How do I even begin to review the confounding and enchanting reading experience that is Gad’s Hall and The Haunting of Gad’s Hall?
First, let me reassure you that despite the book cover promising “two novels of the supernatural,” Gad’s Hall/The Haunting of Gad’s Hall is the most benign ghost story I’ve ever read.
Like, if you blink, you miss the scary parts. Which aren’t even that scary to begin with.
Shockingly, I was okay with that.
How Gad’s Hall / The Haunting of Gad’s Hall ended my DNF streak
When I discovered this double-header volume in a Connecticut B&B library, I was in a reading rut. Have you ever been in one of those? They’re simply awful. I’d read a lot of “meh” books that didn’t grab me, followed swiftly by a lot of DNF books that just made me want to quit reading altogether.
I’ve found the best way to end a reading rut is to throw a wild card in there. To pick up a book that isn’t on my radar, isn’t by an author I know or have even heard of, and/or is in a completely different genre from what I usually read.
Enter Gad’s Hall. This novel, written in the 1970s by prolific but rather obscure British author Norah Lofts, was exactly what I needed.
Why Gad’s Hall / The Haunting of Gad’s Hall is an unusual story
Given my love of the supernatural, I was first drawn to “haunting” in the title. Gad’s Hall begins with the story of 1970s Jill, Bob, and their kids moving into a new home (Gad’s Hall) after being down on their luck. Sounds like the quintessential plot for any haunted house story, right? I hunkered down for what I believed was a good ol’ ghost story brewing.
After a few vague mentions of an “uneasy feeling” regarding the house, author Lofts completely changes direction. Without warning, the story pivots away from not only the haunting premise, but from the main characters we’ve come to know and introduces us to the original inhabitants of Gad’s Hall: the Thorleys, who lived there in the 1820s.
What follows is, oh, a 300-page tangent devoted to the lives of Mr and Mrs Thorley and their many children. At some point we move from Gad’s Hall into The Haunting of Gad’s Hall, though you really can’t tell when one story ends and the next one begins.
The main story in Gad’s Hall
Despite the fact that you’re like, “Ummm, what happened to Jill and Bob?” you can’t do anything but keep reading Gad’s Hall when it spins in another direction. Because the Thorleys, with their daily comings and goings, are just so damn enjoyable. I became completely engrossed in whatever the Thorleys were doing, and I jumped back into the world of Gad’s Hall/The Haunting of Gad’s Hall whenever I had a few free reading moments.
Surprisingly, Lofts’ writing kept me guessing; I had no idea what would come next in this multi-generational family saga, and I loved that. Most days, I see plots twist coming a mile away. With Gad’s Hall/The Haunting of Gad’s Hall, every time I started to think the story was getting predictable, BAM! There would be a Totally Unexpected Plot Twist. Again and again.
Gad’s Hall/The Haunting of Gad’s Hall is utterly charming and full of heart, but it’s also chock-full of wide-eyed suspense and heart-clutching drama. It’s peppered with intriguing characters, fun and endearing personalities, and plenty of beautiful details about everyday 1800s English life.
God, it was fantastic. I could have gone on reading about the Thorleys forever.
And, we’re back to the ghost story with The Haunting of Gad’s Hall
However, all good things must come to an end. Just as suddenly as the Thorleys appear in Gad’s Hall/The Haunting of Gad’s Hall, they exit stage left and the reader is slammed back into the world of Jill and Bob — remember them??? — living in 1970s Gad’s Hall. This is where the promised “haunting” kicks in since this couple’s ordeal circles back around to the “uneasy feelings” they encountered when we first started reading Gad’s Hall.
As I said earlier, if you’re worried about The Haunting of Gad’s Hall being too scary, don’t be. Really, don’t be. The scary parts are so minor and are conveyed in such a remote, distanced way that they’re a blip on the radar compared to the extensive and wonderfully pleasant time spent with the Thorleys.
So, hang in there when the ghosts come ’round because the paranormal nonsense concludes rather quickly. I mean, at this point, are we really surprised? Lofts has kept us on our toes until the very end.
And that’s where we are once the ghost stuff is finished — the end. A few chapters with Jill and Bob, a few chapters with a minor ghostly action, and you’ve finished reading Gad’s Hall and The Haunting of Gad’s Hall.
Should you read Gad’s Hall and/or The Haunting of Gad’s Hall?
If you, too, are stuck in a reading rut, please give Gad’s Hall/The Haunting of Gad’s Hall a try. Especially if you love historical fiction, the English countryside, and/or long, meandering family sagas.
It’s safe to say that I’ve never read anything like Gad’s Hall/The Haunting of Gad’s Hall. Lofts basically crammed a full novel within another full novel. It’s like she started writing the first story of Jill and Bob, then said “Oh, I think I like writing about the Thorleys better!” and focused solely on the other story for the next few hundred pages. Then, she finished writing about Jill and Bob like she didn’t just wedge a completely new novel into the middle of her first.
#Epic.
Gad’s Hall/The Haunting of Gad’s Hall defies every single rule of publishing and novel writing that exists these days. I cannot imagine a modern day literary agent or editor reading this mish-mosh of stories and going, “Yep, this makes total sense. We should absolutely publish it.”
But, I’m really glad Loft’s work made it into my hands. The stories in Gad’s Hall and The Haunting of Gad’s Hall were different, refreshing, and entirely unexpected. I think I still have literary whiplash from reading this book.
And a little withdrawal. Because I still miss the Thorleys. *sniff, sniff*
How do I get a copy of Gad’s Hall and/or The Haunting of Gad’s Hall? Is it one volume or two?
If you click on this link, you’ll be able to purchase the double-volume edition that contains both Gad’s Hall and The Haunting of Gad’s Hall. If you try to find the book elsewhere — another bookstore or the library — you might find Gad’s Hall and The Haunting of Gad’s Hall published in two separate volumes/books.
My book-inspired recipe for Gad’s Hall and The Haunting of Gad’s Hall
Be sure to check back in for my book-inspired recipe for Gad’s Hall and The Haunting of Gad’s Hall: Victoria Sponge.
I read both books a long time ago and began thinking about them recently. I’d love to re-read them both. The Thorleys are a fascinating family.
I encourage you to read more of Nora Lofts’s work. She was a favorite of mine when I was younger. I think she was underappreciated when she was alive, and she seems to be forgotten now. It’s a shame.
Hi there! Thanks so much for leaving a comment about these books. I’m glad to hear that someone else loved them as much as I did! I’ll look into more her works since I really enjoyed her writing style. Are there any particular books of hers you’d recommend I read next?
“Afternoon of an Autocrat,”, “Lovers All Untrue,” “The Day of the Butterfly,” “Heaven in your Hand.” “Afternoon of an Autocrat” has 2 sequels, which is something I just learned! I need to re-read Autocrat and the sequels too.
Wow, she has written so many books!! I just looked these up and Goodreads and found a bunch of others by her, too. Thanks for the recommendations, or I’d have no idea where to start, lol.