I picked up Maynard’s House several years back from a second hand book store based solely off its cool cover art and intriguing back-cover blurb. It languished unread on my bookshelf, alongside many others, until I finally decided to give it a shot this winter – and man is this a perfect winter read.
Maynard’s House follows Austin Fletcher, anex-Vietnam veteran who travels to a remote house in the wintery wilderness of Maine after leaving the military. The place belonged to a fellow serviceman named Maynard Whittier and much to Austin’s surprise, Maynard left it to him in his will shortly before being killed in combat. This novel starts off fast, as the train Austin takes into Maine is forced to stop a mile away from the station due to the tracks being impassable from a heavy snow drift. Ever-impulsive, Austin decides to hoof it on foot despite the frigid, snow storm – a decision which proves costly. Luckily for him, he’s rescued by local station master and postman Jack Meeker. After reviving Austin, he drives him out to Maynard’s house in the remote countryside and helps set him up there. In the days to come, Meeker will be one of the few connections Austin has to the outside world, leaving a pad of paper and a pencil in his mailbox for Austin to request any supplies he might need. Meeker is a fun character. He’s friendly, folksy and obviously versatile given his multiple job titles.
Meeker is a prime example of how well this novel presents its characters’ personalities through their dialog, and he’s not alone either. Merriwell Benson is a bear hunter who makes an impromptu visit to the house seeking supplies – yet another quirky intrusion upon Austin’s venture into this new, unfamiliar life. Both Meeker and Benson are interesting characters, but they pale in comparison to Ara and Froom (it’s insinuated those may not be their real names). Every scene in which they appear is special. Ara is a beautiful, young woman who is both alluring as well as infuriating to Austin. She and her mischievous brother Froom make regular visits to Austin’s new place. The two present themselves as Minnawickies – mischievous elf-like creatures who inhabit the woodlands of Maine. The two travel together via their sled with the younger Froom generally remaining with it at a distance whenever Ara goes to talk with Austin. Froom has a propensity for pelting Austin with snowballs and regularly jumping up and down in furious rage whenever he’s frustrated. Ara seems wise beyond her years as she enjoys answering Austin’s various questions with witty but frustrating responses. Their banter together is a real highlight of the book. In truth, Ara and Froom really do seem to embody many fey-like qualities which would be indicative of Minnawickies.
This is a well-paced novel with constant new trials and discoveries to keep Austin on his toes as he relies on Maynard’s vasts stores of canned goods and firewood to stave off the brutal winter surrounding him. He spends his time reading Maynard’s books, particularly enjoying Thoreau, and encountering unwanted visitors in the form of impertinent deer, ravenous bears – even floating witches hats, believe it or not! He also explores the area’s unique landmarks such as The Devil’s Dancing Rock and The Witch’s Tree. While all this is happening Austin is likewise suffering through nightmares and PTSD linked to his trauma from the war.
Although the supernatural elements are subtle until near the end, this novel stands on the strength of its quirky characters, harsh survival elements and all around great writing, particularly in regards to the dialog. Austin’s attraction to Ara is rather problematic considering she’s still in high school, but her true age is never revealed and there are times he thinks she may actually be older than he originally thought.
Author Herman Roucher was a very successful book and screenwriter, most well-known for both the film and book adaptation of Summer of 42 (1971). This book seems to be his only venture into the horror genre, which is too bad as Maynard’s House proves he had a knack for it. This is a fast, entertaining read which I highly recommend.
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Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Maynards-House-Herman-Raucher/dp/1626818908
Article written by Matt Cowan
Horror Delve 