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Homebody
From a beloved and bestselling master of speculative fiction comes this chilling tale of a soulful loner who must overcome demons from his past -- and the demons he unwittingly unleashes -- when he starts renovating a faded Southern mansion. As Homebody eloquently proves, no contemporary writer outshines Orson Scott Card in crafting unlikely heroes or in suffusing the everyday world with an otherworldly glow.
Don Lark's cheery name belies his tragic past. When his alcoholic ex-wife killed their daughter in a car wreck, he retreated from the sort of settled, sociable lifestyle one takes for granted. Only the prospect of putting a roof over other people's heads seems to comfort Lark, and he goes from town to town, looking for dilapidated houses he can buy, restore and resell at a profit. In Greensboro, North Carolina, Lark finds his biggest challenge yet -- a huge, sturdy, gorgeous shell that's suffered almost a century of abuse at the hands of greedy landlords and transient tenants. As he sinks his teeth into this new project, Lark's new neighborhood starts to work its charms on him. He strikes up a romance with the wry real estate agent who sold him the house. His neighbors, two charming, chatty old ladies, ply him endlessly with delicious Southern cooking. Even Sylvie, the squatter Lark was once desperate to evict from the old house, is now growing on him.
But when Lark unearths an old tunnel in the cellar, the house's enchantments start to turn ominous. Sylvie turns cantankerous, even dangerous. There's still a steady supply of food from next door, but it now comes laced with increasingly passionate pleas for Lark to vacate the house at once. In short, everybody seems to want to get rid of him. Whether this is for his own good or theirs, Lark digs in his heels for reasons even he's not sure of. He embarks on a struggle for his life -- and his friends'-- against a house with a past even more tragic than his own. If Lark wins, he gets the kind of home and community he's always dreamed of. If he loses, all is lost....
Don Lark's cheery name belies his tragic past. When his alcoholic ex-wife killed their daughter in a car wreck, he retreated from the sort of settled, sociable lifestyle one takes for granted. Only the prospect of putting a roof over other people's heads seems to comfort Lark, and he goes from town to town, looking for dilapidated houses he can buy, restore and resell at a profit. In Greensboro, North Carolina, Lark finds his biggest challenge yet -- a huge, sturdy, gorgeous shell that's suffered almost a century of abuse at the hands of greedy landlords and transient tenants. As he sinks his teeth into this new project, Lark's new neighborhood starts to work its charms on him. He strikes up a romance with the wry real estate agent who sold him the house. His neighbors, two charming, chatty old ladies, ply him endlessly with delicious Southern cooking. Even Sylvie, the squatter Lark was once desperate to evict from the old house, is now growing on him.
But when Lark unearths an old tunnel in the cellar, the house's enchantments start to turn ominous. Sylvie turns cantankerous, even dangerous. There's still a steady supply of food from next door, but it now comes laced with increasingly passionate pleas for Lark to vacate the house at once. In short, everybody seems to want to get rid of him. Whether this is for his own good or theirs, Lark digs in his heels for reasons even he's not sure of. He embarks on a struggle for his life -- and his friends'-- against a house with a past even more tragic than his own. If Lark wins, he gets the kind of home and community he's always dreamed of. If he loses, all is lost....
430 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
190 people are currently reading
1,247 people want to read
About the author
Orson Scott Card
859Ìýbooks20.3kÌýfollowersOrson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987â€�2003).
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
October 14, 2012
Orson Scott Card is an exceptional wordsmith. The beginning of this book was really slow not very much of anything happens. But I kept reading. And then some very predictable and stupid events intruded into the plot. But still I kept reading. And though the climax picked up action wise I still have to say If this was movie I would have rolled my eyes and said "Yea Right." But I finished it. Because this is not a movie it is a book written by a man who is very good at using words to draw readers into a story so that even when the action lags the pages still keep turning.
August 3, 2021
2,5/5
Ha sido un libro raro...y no me ha terminado de convencer
Ha sido un libro raro...y no me ha terminado de convencer
April 29, 2013
Man who lost everything and is haunted by his past purchases house that has a squatter refusing to leave. I'm a sucker for haunted house books (and movies) and enjoyed Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. This follows many of the traditions of the haunted house genre, with a few twists and turns. The writing is clean and clear and,while I wondered on occasion if I was reading a gothic romance, I was absorbed enough to read the entire book in a single day. Recommended if you like haunted house novels with a dash of gothic romance.
February 1, 2018
This book was given to me by my father for something to read on my long plane ride home from visiting him and my family.
The story is about a young contractor who has had some tragedies in his life and is confused about where he is heading in the future. One moment he thinks he's ok, the next not. Many of us can relate to these feelings. I found it hard to put down and that's why I'm giving it 5 stars. It's so quirky and fun. Not to be taken seriously at all. Not like other Orson Scott Card books I've read such as Ender's Game and Sarah. There where parts where I just chuckled to myself and there were parts where I wanted to keep reading on because I was in so much suspense. I hope I can find another book that is so much fun!
The story is about a young contractor who has had some tragedies in his life and is confused about where he is heading in the future. One moment he thinks he's ok, the next not. Many of us can relate to these feelings. I found it hard to put down and that's why I'm giving it 5 stars. It's so quirky and fun. Not to be taken seriously at all. Not like other Orson Scott Card books I've read such as Ender's Game and Sarah. There where parts where I just chuckled to myself and there were parts where I wanted to keep reading on because I was in so much suspense. I hope I can find another book that is so much fun!
February 8, 2008
I had heard good things about Orson Scott Card, so when I saw this book at the library, I gave it a try. Horrible. PAINFULLY horrible. I was planning to read the Ender's series, but after this book it will take me a loooong time to want to read another Card book. Maybe someday...
(If you feel you need more detail: None of the characters in the book are interesting. Who cares what happens to a bunch of irritating people, you know? The plot is laughably ridiculous. There's a random and pointless love scene between a middle aged carpenter and a middle aged realtor. Why? I have no answer. Ugh. I feel sick just thinking about this book. Is there a 'No Stars' ratings option?)
(If you feel you need more detail: None of the characters in the book are interesting. Who cares what happens to a bunch of irritating people, you know? The plot is laughably ridiculous. There's a random and pointless love scene between a middle aged carpenter and a middle aged realtor. Why? I have no answer. Ugh. I feel sick just thinking about this book. Is there a 'No Stars' ratings option?)
November 7, 2012
Most ghost stories are mysteries at heart, and Homebody falls more strongly on the mystery side than the spooky side. There were a few moments towards the beginning of the novel when I forgot I was reading Card and thought I was reading Stephen King, but a King novel with the same concept would have gone in a totally different direction and been a whole lot scarier.
Which is not to say that Card's book is bad--it's sweet, and well told, and compelling ... it's just not a "keep you up at night with all the lights on" kind of book.
Which is not to say that Card's book is bad--it's sweet, and well told, and compelling ... it's just not a "keep you up at night with all the lights on" kind of book.
September 21, 2020
Strange book. More of a spooky romance than a fixer-upper remodeling book. Ghost and Mrs. Muir. With a cold case murder / missing person. Why did Cindy the realtor need so many scenes?
May 14, 2024
I'm ready to become a Christian now, it seems like they score a lot.
January 11, 2014
Card es Card, con sus vicios y sus virtudes... con lo cual quiero decir que, no siendo ésta una de sus mejoras novelas, al menos resulta de tan amena lectura como el resto. El tema de la casa encantada, de por sà interesante, está tratado de forma bastante original dentro del estilo habitual del subgénero, pero quizá hay un exceso de intimismo en el planteamiento, con esa historia de amor que resulta un tanto excesiva en su concepción súbita y fulminante.
DirÃa que se trata de una obra menor del autor, más centrada en lo psicológico que en lo sobrenatural, aunque con algunos buenos momentos, especialmente cuando la cosa se pone más oscura. Un tres redondo.
DirÃa que se trata de una obra menor del autor, más centrada en lo psicológico que en lo sobrenatural, aunque con algunos buenos momentos, especialmente cuando la cosa se pone más oscura. Un tres redondo.
September 21, 2015
Skip this book.
Takes FOREVER to get to the point and then the point is neither scary nor surprising. Ties everything into a bow at the end but by then I couldn't care enough to be disappointed.
Basically this was meant to be a ghost story and ended up being a story telling you just what a great guy Don Lark is ( he's self reliant, honest, a husband not a casual lay, broken but in that desirable way, works with hands). He falls in love twice, there is a ghost and a murder and weird old neighbors but all is terribly boring.
So in the end I've determined Card does well with sci-fi (Ender's series is amazing) but not at horror or suspense.
Takes FOREVER to get to the point and then the point is neither scary nor surprising. Ties everything into a bow at the end but by then I couldn't care enough to be disappointed.
Basically this was meant to be a ghost story and ended up being a story telling you just what a great guy Don Lark is ( he's self reliant, honest, a husband not a casual lay, broken but in that desirable way, works with hands). He falls in love twice, there is a ghost and a murder and weird old neighbors but all is terribly boring.
So in the end I've determined Card does well with sci-fi (Ender's series is amazing) but not at horror or suspense.
December 22, 2013
I enjoyed our Halloween read this year. It was not scary but had supernatural twists to it. I lived the thought that a unique home with lots of love in it has power.
I didn't have problems with the story line but I still appreciated Tracy's comments at book club. "If a book touches on areas that are part of your own life, you need them to be accurate and realistic." There can be ghosts and supernatural happenings but when the things that are supposed to link the story to the real world are off it can ruin the whole book for you.
I didn't have problems with the story line but I still appreciated Tracy's comments at book club. "If a book touches on areas that are part of your own life, you need them to be accurate and realistic." There can be ghosts and supernatural happenings but when the things that are supposed to link the story to the real world are off it can ruin the whole book for you.
Shelved as 'partiallyread'
July 11, 2020It's too late for me now, I just can't read his books anymore.
May 31, 2022
This gets a big ol "meh" from me. Very disappointing given how much I LOVED Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. Maybe Card should just stick to space-based sci-fi....this book was labelled as a Horror but was really just some ghosty romance type thing. I could see others enjoying it, but it wasn't my style. It was an easy read and I may have enjoyed it more if it didn't feel so unnecessarily long.
February 25, 2023
Too much of a romance novel for my taste
January 7, 2024
Takes FOREVER to admit it's a horror book, but a satisfying ending
November 16, 2021
This book is a great one for reading this time of the year because it's a ghost story about a house that captures the souls of people who have shame and grief dominating their lives. Don Lark has lost his ex-wife and daughter in a car accident which has left him without purpose in his life. He is a builder who gives life to old houses. The house he is working on is home to a young woman who squats there. Don doesn't want her to stay but doesn't have the heart to throw her out since she has no place to go. He simply demands that she stay out of his way, which she is reluctant to do. Two old women next door want him to tear the house down because they believe it is evil but Don has no intention of doing that because he has sunk all of his money into the house and intends to sell it when he is done with the renovation. The more he works on the house, the more he can feel its power.
September 16, 2013
I have always enjoyed Orson Scott Card's forays into the more-or-less real world. While Homebody certainly has its fantastical elements, its setting is modern-day Greensboro, North Carolina, aka my home town. It is always great fun to read a novel set in a place that you know really well, as you can vividly imagine the setting and frequently think "yup, got that one right" when the author references local culture.
Besides the setting, I enjoyed the set-up: Don, a lonely former contractor, having lost his family and most of his savings to a legal battle followed by a tragic accident, takes solace in renovating abandoned houses. The house he chooses is a once-magnificent mansion that has since been cut up into student apartments and finally abandoned all together. As I have dedicated a fair amount of time to fixing up my very old house, I enjoyed the loving descriptions of the house and its construction, as well as Don's renovation work. Since this is an Orson Scott Card book, there is something a bit strange and otherworldly about the house, and soon enough that becomes the focus of the story.
My one complaint about the book is that Don, who was deeply wounded by his ex-wife's treachery and the terrible accident that claimed the lives of both his ex-wife and daughter, falls in love remarkably easily. Early in the book, he begins a physical relationship with the realtor who handles the house sale, and within days of knowing her is talking as if he is in love and responsible for her happiness. Next he allows Sylvie, a squatter who came with the house, to stay. Over a period of a few weeks their relationship develops into something with fondness, but then, he once again makes the leap to love and deep emotional connection with very little notice. At the point where he and Sylvie start to talk all starry-eyed, I thought it was a bit ridiculous. I will say, that by the end of the book, I believed in the relationship and that the conclusion was pretty satisfying. Overall, a fun book!
Besides the setting, I enjoyed the set-up: Don, a lonely former contractor, having lost his family and most of his savings to a legal battle followed by a tragic accident, takes solace in renovating abandoned houses. The house he chooses is a once-magnificent mansion that has since been cut up into student apartments and finally abandoned all together. As I have dedicated a fair amount of time to fixing up my very old house, I enjoyed the loving descriptions of the house and its construction, as well as Don's renovation work. Since this is an Orson Scott Card book, there is something a bit strange and otherworldly about the house, and soon enough that becomes the focus of the story.
My one complaint about the book is that Don, who was deeply wounded by his ex-wife's treachery and the terrible accident that claimed the lives of both his ex-wife and daughter, falls in love remarkably easily. Early in the book, he begins a physical relationship with the realtor who handles the house sale, and within days of knowing her is talking as if he is in love and responsible for her happiness. Next he allows Sylvie, a squatter who came with the house, to stay. Over a period of a few weeks their relationship develops into something with fondness, but then, he once again makes the leap to love and deep emotional connection with very little notice. At the point where he and Sylvie start to talk all starry-eyed, I thought it was a bit ridiculous. I will say, that by the end of the book, I believed in the relationship and that the conclusion was pretty satisfying. Overall, a fun book!
February 13, 2017
Orson Scott Card Stephen King olmuş. Çok güzel bir romandı. Card'ı sevenlerin ya da Stephen King'in doğaüstü konularla ilgili kitaplarını sevenlerin kesinlikle okuması gereken bir kitap.
March 15, 2010
This book was very different than his other books I have read. What really impresses me about OSC is that he does SO much extensive research on every book he writes, and you can tell throughout each of them. He has written books on Bible history, Science Fiction, Russian History, Home repair, and you can tell he knows his stuff. What bothers me about many authors is about how their predictable books always seem to be about a "jaded writer of journalist". He takes on new subjects he probably isn't 100% comfortable with at first.
This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I enjoyed all the detail he went into - all the background information on the characters, etc. I enjoyed how everything evolved and it did have a few surprises in it in my opinion. My only complaint with this book was that I think he had too many ideas and some didn't pan out, they ended up fizzling with no explanation or point.
It is an easy read and I highly reccommend it!
This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I enjoyed all the detail he went into - all the background information on the characters, etc. I enjoyed how everything evolved and it did have a few surprises in it in my opinion. My only complaint with this book was that I think he had too many ideas and some didn't pan out, they ended up fizzling with no explanation or point.
It is an easy read and I highly reccommend it!
September 6, 2017
Like a lot of fiction, this book could have been trimmed down a ton and still felt like a complete story. Card's writing is so clean though that despite the unnecessary-feeling parts of the story (much of the whole Cindy arc and that drama, honestly), pacing didn't feel bogged down.
Although it is a ghost story, it really doesn't feel that way until the end, so if you want only those kinds of thrills and you'd be bored reading about house construction and tearing down old lath and plaster, this might not be the book for you. If you really like houses though, this book is excellent. If you're a nerd about nice woodwork and owner history, this book is a really fun read. Quick and easy and leaves you feeling satisfied at the end.
Although it is a ghost story, it really doesn't feel that way until the end, so if you want only those kinds of thrills and you'd be bored reading about house construction and tearing down old lath and plaster, this might not be the book for you. If you really like houses though, this book is excellent. If you're a nerd about nice woodwork and owner history, this book is a really fun read. Quick and easy and leaves you feeling satisfied at the end.
December 31, 2017
I picked up a copy of this book at a used book store, and knowing a little about the author's other works i figured it was a good read. Well, it wasn't horrible, but it was fairly flat, with a predictable plot full of holes, under developed characters, and a silly ending. The dialog between characters felt contrived and the gender based stereotypes were poorly cobbled together to create characters that weren't that likable or believable. Unnecessary interpersonal dramas in the beginning added nothing to advance the overall plot. I had high hopes for the story, as i do love a good home renovation, but the story veered off track and the ending was a big let down.
January 12, 2022
Card's horror novels tend to be very normal the first half and then pick up the pace in the second. His writing makes you want to keep turning the pages regardless. It was a bit predictable but a satisfactory read.
January 3, 2022
Preachy, patronising, even silly at the denouement
I liked the Ender books, especially Speaker for the Dead. Speculative fiction at its finest, dealing with ethical dilemma and complexity with humility and compassion. Fully realised characters I actually gave a damn about. I don't know what happened to Card in Homebody. It was like reading a different author who could only write stereotypical cardboard characters spouting tired platitudes masquerading as morality. Very disappointing.
I liked the Ender books, especially Speaker for the Dead. Speculative fiction at its finest, dealing with ethical dilemma and complexity with humility and compassion. Fully realised characters I actually gave a damn about. I don't know what happened to Card in Homebody. It was like reading a different author who could only write stereotypical cardboard characters spouting tired platitudes masquerading as morality. Very disappointing.
March 11, 2018
I pulled this book off the shelf at the library and opened at random to read a few sentences. I just wanted to get a feel for the book. I then continued to read for at least fifteen minutes standing in the library shelves before I finally gave up and found a chair to finish the whole thing. Then of course I had to check the book out and take it home so I could read it again, this time from the beginning.
Definitely some creepy stuff in this book, but great storytelling and characters!
Definitely some creepy stuff in this book, but great storytelling and characters!
February 16, 2009
It would be a good story if Card didn't have such backwards ideas of gender roles and relationships.
July 22, 2009
Just awful.
February 2, 2014
Just awful. Cliched, two dimensional and uninteresting characters, plot "twists" that were utterly predictable, and a very non scary supernatural element. Don't bother.
September 7, 2017
pretty goofy but not a total waste of time. (Prob what my Tinder dates say about me)
March 11, 2022
Judging by this writing, I don't think Card has ever had a healthy relationship with a woman or regarded them as human beings.
July 13, 2017
This plot-twisting ghost story is everything you want it to be without rehashing the too-familiar. Orson Scott Card and his innovative story-telling draw you in and hold you until the last possible second. From a care-worn protagonist who won't give up to an old magician living next door, the characters are complex, emotion-worthy, and real.
Don Lark buys a house in desperate need of repair, planning to fix it up and turn it for profit. Because he would otherwise be living out of his truck, he puts up a cot in the house. To his surprise, he finds a squatter, a girl named Sylvie who's been living in the house for years because her college plans fell through. And to his annoyance, the old women next door tell him he shouldn't fix up the house and that he should tear it down right away.
Of course, he doesn't want to tear it down. This was how he made his living. But the more he does to the house, the weirder his life gets. Things happen that force him to confront his past; a lost daughter and ex-wife. His past intertwine's with Sylvie's past, both of them having lost things. And while he's repairing the house, things go missing, and the house gets stronger...
Okay, I'm not going to give much more away.
What I liked: Mostly, that this was a scary story without all the gore, blood, or sex. Instead, it ran on strong characters, plot, and setting. Everything about this book was strong. After only a few pages I liked Don Lark, and I knew he was a good person with a horrific past. I like that the humans are human, that no one of them is perfect or expected to be perfect. Even Don has a mean streak. The house made a beautiful and interesting setting, and the plot kept moving forward, kept me involved. The main plot and the subplots wove together and made everything relevant.
What I didn't like: I didn't love Cindy's character, but I felt sympathy for her. Other than that, I can't remember if anything really bothered me.
Favorite quote: "We're not a family. We're the opposite of a family. We're people so lonely that when we're together we make a black hole of loneliness and everything else gets sucked down into it and is never seen again." (Don Lark)
Would I recommend? Definitely! 4 out of 5.
Don Lark buys a house in desperate need of repair, planning to fix it up and turn it for profit. Because he would otherwise be living out of his truck, he puts up a cot in the house. To his surprise, he finds a squatter, a girl named Sylvie who's been living in the house for years because her college plans fell through. And to his annoyance, the old women next door tell him he shouldn't fix up the house and that he should tear it down right away.
Of course, he doesn't want to tear it down. This was how he made his living. But the more he does to the house, the weirder his life gets. Things happen that force him to confront his past; a lost daughter and ex-wife. His past intertwine's with Sylvie's past, both of them having lost things. And while he's repairing the house, things go missing, and the house gets stronger...
Okay, I'm not going to give much more away.
What I liked: Mostly, that this was a scary story without all the gore, blood, or sex. Instead, it ran on strong characters, plot, and setting. Everything about this book was strong. After only a few pages I liked Don Lark, and I knew he was a good person with a horrific past. I like that the humans are human, that no one of them is perfect or expected to be perfect. Even Don has a mean streak. The house made a beautiful and interesting setting, and the plot kept moving forward, kept me involved. The main plot and the subplots wove together and made everything relevant.
What I didn't like: I didn't love Cindy's character, but I felt sympathy for her. Other than that, I can't remember if anything really bothered me.
Favorite quote: "We're not a family. We're the opposite of a family. We're people so lonely that when we're together we make a black hole of loneliness and everything else gets sucked down into it and is never seen again." (Don Lark)
Would I recommend? Definitely! 4 out of 5.
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