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chuskeyreads's review against another edition
4.0
This is an older book (originally published in 1975), but it's one of those slow burning thrillers with a shocking ending.
At first, it's just a story about a small New Hampshire town. But one family - John Moore, his wife Mim, their daughter Hildie, and his crippled mother - dares to take a stand
But newcomer Perly Dunsmore, a charismatic auctioneer, arrives. With the help of his deputized goon squad, Dunsmore slowly terrorizes the town.
At 260-ish pages, it's a quick read
At first, it's just a story about a small New Hampshire town. But one family - John Moore, his wife Mim, their daughter Hildie, and his crippled mother - dares to take a stand
But newcomer Perly Dunsmore, a charismatic auctioneer, arrives. With the help of his deputized goon squad, Dunsmore slowly terrorizes the town.
At 260-ish pages, it's a quick read
tunawidow's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
skycrasher's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
sarahmcstripes's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
christinaclare's review against another edition
3.0
I found the characters to be quite frustrating and difficult to care about, but the story was fast paced and gripping enough to keep me reading. The concept of a town being slowly taken over by a seemingly benign force reminded me a lot of The Midwich Cuckoos but without the SciFi elements. It was a good story. Very sinister.
getupkid10's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
katermannx's review against another edition
3.0
"The Auctioneer" left me moderately impressed. It feels like an eternity before the plot becomes truly engaging. The characters failed to evoke much sympathy, and the ending was unsatisfying.
I wouldn't describe the story as a horror tale. However, it does offer societal parallels, warning against deceptive rhetoric and promises. Overall, it's a cautionary tale that encourages readers to be vigilant against manipulation and false promises.
I wouldn't describe the story as a horror tale. However, it does offer societal parallels, warning against deceptive rhetoric and promises. Overall, it's a cautionary tale that encourages readers to be vigilant against manipulation and false promises.
bhall237's review against another edition
5.0
“That there’s a man thinks he’s God. Thinks he can move the mountains and dry up the seas,” Ma said. “And there’s them as believes him too.”
Joan Samson’s The Auctioneer. Purchased on a whim after scouring the books featured in Grady Hendrix's Paperbacks from Hell, I was entranced by the few summaries and reviews that I was able to find in my research. I wondered how such a well-regarded book could only be regarded by so few people, but the answer came to me more and more as I read the book. This book is not an easy read, it is not a happy read, and it is certainly not a satisfying read, but it is a damn important read and one that truly spoke to me at this point in my life, with my current ideologies on politics and the very notion of Democracy in the United States feeling reflected in this book. This book excelled in ramping up my anxiety with every new chapter that I opened, and it wasn't until well after I had finished the book that my heart rate settled to a normal beat. I should note I read this book in a strange way. I broke the book into 3 Acts between the 15 chapters, with each Act consisting of 5 chapters, equaling 74 pages each Act, weird right!
The book follows local farmer John Moore and his family in Harlowe, New Hampshire, as change approaches and slowly seeps into the town. This change comes in the form of auctioneer Perly Dunsmore, a haunting figure who seemingly can't be told no and will do everything he can to own this town with or without the help of the people. As his power over the town increases, so does the number of deputies on the police force, leaving the citizens scared and violence increasing. This all comes to ahead as the local people begin to push back against Perly, leading to an incredible ending that I will never forget.
The Auctioneer will keep you at the edge of your seat from the first page to the last, and there were points where I had to stop and close the book for days at a time due to my anxiety becoming so high from the actions taken in this book. I would like to see this book have a resurgence and a bigger following, especially due to the political nature of the book being so relevant currently, especially after the Trump administration and the actions taken by Donald Trump. The parallels between him and antagonist Perly Dunsmore are one to one, and if the parallels aren't instantly obvious to you, this probably isn't the book for you then. On top of this, the book warns of the rise in the number of police, deputies, and police brutality, and the force they will use against citizens to enforce their agendas and ideologies even if it means hurting the people that they've known their entire lives. This is more than topical and more than appropriate to be discussing at this moment in history due to the actions of the police and the seemingly hopelessness I feel as a citizen that nothing will change. Through reading this book, my faith in this country fell steeper and steeper than before I had started the book, and it truly hit me that with this book being written in 1975, the warnings of the dangers of idolizing and listening to authority without question have been around a lot longer than I expected, and yet still nothing has changed and people still idolize and listen to authority without question. With all the turmoil and division in the country, and with the ending of this book being what it is, it's no wonder that this book is so beloved by the people who read it and inspiring to the creators who wish to pay homage and honor to such a brilliant piece of fiction. This book left me feeling empty and hopeless on the inside, and all I could think to do after finishing the book what is crawl into a ball and pray that change will come one day to this country, but like John Moore and his family, I know it will be for the worse when it does.
Joan Samson’s The Auctioneer. Purchased on a whim after scouring the books featured in Grady Hendrix's Paperbacks from Hell, I was entranced by the few summaries and reviews that I was able to find in my research. I wondered how such a well-regarded book could only be regarded by so few people, but the answer came to me more and more as I read the book. This book is not an easy read, it is not a happy read, and it is certainly not a satisfying read, but it is a damn important read and one that truly spoke to me at this point in my life, with my current ideologies on politics and the very notion of Democracy in the United States feeling reflected in this book. This book excelled in ramping up my anxiety with every new chapter that I opened, and it wasn't until well after I had finished the book that my heart rate settled to a normal beat. I should note I read this book in a strange way. I broke the book into 3 Acts between the 15 chapters, with each Act consisting of 5 chapters, equaling 74 pages each Act, weird right!
The book follows local farmer John Moore and his family in Harlowe, New Hampshire, as change approaches and slowly seeps into the town. This change comes in the form of auctioneer Perly Dunsmore, a haunting figure who seemingly can't be told no and will do everything he can to own this town with or without the help of the people. As his power over the town increases, so does the number of deputies on the police force, leaving the citizens scared and violence increasing. This all comes to ahead as the local people begin to push back against Perly, leading to an incredible ending that I will never forget.
The Auctioneer will keep you at the edge of your seat from the first page to the last, and there were points where I had to stop and close the book for days at a time due to my anxiety becoming so high from the actions taken in this book. I would like to see this book have a resurgence and a bigger following, especially due to the political nature of the book being so relevant currently, especially after the Trump administration and the actions taken by Donald Trump. The parallels between him and antagonist Perly Dunsmore are one to one, and if the parallels aren't instantly obvious to you, this probably isn't the book for you then. On top of this, the book warns of the rise in the number of police, deputies, and police brutality, and the force they will use against citizens to enforce their agendas and ideologies even if it means hurting the people that they've known their entire lives. This is more than topical and more than appropriate to be discussing at this moment in history due to the actions of the police and the seemingly hopelessness I feel as a citizen that nothing will change. Through reading this book, my faith in this country fell steeper and steeper than before I had started the book, and it truly hit me that with this book being written in 1975, the warnings of the dangers of idolizing and listening to authority without question have been around a lot longer than I expected, and yet still nothing has changed and people still idolize and listen to authority without question. With all the turmoil and division in the country, and with the ending of this book being what it is, it's no wonder that this book is so beloved by the people who read it and inspiring to the creators who wish to pay homage and honor to such a brilliant piece of fiction. This book left me feeling empty and hopeless on the inside, and all I could think to do after finishing the book what is crawl into a ball and pray that change will come one day to this country, but like John Moore and his family, I know it will be for the worse when it does.
pbraue13's review against another edition
4.0
a great example of quiet horror and I am so sad that Joan Samson was never able to write more. I would have loved to read her books!
sharkgirlsam's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5