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Mirror

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It is said that a mirror can trap a person's soul...Martin Williams is a broke, two-bit screenwriter living in Hollywood, but when he finds the very mirror that once hung in the house of a murdered 1930s child star, he happily spends all he has on it. He has long obsessed over the tragic story of Boofuls, a beautiful and successful actor who was slaughtered and dismembered by his grandmother. However, he soon discovers that this dream buy is in fact a living nightmare; the mirror was not only in Boofuls house, but witness to the death of this blond-haired and angelic child, which in turn has created a horrific and devastating portal to a hellish parallel universe. So when Martin’s landlord loses his grandson it is soon apparent that the mirror is responsible. But if a little boy has gone into the mirror, what on earth is going to come out?

440 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

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About the author

Graham Masterton

375 books1,817 followers
Graham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.

At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.

Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.

Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.

He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.

Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.

He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.

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511 (24%)
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128 (6%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
Profile Image for Marie.
1,036 reviews343 followers
February 28, 2022
Spooky and Sinister!

Backstory:

Martin Williams is obsessed with everything and anything that had belonged to a child movie star named Boofuls that was murdered in the 1930's as he has his home decorated with different memorabilia from the actor. So when he has the opportunity to buy a mirror that had hung in the child star's home Martin cannot refuse to buy it as he wants to add it to his collection.

Though Martin finds out quickly that "something" is not right with the mirror as things seem to be reflected differently in the mirror than in the real world. Martin "thinks" he sees Boofuls in the mirror, but he puts it down to his imagination as how could the child star be in the mirror when he was supposed to have been murdered.

When Martin tests out the mirror by throwing a tennis ball at the mirror he is shocked when the tennis ball disappears into the mirror and another ball is shot out into his world. Martin begins to wonder if maybe the soul of Boofuls is inside the mirror and he was not imagining things after all. Things go from bad to worse when the landlord's son, Emilio disappears and Martin fears that the mirror snatched Emilio as what else could have happened to him, but his fears are confirmed when another boy steps out into the real world that looks to be an exact replica of "Boofuls".

That is about all I can give on a backstory and if you want to know more about this story then you will need to read the book!

Thoughts:

This is my first time reading Graham Masterton and I do not know why I haven't stepped into his world yet as I know he has been around a long time. I wish I had stepped into him long before now as this book was awesome and the flow of the story just kept me moving at a fast pace. The story is wrapped up with not only disappearances of things and characters, but the story is also wrapped tight within the occult as well.

There were some scary parts and there are tons of descriptive details of different things that happen within the story. There is a downside to the story that I wasn't happy about as pets are involved in some descriptive scenes that have to do with the mirror. But other than that the rest of the book kept me on the edge of my seat and I literally read a 400+ page book within 48 hours!

There was never a dull moment within this book and the author keeps the intrigue of the mirror at an all time high as one thing after another happens to the characters that come in contact with the mirror. I literally have more books by this author that I will be stepping into at some point in time as I am now a Masterton fan! Giving this one five Nightmare Mirror World stars!
Profile Image for Jeremy.
16 reviews
July 30, 2012
Before I get into my review, let me give you the back story. I have wanted to read this book since I was about 10 years old (I’m 24 now). My mom read it when it was first released + claimed it was so scary she couldn’t finish it. She hid it behind another novel on her bookshelf for a while, then eventually banned it to the garage because she didn’t want it in the house. A friend of hers borrowed the book + wouldn’t let it touch her bible. A couple of years later, my mother gave it away to one of my aunts so it wouldn’t be close at all. So, you can see why my interest has been sparked for such a long time.

“Mirror” was well worth the wait. For me, the story wasn’t scary, it was “creepy,” which is worse. Reading this book can be compared to getting that tingling sensation on the back of your neck 1000 times over.

The main reasons the novel is so effective falls on Masterton’s ability to depict gruesome events as they unfold and the development his colorful characters. There were actually a couple of times I had to put the book down until later because things were getting too weird.

The book suffers from one fatal flaw, however: the ending, which was generic + rushed. Seriously, all that build up felt like a waste of time. It was like Masterton got tired of writing the book, slapped together an ending in 10 minutes, + said “f*ck it.” I hated this conclusion as much as I hated the conclusion of “The Hunger Games” series.

With that being said, “Mirror” is definitely worth a read. You won’t look at a yourself, or children (for that matter) the same way again. Boofuls was no joke.
Profile Image for Sally.
269 reviews65 followers
March 1, 2022
So, this was a fucking blast! I have never read anything by Masterton before, and now I must read everything! The nostalgia was so perfect for me, set in the 80's he talked about the A-Team, Knight Rider all my faves as a kid. But there was also mention of big Hollywood musicals in the 1930's, which I also love. And super detailed grisly unbelievable death scenes! Love those too! I'm eclectic, fight me!

There was occult lore, theology, good vs evil on a huge scale, and a scary mirror. Perfection!

HUGE trigger warning for animal harm, like really huge. But you can skim/ skip those parts and not lose any important info.

Still laughing at myself for literally clutching my pearls (well my Tshirt anyway) during a few scenes in this book. Recommend this one so hard!
Profile Image for Phil.
2,105 reviews236 followers
January 2, 2023
Masterton was quite prolific when he wrote this (first published in 1988) but Mirror is something of a stand out and well worth checking out if you are into vintage horror. Plus, this has so many fun 80s references that anyone of the era can relate. Our main protagonist, Martin, is a screen writer for Fox, largely working on The A-Team (Mr. T!) but also on several soap operas of the day. He has long been a fan of 'Boofuls', a child actor in the 1930s with several smash musicals, but who was brutally murdered by his grandma in 1939. Martin's long term goal-- a new production based upon Boofuls! Yet, Boofuls name is dirt in Hollywood; his tragic demise seems to be the only thing people remember of him. One day, his best bud Ramone, who runs a Hollywood nostalgia store, calls him to say that someone tried to sell him the furniture from the old Boolfuls' mansion, but Ramone does not deal in that kind of stuff. Long story short, Martin manages to buy a large mirror that once graced the living room of the Boofuls mansion; actually, the same room he was butchered in...

What makes this one so fun are all the strange twists and turns as the story unfolds, as well as the great supporting cast of characters. This reads like a mongrel offspring of Carol Lewis and the Omen but I do not want to say more to avoid spoilers. Mirrors also has some gruesome body horror scenes to 'flesh out' the snappy dialogue and dark humor which moves the plot along nicely. While this starts off as simply a bit creepy, it rapidly moves into almost Bizarro territory. Good stuff! 4 solid stars!

Profile Image for Peter.
3,439 reviews652 followers
August 18, 2018
An absolute Masterton highlight and must read. I starts with the purchase of a mysterious mirror and the narrators obsession for a silent era child star named Boofuls. You have many references to the 80s and the main character, the child, has a strong resemblance to Damien Thorne of The Omen. A novel you can't put down with many twists and many extremely eerie elements. Masterton at its very best. Top notch.
Profile Image for Addy.
269 reviews56 followers
September 19, 2015
I can't say how much I just devoured this book. I took it slow sometimes only because it's the kind of story you really want to enjoy. It just had a mix of everything I look for in a horror book; humor, wtf moments, gore, religion, and characters I could really feel connected to. Not to mention some pretty creepy characters as well. Boofuls and pickle nearest the wind...look that one up! Plus a super freaky mirror! Who doesn't like a haunted artifact with a pretty gruesome history!? Based on this book and another one I've read, I've noticed that Graham has a fascination with alternate realities which is pretty cool. I enjoy that kind of stuff. The ending wasn't as dramatic as I thought it would be but it was cleanly wrapped up. I would definitely recommend this as one you shouldn't miss if u are a true horror fan. 5 stars!
Profile Image for Brendon Lowe.
275 reviews90 followers
April 19, 2023
Another great earlier novel by Graham Masterton. It takes it's time in the early few chapters to set up the premise and get to know our characters before Martin buys a mirror which once belonged to Boofuls a child actor from the 1930s who died under tragic circumstances.

Martin is a historian of sorts on Boofuls and this mirror is no ordinary mirror. It's a portal to another world and to escape the mirror one must go in before another can leave. What will leave the mirror and enter our world? What happens in the world behind the glass?

There is some great descriptions of terror and gore in this but it's not over the top or plentiful. It's the story that drives this and its quite intriguing and makes you keep reading. The last couple of chapters are action packed even if it wraps up quickly in the end. An above average read for 80s fiction horror fans and one you should track down.
Profile Image for Kevin.
76 reviews
October 12, 2009
Mirror,

What happens when you buy a piece of Hollywood memorabilia from a little old, innocent woman? Boofuls happens, that what.

This book was a great read. I usually find Graham Masterton to be hit or miss. This time he knocked it out of the ballpark.

This is a creepy tale about a murdered childhood actor who wants his life back, and a poor unsuspecting down on his luck screenwriter who holds the key.

The writing was simple, straightforward and to the point. This time around, Mr. Masterton kept me interested with every new page I turned. I do not find that to be the case with some of his other works. (I wont mention titles)

It seems Masterton had Alice in Wonderland on the mind when he wrote this one. (More like Alice in Demon Land.) Horror and fantasy elements fill this book; the alternate worlds separated by the mirror give it this affect.

If you have not read Graham Masterton, this would be a great one to start with. He rarely gets better than this. (He may have never written better than this.)
Profile Image for Vicente Ribes.
806 reviews138 followers
January 22, 2019
Graham Masterton es un genio del terror de los 80. Maneja el gore, las conversaciones cómicas, el sexo, los temas esotéricos y los monstruos, la crónica de sucesos históricos. Con todo esto te arma un batiburrillo que no deja de sorprenderte y mantenerte entretenido.
En esta bestia y espectacular novela de terror nos narra la historia de Martin, un guionista obsesionado con hacer un musical sobre una estrella infantil que fue truculentamente asesinada cuando estaba en la cúspide de la fama. Martin comprará un espejo que perteneció al niño estrella y un dia el niño volverá de entre los muertos para desatar el apocalipsis más demencial.
Puro terror de los 80 sin censura.
Profile Image for Γιώργος Δάμτσιος.
Author 37 books287 followers
November 12, 2018
Το διάβασα προ διετίας αλλά για κάποιον λογο ξέχασα να το βαθμολογησω. Έχω διαβάσει πολύ Masterton και είναι από τα πλέον αγαπημένα μου. Ο μπόμπιρας μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ σαν χαρακτήρας. Με " τρόμαξε" σε απολαυστικότατο βαθμό...
Το θεωρώ κ safe choice για όποιον θέλει να δοκιμάσει για πρώτη φορά Masterton.
Profile Image for DJMikeG.
468 reviews38 followers
September 14, 2016
Wow, Masterton pulls out all the stops with this over top, simply batshit insane horror novel. Its a bit of a slow burn at first, but at around page 100 things start to pick up and the insanity escalates and escalates until the end. I didn't rate it higher, because I did really enjoy this book, there is such a thing as just cramming too many ideas, too much carnage, too much insanity into 345 pages of fiction. While I'm in awe of all the crazy, incredible things Masterton has crammed into this thing, I'd have loved to maybe had a little more time to hang out with each crazy thing before the next one came barreling at me. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't, but at around page 300 something huge is revealed. This huge thing could have been the climax of the novel and it would have been amazing. But, nope, Masterton either had too much espresso or too much cocaine or something that day and he manages to cram so much other stuff into this book AFTER what a normal author would have been happy with as a climax... its just too much. I like candy, but I don't want it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, know what I'm sayin? That said, this book was an absolute hoot to read and I recommend it to all fans of excessive 1980s horror.
Profile Image for Thomas Stroemquist.
1,587 reviews141 followers
November 12, 2022
Pure 80’s B-movie horror, cheesy fun at times and a couple of really disturbing scenes, otherwise it’s shock filled with odd dialogue, strange actions and insanely farfetched figuring out how things work and what the rules of engagement are when battling the supernatural. Oh, and then there’s a huge chunk of “Through the Looking Glass” all through, often quite fun.

Not only is it overly long - but the antagonist is a gruesomely murdered 30’s child movie star - “the boy version of Shirley Temple” with the artist name “Boofuls” no, you read that right, “Boofuls”. We never get more of an explanation than at some point someone (who eludes me) makes a list of suggested artist names, someone else reads it and writes “B. Awful” in the margin. A secretary (who was perhaps not the strongest in the core competencies of a secretary) thought it was the final decision and put it down in a contract or some such - as “Boofuls” (because it’s so easy to get “. Aw” and “oo” mixed up and who does not put a trailing “s” on everything?)

Anyway, the reason I go on about “Boofuls” is that if you’re considering reading this, but already are tired of reading “Boofuls”, think again, because the “name” pops up a whopping 785 times in the text. And if that does not put you off, know that more than one (adult) refers to our hero as “Fartin’ Martin”.

The end game is just ridiculously grand, leaving more of a B-movie taste than ever before and then the actual ending (exemplary quick) becomes so simple so it’s basically anticlimactic.
Profile Image for Martha Sockel.
139 reviews
August 7, 2014
This was the very first Masterton book I ever read and it is still my favourite. Not only is it gripping from beginning to end, but the plot itself leaves you hanging of every page in anticipation of whats going to, or could possibly, happen next. Focusing on a mirror which "witnessed" an horrific murder, and then some 60 years later when the mirror decides the time is right to show what is behind it, resulting in an all too believable plot of demonic resurrection, this book is both terrifying and addictive.
Profile Image for Maćkowy .
382 reviews106 followers
April 23, 2020
Zło z Hollywood rodem, czyli po drugiej stronie diabelskiego lustra.

Opinia dotyczy superprodukcji nagranej przez Audiotekę, także nie dość, że nie czytałem Zwierciadła piekieł, a słuchałem, to na dokładkę nie w interpretacji jednego lektora, a całego zespołu świetnych fachowców. Kogóż tu nie ma: Adam Ferency, Kamila Baar, Antoni Pawlicki, Łukasz Lewandowski (na pewno kojarzycie twarz), Marian Opania, Zbigniew Suszyński, świetni młodzi: Misza Dagiel i Jakub Strach (idealnie pod horror) - można wymieniać i wymieniać, bo to tylko główni bohaterowie, ale przejdźmy do mięsa, czyli opowieści, realizację zostawmy na koniec.

Mimo, że jestem fanem horrorów Grahama Mastertona (Manitou i Wyklęty to dla mnie klasyki gatunku), nie czytałem wcześniej Zwierciadła piekieł i w sumie żałuję, bo to naprawdę dobra powieść grozy w starym stylu, bez wymyślania kwadratowych jaj, za to sprawnie i z pomysłem napisana.

Głównym bohaterem powieści jest Martin Williams - młody hollywoodzki scenarzysta, na co dzień piszący odcinki "Drużyny A" (jak tu nie czuć do gościa sympatii). Martin generalnie jest zadowolonym z życia trzydziestolatkiem, z niezłą przyszłością w branży, bo jest inteligentny, pisze co mu powiedzą, do tego dobrze i co ważniejsze terminowo. Martin ma jedną słabość, zalążki obsesji nawet, a jest nią Boofuls - dziecięca gwiazda lat trzydziestych, złotej ery Hollywood - taka Shirley Temple w spodenkach, jednak w przeciwieństwie do Temple Boofulsowi nie było dane dożyć starości, bo został w okrutny sposób zamordowany przez własną babkę. Martin zbiera pamiątki po nim, plakaty, fotosy i inne duperele, ogląda po 15 razy filmy z Boofulsem, a jego marzeniem jest nakręcić o nim film, do czego nie jest w stanie nikogo w fabryce snów przekonać. Poukładane życie Martina zmienia się gdy pewnego dnia trafia na tajemnicze lustro rzekomo należące kiedyś do młodej gwiazdy.

Masterton powoli buduje napięcie, jak w Egzorcyście akcja rozkręca się spokojnie, poznajemy historię Boofulsa (świetnie go sobie autor wymyślił i rozpisał) i życie Hollywood, świat filmowców drugiej połowy lat osiemdziesiątych: czuć klimat, nie tylko dzięki Drużynie A, ale na przykład postaci rubasznego producenta, z młodą, chyba czwartą żonką u boku (Harvey Weinstein?), jednocześnie historia nie trąci myszką, jest w pewien sposób niedzisiejsza, bo teraz starszy się innymi rzeczami, ale autor ma na tyle dobre pióro, że tylko dodaje jej to uroku. Co mnie lekko zirytowało, to to, że przy całym budowaniu otoczki, czerpaniu motywów z Alicji w krainie czarów oraz z biografii samego Lewisa Carrolla, finał jest rozczarowujący - spodziewałem się więcej i ciekawiej, widać Mastertonowi musiało zabraknąć trochę pary na finisz, tym niemniej powieść oceniłbym na mocne 7/10, oceniłbym, ale nie ocenię, bo teraz przechodzimy do meritum, czyli realizacji.

Audioteka przyzwyczaiła mnie do wysokiego poziomu swoich superprodukcji i nie inaczej jest w tym przypadku, bo i same horrory są wdzięcznym materiałem na tego typu słuchowiska. "Dopakowanie" tekstu odpowiednią oprawą dźwiękową i muzyczną potęguje odczucia z odsłuchu i pozwala mocniej wczuć się w historię. Wspominałem na początku o świetnym doborze głosów dla poszczególnych bohaterów, ale osobne słowa uznania należą się młodym, czyli odtwórcy Boofulsa i Emilia - horror z dziećmi automatycznie jest dwa razy straszniej, a jeżeli jeszcze młodzi śpiewają, tak jak to mam miejsce w Zwierciadle, to ciary chodzą po plecach.

Jednym zdaniem podsumowania, bo nie ma co marnować prądu: Audioteka wzięła bardzo dobry horror i zrobiła z niego świetne słuchowisko - warto posłuchać, bo nikt nie robi tego lepiej.*


*wiem, że w tekście często używam nazwy portalu, ale pragnę zaznaczyć, że w żaden sposób nie jestem z nim związany, nie płacą mi ani nie dają swoich produkcji za darmo, a szkoda ...

Profile Image for Angie.
1,302 reviews173 followers
January 17, 2014
“Somebody once defined Armageddon as all the most distressing things that you can imagine happening to you, all at once, forever. To me, that sounds worse than the end of the world.”

I will never look in, or at, mirrors the same way again, that’s for sure. One of my book addict friends and I decided to challenge each other every month by recommending a favorite book to each other which we then HAVE to read and finish that same month. We’ll be doing this for a year. So, for January, she challenged me to read this book by Graham Masterton, and though I had my doubts whether I was going to like this book (as it was published in 1988), I am happy to say that she made me read an absolutely brilliant book!

Mirror is old-school horror at its best. It reminded me of Dean Koontz and Stephen King’s earlier works. It’s a no-holds-barred story with a typical eighties horror-movie-like feel to its in your face chillingly disturbing content. Do you remember how terrifying that little boy was in the eighties horror movie, The Omen? Well Boofuls, the seven-year-old antagonist in this novel makes that boy look like a Catholic Church altar boy. There is nothing good about Boofuls. He’s evil incarnate. I’m sure I don’t need to say more about him because everyone knows how creepy a possessed child can be. But, Boofuls isn’t really possessed, per se. He is something a lot more nightmarish. He’s the thing that came out of the mirror, after something – or someone – had to go into the mirror. The author cleverly incorporates the biblical numeral 144 000 and Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass into the theme of this story. Over and over again it subtly begs the question: do you really know the real you? Because how you see yourself in the mirror, is not necessarily a true reflection of the real you. The real you might actually be on the other side of the mirror image that is reflected back at you. And believe me, that may be something you might not want to see.

“It seems to me now like a nightmare...the land beyond the looking-glass, in which each man takes on his true form.”
- Lewis Carroll

Apart from the theme that gets you thinking, I loved that the plot moved at a breakneck pace. The author doesn’t beat around the bush with unnecessary details and tedious explanations to fluff up the story. Everything happens so rapidly I couldn’t finish this book in one sitting as some of the scenes are quite intense. Characters who meet their demise, die bloody and violent deaths which, in my opinion, makes this an unsuitable read for younger or sensitive readers. Nonetheless, Mirror is the perfect book for hardcore fans of horror and those who enjoy stories that would require them to think outside the box.

Not much is done by way of character development though, but still I found myself caring enough about the characters to be saddened when something dreadful happens to them. Chapter by chapter the suspense intensifies until it reaches a fiery finale. Even though Mirror had me terrified to sleep with the lights off at night, it was a hugely satisfying read that kept me up way past my bedtime. One man’s obsession about making it big in Hollywood, how his life is turned upside down by his fixation with a child star from the late nineteen-thirties, and the things he discovers about himself once he sets out to save another child’s life, had me turning the pages frenziedly.

I’m so glad I was challenged to read this book, because I probably wouldn’t have picked it up on my own. With this darkly captivating tale of an oncoming apocalypse, Graham Masterton won himself another admirer. Seriously, horror fans, read this book. You haven’t met evil until you’ve met seven-year-old Boofuls.
Profile Image for Susanne.
Author 12 books147 followers
February 21, 2013
Yet again Graham Masterton gives the reader a CREEPFEST of creepiness. This book is definitely scary in that nerve-racking "is there someone behind me?" and "now I must turn on ALL THE LIGHTS" sense.

For me, it wasn't as good as some of his other stories because there is a lot of anti-feline imagery and violence that I could have done without. Also, sometimes the protagonist needed a slap upside the head.

However, the analysis of Through the Looking-Glass is amazing and, even though I'm not a fan of Alice in Wonderland, it makes me want to read that book. So if you are a Lewis Carroll fan, I'd especially recommend reading this.

Profile Image for Maciek.
571 reviews3,645 followers
March 28, 2011
Mirror is an entertaining, though at times ridiculously cheesy and over the top horror novel from the 80's. The story centers around a murdered child actor, who haunts guess what - a mirror. The idea is good, the novel suspensful and gory at times, but the character actions are completely ridiculous and ruin what could have been one of his best works. Check out The Pariah or Family Portrait if you want to experience Masterton at his best.
Profile Image for Andra Petrucianu.
184 reviews21 followers
June 20, 2021
J'ai terminé ce roman cette nuit et je l'ai lu avec la peur au ventre, du début à la fin !!

Il m'a solidement traumatisé, les descriptions, l'ambiance, le miroir en tant que tel, OMG.

Je ne vais plus regarder un miroir de la même façon, c'est certain ! Je ne peux pas en dire plus, sinon ça va spoiler.

J'ai adoré les personnages, Martin est un délice à connaître, et Mr. Capelli est de loin un de mes préférés à vie !!

Vous devez absolument lire ce roman.
Un des meilleurs que j'ai lu ! 🖤🖤🖤
596 reviews
May 13, 2022
I guess I'm in the minority here among reviews. I thought the book was pretty slow for the most part. I almost gave up on it about a third of the way through. Martin's character is not likable at all. A lot of the other characters feel like stereotypical cardboard cutouts (ie the agent and his "bimbo" wife - although ironically the wife turned out to be one of the better characters in the end).

As someone said there is a "huge reveal" around page 300. And what does Martin or the other characters do with that information? Nothing. Huge thing is going to happen, read Alice in Wonderland to find the answers. What?? This priest is supposed to be an expert and clearly has ideas and yet doesn't give one piece of information that's actually practical (if he did - the book wouldn't drag on for another 100 or so pages).

My other big issues are: Why would Martin at all trust Boofuls? Why? Why wouldn't he have some kind of backup plan? And if people were gathering pieces of the devil, why oh why would a priest decide 'Hey, I have one package of things supposedly part of the devil, I know where another package is, let me put them together - because that's the safe thing to do.' It makes absolutely no sense and was the second time I almost didn't finish the book.

And then while the book has pretty much dragged on suddenly the last 40 pages rush to the end. Too much crammed in and kind of a fast ending.

I got this book based on all the great reviews but it really didn't work for me.
Profile Image for Justin.
729 reviews29 followers
August 30, 2015
Masterton writes a creepy and suspenseful story in Mirror. Martin, a screenwriter and devotee of a 1930s murdered child actor Boofuls (seriously, what kind of name is that?) purchases a mirror of the deceased, and strange occurences start to happen. Sure it does play around with the cliche idea of mirrors stealing a part of your soul, and reflecting on your own identity, but it does go deeper with those ideas. I liked how it started out as a quieter ghost story, and then as the mystery behind the mirror's properties, and the supernatural unfold, it does go over the top at times. And by that, right into satanic elements which could affect the world. Despite that, Mirror is a page turner, and Masterton's writing kept me engaged with its efficiency. Certain scenes were quite visceral in violence, though not distaseful. Martin was a decent protagonist, and Boofuls a soild antagonist, but the characterization wasn't the strong point of this. When the body counts added up, Masterton makes you care not for the character, but for how the death(s) played out in the plot. The storyline itself was the strength of this, and well-paced. The only issue I had was the rushed ending which could've been better paced, and I was left feeling 'that was it?' I wished the characters received a more satisfying final scene at least. Overall, this was still an entertaining and chilling read.
Profile Image for Jessica Featherstone.
7 reviews2 followers
April 15, 2014
I have to say that there wasn't a single thing I disliked about this book. It was scary and full of suspense and I love the way Masterton writes. You would think that he would run out of idea's for a supernatural horror but he just keeps pouring out novel after novel.

I prefer Masterton over authors like King, simply because with Masterton he doesn't wait to ease you into the scare, he throws you in the deep end and doesn't care if you drown or not.

Mirror was fantastic and I found myself sleep deprived as I wasn't able to put the book down until I'd finished it. This is one of those books that you read and read and tell yourself "Just one more chapter before bed", then when you raise your eyes from the pages you see the sunlight crack through your window and realize that you've spent your entire night reading it.

Profile Image for Wanda Hartzenberg.
Author 5 books71 followers
May 25, 2013
I own this book in print! Which is a good thing since I am sure my friends will be clambering to read this book!

This story is disturbing!
It is one of the few that drained me to such a degree that I did not read it continually!
What I loved most was that the author turned on conventional wisdom and made the evil apparent from the get go!
No questions regarding Martin's sanity! This evil is not shy! This turn about of the usual added to the creepimess factor and made me rethink all that I have known about authors do's and dont's!
Horror fans will love this but it is not for the faint of heart!

I loved this book so much I already bought a copy of another book of his for my Kindle!
WaAr
Profile Image for Μιχάλης.
Author 20 books136 followers
March 17, 2012
In my mind, Masterton is too much of a nasties-hack extrordinaire that I forget he is also a solid horror author and Mirror proves that.

Contrary to most rushed novels by said author, Mirror is a great take on Lewis Caroll's novels, well-paced almost throughout (there is a quick rush towards the end though), with the horror constantly building, a likeable protagonist and some supporting characters and a great villain. There is gruesome violence, but most of the horror comes out of the eerieness around the mirror of the title.

Overall, one of the best Masterton novels out there. I wish there were more books of his that are so well realised
Profile Image for Fred Klein.
555 reviews26 followers
January 19, 2016
I was attracted to this novel because of how much I enjoyed another Masterton novel that referenced a children's book: Spirit, which referenced "The Snow Queen" as a major plot device.

In MIRROR, the children's book with which it is so connected is Lewis Carroll's THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS. There's more to "Jabberwocky" than just silly words, my friends!

In MIRROR, a frustrated writer is obsessed with a murdered child star, and he gets possession of the mirror that was in the room when the child was killed and chopped into bits. And apparently his spirit is in the mirror . . . and that's just the beginning.

Great Masterton. Lots of evil stuff. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Ryan.
142 reviews10 followers
February 3, 2018
Like most Graham Masterton novels, this started out really creepy, but went in too heavy too fast with the scares, building into an overblown and hokey climax. Subtlety / suspense is not something he does well. There's a passage around three quarters of the way in which a priest is killed by Satan's dismembered penis - you read that right - and it stopped me in my tracks and made me laugh out loud (it is not meant for laughs). After that the book was ruined, I couldn't take it seriously. I'll give him this, his depiction of self mutilation in this book genuinely made me shudder. He paints quite a gruesome picture.
Profile Image for Bibliophile.
781 reviews83 followers
December 4, 2018
Delightful eighties horror! This is what I hope for when I pick up a trashy horror novel with a ghastly cover. It has everything a reasonable person could want: living dead 1930s Hollywood child stars, savage snake-cat hybrids, stern Italian grandparents who are NOT impressed with Evil ("You, young lady, are a harlot from hell").

This is my first Masterton, unless I've forgotten something. There seems to be a lot to choose from, going forward. I'll dip into the horror, but I think I'll stay away from the sex instruction books (Satan's penis in "The Mirror" was not enticing).
Profile Image for slavic_zelva.
207 reviews36 followers
July 19, 2023
Nie moje klimaty. Zakończenie w sumie miało najwięcej akcji i czułam się, jakby autor na siłę próbował wszystko upakować w ostatnich 20 stronach, bo miał limit stron. Trochę się nudziłam, trochę zafascynowały mnie te elementy związane z "Alicją w Krainie Czarów" (w końcu czytałam to właśnie z tego powodu, bo o tym piszę mgr). Jednak po tej książce widzę, że literatura grozy nie jest dla mnie.
Profile Image for kostas  vamvoukakis.
425 reviews12 followers
August 31, 2017
δεν είναι ότι δεν μου άρεσε. ..δεν με κέρδισε. ..παιδικό μου φάνηκε χωρίς την αγωνία που έχουν τα άλλα βιβλία του. .σχετικά καλό τέλος για μαδ τερυ ον 3,5 *
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