I read many horror books in the last two years. But my absolute favorite is Mariana Henriques.” Our share of the night. The book was originally published in 2019 in Argentina, but did not receive an English translation until 2023. While it doesn't quite reach Stephen King proportions (nearly 600 pages), I'd say it still qualifies as an epic.
There are certainly frightening and horrific elements to this story involving ancient gods, a powerful cult, and brutal ritual violence. But, as is usually the case with the best horror films, the supernatural here replaces the horrors of the real world. Here, Enriquez uses the occult to explore the history of political violence, family trauma, and the unbridled greed of Argentina's wealthy elite.
The story spans several decades, starting in the 1980s, going back to the 60s and 70s, and then jumping to the late 90s. Primarily the story of widower Juan and his son Gaspar, who try to escape the clutches of a group of wealthy occultists known as the Order. Juan is a medium used by the Order to communicate with the Darkness, a sort of unknowable Lovecraftian deity that the Order believes can grant them immortality.
While I find it difficult to be truly scared of the book, there are several passages in it. Our share of the night it really affected me.
Juan was born into a poor immigrant family, but when his abilities are discovered, the Order takes him from his family and makes him a tool in their rituals, which they know will tire him and lead to an early grave. Juan wants to save his son from the same fate. The relationship between them is skillfully handled by Enriquez, who manages to convey the complexities and intimacy of parenthood in a way that few others can.
Unfortunately, in the tender moments when Juan holds his son as he cries for his lost mother, he is often cruel and abusive. Although he is willing to go to great lengths to protect his son from the external threat of the Order, he is unable to protect Gaspard from his own rage and emotional instability. Like most of the book's characters, Juan is both a criminal and a victim of violence at the hands of his family and an uncaring system that treats people as disposable.
Our share of the night This is a difficult novel that can feel dark at times as it features graphic depictions of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, authoritarianism and addiction. And at times the prose can feel a little clunky due to translation, but this is still one of the most engrossing books I've ever read. (I plan to re-read it soon.)
The characters Henriques creates are complex—almost no one is a purely good person, and people's motives can be murky. The gothic world she created is based on the very real political trauma Argentina experienced during the war. Dirty War the late 1970s, during which at least 22,000 people were killed or disappeared. The history of the Order is detailed and frightening.
While I find it difficult to be truly scared of the book, there are several passages in it. Our share of the night it really affected me. One scene in particular, in which Juan communicates with the Darkness in the cemetery, stuck with me for days – not because of any gruesome depiction of violence or gore, but solely because of Enriquez's ominous writing.
Our share of the night It's also quite a sexy novel at times. While horror and sex are often closely intertwined (see almost any vampire story), it's not an afterthought here. There are numerous sex scenes that add to the atmosphere of hedonism surrounding the life of the Order. Juan is described as an almost irresistible Adonis – tall, blond, muscular – but he is also terminally ill, suffering since childhood from a chronic heart condition that could realistically end his life at any moment. Enriquez deftly plays with this juxtaposition, as well as Juan's sexuality. There are also a number of strange characters prominently featured.
Mariana Enriquez has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary authors. I read two more collections of her stories: Dangers of smoking in bed And Things we lost in the fire. It's great, but it's Our share of the night that I can't get out of my head.
You can find it at majority e-book stores, but I highly recommend you go and buy a hard copy in your area. independent bookstore or support your local library.
