• Blackwater: The Complete Saga

  • By: Michael McDowell
  • Narrated by: Matt Godfrey
  • Length: 30 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (9,977 ratings)

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Blackwater: The Complete Saga  By  cover art

Blackwater: The Complete Saga

By: Michael McDowell
Narrated by: Matt Godfrey
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Publisher's summary

Blackwater is the saga of a small town, Perdido, Alabama, and Elinor Dammert, the stranger who arrives there under mysterious circumstances on Easter Sunday, 1919. On the surface, Elinor is gracious, charming, anxious to belong in Perdido, and eager to marry Oscar Caskey, the eldest son of Perdido's first family. But her beautiful exterior hides a shocking secret. Beneath the waters of the Perdido River, she turns into something terrifying, a creature whispered about in stories that have chilled the residents of Perdido for generations. Some of those who observe her rituals in the river will never be seen again....

Originally published as a series of six volumes in 1983, Blackwater is the crowning achievement of Michael McDowell, author of the Southern Gothic classics Cold Moon Over Babylon and The Elementals and screenwriter of Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas. This first-ever one-volume edition will allow a new generation of listeners to discover this modern horror classic.

©1983, 2017 Michael McDowell (P)2017 Valancourt Books LLC

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What listeners say about Blackwater: The Complete Saga

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6,726
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    2,112
  • 3 Stars
    723
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Story
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    1,894
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    5 out of 5 stars

If Stephen King Wrote Fried Green Tomatoes

Someone else used that description and it was the reason I picked it up. I wasn’t really sure what to expect with that but it was perfect and exactly what I wanted. It’s more of a family history with horror mixed in. Narrator was phenomenal. Highly would recommend!

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6 people found this helpful

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Loved! A Favorite!

This was a fantastic, immersive story. I am not a fan of serious books that try adding in unbelievable aspects like zombies, ghosts, and spirits, but McDowell expertly handles the light supernatural aspect of his tale so that it augments the story rather than subtracts from it. Godfrey's narration was pure perfection.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A Southern Gothic Masterpiece

Easily one the best southern Gothic novels I've read.

This is the story of a woman that arrives in a town under mysterious circumstances and insinuates herself in the family there. The story plays out over decades and the changes of the Caskey family spool out in surprising and sometimes terrible ways.

The characters in this book are seldom saints and the feel of small town southern life, both the public face and the private darkness, is explored to its fullest.

At thirty hours this book seems a daunting investment but I will say it was one of the fastest "long listens" I've had. This book is amazing and well worth a listen.

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Incredible

Invested can not even begin to describe how I felt listening to the story of this family.

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Wonderful, captivating book

This book is a multigenerational story of family, love, and deep mystery. The story and the narration are outstanding. Matt Godfrey brought the characters to life. I love this audible book!

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  • LM
  • 04-29-18

GREAT - you will find yourself 'immersed!'

What did you love best about Blackwater: The Complete Saga?

The character development and the quality of the writing are excellent and affecting. I felt like I was present in every scene. I came to know and understand each character. I loved the family dynamics and the requisite suspension of belief. These elements created a story that I did not want to end.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Blackwater: The Complete Saga?

So many! Perhaps the very beginning when Oscar 'rescued' Elinor after the flood. This is where the intrigue began and then became increasingly heightened as events unfolded.

What does Matt Godfrey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator was excellent and brought each character to life. I will look for other books narrated by Matt Godfrey. His skill with dialogue (James Caskey's character, for example) is unmatched. I know the Caskey family and I miss them.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

In some ways this book made me think of the film "The Shape of Water" - which won an academy award. This story would top that by leaps and bounds! Not sure about a tag line as there are so many facets of the novel that I could imagine in film.

Any additional comments?

L-O-V-E-D this series of novellas. I listened to the audio version and the narrator really brought the story to life. How had I not discovered this author before? So many relatable and memorable characters. I found myself feeling connected to each and every one. For those who can suspend belief for awhile, this a story where you can lose yourself (dare I say 'immerse' yourself?). The saga is 30 hours of listening and I did not want the book(s) to end.

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Excellent book!

Haunting and touching! Loved following this family saga from beginning to end. A memorable book I won't soon forget.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

As Much Family Saga as Horror

This novel was originally published as a serial novel in six parts, but any one part alone wouldn't stand on its on metaphorical two feet. If it interests you, you need to read or listen to the whole thing. And when I first started listening to my Audible edition, I wasn't sure I'd like it.

I like some horror, but not lots and mostly authors I'm familiar with. So this horror story was just going to be a “potato chip” book that I probably wouldn't finish.

I was wrong. This is much about the Caskey family, a rather odd family, as it is about river monsters (but of course, it includes river monsters). I like family sagas and this entertained me more than the horror part of it, which was an important part but mostly on the edge of the story. This family seems to think nothing of giving their kids away or getting someone else's. They run timber mills before the depression hits, through WWII, and later on. They keep pretty much to themselves, despite being the town's royalty. And the Blackwater and Perdido rivers are ever present. The horror part is occasionally rather grisly, but there is not a huge amount of it. Despite starting this book thinking I very well may give it up partway through, I ended up enjoying it and the narration of it quite a bit.

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Wonderful Story Telling

I did not believe I would be entertained by a 50-year history of this family, even with the supernatural elements. But I was and I really enjoyed it throughout. This is great story telling and the narration was top notch. I'd call this southern gothic at it's best. I'll be looking for more stories from this author.

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masterpiece

this was amazing. I'd never heard of it and bought it on a whim as part of a 2 for 1 sale. it is a slow burn but its cemented as one of my favorite stories ever and the narrator is a perfect example of when an audio book is better than the paper copy.

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