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amandainpa's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the suspense and general plot of this book but there was just too much unnecessary nudity and too many graphic sexual scenes for my tastes. It was very interesting to see how the chain of events unfolded, there was just too much NC-17 content for me.
bobbiejowoo's review against another edition
4.0
What the fuck did I just read, and why the fuck did I love it so much?!
As I sit here having just finished this bizarre rollercoaster of a book I find myself at a loss for words. This was my fist Laymon novel and I regret nothing. It was hilarious and unsettling. The narrator was a fucking loon. Shit started weird and quickly escalated from there. You simply cannot read this book and say you were bored.
I loved it. That is all.
As I sit here having just finished this bizarre rollercoaster of a book I find myself at a loss for words. This was my fist Laymon novel and I regret nothing. It was hilarious and unsettling. The narrator was a fucking loon. Shit started weird and quickly escalated from there. You simply cannot read this book and say you were bored.
I loved it. That is all.
day_dreaming_vampire's review against another edition
5.0
I had to give this 5 stars as it was just so unbelievably believable! I raced through it "just one more chapter" and actually didn't want it to end. You always know what you're getting with Richard Laymon and this one doesn't disappoint.
I found myself really rooting for Alice and the ending was wrapped up in a pretty, yet completely demented bow - as always.
I found myself really rooting for Alice and the ending was wrapped up in a pretty, yet completely demented bow - as always.
paperbackstash's review against another edition
3.0
At first glance the plot may reek of simplicity, but it becomes apparent - fast - than it's anything but. "Alice", the pseudonym for the author of the spoof autobiography, is enjoying a relaxing week at her rich friends house while the pair and their kiddies are away on vacation. One night, watching a movie on their big screen TV, she observes a mysterious stranger strip, walk around, and use the swimming pool in the backyard. Since the house is surrounded by woods, its apparent he must have come from there. A bit perturbed and creeped out, things go from bad to worse when she makes a huge mistake, then tries to run around covering it up. This only lands her in deeper trouble, all of it propelling further and further off the deep end.
I won't say the character changes much throughout the story; while there is a small sunlight of hope that gleams on her toward the end, overall the book focuses on someone who's as strange as they come. Alice turns out to be not who the readers expect from the get go, but as the plot changes direction and new scenarios are introduced, it soon becomes apparent that her demeanor never remains the same. Perhaps one of the bigger flaws of this book is that Alice herself isn't always very likeable, doing things its hard to emphasize with, and not showing the proper array of emotions at times.
The plot itself is similar to a black comedy; horrific certainly, with its gore, violence, and macabre overshadowing, but it's evident Laymon had a hell of a good time writing this. Not just because of the obligatory sexual acts, but each word is adorned with a demented and twisted sort of humor. The theme is dark as hell but it's all done in such a light way it can be difficult to make heads or tales of it. It's almost like a guilty pleasure, though. You're reminded to laugh and get some sort of grim amusement out of horribly cruel twists of fates and deeds - should the reader be made to feel sadistic, or guilty, or else is it just the expert work of Laymon at play?
On the author's behalf, it couldnt have been easy to come up with a gander such as this one. I give him great kudos for his imagination. The words are done in first person narrative and this is a refreshing change; while third person POV is what generally gets smiled at and published now of days, it lacks that certain, special intimacy first person could have. Here we are literally in Alice's mind from page one, and it's an effective tool. As usual Laymon doesn't pepper down the wounds and dull the book by foreshadowing or nitty gritty details (except where gore or sex is involved), but he does keep it short and sweet. With a book that's 438 pages in volume, the pace is pretty swift and weighed down with minimal bulk.
And yep, if you haven't wagered it already, this book is traditional Laymon in terms of sweaty sheets and teenage like hormones. The sex is there as always, along with the lust, nakedness, boobs, and admiring of bodies. It's what we've come to expect with this author, yet here it's part of the cute humor and charm....in a sick fashion of course. The gore is thick as always, particularly with a saber as a choice of weapon, and Laymon clearly delights in exploring the detail of decapitated heads and such. It's no wonder this author became so notorious.
Suspense wise, it's not overly thick. The beginning gets the heart pumping, but after that it doesn't seem to be the point. There are certainly 'scary' scenes along the way, though, particularly with the monstrous Milo, who's one hell of a character - yech. Other characters all are intriguing - with the exception, perhaps, of Judy, who's just plain strange. Another one I never knew what to make of.
The ending didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped - let's just say since I was put into such a morbid voyeuristic mood throughout the novel thanks to Laymon, I was a bit disheartened by the sunny side up turn of events. Yes, I would have liked to see the dark side of the characters taken up to a whole new level. Worrying about giving too much away, I'll drop a hint for those who have read the book - the van may end up having two compadres, but I'd have liked it to be one person different. Strange how I always end up rooting for the wrong folks.
If you're in the mood for some truly dark and un somber moments, a twisted sense of humor and really strange sexual play, Laymon's always your man, particularly here. I wrestled around with deeming it worthy of four stars or three, but ultimately settled on three - guess I could never truly forgive Laymon for the 'spoiling of mystery'...and yes folks, another veiled plot hint I couldn’t help but give away. Have fun figuring it out while experiencing this twisted version of life for yourself.
I won't say the character changes much throughout the story; while there is a small sunlight of hope that gleams on her toward the end, overall the book focuses on someone who's as strange as they come. Alice turns out to be not who the readers expect from the get go, but as the plot changes direction and new scenarios are introduced, it soon becomes apparent that her demeanor never remains the same. Perhaps one of the bigger flaws of this book is that Alice herself isn't always very likeable, doing things its hard to emphasize with, and not showing the proper array of emotions at times.
The plot itself is similar to a black comedy; horrific certainly, with its gore, violence, and macabre overshadowing, but it's evident Laymon had a hell of a good time writing this. Not just because of the obligatory sexual acts, but each word is adorned with a demented and twisted sort of humor. The theme is dark as hell but it's all done in such a light way it can be difficult to make heads or tales of it. It's almost like a guilty pleasure, though. You're reminded to laugh and get some sort of grim amusement out of horribly cruel twists of fates and deeds - should the reader be made to feel sadistic, or guilty, or else is it just the expert work of Laymon at play?
On the author's behalf, it couldnt have been easy to come up with a gander such as this one. I give him great kudos for his imagination. The words are done in first person narrative and this is a refreshing change; while third person POV is what generally gets smiled at and published now of days, it lacks that certain, special intimacy first person could have. Here we are literally in Alice's mind from page one, and it's an effective tool. As usual Laymon doesn't pepper down the wounds and dull the book by foreshadowing or nitty gritty details (except where gore or sex is involved), but he does keep it short and sweet. With a book that's 438 pages in volume, the pace is pretty swift and weighed down with minimal bulk.
And yep, if you haven't wagered it already, this book is traditional Laymon in terms of sweaty sheets and teenage like hormones. The sex is there as always, along with the lust, nakedness, boobs, and admiring of bodies. It's what we've come to expect with this author, yet here it's part of the cute humor and charm....in a sick fashion of course. The gore is thick as always, particularly with a saber as a choice of weapon, and Laymon clearly delights in exploring the detail of decapitated heads and such. It's no wonder this author became so notorious.
Suspense wise, it's not overly thick. The beginning gets the heart pumping, but after that it doesn't seem to be the point. There are certainly 'scary' scenes along the way, though, particularly with the monstrous Milo, who's one hell of a character - yech. Other characters all are intriguing - with the exception, perhaps, of Judy, who's just plain strange. Another one I never knew what to make of.
The ending didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped - let's just say since I was put into such a morbid voyeuristic mood throughout the novel thanks to Laymon, I was a bit disheartened by the sunny side up turn of events. Yes, I would have liked to see the dark side of the characters taken up to a whole new level. Worrying about giving too much away, I'll drop a hint for those who have read the book - the van may end up having two compadres, but I'd have liked it to be one person different. Strange how I always end up rooting for the wrong folks.
If you're in the mood for some truly dark and un somber moments, a twisted sense of humor and really strange sexual play, Laymon's always your man, particularly here. I wrestled around with deeming it worthy of four stars or three, but ultimately settled on three - guess I could never truly forgive Laymon for the 'spoiling of mystery'...and yes folks, another veiled plot hint I couldn’t help but give away. Have fun figuring it out while experiencing this twisted version of life for yourself.
greasymilkshake's review against another edition
4.0
Quite a long time ago I read this. But I remember I had a blast. Kept me reading and reading.
mrfrank's review against another edition
3.0
Richard Laymon's "After Midnight" strives to be a page turning thriller. It nearly delivers. The action carries along at a high pace. The descriptions are gruesome. The main character, Alice, is very well developed. However, at times, there is too much description, too much character development and a lot over the top manic female thinking.
I can appreciate Laymon's attempt at portraying an over-thinking, over-worried female mind. But I think the character goes overboard with that inner dialoge and I find myself pulled out of the story. Where emphasis is places on reading the psyce of the main character, other secondary characters seem to lack ample description. Many come and go before they can really seem important enough to be a part of the story.
This is the first Laymon novel I have read. Granted, by others reviews, this is not one of his more beloved works. It was still a very good horror story. It contained one of the more gruesome murders I've ever read. Mostly, it's short points still don't make it a bad story.
In the end it's not perfection but it's close enough for blood and gore. Like the best of the best horror flicks it's stays just ahead of the curve from making it too campy, yet brash enough to keep it a slasher story.
I can appreciate Laymon's attempt at portraying an over-thinking, over-worried female mind. But I think the character goes overboard with that inner dialoge and I find myself pulled out of the story. Where emphasis is places on reading the psyce of the main character, other secondary characters seem to lack ample description. Many come and go before they can really seem important enough to be a part of the story.
This is the first Laymon novel I have read. Granted, by others reviews, this is not one of his more beloved works. It was still a very good horror story. It contained one of the more gruesome murders I've ever read. Mostly, it's short points still don't make it a bad story.
In the end it's not perfection but it's close enough for blood and gore. Like the best of the best horror flicks it's stays just ahead of the curve from making it too campy, yet brash enough to keep it a slasher story.
kdill1983's review against another edition
2.0
It started off good but just became very disturbing and not at all what I thought it would be.
ryneb's review against another edition
4.0
Murphy's Law is ever present in Laymon's book about "Alice," a woman whose life spirals into a frenzy of covering up accidental deaths after an encounter with a stranger at her house - you guess the time - has her murdering innocent people. Alice isn't a normal woman who calls the police; instead, she covers up the evidence in order to hide her mysterious past. Told from her own perspective, After Midnight keeps escalating in thrills and twists, taking Alice and the reader into a situation which seems a point of no return.
Laymon's plot is a labrynth of ridiculous events and coincidental happenings, but it doesn't matter - the narrative is entertaining as hell, especially told from outspoken and unique Alice. And even if the plot is a bit farfetched, it's specifically designed to be, taking the reader through an action-packed few days that leave no room to breathe.
Alice's persona at first seems annoying, but after delving into the book, she becomes a secretive character who hides a lot of her past. What she chooses to tell the audience isn't much, but it keeps the reader engaged, totally engrossed in her thoughts because she has such a mysterious past. There's always a hope that Alice will let something slip, and she occassionally drops hints about her history, but in her own way she's as elusive in speech as she is in her actions.
Laymon excels at creating evocative characters, and After Midnight's cast is no different. Alice is targeted by a few less-than-upstanding individuals, who we feel to be lower than dirt. How dare they try to kill our protagonist! But there's an emotional hypocrisy to the audience's reaction - Alice continues to kill off people to protect herself, at times sentencing innocents to a series of hellish events in order to remain hidden. Her actions are just as questionable as the serial killers that are after her, but we tend to overlook this fact because of her persuasion and point of view. It's an interesting psychological standpoint that Laymon subtly hints at.
After Midnight is full of substance, and not lacking in grotesqueries. There's rape, torture, and a lot of sex and visual nudity. There's violence and sadism. But more than that, there's an outlandish look at Murphy's Law in action and a chain of events that cannot be altered. Alice provides good testimony that actions have consequences; it just depends on how far one is willing to go to escape them.
It's a fast read, one full of adventure and suspense. Ironically, Alice provides a lot of comic relief, and there's a similar psychosocial critique to the comedy as there is in Alice's hypocritical actions. One can't help but laugh at the unthinkable, morbid things that happen to Alice in a few short days. But what we're actually laughing at is what we're uncomfortable with (rape, murder) that seems atonal to how we really think. "Why are we laughing?" and "Is this actually funny?" are questions that we don't ask in Laymon's book. As an audience, we're so absorbed with Alice's success in escaping from the law that our own conscience plays little to no role in how we read the novel's subject matter. Hidden or not, Laymon's novel gives me a great read but also a thought-provoking question: If we were in this situation, would we act without conscience as Alice does? Are we laughing because we secretly understand?
Laymon's plot is a labrynth of ridiculous events and coincidental happenings, but it doesn't matter - the narrative is entertaining as hell, especially told from outspoken and unique Alice. And even if the plot is a bit farfetched, it's specifically designed to be, taking the reader through an action-packed few days that leave no room to breathe.
Alice's persona at first seems annoying, but after delving into the book, she becomes a secretive character who hides a lot of her past. What she chooses to tell the audience isn't much, but it keeps the reader engaged, totally engrossed in her thoughts because she has such a mysterious past. There's always a hope that Alice will let something slip, and she occassionally drops hints about her history, but in her own way she's as elusive in speech as she is in her actions.
Laymon excels at creating evocative characters, and After Midnight's cast is no different. Alice is targeted by a few less-than-upstanding individuals, who we feel to be lower than dirt. How dare they try to kill our protagonist! But there's an emotional hypocrisy to the audience's reaction - Alice continues to kill off people to protect herself, at times sentencing innocents to a series of hellish events in order to remain hidden. Her actions are just as questionable as the serial killers that are after her, but we tend to overlook this fact because of her persuasion and point of view. It's an interesting psychological standpoint that Laymon subtly hints at.
After Midnight is full of substance, and not lacking in grotesqueries. There's rape, torture, and a lot of sex and visual nudity. There's violence and sadism. But more than that, there's an outlandish look at Murphy's Law in action and a chain of events that cannot be altered. Alice provides good testimony that actions have consequences; it just depends on how far one is willing to go to escape them.
It's a fast read, one full of adventure and suspense. Ironically, Alice provides a lot of comic relief, and there's a similar psychosocial critique to the comedy as there is in Alice's hypocritical actions. One can't help but laugh at the unthinkable, morbid things that happen to Alice in a few short days. But what we're actually laughing at is what we're uncomfortable with (rape, murder) that seems atonal to how we really think. "Why are we laughing?" and "Is this actually funny?" are questions that we don't ask in Laymon's book. As an audience, we're so absorbed with Alice's success in escaping from the law that our own conscience plays little to no role in how we read the novel's subject matter. Hidden or not, Laymon's novel gives me a great read but also a thought-provoking question: If we were in this situation, would we act without conscience as Alice does? Are we laughing because we secretly understand?
rayd's review against another edition
3.0
Once again Laymon tricks us into thinking he's written a horror story, but in reality it's porn with blood and killing mixed in.
dippdogg2002's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-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
3.5