Review: Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin (Audiobook)

I'll admit that I saw the film from 1968 that was directed by Roman Polanski. I enjoyed it very much, but I didn't feel compelled to rush out and read the book it was based on right away.  Lately, I have been giving audiobooks a chance and have listened to a few in the last few weeks.

Rosemary's Baby came up as a recommendation from another audiobook that I had listened to, and I figured I would give it a listen as I had enjoyed the film adaptation. This was narrated by the main star of the film, Mia Farrow. I thought that this was very cool that she narrated the book. Those not familiar with the film or the book is about a young couple who choose to move into a ritzy/popular apartment building with a somewhat eery past. While there they meet some strange neighbors who Rosemary later thinks are witches.

The beginning is rather slow to start, and for anyone familiar with American Pyscho there is a similar feeling with the descriptions of the apartments in NYC. For some reason, the author felt it necessary to emphasize this part of the story which I found a bit tedious and kinda boring. But once the young couple settles on their new apartment the pacing of the story starts to pick up. Things get creepy slowly at first and then they really ramp up after the first interaction with the neighbors. For those who have seen the film only you may want to read/listen to this book because there were bonus scenes which were not included in the film version. Of course, these extra scenes lead up to a sequel which I didn't know existed until listening to this book. On a side note, there was also a film version of the sequel which is hard to find in DVD format, as it must have not been as good as the first film.

Being read by the star of the film helped me to enjoy this more, and let's be honest a good narrator makes an audiobook more enjoyable especially if they are an actor. I listened to The Haunting of Hill House and found the narrator of that to be atrocious. The audio was also souped up with music at times to emphasize thrilling scenes. I will not go into too much detail as I do not want to spoil the book for those who have yet to read/listen to it.
I really enjoyed this audiobook, and I am considering giving its sequel (Son of Rosemary) a listen in the near future. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodread.com. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of psychological thrillers, and books like the Exorcist. Of course also to those who have seen the film but have yet to read the book....get out and check this book out!

Great Horror Films That Were Based on Books

Horror Movies and the Books That They Were Based On

Horror films, scary movies, and stories about things that go bump in the night. While not for everyone some of us just can't get enough. There are countless great horror films out there, but this lens is dedicated to shedding some light on the ones that were books originally. I don't want you to confuse these with books that are released just prior to a film release as book adaptions have become common lately. This is just a list, and I'm sure it will be a work in progress as there are so many. Also these are in no particular order. So read on, and enjoy. Maybe you will learn something you didn't already know. 

The Movies & The Books That Spawned Them

1. Ghost Story - The story of a group of old men who recall how one night a lady they all knew died, and now she haunts them. Released in 1981, and starring Fred Astaire . Was based on a book of the same name by Peter Straub.

2. Rosemary's Baby - The 1968 film by Roman Polanski and starring Mia Farrow was based on a book of the same name by Ira Levin. Satanic neighbors, and devil babies. This cult classic was a book first.

3. The Exorcist - The book is just as scary as the movie. Capt. Howdy, vile imagery, and catholic priests. The 1973 film directed by William Friedkin and starring Linda Blair was also based on a book of the same name by Ira Levin.

4. Hellraiser - The 1987 film about the mysterious puzzle box that brings out Pinhead and all of his friends was based on a novella by Clive Barker called "The Hellbound Heart".

5. Midnight Meat Train - From 2008 is another story from Clive Barker, and can be found in Books of Blood vol 1. A man unwittingly discovers a secret society found under the streets of his city. Someone needs to serve them.

6. Candyman - What happens when you try to track down the truth to an urban legend. Filmed in 1992 another work from Clive Barker can be found in another volume of Books of Blood vol. 5 under the name "The Forbidden"

7. House on Haunted Hill and The Haunting - Both of these films came out in 1999, and an earlier version of The Haunting came out in 1963. All 3 of these films are based on a novel written by Shirley Jackson called The Haunting of Hill House.

8. Psycho - The film made famous by Alfred Hitchcock about a crazed momma's boy killer from 1960, was based on a novel of the same title written a year earlier by Robert Bloch.Also great to read for the fans of the prequel  tv series, Bates Motel.

9. Re- Animator

1985 film about a medical student, named Herbert West who brings back the dead with an experimental chemical process with gruesome consequences. This was based on a novella by H. P. Lovecraft called "Herbert West - Reanimator". For more info on Lovecraft please go to my other lens found here - http://www.squidoo.com/gothic-author-h-p-lovecraft .