In the introduction to this edition of The Narrows, author Ronald Malfi recounts a story about his initial pitch about the story being, “I want to write a vampire novel, only I don’t want to put any vampires in it” (7).
As he continued to explain, Malfi expressed, “I like the tone of a vampire novel, the sensibilities of them…I like to get readers drunk on atmosphere,” and he’s achieved all of these in a masterful way as the story unfolds (8).
Welcome to the small, dying town of Stillwater. A place populated with decaying homes, lost dreams, and boarded-up businesses. While that’s enough to cause most people to flee, it is the remaining residents who make the best from what’s around them. And those that remain are about to encounter horrors beyond comprehension.
Malfi’s initial idea – a vampire novel without vampires –is brilliantly brought to life in graphic detail, and his characters and the situations they find themselves in are rife with vivid sights, sounds, smells, and tactile details. Like his other works, Malfi pulls no punches as he sucks you into the world of the story, giving you a fully realized experience that stays with you long after the tale’s over.
This 2024 edition of The Narrows includes a prologue that was originally only available online and is the “Author’s Preferred Edition” of the novel.
If you love books about horrors in a small town, I definitely recommend The Narrows by Ronald Malfi.