Title: Rosemary‘s Baby
Author: Ira Levin
Series: Rosemary's
Baby #1
Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Signet
Release: September 1st, 1997
Source: Audiobook
Pages: 308
// Goodreads //
BLURB:
Rosemary Woodhouse and her struggling actor-husband Guy move into the Bramford, an old New York City apartment building with an onimous reputation and only elderly residents. Neighbours Roman and Minnie Castavet soon come nosing around to welcome them and, despite Rosemary's reservations about their eccentricity and the weird noises she keeps hearing, her husband starts spending time with them. Shortly after Guy lands a plum Broadway role, Rosemary becomes pregnant and the Castavets start taking a special interest in her welfare.
As the sickened Rosemary becomes increasingly isolated, she begins to suspect that the Castavet's circle is not what it seems.
EXPECTATIONS: Since I am
a huge Stephen King fan and I have read most of his books, I always was super
interested with this one. I have to admit young Martyna thought this was his
book as well (oh grasshopper, so little, so naïve). I actually have seen the
original adaptation of this book and I mean a story where a woman bears the
antichrist sounded good enough and interesting enough for me to pick up and
read!
THE WORLD: The year is somewhat 1960’s so the world is pretty
much as we see in the movies, the 60’s vibe, clothes, music and so on. The plot
takes place in New York in this weird gothic apartment building where our main
characters move to live. I liked that there was some description of how the
apartment, the building, their surroundings looked but it wasn’t the focus you
know? I didn’t get bored or annoyed reading about the yellow dress or plants.
CHARACTERS: Our main character, the protagonist of this novel is
Rosemary Woodhouse. She is sweet, naïve, very kind and very loving young woman,
who is fully supportive of her husband Guy, who is trying to make it as an
actor on stage. He goes to auditions; he tries to make a name for himself. I
have to say Rosemary to me was sometimes too naïve and just too gullible and to
me her relationship with Guy was very one sided. It is revealed that Rosemary
has suffered few miscarriages and she is desperate for a baby, and I think that
this pain of not being able to carry a baby successfully or the need to have a
child clouds her judgement of certain actions Guy does.
Guy on the other hand I found strange because, while
he loved and cared for Rosemary, I believe his true passion, his true love was
his career.
Then we have the two neighbours who sort of take
Rosemary and Guy under their wing – Minnie and Roman Castevet. They are the creepiest elderly couple ever.
They constantly middle in their lives, Guy is always visiting them, and Minnie
gives Rosemary really inappropriate.
Of course we have other character,
couple of Rosemary’s friends, some Guy’s colleagues, and other neighbours, who
all seem very strange and creepy and after while we figure out that they are
all a part of a Satan’s worshiping coven.
ROMANCE: Rosemary’s love for Guy and their unborn child, and
Guy’s love for himself.
GOOD: I do
enjoy the prophecy that the Antichrist will come to this Earth. Do I believe
it? Maybe, but I do like to mystery aspect of it. This book has that! It has
that suspense, the tension of scare the illusion to the future evil that might
come. I enjoyed the horror aspect of a mortal woman being chosen to carry Satan’s
child, the religious aspect of it. I found it captivating, scary and haunting. Also
I enjoyed the entire cult/coven relationship and history. It was very well
done.
BAD: I have to
admit, there were some parts I did not enjoy. As always numbering the things I didn’t
like. 1. Rosemary being so naïve: When she finally does get pregnant, she
literally listens to what Minnie tells her and just does it. She believes in
Guy blindly. Of course she finally has enough and just runs but still it takes
her a lot of time to catch up with things. Guy raping Rosemary: I say that with
confidence that people will understand me. They have sex while Rosemary is
basically unconscious, and after that she gets pregnant, and I found thinking
to myself, that I still think he used her body even though they are married. Rosemary
herself is uncomfortable with the idea that she doesn’t remember the night and
that he still went through with it. 3. Lack of morality: When the Satan
worshipers offer Guy a deal to use his wife to carry the Satan baby and they
will give him fame, he almost immediately agrees. I just had so many issues
with this.
OVERALL: I really
did enjoy this book. It was slow at times but when it gets good it’s really
good! So to all the horror, mystery genre lovers I would totally recommend this!
What do you think about ROSEMARY'S BABY?
