Usher's Passing

“The Fall of the House of Usher” is arguably one of Poe's most Gothic stories, a tale of hereditary doom that might be tricky for the reader to get into but also quite likely to haunt the imagination thereafter. McCammon takes a risk in crafting a story so obviously inspired by Poe's classic story but he succeeds in crafting a contemporary Gothic tale with strong horror elements.

The first chapter of the novel starts things on a strong note, presenting a fascinatingly sinister picture of one of the Usher clan as he confronts Edgar Allan Poe over his writing of a story about the family. Poe swears he thought it was purely fiction, that perhaps he heard about them second-hand and subconsciously worked the family into a story he thought he had dreamed up.

It sets the tone well, making it clear that while connected to Poe's story, McCammon intends to make Usher's Passing his own story and to update the old Gothic theme of the doomed family line. From there, events leap forward to the present day. Rix Usher is called back to the family home near Asheville, North Carolina, by his father, Walen, who is dying from a hereditary terminal illness which enhances the senses of its victims. The Usher family has prospered in the years since that encounter with Mr. Poe, growing incredibly wealthy off of the business of manufacturing weapons. They now possess a large estate in the mountains of North Carolina, dominated by a large, though unused, mansion they call The Lodge. The estate has its own Gothic reputation, and the locals tell stories about The Pumpkin Man, who snatches up children, and his monstrous feline companion, Greediguts.

At home, Rix has to contend with his mother Margaret, who is in denial regarding her husband's impending demise; his arrogant brother Boone and his fading Southern Belle of a wife; and his sister Katt, whose glamorous lifestyle conceals dark secrets. Rix's latest novel has been rejected by his publisher, and his return inspires thoughts about writing the Usher family history. While delving into the old documents in the library, he begins to uncover secrets and mysteries of the family.

McCammon's handling of the story's connection with its inspiration is well done. Poe's presence is certainly felt, from little story details to the climax of the book, but done with a light enough touch that it doesn't feel smothered by allusion. McCammon captures the traditional Gothic feeling of the doomed family and their imposing ancestral home, whose ominous presence reflects the family's own history. He gives these elements a very contemporary and Southern twist, giving the Usher's the Faulknerian feel of a family whose riches based off of the blood of others, but who have gained a certain measure of respectability thanks to their wealth and endurance. As the events of the novel unfold, the depths of the Usher family's crimes become explicit, and the judgment that falls across their house in the climax is worthy of Poe's original tale.