The Elementals Audiobook By Michael McDowell cover art

The Elementals

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The Elementals

By: Michael McDowell
Narrated by: R. C. Bray
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About this listen

After a bizarre and disturbing incident at the funeral of matriarch Marian Savage, the McCray and Savage families look forward to a restful and relaxing summer at Beldame, on Alabama's Gulf Coast, where three Victorian houses loom over the shimmering beach. Two of the houses are habitable, while the third is slowly and mysteriously being buried beneath an enormous dune of blindingly white sand. But though long uninhabited, the third house is not empty. Inside, something deadly lies in wait. Something that has terrified Dauphin Savage and Luker McCray since they were boys, and which still haunts their nightmares. Something horrific that may be responsible for several terrible and unexplained deaths years earlier–and is now ready to kill again....

A haunted house story unlike any other, Michael McDowell's The Elementals (1981) was one of the finest novels to come out of the horror publishing explosion of the 1970s and '80s. Though best known for his screenplays for Tim Burton's Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, McDowell is now being rediscovered as one of the best modern horror writers and a master of Southern Gothic literature.

©1981, 2016 Estate of Michael McDowell (P)2016 Valancourt Books LLC
Classics Horror Haunted Scary Fiction Fantasy
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Featured Article: The top 100 horror books of all time


This list encompasses the full spectrum of what horror can be—campfire-worthy tales, stomach-churning gore, and incisive social commentary. The classics are accounted for, but it also spotlights more recent titles, because that’s the nature of the genre—it is as perennial as it is ever-evolving, conjuring whatever frights most haunt our collective consciousness. Each title does have one thing in common: It makes for devilishly good listening. So cut the lights and press play—if you dare.

Creepy Atmosphere • Fascinating Characters • Unexpected Twists • Southern Gothic Setting • Excellent Dialogue
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this recording is missing the prologue but the reader is great and this southern gothic is scary and well written.

summer southern gothic

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Really scarey with out being gorey.Nice haunted house subject inter
esting family characters with good interacting

scarrey

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One of my favorite books. Characters are excellent and Bray absolutely slays the accents.

Wish it was longer. I love the idea of the summer homes. I could really imagine what it all looked like.

Absolutely amazing

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I live a couple blocks way from beach in Southern Califormia and thanks to this dang book, I can add sand to the list of things that can kill me.

things I loved--realistic family dynamics. really scary big bad. cool, loving and supportive dad. a believably terrifying situatiom. things that are problematic--there some artifacts from the 70s that wouldn't fly in 2024 like a magical black character, an extremely closeted gay person, and a dad who shares quaaludes with his sassy 7th grade daughter, but it's all done with love so don't through the baby out with the bathwater.

Genuinely scary southern Gothic family drama

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there is nothing like a scary story set in the south! I stayed up most of the night listening!

wow

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I liked the story, especially the way they described the elementals... the book had some pacing issues but other than that it was an enjoyable read.

very unique southern Gothic ghost story

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This is one of the best books I’ve ever heard. I think I listened to the whole thing within two days i could not stop listening. This is definitely my favorite author.

The absolute BEST!!!

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Get this one! It’s creepy, but not gross. Scary but not in the slasher way. There was just the right amount of supernatural to make it interesting. You won’t be disappointed!

Creepy and so good!

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The plot twists are really riveting. I did get a little confused about Odessa's role. Early in the book she sounds articulate and "normal" where later on she seems more simple/juvenile

The growing suspense is addictive

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This is a favorite of mine. for reasons unknown I needed to repurchase through audible. The new version is missing the first chapter depicting the funeral of Marion Savage.

Where is the first chapter?

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