Catherine House audiobook

This definitely won't be a book for everyone, but I have to say that I really enjoyed the weird, quirky attributes this story had to offer. Please do not confuse the author's brevity of content for writing that isn't fully expanded upon; each scene is a slow, dread inducing dance that marries mystery with sensuality. The revelations might not be shocking to the seasoned suspense reader, but I felt the overall draw is more in the luscious setting and character interactions that gave me a foggy sense of the space between waking and dreaming. If you enjoy books that leave you wondering what you just read, you can't miss Catherine House.*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.this writing is SO good. I don't understand why people are saying there's no plot?? It's Vibes™️ but it's not like there wasn't a solid flow of events that lead up to something which surprised me because I was really expecting no direction whatsoever.— overall thoughts: 4.5 —*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless stated otherwise*PSA: I do not consider this as horror or even remotely scaryI'm weak for school and academy settings because of the character relationships that result from that. And this book gave all those dynamics that I was looking for without feeling redundant. The characters are very grey and are prone to teenage mistakes but that just made them feel more tangible and relatable. “Because they have some delusion that to be human and perishable is divine.” I think people expect a dynamic plot but it isn’t that but that doesn't mean it's bad? Honestly, I am so tired of books that try so hard to give out of this world plot twists that the essence of the book suffers greatly. Probably just my personal preference since I think I'm an unpopular opinion 😹Nothing about this book was ever boring to me LIKE.... NOTHING. The story telling was so well done and atmospheric. I was so intrigued by the looming mystery of the house and even though (view spoiler)[that was never given that solid of an answer and a solution (hide spoiler)] I didn't really mind.Definitely a weird book. It explores the mindset and vulnerability of people who are attracted to... associations.. like Catherine. I thought that it was poignant and I see why people might not have felt like this was for them. Don't get me wrong though, I really was just here for Vibes™️ and it delivered!A lot of strings were left untied by the end but I was satisfied with how everything went down. If you just want atmosphere and a good time, with characters that won't annoy the heck out of you and sound like a melodrama is playing in your head, I recommend this book.P.s.chanting people... I swear... one of the creepiest things to listen to audiobooks of["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

Read for the Literally Dead Book Club https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...and during this long ass vlog https://youtu.be/WEFpmwhBA7g

❀ blog ❀ thestorygraph ❀ letterboxd ❀ tumblr ❀ ko-fi ❀ 3 re-read: I once again loved this. The novel's gothic ambience is truly hypnotic and Thomas really manages to suffuse Ines' experiences at Catherine House with a dreamlike quality. There is a vagueness, a haze, one that makes many scenes opaque, unreachable. Yet, there are moments were the description are bursting with vibrancy: from the tantalising food descriptions to the attention paid to the changing seasons. This novel merits descriptors such as lush, sensual, and atmospheric. But, despite my very first impression, which had me dismiss this book as superficial and affected, I now feel an affinity to Ines, despite her remoteness. The novel doesn't present us with solid character development or particularly multi-dimensional characters, but I believe that Thomas does capture the essence of the people in Ines' lives, and stays true to her protagonist impression of them. There is also a subtle yet nevertheless palpable sense of 'wrongness' permeating Catherine House, and Thomas' sensuous and ethereal language really captures that. The use of repetition—be it words or imagery—is also highly effective as it gives the story a lulling rhythm that is hard to ignore.Set in the 90s Catherine House follows Ines Murillo and her 3 years at Catherine House, a private college-like institution shrouded in mystery. One of the college's central tenets is that its students (and teachers) should leave their past behind, and they are discouraged (read: forbidden) from discussing their families, childhoods, or any of their experiences or attachments they may have formed prior their arrival CH. They will spend the next 3 years in CH, were they have almost no contact with the outside world, meanwhile they can buy things (such as hair products, clothes, trinkets) and earn certain freedoms through a 'points' system. Not only are they closely monitored but they have to abide strict and obscure rules that see them taking part in happenings of a rather esoteric nature. Much about CH remains unknown to us, and even the architecture of house itself seems just beyond Ines' and our grasp. By giving us very little information CH acquires an air of ambiguity that really accentuates the narrative enigmatic tone. Ines' character too is a mystery, and I found myself simultaneously able to empathize with her and to feel slightly puzzled by her outlook and behaviour. She very much reminded me of Shirley Jackson's heroines, in particular, the peculiar & alienated protagonist of Hangsaman, Natalie Waite. They both often dissociate themselves from their surroundings and have a tendency to perceive their world and understand their experiences through dark yet fairy-talesque lenses.There are also certain lines that really reminded me of Jackson's work: “I am in the house, we chanted. The house is in the woods. My hands are on the table. The table is in the woods.” did bring to mind Merricat's “I put my hands quietly in my lap. I am living on the moon, I told myself, I have a little house all by myself on the moon.” Style and atmosphere wise I was also reminded of Magda Szabó's Abigail, Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, and Vita Nostra.Sure, there are certain minor points that I could question or criticise but ultimately I found the writing and Ines' voice so spellbinding that those didn't really matter. I mean, I read this twice in 6 months, so it safe to say that I absolutely loved it. re-read:...turns out I actually love this now...?! The first time I read this I was not impressed but this second time around…well, I loved it. It isn’t an easy book and I can sort of see why it could come across as frustrating…but if you are in the mood for a dreamy and ambiguous Gothic-y read you should consider giving Catherine House a go. If you are a fan of authors such as Shirley Jackson and Helen Oyeyemi, you will probably ‘vibe’ with this book. Speaking of vibes, I saw someone describe this as a book all about vibes and I have to agree. There is a strong focus on the atmosphere of Catherine House and Thomas pays particular attention to the smells and flavours Ines encounters in its walls. Throughout the narrative Thomas juxtaposes beauty with decay, and there were plenty of lush descriptions contrasting the two. Nature too has a role in this story and I loved how Ines describes the seasons. I loved Ines and her ‘sideways’ perspective. Thomas beautifully articulates Ines' conflicting feelings about Catherine House and I truly felt for her. I also loved her friendship group, often their scenes together eased some of the tension from the narrative. Basically, this second time I loved everything about this novel: the eerie setting, the ominous nature of plasm, Ines, her friends, the beautiful writing, the dreamlike atmosphere... I can’t wait to read this again (and maybe write a more cohesive review). 1st read: I initially gave this book 3 stars and was rather unimpressed by it (i deleted my og review as the views i expressed there are no longer of relevance). What I suggest is that you learn from my mistake and do not approach this book excepting the usual dark-academia type of campus novel (that has a clear arc etc.).

Oh my goodness... At times I felt I needed to have my head examined while reading “Catherine House”. But there is an addictive quality mixed with a few lagging parts.... but then back to addictive. I could have a field day talking about a variety of smorgasbord tidbits found inside this mysterious puzzling world-of-weird! ....One of the characters goes by the name ‘Baby’. Infantilizing - creepy - but fitting to the girls character...and the overall creepiness of the entire school. ....Catherine House is a prestigious cultlike environment of higher learning ....depriving their students from any contact with family or friends on ‘the outside’. Want to know why? Your guess is as good as anyone’s. ....The restrictions are endless ....Punishments are severe quarantine self isolation. ....Plasm .....( or curiosity of ectoplasm spirits?)....is a field of study. ....eerie, yet oddly engaging........Parts were brilliant gothic creative and intriguing....But.......Parts were boring. If you’re in the mood to visit a community of diverse older teens boarding together - with fraught relationships....eating, studying, partying, drinking, chatting, and having sex together...while discovering their purpose in life.....there are plenty of tales about Baby, Ines, Nick, Thor, Yaya, Mandy, etc., etc.,to keep you (mostly) interested. As for the mystery of “Catherine House”, itself.....Ha.....you’ll have to read to the ‘end’ ( which feels like it’s forever coming)... to know more. Take a walk on the haunting - wild side ..... at your own risk! 3.6 stars

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Claustrophobic, disturbing, and gorgeously written.

Catherine House is a college that produces greatness. Those who leave its hallowed halls do so with blazing glory in their future but are oddly tight-lipped about their past. The students there are cut off from the outside world for the entire three years of their stay and pay no price for the education and board they receive. Funding keeps the school alive, as do the mysteries surrounding it. I thought this was going to be a dark academia story, following pretentious scholars and their dark deeds but I never imagined that the school itself would become the central source of intrigue. Protagonist Ines has her own tragic past she is running from, as does every other student to grace the college confines, but they pale in comparison to those of the school and its leaders. Exactly what these secrets are is revealed yet never truly explained, leading this to feel like a strange fever dream of a novel, where nothing can be trusted as truth and everything is experienced in a dream-like haze that disallows the reader to get close to the heart of the matter.I have no words to adequately describe the unsettling experience of reading this novel. I think I enjoyed it and I certainly couldn't put it down. It held me at a distance but I believe this was a purposeful decision on the author's part. It was a sordid fairy tale, a dark academia insight, and a twisted Wonderland trip all in one. I grew to love and to fear the contents as Ines did and left the novel no more certain of what occurred but definitely invested in it, nonetheless.I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Elisabeth Thomas, and the publisher, Tinder Press, for this opportunity.

When I'm lining up forthcoming books I want to read, I tend to think of some as definites and some as maybes. I had Catherine House on the 'maybe' pile. I thought: elite university; newcomer with a secret; idyllic environment in which Things Are Not As They Seem – these are themes and tropes I like, but they've been done a million times, and there's a good chance this will bring nothing new to the table. Boy, was I wrong about that: this is such a rich and intoxicating novel, and it turned out to be the perfect escapist read for these dark times.Catherine House is an exclusive institution – 'not a college, exactly', but something similar; a 'community of minds'. It's shrouded in mystery, but also well-respected, and has produced renowned inventors, prizewinning artists, and two US Presidents. Students choose a 'concentration', but the classes they take are esoteric, with titles like 'Literature of War' and 'Electricities'. Catherine provides clothes, toiletries and lavish meals as well as education and accommodation. The catch is that, for the three years they study there, Catherine residents cannot leave the campus or communicate with the outside world. This suits our narrator, Ines, just fine. She's on the run from a troubled past; for her, the ability to hide is just as appealing as Catherine's exceptional reputation.There's also a science fictional element. Catherine is home to a highly secretive and experimental research discipline known as 'new materials'. Working with 'plasm', these researchers can – so the rumours say – make broken objects whole again. Places in new materials classes are highly sought after, but other students learn little of what they involve. Even so, thermometer-like instruments called 'plasm pins' are used on people too, seemingly to draw out memories and/or reconfigure one's attitude.It all adds up to an exciting, addictive confection. I sailed through it, totally immersed. It is easy to read, but quite beautifully written, balancing on that line between gorgeous and overly whimsical. Every description of food is indulgent, and the details of Ines's golden days made me ache to be there. Ines is an interesting choice of protagonist: stories like this are typically narrated by an outsider, but she's very much part of the in-crowd – someone who really finds her place at Catherine and seems to be accepted and liked by everyone. I enjoyed what Thomas did with her character: giving depth to someone who, on the surface, is not all that likeable or relatable; cleverly making us understand that her frame of perception is being shifted by outside forces, all while holding us within it.Catherine House has a lot in common with Mona Awad's Bunny: it's less gory, but the wild strangeness and lush language are similar. There are also shades of Lara Williams' Supper Club (all that sumptuous food) and, as the sci-fi ingredient, Sara Flannery Murphy's The Possessions. It's lovely and weird and abundant, and I enjoyed it a lot.I received an advance review copy of Catherine House from the publisher through NetGalley.TinyLetter

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Custom House) for promotional purposes. I know not a lot of people liked this book, but I oddly liked it. It’s not going to be an all time favorite of mine, but I was satisfied with it. A lot of people say that nothing happens in the book and there is some merit to that. There are a lot of scenes that aren’t that important to the book because they are kind of mundane. To me, I liked those parts because it helped highlight what life was like at the school. The school is the core of the book, so those parts were necessary. Speaking of the school, the author did a tremendous job giving Catherine House a voice and personality. Catherine House was a character itself. As for the ending, I liked it. It was a little ambiguous which I typically don’t like, but for this book it worked. The book is mysterious and I liked that it kept that element through the end. I really liked the writing style. There was something about it that pulled me deeper and deeper into the story. It was haunting and mesmerizing.One critique I have is that the book didn’t do a good job explaining plasm. I still don’t fully understand that part. I understand what it is generally, but don’t grasp how it works.Overall, this book will not be for everyone, so I recommend you read it for yourself and see what you think!

I had seen so many mixed reviews for Catherine House on my timeline that i was understandably apprehensive about picking it up. After reading this i now understand why. The characters are frustrating and at times, quite unlikable. The writing style leans heavily on description and the story as a whole has very little way of plot and also has one of those unbearable open endings. That being said, i enjoyed reading this. I saw someone describe it as "pure vibes" and that description fits well, Thomas has written an incredibly atmospheric book that kept me captivated until the every end. This isn't for everyone by any means, but i am glad i picked it up.

This book is an atmospheric gothic, scifi, YA/ New Adult, sinister boarding school, mystery read. The Catherine House is a super selective and highly coveted school that produces the best minds from their graduates. Because of their very large endowment, tuition is free, but no phones, internet or any contact with the outside world including families for three years. The story is centered around Ines who is running away from her past. The story is seen through her eyes. A slow burn mystery unfolds about an ongoing research on campus about plasma and the mysterious death of a student. The protagonist is an unlikable character who is lazy, undermotivated, skips class, parties and sleeps around with her male and female classmates. Quite the unique heroine. I found the writing to be lyrical, existential and poetic which leads to beautiful descriptions however losing this reader to the muddy plot and delivers a storyline as mysterious as the deaths. I found myself with more questions than answers as the story delves into deep symbolisms that strayed me. I find that many readers may enjoy this type of writing and to still give this read a go. If you like gothic boarding house reads with angst this one is for you. I however enjoyed tapping into this new to me genre.

oh my god.... OH MY GOD!! this was incredible!! so haunting and claustrophobic. I'll be chatting all about this underappreciated book on booksandlala's channel on Saturday and it'll be in a vlog next weekend on my channel!

Students at Catherine House are all special. They have to be special to give up everything the outside world has to offer to commit themselves to three full years at a selective school hidden in rural Pennsylvania. Catherine House offers its students completely free attendance to its experimental learning and research experience and a promise of success beyond its iron gates. A new first-year, Ines has come to Catherine as a last resort to escape her boisterous and chaotic life. Instead of strict discipline, she finds a place of higher learning dedicated to revelry and expanding the minds of its members. She finds friendship with her meek but determined roommate, Baby, but Ines doesn’t feel she is experiencing the same enchantment of Catherine as the other students are. When Baby’s time at the school ends in tragedy, Ines’ suspicion of Catherine House rises, and she attempts to understand the mysteries hidden with its gothic architecture and shabby charm. Catherine House is Elisabeth Thomas’ debut novel; Thomas is a Yale University alumnus who works as an archivist at the Museum of Modern Art. This story is a mix of mystery, thriller, drama, and science fiction. It is unexpected and exhilarating.

A haunting and haunted Gothic coming-of-age novel, full of rich prose and rising dread and strange secrets. It's like if Get Out were a campus novel. I LOVED it.