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Rosemary's Baby #2
Son of Rosemary
Rosemary's Baby chilled readers with its darkly brilliant story of modern-day witchcraft - a masterpiece of suspense, completely terrifying, and completely believable. Now Ira Levin returns to take us on a spellbinding new journey into darkness...
It is the dawn of a new millennium. A time when human hope is shadowed by fear and uncertainty. When a mother is about to be reunited with her son. And when a world in need of a savior will discover a new reason to be afraid.
It is the dawn of a new millennium. A time when human hope is shadowed by fear and uncertainty. When a mother is about to be reunited with her son. And when a world in need of a savior will discover a new reason to be afraid.
316 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Ira Levin
71 books1,567 followersLevin graduated from the Horace Mann School and New York University, where he majored in philosophy and English.
After college, he wrote training films and scripts for television.
Levin's first produced play was No Time for Sergeants (adapted from Mac Hyman's novel), a comedy about a hillbilly drafted into the United States Air Force that launched the career of Andy Griffith. The play was turned into a movie in 1958, and co-starred Don Knotts, Griffith's long-time co-star and friend. No Time for Sergeants is generally considered the precursor to Gomer Pyle, USMC.
Levin's first novel, A Kiss Before Dying, was well received, earning him the 1954 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. A Kiss Before Dying was turned into a movie twice, first in 1956, and again in 1991.
Levin's best known play is Deathtrap, which holds the record as the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway and brought Levin his second Edgar Award. In 1982, it was made into a film starring Christopher Reeve and Michael Caine.
Levin's best known novel is Rosemary's Baby, a horror story of modern day satanism and the occult, set in Manhattan's Upper West Side. It was made into a film starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes. Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance. Roman Polanski, who wrote and directed the film, was nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
Other Levin novels were turned into movies, including The Boys from Brazil in 1978; The Stepford Wives in 1975 and again in 2004; and Sliver in 1993.
Stephen King has described Ira Levin as "the Swiss watchmaker of suspense novels, he makes what the rest of us do look like cheap watchmakers in drugstores." Chuck Palahniuk, in , calls Levin's writing "a smart, updated version of the kind of folksy legends that cultures have always used."
Ira Levin died from a heart attack at his home in Manhattan, on 12 November 2007. He was seventy-eight at the time of his death.
After college, he wrote training films and scripts for television.
Levin's first produced play was No Time for Sergeants (adapted from Mac Hyman's novel), a comedy about a hillbilly drafted into the United States Air Force that launched the career of Andy Griffith. The play was turned into a movie in 1958, and co-starred Don Knotts, Griffith's long-time co-star and friend. No Time for Sergeants is generally considered the precursor to Gomer Pyle, USMC.
Levin's first novel, A Kiss Before Dying, was well received, earning him the 1954 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. A Kiss Before Dying was turned into a movie twice, first in 1956, and again in 1991.
Levin's best known play is Deathtrap, which holds the record as the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway and brought Levin his second Edgar Award. In 1982, it was made into a film starring Christopher Reeve and Michael Caine.
Levin's best known novel is Rosemary's Baby, a horror story of modern day satanism and the occult, set in Manhattan's Upper West Side. It was made into a film starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes. Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance. Roman Polanski, who wrote and directed the film, was nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
Other Levin novels were turned into movies, including The Boys from Brazil in 1978; The Stepford Wives in 1975 and again in 2004; and Sliver in 1993.
Stephen King has described Ira Levin as "the Swiss watchmaker of suspense novels, he makes what the rest of us do look like cheap watchmakers in drugstores." Chuck Palahniuk, in , calls Levin's writing "a smart, updated version of the kind of folksy legends that cultures have always used."
Ira Levin died from a heart attack at his home in Manhattan, on 12 November 2007. He was seventy-eight at the time of his death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 758 reviews
September 10, 2023
She didn't learn a single thing.
Rosemary wakes up in a nursing home after 27 years in coma, only to find out her son is lost, stolen away by the evil coven. It doesn’t take her long to learn about his whereabouts. Charismatic, Jesus lookalike, leader of a worldwide organization, Andy is one of the most respected people on Earth. Everyone loves Andy. And maybe so can she.
This is one of the worst sequels ever, if not the worst period. After reading the first novel you could safely assert Rosemary to be very over trusting, and somewhat naive, but even still she showed some degree of character development, she was in a lot of pain and tricked by almost everyone around her; you could at least feel sympathy towards her.
Rather to learn from that horrible experience, in this sequel Rosemary not only does not show a single glint of development, but instead shows an astounding degree of character devolution. Whatever warm feelings you could harbor towards Rosemary are totally destroyed with this book.
Unlike its predecessor, the pace here is awful. This was hardly easy to read. The suspense and buildup also gone. There are many chapters with literally nothing happening at all. I lost track of how many times Rosemary walked, turned left or right, looked at some random irrelevant thing, and kept walking. Rinse and repeat. Again and again… HIGHLY SKIMMABLE, and CONSISTENTLY BORING. About the ending, there are sort of two. BOTH ENDINGS SUCKED. Can’t decide which one sucks more.
My compulsion for completeness forced me to finish this series. But for the love of God, if you are reading this… PLEASE DON’T READ THIS CRAP!!! And if you don’t believe me, check the other reviews too. See if you can find a single good one.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1997] [316p] [Horror] [1.5] [EXTREMELY Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ The Stepford Wives
★★★★☆ Rosemary's Baby [3.5]
★☆☆☆☆ Son of Rosemary [1.5]
-----------------------------------------------
No aprendió nada.
Rosemary despierta en un asilo después de pasar 27 años en coma, sólo para darse cuenta que su hijo está perdido, robado por el malvado aquelarre. No le lleva mucho tiempo averiguar su paradero. Carismático, parecido a Jesús, líder de una organización mundial, Andy es una de las personas más respetadas del planeta. Todos aman a Andy. Y tal vez ella también pueda.
Esta es una de las peores secuelas jamás, sino la peor punto. Después de leer la primer novela uno podría afirmar sin peligro que Rosemary era en extremo sobre confiada, y hasta algo ingenua, pero aun así muestra algún grado de desarrollo de personaje, estaba sufriendo mucho dolor y era engañada por casi todas las personas a su alrededor; podías al menos sentir algo de simpatía por ella.
En vez de aprender algo de esa horrible experiencia, en esta secuela Rosemary no sólo no muestra ni un destello de desarrollo, sino que muestra en vez un asombroso nivel de involución de personaje. Cualquier sentimiento de calidez que uno podría albergar con Rosemary es totalmente destruido con este libro.
A diferencia de su predecesor, el ritmo acá horrible. Esta no fue una lectura fácil. El suspenso y la acumulación también ausentes. Hay incluso muchos capítulos con literalmente nada pasando en absoluto. Perdí la cuenta de cuantas veces Rosemary caminó, dobló a la izquierda o derecha, miró alguna cosa irrelevante, y siguió caminando. Enjuage y repita. Una y otra vez… ALTAMENTE SALTEABLE, y CONSISTENTEMENTE ABURRIDO. Sobre el final, son como dos. AMBOS FINALES APESTAN. No puedo decidir cuál apesta más.
Mi compulsión a la completitud me forzó a terminar esta serie. Pero por el amor de Dios, si estás leyendo esto… ¡¡¡POR FAVOR NO LEAS ESTA BASURA!!! Y si no me crees, chequeá las otras reseñas también. Tratá de encontrar una buena si podés.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1997] [316p] [Horror] [1.5] [EXTREMADAMENTE No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Rosemary wakes up in a nursing home after 27 years in coma, only to find out her son is lost, stolen away by the evil coven. It doesn’t take her long to learn about his whereabouts. Charismatic, Jesus lookalike, leader of a worldwide organization, Andy is one of the most respected people on Earth. Everyone loves Andy. And maybe so can she.
This is one of the worst sequels ever, if not the worst period. After reading the first novel you could safely assert Rosemary to be very over trusting, and somewhat naive, but even still she showed some degree of character development, she was in a lot of pain and tricked by almost everyone around her; you could at least feel sympathy towards her.
Rather to learn from that horrible experience, in this sequel Rosemary not only does not show a single glint of development, but instead shows an astounding degree of character devolution. Whatever warm feelings you could harbor towards Rosemary are totally destroyed with this book.
Unlike its predecessor, the pace here is awful. This was hardly easy to read. The suspense and buildup also gone. There are many chapters with literally nothing happening at all. I lost track of how many times Rosemary walked, turned left or right, looked at some random irrelevant thing, and kept walking. Rinse and repeat. Again and again… HIGHLY SKIMMABLE, and CONSISTENTLY BORING. About the ending, there are sort of two. BOTH ENDINGS SUCKED. Can’t decide which one sucks more.
My compulsion for completeness forced me to finish this series. But for the love of God, if you are reading this… PLEASE DON’T READ THIS CRAP!!! And if you don’t believe me, check the other reviews too. See if you can find a single good one.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1997] [316p] [Horror] [1.5] [EXTREMELY Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ The Stepford Wives
★★★★☆ Rosemary's Baby [3.5]
★☆☆☆☆ Son of Rosemary [1.5]
-----------------------------------------------
No aprendió nada.
Rosemary despierta en un asilo después de pasar 27 años en coma, sólo para darse cuenta que su hijo está perdido, robado por el malvado aquelarre. No le lleva mucho tiempo averiguar su paradero. Carismático, parecido a Jesús, líder de una organización mundial, Andy es una de las personas más respetadas del planeta. Todos aman a Andy. Y tal vez ella también pueda.
Esta es una de las peores secuelas jamás, sino la peor punto. Después de leer la primer novela uno podría afirmar sin peligro que Rosemary era en extremo sobre confiada, y hasta algo ingenua, pero aun así muestra algún grado de desarrollo de personaje, estaba sufriendo mucho dolor y era engañada por casi todas las personas a su alrededor; podías al menos sentir algo de simpatía por ella.
En vez de aprender algo de esa horrible experiencia, en esta secuela Rosemary no sólo no muestra ni un destello de desarrollo, sino que muestra en vez un asombroso nivel de involución de personaje. Cualquier sentimiento de calidez que uno podría albergar con Rosemary es totalmente destruido con este libro.
A diferencia de su predecesor, el ritmo acá horrible. Esta no fue una lectura fácil. El suspenso y la acumulación también ausentes. Hay incluso muchos capítulos con literalmente nada pasando en absoluto. Perdí la cuenta de cuantas veces Rosemary caminó, dobló a la izquierda o derecha, miró alguna cosa irrelevante, y siguió caminando. Enjuage y repita. Una y otra vez… ALTAMENTE SALTEABLE, y CONSISTENTEMENTE ABURRIDO. Sobre el final, son como dos. AMBOS FINALES APESTAN. No puedo decidir cuál apesta más.
Mi compulsión a la completitud me forzó a terminar esta serie. Pero por el amor de Dios, si estás leyendo esto… ¡¡¡POR FAVOR NO LEAS ESTA BASURA!!! Y si no me crees, chequeá las otras reseñas también. Tratá de encontrar una buena si podés.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1997] [316p] [Horror] [1.5] [EXTREMADAMENTE No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
April 7, 2011
This one is short and very much to the point: take everything that made the original ROSEMARY'S BABY a classic and throw it all right down the nearest toilet. This so-called sequel gives us a Rosemary who has been comatose for years — put there by the coven from the first book — while Andy, her son by the Devil, has grown up to lead an international charity organization or something (I have thankfully not read this since it came out in 1997, so bear with me if my details are a little rusty). The two are reunited when Rosemary awakens after twenty-six years, and... Oh, who fucking cares? All you need to know is this ultimate spoiler that will spare you reading this travesty. Are you ready? Here we go:
The events of this book and the excellent ROSEMARY'S BABY are revealed to have been nothing more than an elaborate bad dream experienced by Rosemary after reading Bram Stoker's DRACULA, and we're suddenly back in 1965 where none of this has happened.
No, seriously.
The book was no good to begin with, but when I read that ending I let out some foul invective and turned to the people on the subway and screamed, "See this book? Anybody out there like ROSEMARY'S BABY?" A few people murmured a "yes" here and there, so I said "Don't read this book! At the end everything in this and the first story turns out to be a dream!!!" There was a brief silence and then some big GOODFELLAS-looking guy looked at me with a fixed eye and said, "Are you fuckin' kiddin' me?" I swore to him that I wasn't and gave him my copy of the book, daring him to read and enjoy it. He looked at the book like it was radioactive and returned it to me with a very polite "Fuck that!"
The events of this book and the excellent ROSEMARY'S BABY are revealed to have been nothing more than an elaborate bad dream experienced by Rosemary after reading Bram Stoker's DRACULA, and we're suddenly back in 1965 where none of this has happened.
No, seriously.
The book was no good to begin with, but when I read that ending I let out some foul invective and turned to the people on the subway and screamed, "See this book? Anybody out there like ROSEMARY'S BABY?" A few people murmured a "yes" here and there, so I said "Don't read this book! At the end everything in this and the first story turns out to be a dream!!!" There was a brief silence and then some big GOODFELLAS-looking guy looked at me with a fixed eye and said, "Are you fuckin' kiddin' me?" I swore to him that I wasn't and gave him my copy of the book, daring him to read and enjoy it. He looked at the book like it was radioactive and returned it to me with a very polite "Fuck that!"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2007
What the FUCK? I love Rosemary's Baby. I read it twice in two days and rented the movie the night I finished it the second time.
This is a terrible book. It's poorly written, the plot is ludicrous (yes, I know, it's about the son of... well, you know) and the characters are so naive and annoying that it makes me want to puke. I thought there was a nice little punch at the end- not what you would think if you read it quickly, but if you realize what Levin's actually trying to do- but it didn't make up for a truly annoying piece of literature from a writer who has actual talent.
I mean, what the FUCK?
This is a terrible book. It's poorly written, the plot is ludicrous (yes, I know, it's about the son of... well, you know) and the characters are so naive and annoying that it makes me want to puke. I thought there was a nice little punch at the end- not what you would think if you read it quickly, but if you realize what Levin's actually trying to do- but it didn't make up for a truly annoying piece of literature from a writer who has actual talent.
I mean, what the FUCK?
December 29, 2020
Rating: Not Good
Genre: Horror
Son of Rosemary is the sequel to Rosemary’s Baby. The events take place in 1999 when 58 years old Rosemary wakes up from a twenty-seven-year coma and is united with her son, Andy, who is thirty-three years old now. Andy is a charismatic man and has everybody following him around the world. Rosemary loves her son but needs to make sure he is not following the plans his father has set for him.
I am a huge fan of Rosemary’s Baby, both the book and the movie. Despite this book having very low ratings I still thought I might like it or be OK with it. But I was wrong! I was OK for the majority of the story but the ending felt ridiculous to me. It reminded me of that ridiculous season of the famous TV show Dallas where they killed Bobby and then they decided to bring him back the next season saying that the whole previous season was just a dream! The same happens here. The ending is so anti-climactic and disappointing. To me, it felt like the author might’ve had writer block hence he resorted to such an ending. I would have lived with the lack of shock and terror that the first book brilliantly had but add this ending to it and it just kills it. I was warned not to read it but did not listen, lol. Now I am warning you to avoid this but you probably won’t take the advice if you are a fan of the first book. One of the most disappointing sequels I have read.
Genre: Horror
Son of Rosemary is the sequel to Rosemary’s Baby. The events take place in 1999 when 58 years old Rosemary wakes up from a twenty-seven-year coma and is united with her son, Andy, who is thirty-three years old now. Andy is a charismatic man and has everybody following him around the world. Rosemary loves her son but needs to make sure he is not following the plans his father has set for him.
I am a huge fan of Rosemary’s Baby, both the book and the movie. Despite this book having very low ratings I still thought I might like it or be OK with it. But I was wrong! I was OK for the majority of the story but the ending felt ridiculous to me. It reminded me of that ridiculous season of the famous TV show Dallas where they killed Bobby and then they decided to bring him back the next season saying that the whole previous season was just a dream! The same happens here. The ending is so anti-climactic and disappointing. To me, it felt like the author might’ve had writer block hence he resorted to such an ending. I would have lived with the lack of shock and terror that the first book brilliantly had but add this ending to it and it just kills it. I was warned not to read it but did not listen, lol. Now I am warning you to avoid this but you probably won’t take the advice if you are a fan of the first book. One of the most disappointing sequels I have read.
December 28, 2008
In hindsight, this book has two big things working against it, which I'll assume accounts for the many vehemently negative reviews.
The first is the nostalgia for the orignal, "Rosemary's Baby", which as a film and as a book, was an unexpected little gem of a horror story. It was very unconventional in that the bulk of the book was just the mundane comings and goings of a young couple living in New York City. The genius of it was that amidst all rather run-of-the-mill banality, there were hints of sinister goings-on, which pay off with an absurd and shocking twist ending. The Roman Polanski film captured the tone of the book almost perfectly, and thus, for forty years we've had this perfect little horror oddity that has become almost iconic over the decades. That the author would want to come along after so many years and write a sequel is a dicey proposition. How do you follow up the lighting-in-a-bottle that was the original?
Well, Ira Levin takes a rather novel approach, which, in my opinion, is a reservedly successful one. Instead of taking the same tact as "Rosemary's Baby", and writing the story of a mundane protagonist with hints of something more creepy, he takes Rosemary and places her in a far more outlandish setting: she wakes up at the beginning of the novel from a coma she's been in for thirty years, to find that her half-demon son, Andy, has become the figure-head of a global peace movement. She and her son are world-wide celebrities.
I'm sure that fans of the original novel were shocked, and understandibly upset by this drastic change in backdrop. I almost said change in tone, but the tone is almost exactly the same. Though she's a global celebrity, most of the book still deals with the rather boring details of things like Rosemary getting her hair done, going on a date with one of Andy's entourage, jogging in the park, and whatnot. Similarly, there is a sense of hidden mystery like the first book, this time bolstered by the fact that you know Andy is the son of Satan, and quite possibly, the Anti-Christ. Ultimately, it is only the setting that is different from the original.
Probably to my benefit, I did not go into reading "Son of Rosemary" as a longtime fan of the original. I read it immediately after reaing "Rosemary's Baby" for the first time, so it almost didn't feel like reading a sequel at all, just additional chapters of the first. And read like this, I think the second book holds up rather well. As I said, the tone is very similar from one book to the next, and read back-to-back, it is a very smooth transition from the world of the first to the very different world of the second.
Which isn't to say that it is a perfect read, and this is the second main reason why I think this gets so many bad reviews. The writing seems very rushed. Whereas "Rosemary's Baby" fleshes out all of the major players (Rosemary, Guy, Minnie, Roman) and lets the many other Bramford residents float around rather underdeveloped in the background, "Son of Rosemary" really only gives any decent time to Rosemary and Andy, while many other characters, who would seem to have important roles in the plot are given rather short-shrift. Because of this, seemingly important moments in the story (a murder, a pretty significant plot twist) don't quite carry their intended weight. Also, there are an aweful lot of characters floating around that don't seem to do anything besides clutter up the background.
Along a similar vein, the underlying mystery of the novel is an interesting one, but pretty obvious and is never really fleshed out. Its almost as though Levin had this great idea for a sequel, but then decided he's rather do something else than write it all down. So what we got was a brief sketch of a broader picture.
[SPOILER] And concerning the big ending (the one after the 'shocking' plot twist), I have to disagree with everyone claiming Levin took the punk's way out and just made the whole thing a dream. I thought it was pretty clear that Rosemary getting to go back and relive her life with Guy was her payment from Satan for not fighting him on the whole end-of-the-world plan he was carrying out. She at first refuses to abandon Andy, but her son tells her to go, and to trust him, and moments later, she's back in 1966 with her long-lost husband. I don't think that was a cop-out at all. I actually kind of like the idea of Rosemary letting the world end while she gets to go back and have her life over agian.[END SPOILER]
So in the end, no, "Son of Rosemary" is not as good as the original, mostly because the original was such a unique gem of a book. But it also seems more hastily written with many interesting ideas only briefly addressed which doesn't exactly ruin the book, but leaves one with a feeling of missed opportunity.
The first is the nostalgia for the orignal, "Rosemary's Baby", which as a film and as a book, was an unexpected little gem of a horror story. It was very unconventional in that the bulk of the book was just the mundane comings and goings of a young couple living in New York City. The genius of it was that amidst all rather run-of-the-mill banality, there were hints of sinister goings-on, which pay off with an absurd and shocking twist ending. The Roman Polanski film captured the tone of the book almost perfectly, and thus, for forty years we've had this perfect little horror oddity that has become almost iconic over the decades. That the author would want to come along after so many years and write a sequel is a dicey proposition. How do you follow up the lighting-in-a-bottle that was the original?
Well, Ira Levin takes a rather novel approach, which, in my opinion, is a reservedly successful one. Instead of taking the same tact as "Rosemary's Baby", and writing the story of a mundane protagonist with hints of something more creepy, he takes Rosemary and places her in a far more outlandish setting: she wakes up at the beginning of the novel from a coma she's been in for thirty years, to find that her half-demon son, Andy, has become the figure-head of a global peace movement. She and her son are world-wide celebrities.
I'm sure that fans of the original novel were shocked, and understandibly upset by this drastic change in backdrop. I almost said change in tone, but the tone is almost exactly the same. Though she's a global celebrity, most of the book still deals with the rather boring details of things like Rosemary getting her hair done, going on a date with one of Andy's entourage, jogging in the park, and whatnot. Similarly, there is a sense of hidden mystery like the first book, this time bolstered by the fact that you know Andy is the son of Satan, and quite possibly, the Anti-Christ. Ultimately, it is only the setting that is different from the original.
Probably to my benefit, I did not go into reading "Son of Rosemary" as a longtime fan of the original. I read it immediately after reaing "Rosemary's Baby" for the first time, so it almost didn't feel like reading a sequel at all, just additional chapters of the first. And read like this, I think the second book holds up rather well. As I said, the tone is very similar from one book to the next, and read back-to-back, it is a very smooth transition from the world of the first to the very different world of the second.
Which isn't to say that it is a perfect read, and this is the second main reason why I think this gets so many bad reviews. The writing seems very rushed. Whereas "Rosemary's Baby" fleshes out all of the major players (Rosemary, Guy, Minnie, Roman) and lets the many other Bramford residents float around rather underdeveloped in the background, "Son of Rosemary" really only gives any decent time to Rosemary and Andy, while many other characters, who would seem to have important roles in the plot are given rather short-shrift. Because of this, seemingly important moments in the story (a murder, a pretty significant plot twist) don't quite carry their intended weight. Also, there are an aweful lot of characters floating around that don't seem to do anything besides clutter up the background.
Along a similar vein, the underlying mystery of the novel is an interesting one, but pretty obvious and is never really fleshed out. Its almost as though Levin had this great idea for a sequel, but then decided he's rather do something else than write it all down. So what we got was a brief sketch of a broader picture.
[SPOILER] And concerning the big ending (the one after the 'shocking' plot twist), I have to disagree with everyone claiming Levin took the punk's way out and just made the whole thing a dream. I thought it was pretty clear that Rosemary getting to go back and relive her life with Guy was her payment from Satan for not fighting him on the whole end-of-the-world plan he was carrying out. She at first refuses to abandon Andy, but her son tells her to go, and to trust him, and moments later, she's back in 1966 with her long-lost husband. I don't think that was a cop-out at all. I actually kind of like the idea of Rosemary letting the world end while she gets to go back and have her life over agian.[END SPOILER]
So in the end, no, "Son of Rosemary" is not as good as the original, mostly because the original was such a unique gem of a book. But it also seems more hastily written with many interesting ideas only briefly addressed which doesn't exactly ruin the book, but leaves one with a feeling of missed opportunity.
March 14, 2009
This is one of the worst books I have ever read. Rosemary wakes up from a 20 or 30 year coma and finds that her son (the spawn of the devil) is about to take a political position. Rosemary is a very weak leading lady and I did not feel sorry for her as she got sucked into her son's world of evil and corruption. The story tries to wow and shock by placing Rosemary in awkward situations (like being invited to an orgy with her son), but they tend to fall short and are exactly what I said, AWKWARD.
The ending was the worst part of all. Right in the "climax" of the book, Rosemary wakes up and it is 1970-whatever again and she finds out that everything was a dream. She never had a baby and her husband was really just a kind and gentle man. Everything was just a really bad dream. I find this to be a cop-out and I think Ira Levin should be shot in the knee caps for writing such a monstrosity.
The ending was the worst part of all. Right in the "climax" of the book, Rosemary wakes up and it is 1970-whatever again and she finds out that everything was a dream. She never had a baby and her husband was really just a kind and gentle man. Everything was just a really bad dream. I find this to be a cop-out and I think Ira Levin should be shot in the knee caps for writing such a monstrosity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2017
One thing that always strikes me about the works of Ira Levin is the short number of stories that have been turned in to films - from Sliver to the Stepford wives (twice) so many of his works have been turned in to films.
One such book was Rosemary's Baby which I remember both seeing and reading in the early days of me reading (and collecting). The book especially made a huge impression as a lot of the horror is either implied or questioned making for a very uneasy feel to the whole thing.
So when I found out there was a sequel out there - when Adam was now all grown up I was fascinated not only to see how the story was to continue but also simply because this was Ira Levin.
The book rips along at a fair old pace and I will admit I think I should have read Rosemary's Baby first as I felt that I was missing something although to be honest I was not just that it didnt feel right.
Anyway the book is a clever exploration of questioning someones ethics - now I will not go in to more details for giving away the plot or spoilers but I will say that you really cannot be sure and for me that is the fun part. Now some authors try and achieve this by bouncing from one extreme to the other - which for me is neither subtle or enjoyable its almost like they are trying to balance a set of figurative scales - Ire Levin however manages to make the storyline tread that middle ground where you are just not sure - and thats when the fun starts.
So in general I really enjoyed the book - apart from the ending which for me was a total let down and I know others have commented the same. I will not say more but I do feel that it was a bit of an easy plot device - and since this book was written in 1997 I do feel that they are not new plot devices at that.
So in general a great book just a shame about the ending although it does wrap it up nicely - maybe a little too nicely.
One such book was Rosemary's Baby which I remember both seeing and reading in the early days of me reading (and collecting). The book especially made a huge impression as a lot of the horror is either implied or questioned making for a very uneasy feel to the whole thing.
So when I found out there was a sequel out there - when Adam was now all grown up I was fascinated not only to see how the story was to continue but also simply because this was Ira Levin.
The book rips along at a fair old pace and I will admit I think I should have read Rosemary's Baby first as I felt that I was missing something although to be honest I was not just that it didnt feel right.
Anyway the book is a clever exploration of questioning someones ethics - now I will not go in to more details for giving away the plot or spoilers but I will say that you really cannot be sure and for me that is the fun part. Now some authors try and achieve this by bouncing from one extreme to the other - which for me is neither subtle or enjoyable its almost like they are trying to balance a set of figurative scales - Ire Levin however manages to make the storyline tread that middle ground where you are just not sure - and thats when the fun starts.
So in general I really enjoyed the book - apart from the ending which for me was a total let down and I know others have commented the same. I will not say more but I do feel that it was a bit of an easy plot device - and since this book was written in 1997 I do feel that they are not new plot devices at that.
So in general a great book just a shame about the ending although it does wrap it up nicely - maybe a little too nicely.
October 1, 2011
Most people HATE this book. I loved it. I will tell you why. I LOVE thw fact that he waited so long to write it and than changed the rules with this book. I was caught by surprise. The fact that he played that sort of trick on me makes me love this book.
July 29, 2012
I don't have the same complaints as the majority on this one. I LIKED the ending. I can't help but wonder if some readers aren't reading the ending carefully enough... Maybe they are and they still feel robbed somehow. The ending could be taken two different ways and I'm fine with either outcome.
I'm only giving this one three stars because the build up was unsatisfying and the writing sometimes felt rushed, as if the writer himself was anxious to get to the end. Still, it was hard to put down and I managed to be surprised a time or two.
I'm only giving this one three stars because the build up was unsatisfying and the writing sometimes felt rushed, as if the writer himself was anxious to get to the end. Still, it was hard to put down and I managed to be surprised a time or two.
July 21, 2022
Madre mía que continuación, casi mejor que lo hubiera dejado en un solo libro.
Para mí le sobra el 75 % del las páginas y parecía que el final lo salvaría (poco había que salvar la verdad) de la quema pero es que se ha reído de nosotros el autor, vaya final!!! Me ha recordado a una serie de TV de una familia ( y no doy mas pistas). Ahh de terror nada o -1, en fin...
Lo leí como parte de un reto ya que era el libro peor valorado que tenía y ahora ya veo el porqué.
Sinopsis: El hijo de Rosemary arranca en el umbral del nuevo milenio, una época en la que las esperanzas de la humanidad se ven ensombrecidas por un temor e incertidumbre crecientes y el mundo necesita más que nunca la llegada de un salvador. Es entonces - ante el brillante telón de fondo de Nueva York en 1999 - cuando Rosemary se reúne con su hijo. Y cuando se libra la batalla definitiva entre el bien y el mal; una lucha que tendrá unas consecuencias aterradoras y decisivas, no sólo para Rosemary y su hijo, sino también para toda la humanidad.
1/10
# 14. El libro peor valorado de tu lista de pendientes de goodreads. Reto literario lecturas pendientes 2022.
Para mí le sobra el 75 % del las páginas y parecía que el final lo salvaría (poco había que salvar la verdad) de la quema pero es que se ha reído de nosotros el autor, vaya final!!! Me ha recordado a una serie de TV de una familia ( y no doy mas pistas). Ahh de terror nada o -1, en fin...
Lo leí como parte de un reto ya que era el libro peor valorado que tenía y ahora ya veo el porqué.
Sinopsis: El hijo de Rosemary arranca en el umbral del nuevo milenio, una época en la que las esperanzas de la humanidad se ven ensombrecidas por un temor e incertidumbre crecientes y el mundo necesita más que nunca la llegada de un salvador. Es entonces - ante el brillante telón de fondo de Nueva York en 1999 - cuando Rosemary se reúne con su hijo. Y cuando se libra la batalla definitiva entre el bien y el mal; una lucha que tendrá unas consecuencias aterradoras y decisivas, no sólo para Rosemary y su hijo, sino también para toda la humanidad.
1/10
# 14. El libro peor valorado de tu lista de pendientes de goodreads. Reto literario lecturas pendientes 2022.
January 15, 2015
REALLY?
March 8, 2020
Thirty years after Rosemary's Baby was first published Ira Levin wrote this sequel to one of my favourite horror stories. I've always held off on reading Son of Rosemary as many reviews were very scatching. While not in the same league as the original novel it's not as bad as many critics have made out.
The story starts well with Rosemary emerging from a coma after 27 years. Her relationship with her son after all this time is well handled & the supporting characters are reasonably interesting. I found the ending a little unsatisfactory, although it's open to the reader's interpretation which makes me somewhat happier with my own theory.
It's nice to see Ira Levin dedicate the book to actress Mia Farrow, who played Rosemary in the 1968 film of Rosemary's Baby. Now there's a great movie!
The story starts well with Rosemary emerging from a coma after 27 years. Her relationship with her son after all this time is well handled & the supporting characters are reasonably interesting. I found the ending a little unsatisfactory, although it's open to the reader's interpretation which makes me somewhat happier with my own theory.
It's nice to see Ira Levin dedicate the book to actress Mia Farrow, who played Rosemary in the 1968 film of Rosemary's Baby. Now there's a great movie!
January 19, 2022
The psychological mind fuck that was Rosemary's baby was truly terrifying, not because of monsters or a lot of gruesome bits but the sheer mental terror. That's what really creeped me out oh and the fact that baby. This was not any near that spine chilling greatness from the first book but in a way I enjoyed it but perhaps not for the best reasons. I liked coming back to Rosemary's and follow her and getting to know her son. But as a scary factor... It had none.
June 14, 2024
Although the ratings for this sequel are way lower than the original work, I decided to read it still and immediately, because if I don't do now it will remain in my to-read shelf for some long time, and I'm not one to leave a story half way through.
In this part, Rosemary wakes up from a 27 year coma to a grown up Andy who is the most loved and followed person in a totally different world that she left 27 years ago, it's the year 1999 with the millenium looming a few weeks ahead, and Andy is leading the world to a universal event to usher in the year 2000, Rosemary is afflicted with the weakness of a loving adoring mother who still sees Andy free of fault, as if he is not a 33 year old grown capable man, but still the innocent six year old boy she had left before going in to her coma.
Has Andy really turned out to vevhis mother's son, with the human good side taking over the satanic evil aspects of him? Does he look like Jesus because he is following in his footsteps, or because he is the ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing? Is he a redeemer or the anti-christ? These are the questions you get after reading Part I of the story, as the story develops you keep getting signals left and right, till the full disclosure by the end of the book, and it is a big disappointment, using the 'it was all a dream' closure is for me the easy way out for a story that has gone out of control.
Overall, it is an un-needed sequel to a good story that should've been left alone..
MiM
In this part, Rosemary wakes up from a 27 year coma to a grown up Andy who is the most loved and followed person in a totally different world that she left 27 years ago, it's the year 1999 with the millenium looming a few weeks ahead, and Andy is leading the world to a universal event to usher in the year 2000, Rosemary is afflicted with the weakness of a loving adoring mother who still sees Andy free of fault, as if he is not a 33 year old grown capable man, but still the innocent six year old boy she had left before going in to her coma.
Has Andy really turned out to vevhis mother's son, with the human good side taking over the satanic evil aspects of him? Does he look like Jesus because he is following in his footsteps, or because he is the ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing? Is he a redeemer or the anti-christ? These are the questions you get after reading Part I of the story, as the story develops you keep getting signals left and right, till the full disclosure by the end of the book, and it is a big disappointment, using the 'it was all a dream' closure is for me the easy way out for a story that has gone out of control.
Overall, it is an un-needed sequel to a good story that should've been left alone..
MiM
October 21, 2022
So I started reading this book fully aware of its terrible reputation, and turns out, it's a very bad book! And not even for the ending, which most people loathe - at face value the ending is truly awful, but like some readers I believe there's more to the ending. Levin liked to play games with his readers, I don't see why he wouldn't do so here.
No, this book is just so confusing, it has zero tension, and the characters are dull as dishwater. It's such a boring read.
Avoid, even if you're curious.
No, this book is just so confusing, it has zero tension, and the characters are dull as dishwater. It's such a boring read.
Avoid, even if you're curious.
October 14, 2012
Man, the ending would have nearly redeemed this book if the last few pages had been snipped. Nearly. The writing felt rushed and sketchy. The overall plot (evil scheme) was rather silly. And it really seemed unlikely that Rosemary's love for her child would allow her so often throughout the narrative to look past the fact, you know, that he was the son of Satan!
Only recommended for Ira Levin completists!
Only recommended for Ira Levin completists!
September 13, 2020
I gave up. DNF-ed in the middle then skimmed to the ending.
It isn't such a bad book, the opening part and the setting are interesting, but in the middle I lost interest. That's it.
It isn't such a bad book, the opening part and the setting are interesting, but in the middle I lost interest. That's it.
April 22, 2011
yeah. i read the other reviews of this book. some good points.... but all miss the KEY issue here: flying cars. like where are they?!? if i was going to write a book set three years in the future i would totally include flying cars. and clear ties. or talking robot butlers. i mean, it's THE FUTURE. that's really why this book is so bad. it's not the wishy washy way rosemary pushes her son away for trying to have sex with her. (yeaaaaaah. because every mother would totally be like "no...no, get away...stop,....*kisses son's cheek*.....no....bad boy.....*kisses son's neck*..... this is wrong.....get away") nope. it's not the over exhausted plot of dim characters. no. the real reason is that this book didn't have at the very least a gorgeous black woman with big hoop earrings commanding rosemary to fight in a dome. two characters enter one character leaves. im putting my money on satan. he could totally take a 58 year old woman in the dome. i could take a 58 year old woman in the dome. wait. unless this is Southpark. ok. im putting my money on the woman.
i would like to apologize to Jesus for this completely pointless and unrelated review so close to Easter and the fact that this book alleges that there is an antichrist. because there isn't one.
i would like to apologize to christians for my unproven assumption that there is no antichrist. but seriously? come on now. it's like an ant walking up to a human and being all like "i'm the antihuman. BOW TO ME." ooooo scary. (actually an ant suddenly speaking is kinda scary...but you get what im saying...maybe...)
oh. and it's "somersault." you're welcome.
i would like to apologize to Jesus for this completely pointless and unrelated review so close to Easter and the fact that this book alleges that there is an antichrist. because there isn't one.
i would like to apologize to christians for my unproven assumption that there is no antichrist. but seriously? come on now. it's like an ant walking up to a human and being all like "i'm the antihuman. BOW TO ME." ooooo scary. (actually an ant suddenly speaking is kinda scary...but you get what im saying...maybe...)
oh. and it's "somersault." you're welcome.
November 16, 2020
2,5 (me entretuvo, pero no es bueno)
Rosemary ha estado en coma por 27 años, desde que su hijo, Andy, tenía 6 años de edad.
Sólo un paciente a logrado despertar después tanto tiempo en coma y ella es un milagro a todas luces. Hablando con la psicóloga del hospital le menciona como se llama su hijo y resulta que después de 27 años sin ella, al cuidado de otras personas se ha convertido en un referente, conocido, aclamado y amado por todos.
Cuando al fin se unen él le cuenta que le dijeron que ella había muerto. Andy, hijo de Rosemary, es un tipo Mesías en el 1999 que ha propagado una ideología y tiene planes mundiales para la llegada del 2000. Se rodea de los Hijos de Dios, sus seguidores, quienes esparcen por el mundo este tipo de buenas vibras y deseos con la finalidad de unir a las personas.
Rosemary se adapta extremadamente rápido, extraño considerando que pasaron ¡27 años!, y reconoce a un Andy maduro y bueno, pero en ocasiones le desconcertaran sus impulsos. Conocerá a la mano derecha de Andy, Joe, con quien lograra una conexión diferente.
Y el final, el final es algo que, de lo que prefiero no hablar.
Realmente pensé que odiaria el libro, porque tiene muy malas críticas, y si, quizás mi yo del pasado lo hubiese odiado, literal, odiado, pero hoy me pareció una lectura más que no tomaré en cuenta como continuación.
No es un buen libro, que quede claro, aunque el cómo continuó una historia de ocultismo, fanatismo y satanismo me hizo seguir leyendo. Con respecto a los personajes sólo hubo importancia en los principales, los demás eran de adorno... mi percepción general es que parecía que simplemente el autor quería arruinar el primero o terminar y cerrar rápido esta historia.
¿Lo recomendaría? No, yo me quedaría con el primero.
Rosemary ha estado en coma por 27 años, desde que su hijo, Andy, tenía 6 años de edad.
Sólo un paciente a logrado despertar después tanto tiempo en coma y ella es un milagro a todas luces. Hablando con la psicóloga del hospital le menciona como se llama su hijo y resulta que después de 27 años sin ella, al cuidado de otras personas se ha convertido en un referente, conocido, aclamado y amado por todos.
Cuando al fin se unen él le cuenta que le dijeron que ella había muerto. Andy, hijo de Rosemary, es un tipo Mesías en el 1999 que ha propagado una ideología y tiene planes mundiales para la llegada del 2000. Se rodea de los Hijos de Dios, sus seguidores, quienes esparcen por el mundo este tipo de buenas vibras y deseos con la finalidad de unir a las personas.
Rosemary se adapta extremadamente rápido, extraño considerando que pasaron ¡27 años!, y reconoce a un Andy maduro y bueno, pero en ocasiones le desconcertaran sus impulsos. Conocerá a la mano derecha de Andy, Joe, con quien lograra una conexión diferente.
Y el final, el final es algo que, de lo que prefiero no hablar.
Realmente pensé que odiaria el libro, porque tiene muy malas críticas, y si, quizás mi yo del pasado lo hubiese odiado, literal, odiado, pero hoy me pareció una lectura más que no tomaré en cuenta como continuación.
No es un buen libro, que quede claro, aunque el cómo continuó una historia de ocultismo, fanatismo y satanismo me hizo seguir leyendo. Con respecto a los personajes sólo hubo importancia en los principales, los demás eran de adorno... mi percepción general es que parecía que simplemente el autor quería arruinar el primero o terminar y cerrar rápido esta historia.
¿Lo recomendaría? No, yo me quedaría con el primero.
August 26, 2016
Kakvo razočarenje...
Priznajem da sam od ovog nastavka imala viša očekivanja. Ako je jeza iz prvog dela proizilazila iz straha od nepoznatog i sumnje da postoji zavera, sada, kada Rozmari ima sve odgovore i kada zna ko je pravi otac njenog deteta i kakva sudbina očekuje to dete, lestvica očekivanja se podiže. Više nije borba sa samim sobom i sumnjom, već je otvorena borba protiv najgore moguće opcije.
Ono što mi je jako zasmetalo jeste površnost i šupljina predvidive priče, jer nam je jasno da je susret na kraju neminovan, poput svesti da nas na kraju života čeka smrt. Sam kraj jeste predstavljen kao obrt, neke je taj potez oduševio, neke grdno naljutio, dok ja nisam ni uspela da ga doživim kako treba zbog prethodno opisanih događaja. Jasno mi je zašto i kako, ali mi i dalje ostaje gorak ukus u ustima jer sam videla bezbroj mogućnosti, tako da za lošu ocenu delimično preuzimam krivicu na sebe.
Priznajem da sam od ovog nastavka imala viša očekivanja. Ako je jeza iz prvog dela proizilazila iz straha od nepoznatog i sumnje da postoji zavera, sada, kada Rozmari ima sve odgovore i kada zna ko je pravi otac njenog deteta i kakva sudbina očekuje to dete, lestvica očekivanja se podiže. Više nije borba sa samim sobom i sumnjom, već je otvorena borba protiv najgore moguće opcije.
Ono što mi je jako zasmetalo jeste površnost i šupljina predvidive priče, jer nam je jasno da je susret na kraju neminovan, poput svesti da nas na kraju života čeka smrt. Sam kraj jeste predstavljen kao obrt, neke je taj potez oduševio, neke grdno naljutio, dok ja nisam ni uspela da ga doživim kako treba zbog prethodno opisanih događaja. Jasno mi je zašto i kako, ali mi i dalje ostaje gorak ukus u ustima jer sam videla bezbroj mogućnosti, tako da za lošu ocenu delimično preuzimam krivicu na sebe.
December 12, 2012
*1/2
Ira Levi's pathetic follow-up to his classic "Rosemary's Baby." There's no way I could possibly recommend this book to any fan of that far superior novel.
I'm not sure why Levin wrote this book, or why, specifically, he ended it the way he did. Most of the novel is a bore, to be certain, but then you get to the last five pages, and . . . there's just no way to describe how shitty everything turns out.
I read "Rosemary's Baby" in my early twenties, and was happily unaware that Levin wrote a sequel in 1997, until I came across it in a used book store a couple months ago. I opened the book to find a story of a woman who wakes up from a coma after nearly thirty years, hops right out of bed (apparently in need of zero physical therapy for her surely atrophied muscles), and meets up with her son, the titular character of Levi's original novel.
There's nothing at all believable about Rosemary's reawakening in 1999. There's nothing believable about what her son's been doing in that time. There's nothing believable about the plan he has in the works for the turn of the millennium. And there is absolutely nothing justifiable about the horrendous last five pages of this book.
Awful. Just absolutely awful.
Ira Levi's pathetic follow-up to his classic "Rosemary's Baby." There's no way I could possibly recommend this book to any fan of that far superior novel.
I'm not sure why Levin wrote this book, or why, specifically, he ended it the way he did. Most of the novel is a bore, to be certain, but then you get to the last five pages, and . . . there's just no way to describe how shitty everything turns out.
I read "Rosemary's Baby" in my early twenties, and was happily unaware that Levin wrote a sequel in 1997, until I came across it in a used book store a couple months ago. I opened the book to find a story of a woman who wakes up from a coma after nearly thirty years, hops right out of bed (apparently in need of zero physical therapy for her surely atrophied muscles), and meets up with her son, the titular character of Levi's original novel.
There's nothing at all believable about Rosemary's reawakening in 1999. There's nothing believable about what her son's been doing in that time. There's nothing believable about the plan he has in the works for the turn of the millennium. And there is absolutely nothing justifiable about the horrendous last five pages of this book.
Awful. Just absolutely awful.
November 9, 2015
You know what? Im not gonna knock this book although I've read plenty of reviews that do. Sure it was disappointing in the end, but up until the ending it was pretty good. That's just the chance u take in any book...just hope for the best. In any case, it made me think and ponder the different endings it could have had to be an awesome sequel. It's the type of sequel you may want to visit again as there are a lot of references and going ons that are easily to miss (though i highly doubt anyone would want to. I'm on my own.) Once again Ira pulls out the anagrams and puzzles that wrack your brain. I don't think you have to be a die hard to read this book, but that's just my opinion. 3 stars for me.
July 29, 2016
This book may very well be the worst book I've ever read, not just because it goes for the "Everything you've read has been a dream" twist at the end of the story, but also because he retcons that twist all the way to the beginning of the first novel, rendering them both figments. According to the afterword I read (and this was 12 years ago, so it might be a little spotty), the author disliked the negative connotations of the original novel, and wrote this to fix what he didn't like about the story by effectively erasing them both.
What makes it even more disappointing is that the author does a great job of building suspense. In the book, Rosemary's son is grown up, and still the son of the devil, but he's running a worldwide, all-pervasive church. He has plans for something really big, but he won't tell Rosemary what it is, his sincerity is often questioned by Rosemary, and she can't quite bring herself to trust him. See, she's been in a coma for about 20 years, and can only rely on secondhand information to draw her conclusions about her son. So there's a constant "Is he or isn't he?" tension going on throughout the novel, and it's done very, very well.
Unfortunately, we never see how that tension breaks. She wakes up before she can see for sure, and is told that she fell and hit her head at the party in the first novel, knocking her out, where she dreamed the whole thing up. Before reading this book, I had never, EVER been so angry with a book that I wanted to throw it across the room. Since then, I haven't either, but this one was a horrible disappointment.
What makes it even more disappointing is that the author does a great job of building suspense. In the book, Rosemary's son is grown up, and still the son of the devil, but he's running a worldwide, all-pervasive church. He has plans for something really big, but he won't tell Rosemary what it is, his sincerity is often questioned by Rosemary, and she can't quite bring herself to trust him. See, she's been in a coma for about 20 years, and can only rely on secondhand information to draw her conclusions about her son. So there's a constant "Is he or isn't he?" tension going on throughout the novel, and it's done very, very well.
Unfortunately, we never see how that tension breaks. She wakes up before she can see for sure, and is told that she fell and hit her head at the party in the first novel, knocking her out, where she dreamed the whole thing up. Before reading this book, I had never, EVER been so angry with a book that I wanted to throw it across the room. Since then, I haven't either, but this one was a horrible disappointment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2020
This sequel was definitely unnecessary. Rosemary's baby is all grown up and trying to save (or maybe destroy?) the world. I didn't hate it as much as everyone else seems to, but i wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone.
If you are curious about what the devil's plans were for Rosemary's baby from the first book, this gives it to you.
If you are curious about what the devil's plans were for Rosemary's baby from the first book, this gives it to you.
January 9, 2010
I was very disappointed by this novel..All those years spent hunting it were fi=or nothing, because it's completely forgettable. Apart from the intriguing first chapter it doesn't offer anything striking or new that his other books did. Famous tight prose is gone, the humour and the famous Levin wit just aren't here...the sentences are lousy and some shocking indications read like they've been written by a high school student who was attempting at writing those ! What happened to the writer who was 40 years in business ?
The ending, while it had potential, seemed weak and forced. I gave it three stars only because I'm a Levin fanatic.
The ending, while it had potential, seemed weak and forced. I gave it three stars only because I'm a Levin fanatic.
August 3, 2021
“There are now only two people on earth who know who he is.” He swung a finger back and forth between them. “Us.”
New York, 1999: Rosemary is finally reunited with her son after being in a deep coma for almost 30 years. Her son Andy, now 33, is a popular and charismatic leader of an international charitable organization. He assures his mother that he has rebelled against the coven's evil influence but a long chain of deadly events leads Rosemary to have lots of doubts...
I was aware of the negative reviews, I knew that this was not a good sequel, but... as we like to say on the internet: "ugh, not this!"
I loved Rosemary's Baby and I did not expect this to be just as excellent, but Son of Rosemary was a true disappointment for me. I started it without prejudices but I quickly realised that this story is simply boring, flat and even poorly written. Did someone force Ira Levin to write this novel? I couldn't find anything about it online but it's certainly the feeling this book gave me. I can be okay with a boring plot, but the ending was just ridiculous. I know there's more thought behind that ending than on the rest of the story, unfortunately it doesn't work. It's anti-climatic and honestly a bit sad too.
I can't say more because it would be a spoiler so I'll just say this: I'm happy that I've read this book because now I know what it's about, but I will never read it again and I will not recommend it. If you love Ira Levin as much as I do, you'll want to read Son of Rosemary too. I won't stop you, but be aware that this book will probably make you mad.
2 stars.
New York, 1999: Rosemary is finally reunited with her son after being in a deep coma for almost 30 years. Her son Andy, now 33, is a popular and charismatic leader of an international charitable organization. He assures his mother that he has rebelled against the coven's evil influence but a long chain of deadly events leads Rosemary to have lots of doubts...
I was aware of the negative reviews, I knew that this was not a good sequel, but... as we like to say on the internet: "ugh, not this!"
I loved Rosemary's Baby and I did not expect this to be just as excellent, but Son of Rosemary was a true disappointment for me. I started it without prejudices but I quickly realised that this story is simply boring, flat and even poorly written. Did someone force Ira Levin to write this novel? I couldn't find anything about it online but it's certainly the feeling this book gave me. I can be okay with a boring plot, but the ending was just ridiculous. I know there's more thought behind that ending than on the rest of the story, unfortunately it doesn't work. It's anti-climatic and honestly a bit sad too.
I can't say more because it would be a spoiler so I'll just say this: I'm happy that I've read this book because now I know what it's about, but I will never read it again and I will not recommend it. If you love Ira Levin as much as I do, you'll want to read Son of Rosemary too. I won't stop you, but be aware that this book will probably make you mad.
2 stars.
April 7, 2011
This had an interesting beginning premise that is quickly destroyed by chapter after chapter of poor writing (hello, fragments -- is there a complete sentence in this book?), emotionless & stupid characters (my son wants to shag me and I won't say no), and the tiredest of tired tropes (the Dallas shower scene aka the erasure of everything).
What? What the heck happened? Was it all a dream aka my nightmare? Did Satan trap Rosemary in a hellish timeloop? Did Andy send Rosemary back in time to undo the damage? It's all of no importance, for I simply wish I could erase this utter claptrap from my brain. Please, somersault me back to the days before I read this!
One last note: the fact that Ira Levin dedicates this book to Mia Farrow, only to have Rosemary flirt with having sex with her own son, is horrendously bad taste given her experiences with Woody Allen.
What? What the heck happened? Was it all a dream aka my nightmare? Did Satan trap Rosemary in a hellish timeloop? Did Andy send Rosemary back in time to undo the damage? It's all of no importance, for I simply wish I could erase this utter claptrap from my brain. Please, somersault me back to the days before I read this!
One last note: the fact that Ira Levin dedicates this book to Mia Farrow, only to have Rosemary flirt with having sex with her own son, is horrendously bad taste given her experiences with Woody Allen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2015
I'm glad I read it as a continuation of the original story, but it lacks any real action or surprises, and ultimately disappoints with a weak conclusion and too much implausibility. I would probably recommend skipping this one even if you liked the first.
November 3, 2016
EVERYTHING WAS A FUCKING DREAM. WHAT SORCERY IS THIS?!That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you ruin a book. Thanks, Levin. That was absolutely brilliant. I don't know why you even bother writing Son of Rosemary if in the end everything that had happened is going to be a fucking useless dream. Way to go, sir. Your talent bedazzled me. You should have just left Rosemary's Baby alone (which was excellent, by the way) but of course not. You came out with this crappy sequel of it instead. Totally unnecessary, alright?
Anyways, just a tip if any of you people would like to make a 180 degree change from a horror into a chick flick. You make sure that the mother of the world's most beloved icon who just woke up from 20++ years of a coma to become an instant celebrity; nothing is more interesting, astonishing and worth news covering than a story about a woman's feelings after being under sleep more than 20 years. And then maybe, after its novelty has worn off and you need something else to make the book the shitznits, you make the son totally in lurveee with his own fucking mother cos according to his fucked up mind she's the only person who understands him in and out. Of course she understands you; she's your own fucking mother you idiot. I can't comment any further than that as I stopped reading about 1/3 about the book and I jumped straight away to the ending. I don't think I need any more convincing what a fucked up book this is.
Anyways, just a tip if any of you people would like to make a 180 degree change from a horror into a chick flick. You make sure that the mother of the world's most beloved icon who just woke up from 20++ years of a coma to become an instant celebrity; nothing is more interesting, astonishing and worth news covering than a story about a woman's feelings after being under sleep more than 20 years. And then maybe, after its novelty has worn off and you need something else to make the book the shitznits, you make the son totally in lurveee with his own fucking mother cos according to his fucked up mind she's the only person who understands him in and out. Of course she understands you; she's your own fucking mother you idiot. I can't comment any further than that as I stopped reading about 1/3 about the book and I jumped straight away to the ending. I don't think I need any more convincing what a fucked up book this is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2015
I was so excited to finally see a sequel to Rosemary's Baby that I actually went out and bought it in a hardcover, thinking it would be well worth the money,
Silly me.
I have no idea where to even start with this book. Should I start with the tremendously tedious plot? Go on to the boredom of reading it? Or maybe I should begin with the supremely idiotic ending. His writing seems to be way off from his tightly paced writing of Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives. Son of Rosemary was a bit longer and meandered all over the place. None of the side characters were fleshed out very much and given the book's length I found it very disappointing. In Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives all of the characters had their own personality, motives and, well, character, even though they were fairly short books. I just got the feeling throughout the book that Levin was doing it for the fans that were clamoring for a sequel and this was his revenge for us wanting more I guess.
I felt so cheated by this book it isn't even funny. It's hard to say more without revealing the big "surprise" of the ending but suffuce it to say, if you loved Rosemary's Baby do not read this book. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Silly me.
I have no idea where to even start with this book. Should I start with the tremendously tedious plot? Go on to the boredom of reading it? Or maybe I should begin with the supremely idiotic ending. His writing seems to be way off from his tightly paced writing of Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives. Son of Rosemary was a bit longer and meandered all over the place. None of the side characters were fleshed out very much and given the book's length I found it very disappointing. In Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives all of the characters had their own personality, motives and, well, character, even though they were fairly short books. I just got the feeling throughout the book that Levin was doing it for the fans that were clamoring for a sequel and this was his revenge for us wanting more I guess.
I felt so cheated by this book it isn't even funny. It's hard to say more without revealing the big "surprise" of the ending but suffuce it to say, if you loved Rosemary's Baby do not read this book. Don't say I didn't warn you.
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