By Matt Molgaard
I freely admit that I was reluctant to read Michael Philip Cash’s novella The Hanging Tree. I had just finished David Bernstein’s Witch Island, which is essentially the same idea we encounter in this case: a witch who is executed by a horrible mob curses those who killed her – and their bloodline – to end up wandering a specific piece of land directly related to the execution. Bernstein’s book Did Entertaining, it’s purely by-the-book and predictable in every way. To say it lacks originality is a bit of an overstatement. Externally, Cash’s story delivers a carbon copy. Fortunately for those who enjoy witch stories, Michael’s thought process is a bit more complex, which ultimately brings more twists and turns in his story.
As the title suggests, The Hanging Tree has a real tree at its core. But it’s not the tree itself, or the one the reader is trapped in, that really drives the horror (although many in the story do find themselves hanged by this sinister-looking sapling), but the personalities of the living individuals and various spirits trapped in the titular tree that really drive the story forward.
Cash’s layering of stories is very impressive. Rather than heading south for the sake of going south, Cash drives his car through countless twists and turns and then delivers the reader to the destination. And this approach works like magic. The characters come alive (even those without a pulse), the intersections of the stories gradually converge – creating a real complexity despite the simplicity of the core of the matter – and the final payoff is very different from the norm. It’s a very satisfying experience.
Ultimately, the only real flaw in The Hanging Tree is the less-than-satisfactory editing job. Trust me, the story is engaging enough to overlook a few typos (and let’s be honest, what novel has at least a few typos?). I don’t expect to be hanged by any Tree, I can tell you, but Cash’s horror creation is a truly fascinating experience, and I would recommend The Hanging Tree to anyone interested in a stimulating spin on a familiar anecdote.
Order yours here.
score:4/5
