Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Stockholm : Wahlström & Widstrand, 1976 ;
Description
Fiction. Horror. HTML: Now an NBC miniseries starring Zoe Saldana Rosemary Woodhouse and her struggling actor husband, Guy, move into the Bramford, an old New York City apartment building with an ominous reputation and mostly elderly residents. Neighbors Roman and Minnie Castevet soon come nosing around to welcome the Woodhouses to the building, and despite Rosemary's reservations about their eccentricity and the weird noises that she keeps hearing her husband takes a special shine to them. Shortly after Guy lands a plum Broadway role, Rosemary becomes pregnant, and the Castavets start taking a special interest in her welfare. As the sickened Rosemary becomes increasingly isolated, she begins to suspect that the Castevets' circle is not what it seems....… (more)
Media reviews
NBD / Biblion
Met de regelmaat van de klok verschijnen de herdrukken van dit boek, dat ook verfilmd is (en nog steeds vertoond wordt). Een jong echtpaar krijgt een flat toegewezen in een oud romantisch flatgebouw in New York, waarover verhalen gaan als zouden er veel zelfmoorden plaatsvinden en heksen en
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gifmengers wonen. Ze trekken zich hier niets van aan en voelen er zich gelukkig tot de vrouw, Rosemary, plotseling in verwachting raakt. Deze zwangerschap verloopt moeizaam en ze gaat aan de hand van allerlei gebeurtenissen eraan twijfelen of de buren (en ook haar man) die haar met allerlei zorgjes omringen toch niet aan hekserij doen. Het verhaal eindigt dan ook als ze een baby heeft gekregen die als tegenhanger van Christus, de zoon van Satan zou zijn. Nog steeds een boeiend verhaal, maar minder griezelig dan de film. Duidelijke druk op grauw papier.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member avanders
I have managed to be one of those people who knew nothing about it! And I read a lot of horror growing up! I really enjoyed this one ... it's both subtle and in your face, direct and sneaky, and definitely creepy and disturbing.
LibraryThing member andreablythe
Rosemary is a happy and healthy young woman, who is ecstatic about moving into the Bramford with her husband. It's building with character, and in her mind, the perfect place to have their first child. Then strange things begin to happen.
But to say it like that is to over dramatize it, because this
It would be easy as the reader to wonder why Rosemary didn't pick up on the clues sooner, but as the reader, we have foreknowledge that she wouldn't. In experience truth the clues can be good easily written off as just one's imagination. And if I'm honest with myself, I would have to admit that I would be no more conscious of what was really going on than Rosemary. (In fact, I might not have get caught on at all.)
I haven't seen the movie, but I've seen clips and knew what was going to happen at the end from discussions while reading (also, I had Mia Farrow firmly planted in my head). Knowing in advance the end did not ruin my enjoyment I the slightest. I was captivated from the start, didn't want to put it down halfway in, and by the end I was so absorbed I became resentful of working and eating and having to commute home. In fact, I couldn't even handle walking from the car into the house; I just sat in the driver's seat reading until the last 40 pages were done. Then I walked in the house with a huge smile on my face and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. I can't even bring myself to start another book yet, because I just want to read this one over again.
But to say it like that is to over dramatize it, because this
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book is superbly understated. Every event is presented as mundane and ordinary. The language itself is crisp and clean and understated; there is no overdramatizing for the sake of hyping the horror. Instead every strange occurrence is slipped subtly in with the everyday aspects of preparing a new home and dealing with the strangeness of pregnancy. Violence and death crops up, but even these happen in a "these things happen" kind of way and can be written off as coincidence. It would be easy as the reader to wonder why Rosemary didn't pick up on the clues sooner, but as the reader, we have foreknowledge that she wouldn't. In experience truth the clues can be good easily written off as just one's imagination. And if I'm honest with myself, I would have to admit that I would be no more conscious of what was really going on than Rosemary. (In fact, I might not have get caught on at all.)
I haven't seen the movie, but I've seen clips and knew what was going to happen at the end from discussions while reading (also, I had Mia Farrow firmly planted in my head). Knowing in advance the end did not ruin my enjoyment I the slightest. I was captivated from the start, didn't want to put it down halfway in, and by the end I was so absorbed I became resentful of working and eating and having to commute home. In fact, I couldn't even handle walking from the car into the house; I just sat in the driver's seat reading until the last 40 pages were done. Then I walked in the house with a huge smile on my face and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. I can't even bring myself to start another book yet, because I just want to read this one over again.
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LibraryThing member .Monkey.
"'I am not saying,' Hutch said, 'that you will walk into the Bramford and be hit on the head with a piano or eaten by spinsters or turned to stone. I am simple saying that the record is there and ought to be considered along with the reasonable rent and the working fireplce: the house has a high
Oh, this book! I've seen the movie a couple times, at various points in my life, so I knew the score. It started out where I was wanting to be able to jump in the book and tell them No, no, you don't want that apartment, take the boring sterile new place! and then, after the quote shared above, I wanted to shout at them, LISTEN TO HIM, DON'T MOVE THERE!!! but of course, for all my, and Hutch's, attempts to help them escape it, the Woodhouses were simply destined (by Ira Levin, that is, not a higher power) to move into the Bramford.
Of course, things seem to go awfully smooth, lovely new apartment, gorgeous new furnishings and painting, oh-so-kind new neighbors, it's all just wonderful! ...Except for the tip-of-the-tongue lurking suspicion that things don't exactly seem just quite right, the odd frivolous seemingly unconnected little coincidences popping up, the strange little quirks floating around Guy that can be brushed off with perfectly reasonable excuses...
"The thought of her baby lying helpless amid sacrilege and horror brought tears to Rosemary's eyes, and suddenly a longing dragged at her to do nothing but collapse and weep, to surrender completely before such elaborate and unspeakable evil."
Well, anybody with any modicum of pop culture knowledge knows just what Rosemary's baby is, nonetheless, I will leave all truly spoilerish talk at the door, and simply say that Levin created a thrilling horror story. Even already knowing the outline of it all, I was still tense with anticipation once things really got going, and the end was great.
"'He chose you out of all the world, Rosemary. Out of all the women in the whole world, He chose you.'"
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incidence of unpleasant happenings. Why deliberately enter a danger zone?'"Oh, this book! I've seen the movie a couple times, at various points in my life, so I knew the score. It started out where I was wanting to be able to jump in the book and tell them No, no, you don't want that apartment, take the boring sterile new place! and then, after the quote shared above, I wanted to shout at them, LISTEN TO HIM, DON'T MOVE THERE!!! but of course, for all my, and Hutch's, attempts to help them escape it, the Woodhouses were simply destined (by Ira Levin, that is, not a higher power) to move into the Bramford.
Of course, things seem to go awfully smooth, lovely new apartment, gorgeous new furnishings and painting, oh-so-kind new neighbors, it's all just wonderful! ...Except for the tip-of-the-tongue lurking suspicion that things don't exactly seem just quite right, the odd frivolous seemingly unconnected little coincidences popping up, the strange little quirks floating around Guy that can be brushed off with perfectly reasonable excuses...
"The thought of her baby lying helpless amid sacrilege and horror brought tears to Rosemary's eyes, and suddenly a longing dragged at her to do nothing but collapse and weep, to surrender completely before such elaborate and unspeakable evil."
Well, anybody with any modicum of pop culture knowledge knows just what Rosemary's baby is, nonetheless, I will leave all truly spoilerish talk at the door, and simply say that Levin created a thrilling horror story. Even already knowing the outline of it all, I was still tense with anticipation once things really got going, and the end was great.
"'He chose you out of all the world, Rosemary. Out of all the women in the whole world, He chose you.'"
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LibraryThing member mstrust
This book and movie are so well known that it may not need a synopsis. But here's a brief one anyway: young wife Rosemary and her husband Guy get very lucky by finding an apartment at the elegant Bramford. The neighbors are pushy but kind elderly people who have lived there for decades and
For me, the scary parts were very brief, but it's the always present sense of apprehension that permeates the story that makes this an excellent read.
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immediately take the young couple under their wing, though Rosemary's friend Hutch warns her about the buildings evil history and warns her not to get too friendly. But living at the Bramford is mostly good, as soon after they arrive, Guy's acting career takes off and Rosemary finds that she's finally pregnant.For me, the scary parts were very brief, but it's the always present sense of apprehension that permeates the story that makes this an excellent read.
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LibraryThing member electrascaife
Rosemary and Guy move into an famous apartment building in NYC despite the warnings of Rosemary's close friend about the strange and dangerous things that have happened there. She...should have listened to him.
I loved the movie when I saw it years ago, so I was happy when the book came up on one of
I loved the movie when I saw it years ago, so I was happy when the book came up on one of
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my lists. I enjoyed it, but possibly not as much as I would have if I didn't already know what was going to happen. Still, a fun little read and perfect for October. Show Less
LibraryThing member DDJTJ1
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of ROSEMARY'S BABY BY IRA LEVIN . ROSEMARY'S BABY is a classic in the horror genre. As you read this book you may wonder what is so scary about a young husband and wife living in an apartment building in New York? The more you read this book the more weird seems to
I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an open and honest review.
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be occurring, and I warn you , read it all so you can get the full weird effect! I love this book and all of Mr. Levin's books. He takes a rather mundane subject, like a couple living in New York and twists and turns it into the extreme bizarre! If you have read ROSEMARY'S BABY before or its your first shot at it I highly recommend it!I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an open and honest review.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
I snagged this for my Kindle when Amazon was running a daily deal. I hadn't read it in years and wanted to see how it held up. Well, I tore through it in about two days. Even knowing how it all turns out, Rosemary's Baby is still a very scary-creepy book. Because it is told entirely from Rosemary's
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point of view as she slowly puts the pieces together, we readers share in her paranoia, helplessness and ever-growing terror. The ending still gives me chills. This is one horror classic that endures. Show Less
LibraryThing member veeshee
This novel has been on my TBR list for a very long time. I love me a good horror story, but I'm ashamed to admit that I wasn't able to find the time to fit this book in over the years. Well, since I live right beside my local library, I decided that I would borrow this book and make it my mission
Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse are an ordinary couple. Guy is in the film industry, trying to make it onto the big screen. And Rosemary is happy to be by his side. When they land an apartment at The Bramford in New York City, it's like a dream come true. As they move in, they begin to meet some of the other tenants in this building, like their elderly neighbours and their bizarre group of friends. Unused to this much interest, Rosemary and Guy try to be polite and accept the occasional dinner invitations. But soon, these neighbours become a much larger force in their lives. And by the time Rosemary realizes the dangers of it all, it's too late...
This story.... where shall I start? The writing style here is unusual yet well done. Everything always sounds just a tad perky, like a happy housewife show where anything unusual is just dismissed as a coincidence or an accident. Rosemary does get creeped out at times but it is usually quite easy for her to just push it aside and move on. I really liked that effect because it put the reader on hyper-alert, waiting for that moment where Rosemary really cannot deny the truth that is in front of her. I liked the interesting characters from the Bramford, all of whom are friendly and seemingly harmless; they're the kind of neighbours you wish you could have! Knowing that they are somehow involved made the story all the more creepy! I didn't really like Guy as a character. He wasn't a great husband and he was just so selfish throughout (this becomes even more apparent as you reach the end); I don't know why Rosemary put up with it all. He did quite a few things that really bothered me - but I'm not going to say what because that will give away parts of the story!
I think the scariest part of this story wasn't even the ending when all of the "horrors" are revealed; truth be told, the ending actually came off as ridiculously funny (maybe I just have a warped sense of humor?). The scary part was how little control Rosemary had over her life and her body. She was forced - ahem, coerced - to switch doctors, trust strangers, receive weird concoctions, isolate her friends, and much much more. And it scared me how little say she had over everything. Anything she pointed out was dismissed, and she was made to feel as if she was making a big deal out of nothing. Trying to imagine myself in a vulnerable situation like that, having others make all sorts of decisions on my behalf without asking me... well, that scares me. It scares me a lot.
Overall, this novel is quirky and set in the era of the "Sixties Housewife", and it definitely gives you the creepy vibes so if you are looking for a creepy story, give this one a shot!
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to FINALLY get it read!Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse are an ordinary couple. Guy is in the film industry, trying to make it onto the big screen. And Rosemary is happy to be by his side. When they land an apartment at The Bramford in New York City, it's like a dream come true. As they move in, they begin to meet some of the other tenants in this building, like their elderly neighbours and their bizarre group of friends. Unused to this much interest, Rosemary and Guy try to be polite and accept the occasional dinner invitations. But soon, these neighbours become a much larger force in their lives. And by the time Rosemary realizes the dangers of it all, it's too late...
This story.... where shall I start? The writing style here is unusual yet well done. Everything always sounds just a tad perky, like a happy housewife show where anything unusual is just dismissed as a coincidence or an accident. Rosemary does get creeped out at times but it is usually quite easy for her to just push it aside and move on. I really liked that effect because it put the reader on hyper-alert, waiting for that moment where Rosemary really cannot deny the truth that is in front of her. I liked the interesting characters from the Bramford, all of whom are friendly and seemingly harmless; they're the kind of neighbours you wish you could have! Knowing that they are somehow involved made the story all the more creepy! I didn't really like Guy as a character. He wasn't a great husband and he was just so selfish throughout (this becomes even more apparent as you reach the end); I don't know why Rosemary put up with it all. He did quite a few things that really bothered me - but I'm not going to say what because that will give away parts of the story!
I think the scariest part of this story wasn't even the ending when all of the "horrors" are revealed; truth be told, the ending actually came off as ridiculously funny (maybe I just have a warped sense of humor?). The scary part was how little control Rosemary had over her life and her body. She was forced - ahem, coerced - to switch doctors, trust strangers, receive weird concoctions, isolate her friends, and much much more. And it scared me how little say she had over everything. Anything she pointed out was dismissed, and she was made to feel as if she was making a big deal out of nothing. Trying to imagine myself in a vulnerable situation like that, having others make all sorts of decisions on my behalf without asking me... well, that scares me. It scares me a lot.
Overall, this novel is quirky and set in the era of the "Sixties Housewife", and it definitely gives you the creepy vibes so if you are looking for a creepy story, give this one a shot!
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LibraryThing member 5hrdrive
There's not a wasted paragraph in this incredibly creepy tale of Rosemary Woodhouse and her unnatural child. Told solely through her eyes, the reader feels trapped with her as she attempts to put together several seemingly random incidents and reaches the unfortunate but inevitable conclusion. "He
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has his father's eyes." may be the most eerie sentence I've ever read, and I've read my share of horror stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member CathrynGrant
The story was gripping, hard to put down, but fell apart slightly when Rosemary drew conclusions based on slim evidence. The ending fit Rosemary's character and fit the story but was oddly unsatisfying on another level that I can't quite find words for -- too neat, maybe, or the change too sudden.
LibraryThing member Carol420
Oh my. Where true horror stories began. Read the book, see the movie which is out on DVD now really cheap. Scary stuff for the times.
LibraryThing member ccookie
First words:
~Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse had signed a lease on a five-room apartment in a geometric white house on First Avenue when they received word, from a woman named Mrs. Cortez, that a four-room apartment in the Bramford had become available~
I read [A Kiss Before Dying] when I was a teenager
Then I read [The Boys from Brazil] and thought ... believable; fiction but “it could happen.”
In January, I read [Sliver]. The premise was “a little more out there” but believable; fiction … but “it could happen.”
Earlier this month I finished [The Stepford Wives]. The premise was “a little MORE out there” but believable; fiction … but “it could happen.”
And now, [Rosemary’s Baby]. Ok, the premise, “WAY out there”, a little less believable, that couldn’t happen … BUT … niggling away … oh, yes, “it could happen”!!
The most frightening aspect of this book is that the ‘evil’ is so sweet. We and Rosemary do not have any idea that our neighbours could be capable of anything such as Satanism / devil worship or be part of summoning the devil and the anti-Christ. These are dear, kind, loving, elderly folks. The type of people we rely on when we are in trouble. We would never suspect.
What really disturbs me though, is the way that Rosemary responds to her child when she finally sees him and knows who his father is (and the father is NOT her husband).
Again, I was frightened by the whole story. Talk about creating suspense page after page. I was compelled to finish this book quickly. Even though I had seen the movie, knew the story, Levin was still able to have me ‘guessing’ how it would all come out in the end. That is a true gift.
As an Amazon.com descriptions states, “A wonderfully chilling novel”.
An aside: Levin must have experienced chronic pain himself, or known someone who did. As someone who experiences severe pain on a daily basis (for the last 11+ years on Long Term Disability), this was a wonderful description of what life can be like living with pain.
“The pain grew worse, grew so grinding that something shut down in Rosemary – some center of resistance and remembered well-being - and she stopped reacting, stopped mentioning pain to Dr, Sapirstein, stopped referring to pain even in her thoughts. Until now it had been inside her; now she was inside it; pain was the weather around her, was time, was the entire world.”
I have been there and suffered that. Pain used to be all that I was. I am grateful that pain is, at this time in my life, only a part of me.
4.5 stars
~Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse had signed a lease on a five-room apartment in a geometric white house on First Avenue when they received word, from a woman named Mrs. Cortez, that a four-room apartment in the Bramford had become available~
I read [A Kiss Before Dying] when I was a teenager
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and remember loving it. The premise of the book was “a little out there” but believable; fiction … but “it could happen.”Then I read [The Boys from Brazil] and thought ... believable; fiction but “it could happen.”
In January, I read [Sliver]. The premise was “a little more out there” but believable; fiction … but “it could happen.”
Earlier this month I finished [The Stepford Wives]. The premise was “a little MORE out there” but believable; fiction … but “it could happen.”
And now, [Rosemary’s Baby]. Ok, the premise, “WAY out there”, a little less believable, that couldn’t happen … BUT … niggling away … oh, yes, “it could happen”!!
The most frightening aspect of this book is that the ‘evil’ is so sweet. We and Rosemary do not have any idea that our neighbours could be capable of anything such as Satanism / devil worship or be part of summoning the devil and the anti-Christ. These are dear, kind, loving, elderly folks. The type of people we rely on when we are in trouble. We would never suspect.
What really disturbs me though, is the way that Rosemary responds to her child when she finally sees him and knows who his father is (and the father is NOT her husband).
Again, I was frightened by the whole story. Talk about creating suspense page after page. I was compelled to finish this book quickly. Even though I had seen the movie, knew the story, Levin was still able to have me ‘guessing’ how it would all come out in the end. That is a true gift.
As an Amazon.com descriptions states, “A wonderfully chilling novel”.
An aside: Levin must have experienced chronic pain himself, or known someone who did. As someone who experiences severe pain on a daily basis (for the last 11+ years on Long Term Disability), this was a wonderful description of what life can be like living with pain.
“The pain grew worse, grew so grinding that something shut down in Rosemary – some center of resistance and remembered well-being - and she stopped reacting, stopped mentioning pain to Dr, Sapirstein, stopped referring to pain even in her thoughts. Until now it had been inside her; now she was inside it; pain was the weather around her, was time, was the entire world.”
I have been there and suffered that. Pain used to be all that I was. I am grateful that pain is, at this time in my life, only a part of me.
4.5 stars
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LibraryThing member CarmenMilligan
I had never read this classic, and did a little research on the author and genre. I had no idea that Ira Levin had written so many books that later were made into movies. Also, I had no idea that this was the first novel to bring the occult into mainstream cinema. Very interesting stuff!
Now, on to
Recommended.
Now, on to
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the story. The book is very well written, with Rosemary's visions/hallucinations/experiences transporting the reader into that area of not-quite-conscious. The introductions of the characters were fantanstic dots, connecting as the story progressed. The conclusion was both shocking and satisfying. I will read the next one to find out what happens!Recommended.
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LibraryThing member Electablue
This was quite creepy, but not as much as I would have thought based on how much a small part of the movie scared me when I saw a small bit of it on tv way back in the dark ages of my childhood.
LibraryThing member blackrabbit89
I found Rosemary surprisingly likable. She seemed sensible enough, although she bowed down to her husband’s wishes far too often. (I guess that’s the ’60s for you.) But at least Rosemary began to question things and put two and two together, unlike many characters in horror movies and books.
In the afterword of the book, Ira Levin notes that the suspense of a coming event can often be the scariest part of a story. Rosemary’s Baby is nearly all suspense—throughout the novel, I slowly pieced together clues about the Castevets’ evil religious practices, their motives and strange behaviors, and as Rosemary’s demonic fetus grew within her, so did my sense of dread. What was going to happen? Was it going to kill her? Burst out of her? Possess her? I had no idea. I loved the suspense—it’s what made it so frightening. The impending doom. Knowing that something evil was coming, was growing inside the protagonist.
Most of the real horror in this book happened offstage, so to speak, which added to the sense of doom. Until the very end, there were only hints here and there—the smell of tannis root, the black candles, the sounds of a recorder and chanting through the wall. The strange “nutritional smoothies” Minnie made for Rosemary. The sudden, suspicious illnesses of various people. The closest we get to any real “action” is when Rosemary is raped and impregnated—she has been drugged, so we see it through her dreamlike semi-aware state. I thoroughly enjoyed putting all the clues together while reading.
I recommend this book if you want to read a creepy, ominous story, but not a terrifying one. It’s pretty great. Now I have to go watch the movie.
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Somehow I just can’t enjoy it as much if the main character doesn’t put up some sort of semi-intelligent fight. I was really rooting for Rosemary. Her behavior at the end of the story nearly killed me (but I loved it—what a great ending).In the afterword of the book, Ira Levin notes that the suspense of a coming event can often be the scariest part of a story. Rosemary’s Baby is nearly all suspense—throughout the novel, I slowly pieced together clues about the Castevets’ evil religious practices, their motives and strange behaviors, and as Rosemary’s demonic fetus grew within her, so did my sense of dread. What was going to happen? Was it going to kill her? Burst out of her? Possess her? I had no idea. I loved the suspense—it’s what made it so frightening. The impending doom. Knowing that something evil was coming, was growing inside the protagonist.
Most of the real horror in this book happened offstage, so to speak, which added to the sense of doom. Until the very end, there were only hints here and there—the smell of tannis root, the black candles, the sounds of a recorder and chanting through the wall. The strange “nutritional smoothies” Minnie made for Rosemary. The sudden, suspicious illnesses of various people. The closest we get to any real “action” is when Rosemary is raped and impregnated—she has been drugged, so we see it through her dreamlike semi-aware state. I thoroughly enjoyed putting all the clues together while reading.
I recommend this book if you want to read a creepy, ominous story, but not a terrifying one. It’s pretty great. Now I have to go watch the movie.
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LibraryThing member smik
I don't think I have ever seen the film (1968) based on this book, starring Mia Farrow. That was probably a good thing as I didn't know how the story ended.
The Introduction by Chuck Palahniuk prepared me a little though. He begins
"Before Ira Levin, horror always happened soemwhere else... it was a
But Ira Levin changed all that, for, on the very edges of crime fiction, ROSEMARY'S BABY is a horror story, showing that there is no safety in your own home either.
There is a cinematographic quality to the action, and I kept imagining how chilling it would be on the silver screen.
During her early pregnancy Rosemary Woodhouse has incredible pain, and then peculiar dreams. A friend who warned her about the apartment house she and her husband have moved, is taken ill just before meeting with her, and then falls into a coma from which he never recovers. Rosemary thinks her husband has developed an unhealthy affection for their elderly neighbours but continues to trust Guy.
An interesting read.
The Introduction by Chuck Palahniuk prepared me a little though. He begins
"Before Ira Levin, horror always happened soemwhere else... it was a
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comfort to know that real life-threatening horror never occurred at home. You had to be baited far, far away. For the century leading up to 1967 the real horrors had been elsewhere in the world, always outside the borders of England and the United States. If you stayed home you'd be safe... Home constituted this safe little island where women could raise children in domestic bliss."But Ira Levin changed all that, for, on the very edges of crime fiction, ROSEMARY'S BABY is a horror story, showing that there is no safety in your own home either.
There is a cinematographic quality to the action, and I kept imagining how chilling it would be on the silver screen.
During her early pregnancy Rosemary Woodhouse has incredible pain, and then peculiar dreams. A friend who warned her about the apartment house she and her husband have moved, is taken ill just before meeting with her, and then falls into a coma from which he never recovers. Rosemary thinks her husband has developed an unhealthy affection for their elderly neighbours but continues to trust Guy.
An interesting read.
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LibraryThing member silenceiseverything
I didn't find Rosemary's Baby scary or creepy at all. That's surprising to me considering that I find books about possession/the Devil scary as all get out. But I read Rosemary's Baby in a few hours at night and I'm fine. I don't even think it'll creep up on me before I go to bed. Normally, if a
I saw the film version of Rosemary's Baby years ago when I was a kid. I still remembered the gist of it while reading this book especially the ending. The book banks a lot on the confusion that the protagonist is feeling and the reader is supposed to feel that confusion yet sense of normalcy underlying it. You're supposed to be right there with Rosemary unraveling everything that's going on. If you already know what's happening, then there isn't much of a thrill going on while you're reading it. If I had never seen the film version of Rosemary's Baby, I'm sure I would've been completely and totally lost with Rosemary while reading this book. That's really the way I would've preferred it.
I also gave Rosemary's Baby three stars because it was an extremely quick read. I couldn't have stopped reading even if I wanted to. Also, I found that while I didn't form any deep connection to the characters, I loathed Rosemary's husband with every fiber of my being. Everytime I read one word about him, I had this undeniable urge to shoot the book across the room. I HATED him. So, I did have some passionate feelings toward the book (whether or not they're favorable doesn't really matter) and that's way better than feeling "meh" about it.
If you've never seen the film Rosemary's Baby and virtually know nothing about it except the fact that Roman Polanski directed it and Mia Farrow starred in it, then by all means pick up the book. If you're a huge fan of the film, again, go ahead and immerse yourself in the story, especially since I've heard that the film remains pretty faithful to the book (I don't remember much about the film except the end and the overall plot of it). If you don't fall into either one of these categories, then I bid you to tread with caution. You might not get the same thrill that most people in the 60s did while reading the book because you already know what's coming.
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horror book is advertised with the words "Sheer Terror" on it yet fails to terrorize me even a little bit, it usually gets one star or if I'm feeling a bit generous, two stars. However, I gave Rosemary's Baby three stars. That's because I'm sure I would have found it a bit scary (but still not much) if I went into this book blind. I saw the film version of Rosemary's Baby years ago when I was a kid. I still remembered the gist of it while reading this book especially the ending. The book banks a lot on the confusion that the protagonist is feeling and the reader is supposed to feel that confusion yet sense of normalcy underlying it. You're supposed to be right there with Rosemary unraveling everything that's going on. If you already know what's happening, then there isn't much of a thrill going on while you're reading it. If I had never seen the film version of Rosemary's Baby, I'm sure I would've been completely and totally lost with Rosemary while reading this book. That's really the way I would've preferred it.
I also gave Rosemary's Baby three stars because it was an extremely quick read. I couldn't have stopped reading even if I wanted to. Also, I found that while I didn't form any deep connection to the characters, I loathed Rosemary's husband with every fiber of my being. Everytime I read one word about him, I had this undeniable urge to shoot the book across the room. I HATED him. So, I did have some passionate feelings toward the book (whether or not they're favorable doesn't really matter) and that's way better than feeling "meh" about it.
If you've never seen the film Rosemary's Baby and virtually know nothing about it except the fact that Roman Polanski directed it and Mia Farrow starred in it, then by all means pick up the book. If you're a huge fan of the film, again, go ahead and immerse yourself in the story, especially since I've heard that the film remains pretty faithful to the book (I don't remember much about the film except the end and the overall plot of it). If you don't fall into either one of these categories, then I bid you to tread with caution. You might not get the same thrill that most people in the 60s did while reading the book because you already know what's coming.
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LibraryThing member Diwanna
I read this book after watching the movie. Both were quite good, but had different feels to them. I think I enjoyed the book a bit more because of the detail in the characters, and the internal dialogue that is difficult to translate to the silver screen. I great psychological thriller more than a
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horror novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member othersam
A parasite is growing inside you but everyone around you is smiling and telling you that everything’s fine. Aliens? Nope: pregnancy! Coolly, calmly and with a meticulous eye for the sinister aspects of everyday detail Levin works poor, expectant Rosemary’s paranoia to its deliciously
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shuddersome conclusion. A low-key stone cold classic. Show Less
LibraryThing member miyurose
Like most people, I at least knew the basic premise behind Rosemary's Baby, but I had never read the book or even seen the movie. "Disquieting"� is perhaps the perfect word to describe this book. There is just this subtle thread of dread throughout the entire story that is amazing. I highly, highly
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recommend it. I'm looking forward to picking up some other books writting by Levin. Show Less
LibraryThing member Fluffyblue
This is an excellent book - although I have to admit I am a big, big fan of the film. Having said that, the film is extremely close to the book and made the images in my head so clear when I was reading it. It's well written (and easy to read at that), it has a very interesting plot and it's just a
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great read. Show Less
LibraryThing member SlySionnach
I admit: I saw the movie first. And I was pleasantly surprised to see how true to the book the movie was, looking back. Normally, one isn't so lucky.
But this is a review about the book. Though sometimes it could read a little unemotional, in my opinion, the winning part of the book for me is the
In an almost hypocritical stance from before, I think Rosemary is a bit over the top at the end. It's justified (hey, if you found out what she did, you may go a bit crazy too), but sometimes a bit way over the top.
And I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the line "It was kind of fun, in a necrophile sort of way," was from the book. It has to be the one that always gets me laughing as a defense mechanism to the disturbing qualities.
All in all, I think the book was great. Seriously, a must read for horror lovers.
But this is a review about the book. Though sometimes it could read a little unemotional, in my opinion, the winning part of the book for me is the
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dialogue. There are just some times that I can see people I know speaking the way the Castevets or Guy Woodhouse speaks.In an almost hypocritical stance from before, I think Rosemary is a bit over the top at the end. It's justified (hey, if you found out what she did, you may go a bit crazy too), but sometimes a bit way over the top.
And I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the line "It was kind of fun, in a necrophile sort of way," was from the book. It has to be the one that always gets me laughing as a defense mechanism to the disturbing qualities.
All in all, I think the book was great. Seriously, a must read for horror lovers.
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LibraryThing member shmuffin
The idea and story for this book are good but some parts were just...blah (I don't know another way to put it). It took me a long time to read because at times I didn't want to continue reading it.
LibraryThing member kwohlrob
Ira Levin never got the credit he deserved for crafting some of the most iconic stories of the later 20th century. Rosemary's Baby is one of his masterpieces and proved that long before Stephen King, Levin dreamed up the idea that evil could be hanging out right next door to you, possibly having a
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cup of tea. I always consider Levin's book a great object lesson in that the story is all. You can have the greatest prose in the world, but if your story is uninteresting, than your book is uninteresting. Levin wrote simple, compelling, engrossing stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member rcooper3589
I picked this up because I love the movie and wanted to see how different the two were... unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the two are exactly the same! I was sorta hoping for more insight into the characters- although in the book it seems like Guy knew from the start what was going on, where I
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never really felt that in the movie. It was a fast, simple read that was enjoyable. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Edgar Award (Nominee — Novel — 1968)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1967
Physical description
191 p.; 20 cm
ISBN
9146126406 / 9789146126409