Reviews

Der Keller by Richard Laymon

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paulmoore's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.0

It might have taken about 2 weeks to get through less than 300 pages (due to a HUGE reading slump) but I've finished this today and it was...... different. And fucking weird.

lethaldose's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a fantastic book, well it was fantastic right up until the unsatisfying and demoralizing ending. But I am not going to hold the last 3 pages against a book, even though those are the pages I can't get out of my head.

First I want to warn you this book is not for everyone. Richard Laymon pushes some boundaries, and some people, me included, have to wonder if they all needed pushing. I personally think the book could have done with a little less description of child rape. That is my big complaint here, Laymon does everything he can to make Roy the most despicable person imaginable, and he suceeds very well in that regard, the first and probably worst scene of child rape comes and I think that is horrible, well we won't have to deal with that again. Richard Laymon has established the character and surely he won't do that again, but he does, and again after that. I can't remember how many times and he does at least get less descriptive of it, but it felt like he wanted to keep his reader uncomfortable. As a result of that you are constantly worried for Donna and Sandy, even after their protector Judge shows up.

There are two points where this book is a massive success. First is the house itself, you are instantly interested and curious about Beast House, and the way Laymon morsels out nuggets about it only serves to make you more curious. A need to know what is going on inside Beast House would push you on to the ending alone. But the second point is the book has fantastic characters. They lack a certain amount of believability but that doesn't make them any less likable. Judge is a little too quick to offer to kill the Beast of Beast house for a guy he had never met before. And Donna and Judge get way too close, too fast to be anywhere near believable. But they are likable and you are instantly fond of them as much as you instantly hate Roy. You become invested in the characters of the book very quickly.

I am not going to spoil the ending here, even though I detested it, but you should know that it is very unfufilling and you will feel slightly cheated when you get there, but don't let that ruin what is otherwise a great little horror story.