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A review by mikekaz
The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon
4.0
While not as complex as some of his latter books, THE WOODS ARE DARK is still an extremely strong novel with a rawness to it that makes for excellent reading. I found out afterwards that the edition I read was actually a reissue of Laymon's second horror novel. The only difference that makes is the previously mentioned rawness that permeates the novel.
The action starts from the first page and comes at you fast and heavy. Three groups of people are attacked by the cannibalistic forest-dwelling family called the Krulls. For centuries, the local town has provided them waylaid travelers as food and breeding mates. The three groups (hikers, a vacationing family and a local) deal with the attacks differently and try to survive as best they can.
This is where Laymon is his best. His characters are reduced to their base core, surviving on instincts and reverting to carnal and violent desires. The book is savage and violent and not something that portrays humans in their best light. But hey, maybe this is the best when you find yourself attacked by cannibalistic humanoid forest dwellers.
The action starts from the first page and comes at you fast and heavy. Three groups of people are attacked by the cannibalistic forest-dwelling family called the Krulls. For centuries, the local town has provided them waylaid travelers as food and breeding mates. The three groups (hikers, a vacationing family and a local) deal with the attacks differently and try to survive as best they can.
This is where Laymon is his best. His characters are reduced to their base core, surviving on instincts and reverting to carnal and violent desires. The book is savage and violent and not something that portrays humans in their best light. But hey, maybe this is the best when you find yourself attacked by cannibalistic humanoid forest dwellers.