Book Review: Cunning Folk by Adam Nevill
I’d like to start off my review by acknowledging several observations made by the author in his closing essay to this book – “Story Notes: About This Horror”. This story is not about a haunted house, although it details horrific events that happen within a house. The house is cursed. And that curse is created by the next door neighbors.
Neville asks the question – “Why do we spend so little attention to the people who live next door” when we purchase a house (or rent an apartment for that matter)? Sure, most of us look at what the neighborhood is like and what attractions are near-by but very seldom do we have the chance to find out what the neighbors are like until after we’ve moved in. Cunning Folk is a story about a young family who doesn’t learn about their neighbors until it is too late.
Neighbours, eh? Easy to overlook them. Too easy to dismiss your new neighbours as an outlier, an insignificance that will have no effect on your lives and play no real part in your pursuit of contentment, comfort, security, protection, shelter, warmth, privacy and solace.”
Adam Nevill from Cunning Folk – pg. 321
Tom and Fiona with their young daughter, Gracey and pet puppy move to the country to live out a dream of Tom’s. The dream: to spend Gracey’s childhood in the country so she may experience a magical time adventuring within the woods that are adjacent to their backyard garden. Money is an issue as the family has overextended itself by purchasing a run down house that Tom figures he’ll renovate while looking for full time employment.
From the beginning there is a tension between Tom and Fiona over purchasing the home. Fiona feels that they have taken on more than they can do. The house is a wreck and is going to require enormous work and money to make livable. In stark contrast, the home next door is picturesque and beautiful.
After several days of moving in and the start of renovation Tom decides to introduce himself to the next door neighbors. He thinks it strange that the older couple next door has not come over to welcome them and figures that to avoid future awkwardness walks over to introduce himself. The introduction goes badly as the couple seem very odd-looking and rude. Instead of welcoming him, they demand that he fix the fence that abuts their property and list off improvements that he should make in order to satisfy their standards. Tom loses his temper and storms off back to his house.
The house has a bad history… the previous owner hanged himself in the foyer while he was trying to remodel the house. Since then the house has fallen into further disrepair and the yard / garden looks like a battlefield.
Strange and disturbing events ensue as Tom’s relationship with his neighbors and wife rapidly deteriorates. Gracey’s dog starts digging up lead tablets with strange inscriptions around their backyard and she starts to experience terrifying events in the adjacent woods. It soon becomes apparent to Tom that the neighboring couple are inexplicably responsible for awful things happening to his family.
Overall, I found the story eerie and disturbing. It was well worth the read and would recommend it… especially if you are a fan of Folk Horror.
A Limited Engagement 
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