Rating: Summary: Don't go into the cellar Review: Richard Laymon has the knack of turning what should be abhorrent into an entertaining literary feast and this is the case with The Cellar. The journey takes us through bestiality, paedophilia, torture and some of the most finely crafted suspense horror in a long, long time.The Cellar is located in the only attraction in Malcasa Point, the infamous Beast House with its blood steeped history and the even stranger Kutch House with no windows and only one door. Running from her deranged husband who has recently been released from gaol Donna Hayes finds herself stranded in Malcasa Point after a car accident in the fog. At her daughter's insistence she takes the Beast House Tour and meets Jud Rucker who changes her life around, albeit temporarily. What happens from here on in is bloodsoaked but so gripping you don't want to put the book down. Does the beast exist or is it one of the Kutch family playing dress-up? Will they all escape alive? Will they escape the clutches of the Beast House at all? If you like your horror novels with gore dripping from the page onto your lap as you read this is definitely the book for you.
Rating: Summary: Don't go into the cellar Review: Richard Laymon has the knack of turning what should be abhorrent into an entertaining literary feast and this is the case with The Cellar. The journey takes us through bestiality, paedophilia, torture and some of the most finely crafted suspense horror in a long, long time. The Cellar is located in the only attraction in Malcasa Point, the infamous Beast House with its blood steeped history and the even stranger Kutch House with no windows and only one door. Running from her deranged husband who has recently been released from gaol Donna Hayes finds herself stranded in Malcasa Point after a car accident in the fog. At her daughter's insistence she takes the Beast House Tour and meets Jud Rucker who changes her life around, albeit temporarily. What happens from here on in is bloodsoaked but so gripping you don't want to put the book down. Does the beast exist or is it one of the Kutch family playing dress-up? Will they all escape alive? Will they escape the clutches of the Beast House at all? If you like your horror novels with gore dripping from the page onto your lap as you read this is definitely the book for you.
Rating: Summary: Laymon's Horrific First Novel. Review: Richard Laymon's first book The Cellar was released in 1980 to little or no fanfare. It soon became a cult classic.
The story starts when Donna Hayes finds out that her husband Roy had just been released from prison. Donna grabs her daughter Sandy and flees. However Roy is right behind them.
Roy is the type of person that you wished were dead. The first thing he does after finding Donna gone is pick a close house. The house with a little girls bike on the lawn. He knocks kills the owner, then his wife except for their daughter. Roy then sexually abuses the little girl.
Unfortunately Donna's car breaks down and she gets a lift to the town of Malcasa Point, the town of the infamous Beast House. The Beast House is an attraction where some gory murders had happened. These murders were supposed of been caused by a legendary beast.
The last of the three story lines is of Jud Rucker and Larry Usher. Jud is a assassin of sorts who is helping Larry. Larry is the only person alive that has seen the beast and lived.
By the end all three story lines meet. In the Beast House. At night. But not alone.
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Laymon is known for his clean style of writing. He uses dark humor, gore, extreme sexual situations and some of the best twist endings in horror.
This book is not for the weak at heart! The ending is a shocker
Rating: Summary: Good Start to a Decent Series Review: The Beast House series is not anything ravingly original but Laymon is a damn good writer no matter what his plot is. With titles like "Flesh" and "Stake" many people have written him off as merely a hack pulp horror writer and not even a good hack at that. However, Laymon's style is crisp and sharp cutting through to the readers sensibilities like the razor sharp talons of the creatures he writes of. The Cellar drags out the tension in two ways. One, what is really in the Beast House and two, when will Donna's evil exhusband bite it and how. This first book sets the stage for the other two books (I believe there is a fourth due to come out) which lack any element of surprise similar to the first novel but are credited with Laymon's characteristically terse and dialogue loaded prose.
Rating: Summary: Good Start to a Decent Series Review: The Beast House series is not anything ravingly original but Laymon is a damn good writer no matter what his plot is. With titles like "Flesh" and "Stake" many people have written him off as merely a hack pulp horror writer and not even a good hack at that. However, Laymon's style is crisp and sharp cutting through to the readers sensibilities like the razor sharp talons of the creatures he writes of. The Cellar drags out the tension in two ways. One, what is really in the Beast House and two, when will Donna's evil exhusband bite it and how. This first book sets the stage for the other two books (I believe there is a fourth due to come out) which lack any element of surprise similar to the first novel but are credited with Laymon's characteristically terse and dialogue loaded prose.
Rating: Summary: your left in shock and horror Review: This was my first Ricard Laymon book. After hearing of the plot from a friend I immediately rushed out a bought a copy of this horrorific book. A recommendation, if you get attached to characters easily and CAN'T STAND to see them hurt...dont read this. One of Richard Laymon's (RIP) great strengths is his ability to create great characters and make you pull for them. This is a fast paced read, with a story centering around the Beast House and its past infamy. Murders, rapes, gores and horrors are the norm at this house, all handed out by the 'beast'. The characters all come into place very nicely with some gruesome sub-plots to boot. With every uncovered truth we the reader are horrified at what is happening, but are left not wanting to put the book down because you dont want to leave the character in such an evil situation. The ending in this book has to be the most gruesome, gory and uh,...most DISTURBING piece of literature I've ever read (and Ive read some crazy stuff). I was left thinking, this can be over! I was outraged. Then, when i found that this was only the first book in the series i raced out and bought the rest. Richard Laymon will be missed, he is the greatest and most under appreciated horror writer of our time. Give this book a chance, its a short read and worth the nightmares
Rating: Summary: your left in shock and horror Review: This was my first Ricard Laymon book. After hearing of the plot from a friend I immediately rushed out a bought a copy of this horrorific book. A recommendation, if you get attached to characters easily and CAN'T STAND to see them hurt...dont read this. One of Richard Laymon's (RIP) great strengths is his ability to create great characters and make you pull for them. This is a fast paced read, with a story centering around the Beast House and its past infamy. Murders, rapes, gores and horrors are the norm at this house, all handed out by the 'beast'. The characters all come into place very nicely with some gruesome sub-plots to boot. With every uncovered truth we the reader are horrified at what is happening, but are left not wanting to put the book down because you dont want to leave the character in such an evil situation. The ending in this book has to be the most gruesome, gory and uh,...most DISTURBING piece of literature I've ever read (and Ive read some crazy stuff). I was left thinking, this can be over! I was outraged. Then, when i found that this was only the first book in the series i raced out and bought the rest. Richard Laymon will be missed, he is the greatest and most under appreciated horror writer of our time. Give this book a chance, its a short read and worth the nightmares
Rating: Summary: Fast moving and nasty, but not great Review: This was Richard Laymon's first published novel and it shows. It's a good, pulpy horror novel filled with extremely gruesome moments but it won't stick in your mind very long at all. Laymon's improved a lot since he wrote this (check out the sequels THE BEAST HOUSE and, especially THE MIDNIGHT TOUR). If you're a Laymon newcomer try one of his newer books first. He does not disappoint.
Rating: Summary: Disturbing & confusing! Review: This was the 1st Richard Laymon book I read, and it made me avoid his books for months afterward. Nevertheless, I kept on until the end. The plot centers on Dona, the heroine, and her daugter fleeing from evil ex-husband Roy. What I thought would be a road trip took a suprise turn when Dona ends up stranded in a small town. The Hero, Judgment Rucker (great name!) is a kind of vigilante who heads to the same small town in search of quary - "THE BEAST"! Meanwhile, Roy sets out to chase his ex-wife & daughter with very dark intentions. His actions on the way render him an absolutely HATEFUL character whom I very quickly hoped would meet an untimely end. Some of the scenes descibed made me quite sick. Having said that, the action is very fast paced, & I thought very inventive. The BEAST HOUSE is home to some very strange events & entities, not all human! I found that the ending was very strange & not at all what I expected! When I finished this book, I did not know that there were others in a series, but reading another Laymon title (In The Dark) raised a smile as he quite clearly references the book. I would definitely like to read others in the series. Give it a go, you'll probably enjoy it - but NOT for the sqeamish!
Rating: Summary: Disturbing & confusing! Review: This was the 1st Richard Laymon book I read, and it made me avoid his books for months afterward. Nevertheless, I kept on until the end. The plot centers on Dona, the heroine, and her daugter fleeing from evil ex-husband Roy. What I thought would be a road trip took a suprise turn when Dona ends up stranded in a small town. The Hero, Judgment Rucker (great name!) is a kind of vigilante who heads to the same small town in search of quary - "THE BEAST"! Meanwhile, Roy sets out to chase his ex-wife & daughter with very dark intentions. His actions on the way render him an absolutely HATEFUL character whom I very quickly hoped would meet an untimely end. Some of the scenes descibed made me quite sick. Having said that, the action is very fast paced, & I thought very inventive. The BEAST HOUSE is home to some very strange events & entities, not all human! I found that the ending was very strange & not at all what I expected! When I finished this book, I did not know that there were others in a series, but reading another Laymon title (In The Dark) raised a smile as he quite clearly references the book. I would definitely like to read others in the series. Give it a go, you'll probably enjoy it - but NOT for the sqeamish!
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