Cry for the Strangers

There is a scene near the end of Cry for the Strangers in which John Saul describes his book perfectly. One character is saying to the other, “And I'll tell you something else – I don't think he's ever going to make sense out of this mess. I'm not sure there is any sense.” Interestingly enough, the characters seem to be having a discussion about their creator, John Saul himself. They are accurate in their assessment. Nothing in this book makes any sense because I'm positive the author himself has no idea what the book is about. 

Cry for the Strangers may be John Saul's most notable book. It was published in 1979 by Dell, reached bestseller status with the rest of his bibliography, and was adapted into a CBS movie-of-the-week starring Patrick Duffy and Brian Keith. It's a familiar formula for Saul, the one where the town's outsiders stumble upon a wicked secret preserved for generations. Small town horror is easy genre fodder as it creates an introduction to the town through the eyes of its newest resident. The readers can simultaneously experience the welcome along with the main character. Both are new in town, making it an easy story to delve into. Saul used this plot device for over three decades of horror superstardom. But the problem is, he fails to actually disclose the town's deep, dark secret. Instead, he meanders around it for 418 pages – the exact length of the book – leaving more questions than answers.

The book focuses on the newest two couples that have temporarily moved to Clark's Harbor, a New England-styled town on the California coast. For Brad and Elaine, it is a chance for both of them to pursue their personal goals, which include Brad's book about the body's bio-rhythms. For Rebecca and Glenn, the opportunity to raise their children on the rocky beach while establishing an art store. However, Clark's Harbor doesn't like strangers. Their leader, Police Chief Waylin, is dead set against any newcomers taking up residence in the town. But, despite warnings and threats of physical violence, both couples feel that Clark's Harbor is a place worth fighting for. Saul never bothers to explain what's so special about the town beyond sand and ocean.

Through 418 painful pages, readers experience moving, building store shelves, cooking, cleaning, and other daily routines that pad the page. The horror, if there is any, consists of a man drowning, a woman found hanged to death, a shipwreck, and a main character's death by broken neck. Beyond that...nothing. There's no real explanation for any of it other than some poppycock about storms and bio-rhythm that causes one resident to become homicidal. Nothing else is ever explained. Instead, the author just rests on writing pages upon pages of pointless dialogue and a recycling of the book's main chapter sparks – the two kids running on the beach at night and their parents asking where they are.

Cry for the Strangers is Hall of Shame material. The only crying is the after-effect of reading this boring pile of nonsense and realizing you've lost 12 hours of reading time. Stay away, for God's sake, just stay away from this clutter.