Night in the Lonesome October

Rating:
Summary: It doesn't get better than this!
Review: "Night in the Lonesome October" is the kind of book you can't stop reading once you pick it up. Its that good. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Ed decides to walk down to the donut shop for fresh air and along the way spies a mysterious young girl walking by herself. After that night, he begins to be compelled to walk each night, seeking the thrills and searching for this girl. On these jaunts, he encounters everything from a late night burgler to a psychotic man seeking out his new (sort of) girlfriend, Eileen. From the beginning to the end, the late Mr. Laymon casts a spell the only way he can using humour and a macabre sense of the things that scare us. Some of these scenes are funny yet horrifying and this book is good from beginning to end. With Ed's juggling of Eileen and his desperate search for the mystery girl, there is even a small love triangle.

Laymon's books are always a little campy which adds to the fun. The narrators are always horny young guys and yes, they do always check out the girls and think about sex, but it also adds to the humour. In this book, the narrator is also the victim of a horny male after him! The rest you will just have to read. This is one of Laymon's best books and once again, I get so depressed when I think about Laymon passing from this world. He was simply one of the most enjoyable horror writers of the last ten years.

If you like Laymon and you don't mind the campy oddities, get this. It will make you think about the people outside your window at three in the morning. The best!

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Traveling Vampire Show, but still....
Review: a rollicking good time by a writer who knows how to chill your blood and make you paranoid, setting a creepy atmosphere.

Laymon (may he RIP) describes an ingteresting tale about Ed Logan who returns to campus to start another academic year. He gets a "Dear John" letter from Holly, his girlfriend, basically telling him she no longer loves him and has met somebody else.

Ed mopes around and after suffering from insomnia goes for a "walk", which is actually a 7-mile journey to Dandi Donuts, a popular hangout in town. He encounters Eileen, who is Holly's ex-sorority sister. Eileen seduces Ed and they begin a torrid sexual relationship, vintage Laymon.

Ed continues his nightly "walks" and encounters Casey, a homeless girl who makes herself comfortable in other people's houses. She also introduces him to the mysteries of the night, both good and bad. Ed also encounters Randy, who seems to to be a bi-sexual stalker and chases after Ed who refuses to lead him to Eileen.

From there, we encounter cannibals under a bridge and a lot of spooky atmosphere and paranoia, which is typical Laymon. Laymon was at his best when writing like this; he had the rare ability oto make the reader care about his characters.

My thoughts are this wasn't as good as the Traveleing Vampire Show, but it was certainly an entertaining read and vintage Laymon. The most annoying part was this was a little too sexual, even for Dick. Every fifth page, breasts were rubbing up against Ed and he was always describing women's sexual parts, except the Night Hag, THANK GOD.

However, Dick displays true writing talent here, much like in the Vampire Show. His skills had developed by the time he passed away so that he wasn't just a teenage phenom. His writing talent had broadened to the pount where people in America are starting to recognize him for what he is: a brilliant writer.

Thank u Leisure for bucking the norm and introducing us to this man who has done so much for horror.

Now if he could just get a Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of work.

Rating:
Summary: Don't go out at night...
Review: Another great and disturbing tale from one of the greatest horror writers of all time. Laymon's imagination is truly twisted.

Lonesome is the story of a college student who goes out one night and obsesses about a girl he sees. It sounds simple, but you have to remember that this is Laymon writing the story so there is nothing simple about it.

What hides in the dark of night? What will people do when there is no sun shining? What really goes on in the darkness? Are you really alone when you hear noises at night? These are just some of the questions addressed by this book.

Our hero manages to get completely drawn into some of the strangest predicaments imaginable. The one plot twist I though I had figured out never happened (and I'm glad as it shows Laymon anticipated the suspicion).

After reading this book you will be very wary of going out at night into familiar areas and you will completely avoid the unfamiliar. This one is just believable enough to be really scary.

Rating:
Summary: Superb Camp & Cheap Thrills!
Review: Another reviewer nailed it when mentioning the "campy" feel of this novel. Laymon delivers this tale with a sly wink wink throughout and manages to balance that light feel with some really creepy stuff.

I pinned this novel at trash from the beginning but after reading it I'm still thinking about the perfect balance in mood he was able to present: the main character is a shallow, one-dimensional idiot, the plot (such as it is) is paper thin and inconsequential, yet the overriding element of "the night people" adds a bit of realism and tension that makes it all work.

Then again, maybe the book appealed to me simply because I'm one of those who like to walk around in the middle of the night and wonder about the lights on in houses and the cars that pass me by. I will certainly be staying away from the areas underneath bridges from now on.

Rating:
Summary: The Freaks Come Out At Night....
Review: Anyone who has ever gone out in the middle of the night will agree that even the most commonplace things seem different then; Familiar streets look oddly empty, strange sounds are heard, and seeing someone walking towards you in the dark is cause for alarm, even on the supposedly "Safe" streets of your own neighborhood....

The late Richard Laymon uses this premise to great effect in Night in the Lonesome October, one of the last books he wrote before his untimely death. The story centers on Ed Logan, a College student who has just been dumped by his girlfriend Holly. The heartbroken Ed, unable to sleep, decides to take a middle-of-the-night trek to a 24-hour donut shop on the outskirts of his sleepy college town, and soon finds his life changed forever. Ed starts spying on an attractive young girl he sees sneaking around on that first night, and soon becomes obsessed with finding out who she is. Despite becoming close to his ex's best friend Elaine, he continues to make his nightly journey in search of the elusive mystery girl, but discovers in short order that pretty young girls aren't the only ones out cruising the October nights...

Filled with rape, murder, cannibalism, sadistic torture, kidnapping, voyeurism, etc., Night in the Lonesome October is not for everybody; It's grade-B entertainment, but well-done grade-B entertainment. Laymon was clearly a very talented author. His writing style is clear and concise, and I often found it very difficult to put the book down. There were times when I found myself very afraid for Ed and his companions, especially the scene in the donut shop where Ed encounters Randy for the first time.This is only my third exposure to Laymon, and I'm so impressed with his work that I've bought almost all of his books. On the downside, it seems like every female character Laymon writes is doomed to be raped repeatedly and gruesomely, and it gets old fast. I also thought the last page was a little too pat, and seemed more like a teen-ager's wish fulfillment than a truly realistic ending. Overall, though, Night in the Lonesome October is worth a look to Horror/Suspense fans. You'll never look at a bridge the same way again.....

Rating:
Summary: Weak entry from the late Richard Laymon
Review: As a perennial horror junkie I've read a few of Laymon's other books including his best book, in my opinion, "The Traveling Vampire Show." "Night in the Lonesome October" is not anywhere near as interesting as his other efforts. Laymon's raison d'etre is to write about sexy young girls in dangerous situations that involve molestation and often the threat of being raped. There is not a moment when a female character is in a scene that Laymon doesn't start talking about her erect nipples or shapely buttocks etc. I don't mind the salacious writing, but it gets kind of tiresome and distracting after a while. 'Night in Oct.' won't disappoint you if you are looking for some good examples of Laymon's sexual fantasies. This book is pure Laymon minus a good story line. Injecting a series of bizarre events and more homosexual characters than one might imagine can be found in the entire Castro district of San Francisco, Laymon sets his main character, a dull college student named Ed Logan, on a strange journey of facing the 'terrors' of the night... This guy is dull beyond belief and yet is thrown into all these strange occurrences that simply happen to him because he decides to go out at night and get some fresh air. It's all tied together at the end, sort of, but makes little sense. Then there's the one-dimensional female lead Eileen who is apparently a really attractive young lady (I won't even comment on how sexual the descriptions of her every body part are) ... Her few moments of showing more depth come from her discussion of her very conservative political views as an Ayn Rand fan/minion (which strikes me as odd coming from such a sexually forward girl) and an expert of English lit. The mysterious young girl that Ed also encounters during his night walks is another one-dimensional character who isn't what she seems (duh) and I started to wonder what Laymon was thinking when he concocted this story. It's predictable and that wasn't the case with Vampire Show. The reader is supposed to believe that this whole nighttime world filled with danger exists and that no one is aware of it except for boring old Ed and his pals. Laymon's got a certain unique writing style that sometimes meanders in this book and it felt like it could have been a nice short story or novella, but not a full-length book that seemed to take forever to get to where it was going... I'd pass on this sub-par story from Laymon and go read the Traveling Vampire Show if you want to see Laymon at his best.

Rating:
Summary: An Instant Classic
Review: Ed Logan is a typical college student until his girlfriend Holly dumps him with a "Dear John" letter. To ease his mind he takes a 7-mile late night stroll to a donut shop. On his journey he encounters the first of many strange and scary characters that populate this novel. He also gets a glimpse of a mystery girl sneaking into a house that triggers his imagination, as well as an obsession. Ed begins to discover that the small college town he lives in becomes a completely different place after the midnight hour. The characters that come out at night are odd, to say the least. Ed becomes addicted to these nocturnal journeys that threaten his school, his budding relationship with Holly's sorority sister Elaine, as well as his life. I'm trying hard not to give away too much of the story since this is one of those novels where every chapter is a new twist.

This novel is a fast read and an excellent read. I was hooked from page one and couldn't put it down. I had to see what other dweller of the night Ed would encounter next. It is filled with all the classic Laymon hooks, brutal violence, a strong sexual undercurrent, and great characters. Oh yeah, and cannibals. It's creepy, it's scary, sometimes it's downright shocking. It also makes you wonder what kind of weirdos are living in your town. The ending was unexpected and very satisfying. This is what horror fiction is supposed to be. This novel easily makes it into my list of favorites. If you are looking for the kind of book that makes you scared to leave the house, this is it.

Does Ed find out who the mystery girl is? Does he get home safely? And what about the bike hag on the cover? You'll just have to read it and find out.

Richard Laymon is a legend and he will be greatly missed by all his fans.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Laymon
Review: Ed Logan recieves a "dear John" letter from Holly. What do people often do if they recieve letters dumping them, and breaking their hearts? Especially if they are young sensitive English majors like Logan? Well go for a walk of course. Except in a Richard Laymon novel lots of nasty people/things await in the dark, even in a Univeristy town such as Wilmington. Luckily Logan's October is less lonesome thanks to nubile young ladies such as Casey (the mysterious woman he follows,) and Elaine (mutual friend of his and Holly's). Unfortunately there are evil trolls and people in the dark October night as well as nubile young women.
This story is classic Laymon and contains all the ingredients of some of his best novels: Sensuality/sexuality by the truckload, high quoatiant of suspense and terror, and likable characters.
As with some of his best work there is a degree of ambigouity as to the true nature(supernatural) of the evil in this tale. Laymon aptly demonstrates that humans can be as souless and cruel as any troll or vampire. Laymon again plots his novel with a fast pace, making me at least wish I hadn't finished it as quickly as I did.

Rating:
Summary: A Walk After Dark
Review: Edward Logan, successful English Major and dedicated boyfriend, finds himself facing serious changes on a lonesome October night when he receives a note from his girlfriend, Holly, telling him that she's in love with someone else. Not knowing how to deal with that nor with the fact that the man she's seeing is named Jay (of all things!), he sets off in distress to simply walk and think and to commiserate his suffering while sulking beneath the shadowy veil of night. Well, when he begins wandering the night that first time, he finds himself introduced to a world he's never seen before, one that is brimming with wonders both beautiful and dangerous, and before he knows it he wants to see more and more of what's out there. Addiction, however, comes with costs and he finds himself confronted with dilemmas that assail him in his both his day life and this newly opening door within the darkness, sometimes with only frustrations but, from time to time, with the press of fear and teeth.

The late, great Richard Laymon constructed tales of many types in his career, inspiring readers such as myself with his ability to not only craft dread into the world of literature but also to evoke haunting images that bump around in the gloomy night. With a talent that defies many writers of our time, he could take something seemingly mundane that everyone can relate to, the act of being dumped and longing, and craft it into an introduction to a dark and mysterious world where beasts and the occasion beauty lurk. While this piece isn't exact what I would call a standard Laymon centerfold and sometimes too many oddities happen in too short of a timeslot and make both the reader and the character wonder what sort of a town this could be, it does have many qualities within it that I find enlightening. The main character, Edward, is developed throughout the story, with all of coming from his point-of-view as the world becomes darker and darker, and the feelings he feels becoming more and more clouded and uncertain. What sometimes begins as an uncrossable line is questioned and then sullied, and Edward finds himself more and more addicted to the strange world that he seems looming just outside of normality's reach. In it, love lurks where love shouldn't and the shadows cough up figures basking in insanity, and the world becomes a battlefield for senses spinning out of control. Here, he finds himself with more than he bargained for and all because Holly, the woman that he loved, walked away from him and left him wandering alone.

Personally, I found the book to be a good read but I can understand how some people would find it a questionable experience and am hesitant to recommend it above other Laymon pieces. The point of this experience wasn't really to create a picture of suffering or horror, but to create an atmosphere in which the world becomes a shadowy pit and sensations fight for domination. This made the life of Edward addictive to me because it seemed like things would go spiraling through twining turns I didn't expect, with Edward causing many of them himself and me wanting to know how this seeming tragedy-in-the-making would turn out. That's what I like from a book, not knowing where the chips will fall when they are cast, and that overrides many of the small details that make many readers trivialize the experience. It does have a few moments in the end that seemed a little drawn out, though, and it is something that is more moody than anything else. So, caution is perhaps something that should be taken before jumping in head first.

Rating:
Summary: Night in the Lonesome October
Review: For all of us who love a good late night walk, this book is for us. Think of all the things you see, or think you see on those late night trips. The book starts out very werid and then when Ed Logan finally meets the "mystery girl" then all the rules are thrown out the window. Great stuff!