Shadowland Mass Market Paperback – 1 Mar. 2003

One of the best books I have ever read. Was 12 when I first read it, I remember getting it from the local library. The story seared itself into my mind and I find myself returning to it every 10 years or so. Straub is always excellent but with Shadowland he has set a standard that has only been matched by Ghost Story, Koko and The Throat.Shadowland is the story of a boyhood friendship tested by tragedy, jealousy, and a desire to impress and gain the love of a dubious uncle who appears to be a master magician hellbent on setting the boys against each other. There is true magic at play in Shadowland, but is it white or black? And what is the cost of wielding that magic? The boys will find out as they spend an endless summer with their uncle. Their journey from the school to Shadowland, their adventures there, and the consequences of their rite of passage will haunt you long after you close the book. Straub weaves stories within stories and once again proves that he is a master craftsman.This book is a must read for fans of great fiction. If you like Clive Barker or Stephen King (or Richard Matheson, or Shirley Jackson) then you will love Shadowland. In fact, try to read Barker's 'The Thief of Always' if you like Shadowland (and vice versa). Shadowland still casts a long shadow.This edition of the book also has a lovely cover.ACTON

Brilliant storytelling... With the first part set in the school, its slow and tedious at times and you want to just give up on it, but stay strong. The second half draws you in and has you on the edge of the seat till the very last page.

This is my second copy. I was young and impressionable when I first read it. Now I am older and need a second fix of possibility and dreaming. Not much measures up to the story. Fans of Stephen King and James Herbert will uncover a greater depth in plot and enjoy the creep toward conclusion. But it's not really a horror: more a suspense? It's about people; young people and their willingness to be led into others' beliefs. Kinship and friendship to a degree. Above all, it's magical and all contained in one single bound book. A book so difficult to put down, so engaging, and so easy to read again and again you'll need to buy two copies and put one in a safe place. Just in case one is disappeared.

good story

Prompt delivery of a good book in excellent condition I highly recommend

Great service and a book I can read every few years and still love it as much as I did the first time I read it.

fabulous quality and service

Peter Straub's Shadowland is a rolling ride into undefinded horror that leaves the reader quaking. Prep schools are a nightmare in themselves (for the attendees)Arizona prep schools are something else. Despite the stigma associated with the schools, many fast friendships can be formed among the students. Del and Tom form such a friendship, sharing a childlike curiosity in magic, learning to execute those ever difficult card tricks, dodging a headmaster from hell, and trying to understand why the entire school is suffering from nightmares.Shadowland is an estate owned by Del's alcholic and slightly mad uncle, a retired magician. Shadowland is a world in itself, as the name implies, for nothing is what it seems. Others live at Shadowland, ones that the boys are not aware of, but suspect. Del's uncle spins tales of wonder, frightening and magical, and everything appears to be tied into Shadowland and it's surrounding areas.Shadowland is frightening, terrifying, and a nail biting bit of fiction that will keep the reader on the edge of their seats. Ranking right up there with the kings of horror, Straub has produced another masterpeice!

The book arrived in good condition.I loved the story, its really like a dark Harry Potter fever dream.If you buy this to improve your English (like I did) please keep in my that it's probably not the easiest read you can find, but it's definitely worth it.

Ghost Story and Shadow-Land are my two favorite horror stories.Shadow-Land is constructed as a kind of... biography of sorts. The narrator has only a fleeting connection to the events in the story, retelling the gruesome experiences of the protagonist and his companion. The book is also broken into two parts, the first focusing on the rough experiences of boys in a tyrannical school environment, the second half focusing on the "protagonists" on the private estate of an eccentric (and sinister) stage-magician.The crux of the narrative follows one boy in the wake of personal tragedy, making friends with a meeker child in their horrid school, where they both explore a love of stage magic- in no small part due to the meeker child having a world-famous magician as a relative (uncle or great uncle, I can't quite remember which is the case). Both boys go on holiday to stay with this uncle, where stage magic gives way the real thing.A few secondary stories exist within Shadow-Lands, intriguingly interconnected with the dangerous misadventure the main characters find themselves in. It's a riveting read, though probably more subdued than a sword-and-sorcery enthusiast might be looking for. Definitely not an analog to Harry Potter... but that's a good thing, frankly. This is a dark story, in its own way a coming of age tale, one I highly recommend.

Good

SO glad his back issues are becoming available in Kindle--waiting anxiously for the rest of them.This is one of his best.

The writing can be somewhat cumbersome. The concept of the novel, the mood of the novel, and the settings, help create a subtle yet unsettling mood. Characterization is in depth and the main characters are worth learning about. Admired the protagonist, believed in the magician mentor’s foul personality, and felt sorry for the sidekick/nephew, exactly as the author intended.