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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
jacob_elliott_books's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
rerun717's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
maddykris's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
benjamin_oc's review against another edition
5.0
Joan Samson’s The Auctioneer is among the most impressive debut novels I’ve read. It’s an immense loss to readers that Samson died before writing a second.
Perly Dunsmore, a charismatic auctioneer, arrives in Harlowe, New Hampshire with plans to help its citizens sell *everything*. Those who resist and those who do his bidding all find they do so at their own peril. Grady Hendrix notes in his introduction that contemporary marketing materials compared it to Shirley Jackson, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Samson wrote The Auctioneer as a reaction to—or at least in conversation with—Jackson’s “The Summer People” and “The Lottery.”
Perly Dunsmore, a charismatic auctioneer, arrives in Harlowe, New Hampshire with plans to help its citizens sell *everything*. Those who resist and those who do his bidding all find they do so at their own peril. Grady Hendrix notes in his introduction that contemporary marketing materials compared it to Shirley Jackson, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Samson wrote The Auctioneer as a reaction to—or at least in conversation with—Jackson’s “The Summer People” and “The Lottery.”
crowlandrew's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
theboldbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Imagine if you had to give your life up a little at a time. How much would you give before you fought back or would you fight back at all? That's what is happening to the residents of Harlowe when a slick auctioneer moves into town. The suspense in this book starts almost at once and builds and builds throughout. I really liked reading about John and Miriam and trying to figure out what they would do next. This is a great classic novel that's definitely worth a read.
precioussantiago's review against another edition
5.0
This was an easy 4 star read for me-I enjoyed this very much and would highly recommend, but be forewarned this is a slow, slow burn of a book and not much happens in the way of action/thriller/suspense and your traditional horror elements. BUT..in my opinion this book embodies the kind of quiet horror that is in the realm of possibility that is way more terrifying than any sort of ghost or monster.
This book left me so angry and frustrated with the central characters while simultaneously wanting to scoop in and save them. Their vulnerability is so relatable, as much as we all like to believe that we are very unlikely to be in a situation that would strip us of everything and render us victims-this book actually had me thinking, “this is something that could happen to me and to people I love”. That’s just a testament of how effective and powerful Samson’s writing is.
Long story short, lol. If one of your fears is the idea of being powerless and falling victim to the “powers that be”and feeling completely helpless to your circumstances, this book is for you.
This book left me so angry and frustrated with the central characters while simultaneously wanting to scoop in and save them. Their vulnerability is so relatable, as much as we all like to believe that we are very unlikely to be in a situation that would strip us of everything and render us victims-this book actually had me thinking, “this is something that could happen to me and to people I love”. That’s just a testament of how effective and powerful Samson’s writing is.
Long story short, lol. If one of your fears is the idea of being powerless and falling victim to the “powers that be”and feeling completely helpless to your circumstances, this book is for you.