I must say that I did try very hard to like this book after so many recommendations, but I found it rather boring. Drood is a fictional exploration of the last years of Charles Dickens' life as told by Wilkie Collins. Dickens meet the mysterious stranger Drood in the aftermath of a terrible accident and basically becomes obsessed with him.
There is no denying that Simmons can write. He has a knack for sumptuous descriptions of people, places, and moods. The chapter when Dickens and his hesitant sidekick Collins first explore London underground was exceptional and genuinely creepy. If only more of the book had started off like this. I also enjoyed the ambiguity of Wilkie's situation at first - is he experiencing hallucinations due to his drug addiction or are there supernatural events occurring around him?
What I really didn't like was the whole "society novel" aspect. I just didn't really care to read about the London gossip, the dinner parties, etc. I also didn't like Wilkie or Charles and couldn't see any point in slogging my way through nearly 800 pages in the hopes that maybe eventually things would get more interesting.
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I read The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. I prefer Shirley Jackson. Hill's book wasn't creepy enough for me and I found it rather bland. (addendum: I just found out Daniel Radcliffe is staring in a movie version of this book and the trailer is 100 times scarier - The Woman in Black).
I am also reading The Passage, which is kind of hit or miss - some sections are super engrossing and others I feel like I should skim. Also, the book didn't need to be that long. Reminds me of the judges on Project Runway this season constantly telling Josh to edit. You don't need to throw every single idea into one creation. Seriously.
Finally, about halfway through The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Its super cool.
