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verkisto's review
4.0
This is an astounding book. It takes a little effort to get in to the story (the author has some purply prose that gets in the way of the storytelling), but once you're in, you're in for good. It seems like an innocuous little story, but Tryon takes it in a nice direction, and unnerves the reader. It's a great example of atmospheric horror, where the scares come from the situations, not a lot of graphic depiction.
addison_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book just reminds me of why I love horror. If evil kids and surprise endings are something you enjoy, you have to read this book. Tryon does such a great job with building the suspense and the terror.
I'm already looking forward to reading this again in the future because it's just that good.
I'm already looking forward to reading this again in the future because it's just that good.
sammah's review against another edition
1.0
Oh man. OOOOOOOOOH MAN. I HATE giving books one stars, because even a "bad book" for me is usually just because I couldn't personally get into it. I kept seeing The Other coming up in my library to check it, it was ALWAYS there, and now...I can understand why that is. This book has so many good reviews, and maybe it IS just me. Maybe I just don't enjoy the way that Thomas Tryon writes. Just know that I do not give one stars lightly, nor do I DNF a book. I made it a good way through this, but I had to stop. I decided that in 2022, I will not read books if I'm not enjoying them. I'm also going to be purging some from my personal library at some point this year, to further illustrate this point. Why read something that makes me miserable?
So, yeah. DNF on this. I just can't get into it. It isn't interesting to me, and I'm not invested in any of the characters. The premise sounded great, and horror is my favorite genre, but nope. In fact, here is a list of OTHER horror novels from 1971 that one might consider reading instead:
The Exorcist
Hell House
Metamorphosis and Other Stories
A whole bunch of H.P. Lovecraft if that's your thing.
In short...nope. Moving on with my life. I tried.
So, yeah. DNF on this. I just can't get into it. It isn't interesting to me, and I'm not invested in any of the characters. The premise sounded great, and horror is my favorite genre, but nope. In fact, here is a list of OTHER horror novels from 1971 that one might consider reading instead:
The Exorcist
Hell House
Metamorphosis and Other Stories
A whole bunch of H.P. Lovecraft if that's your thing.
In short...nope. Moving on with my life. I tried.
ccopeland28's review against another edition
3.0
If I was reviewing Thomas Tryon's ability to write detailed and descriptive narrative, I would give it Five Stars with a flashing neon sign and confetti cannons. But, I am reviewing the story and this is a story that did not shock or surprise me in the least. It did not give me chills or make me feel uneasy or unsettled. It was just a story that was written so descriptively that I felt like I was there, but I didn't find the horror in it and the twists weren't surprising at all. It left me a bit disappointed after all of the build up from the other reviews.
avery_skyler13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
jackpumpkinhead's review against another edition
3.0
How many miles to Babylon?
Threescore and ten.
Can I get there by candlelight?
Yes, and back again.
The book drags a little and seems pointless at times, but the twists/end almost make up for all of that. Pretty up my alley.
Threescore and ten.
Can I get there by candlelight?
Yes, and back again.
The book drags a little and seems pointless at times, but the twists/end almost make up for all of that. Pretty up my alley.
toliveiram's review against another edition
5.0
É fácil perceber como Thomas Tryon e O Outro influenciaram imensamente o terror psicológico como o conhecemos hoje. Para alguns, o livro pode ser previsível, mas isso apenas mostra como o estilo adotado pelo autor, lá nos idos do início do século XX, continua sendo largamente adotado por escritores atuais.
Ler esta obra não foi apenas uma leitura normal, se tratou também de um exercício de percepção. A forma como Tryon insere em sua obra as características dos personagens, como eles se portam e mantendo o leitor agarrado ao livro, na esperança de entender o que acontece bem ali diante de seus olhos, é fantástica.
Durante todo o decorrer da história, houve momentos em que, sem perceber, prendia a respiração, na antecipação do que estava para acontecer. É incrível como o autor teve a capacidade de, já em seu primeiro romance, desenvolver tão magistralmente um terror que é causado, majoritariamente, pela dúvida. Até o final do livro, quando o leitor já está se preparando para apenas um encerramento, Tryon consegue fechar a história e deixar quem lê de queixo caído, ao ter uma última revelação.
O elogio também deve ser estendido à Escotilha NS, que foi a responsável por ressuscitar este clássico do terror. A edição, como de todos os outros livros do clube, é inteiramente carregada de significado, não somente na concepção da capa, mas no miolo do livro, com aspectos tão intrinsecamente ligados à história, que fazem com que a leitura se torne ainda mais prazerosa.
Ler esta obra não foi apenas uma leitura normal, se tratou também de um exercício de percepção. A forma como Tryon insere em sua obra as características dos personagens, como eles se portam e mantendo o leitor agarrado ao livro, na esperança de entender o que acontece bem ali diante de seus olhos, é fantástica.
Durante todo o decorrer da história, houve momentos em que, sem perceber, prendia a respiração, na antecipação do que estava para acontecer. É incrível como o autor teve a capacidade de, já em seu primeiro romance, desenvolver tão magistralmente um terror que é causado, majoritariamente, pela dúvida. Até o final do livro, quando o leitor já está se preparando para apenas um encerramento, Tryon consegue fechar a história e deixar quem lê de queixo caído, ao ter uma última revelação.
O elogio também deve ser estendido à Escotilha NS, que foi a responsável por ressuscitar este clássico do terror. A edição, como de todos os outros livros do clube, é inteiramente carregada de significado, não somente na concepção da capa, mas no miolo do livro, com aspectos tão intrinsecamente ligados à história, que fazem com que a leitura se torne ainda mais prazerosa.
ckunkowski's review against another edition
4.0
marvelous and creepy. just the sort of all-in-your-head (or is it?) horror that i love.
ohmanbleh's review against another edition
3.0
I started to enjoy this much more once I realized it's exactly a shlocky 70's horror movie. Imagining the oversaturated colors, the stilted melodrama & the loud backing track brought it all together for me.
It's not particularly scary or surprising (maybe it was in the 70's?) but it moves fast & there are some suspenseful moments & striking images. I didn't appreciate it too much when it tried to get literary, although the writing did have a nice sense of color.
It's not particularly scary or surprising (maybe it was in the 70's?) but it moves fast & there are some suspenseful moments & striking images. I didn't appreciate it too much when it tried to get literary, although the writing did have a nice sense of color.
aristocraticraven's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5