I've Read Slade House, Now What?
Our early May book club pick was Slade House by David Mitchell. The short novel expands on the ideas from The Bone Clocks and presented us with two soul-sucking vampires who hunt people throughout the ages. The book is divided up into five short stories, all following the horror haunted house trope. We had a lot of fun reading something very different again and we had plenty to discuss. It definitely made us interested in reading more by David Mitchell and learning more about his strange universe. We're recommending just one Mitchell novel here today, besides two other books you might want to try. We also have some discussion questions at the end in case you're reading this book with your own book club.
Reading recommendations for Slade House
Of course, we had to recommend The Bone Clocks, because the whole idea of immortality, horology and soul-sucking vampires is explored in depth. The Bone Clocks revolves around Holly Sykes who from a young age hears voices. She becomes the center of a fight between good and evil, taking everyone around her with her. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin was a big influence on Mitchell's writing. It was one of his favorite books when he was younger and he's reread it several times. The first book in the series is about Ged's younger years, leading up to him becoming the greatest wizard that ever lived. Of course, we need to also recommend another horror book and not just fantasy. Just like Slade House, This Census-Taker is horror-ish. Mieville's novel is about a young boy who's been left alone in a remote house on a hilltop with a deranged parent. Then a stranger knocks on the door and the boy's relief of being found quickly fades into something else.
Discussion Questions for Slade House
Which of the narrators did you like the most/least and why?
What was the deal with the hairpin?
Did you care about the victims or did you view it as a horror movie where you're mostly curious about how and when they are going to die?
Did (not) reading The Bone Clocks change your perspective on the book?