicing his profession when the story unfolded, so it didn't create the same problems. But your point stands! I asked for an example, and you gave me a great one! Thanks and well done😁
If memory serves me right, that would be Birmingham. When I hear Birmingham, I immediately think of Black Sabbath. You live in the cool part of England then?🙃
He was working as as a photographer, he made the film, the nine minute film that was uploaded to the internet. The film that made the novel possible. I thank you for making this conversation possible.
He spent the entire novel taking photos, I think the novel was about photographs. His photos of his wife where both poignant and depressing, As an aside the first thing you read is " I saw a film today, oh boy" as a lover of The Beatles I found this especially distressing., @@Michael_Wertenberg
Love this!! But you knew I would! My rankings would take yours and shuffle them around a little but it would be close! House of small shadows is my favorite, my first. My 2nd would be Banquet, but it's hard! There's still a couple I need to get to. When is the interview and is it going to be live!!? 😬🙂omgosh I can't wait! ❤️🤓
Live! My goodness, no. I can barely edit all the stupid things I say when it's not live, how would I manage live? House of Small Shadows followed by Banquet, that's a strong start. 💪😁
@Michael_Wertenberg I loved Last days too, that book blew me away! And do I detect sarcasm? With the live stream?? You're very intelligent and that statement just doesn't ring true to me.🤔 In any case, I'm stoked! 😬
@Michael_Wertenberg sigh. OK. I'm still excited! ❤️ Just make sure and tell him his number one fan is one of your subscribers but I'm not as psycho as Annie Wilkes from Misery. 🤣😬
Well, he has been hinting at the release of a new book, Deep Hill. I'd prefer to get my subscriber numbers up a bit higher before I make that ask, though. I'd had a few brief exchanges with Adam Nevill prior to asking him for an interview, so I felt more confident there. With Clive Barker, I've never had any interactions. Might happen though. Crazier things have come to pass...
Fair point. But it was my first Adam Nevill experience. The first is often special. I get similar feedback from my Catriona Ward ranking. But these authors are so unique and special to me that my first encounter with their work hits me quite hard.
@@Michael_Wertenberg I'm still deciding which of his novels to start with so your endorsement is encouraging. Thank you for your honest thoughts and reviews. can't wait to dive into your 3-part interview with Adam Neville. Cheers.
I have never read anything by this author. In fact, there is nothing by him published in Portuguese. I've added 'The Ritual' to my list for future reading, anyway. I can relate to getting obsessed with an author and reading all of their books. The most recent author this happened with for me was Paul Tremblay. Do you know him? I don't recall you mentioning him on your channel. By the way, I wanted to share a recommendation with you-I just finished 'Red X' by David Demchuk, and it has become a favorite of mine. It's a different kind of horror book, but it was a great experience for me
Thanks for the recommendation. I'd never heard of David Demchuck. He's on my radar now. Paul Tremblay made it on to my 10 Best Horror Novels of All Time. Great minds think alike😁
I confess, I've never read any of A. Nevill's books. He's received some glowing reviews though, including a few from Ramsey Campbell, whom I have read & liked - so it looks like I'll have to give Nevill's books a try at some stage..
Please do. I don't think you'll regret it. By the way, I've only read Campbell's 1st book, The Doll Who Ate His Mother. I'd like to read more. Do you have a suggestion what my next Ramsey Campbell book should be?
@@Michael_Wertenberg It depends what sort of horror you like : My personal favorite is "Midnight Sun", about a weird lifeform in the woods - it's descriptive nature-writing blew me away quite frankly. "Ancient Images" is a cult story. "Incarnate" is about an experiment on dreaming which has devastating consequences. "The Count of Eleven" is a psycho story. "The Darkest Part of the Woods" is haunted forest story. "The Parasite" AKA "To Wake the Dead" is a possession story. I liked all of the above. Campbell is the quintessential slow-burn writer. Take your time with him.
Last Days was really good yet like Stephen King the climax and last act isnt as good. Like The Dark Night movie, I felt the ending was just globed on and added other things that didnt needed to be used like the Painting scene. I understand why it was used it just didn't work and felt rushed.
I'm inclined to agrre. Although I did quite like the painting scene in Last Days, probably because I lived in Antwerp as a child so there was some nostalgia for me.
One of the best parts of your 3 part interview with Adam, or maybe the one that excited me the most is how he itches for a sequel to the Reddening. Also my first novel from Adam, and based on a review by yourself, I found it to be an absolute masterpiece--its images festered under my skin long after I closed the cover. I just finished Cunning Folk last night and loved it. The focus and tension i could feel on my fingertips as i traced the words sticks with me in my thoughts as i try to sleep. I am anxious to recieve my 4th Nevill novel today, last days. My only worry is that I wont be able to finish it before April 2nd--a big day for Nevill fans. Great list Mike, I enjoyed listening to it.
Thanks😁You really can't go wrong with an Adam Nevill horror! Although, I'm usually not a big fan of sequels, it's true I would happily read a sequel to The Redenning! (ot a sequel to Last Days, for that matter)
Hi, just found your channel (I was looking for Adam Nevill interviews - great videos!). Love your book and author content!
Thank you!😁I'm happy you found the channel, and thank you for stopping by to say hi.
The house of small shadows was such s masterpece I was shocked
Agreed!
Thank you very much for the very good reviews. I discovered Adam Neville's work about a year ago. Since then I enjoy reading and waiting for news from him. I enjoyed listening to all three parts of your conversation. Many thanks for this opportunity as well.
Thank you for the kind words! I love it, and I appreciate you stopping by to say hi. Maybe there is a Georgian author (whose been translated) you can recommend for me?
I've been a massive fan of Adam's for many years. He is my favourite consistent modern writer. I've read and re-read many. I don't have this attachment to any other modern writer. I've been pleased to communicate with Adam over social media (albeit now a while ago) and i salute his taste in music. He's a cool guy.
My ranking, which I've enjoyed curating whilst watching your video;
(AND I GET THAT IT'S DIFFICULT AS THEY ARE ALL SO ENJOYABLE AND WELL WRITTEN)
From favourite to least favourite;
1. Last Days
2. The Reddening (depending on my mood, this might be number 1)
3. No one gets out.. featuring some of the scariest sequences I've ever seen in print)
4. Cunning Folk.
5. Banquet of the Damned
6. The Ritual
7. Under A Watchful Eye. (really enjoyed this one, just not as much as the above)
8. Apartment 16
9. House of Small Shadows (looking forward to rereading this one too)
10. The Vessel.
11. Lost Girl. (very different to the others)
Now I'm going to watch your interview.
If you like spooky music as well as spooky books, keep an eye out, I'm releasing an album of haunting classical guitar music in May.
All the best to you.
Excellent! Thanks for the feedback. I'm a former classical guitarist. (had to give it up when I lost my mind; long story) Let me know when the album drops; would love to give it a listen.
Apartment 16 was a nightmare, that poor girl did not deserve that, but if you fuck with evil you have to pay your dues.
Oooh, so excited for your interview with Adam Nevill! How awesome!
Yeah, I'm thrilled about it!
Yes, indeed. Adam Neville is not just perhaps the best doing it right now, he's one of the best to ever do it. I haven't read all of his work and finished The Reddening this year. My personal favorites are quite different from yours as I like Last Days much more and The Ritual much less than you do - but that's perfectly fine (and yes, the videographer aspect of Last Days falls flat.). That Neville often brings in a substantial of where intellectual, artistic and religious movements go wrong is, I think, an important part of his appeal to me. You can see this in this depiction of apocalyptic communitarian Protestant movements in Last Days, or expressionist art in Apartment 16, or folk rock paganism in The Reddening or multiple other places in his work. This is sometimes viewed as being about "cults" which is true in the case of Last Days or The Reddening or The Ritual, but this part of Neville's work goes well beyond that.
Yes! Excellent comment. I love it! Thanks for sharing.
Fascinating review of Nevill’s work. I am ready to begin reading him. Thanks Michael. 😅
I'm glad to hear that😁Please let me know about your experience (provided you survive it).😁
Interviewing Adam Nevill? AMAZING ! ^_^
He has been on my TBR for quite a while, I hope to read some soon.
Yeah, I'm excited! You'll have to let me know how your experience goes. Don't forget to prepare with stretching and breathing exercises before you start. Read Adam Nevill responsibly!😉
About to delve into Nevill ..watched your video to figure out what to read first...thank you
Happy delving! Let me know how it works out for you😀
I read 8 of his books, including some short story collections and i agree with your top two rankings. But for me he really shines in his dark, depraved and gritty short stories.
Hi Jeanette. Thanks for the feedback. I'm looking forward to reading his short stories. I'm not sure which one I'll start with. Probably with the earliest he put out and work my way from there?
Outstanding overview of the the great man's work! Well done. It's always interesting to see how Nevill fans sort his books. As they're all fantastic in their own way, it's impossible to get your ranking wrong. For my part, I thought The Reddening was his weakest effort. It doesn't fail in the ingenuity of the plotting, but I thought so much of the action was telegraphed and his prose didn't hit his usual lofty heights. Still glad to have read it though. The Ritual (my first) and Last Days stand at the top of his corpus for me, with No One Gets Out Alive with the bronze. I just got his latest, which I'm settling in to this weekend with great expectations. Forgive the long comment...was just so delighted with your reviews. Keep up the great work.
Thank you for the kind words😁 I'm hoping his latest works on you like it did for me. Chck out my interviews with him about that book and his others. And thanks for watching and commenting!😁
Loved the Adam Neville interviews! Just got to the bit about the Ritual film - I get it, but I did enjoy it, but No one Gets out Alive!! It was unrecognisable!! I won’t watch it again… I’m a huge fan of Adam - I’ve read everything he’s done (horror) & I think he’s the best there is!
I love the positive vibes! Thank you. We're agreed, Adam Nevill is the best (or one of). You are braver than I. I survived the book No One Gets Out Alive. I'm calling it a win and skipping the movie! I'm sorry to hear it wasn't so good. But how could it compare!?
I agree about the No One Gets Out Alive adaptation. I loved what they did with The Ritual but NOGOA was a bit… odd 😂
I loved the movie seen it atleast 4 times and the horror/creature is so beautifully grotesque❤️
@@lisapoe888 I might have to give the movie another try then
The protagonist in House of Leaves is a photographer and that works perfectly for the story being told. I appreciate this video, I think Adam Nevill is a great writer, it took me a while though, No One Here Gets Out Alive crept up on me. It is set in the same part of the country I live in, at the start I was not impressed, by the end I was devistated.
Yes! Great comment! House of Leaves made the top spot on my ranking of best reads of 2023. How did I not think of it? In defence, I believe he was an ex-photographer (retired) and wasn't practicing his profession when the story unfolded, so it didn't create the same problems. But your point stands! I asked for an example, and you gave me a great one! Thanks and well done😁
If memory serves me right, that would be Birmingham. When I hear Birmingham, I immediately think of Black Sabbath. You live in the cool part of England then?🙃
Stoke on Trent my friend.@@Michael_Wertenberg
He was working as as a photographer, he made the film, the nine minute film that was uploaded to the internet. The film that made the novel possible. I thank you for making this conversation possible.
He spent the entire novel taking photos, I think the novel was about photographs. His photos of his wife where both poignant and depressing, As an aside the first thing you read is " I saw a film today, oh boy" as a lover of The Beatles I found this especially distressing.,
@@Michael_Wertenberg
Love this!! But you knew I would! My rankings would take yours and shuffle them around a little but it would be close! House of small shadows is my favorite, my first. My 2nd would be Banquet, but it's hard! There's still a couple I need to get to. When is the interview and is it going to be live!!? 😬🙂omgosh I can't wait! ❤️🤓
Live! My goodness, no. I can barely edit all the stupid things I say when it's not live, how would I manage live? House of Small Shadows followed by Banquet, that's a strong start. 💪😁
@Michael_Wertenberg I loved Last days too, that book blew me away! And do I detect sarcasm? With the live stream?? You're very intelligent and that statement just doesn't ring true to me.🤔 In any case, I'm stoked! 😬
You're very kind. Thanks☺No sarcasm, but maybe a slight exaggeration. Still, I prefer to pre-record.@@angelwalker979
@Michael_Wertenberg sigh. OK. I'm still excited! ❤️ Just make sure and tell him his number one fan is one of your subscribers but I'm not as psycho as Annie Wilkes from Misery. 🤣😬
I'll quote you on that🙃@@angelwalker979
Psyched about the interview. Are you working on getting one with Clive Barker?
Well, he has been hinting at the release of a new book, Deep Hill. I'd prefer to get my subscriber numbers up a bit higher before I make that ask, though. I'd had a few brief exchanges with Adam Nevill prior to asking him for an interview, so I felt more confident there. With Clive Barker, I've never had any interactions. Might happen though. Crazier things have come to pass...
@@Michael_Wertenbergthat would be a dark dream come true🙏🏻
Controversial pic for your top spot!👍
Normally you see that title ranked lower in other people's lists, so very interesting.
Fair point. But it was my first Adam Nevill experience. The first is often special. I get similar feedback from my Catriona Ward ranking. But these authors are so unique and special to me that my first encounter with their work hits me quite hard.
@@Michael_Wertenberg
I'm still deciding which of his novels to start with so your endorsement is encouraging.
Thank you for your honest thoughts and reviews.
can't wait to dive into your 3-part interview with Adam Neville.
Cheers.
@@Michael_Wertenberg
Just finished.
Fantastic pick as your number one.👍
@@greenvelvet 😁
I have never read anything by this author. In fact, there is nothing by him published in Portuguese. I've added 'The Ritual' to my list for future reading, anyway. I can relate to getting obsessed with an author and reading all of their books. The most recent author this happened with for me was Paul Tremblay. Do you know him? I don't recall you mentioning him on your channel. By the way, I wanted to share a recommendation with you-I just finished 'Red X' by David Demchuk, and it has become a favorite of mine. It's a different kind of horror book, but it was a great experience for me
Thanks for the recommendation. I'd never heard of David Demchuck. He's on my radar now. Paul Tremblay made it on to my 10 Best Horror Novels of All Time. Great minds think alike😁
@@Michael_Wertenberg If you read "Red X", let me know if you liked it. A great week to you 🤗
😁@@leandropaulo2921
I confess, I've never read any of A. Nevill's books. He's received some glowing reviews though, including a few from Ramsey Campbell, whom I have read & liked - so it looks like I'll have to give Nevill's books a try at some stage..
Please do. I don't think you'll regret it. By the way, I've only read Campbell's 1st book, The Doll Who Ate His Mother. I'd like to read more. Do you have a suggestion what my next Ramsey Campbell book should be?
@@Michael_Wertenberg It depends what sort of horror you like :
My personal favorite is "Midnight Sun", about a weird lifeform in the woods - it's descriptive nature-writing blew me away quite frankly. "Ancient Images" is a cult story. "Incarnate" is about an experiment on dreaming which has devastating consequences. "The Count of Eleven" is a psycho story. "The Darkest Part of the Woods" is haunted forest story. "The Parasite" AKA "To Wake the Dead" is a possession story. I liked all of the above. Campbell is the quintessential slow-burn writer. Take your time with him.
Thanks@@kufujitsu
The film version of No One Gets Out Alive is basically nothing like the book, if that helps.
I would hope so. I can't imagine a movie depicting what happens in that story. I'll pass either way.
Adam Nevill link: 404.
The library has a few of his books , I'll check them out soon.
Thank you for letting me know about the link! Fixed. I'll be curious to know what you think of his work should you check it out.
@@Michael_Wertenberg Just picked up 2 books Before You Sleep/Wake. Thank you
Trying to get to Frederick and Charlie.
Frederick and Charlie -- Shirley Jackson Easter egg :) @@Tetsujin-28
Last Days was really good yet like Stephen King the climax and last act isnt as good. Like The Dark Night movie, I felt the ending was just globed on and added other things that didnt needed to be used like the Painting scene. I understand why it was used it just didn't work and felt rushed.
I'm inclined to agrre. Although I did quite like the painting scene in Last Days, probably because I lived in Antwerp as a child so there was some nostalgia for me.
25:03 interesting, yet you cant stand having a guy being bullied in one of such novels :D
Big difference is that she stood up for herself (to the best of her abilities). But wow was that a tough read!