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Gotico americano
Dall'autore di "Psycho", un racconto gotico sospeso tra passato e presente. Chicago: un castello dalle pareti che nascondono passaggi segreti, stanze proibite e laboratori privati. Il castello è la dimora del dottor G. Gordon Gregg, un assassino farmacista. Le sue vittime sono donne giovani e belle. I suoi metodi sono scientifici e indolori, i suoi crimini perfetti... fino a quando una giornalista non si insospettisce. Ma durante le indagini Crystal, nonostante il pericolo, si innamora del carismatico dottore...
182 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
6 people are currently reading
1327 people want to read
About the author
Robert Bloch
1,090 books1,282 followersRobert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer. He was the son of Raphael "Ray" Bloch (1884, Chicago-1952, Chicago), a bank cashier, and his wife Stella Loeb (1880, Attica, Indiana-1944, Milwaukee, WI), a social worker, both of German-Jewish descent.
Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction, and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle; Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent.
He was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures. He also worked for a time in local vaudeville, and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. He was a good friend of the science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum. In the 1960's, he wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.
Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction, and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle; Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent.
He was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures. He also worked for a time in local vaudeville, and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. He was a good friend of the science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum. In the 1960's, he wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
November 12, 2023
Robert Bloch's fictionalized account of the notorious serial killer, H. H. Holmes. Holmes was also the subject of Erik Larson's
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
which I thought was a great nonfictional account of Holmes and the murders he committed during the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Holmes may have killed as many as 200 people, mostly young unsuspecting women. What motivated Holmes is a mystery, but he is considered one of America’s earliest serial killers.
Of course Bloch takes a lot of liberties with the story of Holmes. He changes the name to G. Gordon Gregg and provides a female newspaper reporter named Crystal as the protagonist who is trying to find out what exactly Gregg is doing in his hotel, known as "The Castle." Gregg has been engaged to several women who disappear and his wife supposedly died in a fire at their home on the other side of town leaving Gregg with a large insurance settlement. And what happened to the workers and contractors who were not paid for the building of the Castle? The Castle is filled with secret passages and staircases. Will Crystal be able to penetrate the castle and get to the bottom of Gregg's misdeeds without him suspecting?
I have read a few other books by Bloch including his classic, Psycho, the basis for the Hitchcock film as well as many of his short stories which appeared originally in Weird Tales magazine. He is always good for a thrill or two. But this novel fell a little flat for me. Bloch really didn't divulge much of Gregg's motives and methods until near the end of the novel. I would recommend reading Larson's Devil in the White City instead for a more realistic and horrifying account of the real H.H. Holmes.
Of course Bloch takes a lot of liberties with the story of Holmes. He changes the name to G. Gordon Gregg and provides a female newspaper reporter named Crystal as the protagonist who is trying to find out what exactly Gregg is doing in his hotel, known as "The Castle." Gregg has been engaged to several women who disappear and his wife supposedly died in a fire at their home on the other side of town leaving Gregg with a large insurance settlement. And what happened to the workers and contractors who were not paid for the building of the Castle? The Castle is filled with secret passages and staircases. Will Crystal be able to penetrate the castle and get to the bottom of Gregg's misdeeds without him suspecting?
I have read a few other books by Bloch including his classic, Psycho, the basis for the Hitchcock film as well as many of his short stories which appeared originally in Weird Tales magazine. He is always good for a thrill or two. But this novel fell a little flat for me. Bloch really didn't divulge much of Gregg's motives and methods until near the end of the novel. I would recommend reading Larson's Devil in the White City instead for a more realistic and horrifying account of the real H.H. Holmes.
May 8, 2014
I had no idea. I recently finished the non-fiction book The Devil in the White City, which is about the Columbian Exposition of 1893 set against the doings of serial killer H. H. Holmes, and, at the time, I thought that was the end of it. But I was looking for a book to read yesterday and my hand went to American Gothic. I didn't bother to read the blurb, just started reading. Within four pages: "The castle," "Chicago," "G. Gordon Gregg" -- well, I was hooked.
Bloch, of course, takes a number of liberties with Holmes' story, all of which, unfortunately, are disappointingly conventional. The most egregious is his addition of a reporter to the mix. A female reporter, naturally. A real Hildy Johnson. Who, you ask, is Hildy Johnson? Hildy Johnson is a man who became a woman. You see, back in the late twenties, the great Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, two former Chicago reporters, wrote a Broadway show called The Front Page, a story about reporters, of whom Hildy Johnson, a man, was one. In 1940, the great Howard Hawks directed His Girl Friday, a movie based on the play, but this time, Hildy became Hildegarde, incomparably played by Rosalind Russell (opposite Cary Grant). This isn't quite as tangential as it may appear to be, for if you've seen the movie, you'll be way ahead of one of Bloch's plot points late in the book. Holmes wasn't his only inspiration.
But this is the story of Holmes, or rather G. G. Gregg. (Bloch identifies Holmes in his "Postmortem" at the end of the novel.) It's about how Gregg's estate -- his block-long, maze-like "castle," his slaughterhouse -- turns out to be, in the end, no match for the Fourth Estate. "And he would have made it, too," (to paraphrase from Scooby Doo) "if it weren't for those meddling reporters."
This isn't a good book, but it's a fast read. I suspect it was a fast write, too -- because Bloch doesn't let much stand in the way of his headlong rush to the finish line. Not character development, not unlikely coincidences, not originality. He just hops on that horse and rides it.
On the plus side (for me), it was pleasant to revisit the Fair, and some of the names and events surrounding it. Oddly, though, Bloch seems not to have grasped the significance of the Ferris Wheel. This was the first Ferris Wheel, designed by George Ferris himself. Two hundred sixty-four feet high, with 36 passenger cars (fitted with revolving chairs). The whole thing could accommodate over two thousand people! It was, in fact, designed to out-Eiffel Eiffel, whose tower had been built just a few years before. But Bloch treats it like the carnival ride it later became.
I think I was fortunate to have let this one sit on my shelves for so many years. I wouldn't recommend it indiscriminately. But for readers of Devil and for those interested in Holmes, it might be worth a look.
Bloch, of course, takes a number of liberties with Holmes' story, all of which, unfortunately, are disappointingly conventional. The most egregious is his addition of a reporter to the mix. A female reporter, naturally. A real Hildy Johnson. Who, you ask, is Hildy Johnson? Hildy Johnson is a man who became a woman. You see, back in the late twenties, the great Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, two former Chicago reporters, wrote a Broadway show called The Front Page, a story about reporters, of whom Hildy Johnson, a man, was one. In 1940, the great Howard Hawks directed His Girl Friday, a movie based on the play, but this time, Hildy became Hildegarde, incomparably played by Rosalind Russell (opposite Cary Grant). This isn't quite as tangential as it may appear to be, for if you've seen the movie, you'll be way ahead of one of Bloch's plot points late in the book. Holmes wasn't his only inspiration.
But this is the story of Holmes, or rather G. G. Gregg. (Bloch identifies Holmes in his "Postmortem" at the end of the novel.) It's about how Gregg's estate -- his block-long, maze-like "castle," his slaughterhouse -- turns out to be, in the end, no match for the Fourth Estate. "And he would have made it, too," (to paraphrase from Scooby Doo) "if it weren't for those meddling reporters."
This isn't a good book, but it's a fast read. I suspect it was a fast write, too -- because Bloch doesn't let much stand in the way of his headlong rush to the finish line. Not character development, not unlikely coincidences, not originality. He just hops on that horse and rides it.
On the plus side (for me), it was pleasant to revisit the Fair, and some of the names and events surrounding it. Oddly, though, Bloch seems not to have grasped the significance of the Ferris Wheel. This was the first Ferris Wheel, designed by George Ferris himself. Two hundred sixty-four feet high, with 36 passenger cars (fitted with revolving chairs). The whole thing could accommodate over two thousand people! It was, in fact, designed to out-Eiffel Eiffel, whose tower had been built just a few years before. But Bloch treats it like the carnival ride it later became.
I think I was fortunate to have let this one sit on my shelves for so many years. I wouldn't recommend it indiscriminately. But for readers of Devil and for those interested in Holmes, it might be worth a look.
September 22, 2024
Only three stars as it's a pretty formulaic pulp pseudo-Gothic potboiler, and a bit old-fashioned for 1974--the year of The Exorcist after all--but I very much enjoyed this Robert Blochian version of the H. H. Holmes murders during the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. To my delight, we have a plucky female heroine, a well described faintly mysterious businessman/murderer, and the World's Fair backdrop, all of which serve the formula. Sadly, the formula itself, time tested and true, is the least interesting part of the novel as we've simply seen it way too often--the plucky journalist goes undercover, gets in a little too deep, and we rush to a deadly and dramatic final confrontation. Still, there's not a whole lot more you can ask of a pulp really. (Crystal, our heroine here, reminded me alot of Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling.)
Bloch, too, has a way of writing absolutely unremarkable prose that is a marvel of smooth efficiency. You just don't notice it at all, which actually serves to make the potboiler more cinematic I suppose, if perhaps to some also a bit boring in a literary sense. It's more like you're watching than reading the novel at times.
PS I was a bit rushed when I wrote this and forgot to mention that for us anarchist types there is a pretty sweet moment at the novel's denouement when the serial killer here likens his secret vocation to that of any capitalist business man, just business/murder as usual. Our plucky heroine pooh-pooh's him, citing his collection of victim's hearts in glass jars as the REAL reason he kills. Still, what is capitalism if not rich people collecting our hearts in formaldehyde as trophies of their superiority, ammI right?
Bloch, too, has a way of writing absolutely unremarkable prose that is a marvel of smooth efficiency. You just don't notice it at all, which actually serves to make the potboiler more cinematic I suppose, if perhaps to some also a bit boring in a literary sense. It's more like you're watching than reading the novel at times.
PS I was a bit rushed when I wrote this and forgot to mention that for us anarchist types there is a pretty sweet moment at the novel's denouement when the serial killer here likens his secret vocation to that of any capitalist business man, just business/murder as usual. Our plucky heroine pooh-pooh's him, citing his collection of victim's hearts in glass jars as the REAL reason he kills. Still, what is capitalism if not rich people collecting our hearts in formaldehyde as trophies of their superiority, ammI right?
January 27, 2016
I try to collect Bloch books when I can. If you don't already know, he's best known for writing the bestselling novel, Psycho, later turned into the unforgettable movie by Hitchcock. A lot of his work is very good, as his writing style is simple to read but strangely creative at the same time.
American Gothic is nowhere as fortunate in the talent department as Psycho was, or actually as decent as his other works. Based on the H.H. Holmes murders in the turn of the century Chicago, the novel stays close to the original story source, but never proves terribly interesting. The heroine is a tough but naive and unpredictable character who ends up stumbling along to find the doctor's hideous secrets. She's interesting in a way, but not someone you latch onto too much. Gregg is a ... well, unique villain, but again not overly intriguing.
The main downfall of the story is not that it's not readable - it certainly is - but that the pacing is snail slow and seems to drag on and on. It would have been much better suited as a shorter story, or else where more action (even if invented) took place. His writing style is as enjoyable as ever, and Bloch fans should still read this one if they run into it. Suspense is there in moderate doses, but not with enough frequency to save this book from the to-be-traded pile.
American Gothic is nowhere as fortunate in the talent department as Psycho was, or actually as decent as his other works. Based on the H.H. Holmes murders in the turn of the century Chicago, the novel stays close to the original story source, but never proves terribly interesting. The heroine is a tough but naive and unpredictable character who ends up stumbling along to find the doctor's hideous secrets. She's interesting in a way, but not someone you latch onto too much. Gregg is a ... well, unique villain, but again not overly intriguing.
The main downfall of the story is not that it's not readable - it certainly is - but that the pacing is snail slow and seems to drag on and on. It would have been much better suited as a shorter story, or else where more action (even if invented) took place. His writing style is as enjoyable as ever, and Bloch fans should still read this one if they run into it. Suspense is there in moderate doses, but not with enough frequency to save this book from the to-be-traded pile.
December 1, 2009
Fictionalized account of the story of HH Holmes, which is more completely told in The Devil in the White City Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson. Bloch turns the story into somewhat less of an adventure than the truth, by adding a plucky, inquisitive, young, female journalist, quite in tune with the mid-1970s in which the book was published, but out of place in the 1890s in which the book is set, turning the villain into a more Blackbeard-ish character. A good read, but the true story is creepier!
July 30, 2016
Boring. Extreme lack of detail and description and the all-time lamest ways for a maniac serial killer to kill.
October 30, 2023
★★★★☆ - 4 stars
“The hands belonged to a surgeon, the face was that of a gentleman, but the appetite was animal.” (172)
why did ashlie pick this book out?probably she saw a tiktok recommending non-basic or underrated halloween books she's doing a research paper on h h holmes for her eng105 final and definitely totally absolutely had no idea knew beforehand that this was about the mudgett man himself
of course, h. h. holmes is shifted one degree to the left (literally, he's rechristened "g. gordon gregg" like hello can you be any more obvious?) in this retelling. and... so is the story
so, the thesis for my paper is that our perception of holmes's crimes is vastly overexaggerated from the case's representation in the "yellow journalism" style reporting of the time, and perpetuated through modern media (including, of course, american gothic)
some key details in this story are changed, including the involvement of many of the characters working to bring down holmes (but like yess girlpower though), but a lot of them are congruent with what we all "know" about holmes - he had a giant murder castle, complete with secret rooms and torture chambers, to entrap and, well, murder hapless fairgoers. so it's pretty important to go into the story with the knowledge that it's more of a "dramatized retelling" of the actual world's fair murders than a historical account.
but, to be completely fair to it, it is quite a good book: very nicely written, very satisfying ending, compelling characters, etc. etc. i would absolutely recommend reading this even if you have zero clue who h h holmes was. just, again, be conscious that this is a work of fiction. and for those of you who have read it...
SPOILERS AHEAD, READER BEWARE
i'd just like to point out some pretty important incongruities for those of you who haven't really looked into the holmes case, without imposing my own completely factual understanding opinions of the story...
firstly, NONE of the murders holmes committed were EVER confirmed. we can reasonably suspect that he killed about 9 people, this is the generally agreed upon number. he confessed to 27 (some of whom were most definitely still alive), and some speculate he killed as many as 200 people. but he was only ever convicted of one murder- that of his business associate benjamin pitezel, who doesn't really have a parallel character in this book. the book mostly focuses on his murders of the young girls (or, rather, "g gordon gregg"'s murders), and touches a little bit on his insurance scams.
secondly, holmes didn't burn to death in a fire, as cool as that would have been. he was convicted for the murder of benjamin pitezel, hanged, and incased in concrete and buried 10 feet underground (because... ironically... he was afraid grave robbers would dig him up and sell his body hmm i wonder why 🤔 ). his castle, did, however, burn down a couple years later, the work of an unidentified arsonist. which leads me to my next point...
finally, we don't have any definitive proof that any of these secret chambers or passageways existed. i mean, they probably did, but a lot of them can be explained away with a lot more innocent motivations than hiding victims. (i mean, holmes definitely killed people in that building. but how much it was designed for that purpose is kind of up for debate.) a lot of this is mostly because the house burned up, and he switched architects so often. pretty sure there's only one extant diagram of the building plan 😔 (suuuuuper useful for my paper 🙄)
but yeah, that's about all i have for now! if you're interested to hear my take on the whole "murder castle" thing, i'll probably be posting a video form of my english paper on my youtube channel in januaryish. but until then, i post a video every friday, feel free to check it out! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR7s...
“The hands belonged to a surgeon, the face was that of a gentleman, but the appetite was animal.” (172)
why did ashlie pick this book out?
of course, h. h. holmes is shifted one degree to the left (literally, he's rechristened "g. gordon gregg" like hello can you be any more obvious?) in this retelling. and... so is the story
so, the thesis for my paper is that our perception of holmes's crimes is vastly overexaggerated from the case's representation in the "yellow journalism" style reporting of the time, and perpetuated through modern media (including, of course, american gothic)
some key details in this story are changed, including the involvement of many of the characters working to bring down holmes (but like yess girlpower though), but a lot of them are congruent with what we all "know" about holmes - he had a giant murder castle, complete with secret rooms and torture chambers, to entrap and, well, murder hapless fairgoers. so it's pretty important to go into the story with the knowledge that it's more of a "dramatized retelling" of the actual world's fair murders than a historical account.
but, to be completely fair to it, it is quite a good book: very nicely written, very satisfying ending, compelling characters, etc. etc. i would absolutely recommend reading this even if you have zero clue who h h holmes was. just, again, be conscious that this is a work of fiction. and for those of you who have read it...
SPOILERS AHEAD, READER BEWARE
i'd just like to point out some pretty important incongruities for those of you who haven't really looked into the holmes case, without imposing my own
firstly, NONE of the murders holmes committed were EVER confirmed. we can reasonably suspect that he killed about 9 people, this is the generally agreed upon number. he confessed to 27 (some of whom were most definitely still alive), and some speculate he killed as many as 200 people. but he was only ever convicted of one murder- that of his business associate benjamin pitezel, who doesn't really have a parallel character in this book. the book mostly focuses on his murders of the young girls (or, rather, "g gordon gregg"'s murders), and touches a little bit on his insurance scams.
secondly, holmes didn't burn to death in a fire, as cool as that would have been. he was convicted for the murder of benjamin pitezel, hanged, and incased in concrete and buried 10 feet underground (because... ironically... he was afraid grave robbers would dig him up and sell his body
finally, we don't have any definitive proof that any of these secret chambers or passageways existed. i mean, they probably did, but a lot of them can be explained away with a lot more innocent motivations than hiding victims. (i mean, holmes definitely killed people in that building. but how much it was designed for that purpose is kind of up for debate.) a lot of this is mostly because the house burned up, and he switched architects so often. pretty sure there's only one extant diagram of the building plan 😔 (suuuuuper useful for my paper 🙄)
but yeah, that's about all i have for now! if you're interested to hear my take on the whole "murder castle" thing, i'll probably be posting a video form of my english paper on my youtube channel in januaryish. but until then, i post a video every friday, feel free to check it out! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR7s...
May 30, 2022
Dopo aver apprezzato Psycho, mi aspettavo molto, ma molto di più da questo racconto.
Bloch, prendendo spunto da una vicenda realmente accaduta, ci ha costruito su una storia che si rifà allo stile gotico, grazie all’escamotage di un castello pieno di stanze, passaggi segreti, botole, cunicoli e trabocchetti, nonché uno scantinato che è una vera e propria galleria degli orrori.
A quanto pare il finale è diverso da quello della storia reale, ma la trama in sostanza non vi si discosta e non difetta certo di suspense e colpi di scena... peccato siano concentrati tutti nelle ultime pagine.
Per il resto è un po’ lento, a tratti noioso, ma la scrittura è fluida, i capitoli corti... beh, in definitiva si potrebbe leggere in poco tempo e certi passaggi sono anche avvincenti... ma!
Ma mi sa di già letto.
Avete presente Barbablù? O meglio: vi dice niente Sweeney Todd, il diabolico barbiere di Fleet Street? Mancavano solo i pasticci della signora Lovett...
🌎 LdM - USA: Illinois
🔠 Alphabet Titoli: G
🇺🇸 USA
Bloch, prendendo spunto da una vicenda realmente accaduta, ci ha costruito su una storia che si rifà allo stile gotico, grazie all’escamotage di un castello pieno di stanze, passaggi segreti, botole, cunicoli e trabocchetti, nonché uno scantinato che è una vera e propria galleria degli orrori.
A quanto pare il finale è diverso da quello della storia reale, ma la trama in sostanza non vi si discosta e non difetta certo di suspense e colpi di scena... peccato siano concentrati tutti nelle ultime pagine.
Per il resto è un po’ lento, a tratti noioso, ma la scrittura è fluida, i capitoli corti... beh, in definitiva si potrebbe leggere in poco tempo e certi passaggi sono anche avvincenti... ma!
Ma mi sa di già letto.
Avete presente Barbablù? O meglio: vi dice niente Sweeney Todd, il diabolico barbiere di Fleet Street? Mancavano solo i pasticci della signora Lovett...
🌎 LdM - USA: Illinois
🔠 Alphabet Titoli: G
🇺🇸 USA
March 6, 2017
A metà tra barbablu e Jack lo squartatore, un thriller che di gotico ha solo un castello che ne è l'ambientazione principale. Il setting non è male, il problema è che tutto è appena accennato: i protagonisti appena abbozzati, l'introspezione viene proprio messa da parte, alcune faccende non vengono spiegate per bene ed infine, l'ambientazione principale è descritta in maniera sbrigativa. È come se tutto il romanzo fosse stato scritto " di getto " e senza rilettura ed è un peccato perché la figura del killer (vero protagonista) è caratterizzata benino. Il problema principale è che tutto appare sviluppato in modo sommario e sbrigativo per poi ficcarlo in un libricino di meno di 200 pagine, che si tratti di un semplice prodotto ben confezionato e pubblicato alla bell'e meglio?
Sicuramente darò una seconda opportunità all'autore di Psycho, anche perché sotto il profilo narrativo la vicenda ne è un puro distillato
Sicuramente darò una seconda opportunità all'autore di Psycho, anche perché sotto il profilo narrativo la vicenda ne è un puro distillato
January 27, 2019
Carino. Di certo non è un'opera di importanza internazionale come il suo "Psycho", ma l'ho trovato un racconto di facile lettura e mi ha a tratti piacevolmente coinvolto. Di certo i personaggi potevano essere maggiormente caratterizzati, alcuni sono stati dati in pasto alle pagine per non più di mezzo capitoletto. Ambientazione gotica più che altro per il castello, il resto lascia un po' più a desiderare. Finale prevedibile ma confezionato ad hoc per soddisfare le simpatie e le antipatie del
lettore.
lettore.
May 7, 2025
This is a fictional tale about an actual mass murderer, H. H. Holmes, except in this story, he's G.G. Gregg (see what Bloch did?).
I enjoyed this one because of Bloch's writing style. Very vintage feeling and fun.
I enjoyed this one because of Bloch's writing style. Very vintage feeling and fun.
July 1, 2012
Terrific, short novel. I read the first page and couldn't put it down. It's based on the same case as The Devil in the White City. America's first serial killer, H.H. Holmes.
May 1, 2018
wtf where did that hypnotism scene come from haha i know bloch based the character on h.h. holmes but wtf lol
December 6, 2020
si può scrivere una storia come quella di barbablù ambientata in tempi più recenti? bloch, ispirandosi in parte ad una storia vera, porta la vicenda ai tempi della fiera mondiale di chicago del 1893 riesce nell'impresa: abbiamo un cattivo inquietante e senza scrupoli, una protagonista che rischia di finire in trappola e persino un castello.
già, il castello: vero protagonista del romanzo, inquietante e minaccioso, con tanto di passaggi segreti, trappole e ovviamente una cantina che nasconde pericoli e incubi.
bloch forse tralascia qualche particolare logico, ma regala una storia capace di tenere inchiodati alla lettura, terribilmente cinematografica (davvero nessuno l'ha mai potato sul grande schermo?) e a tratti capace di giocare con i luoghi comuni del genere.
forse in generale non sarà un capolavoro, ma avercene di storie così capaci di lasciarsi leggere e -se si sta al gioco- dare qualche ora di piacevole paura.
già, il castello: vero protagonista del romanzo, inquietante e minaccioso, con tanto di passaggi segreti, trappole e ovviamente una cantina che nasconde pericoli e incubi.
bloch forse tralascia qualche particolare logico, ma regala una storia capace di tenere inchiodati alla lettura, terribilmente cinematografica (davvero nessuno l'ha mai potato sul grande schermo?) e a tratti capace di giocare con i luoghi comuni del genere.
forse in generale non sarà un capolavoro, ma avercene di storie così capaci di lasciarsi leggere e -se si sta al gioco- dare qualche ora di piacevole paura.
October 18, 2021
A fast, fun read! Like Ray Russell, Robert Bloch is so readable, the pages just fly. Some people call this book predictable, but I didn't think so. Just an enjoyable Gothic Mystery loosely based on the H.H.Holmes murders and the Colombian Expedition Fair. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
June 28, 2020
Read in 1975. Horror novel about serial killer H. H. Holmes which coincidentally was the same topic for Erik Larsen's The Devil In The White City. Interesting.
December 14, 2016
Lo leggo per accompagnarlo a The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America e vedere come questo episodio della storia americana abbia ispirato scrittori diversi.
Il protagonista è Henry Howard Holmes, prolifico serial killer americano il cui nome è legato all'expo di Chicago del 1893. Bloch si immagina una storia dal finale diverso dalla realtà, ma dal contenuto tutto sommato fedele alla cronaca. Gradevole, ma non entusiasmante se siete già passati dalle pagine di Wikipedia e simili sulla storia di Holmes.
Il protagonista è Henry Howard Holmes, prolifico serial killer americano il cui nome è legato all'expo di Chicago del 1893. Bloch si immagina una storia dal finale diverso dalla realtà, ma dal contenuto tutto sommato fedele alla cronaca. Gradevole, ma non entusiasmante se siete già passati dalle pagine di Wikipedia e simili sulla storia di Holmes.
May 19, 2016
This was a great read to start the summer. I especially liked that it was written as if it was from the Victorian era. Nothing gruesome is spelled out in great detail. T he author allows the reader to use their imagination to fill in the blanks. That's a refreshing change from today's horribly precise novels.
Yes, it's a bit predictable, but I didn't mind. There were enough twists to keep it interesting, and some archaic words I had to look up to add to my vocabulary. Looking forward to reading more of Bloch's work.
Yes, it's a bit predictable, but I didn't mind. There were enough twists to keep it interesting, and some archaic words I had to look up to add to my vocabulary. Looking forward to reading more of Bloch's work.
August 2, 2014
I try not to give 5 stars, but I was impressed. I liked the use of a strong willed heroine, which was rare in Bloch's time of writing. But not uncommon for Bloch (Lila Crane, Elinor Harris, Lori Holmes, and possibly Diana Rideaux and Daisy.)
May 11, 2020
It’s so sad that G. Gordon Gregg’s wife died when she drunkenly set their house on fire. And just when things were looking up for the couple. Gregg has just completed creating a new transient apartment building with a castle-like facade and a thriving pharmacy on the ground floor. Between his private medical practice and a tourist boom because of the World’s Fair filling up the rental units, Dr. Gregg is sitting pretty. But when her fiance Jim delivers the insurance check to Gregg, reporter Crystal notices a detail that makes her suspicious that the good doctor is not nearly as broken up about his wife’s death as he appears.
Crystal does some digging, and what she finds is disturbing. People around G. Gordon Gregg have a disconcerting habit of disappearing, especially women. He doesn’t pay his bills, and there are some unsavory business practices in his past. But whenever she tries to prove her suspicions, the evidence or witnesses disappear–except for one disconcerting moment when a disappeared person shows up just long enough to prove they’re not dead!
It’s clear that Crystal will have to take direct action by going undercover into the heart of the “castle” if she wants to learn the truth. But once inside, will she ever be able to get out?
This Robert Bloch (Psycho) thriller is loosely based on the real life career of Herman W. Mudgett, aka H.H. Holmes. It’s been fictionalized to give it a heroine and a neater ending.
Gregg is shown to be something of a mastermind, anticipating ways he could be caught and arranging for swap-outs that refute suspicion. But he also has a long string of people he’s put off until later, and several times has to improvise their murders when they show up unexpectedly.
Crystal is fairly believable as the reporter who’s desperately trying to get promoted from filler work to byline status. She faces some well-meaning sexism, though her relationship with her fiance Jim is more marred by her accidentally costing him his insurance company job.
Her going undercover to expose Gregg is simultaneously smart and blockheaded, as she baits a trap with herself as cheese. But to be honest, just how murderous Gregg is would escape any investigator, and Crystal’s completely blindsided by his mesmerism.
A bit of romance towards the end feels shoved in to sweeten the ending.
Overall, this is middling work by a good author; worth picking up if you like old-fashioned thrillers. For a better book on the H.H. Holmes case and how it related to the World Fair, I recommend The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
Crystal does some digging, and what she finds is disturbing. People around G. Gordon Gregg have a disconcerting habit of disappearing, especially women. He doesn’t pay his bills, and there are some unsavory business practices in his past. But whenever she tries to prove her suspicions, the evidence or witnesses disappear–except for one disconcerting moment when a disappeared person shows up just long enough to prove they’re not dead!
It’s clear that Crystal will have to take direct action by going undercover into the heart of the “castle” if she wants to learn the truth. But once inside, will she ever be able to get out?
This Robert Bloch (Psycho) thriller is loosely based on the real life career of Herman W. Mudgett, aka H.H. Holmes. It’s been fictionalized to give it a heroine and a neater ending.
Gregg is shown to be something of a mastermind, anticipating ways he could be caught and arranging for swap-outs that refute suspicion. But he also has a long string of people he’s put off until later, and several times has to improvise their murders when they show up unexpectedly.
Crystal is fairly believable as the reporter who’s desperately trying to get promoted from filler work to byline status. She faces some well-meaning sexism, though her relationship with her fiance Jim is more marred by her accidentally costing him his insurance company job.
Her going undercover to expose Gregg is simultaneously smart and blockheaded, as she baits a trap with herself as cheese. But to be honest, just how murderous Gregg is would escape any investigator, and Crystal’s completely blindsided by his mesmerism.
A bit of romance towards the end feels shoved in to sweeten the ending.
Overall, this is middling work by a good author; worth picking up if you like old-fashioned thrillers. For a better book on the H.H. Holmes case and how it related to the World Fair, I recommend The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
November 10, 2025
Une plongée troublante dans les ténèbres de l’âme
Je ne m’attendais pas à être aussi dérangée — et fascinée — par ce roman de Robert Bloch. Le Boucher de Chicago, c’est un voyage au cœur de la folie, mais raconté avec une telle froideur, une telle lucidité, qu’on en ressort à la fois mal à l’aise et admiratif.
Dès les premières pages, j’ai senti cette tension rampante, cette impression de marcher sur un fil entre le réel et le cauchemar. Bloch, qu’on connaît surtout pour Psychose, maîtrise l’art du malaise. Son tueur n’est pas un monstre de cinéma : c’est un homme ordinaire, quelqu’un qu’on pourrait croiser dans la rue, et c’est sans doute ce qui rend le roman si perturbant.
L’écriture est tranchante, presque clinique. Pas de fioritures, pas d’effets faciles. Chaque phrase semble pesée, précise, comme si Bloch disséquait non seulement le corps de ses victimes, mais surtout l’esprit de son personnage principal — et, quelque part, le nôtre aussi.
Ce qui m’a le plus marquée, c’est cette étrange fascination que l’auteur parvient à créer. On veut comprendre ce qui pousse un être à franchir la ligne, à se perdre complètement. Et, contre toute attente, on finit par ressentir une forme d’empathie. Pas pour le crime, bien sûr, mais pour le vide, la solitude, le désespoir silencieux qui nourrissent cette noirceur.
La ville de Chicago devient alors une sorte de décor vivant, oppressant, reflet de cette humanité en décomposition. Tout est sale, bruyant, indifférent. Et dans ce chaos, le “boucher” cherche désespérément une trace d’existence, quitte à la graver dans la chair des autres.
C’est un roman qui m’a laissée songeuse, un peu glacée aussi. Bloch ne cherche pas à choquer, il veut comprendre, et nous pousse à regarder ce qu’on préfère éviter. En refermant le livre, j’ai eu ce sentiment étrange d’avoir frôlé quelque chose de terriblement humain — et d’inavouable.
Le Boucher de Chicago n’est pas seulement une histoire de meurtre. C’est une exploration du vide intérieur, du besoin de reconnaissance, et de la frontière si mince entre normalité et folie. Une lecture dérangeante, mais terriblement captivante.
Je ne m’attendais pas à être aussi dérangée — et fascinée — par ce roman de Robert Bloch. Le Boucher de Chicago, c’est un voyage au cœur de la folie, mais raconté avec une telle froideur, une telle lucidité, qu’on en ressort à la fois mal à l’aise et admiratif.
Dès les premières pages, j’ai senti cette tension rampante, cette impression de marcher sur un fil entre le réel et le cauchemar. Bloch, qu’on connaît surtout pour Psychose, maîtrise l’art du malaise. Son tueur n’est pas un monstre de cinéma : c’est un homme ordinaire, quelqu’un qu’on pourrait croiser dans la rue, et c’est sans doute ce qui rend le roman si perturbant.
L’écriture est tranchante, presque clinique. Pas de fioritures, pas d’effets faciles. Chaque phrase semble pesée, précise, comme si Bloch disséquait non seulement le corps de ses victimes, mais surtout l’esprit de son personnage principal — et, quelque part, le nôtre aussi.
Ce qui m’a le plus marquée, c’est cette étrange fascination que l’auteur parvient à créer. On veut comprendre ce qui pousse un être à franchir la ligne, à se perdre complètement. Et, contre toute attente, on finit par ressentir une forme d’empathie. Pas pour le crime, bien sûr, mais pour le vide, la solitude, le désespoir silencieux qui nourrissent cette noirceur.
La ville de Chicago devient alors une sorte de décor vivant, oppressant, reflet de cette humanité en décomposition. Tout est sale, bruyant, indifférent. Et dans ce chaos, le “boucher” cherche désespérément une trace d’existence, quitte à la graver dans la chair des autres.
C’est un roman qui m’a laissée songeuse, un peu glacée aussi. Bloch ne cherche pas à choquer, il veut comprendre, et nous pousse à regarder ce qu’on préfère éviter. En refermant le livre, j’ai eu ce sentiment étrange d’avoir frôlé quelque chose de terriblement humain — et d’inavouable.
Le Boucher de Chicago n’est pas seulement une histoire de meurtre. C’est une exploration du vide intérieur, du besoin de reconnaissance, et de la frontière si mince entre normalité et folie. Une lecture dérangeante, mais terriblement captivante.
November 27, 2017
G. Gordon Gregg est pharmacien, hotellier et accessoirement, serial killer. Inspiré d'H. H. Holmes, un des plus grands tueurs en série américain, ce court et intense roman prend pour point de vue celui de Crystal une jeune journaliste pleine de volonté. Il vit dans un étrange château qui semble receler le secret de ses crimes.
Très vite, Robert Bloch nous plonge dans le Chicago du 19e siècle, en pleine exposition universelle. Il installe une atmosphère claustrophobique et angoissante liée à ce personnage de Gordon Gregg qui sous ses apparences de gentleman est un vrai escroc. J'aime beaucoup lire des romans sur le 19e donc le contexte était déjà un grand point positif pour moi.
On ressent totalement l'ambiance de l'époque (ou du moins ce que j'imagine en être l'ambiance, je ne suis pas encore si vieille) et en même temps, le personnage de Crystal est très moderne et ne se laisse pas faire. C'est en réalité grâce à elle que les crimes de Gregg sont révélés. Sans sa persistance et son intuition, il aurait continué à tuer impunément.
Je trouve que c'est une lecture parfaite pour Halloween, ce n'est pas effrayant, mais juste assez bizarre pour vous faire passer quelques frissons. Le côté historique ajoute, je trouve, quelque chose en plus à une simple histoire policière. Vraiment cool !
Très vite, Robert Bloch nous plonge dans le Chicago du 19e siècle, en pleine exposition universelle. Il installe une atmosphère claustrophobique et angoissante liée à ce personnage de Gordon Gregg qui sous ses apparences de gentleman est un vrai escroc. J'aime beaucoup lire des romans sur le 19e donc le contexte était déjà un grand point positif pour moi.
On ressent totalement l'ambiance de l'époque (ou du moins ce que j'imagine en être l'ambiance, je ne suis pas encore si vieille) et en même temps, le personnage de Crystal est très moderne et ne se laisse pas faire. C'est en réalité grâce à elle que les crimes de Gregg sont révélés. Sans sa persistance et son intuition, il aurait continué à tuer impunément.
Je trouve que c'est une lecture parfaite pour Halloween, ce n'est pas effrayant, mais juste assez bizarre pour vous faire passer quelques frissons. Le côté historique ajoute, je trouve, quelque chose en plus à une simple histoire policière. Vraiment cool !
January 14, 2024
Robert Bloch, best known for writing the novel Psycho, which Hitchcock would immortalise on film, must've had some bad experiences staying in hotels because this is another book about a hotel where you can check in but you might not check out.
The setting and setup are very different, though. This is set in 1893 during the world's fair in Chicago, where pharmacist and all round dodgy guy, G. Gordon Gregg, has built hotel in the shape of a castle, complete with secret passages and hidden doors. Why? Well, unlike Norman Bates, psychosis isn't the motivator this time, but that other root of all evil - money.
This definitely isn't Bloch's finest work. The book takes a while to decide whose story it's telling, so there is a fair bit of jumping around and it did cause me to wonder, who's this now? Is this the main character or are they going to get bumped off too? Anyway, it's not bad once you know who to root for and worth checking out if you're a fan of Bloch, though I will warn you copies of this are hard to come by at a reasonable price.
The setting and setup are very different, though. This is set in 1893 during the world's fair in Chicago, where pharmacist and all round dodgy guy, G. Gordon Gregg, has built hotel in the shape of a castle, complete with secret passages and hidden doors. Why? Well, unlike Norman Bates, psychosis isn't the motivator this time, but that other root of all evil - money.
This definitely isn't Bloch's finest work. The book takes a while to decide whose story it's telling, so there is a fair bit of jumping around and it did cause me to wonder, who's this now? Is this the main character or are they going to get bumped off too? Anyway, it's not bad once you know who to root for and worth checking out if you're a fan of Bloch, though I will warn you copies of this are hard to come by at a reasonable price.
April 19, 2023
This was a good story, with a background of 1890's Chicago and the famous Exposition, as well as the newspaper business, and it had a captivating - as well as menacing - villain, G. Gordon Gregg, obviously patterned after the infamous H.H. Holmes. It also has a young woman reporter, Crystal, who's determined to solve the mysteries surrounding him, which includes the all, too convenient death of his wife, as well as the disappearance (then sudden reappearance) of "Genevieve". Soon, Crystal's working for Gregg, posing as his long-lost niece, hoping for the scoop of the century...if she lives that long.
It all sounds good, and it was, but Mr. Bloch's decision to throw humor into the story (Crystal's relationship with her fiance, Jim, for example, as well as with her boss), throws the whole thing a bit off center. It's too dark a story for comedy, and takes away some of the impact.
Still, it's worth reading.
It all sounds good, and it was, but Mr. Bloch's decision to throw humor into the story (Crystal's relationship with her fiance, Jim, for example, as well as with her boss), throws the whole thing a bit off center. It's too dark a story for comedy, and takes away some of the impact.
Still, it's worth reading.
December 9, 2022
Well, this ended up being a disappointment.
So, with this being written by the author of the Horror Classic; "Psycho" I thought:
Wow, this is going to be really good. Well, it was well written, just did not go anywhere.
When I found out that this was based on the real true life story of the 'Worlds Most SICK and #1 Serial Killer' H. H. Holmes; i was really looking forward to reading something really gruesome, and sick. Knowing that the main character G. Gordon Gregg had this 'Castle of Horrors' actually built just in time for the Chicago Exposition Worlds Fair, you think, YES! he kept this in the story. That is about all he kept in this slow burn of a tale. It made you want to think that it was going to be there, but just went blah. Cannot recommend unless you are a HUGE Bloch fan, and have never read this one.
2.5 🩸
So, with this being written by the author of the Horror Classic; "Psycho" I thought:
Wow, this is going to be really good. Well, it was well written, just did not go anywhere.
When I found out that this was based on the real true life story of the 'Worlds Most SICK and #1 Serial Killer' H. H. Holmes; i was really looking forward to reading something really gruesome, and sick. Knowing that the main character G. Gordon Gregg had this 'Castle of Horrors' actually built just in time for the Chicago Exposition Worlds Fair, you think, YES! he kept this in the story. That is about all he kept in this slow burn of a tale. It made you want to think that it was going to be there, but just went blah. Cannot recommend unless you are a HUGE Bloch fan, and have never read this one.
2.5 🩸
October 3, 2022
Nearly 30 years before Erik Larson published his non-fiction bestseller The Devil in the White City, Psycho author, Robert Bloch, released this fictionalized account of serial killer H.H. Holmes (here called G. Gordon Gregg).
As this is a work of fiction, it doesn't attempt to be historically accurate or comprehensive. Instead it's a fast-paced and entertaining work of pulp noir. I kept picturing everything in black and white with the hammy dialogue delivered by hammy actors like you'd expect from a 1930s or 40s film.
Bloch's writing is impeccably efficient. Hardly a word is unnecessary. Some may find the book spare on details but, to me, this kept the story lively and engaging. Even if the ending is a bit hokey, it's still in keeping with the old-school B-movie feel the novel.
As this is a work of fiction, it doesn't attempt to be historically accurate or comprehensive. Instead it's a fast-paced and entertaining work of pulp noir. I kept picturing everything in black and white with the hammy dialogue delivered by hammy actors like you'd expect from a 1930s or 40s film.
Bloch's writing is impeccably efficient. Hardly a word is unnecessary. Some may find the book spare on details but, to me, this kept the story lively and engaging. Even if the ending is a bit hokey, it's still in keeping with the old-school B-movie feel the novel.
July 8, 2022
A very poor piece of schlock horror "inspired" by real life serial killer H.H. Holmes and his Chicago murder castle. I was expecting something fun and at least moderately spooky from the man behind Psycho, but this is a failure on every level: flat, stupid characters; a complete inability to build any sort of dramatic tension; a ridiculous, repetitive plot and above all just lazy writing. Also, just because your story features a castle doesn't make it "gothic". Worst horror fiction I've read in a long time.
June 12, 2017
Badly-written story that feels like a novelization of a '60s schlocky drive-in flick starring a knock-off Vincent Price imitator. No suspense, female protagonist becomes conveniently weak-willed when it becomes necessary to build tension and puts herself into a situation that was easily avoidable.
Sometimes there's good writing and an eye-rolling pun and the book is quick to read through, but it's not fun. It's just a time-waster.
Sometimes there's good writing and an eye-rolling pun and the book is quick to read through, but it's not fun. It's just a time-waster.
August 3, 2025
An insurance company adjuster and an intrepid female reporter go after local hotelier and patent medicine kingpin Gordon Gregg during the 1893 World's Fair in chicago.
Block is -- as always -- a fast-paced and sharply observant thriller writer.
American Gothic will never be placed alongside a horror novel of serious historical scope. Compared to Shane Stevens' magisterial By Reason of Insanity, it lives at the level of gothic policier.
Block is -- as always -- a fast-paced and sharply observant thriller writer.
American Gothic will never be placed alongside a horror novel of serious historical scope. Compared to Shane Stevens' magisterial By Reason of Insanity, it lives at the level of gothic policier.
August 11, 2018
Coming on the heels of reading Devil in the White City (and I had no idea this book was about H. H. Holmes until I had read a couple pages!), this book falls a little flat. I think I would have had a different experience with it if I had read it first, but as it is, I could identify all the inaccuracies, and was not surprised by the reveals that were accurate.
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