Rating: 
Summary: Slyly witty and engaging on second read
Review: I'd read this when it was first published and hated it; I, too, was let down by what I then PERCEIVED as a disappointing, cliched, cop-out ending. For some reason, I recently thought of the book again, and read many of the reviews here; a few of the more positive ones intrigued me, suggesting I'd missed the point the first time around.I had indeed. On first reading, I was splendidly entertained - sometimes laughing out loud at Levin's subtlety and dry wit - until the ending, which at that time disguted me. But the second time, I was still entertained, and took the time to read the last few pages VERY CAREFULLY. First-time readers, and those willing to give the book a second chance: it is definitely worth your time, but PAY CLOSE ATTENTION! The ending is truly horrifying when you do. Just have to voice my opinion on this: to those reviewers who assert that Ira Levin has somehow trashed "Rosemary's Baby" by producing "Son": you're wrong; not only are you NOT comprehending what really happens at "Son"'s climax, but also, even if you DO "get it" and STILL dislike "Son", I'll paraphrase Stephen King, who would remind us that "Rosemary's Baby" still exists in its original form, totally unchanged by the sequel (or by the excellent Polanski film version, either). Well done, Mr. Levin. (Now can we PLEASE have a reprint of "This Perfect Day"? My copy, close to 30 years old, is nearly dust.)
Rating: 
Summary: Good Recycling Material!!
Review: This would make a hilarious movie to watch on Mystery Science Theater 2000 (MST3K)!!! I am only sorry I have to rate this with one star! If you offered less I would have chosen it!
Rating:
Summary: it wasn't just me
Review: I finished the book last night and I had to check out the reviews just to make sure that it wasn't just me. I thought maybe I missing something that everyone else got. But after seeing over 50 negative reviews, I know it was the book, not me. Thank goodness I only borrowed it from the library. I feel bad after reading all of the criticisms against such a respected author, but it really was bad. You have to wonder how a publishing house would even agree to let this book bear it's name. It was a LONG read.
Rating:
Summary: Dear God
Review: Well, it might be overkill, but I feel compelled to add criticism to the ocean that this book has already received. I feel almost bad for Levin and his complete breakdown of creativity, until I think that if this novel had been submitted by someone with little or no credentials it probably would be mounted on a wall in some editor's office as an example of the worst piece of writing ever submitted. Someone actually published this and I feel like they literally reached into my wallet and took out the money. I kept hoping while reading this novel that I was missing a joke, or that the whole thing would be revealed as a parody. No, I think Levin was serious the whole way through. I could recount at least ten solid examples of cliche, but to do so might send me into therapy. Don't even think about buying this book.
Rating:
Summary: Son of Bobby Ewing
Review: This long awaited sequel to Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin held emense potential and barely lived up to it's fame. What possessed the author to play such a time worn card in the last three pages,is the only mystery to be solved. Could it be Saaa-tan ? I was thoroughly disgusted as well as disappointed upon finishing this book and would warn anyone to stay as far away from it as possible.
Rating:
Summary: Honestly the worst novel I've read - but one of the funniest
Review: Ira Levin was around 70 when he wrote this. That's what my family have decided is the reason for such a poor showing from an established author. Judging by this latest effort he is sadly past his prime. Rosemary wakes up from a coma, finding herself the exact age that Mia Farrow would be now. The book is dedicated to Mia Farrow. On numerous accounts, over-flattering remarks are made regarding how good Rosemary looks for her age. It all reads as a buttering-up to get Farrow to reprise her film role which she will never do because no-one will ever waste their money making this into a film. The plot is wafer-thin. Rosemary's son is now the saviour of the earth. He is so loved and revered by all races and religions - implausible? I think so - that he has managed to organise a grand event called The Lighting for New Years 2000 in which every inhabitant on the earth will light yellow and blue candles given to them by Andy. Rosemary knows her son is the son of Satan and yet it takes her three-quarters of the novel to suspect that The Lighting may be a sinister plot to destroy mankind. My favourite part of the novel is when Rosemary discovers that Judy Kharyat (a recently murdered ex-girlfriend of Andy's) had a middle name that started with S. Yep, you got it, Judith S. Kharyat (Levin advises saying it quickly for full effect) attempted to thwart Andy's plans. I was laughing so hard I practically drowned in the bathtub while reading. The ending is atrocious. Whilst I would never dream of giving the ending of a book away on Amazon, let me say that its denial of the content of the first novel (not to mention film) gives it the ring of a third-grader's short story. Appalling. Take note of how many people picked this one up in a bargain bin. It's not even worth rummaging for. C. James Brown
Rating:
Summary: Complete Crap
Review: I don't care what the author was trying to say about society or what subtle message the ending had. The fact of the matter is that the novel SUCKED. Reading this book is like having severe menstrual cramps for three hours straight. The writing is so bad that I literally felt nauseous as I turned the pages. How did this awful excuse for a book ever get published? Okay, Rosemary's Baby was poorly written, but everything else was there: plot, theme, character development. Son of Rosemary had none of these, plus it was horribly contrived, improbable, and cliched. An "it was all a dream" ending?!! Come on, high school creative writing students would flunk for doing that! What a load of garbage. The incest was wonderful, too, and made it look like Rosemary was enjoying it. You'd think she would have run screaming away from her half-satan creep of a son, but she just kept coming back for more, like it was no big deal. I'm about to drive to Borders right now and get my money back--I am woefully disappointed in this putrid, abysmal excuse for literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Keeps you on edge until it bombs in the final chapter
Review: To be fair to old Ira, I think that critics and fans were expecting too much from this novel from the get go...after all, how could "Son.." possibly be as ground-breaking and riveting as "..Baby"? We wanted Levin to re-invent the wheel and now we're all disappointed. If he in fact COULD have come up with an original twist for the tired, done-to-death Satanic theme he would be a new household name...but such is not the case. The novel builds up beautifully, Levin's unique blend of subtle humor and horror creating an atmosphere that just may strike you as believable...until Chapter 6+6+6, however. It's at this point in the story that all of the author's hard work is chucked out the window, all of those tantalizing loose ends are never tied together, and the whole thing slides into an abyss of cartoonish diabolism. To make matters worse, the novel ends with a time-honored cop out of a literary device that gives me the impression that Levin all of a sudden got writer's block or he had to make a deadline (I'll give you a hint: Wizard of Oz, but in 1967). I also couldn't help thinking about that old Damien Thorne epic "The Final Conflict" every time Andy Woodhouse's global humanitarian organization is brought up (which is often)...hey, horror writers, we've been there, we've done that. Oh, but the twist is this...will Andy cave in to his evil father's wishes or will the sweet and very human half of his personality win out and save the human race? If you're dying from curiousity, read the book, otherwise I don't recommend it to any but the most die hard Ira Levin fan (in particular those readers who enjoy reading about the winter time scenery in NYC or who love descriptions of trendy womens' clothes...we get to hear about each and every one of Rosemary's wardrobe choices...). I honestly believe that this could have been a much better novel had Levin actually taken a little more time to work out the kinks in the climax...but anything truly original would have been shocking.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable!
Review: Like another reviewer,I bought this from a bargain bin in front of a bookshop,and although right from the start I wondered what on earth I was doing wasting good reading time on this junk,I was unable to stop.It is so appallingly bad that I felt compelled to finish it. The only explanation that I can find for Mr.Levin is that he must have been on yippie beans !How else can a writer of his calibre produce such rubbish.
Rating:
Summary: Wasn't worth $1
Review: I bought the hardcover version of this book at a Dollar store, and realized I got ripped off. Although it was an easy read, the whole thing was unbelievable (at least the original made a great movie). I guess the author was trying to cash in on the millenium madness, as well as his former much better works. The ending was garbage, and made me realize that I would have been better off spending my time doing something useful, like taking a nap. Roast mules was at least somewhat amusing.
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