markhodderauthor's reviews
351 reviews

Eat Them Alive by Pierce Nace

2.0

Escape from the Planet of the Apes by Jerry Pournelle, Paul Dehn

2.5

The Ringway Virus by Russell Foreman

3.5

The Land of Mist by Andrew Quiller

4.5

Kalin by E.C. Tubb

4.0

The Awakening by Jerry Ahern

3.0

The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton

5.0

Doctor Who and the Daleks by David Whitaker

3.0

The Eagles 1: The Hill of the Dead by Andrew Quiller

5.0

Let's Go Play at the Adams' by Mendal W. Johnson

1.0

This novel is held in high regard by aficionados of disturbing, transgressive horror and I have looked forward to reading it for a long time. Finally, I have... and I hated it. The style is maddeningly verbose, there is WAY more telling than showing, and the "author's voice" is so strong that it creates a cold distance between the reader and the characters and events of the story. There is hardly any investment in the victim, so the horrific climax comes (finally), and goes, and who cares? I realise I am in the minority... but I far prefer the similarly themed but more visceral THE GIRL NEXT DOOR by Jack Ketchum, which is neither overwritten nor overrated.