Rating: 
Summary: No, It's Not THAT Kind of Ending
Review: nona@pobox.com wrote: "Uh, most of us understand that it didn't happen at all. It's =fiction=. That means the writer offers the reader a deal: "You suspend disbelief and accept for the duration of this book my fictional version of the world, and I'll spin you a tale worth your time. Trust me." This is the promise every writer of fiction makes, from Hemingway to Dickens to Heinlein to Steel. But Levin broke his promise. He wrote a book which told his readers -- and not just for this book but for the last one too -- "Nyah-nyah, I fooled you! Boy are you stupid for suspending disbelief! I can't believe you trusted me! This wasn't worth your time after all, was it? Bet you feel dumb now, huh?" And the reviewers on this board are responding with "Gee, Ira, I guess I won't give you another chance to fool me.""It's not only the events of the book that are not supposed to have happened to the main character (different from the concept that the book itself is fictional, by the way), but real people's beliefs in God, a saviour, Satan, Heaven etc., are being lampooned in a sense. This is what I meant by the real meaning, or subtextual meaning of the ending. I think Levin is a skillful enough plotter that he would have avoided that type of ending if there wasn't a good reason for it. I didn't take it as a joke on the reader at all. By the way, regarding the responses to the other reviewers here, there have been some other favorable and insightful reviews here, and The New York Times also gave the book a very good review. I find the majority of the negative reviews have been from people who didn't quite get it. That's not a slight to those readers -- the book was really advertised as something quite different from what it is, and the cover copy should have reflected the content a bit better. I can understand people being disappointed. But the book had a powerful effect for me, because I realized about halfway through that the main interest of the book was in examining a society that could believe in a saviour, fear some universal doom, etc. Remember when Andrew says he participates in black sabbaths or whatever because he was raised as a witch, but he really just goes through the motions? Just like many (many) churchgoers. The book is chock full of these kinds of observations, but they're mostly in a backhanded sort of way.
Rating: 
Summary: it could have been slightly worse.
Review: granted, i would not label this a "good" book; in fact, it is quite possibly the worst book i have ever read. the original novel worked because it takes a very ordinary premise (a woman having a baby) and frighteningly proposes the impossible (could the baby be the son of satan?). this one fails because it takes a ridiculous premise (the son of satan has gotten the whole world to worship him by simply saying "love ya" a couple of times) and then proposes the utterly obvious (could the antichrist be up to no good?). but let's face it, any sequel to rosemary's baby was bound to fail, because the twist has already been taken . . . and as bad as this sequel is, it is ten times better than the DREADFUL 1975 made-for-tv-movie sequel, Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby . . . at least in this version, the coven isn't referred to as "the tribe" . . .
Rating:
Summary: And I'll explain the concept of 'fiction' for you
Review: Uh, most of us understand that it didn't happen at all. It's =fiction=. That means the writer offers the reader a deal: "You suspend disbelief and accept for the duration of this book my fictional version of the world, and I'll spin you a tale worth your time. Trust me." This is the promise every writer of fiction makes, from Hemingway to Dickens to Heinlein to Steel. But Levin broke his promise. He wrote a book which told his readers -- and not just for this book but for the last one too -- "Nyah-nyah, I fooled you! Boy are you stupid for suspending disbelief! I can't believe you trusted me! This wasn't worth your time after all, was it? Bet you feel dumb now, huh?" And the reviewers on this board are responding with "Gee, Ira, I guess I won't give you another chance to fool me." If Levin wanted to express his chagrin at having piqued people's interest in the occult, he could have written "Rosemary's Unintended Offspring: A Commentary on the Unforeseen Consequences of Building Fictional Worlds." But I guess he wouldn't have gotten that multi-million dollar advance for that.
Rating:
Summary: Ok, I'll *Explain* the Ending for You...
Review: The previous reviewer wrote: "...arguing that if I didn't like it, I must not have understood it is almost as big a copout as Levin's ending." Why do you consider the ending a "copout?" It clearly means that, not only did the story not happen at all, but there is no Satan who threatens us all, and no savior who could possibly unite the entire world in peace. The ending is, rather than a copout, a comment on the naivete of those who believe in these things as possibilities. The whole book leads up to this point. If not, why would the book not just have ended when Rosemary was on her way down in the elevator for the final time? That would have been an even easier ending, and more satisfying to those readers who really do seem to have read the book without thinking about it much. It's not a book to be taken at face value. If you had heard Levin explain in interviews how he felt guilty for having fostered actual interest in the occult when he wrote the original novel, and wanted to undo that somewhat, that might clarify things. There may even be an introductory note in the sequel explaining this -- I don't remember. But the ending is clearly carefully thought out, and not a copout.
Rating:
Summary: Oh, please!
Review: Sorry, but all the subtle subtextual layering in the world can't make up for story problems of major proportions. And arguing that if I didn't like it, I must not have understood it is almost as big a copout as Levin's ending.
Rating:
Summary: Ira Levin, What were you thinking???????????????
Review: yes, this one is a stinker. What can I say that has not already been articulated very well in the previous reviews. The reader who described this book as being only for the literary avante garde audience probably also considers Danielle Steele and Jackie Collins literary geniuses. An insult to the original book and to us readers who just didn't "understand " it. I'm astonished that this piece of trash made it to the publisher. Next time take up a collection, I would gladly send a check to Mr. Levin if it means I will never have to experience such a painful book.
Rating:
Summary: BOB NEWHART DID IT SO MUCH BETTER
Review: For a few pages somewhere in the later half, I thought we might have something building here. Well, it built all right...all the way up to a total sham that sadly did great disservice to the original "Rosemary's Baby". Skip it and read food labels instead; they're more satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: Folks, Don't Waste Your Time & Money On This One!
Review: Rosemary's Baby was an excellent book, and an excellent film. Naturally when I saw Ira Levin, the author, had written a sequel I was anxious to read it. This book is so poorly written, so detailed with trivial banality, your eyes are guaranteed to glaze over. Every breath, every miniscule movement a character takes is given us in this tediously plodding novel. Moreover it is virtually plotless. The most exciting part of the book takes place on page 288, and really is not worth waiting for. It winds down in an extremely weak, vague ending. Where upon if you have lasted for this long, you lay it aside with a sigh of relief, and a feeling of being totally cheated by Mr. Levin.
Rating:
Summary: DON'T READ THIS BOOK
Review: A couple of months ago I was walking in a bookstore when I happened to stumble upon "Son of Rosemary." Since the original was one of my favorite books, I was thrilled to discover that a sequel had been written. I did hesitate a moment before bringing the book to the register -- sequels are almost never quite as good as the original, would that be the case here? But then I quickly waved such doubts away thinking to myself that even if it wasn't quite as good, it would still be interesting and exciting to read. Wrong. "Son of Rosemary" is undoubtedly one of the worst books I've ever read. It totally ruined my idea of the first book. It was horrible. Rosemary's character was totally lost. The plotline was totally inane and unbelievable. Levin didn't even try to make things plausible. The idea that the entire world could fall so entirely head over heels for this stupid incestuous jerk is just ridiculous. It's not even that I mind that he was incestuous or that he was a jerk (he is the son of satan after all), but it was just so...so...so BAD. I read about 75 percent of the book before I finally decided that I couldn't read any more. Several months passed, and I decided to write a review on Amazon to warn away other potential readers. When I read past reviews I found that a large number of other reviewers were outraged at the ending. Against my better judgement, I picked the book up again to find out what the final outcome was. Big mistake. In conclusion, as I said before DON'T READ THIS BOOK!!! Read the original, and if you want more of Levin, try "The Stepford Wives." Don't say I didn't warn you.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Read It.
Review: After reading and loving "Rosemary's Baby," I was thrilled when I was walking through a bookstore one day and saw that Ira Levin had written a sequal. I had a brief moment of hesitation before bringing it to the cash register. Sequels, I told myself, are never quite as good as the original. Would this one be the exception? NO!!! This book is stupid and horribly written, very much unlike Levin's usually wonderful writing style. It was so bad in fact that it almost ruined my ideas of the first book. I couldn't finish it. Don't read this book!!!
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