Scan barcode
A review by josh_caporale
The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon
3.0
It just so happens that, like Stephen King and James Patterson, Richard Laymon would have been 70 years of age this year as well, for he was born on January 14, 1947. It was a shame that his life was cut short due to his death in 2001, but he continues to live on as an underrated horror fiction writer. Should I mention that his writing was twisted as well? Twisted in horror, though, tends to be a good thing. As far as The Woods Are Dark is concerned, this was a novel that really put an emphasis on being twisted. This particular version, which was released by Leisure/Dorchester Publishing in 2008, was an uncut and restored version of the original 1981 release from Warner Publishing that edited the story down to such a point that it took away from Laymon's original intent. Not only was Laymon not satisfied, but it did not receive a great reception so much so that Laymon's impression soured in the United States. He did, however, get a good response in the United Kingdom and in much of Europe, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. His impression has picked up among some horror fans, though, as well as horror writers like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Bentley Little, Jack Ketchum, and many others. This version was compiled by his daughter, Kelly, who introduced the novel and then presented us with this finished product. In the methodology of the great Neil Armstrong, This is a small step for a horror novel and a giant leap for horror fiction as a genre.
The Woods Are Dark tells the story of two friends and a family taking separate trips to the same camping town. The friends, Neala and Sherri, are looking to go hiking, while the Dills family, Lander (husband), Ruth (wife), Cordelia (Lander and Ruth's daughter), and Ben (Cordelia's boyfriend) are looking to go camping. While they are there, they are kidnapped and driven into a great deal of horrors, operated by monstrous tribes that are hungry for human flesh. This novel is filled with a great deal of twists and turns, both in each of these character's lives and within the minds of each of these characters. Giving too much away would not be desirable.
This novel is clearly not for everyone. There is a great deal of blood, gore, graphic images, detached body parts, nudity, rape, and other sickening images, but the sickening images are viewed in a negative light and the characters do what they can to fight against them. I also feel that some of the descriptions about women are a bit sketchy in this novel, for I am not sure how many women are thinking heavily about the feeling their nipples have when pressed against their shirt. I do, however, like the fact that Laymon is able to keep my attention with his short, but gripping chapters, horrific images with characters you have enough of an acquaintance with, and the feeling you get with burgers and fries, where you just have that urge to indulge to one of his novels, even if it is a light work from a given genre.
A sense of human nature kicks into these characters, when the separate from one another and would ultimately do anything they can to keep themselves safe and then their loved ones safe. Acquaintances and strangers, no matter how innocent, become a low priority, and this is something to look out for within the text. As for whether or not a sense of human nature leads to having sex during a time of crisis: I am not sure if this is an actual desire or a desire of the author's. Unnecessary sex scenes are a turn off of mine.
I thought this was an okay novel that I think did a good job keeping me entertained and had some creepy, scary elements. It definitely has a limited audience and while there are moments where I would urge people to give horror novels, with or without strange elements, a chance, I could understand if people would rather skip this one.
You can find a video review that I did for this book on Literary Gladiators here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lJEn9joFaQ
The Woods Are Dark tells the story of two friends and a family taking separate trips to the same camping town. The friends, Neala and Sherri, are looking to go hiking, while the Dills family, Lander (husband), Ruth (wife), Cordelia (Lander and Ruth's daughter), and Ben (Cordelia's boyfriend) are looking to go camping. While they are there, they are kidnapped and driven into a great deal of horrors, operated by monstrous tribes that are hungry for human flesh. This novel is filled with a great deal of twists and turns, both in each of these character's lives and within the minds of each of these characters. Giving too much away would not be desirable.
This novel is clearly not for everyone. There is a great deal of blood, gore, graphic images, detached body parts, nudity, rape, and other sickening images, but the sickening images are viewed in a negative light and the characters do what they can to fight against them. I also feel that some of the descriptions about women are a bit sketchy in this novel, for I am not sure how many women are thinking heavily about the feeling their nipples have when pressed against their shirt. I do, however, like the fact that Laymon is able to keep my attention with his short, but gripping chapters, horrific images with characters you have enough of an acquaintance with, and the feeling you get with burgers and fries, where you just have that urge to indulge to one of his novels, even if it is a light work from a given genre.
A sense of human nature kicks into these characters, when the separate from one another and would ultimately do anything they can to keep themselves safe and then their loved ones safe. Acquaintances and strangers, no matter how innocent, become a low priority, and this is something to look out for within the text. As for whether or not a sense of human nature leads to having sex during a time of crisis: I am not sure if this is an actual desire or a desire of the author's. Unnecessary sex scenes are a turn off of mine.
I thought this was an okay novel that I think did a good job keeping me entertained and had some creepy, scary elements. It definitely has a limited audience and while there are moments where I would urge people to give horror novels, with or without strange elements, a chance, I could understand if people would rather skip this one.
You can find a video review that I did for this book on Literary Gladiators here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lJEn9joFaQ