‘The Fog’ by James Herbert

My Review (4 stars out of 5)

A village turns into a disaster zone when huge crevasses open up in the road, causing people and cars to tumble into its depths. But oozing up from the bottom of one of the chasms is a mysterious yellow fog. As the strange haze moves around the countryside, it leaves everyone it encounters with a kind of madness, causing each one of them to carry out bizarre and murderous acts. Only one man seems immune to the deadly mist…

I first read The Fog as a teenager and loved it. Though I’d forgotten most of the plot, there are a few stand-out scenes that stuck in my memory, such as the woman who walks into the sea in an attempt to take her own life, but then changes her mind only to find herself facing a much bigger problem. Then there’s the dodgy games master whose pupils cut him off in his prime in the cruellest way. Though I’ve always been a James Herbert fan, I have to say this isn’t one of his best. At times the language is almost archaic – the opening scene reminiscent of The Archers, until the fog comes along. Also, some scenes drag on too long and I found myself skimming certain passages. But all in all, it’s a decent read that reminded me why I got into this author’s books in the first place.

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