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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
This one was OK but just did not quite work for me. I did not mind the "slow burn" nature of it, nor the underplayed horror aspects. It was primarily that it felt repetitive. It did not feel like a slow ramping-up of the actions of the auctioneer. Everything just-sort-of-happened.
That said, your mileage may vary. There are those who feel that this is one of the best, scariest novels of the 1970s. I am just not one of them.
That said, your mileage may vary. There are those who feel that this is one of the best, scariest novels of the 1970s. I am just not one of them.
Haven’t read a book in a single day in a little while, but this one was eminently worth it.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A definite classic. The book got a bit repetitive towards the middle, but overall provider an enjoyable reading experience.
As someone relatively well-acquainted with both literary fiction and horror, I was surprised I hadn't heard of a book of this quality before. I bought it because I had a credit on Audible and it was offered as part of a 2-for-1 sale, and I am very glad I did. The tale that transpires is a parable of small town evil a la Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. In the auctioneer Pearly Dunsmore, Samson successfully transforms the old figure of the devil into a capitalist demagogue, with uncanny parallels to the modern American political landscape. Written without a touch of flab and infused with a terror remarkably clean of gratuitous gore but no less chilling for its absence, this book will stay with me for a while.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
This is not a book about the overt, violent or grotesque villains, nor is it about the absolute evils of the supernatural. The Auctioneer deftly demonstrates how evil can be subtle and gradual--how it can sidle up to you with a suspiciously disarming smile and can coerce people into behaving in a way contrary to all previous behavior. The townsfolk soon find themselves bound to the titular character, until they have lost everything but their values and morals, and in the end, they find they may not have those anymore either.
This is not a book about the overt, violent or grotesque villains, nor is it about the absolute evils of the supernatural. The Auctioneer deftly demonstrates how evil can be subtle and gradual--how it can sidle up to you with a suspiciously disarming smile and can coerce people into behaving in a way contrary to all previous behavior. The townsfolk soon find themselves bound to the titular character, until they have lost everything but their values and morals, and in the end, they find they may not have those anymore either.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No