After browsing the book store once again (I’ve been far too many times over the past few weeks), I decided that I just had to get John Connolly’s Nocturnes as a last-minute addition to my R.I.P. II pool. After reading a few of the stories, I must say that it’s been well worth the squeeze on my bank account!
The Ritual of the Bones by John Connolly
“You know, in many ways, scholarship students are the lifeblood of this establishment…”
The story is told from the point of view of Jenkins, a scholarship student attending an elite British boarding school. Through his eyes, we see how his lower-class status separates him from the other, more privileged students. We see how he struggles to fit in, to find favor and acceptance in a world that barely tolerates his existence. We also glimpse the dark, crawling, secret things hidden by the school’s facade of tradition and privilege. Yes, here there be monsters!
This was the first story I landed on upon opening the book. I tend to skip around in short story collections and read things at random. It lends a little bit of suspense and surprise to the reading, I think. Even though this story is a little on the short-short side (13 pages), it really packs a punch for me. It reminds me a lot of the way Lovecraft’s work feels, but without the antiquated language.
