RIP Review: Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

Most of you probably already know the plot; a happy young couple moves into a new apartment building and soon discover they are pregnant.  Maybe there are some strange stories about the history of the building, and yes, there is a tragic death soon after they move in, but really there is nothing to worry about. And those neighbors, perhaps a bit odd, but aren't they the nicest old people ever? So helpful, so caring ... 

Honestly, I expected to like this book more. I enjoy rather dark horror, but I also enjoy subtly creepy tales too (for instance Shirley Jackson).  I thought this book was well-written and it reads like a screenplay with exact details ("It was 4pm"). I could picture quite well their apartment and their neighbors, and I thought the dialogue between Rosemary and Guy was pretty realistic.

But it is not particularly suspenseful and even though there is this element of uncertainty about whether or not Rosemary can tell reality from fantasy, I thought the end fell too firmly on the side of reality.  So I was disappointed. There is one small section of the book towards the end right before she has the baby that I thought was very well done. Rosemary is ostensibly quite calm as all her suspicions coalesce , but there is this fascinating restrained hysteria lurking right at the edges that worked for me.

Now if you would have asked me two weeks ago if I'd seen the movie, I would have said "Of course, what sort of question is that" I love horror films; how could I not have seen Rosemary's Baby. Well, as it turns out, I guess I haven't because it was not familiar to me in the least, and from what everyone says the film is exactly the book.   So when I'm back in the states I have some catching up to do. 

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And Ladies and Gentlemen  I actually completed my R.I.P challenge! And wrote all the reviews! Here's to setting realistic goals for yourself. Actually, I read a few other books too. I started The Devil in Silver, which has been getting rave reviews, but has only managed to piss me off. I also read the first two books in Del Toro's vampire trilogy The Strain and The Fall.  If I find time (which might be on a 5 hour train ride to Kyiv at 6am after an all night Halloween party) you might get a bonus short story review. Something Lovecraftian-- actually, I want to reread "The Color Out of Space."  

RIP VII: Peril of the Short Story

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"Nethescurial" by Thomas Ligotti in The Book of Cthulhu Ross E. Lockhart (ed.)

A quick summary; the narrator finds a manuscript in the form of a letter/confession that reveals the existence of a cult to Nethascurial. Nefarious activities extending back centuries are revealed within the manuscript. The narrator ends up penning his own letter/confession about his experiences as he reads the manuscript and what happens later as a result.

Upon initial read, “Nethescurial” delivered the right amount of creepiness with a satisfactory ending. I knew that I wanted to write about this story for the RIP VII challenge, but it took quite a bit of pondering to pin down what exactly about Ligotti's piece drew me in (and lingered). A few weeks later as I was reading a different anthology of Lovecraft inspired stories, I came upon a quote, which coalesced my scattered thoughts. The introduction to New Cthulhu: The Recent Weird Paula Guran (ed.) lays out some themes in Lovecraft's fiction, and quotes from China Mieville's introduction to At the Mountains of Madness: The Definitive Edition.

“'Traditionally genre horror is concerned with irruption of dreadful forces into a comforting status quo...By contrast, Lovecraft's horror is not one of intrusion but of realization.”

Keeping this quote in mind, we can go through Ligotti's story.

“'In the rooms of houses and beyond their walls—beneath dark waters and across moonlit skies—below earth mound and above mountain peak...behind the faces of the living and the dead...'” (2) 

The narrator is quoting from the manuscript. He notes that the ideas encompassed in this quote are a theme throughout the document. In Ligotti's story, this quote also functions to tie the entire story together, occurring at the beginning and at the end albeit in a slightly different form. It also gives a sense of immensity, of the cosmos, of the “several worlds” that is a recurring element in Lovecraft's fiction. As Lovecraft himself stated, his stories contain “'the fundamental premise that common human laws and interests and emotions have no validity or significance in the cosmos-at-large,'” (as quoted in Guran, introduction).  Later sections in Ligotti's story support this theme, “Imagine all of creation as a mere mask for the foulest evil, an absolute evil whose reality is mitigated only by our blindness to it.” Not only is the evil unquantifiably vast, permeating everything in existence, humans are powerless before it, are insignificant in fact, and can only cope because they do not grasp its presence.

And the narrator initially continues to be blind to the truth, he dismisses the manuscript as a pedestrian fiction, something he has encountered many times before – until he has a dream. Now if you have read much (any) Lovecraft you know that dreams are important, and in later works by other authors imitating the style, dreams-as-gateways continues to be a significant theme. The dream here that afflicts our narrator lingers well into waking. “I tried to invoke the gods of the ordinary world – calling them with the whistle of a coffee pot and praying before the icon of the electric light.” As maybe we can guess considering the rules of this universe, the everyday, the ordinary has no power over the evil that lies beneath. The ordinary cannot drive away something that is a fundamental aspect underlying it. As Mieville stated above, it is not about intrusion, but about realization. 

“It seemed to be in possession of my house, of every common object inside and the whole of the dark world outside. Yes – lurking among the watchful winds of this and the several worlds … I could feel every damn thing squirming, not excluding my own flesh. And I could also see what was squirming beneath every surface … It was that dark color from the dream, I could identify it clearly now. Dark and greenish,”

Ligotti's use of color throughout the story to convey horror, to convey the presence of unimaginable evil really impressed me. I could see exactly what he was describing, the fungal menacing “singular” green of Nethescurial. And it was unsettling.

At this point, the narrator is haunted, he can't sleep, he is restless, the things revealed to him permeate every second of his life, every object he encounters. In his wanderings, he comes across a puppet show. Puppets are always creepy. “Their misshapen heads titled, and their glassy eyes stared straight into mine.” As he stands there watching and listening, he realizes that they are chanting the quote from the beginning, “In the rooms of houses and beyond their walls...” This encounter provides him with the answer to set everything right again. A moment of illumination. Or so he thinks.

He has gone from blindness to revelation (realization); he now knows what lurks within the watchful winds and the several worlds, but he tries to convince himself that he can go back to a state of unknowing. As he writes while putting his plan into action, he denies what is happening, as a litany across the last few pages. Clearly his plan isn't working; things get worse. He goes back to the thematic quote, “It is not in the rooms of houses and beyond their walls” [not] “beneath dark waters and across moonlit skies,” [not] “below earth mound and above mountain peak.” As if reversing this incantation will negate what he is seeing (or not seeing).  

I won't spoil the exact ending for you, but it is safe to assume that events don't really turn out the way that the narrator had hoped they would.

So my ultimate assessment is that I really liked this story because it is spot on Lovecraft at his finest, just written by Thomas Ligotti. What Mieville notes about Lovecraft's fiction, what Lovecraft himself identifies as themes, are present in full force in this story. If you like your horror to be blood and guts, then “Nethescurial” might not be for you. But if you appreciate a subtle sort of terror and can be disturbed by a description of a menacing shade of green, then Ligotti delivers.

1. Photo at the top taken by me at a famous cemetery in Ukraine. I have more and they'll accompany all  of my RIP posts.

2. No page numbers because I'm Kindle illiterate and can't figure out how to find them. When I do figure it out, I'll add them.

Peril on the Screen

Seconds Apart 2011

(I tried to keep this spoiler free, but it might be spoilerish).

Twins Jonah and Seth have telepathic powers, which they use to torment people.  This movie is a mixed bag.  It starts off with a gory round of Russian roulette that sets the scene, showing us exactly what the twins are capable of it.  The mass suicide also introduces us to the detective who is a central character in the film. (Unfortunately – but I’ll get to that later). 

What I liked: The twins are creepy.  The actors did a really good job of giving us detached psychopaths.  The twins’ parents are creepy.  The early scenes with them are some of the best in the entire movie.  Had the film makers concentrated on those two elements (the twins and their parents) this would have been a much better show.  Some of their abilities are pretty interesting like they can make people forget they were there, induce delusions, and control people’s actions.  They also are able to control reality in the sense that they make the victims see only what the twins want them to see. 

What I didn’t like: The detective ruined the movie for me.  His back-story provides a suitable tragedy so that he is the tormented yet driven hero.  Unfortunately, I think less effort was put into making his story/character and believable.  I honestly could have fast-forwarded through the parts with him, which is unfortunate because he is central to the entire plot of the story. 

What I hated: The end.  There was such potential when we start to learn about the twins’ childhood and how their powers developed and what really happened to their parents.  But by the time all of those elements came together the movie had pretty much fallen apart. 

But the twins are really creepy.  So I’ll give this one 3 stars.  

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I've encountered some really awful "horror" movies in my search for something to watch for this challenge.  I feel like its been a bad few years for the horror industry as a whole.  Or maybe I'm becoming more critical (or both).  

I'm currently reading Drood, but I have to say that I'm not all that into it.  I'm about 150 pages in.  I only kept reading because so many people enthusiastically commented about it.  I think I'll stick with the book a bit longer, but not sure if I'll finish it.  We shall see...

The Haunting of Hill House

Spoilers

Basic plot summary, four people move into a haunted house for the summer; Eleanor, Theodora, Luke, and Dr. Montague.  I loved this book and I am so very sad that I saw the movie first many years ago.  The entire time I was reading I saw Catherine Zeta-Jones in my head as Theodora.

If I were going to be a horror writer, I would want to write like Shirley Jackson. Her descriptions of the house and her creation of atmosphere, of psychological and emotional tension are all superb. In fact, the beginning of this book might be one of the best I have ever read.

No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within...

This next line also spoke to me. "Hill House, she thought, you're as hard to get into as heaven." There is something subtly creepy about this sentence. We know the house is evil already (by pg 29), we know from pg 1 that it is not sane, and yet, Eleanor's reaction is a comparison to heaven. An example of antithetic parallelism if I have ever seen one (even if we aren't strictly reading poetry).

Another example of how opposition creates horror in this little book.

Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut.

This is a description of a house in order, of an aura of rightness, of correctness. Instead, inside is chaos and madness -- the order itself, the architecture, the clean lines we soon learn are a bit off.  Not skewed in any obvious way, but faintly almost indistinctly except on a subconscious level.  Askew in a way that is perhaps uncanny or to reference Freud more directly un-home-ly:

An instance where something can be familiar, yet foreign at the same time, resulting in a feeling of it being uncomfortably strange

Actually, I find the dialogue in this book to be quite uncanny also.  It often seemed as if the characters were having a normal conversation, just chatting among friends, but in fact the things they would say were so very strange, not quite right but not quite nonsense. 

However, I did find the end to be rather flat.  I am perfectly thrilled to be horrified sans blood, gore, and guts, but I came upon the last words thinking "oh, so this is the end."  I do like how Jackson concludes with the paragraph that began the novel, bringing the book and the house full circle.  What has stood for 80 years will continue to stand for 80 more.  I get that.  I also sense that the title of the book could easily be The Haunting of Eleanor Vance.  I just wish Eleanor had devolved in a more dramatic way.  Clearly, for the last 100 pages or so (well, half the book I suppose), Eleanor is losing her mind.  However, it is all so surreal that, for me, the moment of her death did not quite leave an impact (no pun intended) upon me.  Alas, I fear I am not explaining myself very well.  

Finally, I could have done without Mrs. Montague.  She interrupted the flow of the story.  If I thought about this more -- I literally finished the book about 30 minutes ago -- I might be inclined to forgive Jackson for this.  Perhaps, Mrs. Montague's disruptive influence served a narrative purpose.  I hesitate to think she was just there as a plot device to piss off the ghosts, but that is how I am feeling at the moment.  

But those are minor issues.  Shirley Jackson is an amazing writer, and I am also very sad that I have not read her in more depth before this moment (my only previous encounter being The Lottery).  

Book The Third

I bet you didn't think I would get this far? That I had given up on the book challenge? Almost...but not quite. A few pages left in The Keeper, but I don't want to rush through it b/c I actually like that book. However, for now, for my 3rd book I read Dark Delicacies, which is a collection of short stories. I am not the biggest fan of short stories or anthologies in general, but there was a lot of hype about this one. And it had some cool names on the front - people I've read, like, or at least recognized. But what can I say about this book? Meh. Thats it. I really liked the first story - by of all people Ray Bradbury.* It was a sort of ghost story/zombie/reincarnation mixture that was a bit creepy, but over all entertaining. The Brian Lumley story is ok, yet seriously weird - and way more sci fi** than horror. Not outstanding though. My favorite story by far was by Nancy Holder "Out Twelve Steppin." It was about a couple of famous rock stars who are in fact cannibals, and who have a strangely co-dependent relationship. Overall though, I wasn't impressed with the book. I would probably give this book 2.5 stars

* I saw him give a talk once. FYI

** Which is odd b/c Bradbury is usually sci fi, and Lumley pure horror - guess they decided to switch up genres here.

In Anticipation of Halloween

"Anticipation" here being pronounced as if you were a cast member of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Last year I attempted to participate in the R.I.P Halloween book challenge. It didn't work out, I only read 3 out of the 4 books I had committed too. Not surprising, I never finish book challenges (as you well know by now I am sure).
But another year, a chance to redeem myself so on that note may I present:

Goal: Read 4 books in any category or subgenre of scary stories that you choose. Detailed description of challenge, and site for book reviews can be found here.

I checked out a bunch of books from the library b/c they had a special Halloween themed exhibit. Maybe I'll read those, or something else. As I know from experience, if I say I am going to read it, make a list, or otherwise announce some sort of set plan - then it is guaranteed not to happen.

In other Halloween related randomness, I really want to do a super scary horror movie marathon. Asked around on facebook, and I got some suggestions - The Ring, The Shining, Alien, Poltergeist, etc. I would add The Blair Witch Project (yes, I know some people think the movie is dumb), and The Excorcist. There are lots that I have already seen, but so many that I have missed, so feel free to provide me with suggestions. And besides, even if I don't do a marathon movie night, I am still curious to know what movie you think is the scariest of all time.

Review: Teatro Grottesco

This is my first review for the RIP book challenge which I haven't been doing so well, but I still might finish.

This collection of short stories was my first introduction to Thomas Ligotti, I definitely plan on reading more of his work. The style is not for everyone, in the way that both Lovecraft and Kafka are acquired tastes. Many of the stories are vignettes - brief glimpses into a parallel, but strange world. Most of the stories lack a clear beginning or a definite conclusion, the reader is sort of thrown into the scene without much explanation about where the story takes place, or exactly who the characters are. Part of his overall style involves the use of repetition, of a word, an image, a phrase, or a general idea/theme. In some stories, this works better than in others. "The Red Tower was for me an example where the repetition did not succeed to build a particular mood - it just became annoying.

On to the stories more specifically, while avoiding spoilers, the book is broken up into 3 sections; Derangements, Deformations, and The Damaged and Diseased. The first part was my favorite overall, and reminded me of Lovecraft the most though with a decidedly modern flavor. The strongest piece I felt was the very first story "Purity," which strongly reflects the "vignette" nature of the author's work. The horror invoked by this story and the others definitely stems from what is left unsaid or merely hinted at. The reader is allowed only a glimpse into what is quite likely a thoroughly terrifying "derangement."

The second section "Deformations" invoked Kafka, especially the Castle. The stories in this section are connected by a specific setting "the northern border town", a few recurring characters, and this shadowy yet utterly controlling (and terrifying) bureaucracy known as the Quine Organization. I thought the stories in the section were pretty strong too, especially the first one.

Finally, in the third section, we get to the title story "Teatro Grottesco, which I felt was perhaps the weakest as far as pacing and overall interest. In this story, the repetition of a phrase is supposed to tie the piece together, but really it fails to have any sort of memorable impact. I read through the book quickly up until this story, and then it took me about a week to finish it. The story after it isn't all that great either, which leads me to believe that in general this is the weakest section of the book, but admittedly I haven't quite finished the whole thing yet (I think I have two stories left).

Some of the stories definitely have an obvious element of horror, but others are more subtle, just plain weird, or maybe unsettling in a way that isn't quite definable. Overall, I would recommend Thomas Ligotti if you are into similar types of fiction, and I plan on reading some of his other books.

R.I.P Challenge III

Through a convoluted series of clicking I happened to see this blog, and was intrigued. Basically its another book challenge and while I am doing at least 2 (possibly three) over at LT, I think this one will be easier for me to finish.

For Peril the First (there are some different choices offered on the website), I will be reading four books in the horror/suspense/mystery category. All the books I have chosen were already scattered about my apt. waiting to be read (some started then abandoned b/c I have developed ADD).

So here is my pool of books for the challenge:
The God of the Razor by Joe R. Lansdale
The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte
City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer
Cabal by Clive Barker

Might reread some Poppy Z. Brite in honor of the previous post, or maybe Tanith Lee...but at least for sure the four mentioned above.