Bad Seed

Rating:
Summary: Chilling tale of an eight-year-old murderer.
Review: The term "bad seed" has become a much used phrase to describe a person who is thoroughly evil from birth. William March wrote "The Bad Seed" in the 1950's and it was later adapted for the stage and screen. After reading this compelling story, I can well understand its popularity.

Rhoda Penmark is an eight-year-old girl who is so self-contained, aloof and uncaring that her peers shun her. Rhoda's gentle parents, Kenneth and Christine, know that Rhoda is not exactly like other little girls. When she plays, she never gets dirty. She has trouble expressing genuine affection. On two occasions, a mysterious death has occurred (one involving an elderly lady and the other a pet dog), and Rhoda was the only witness. It turns out that Rhoda had a motive for wanting both the old lady and the dog dead. Is it possible that this innocent looking girl could be a murderess?

Things come to a head when the Penmark family moves to Alabama to start fresh. Kenneth is away on business while Christine tries to cope alone. Rhoda is a student at the Fern grammar school. She covets a gold medal that is given for penmanship at school, but the prize goes to a mamma's boy named Claude Daigle. Rhoda is incredulous and she refuses to accept her defeat. She hounds the boy to give her the medal that she feels is rightfully hers, until at an outing one day, Claude mysteriously drowns. You guessed it. Rhoda is the last person to have seen the boy alive.

The book focuses not so much on Rhoda as it does on her mother, Christine. March lets us observe through Christine's eyes her growing horror, as she realizes that her daughter may very well be a monster. When Christine finds the penmanship medal hidden among Rhoda's things, she is sure that Rhoda must have killed Claude Daigle to get the medal for herself.

March masterfully builds Christine's psychological horror as the book progresses. She learns that there is a secret in her own past that may explain her daughter's warped personality and she cannot bear the burden of guilt which this secret imposes on her.

In the skilled way of good suspense writers, March does not just pile on the horror. "The Bad Seed" has a great deal of humor, much of it centered on the character of Monica Breedlove. She is an insufferable and interfering busybody who talks incessantly and who thinks that she is an expert on psychological analysis. Another memorable character is Leroy, a caretaker who himself is evil and who is obsessed with Rhoda. Leroy recognizes too late that he is no match for the little girl, and that teasing Rhoda can be dangerous to his health.

A few passages in the book are heavy-handed. The author talks through the words of some passersby about the age of violence and anxiety in which we live and March seems to be conveying some message about the potential evil that lurks in all of us. These passages were not necessary, since the story of Rhoda is so filled with horror and dark irony, that it needs no tacked on message. "The Bad Seed" is a classic novel of psychological suspense and horror.

Rating:
Summary: Chilling tale of an eight-year-old murderer.
Review: The term "bad seed" has become a much used phrase to describe a person who is thoroughly evil from birth. William March wrote "The Bad Seed" in the 1950's and it was later adapted for the stage and screen. After reading this compelling story, I can well understand its popularity.

Rhoda Penmark is an eight-year-old girl who is so self-contained, aloof and uncaring that her peers shun her. Rhoda's gentle parents, Kenneth and Christine, know that Rhoda is not exactly like other little girls. When she plays, she never gets dirty. She has trouble expressing genuine affection. On two occasions, a mysterious death has occurred (one involving an elderly lady and the other a pet dog), and Rhoda was the only witness. It turns out that Rhoda had a motive for wanting both the old lady and the dog dead. Is it possible that this innocent looking girl could be a murderess?

Things come to a head when the Penmark family moves to Alabama to start fresh. Kenneth is away on business while Christine tries to cope alone. Rhoda is a student at the Fern grammar school. She covets a gold medal that is given for penmanship at school, but the prize goes to a mamma's boy named Claude Daigle. Rhoda is incredulous and she refuses to accept her defeat. She hounds the boy to give her the medal that she feels is rightfully hers, until at an outing one day, Claude mysteriously drowns. You guessed it. Rhoda is the last person to have seen the boy alive.

The book focuses not so much on Rhoda as it does on her mother, Christine. March lets us observe through Christine's eyes her growing horror, as she realizes that her daughter may very well be a monster. When Christine finds the penmanship medal hidden among Rhoda's things, she is sure that Rhoda must have killed Claude Daigle to get the medal for herself.

March masterfully builds Christine's psychological horror as the book progresses. She learns that there is a secret in her own past that may explain her daughter's warped personality and she cannot bear the burden of guilt which this secret imposes on her.

In the skilled way of good suspense writers, March does not just pile on the horror. "The Bad Seed" has a great deal of humor, much of it centered on the character of Monica Breedlove. She is an insufferable and interfering busybody who talks incessantly and who thinks that she is an expert on psychological analysis. Another memorable character is Leroy, a caretaker who himself is evil and who is obsessed with Rhoda. Leroy recognizes too late that he is no match for the little girl, and that teasing Rhoda can be dangerous to his health.

A few passages in the book are heavy-handed. The author talks through the words of some passersby about the age of violence and anxiety in which we live and March seems to be conveying some message about the potential evil that lurks in all of us. These passages were not necessary, since the story of Rhoda is so filled with horror and dark irony, that it needs no tacked on message. "The Bad Seed" is a classic novel of psychological suspense and horror.

Rating:
Summary: One of the great all time chillers
Review: This book stands up beautfully even today. The story of "sweet" little Rhoda actually seems more plausible today than it did when first written. The author did have to go to considerable pains to create suspension of disbelief in the story's plausibility, and he succeeded.

The book was made into a stage play and a movie. The movie suffered because the book ending was in that day and age contrary to the production code. So if you saw the movie, absolutely read the book and don't expect the same ending.

Rating:
Summary: One of the great all time chillers
Review: This book stands up beautfully even today. The story of "sweet" little Rhoda actually seems more plausible today than it did when first written. The author did have to go to considerable pains to create suspension of disbelief in the story's plausibility, and he succeeded.

The book was made into a stage play and a movie. The movie suffered because the book ending was in that day and age contrary to the production code. So if you saw the movie, absolutely read the book and don't expect the same ending.

Rating:
Summary: One of the great all time chillers
Review: This book stands up beautfully even today. The story of "sweet" little Rhoda actually seems more plausible today than it did when first written. The author did have to go to considerable pains to create suspension of disbelief in the story's plausibility, and he succeeded.

The book was made into a stage play and a movie. The movie suffered because the book ending was in that day and age contrary to the production code. So if you saw the movie, absolutely read the book and don't expect the same ending.

Rating:
Summary: i ::heart:: 19050s theatre!
Review: this is a beautiful little sliver of 1950s psycho-drama. to the modern reader, it may come across a bit campy, but the delightful details regarding the amaerican dream, freudian psychology, and the time period are priceless. not to mention, the writing is good. a wonderful play- even better than the film version, which i believe to be a must see.

Rating:
Summary: fantastically disturbing
Review: This is a fabulous,but sadly, little known book of terror and suspense. The movie is good, but the book is 100 times better. If you area fan of horror, suspense, murder mystery, or just plain good writing, check this one out!

Rating:
Summary: Beware the little girl in long blond pigtails!!
Review: This is a gripping and chilling story of what can hide underneath the guise of innocence. A sweet smile can hide a Satanic wit and evil sense of humor. Children are normally portrayed as innocent and ignorant of all evil. This book clarifies that children can be just as frightening as adults. Murder lays in the wake of a charming little blond-headed girl, while she at the same time basks in the glory the adults around her lavish on her. It is a well-written web of irony, and worth anyone's time to read.

Rating:
Summary: Sugar and spice and everything nice, well maybe not.
Review: This story raises the question can people be born killers. On the outside Rhoda Penmark seems like the perfect little girl, sugar and spice and everything nice. However under her perfect exterior Rhoda is a cunning deciving child who is willing to kill for what she wants, even if it's only a penmanship medal.

A the start of the novel Rhoda's mother Christina thinks she is the perfect child always clean, and polite. However as the novel goes on Christina discovers that if her little girl does not get what she wants she kills. Christina is horrifed at her discovery but is more terrifed when she discovers that her gentics make be responsible for Rhoda's lack of morality. The reader gets a great view into Christina's mind as she decides what is to be done about her daughter.

This is a great story Rhoda and her mother are great charcters, and the other characters are well potrayed as well. Overall a quick and spoky read that is worth the time.

Rating:
Summary: Sugar and spice and everything nice, well maybe not.
Review: This story raises the question can people be born killers. On the outside Rhoda Penmark seems like the perfect little girl, sugar and spice and everything nice. However under her perfect exterior Rhoda is a cunning deciving child who is willing to kill for what she wants, even if it's only a penmanship medal.

A the start of the novel Rhoda's mother Christina thinks she is the perfect child always clean, and polite. However as the novel goes on Christina discovers that if her little girl does not get what she wants she kills. Christina is horrifed at her discovery but is more terrifed when she discovers that her gentics make be responsible for Rhoda's lack of morality. The reader gets a great view into Christina's mind as she decides what is to be done about her daughter.

This is a great story Rhoda and her mother are great charcters, and the other characters are well potrayed as well. Overall a quick and spoky read that is worth the time.