An Echo of Children by Ramsey Campbell -- a review

An Echo of Children by Ramsey Campbell

Review by Gary Fry

Ramsey Campbell has many enviable literary qualities but I think even his most ardent fan might be reluctant to use the term "page turner" to describe his approach. That's not to say he hasn't written any number of gripping thriller-type narratives. On the whole, however, his is a style that demands close attention, a kind of active collaboration between author and reader. 

That is why I was surprised – pleasantly so, as it happens – by An Echo of Children. Coming off the back of a string of quite idiosyncratic Campbell novels (Fellstones, The Lonely Lands, The Incubations), the stark commercial appeal of his latest novel will, I hope, expose him to new fans, perhaps some of those readers who have in the past struggled to engage with his work on the basis of its elusive aesthetics.

None of this is to suggest that in An Echo of Children Campbell has sacrificed any of his trademark artistry. The book is as elegantly written as ever, demonstrating the command of prose, pacing and characterisation that comes with his impressive sixty years in the trade. It is rather in the relative conventionality of his material here that Campbell scores so highly on the readability scale.

The plot is quite straightforward. Two grandparents of a beloved young boy begin to suspect that his parents are not treating him with the love and support any youngster ought to receive. Their investigations uncover potentially sinister reasons for this state of affairs, a situation that only escalates the more they learn. 

With perhaps only coincidental nods towards recent literary trends – I'm thinking, for example, of the elderly detectives in the inexplicably popular Richard Osman crime series – Jude and Thom become endearing sleuths, gradually exposing a troubling backstory that may, or indeed may not, have supernatural implications for their innocent grandson Dean. 

It is the tenderness of the characterisation that elevates this book above similar fare. Jude’s and Thom’s genuine concerns shine through their dogged attempts to establish the truth. They work well together, a byproduct of countless years of strong marriage. And when, possibly as a consequence of contagion from other gaslighting family members, Thom begins to suspect that his wife might be suffering some cognitive impairment, the love they share – for each other as well as for the boy – becomes all the more apparent.

I'm not sure how much we're supposed to read into the parents' decision to withdraw their son from mainstream school in favour of instruction at home. But we do now live in a world in which mistrust of state institutions often leads people into such foolishness as vaccine avoidance and the questioning of qualified experts. As ever with Campbell, this kind of commentary is there if you want it and subtle enough not to impede those simply in search of a good story.

And story is really what this book is about. I read it in a single sitting, absolutely gripped by its slow, suggestive build up of creeping menace. As an artist, Campbell rarely brings on the monsters, though much of his previous work often invokes the explicitly scary. Not so here. Almost everything is kept off stage, heightening the ambiguity of its more disturbing implications. Even the lengthy gripping final chapter refuses to yield to anything more tasteless than arch reticence. 

Then, come the very end, after reading a rather impish last line, you start thinking back about everything you've been told and wonder how much of it you can trust. That makes the novel quite a haunting experience, its sum exceeding its impeccable parts. And it shows that even when Campbell does without the typical accoutrements of his field, he can still grant you an experience hardly anybody else can. 

You can buy An Echo of Children here.