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Paul Tremblay
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The Pallbearers Club: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Paul Tremblay (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 out of 5 stars 965 ratings
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

“Paul Tremblay delivers another mind-bending horror novel . . . The Pallbearers Club is a welcome casket of chills to shoulder.” – Washington Post

“Uncertainty is Tremblay’s stock-in-trade. Over the last decade, he has grown from hot new thing to horror icon without compromising on his uniquely inexplicable nightmares.” – Esquire

“[A] deliciously confusing thriller.” – Weekend Edition (NPR)

A cleverly voiced psychological thriller from the nationally bestselling author of The Cabin at the End of the World and Survivor Song.

What if the coolest girl you’ve ever met decided to be your friend?

Art Barbara was sonot cool. He was a seventeen-year-old high school loner in the late 1980s who listened to hair metal, had to wear a monstrous back-brace at night for his scoliosis, and started an extracurricular club for volunteer pallbearers at poorly attended funerals. But his new friendthought the Pallbearers Club was cool. And she brought along her Polaroid camera to take pictures of the corpses.

Okay, that part was a little weird.

So was her obsessive knowledge of a notorious bit of New England folklore that involved digging up the dead. And there were other strange things – terrifying things – that happened when she was around, usually at night. But she was his friend, so it was okay, right?

Decades later, Art tries to make sense of it all by writing The Pallbearers Club: A Memoir. But somehow this friend got her hands on the manuscript and, well, she has some issues with it. And now she’s making cuts.

Seamlessly blurring the lines between fiction and memory, the supernatural and the mundane, The Pallbearers Club is an immersive, suspenseful portrait of an unusual and disconcerting relationship.

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  1. Print length
    292 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    William Morrow
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    July 19, 2022
  6. File size
    5.4 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Pallbearers Club is Tremblay at his most audacious best. It's such a sneaky mindblower!" --Sarah Langan, author of Good Neighbors

About the Author

PAUL TREMBLAY has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, and Massachusetts Book Awards and is the author of Disappearance at Devil's Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, and the crime novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland. He is a member of the board of directors of the Shirley Jackson Awards, and his essays and short fiction have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly online, and numerous year's-best anthologies.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B6JQX6HM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 19, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.4 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 292 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063308084
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 965 ratings

About the author

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Paul Tremblay

Paul Tremblay

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Paul Tremblay has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, Sheridan Le Fanu, and Massachusetts Book awards and is the national bestselling author of The Beast You Are, The Pallbearers Club, Survivor Song, Growing Things and Other Stories, Disappearance at Devil's Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, and the crime novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland. His novel The Cabin at the End of the World was adapted into the Universal Pictures film Knock at the Cabin. Two short stories "The Last Conversation" and "In Bloom" were Amazon Original shorts.

His newest novel, Horror Movie, is coming June 2024.

His essays and short fiction have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and numerous "year's best" anthologies. He lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts and has a master's degree in Mathematics. He is represented by Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
965 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining and funny, describing it as wildly inventive modern horror and a literary vampire thriller. However, the readability receives mixed feedback, with some finding it good while others say it's unreadable. Moreover, several customers describe the book as boring.

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EnjoymentReadabilityHorror novelBoredom
11 customers mention "Enjoyment"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and funny, with one customer particularly appreciating the music and guitar elements.

"...I enjoyed the Pallbearer's Club very much...." Read more

"...Still, there were interesting parts as well. I enjoyed the music and guitar elements, and the very ending was riveting, truly...." Read more

"...What this book definitely is: different, funny, punk rock and quarky. I especially liked Mercy's annotations. Is it a vampire story?..." Read more

"...I can safely say this book was a delectable journey from start to finish." Read more

38 customers mention "Readability"24 positive14 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it really good and wonderful, while others describe it as unreadable and impossible to like.

"...But there some genuinely creepy scenes that I found very well-done...." Read more

"...Still, there were interesting parts as well. I enjoyed the music and guitar elements, and the very ending was riveting, truly...." Read more

"...That said, there were a few style choices that made this book hard to read at times. The single paragraphs that went on for pages, chief among them...." Read more

"This was unique and not what expected all in a good way. Always like Paul’s writing and that each of his books are different from one another...." Read more

18 customers mention "Horror novel"12 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about this horror novel, with some praising it as a wildly inventive modern horror and literary vampire thriller, while others find it disappointing.

"...an easy book to read and impossible to describe, but by far the most unique story I've read all year." Read more

"...This is a somewhat strange story, and not everyone will enjoy it, but I very much did...." Read more

"When I read A Head Full of Ghosts I was blown away. The best horror novel I'd read in years...." Read more

"...There are definitely a few moments of pure dread and the tension is near constant between the two main characters...." Read more

4 customers mention "Boredom"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the book boring.

"...I did not like the characters or the writing style. There was a lot of babbling and unnecessary text that I skipped through...." Read more

"...I appreciate the different way this story was told, but it was hard to stay interested in this particular story (for me)...." Read more

"...This one just fell flat for me, it was monotonous & boring, honestly...." Read more

"...Nothing is unsettling, it's just boring." Read more

Stunning, Is the Best Word For This
5 out of 5 stars
Stunning, Is the Best Word For This
Two(ish) narrators tell this odd tale, and the main narrator made me gasp and then cry with his last line. This is a somewhat strange story, and not everyone will enjoy it, but I very much did. All the other reviewers have given away the supernatural element so I won't bother. I will tell you that I became best friends/enemies with Art and Mercy, felt lonely without the other, felt their pain and grief, but never really shared any of Art's fears. I don't know why. That said, there were a few style choices that made this book hard to read at times. The single paragraphs that went on for pages, chief among them. I confess to having skipped past Art's band history because it was boring. I will read this twice, though, so that I can go back and see all the details I may have missed, or just be in on the secret from the beginning.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • JenniferRydell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, Is the Best Word For This
    Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Two(ish) narrators tell this odd tale, and the main narrator made me gasp and then cry with his last line.

    This is a somewhat strange story, and not everyone will enjoy it, but I very much did. All the other reviewers have given away the supernatural element so I won't bother. I will tell you that I became best friends/enemies with Art and Mercy, felt lonely without the other, felt their pain and grief, but never really shared any of Art's fears. I don't know why.

    That said, there were a few style choices that made this book hard to read at times. The single paragraphs that went on for pages, chief among them. I confess to having skipped past Art's band history because it was boring.

    I will read this twice, though, so that I can go back and see all the details I may have missed, or just be in on the secret from the beginning.
    Customer image
    JenniferRydell
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Stunning, Is the Best Word For This

    Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2022
    Two(ish) narrators tell this odd tale, and the main narrator made me gasp and then cry with his last line.

    This is a somewhat strange story, and not everyone will enjoy it, but I very much did. All the other reviewers have given away the supernatural element so I won't bother. I will tell you that I became best friends/enemies with Art and Mercy, felt lonely without the other, felt their pain and grief, but never really shared any of Art's fears. I don't know why.

    That said, there were a few style choices that made this book hard to read at times. The single paragraphs that went on for pages, chief among them. I confess to having skipped past Art's band history because it was boring.

    I will read this twice, though, so that I can go back and see all the details I may have missed, or just be in on the secret from the beginning.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Psychological Vampire Store
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I just reviewed this author's book "Horror Movie" which I read before buying this one. I enjoyed the Pallbearer's Club very much. It takes a while for the reader to see where the plot is going, but ultimately you realize there is a mystery as to the nature of the young woman who befriends the main character. He finds himself wondering if she's a vampire, and the reader is carried along as we wait to find out the "truth." A lot of the story hinges on the main character's inner life, and revolve around mundane occurences and his perceptions of them. But there some genuinely creepy scenes that I found very well-done. However, it's not a constant shock-fest, so readers who don't like psychological stories might not like this. If you DO like psychological horror, you'll probably enjoy this tale. I did.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Cozmickid80
    3.0 out of 5 stars I knew I would struggle...
    Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    ...to review this book while I was reading it. I recall thinking that. The reason is twofold. The first being the gimmick of memoir\novel with two voices. It can take a while to get use to that. At least it did for me.
    The other issue is that there are times when I had no bloody clue what was happening; whether the character was imagining things or if it was really going on. I don't need my hand held by an author, but there were times I found myself wondering if the writer was being deftly vague in his storytelling or I was just too dimwitted to grasp what was happening.

    And there were sections where there was nothing happening at all, (and maybe that is the biggest issue I had with the book, actually) because in those times I just wanted him to get on with it; that confused, surreal moments were better than meandering prattle.

    Still, there were interesting parts as well. I enjoyed the music and guitar elements, and the very ending was riveting, truly.

    Not always an easy book to read and impossible to describe, but by far the most unique story I've read all year.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Kia
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well, a horror book has finally kept me up at night.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I don't even know how to start this without it sounding disingenuous. This is a book unlike anything I've read before.

    Yes, it's horror. But it is so. Much. More.

    I will say nothing to spoil this, other than if you are a horror junkie, you do yourself a disservice by not reading it.

    It wasn't an easy read. I've cried more reading this than any other book I've read since I read "Where the Red Fern Grows" as a child. And this is one that will stay with me long after.

    Paul Tremblay, well done.
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  • Jamie E.
    2.0 out of 5 stars Skip this one.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I am a fan of Paul Tremblay, but I am not a fan of this book. I finished it - but it was painful and took a long time. I had to force myself to get through it, hoping it would get more interesting. It just never did. I did not like the characters or the writing style. There was a lot of babbling and unnecessary text that I skipped through. Not what I expected from this author.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Different and fun!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    When I read A Head Full of Ghosts I was blown away. The best horror novel I'd read in years. (Okay, maybe I hadn't read all that many in recent years, but I loved it)

    The Pallbearer's Club doesn't quite live up to it's excpectations, but pay no mind to that. Excpectations is a treacherous thing.

    What this book definitely is: different, funny, punk rock and quarky. I especially liked Mercy's annotations.

    Is it a vampire story? You decide. I recommend that you do😃
    12 people found this helpful
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  • Valarie
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good enough to read to completion, but that's about it
    Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I loved Mr. Tremblay's A Head full of Ghosts. This book is similar to that in that there is ambiguity in what is really happening, but the path to discovery here is not as interesting.
    Tbh, quite a bit is just plain infuriating. It was mediocre enough to finish, but not enjoyably.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Kayleigh
    5.0 out of 5 stars I Almost Wrecked My Car in a Chick Fil A Drive Thru
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    First I want to say this is my first Tremblay novel, and boy howdy do I understand the hype behind this man now.

    When I purchased this book, I was looking for a novel that would cure me of a book hangover from Grady Hendrix’s latest release and the cover of this book (yes, I know, how vain) looked like it would not disappoint AND BOY DID IT NOT. However, the book that I purchased WAS NOT AT ALL the book I had thought I was subscribing to. OH NO. At about the 20% mark the true nature of the book was revealed and the delish lead of the book that had been buried and yet was blatantly starring me dead in the face the whole time was finally revealed. And let me tell you. WHAT. A. RIDE. I absolutely fell in love with this book, and for those who like audiobooks to follow along I can assure the audiobook is just as excellent (I recommend listening on 1.10x speed for the perfect experience).

    I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I almost wrecked my car in a Chick-fil-A drive thru. I can safely say this book was a delectable journey from start to finish.
    23 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • SMNZ
    4.0 out of 5 stars Charity Chastity Prudence & Hope...but most important of all is Mercy
    Reviewed in Australia on July 19, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    A darkly romantic tale of gothic obsession set to a post-punk playlist of the mid to late 80s stumbling into the early alternative rock years pre-Nevermind, THE PALLBEARERS CLUB is guaranteed to bring cynical joy to horror loving Gen Xers.
    Tapping into the zeitgeist for nostalgia teen angst, the wit, wisdom & culture behind Art Barbara makes him an endearing if frustrating foil to the enigmatic Mercy.
    Mining many modern riffs on vampire analysis in popular culture, Tremblay still manages to bring something new to his take on one of horrors most enduring mythos.
    While I found Mercy a little hard to read at times ( if she's less successfully written than Art, or if her anti-cool girl schtick was boring to me as someone who grew up in that scene - i'm not sure) TPC is still head and shoulders above most other contemporary horror.

    (And this is begging for a TV adaptation! Kickarse soundtrack. )
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  • Randy Walton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Red & Black ink! Gorgeous!
    Reviewed in Canada on July 14, 2022
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Great-looking book!
    Customer image
    Randy Walton
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Red & Black ink! Gorgeous!

    Reviewed in Canada on July 14, 2022
    Great-looking book!
    Images in this review
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  • damian hennessy
    4.0 out of 5 stars My favourite Tremblay book so far.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    The Pallbearers Club really seems to divide opinions, but I thought it was excellent.

    The book takes the form of a memoir written by Art, who is reminiscing about his high-school years and his friendship with Mercy, the coolest girl he's ever met, who likes taking photographs of corpses and who might also be a vampire.
    It's a very well written book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the addition of Mercy's notes in the margins of the book. I haven't come across this type of format before and it's brilliantly done.
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  • Fyffee1984
    3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This was a stop and start story for me. It felt like it went round the houses. I finished it because I wanted to find out what happened, but I struggled to care about it. I think it was the lack of definite explanation which probably says more about my impatience and imagination (or lack there of) than the story.
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  • Olivier Ferlatte
    1.0 out of 5 stars Unable to read
    Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Book is unreadable, does not appear to be formatted for kindle , shows two small pages per kindle page, no option to change font size, text is very light. I would like to return and get a refund! This is very frustrating.
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