...Then Donna's convict ex-husband turns up and things begin to take a very diffrent turn.....
One of the first books published by Laymon,The Cellar is the first of three novels set in Malasca Point and is easiest one of the most brutal of his novels,moving at a fast pace throughout leaving ... Read review
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Advantages: blood,gore, monsters and a spooky mueseum owner-what else do you need? Disadvantages: great start to a series of novels about the Beast House
Every day visitors flock to the infamous Beast House at Malcasa Point-the scene for a series of brutal murders that occurred several years ago-and gasp in horror at the gruesome wax work figures that tell the official story of what went on.
But what they hear is only half the story,a version heavily edited by the owner of the Beast House herself....
Mother and daughter,Donna and Sandy Hayes,come to the town fleeing an abusive ... ...them down.Hearing about the Beast House for the first time,the pair are intrigued and decide to pay it a visit-and it is during their tour that they encounter Larry;a man whose own past is linked to an unofficial visit he and a friend paid to the Beast House late one night as a teenager....a visit only he survived!
Following another recent incident at the Beast House in which three more people were killed,Larry has returned to Malasca ... more
Every day visitors flock to the infamous Beast House at Malcasa Point-the scene for a series of brutal murders that occurred several years ago-and gasp in horror at the gruesome wax work figures that tell the official story of what went on. But what they hear is only half the story,a version heavily edited by the owner of the Beast House herself....
Mother and daughter,Donna and Sandy Hayes,come to the town fleeing an abusive figure from their past,who they know is determined to track them down.Hearing about the Beast House for the first time,the pair are intrigued and decide to pay it a visit-and it is during their tour that they encounter Larry;a man whose own past is linked to an unofficial visit he and a friend paid to the Beast House late one night as a teenager....a visit only he survived!
Following another recent incident at the Beast House in which three more people were killed,Larry has returned to Malasca Point to finally face his demons and put the nightmares he still suffers from his experience to rest.Together with recent acquaintance,Jud Rucker,Larry plans to enter the Beast House at night and kill the infamous beast.Then Donna's convict ex-husband turns up and things begin to take a very diffrent turn.....
One of the first books published by Laymon,The Cellar is the first of three novels set in Malasca Point and is easiest one of the most brutal of his novels,moving at a fast pace throughout leaving the reader wanting for more.
Definetly not for the faint-hearted,the only criticism I had was that the book was a little too short and over far too soon but this just makes you more eager I think to read the others in the series.Certainly it is not as polished as his later work but,as a big fan of Richard Laymon,I can honestly say that even at his less than best he was still better than many authors and there was not a single one of his books I haven't enjoyed.
If you like b-movies,fearsome monsters,plenty of thrills and chills and a nice little twist in the ending-pick this up!!
If at all squeamish and easily scared-don't read it with the lights off!!
And don't go down to The Cellar.....Most of Richard Laymon's novels are available at all good book shops or I have seen them on the net starting from £5.59.Many of his works have also become available in omnibus editions too so you can read more than one of his books at once!!
Advantages: Fast and furious, with no time for rose-smelling Disadvantages: Might prove too hectic for some - I like to pause between action sequences, the better to enjoy them.
'The Cellar' was the first novel from Richard Laymon, an author who now fills whole shelves in your local horror section, and it reads very much like what it is. "I'm going to write a horror novel, what do I need to do?", says the author to himself. The answer, apparently, is to hold your breath, type and think at breakneck speed, make sure that everything is either action, sex, or plot, and then send it off to your publisher.
It works very well. ... ...stop and appreciate this until the novel is finished. Nothing is lingered on that can be rushed through. The plus side, obviously, is that this is an exciting, pulse-hammering read from start to stop. A slim book, it blazes along breathlessly.
The plot is inventive, a tale woven in two parts - the present and the distant past. At Malasca Point there stands a house with a history, with a Beast which turns up every few years to kill some unsuspecting ...
RichardW 06.12.2000
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Advantages: Gripping and fast moving Disadvantages: Will be too shocking for some
...justified and necessary to define the character of Roy, a child abuser who is released from prison and sets off after his daughter and ex wife. They flee to a small town called Malcasa Point, which has a tourist attraction called Beast House, where there are some very strange goings on... For a first novel, it's very impressive, and hard to put down (I read it in two days), but when you read Laymon's later novels you can really see how much he's ...
philsammie 12.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Cellar - Richard Laymon
Advantages: Exciting and fast paced Disadvantages: Graphic
...I had to put down. The either detailed violence or graphic and disturbing sex is off putting to say the least. The Cellar is no different (dear god no), but the first few pages were gentle and engaging enough to have me read on.
Laymon's plots have great sense of urgency and his characters are well defined. While some may say he's crude (he is) he does know how to tell a tale, though never content on scaring us he often makes it his mission to disgusts ... ...in you have to finish. The suspense is marvellous. There is a lot of interlinking going on in this one and the whole time you're wondering how it's all going to pan out, not to mention what the beast actually is. Read if you dare.
The Cellar (1980) by Richard Laymon is the first of a series entitled Beast House Chronicles and was also his first novel to be published.
First posted on: vegansteven.blogspot.com (2007) ...
ameo747 24.12.2007
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Advantages: Another brillian book by this author Disadvantages: Not keen on ending
Richardlaymon (the cellar, island and the stake) has done a brilliant job up until the end which i thought was poor. The glory bus was brought out in 2005 and you can get it at most major bookshops for about £6.99. You could probably get in cheaper on the net.
The book revolves around two main characters. Theres pamela who has just got married, kidnapped by rodney, a rapist and murderer who has had a crush on her since school. Then there's shy, quiet norman who goes into a garage to pay for his petrol and comes back to find someone sat in his car demanding a ride.
The book kicks off with rodney kidnapping pamela, leaving a female corpse to take her place in her house, with her husband and setting it on fire. Nobody will realize that pamela has been kidnapped, they will mistake the corpse for her. Pamela manages to escape after ...
Advantages: fast paced thriller you might not be able to put down Disadvantages: very violent, very bloody
I picked up this hardback book amongst various others at my local library for about 20 pence. I had never heard of RichardLaymon prior to reading this book so had no idea what the book was about nor any clue about his writing style. The recommendation from Stephen King on the front cover "If you've missed a Laymon you've missed a treat" gave me a bit of an incentive to add to the pile of books I was getting as the library was selling off some older and slightly battered books to make room for new stock.
The Times said of this book "This author knows how to sock it to the reader" and I would say I have to agree with that statement 100%! Time Out said of Laymon's book "A gut-crunching writer" and Dan Marlowe is quoted as saying "Stephen King without a conscience".
~*~PLOT TEASER~*~
Sherry and Duane are about to spend ...
Product Information for "The Cellar - Richard Laymon" »
Product details
Type
Fiction
Genre
Horror
Title
The Cellar
Author
Richard Laymon
ISBN
0352323884; 0747235333; 0770107559
Manufacturer's product description
Visitors flock to see the Beast House with its blood-soaked corridors and creaky doors. Armed with video camcorders, these poor sould enter the forbidden house, never to return. The deeper they go into the house, the darker their nightmares become. Don't even think about going into the cellar. About the AuthorRichard Layman was born in Chicago in 1947. He grew up in California and has a BA in English Literature from Willamette University, Oregon, and an MA from Loyola University, Los Angeles. He has worked as a schoolteacher, a librarian, a mystery magazine editor and a report writer for a law firm. He now works full-time as a writer. His novel FLESH was shortlisted for the prestigious Bram Stoker Award, as were FUNLAND and his short story collection, A GOOD, SECRET PLACE. Richard Layman is the author of many acclaimed works of horror and suspense, including THE STAKE, SAVAGE, AFTER MIDNIGHT and the three novels in the Beast House Chronicles: THE CELLAR, THE BEAST HOUSE and THE MIDNIGHT TOUR. He lives in California with his wife and daughter.
Compare The Cellar - Richard Laymon to other similar Horror Books »
A nice gripping and readable novel ; A terrific tale of survival ; Very atmospheric ; The characters thoughts and feelings are projected well to the reader
Suddenly stops flowing towards the middle ; King can be slightly over obsequious towards the main character (*)
The writing is taut and effecive, and several stand alone scenes are magnificent. The conclusion, had it been published as a stand alone novella, would have been wonderful.
Nothing happens, and there is some nasty use of forced incest as a means to create a tawdry shock. Oh, and nothing happens. (*)
