“Three Days” (1984)

[spoilers] I thought this story by Tanith Lee was pretty good—gothic more than supernatural, with a supremely messed-up family. In fact, one weak point is how extreme it is, with a sadistic father who loathes his children and humiliates them in public. Another weak point is too much explanation. But the narrative pull is strong, something I’m learning to appreciate for itself, as much horror tends to accord it less regard, if not dispensing with it altogether. The story focuses on Honorine, the only daughter of the father, the youngest and most vulnerable of his three children. When we first see her even the first-person narrator, a friend of one of the sons, is cruel in his description. “She was not ugly, but that is all that can be said. Indeed, had she been ugly, she would have possessed a greater advantage.” There’s more—he goes on about her for some time. The narrator has been invited along for the rituals of occasional humiliation of the children by the father. It so infuriates this narrator to be made witness that he breaks off with his friend. Next there’s a scene where the sister—Honorine—is seen by the narrator by chance. Now the impression she makes is much different: “... there truly was about her a gracefulness—of gesture, of attitude. And a strange air of laughter, mischievous and essentially womanly, that despite myself began to entice me to her vicinity.” The reason for this change is not entirely clear, but has something to do with an occultist group operating out of a bookstore. It could be that Honorine has come to believe she is the reincarnation of a persecuted woman who lived in an earlier century, or perhaps there are witches in the group and they are doing something, or some combination. Honorine seems to have had a boost in confidence by identifying with the woman. I could pretty much hang with all this, and I’m not sure what I’d do with the story myself, but at this point it starts to become more psychologically real and yet paradoxically less believable. The father, who verges on omniscient or has some excellent private detectives, finds out about the group and the woman and Honorine’s beliefs and attacks them directly, which shatters all the progress Honorine has made. Next stop suicide. I mean, OK, maybe. But it seems sad and pointless to make the story about this elaborate and unbelievable cruelty, mainly because it isn’t believable and lost me altogether. Still, Lee is a good storyteller and on balance it’s an enjoyable read.

The Dark Descent, ed. David G. Hartwell
Story not available online.