The Man in the Watch Still Visits Me At Night Book Review

by Catalina Bonati

2/5 stars ★★☆☆☆

The Man in the Watch Still Visits Me at Night 

by Joshua Chaplinsky (to be published September 2026) is a multiple timeline horror story about Jenna and her boyfriend Brian who visit an abandoned house called the Vogel house and become trapped in the games of the ghosts of its past and are unable to leave. It follows multiple characters in what appear to be different timelines.

The plot is non-linear and is a bit disjointed and confusing. In the first half of this book, it lacks focus and situations and descriptions become quite repetitive. The characters are not deeply delved into and since we spend very little time with them in every chapter, they are unengaging and it is hard to care about what happens as they are all flat. For the first 200 pages, the plot does not advance or go anywhere. In addition, in this first half, the prose is a bit disassociated and distant, although there is some descriptive visual imagery.

Some important elements in the story need further explanation; for instance, the importance of the letters which drive Jenna to want to remain at the Vogel house even though at times she can escape. Although it is clear that this story is representative of the women who have suffered sexual abuse and been victims of pedophilia and domestic violence, and this is the traumatic power which the ghosts of the past and present hold their victims in this grasp, yet it is still unclear how it is that Mr. Vogel holds such power over different women in different timelines. Who exactly the man in the watch is is also vague.

During the second half of the book, the writing becomes tighter and more focused and the characters begin to have more substance to them. With the appearance of a new character, relationships become stronger and there is more action as well rather than just flashbacks and time jumps. The ending is strong, although the start is slow and too long.

Overall, this book’s vision is clear, but its execution needs some strong polishing. It is surrealist horror, and though it mentions House of Leaves as one of its inspirations, The Man in the Watch Still Visits Me at Night is a far cry from the experience that Danielewski’s masterpiece achieves. At times the writing seems forced and a bit pretentious (such as sometimes speaking to an audience). This book might be recommended for readers of experimental, slow-paced horror.    

This book was received as an ARC from CLASH Books and Netgalley.