Come Closer is a very short novel about a woman who is happily married (is she?) with a comfortable but rewarding lifestyle (is it?) who suddenly starts having some pretty funky dreams that unsettle her deeply (do they?).
I love a good possession story. Give me some strained pea vomit and speaking in tongues any day. Scary stuff.
But Come Closer goes to a potentially even scarier place. What if all those things were happening to you but you kind of, sort of… liked it?
Amanda is an architect, married to Ed, who works in finance. They own a cool loft in a hidden corner of the city, which she has used her creative energy to completely remodel. She and Ed have a comfortable coexistence, though he is a bit fussy around the house and often works late. He is not the best communicator, but they are happy enough together.
Then Amanda has a dream about a dark haired woman on a red beach. She holds Amanda close and tells her she is loved. She makes Amanda feel seen and warm and wanted, and it is a thrill. Then Amanda starts behaving a little strangely. It begins innocently enough… She picks more fights, buys expensive clothes, and starts smoking again. And somewhere in her home, a relentless ‘tap tap’ noise plagues her. Then things start to escalate. Where did that brown splatter on her blouse come from, and how did the man at the magazine stand who was rude to her end up murdered? She blacks out for hours at a time. And when she does an “are you possessed” quiz, her score gets higher each time.
Amanda reaches out to a couple of mystics and half-heartedly engages with their recommendations, but deep down she seems to want to embrace this demonic entity.
Given how short this novel is, a couple of hours of reading at most, it is hard to say much more without spoiling the entire book. After looking online, I can see this is quite a polarising novella, with many readers finding it far too simplistic and straightforward. Perhaps I picked this one up at the right time, and that is why it clicked so well for me. I read it while waiting for a connecting flight in Hong Kong, and it was the perfect literary meal to go with a side of spicy noodles.
If you are looking for a short trip into depravity, then give this one a go. Otherwise, perhaps you are better off sourcing your demonic delights elsewhere. For me, this was 4 ‘unintentional’ cigarette burns out of 5.
