Heart-Shaped Box (novel)

Heart-Shaped Box
Cover of US edition
Author Joe Hill
Cover artist Susan Young
Country United States
Language English language
Genre Horror fiction
Publisher William Morrow
Publication date
 February 13, 2007
Media type Print (Hardback)
Pages 400
ISBN 978-0-06-114793-7
OCLC 69734622
813/.6 22
LC Class PS3608.I4342 H43 2007

Heart-Shaped Box (2007) is the debut horror novel of author Joe Hill. The book was published on February 13, 2007 by William Morrow.

Synopsis

Aging rock star Judas Coyne spends his retirement collecting morbid memorabillia such as a witch's confession, a real snuff film and, after being sent an e-mail directly about the item online, a dead man's suit. He is told by the daughter that the old man's spirit is attached to this funeral suit. The ghost will go wherever it does and so buying this suit would effectively be buying a poltergeist; Judas cannot pass up this opportunity.

The suit arrives in a heart-shaped box. Various odd occurrences cause Judas to realize that the ghost is dangerous and is out to kill him and those around him. His assistant, Danny Wooten, leaves Jude's service, but not before contacting the woman who sent the suit. Jude finds out that the ghost was the father of a groupie, Florida, whom he dated for a few months and who had later committed suicide. The ghost wants revenge on Jude for causing Florida's death, as he sees it. Jude flees his house with his current girlfriend, Georgia, with the ghost chasing them.

The ghost's intent is to keep Jude away from his two dogs, Angus and Bon, which, as familiars, can protect their owners from the dead. However, Georgia insists on taking the dogs with them. The dogs save them several times, but the ghost eventually kills them. Jude and Georgia discover that Florida was hypnotized and molested by her stepfather, Craddock McDermott. When Florida threatened to turn in Craddock and her elder sister Jessica to the police, they killed her and staged her death as a suicide. Later, a dying Craddock hexed the suit and arranged for Jessica to sell it to Jude.

After a series of gory battles between Jude and Craddock, Georgia finds the way to bring Florida back from the grave and help Jude fight her stepfather. In the end, Craddock is vanquished, freeing Jude and Georgia from his curse; and Jessica imprisoned. Jude and Georgia make it through the horrendous event and eventually marry.

Publication

Hill received a great deal of attention with the publication of Heart-Shaped Box. Subterranean Press published the advance edition of 500 copies and they sold out within days, long before publication. The limited signed and numbered 200 copies and 15 lettered copies are sought after by Joe Hill book collectors. A second printing of the limited edition was announced by Subterranean Press on April 14, 2007, and released in May 2007. The second printing sold out within hours of being announced. Hill went on an international tour promoting his book which ended in April 2007.

His previous book, 20th Century Ghosts, was only available through the UK publisher PS Publishing and was printed in very limited quantities (1,700 copies in total, 700 of which are signed).

Heart-Shaped Box peaked on The New York Times bestseller list at #8,[1] and has been reviewed by the New York Times[2] and Time magazine.[3]

Heart-Shaped Box won the 2007 Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel.

Adaptations

The film rights to Heart-Shaped Box were acquired by Warner Bros. in 2007 to be produced by Akiva Goldsman. Irish director Neil Jordan wrote the script and was slated to direct.[4] The project stalled in development hell.

References

  1. ↑ "Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. April 8, 2007.
  2. ↑ Maslin, Janet (February 8, 2007). "BOOKS OF THE TIMES; Clothes Make The Man Scared". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ Grossman, Lev (February 9, 2007). "The Son Also Frightens". Time.
  4. ↑ "Jordan will build 'Box' for Warners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
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