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Allhallow's Eve
'If you've missed Laymon, you've missed a treat' Stephen King
The Sherwood house has been deserted since the horrific killing of a local family in the sleepy town of Ashburg. When invitations to a mysterious party to be held there are sent out, nobody is particularly surprised - after all, everyone wants to party in a house of death on Allhallow's Eve.
The Sherwood house has been deserted since the horrific killing of a local family in the sleepy town of Ashburg. When invitations to a mysterious party to be held there are sent out, nobody is particularly surprised - after all, everyone wants to party in a house of death on Allhallow's Eve.
246 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
30 people are currently reading
1377 people want to read
About the author
Richard Laymon
216 books2,268 followersRichard Laymon was born in Chicago and grew up in California. He earned a BA in English Literature from Willamette University, Oregon and an MA from Loyola University, Los Angeles. He worked as a schoolteacher, a librarian, and a report writer for a law firm, and was the author of more than thirty acclaimed novels.
He also published more than sixty short stories in magazines such as Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, and Cavalier, and in anthologies including Modern Masters of Horror.
He died from a massive heart attack on February 14, 2001 (Valentine's Day).
Also published under the name Richard Kelly
He also published more than sixty short stories in magazines such as Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, and Cavalier, and in anthologies including Modern Masters of Horror.
He died from a massive heart attack on February 14, 2001 (Valentine's Day).
Also published under the name Richard Kelly
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
October 16, 2020
This really was among his best books. We have all the ingredients for a spooky Halloween Eve: Sherwood House where some gruesome murders were committed several years ago, a bullied and humiliated young boy named Eric, a new series of brutal murders, Sam, a police officer torn between Eric's mother Cynthia and Melodie working in the Sleepy Hallow Inn. What is going on in Sherwood House and who is supporting Eric (you won't guess it!)) How does the Halloween party go out of control and what role do the gorillas play? Highly entertaining, well plotted, creepy, Laymon at his bizarre best. "We're gonna fuck 'em all and chop 'em up". Yes, this is really achieved here. LOL. Eric stared "at Aleshia's small pale breasts. The nipples stood rigid. Yeah, he said." Here you get 100% pure Laymon: Breasts, horror, sex, gore, murder, bizarre scenes, hide and seek, satire, over the top violence and a well hung story told in his inimitable manner. Great Halloween fun, really liked this page turner and can highly recommend it if you want to discover Laymon's world.
November 10, 2015
1:00 So what to do now? Feeling kinda happy from the whiskeys. Maybe read some trash?
1:15 Chose Allhallow’s Eve, not sure why. Checked out some Goodreads reviews. All bad.
1:30 This is fun. Killer on the loose, mysterious Halloween party on the horizon. FUN!
1:45 Tight pacing. Nice build-up. Why don’t people like this?
2:00 Sleazy. All the boobs! Boobs, boobs, boobs. Laymon loves that word, all the time, all over the place.
2:05 More whiskey?
2:15 Too much boobs, sweet Jesus, enough already. Also, so many douchebags.
2:45 Kill these douchebags already! Even the teen hero is a miserable, creepy little creep.
3:15 Scene with writer & wife trapped in the bathroom was great. Quick-thinking writer!
3:30 What the hell just happened? Man oh man.
4:30 Party massacre was awesome, great ending! Wait, it’s 4:30 in the fucken morning?
A really fucken different version of this review appears in a Richard Laymon “article” posted on Shelf Inflicted
1:15 Chose Allhallow’s Eve, not sure why. Checked out some Goodreads reviews. All bad.
1:30 This is fun. Killer on the loose, mysterious Halloween party on the horizon. FUN!
1:45 Tight pacing. Nice build-up. Why don’t people like this?
2:00 Sleazy. All the boobs! Boobs, boobs, boobs. Laymon loves that word, all the time, all over the place.
2:05 More whiskey?
2:15 Too much boobs, sweet Jesus, enough already. Also, so many douchebags.
2:45 Kill these douchebags already! Even the teen hero is a miserable, creepy little creep.
3:15 Scene with writer & wife trapped in the bathroom was great. Quick-thinking writer!
3:30 What the hell just happened? Man oh man.
4:30 Party massacre was awesome, great ending! Wait, it’s 4:30 in the fucken morning?
A really fucken different version of this review appears in a Richard Laymon “article” posted on Shelf Inflicted
September 26, 2019
Richard Laymon is one of the few author I can think of who actively shows disdain for the idea of heroic characters. In Layman’s world the characters who are sympathetic often show themselves to be monsters, whereas the vile (bullies and other abusers) often come to “save the day.” I won’t say that he hasn’t written a sympathetic hero (he has) but he loves twisting the idea that horrible people are sometimes what we need to survive horrible situations. This aspect is probably one of the reasons he never achieved the fame of King or Koontz (though both were fans of his work). Also, he writes like a very talented middle school boy who just discovered sex. All of his characters constantly think about it, both the good and the bad. It is the one thing that unifies them all.
Despite his many, many flaws, I genuinely like Laymon and always have a good time with his books. I don’t think I ever have (or likely ever will) give one of his books more than three stars, yet I find I consistently come back to him. His books are unashamedly cheap paperback horror novels. He would come up with a classic horror idea (be it vampire, mummy, invisible man or whatever) and run with it in every grotesque direction he could. They are not “good” books, but for a certain type of horror fan, they can be great fun.
This one is basically the literary equivalent of a B-slasher. The plot is simple; a Halloween party is being thrown at an old abandoned murder house. The killer has never been caught. Fill in the rest yourself. You know exactly where this is going, but Layman throws in just enough twists on it to make it a blast.
While I have many issues with Laymon, I must confess, this may be the quickest paced novel I’ve ever read, and I do mean that as a compliment. In keeping with the slasher film style, there is never a slow moment. He manages to place some (terribly laughable) drama in the book, but he does it quickly so he can get back to cliched characters getting picked off by the killer (while also throwing in a few genuinely shocking moments). The pacing really feels like a movie, and while that could be annoying in some novels, given the nature of this one, I feel it is appropriate.
That is not to say that there are not a few real issues with this one. I’m fairly certain he needed to meet a deadline and hammered out the ending in one sitting. It is way too fast paced (even given what came before) and feels like he just ended it as soon as he could. The playful nature of the previous chapters seems lost to a “just finish the damn thing” mentality. Without spoilers, I will say I was mostly disappointed as I wanted to know more about the author and what happened with him (it feels like Laymon completely forgot the character), as his brief time in the novel was an extremely clever highlight. If this tells you how fast the novel is ended, there is literally a 1 page epilogue that tries to resolve two plot lines.
So, is this a great book? Oh, hell no. Is it a good book? Honestly, almost. It’s Laymon, which means the reader probably knows if they are going to enjoy it before hand. It actually works better than a lot of his other works though, which leaves me surprised that this isn’t one of the ones I hear about more often. I can’t really give a full recommendation to it, but if you’re already a fan, you could certainly do worse than this one. 3/5 stars... but only for fans.
Despite his many, many flaws, I genuinely like Laymon and always have a good time with his books. I don’t think I ever have (or likely ever will) give one of his books more than three stars, yet I find I consistently come back to him. His books are unashamedly cheap paperback horror novels. He would come up with a classic horror idea (be it vampire, mummy, invisible man or whatever) and run with it in every grotesque direction he could. They are not “good” books, but for a certain type of horror fan, they can be great fun.
This one is basically the literary equivalent of a B-slasher. The plot is simple; a Halloween party is being thrown at an old abandoned murder house. The killer has never been caught. Fill in the rest yourself. You know exactly where this is going, but Layman throws in just enough twists on it to make it a blast.
While I have many issues with Laymon, I must confess, this may be the quickest paced novel I’ve ever read, and I do mean that as a compliment. In keeping with the slasher film style, there is never a slow moment. He manages to place some (terribly laughable) drama in the book, but he does it quickly so he can get back to cliched characters getting picked off by the killer (while also throwing in a few genuinely shocking moments). The pacing really feels like a movie, and while that could be annoying in some novels, given the nature of this one, I feel it is appropriate.
That is not to say that there are not a few real issues with this one. I’m fairly certain he needed to meet a deadline and hammered out the ending in one sitting. It is way too fast paced (even given what came before) and feels like he just ended it as soon as he could. The playful nature of the previous chapters seems lost to a “just finish the damn thing” mentality. Without spoilers, I will say I was mostly disappointed as I wanted to know more about the author and what happened with him (it feels like Laymon completely forgot the character), as his brief time in the novel was an extremely clever highlight. If this tells you how fast the novel is ended, there is literally a 1 page epilogue that tries to resolve two plot lines.
So, is this a great book? Oh, hell no. Is it a good book? Honestly, almost. It’s Laymon, which means the reader probably knows if they are going to enjoy it before hand. It actually works better than a lot of his other works though, which leaves me surprised that this isn’t one of the ones I hear about more often. I can’t really give a full recommendation to it, but if you’re already a fan, you could certainly do worse than this one. 3/5 stars... but only for fans.
Want to read
July 24, 20202.5 Stars. Really not worth reading in a world so full of superior books. Murder-mystery story. Starts off promising, then limps along like a kid's book, doing nothing much of anything until the final chapter. The conclusion and epilogue are both abrupt and confusing. It's not a horrible book, but far from essential. Not up to Laymon's standards for either shock-factor or storytelling. Recommended for die-hard Laymon fans and completists only.
This book felt like something that was rushed out in a few weeks or less.
This book felt like something that was rushed out in a few weeks or less.
October 26, 2023
RTC after its discussed in the Richard Laymon Book Club.
May 8, 2024
4.25 stars
Had a blast with this one, definitely my favourite of his so far. Layman threads an investigative thriller with a highschool drama masterfully and has some powerful horror scenes when they are needed. The story flew by and ended with a satisfying crescendo. My only criticism would be that a large portion is given to a cop investigating a murder suspect, which eventually fizzled out in to nothing. But other than that I really enjoyed this one.
A group of highschoolers plan a Halloween party at an abandoned house where some grizzly murders took place a few years before. What they don't know is that the murderer has escaped prison and is hiding in the house. But one boy is visiting the house regularly before the party. What does he know and how is he linked to the oncoming slaughter?
Had a blast with this one, definitely my favourite of his so far. Layman threads an investigative thriller with a highschool drama masterfully and has some powerful horror scenes when they are needed. The story flew by and ended with a satisfying crescendo. My only criticism would be that a large portion is given to a cop investigating a murder suspect, which eventually fizzled out in to nothing. But other than that I really enjoyed this one.
A group of highschoolers plan a Halloween party at an abandoned house where some grizzly murders took place a few years before. What they don't know is that the murderer has escaped prison and is hiding in the house. But one boy is visiting the house regularly before the party. What does he know and how is he linked to the oncoming slaughter?
November 2, 2021
3/5 Allhallow’s Eve isn’t Laymon’s best work. It’s still serviceable to me since I’m a huge Laymon fan however I wouldn’t use this as an introduction to his work. It’s not likely to compel you to read more.
The novel itself is a quick slasher. Mysterious invites are being sent out to the locals to attend a Halloween party at the house where the Sherwood family was brutally murdered about 15 years ago.
The characters and setting are very one dimensional. We’ve got a cop investigating some local murders and the awkward son of the women he’s dating as the two “leads” but there really isn’t much to them. Their motivations and decision making is questionable at best which is fairly common for Laymon but they weren’t very fun either.
There’s a few gruesome bits throughout the book but the real carnage is saved for the last 10 pages and then it’s over as soon as it starts.
Enjoyable enough if your a fan of the author or the genre but otherwise skippable.
The novel itself is a quick slasher. Mysterious invites are being sent out to the locals to attend a Halloween party at the house where the Sherwood family was brutally murdered about 15 years ago.
The characters and setting are very one dimensional. We’ve got a cop investigating some local murders and the awkward son of the women he’s dating as the two “leads” but there really isn’t much to them. Their motivations and decision making is questionable at best which is fairly common for Laymon but they weren’t very fun either.
There’s a few gruesome bits throughout the book but the real carnage is saved for the last 10 pages and then it’s over as soon as it starts.
Enjoyable enough if your a fan of the author or the genre but otherwise skippable.
September 23, 2021
It starts as classic Laymon, with nasty violence and trashy perviness, but then it all wraps up hysterically abruptly. The big party, that we’ve been building up to for 180 pages, is over in about 5 pages, and the ridiculous epilogue makes a mockery of everything that’s come before.
Also had the usual problem of Laymon writing kids, where I couldn’t tell if they were meant to be eight or eighteen years old.
Also had the usual problem of Laymon writing kids, where I couldn’t tell if they were meant to be eight or eighteen years old.
November 4, 2016
Vote: 3,5
Sherwood House was deserted since the family living there was slaughtered 14 years ago...
This halloween the mansion is opening again for an hell of a party!
A nice Halloween slasher tale, and the storyline is far better than the one in Laymon's Once Upon A Halloween, but after an awesome chilling incipit almost nothing happens until the abrupt rushed ending but for the author's usual description of well made characters and boobs... Laymon was really obsessed by them LOL! Not his best novel for me, but still a funny and gory late October reading.
Sherwood House was deserted since the family living there was slaughtered 14 years ago...
This halloween the mansion is opening again for an hell of a party!
A nice Halloween slasher tale, and the storyline is far better than the one in Laymon's Once Upon A Halloween, but after an awesome chilling incipit almost nothing happens until the abrupt rushed ending but for the author's usual description of well made characters and boobs... Laymon was really obsessed by them LOL! Not his best novel for me, but still a funny and gory late October reading.
May 17, 2022
Everyone knows about the Sherwood house; the whole family was brutally murdered one night - the killer never caught. It's been a year since then, and killings around town have started again.
Approaching Halloween, students and faculty alike begin to get invitations to a Halloween party... at the Sherwood house. The house that's been locked up tight ever since the tragedy. No one knows who's throwing the party, but their curiosity is spiked.
However, it turns out the host has ulterior motives, and has sent invites out to all their bullies and enemies - and they're not working alone - in fact, they're working with the person who slaughtered the Sherwood's.
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I was surprised at how un-Laymon-like this book was. Besides for the gratuitous talk about breasts. I really enjoyed it, no surprise of course, but the ending felt really rushed. We didn't get to the actual Halloween party until the last bit of the book. I thought the majority of the plot was supposed to be at the party and how the host was torturing the victims, how they were trying to escape, etc.
Approaching Halloween, students and faculty alike begin to get invitations to a Halloween party... at the Sherwood house. The house that's been locked up tight ever since the tragedy. No one knows who's throwing the party, but their curiosity is spiked.
However, it turns out the host has ulterior motives, and has sent invites out to all their bullies and enemies - and they're not working alone - in fact, they're working with the person who slaughtered the Sherwood's.
-----------------
I was surprised at how un-Laymon-like this book was. Besides for the gratuitous talk about breasts. I really enjoyed it, no surprise of course, but the ending felt really rushed. We didn't get to the actual Halloween party until the last bit of the book. I thought the majority of the plot was supposed to be at the party and how the host was torturing the victims, how they were trying to escape, etc.
October 3, 2025
He leído mucho a Laymon y éste no está entre sus mejores libros. Bastante light en cuanto al gore y escrito un poco con el piloto automático. En cualquier caso cumple su función, es un slasher entretenido y con un final emocionante. Hay un loco suelto con un hacha que marida estupendamente con un puñado de adolescentes disfrazados que acuden a una fiesta de Halloween 🎃 en una casa abandonada junto al cementerio, qué más quieres? Si fuera una peli de serie B de los 70 sería perfecta para verla en la noche de Halloween; una peli de día festivo muy en la linea de un "San Valentín Sangriento".
October 23, 2016
Das Ende war ein bisschen zu schnell, aber ist halt ein kurzes Buch. Ansonsten recht spannend.
January 3, 2024
I always love reading a Laymon's books. Words just flow off the page when I read him and I never get bored of the stories. This one did not disappoint my second time around
October 22, 2023
The old Sherwood House in Ashburg has lain empty for years, since the slaughter of an entire family there. But when invitations to a mysterious Halloween party are sent out to many of the town’s residents, they’re intrigued. And keen. After all that house is just perfect for scaring yourself silly, right?
I read all of Richard Laymon’s books back in my youth and in the last few months I’ve resurrected my love for them. This month, it was the turn of this book. And it’s great to see that decades later, my feelings haven’t changed. The book races along in the usual Laymon style; blood, smut and thrills. Great characters, an absolutely thrilling plot which had my heart going like the clappers and a brilliantly spooky atmosphere.
If you want to read a scary book for Halloween then you can’t go wrong with this one. 🎃
I read all of Richard Laymon’s books back in my youth and in the last few months I’ve resurrected my love for them. This month, it was the turn of this book. And it’s great to see that decades later, my feelings haven’t changed. The book races along in the usual Laymon style; blood, smut and thrills. Great characters, an absolutely thrilling plot which had my heart going like the clappers and a brilliantly spooky atmosphere.
If you want to read a scary book for Halloween then you can’t go wrong with this one. 🎃
December 8, 2023
Laymon knows how to take you over the edge when his writing and this book is no exception. This book is about a Halloween party of the year and one you won’t forget. The strange thing is Invitations are coming from an unknown source to have a party at a haunted house. From there the story takes on a life of its own. This book is best describe Laymon writing on steroids with little to no sleep.
May 11, 2016
Richard Laymon gehört wohl zu den Autoren, die man entweder mag oder meidet, da seine Bücher die Leserschaft auch nach seinem Tod vor einigen Jahren immer noch spaltet. Da ich bereits einige Bücher von Laymon besitze, wollte ich nun endlich eines seiner Werke lesen und ich habe mich für "Das Haus" entschieden. Hier habe ich mir eine spannende Geschichte erhofft und auch bekommen.
Zugegeben: Man merkt dem Buch an, dass es schon mittlerweile dreißig Jahre auf dem Buckel hat, denn auf Handys, Internet und anderen modernen Schnickschnack wird hier verzichtet. Dennoch hat mir der Schreibstil gut gefallen, denn Laymon schildert die Geschehnisse in der Kleinstadt Ashburg schonungslos und stellenweise auch recht brutal, sodass ich zum Teil bei seinen Schilderungen eine Gänsehaut bekam. Durch die vielen Perspektiven lernt man die Figuren dazu gut kennen und verpasst nahezu nichts, was in Ashburg vor sich geht.
In "Das Haus" geht es um das Sherwood-Haus, ein leerstehendes Haus, dass nach dem Mord der Familie Sherwood vor vielen Jahren nicht mehr bezogen wurde. Dennoch ist der Ort immer wieder Schauplatz für Schaulustige, die das Haus genauer inspizieren wollen, doch schnell wird auch klar, dass die Morde, die damals stattfanden, noch lange nicht vorbei sind, denn an Halloween soll eine Party in dem Haus stattfinden, bei dem die halbe Schule von Ashburg und auch deren Lehrer eingeladen sind. Dazu wird direkt am Anfang der Geschichte ein Polizist ermordet - eine Tat, die die Menschen in Ashburg noch lange beschäftigen wird, denn die Suche nach dem Mörder dauert recht lange an.
Dazu besteht die Geschichte aus Figuren, die fast alle etwas zu verheimlichen haben oder sogar kriminell sind. Da gibt es z.B. den Polizisten Sam, der sich erst nach langer Zeit zu seiner Freundin bekennt und sie danach direkt mit einer anderen Frau betrügt. Dann gibt es da noch Eric, ein eher schüchterner Junge und Außenseiter, der den Freund seiner Mutter nicht akzeptiert und alles in Bewegung setzt, um diesen wieder loszuwerden, gleichzeitig verurteilt er seine Mutter dafür, dass sie seinen Vater nie geheiratet, sondern verlassen hat.
Die sogenannte Party, die im Sherwood-Haus stattfindet, wird sehr detailliert und brutal geschildert, sodass die Geschichte nicht zwingend für jedermann geeignet ist. Der Mörder geht dabei extrem genau und brutal vor und die Auflösung zum Schluss hat mir eine Gänsehaut beschert. Man muss zwar sagen, dass das Ende allgemein etwas zu kurz und lieblos geraten ist und die Geschichte noch gut und gerne dreißig Seiten mehr durchaus hätte vertragen können, aber insgesamt ist es doch in Ordnung.
Das Cover gefällt mir sehr gut und passt hervorragend zur Geschichte. Die Kurzbeschreibung hat mir ebenfalls direkt zugesagt, sodass ich "Das Haus" nur zu gerne eine Chance gegeben habe.
Kurz gesagt: "Das Haus" ist ein schonungsloser und oftmals brutaler Roman, der sicherlich nicht für jedermann geeignet ist, aber einen durchaus in den Bann ziehen kann. Dazu konnte der Autor mit vielseitigen Figuren und einem interessanten, detailverliebten Schreibstil bei mir punkten. Minderjährige sollten von dem Werk grundsätzlich die Finger lassen, wer jedoch Fan des Autors oder von Stephen King ist und gerne Horrorfilme ohne großartige Tiefe schaut, der wird von "Das Haus" begeistert sein.
Zugegeben: Man merkt dem Buch an, dass es schon mittlerweile dreißig Jahre auf dem Buckel hat, denn auf Handys, Internet und anderen modernen Schnickschnack wird hier verzichtet. Dennoch hat mir der Schreibstil gut gefallen, denn Laymon schildert die Geschehnisse in der Kleinstadt Ashburg schonungslos und stellenweise auch recht brutal, sodass ich zum Teil bei seinen Schilderungen eine Gänsehaut bekam. Durch die vielen Perspektiven lernt man die Figuren dazu gut kennen und verpasst nahezu nichts, was in Ashburg vor sich geht.
In "Das Haus" geht es um das Sherwood-Haus, ein leerstehendes Haus, dass nach dem Mord der Familie Sherwood vor vielen Jahren nicht mehr bezogen wurde. Dennoch ist der Ort immer wieder Schauplatz für Schaulustige, die das Haus genauer inspizieren wollen, doch schnell wird auch klar, dass die Morde, die damals stattfanden, noch lange nicht vorbei sind, denn an Halloween soll eine Party in dem Haus stattfinden, bei dem die halbe Schule von Ashburg und auch deren Lehrer eingeladen sind. Dazu wird direkt am Anfang der Geschichte ein Polizist ermordet - eine Tat, die die Menschen in Ashburg noch lange beschäftigen wird, denn die Suche nach dem Mörder dauert recht lange an.
Dazu besteht die Geschichte aus Figuren, die fast alle etwas zu verheimlichen haben oder sogar kriminell sind. Da gibt es z.B. den Polizisten Sam, der sich erst nach langer Zeit zu seiner Freundin bekennt und sie danach direkt mit einer anderen Frau betrügt. Dann gibt es da noch Eric, ein eher schüchterner Junge und Außenseiter, der den Freund seiner Mutter nicht akzeptiert und alles in Bewegung setzt, um diesen wieder loszuwerden, gleichzeitig verurteilt er seine Mutter dafür, dass sie seinen Vater nie geheiratet, sondern verlassen hat.
Die sogenannte Party, die im Sherwood-Haus stattfindet, wird sehr detailliert und brutal geschildert, sodass die Geschichte nicht zwingend für jedermann geeignet ist. Der Mörder geht dabei extrem genau und brutal vor und die Auflösung zum Schluss hat mir eine Gänsehaut beschert. Man muss zwar sagen, dass das Ende allgemein etwas zu kurz und lieblos geraten ist und die Geschichte noch gut und gerne dreißig Seiten mehr durchaus hätte vertragen können, aber insgesamt ist es doch in Ordnung.
Das Cover gefällt mir sehr gut und passt hervorragend zur Geschichte. Die Kurzbeschreibung hat mir ebenfalls direkt zugesagt, sodass ich "Das Haus" nur zu gerne eine Chance gegeben habe.
Kurz gesagt: "Das Haus" ist ein schonungsloser und oftmals brutaler Roman, der sicherlich nicht für jedermann geeignet ist, aber einen durchaus in den Bann ziehen kann. Dazu konnte der Autor mit vielseitigen Figuren und einem interessanten, detailverliebten Schreibstil bei mir punkten. Minderjährige sollten von dem Werk grundsätzlich die Finger lassen, wer jedoch Fan des Autors oder von Stephen King ist und gerne Horrorfilme ohne großartige Tiefe schaut, der wird von "Das Haus" begeistert sein.
October 10, 2022
2,5 / 5 ⭐
October 31, 2017
Lässt sich super schnell lesen, da nicht tiefgründig. 😄 Passend zu Halloween 🎃 ein Splatter-Buch.
October 14, 2023
Halloween fun from the twisted mind of Richard Laymon. This one was fun and fast paced, but very predictable. It had all the gory mayhem and icky creepiness you expect from a Laymon novel though so if you're a fan, definitely grab a copy!
I had two big issues with this.
Issue one was a rather strange subplot that got barely a mention throughout but was then tacked onto the end as a "satisfying conclusion". It read like a harlequin romance tbh.
Second issue is the ending itself. It was one of the most abrupt endings I've ever read. Not even a decent epilogue to close it out, just the oddly takes on subplot conclusion as mentioned above. Very strange.
Anyway, a fun one for Halloween if you're looking for themed reads. Barely a mention of the word rump though so don't get your hopes up 😅
I had two big issues with this.
Issue one was a rather strange subplot that got barely a mention throughout but was then tacked onto the end as a "satisfying conclusion". It read like a harlequin romance tbh.
Second issue is the ending itself. It was one of the most abrupt endings I've ever read. Not even a decent epilogue to close it out, just the oddly takes on subplot conclusion as mentioned above. Very strange.
Anyway, a fun one for Halloween if you're looking for themed reads. Barely a mention of the word rump though so don't get your hopes up 😅
October 20, 2023
This is a fun Halloween read. It plays out like an outrageous 80s campy slasher with all the sex, violence and bizzaro twists one might expect from Laymon. The end comes quick and without much explanation, kind of like those out there 80s flicks, leaving you scratching your head with furrowed brow. Maybe that's the point.
May 12, 2014
I've read almost every Richard Laymon entry but when it comes to All Hallow's Eve, I don't remember this one. Having divulged in a flurry of Laymon in my teens, when I was reading this one it actually dawned on me that the text was new. No, I haven't read this before.
I was shocked too.
All Hallow's Eve is one of the shorter Laymon novels. An abandoned house on the edge of town becomes a prime location for a Halloween party. Invitations start arriving for the residents and it's only a matter of time before people ask "Who's hosting this?" Since the house is empty and has been for years, people are intrigued. Until they turn up...
The house itself is a cypher, a location for some of the nastier scenes in the book. What All Hallow's Eve does is develop characters. Several characters, children and adults alike, damaged, innocent, evil. It's a typical Laymon book but when the characters are this well-written and engaging, you don't really mind that the horror and violence takes a backseat. A flash of violence occasionally crops up amongst the conversations, interactions, school days (a highlight, the kids at school are horribly realistic) conspiracy, and police work. However a lot of the violence is left to the imagination, and in this book it works. By the time the inevitable finale comes along, you really fear for the lives of the characters you've grown to admire in the last 200 pages.
5* then? Yes. Laymon shows that, when he leaves the violence at home and brings minimal dashes of claret, he can create an enthralling story, one where the characters take centre stage. At times, you'll forget this book has about seventeen main characters because you're loving every detailed, humorous interaction between them. People may have hated Laymon for his masochistic, perverse prose back in the day but this is a highlight. Yes, it's still perverse and disturbing in places, but it also has heart. Excellent stuff.
I was shocked too.
All Hallow's Eve is one of the shorter Laymon novels. An abandoned house on the edge of town becomes a prime location for a Halloween party. Invitations start arriving for the residents and it's only a matter of time before people ask "Who's hosting this?" Since the house is empty and has been for years, people are intrigued. Until they turn up...
The house itself is a cypher, a location for some of the nastier scenes in the book. What All Hallow's Eve does is develop characters. Several characters, children and adults alike, damaged, innocent, evil. It's a typical Laymon book but when the characters are this well-written and engaging, you don't really mind that the horror and violence takes a backseat. A flash of violence occasionally crops up amongst the conversations, interactions, school days (a highlight, the kids at school are horribly realistic) conspiracy, and police work. However a lot of the violence is left to the imagination, and in this book it works. By the time the inevitable finale comes along, you really fear for the lives of the characters you've grown to admire in the last 200 pages.
5* then? Yes. Laymon shows that, when he leaves the violence at home and brings minimal dashes of claret, he can create an enthralling story, one where the characters take centre stage. At times, you'll forget this book has about seventeen main characters because you're loving every detailed, humorous interaction between them. People may have hated Laymon for his masochistic, perverse prose back in the day but this is a highlight. Yes, it's still perverse and disturbing in places, but it also has heart. Excellent stuff.
May 17, 2016
Meine Meinung:
Ich war super gespannt auf das Buch von Richard Laymon. Ich habe bereits "Der Killer" von ihm gelesen, welches mir ganz gut gefallen hat. Ich war super gespannt auf dieses Buch und wie es mir wohl dieses Mal gefallen wird.
Das Buch startet direkt schon brutal und gruselig. Laymon weiß, wie er seine Leser schocken kann. Nach einem tollen Auftakt, plätscherte die Geschichte erst einmal vor sich hin. Es war nicht wirklich gruselig, sondern spannend. Das Buch hatte mittendrin etwas von einem Thriller.
Am Ende des Buches hat Laymon dann alles gegeben. Er hat auf den letzten 40 Seiten alles raus geholt. Das Buch wurde super spannend, gruselig, eklig und brutal. Die letzten Seiten waren definitiv nichts für schwache Nerven und Mägen. Für mich kam das Ende definitiv viel zu schnell. Laymon hätte noch gut 100 Seiten mehr schreiben können, denn manche Ereignisse wurden meiner Meinung nach nicht genug aufgeklärt. Ich hatte das Gefühl, als wollte er das Buch einfach schnell zu Ende bringen, was wirklich schade ist.
Die Charaktere in dem Buch waren für mich lediglich okay. Sie hatten kaum Tiefe und mit keinem konnte ich mich anfreunden, da alle etwas unsympathisches hatten.
Der Schreibstil des Autors hat mir gut gefallen. Laymon schreibt gerade aus und hat keine Scheu davor, gewisse Wörter in den Mund zu nehmen. Er schreibt sehr direkt.
Fazit:
"Das Haus" von Richard Laymon ist ein gutes Horror Buch. Der Anfang und vor allem das Ende waren unheimlich brutal und eklig. Zwischendrin wirkte es für mich wie ein Thriller. Dennoch ist es definitiv nichts für schwache Nerven! Leider ging mir alles zu schnell und ich hätte mir mehr Erklärungen gewünscht. Daher bekommt es 3 Sterne.
March 8, 2022
Още не съм си изчистил всички книги от октомврийското четене :)
Няма значение.
- Чичо Дик, хайде да ни напишеш нещо забавно за хелоуин.
- Ма нямате никакви проблеми. Какво ще кажете за изоставена къща с мрачно минало, тормозено хлапе и парти за празника?
- Звучи интересно. Какво ще правим на партито?
- Ще изчукаме всички и ще ги накълцаме. А, ще има и горили.
Какво повече да кажа? Не е някакъв шедьовър, но е бърз слашър с много цици, секс, карантия, насилие и онези брутални обрати в сюжета, тип какво по дяволите чета в момента. Или иначе казано, перфектна за една късна, неангажираща октомврийска вечер.
Няма значение.
- Чичо Дик, хайде да ни напишеш нещо забавно за хелоуин.
- Ма нямате никакви проблеми. Какво ще кажете за изоставена къща с мрачно минало, тормозено хлапе и парти за празника?
- Звучи интересно. Какво ще правим на партито?
- Ще изчукаме всички и ще ги накълцаме. А, ще има и горили.
Какво повече да кажа? Не е някакъв шедьовър, но е бърз слашър с много цици, секс, карантия, насилие и онези брутални обрати в сюжета, тип какво по дяволите чета в момента. Или иначе казано, перфектна за една късна, неангажираща октомврийска вечер.
October 22, 2023
3.5/5 rounded down.
This is not one of Laymon's best, but its a quick, fun trifle. Basically an 80's slasher movie put to paper, with a nice set up, and a very abrupt conclusion.
This is not one of Laymon's best, but its a quick, fun trifle. Basically an 80's slasher movie put to paper, with a nice set up, and a very abrupt conclusion.
October 18, 2014
This is a story about a small town and it problems. Fourteen years ago a maniac massacred the entire Sherwood family. The Sherwood house on Oakhurst Road has been abandoned since. Mysterious invitations to a Halloween party at the Sherwood house, arrive to a select few in town.. Nobody has any idea who is throwing this party. Once the party starts there is no turning back. This was not one of Laymons better works. The beginning of the story was promising but it went quickly down hill. Nothing really happens until the final few chapters.
June 2, 2020
This was an okay read.
Laymon’s writing is always a breeze so this book had a nice easy flow. This story felt like a B-Movie serial killer flick. You take your brain out and watch, and you’ll enjoy a bit of blood and guys, but don’t expect to be blown away.
The ending for this book lowered my rating. It felt like he’d hit a point where he’d just gotten fed up and then stopped.
It was extremely unsatisfying.
Laymon’s writing is always a breeze so this book had a nice easy flow. This story felt like a B-Movie serial killer flick. You take your brain out and watch, and you’ll enjoy a bit of blood and guys, but don’t expect to be blown away.
The ending for this book lowered my rating. It felt like he’d hit a point where he’d just gotten fed up and then stopped.
It was extremely unsatisfying.
May 27, 2011
Why do i even bother?!?!
I love his books, i really do, i love the way he writes and the gore involved however he spends like a billion pages explaining the background to the story and then the ending is over in like 2 pages. Left with more questions than answers! Im expecting his next book to end with they all lived happy ever after or it was only a dream.
Drives me crazy!
I love his books, i really do, i love the way he writes and the gore involved however he spends like a billion pages explaining the background to the story and then the ending is over in like 2 pages. Left with more questions than answers! Im expecting his next book to end with they all lived happy ever after or it was only a dream.
Drives me crazy!
November 3, 2018
Not a Laymon fan. This was part of a three-book trial to get into him, and I was not just greatly disappointed but highly put off by his works. His work is like junk food. Juvenile, offensive and sorely lacking in diversity. Three randomly chosen titles ALL included rape, and I don't do rape. Confused as to how he made head of HWA...
March 8, 2017
Definitely disturbing and gross. A true horror, slasher book.
February 27, 2018
Did you hear? There's a party at the old Sherwood place. You know, the house down at the end of Oakhurst Road.
What do you mean, "When's the party?" Halloween night! When did you think they'd plan something like that, butt smear? No idea who's throwing it though. The invitation doesn't say. Just 9pm, October 31st and all the standard crap about games and refreshments and come in costume, bring a friend, yadda yadda yadda.
Guess ol' Morley decided to do something with it since there's no way in hell anybody'd buy that house. 'Investment opportunity' my ass. One whisper about the murders that took place there and any sane buyer would bolt. Wonder how much of it he had to fix up? Fifteen years is a long time for a house to sit vacant like that.
Of course I'm going. Why wouldn't I? Got the invitation didn't I? Surprised you didn't, but it says to bring a guest, so you could go with me if you're not heading over to Aleshia Barnes' place for her party instead.
Anyway, I'm gonna go tell the rest of the team. Maybe after Mrs. Barnes throws us out, we can crash that one. I bet it'll be killer, just you wait and see. Catch you later, man.
* * * * *
The publication date on my Headline UK paperback of Allhallow's Eve reads 1994, but this story makes a lot more sense to me knowing its original copyright was 1985; the Laymon writing this book isn't the same fun-loving, happy-go-lucky guy who penned some of my favorites like Quake and Night In the Lonesome October.
Oh no.
The Richard Laymon who penned this story was angry enough to frighten the Hulk and bitter enough to piss vermouth. And I totally get it. After all, it was just a few years' prior that his second horror novel, The Woods Are Dark, was snipped to pieces and re-written without his consent by a publisher with no interest in seeing it strike gold. This is a post-fucked-over-by-Warner Laymon, and does it ever show.
Exhibit A is the characters. This is one of the very few books Laymon wrote where the protagonists are all downright unsympathetic. Normally, Laymon's main characters are simple run-of-the-mill ordinary folk who try to do the right thing and get brutally worked over by circumstance. Allhallow's Eve, however, delivers up a smorgasbord of characters both major and minor who barely deserve to live, and rest assured, virtually everybody even remotely on the 'good' side of the column will be hacked to stock cubes by the story's end. Even Sam, the closest this book comes to a good guy protagonist, the deputy investigating not only the death of the sheriff, but also the disappearances of a few other people around the community, proves to be something of a dick, especially when the epilogue is taken into consideration.
Besides Sam, we have Eric. Eric's the high school-aged son of Cynthia, the woman Sam's been seeing (and sleeping with) for a few months before the book opens. Initially portrayed as your standard loser outcast, roughed up by bullies, ignored by girls, and looked down on by much of the faculty and staff of the school as a delinquent due to behavioral issues stemming from his father's abandonment of him before he was even born, Eric's the sort of kid we should be sympathizing with...but it doesn't take long for Laymon to give us a glimpse into Eric's psyche that firmly cements him as a complete asshole who enjoys ogling his mom in her nightgown and committing minor acts of vandalism.
The final viewpoint character we get is Bill. He's another high school student, but he's best friends with Nate, the local juvenile delinquent, who enjoys nothing more than bullying Eric and taking his money. Bill isn't exactly a bad kid, and he genuinely feels remorseful about some of the antics he pulls, but it's hard to get too attached to anyone who's best friends with a douchebag the size of Nate. We all remember kids like this from high school, and there's no shame in rooting against them when the chips are down. That they both get the shit kicked out of them and humiliated in front of their classmates towards the end of the story is no skin off anybody's nose.
That's just the main characters though--virtually all of the side characters are just as bad, or at least as vacuous, and this small town is rife with just so much misconduct, you guys! I honestly lost track of who all was sleeping and/or swinging with whom by the end of the book. The vice-principal is a power-tripping sociopath who makes a kid do push-ups on urine-soaked restroom floors, quizzes a girl in a grotesquely inappropriate manner about an assault she endured , and straight-up cock-punches a student with zero repercussions. Finally, we have the stock 80's horror trope of the inappropriately creepy gay pedophile flasher showing up just to make sure you well and truly never want to come back to this community once the visit's concluded.
It's also barely appropriate to call this one a horror book. Compared to the terrors unleashed by Laymon's imagination in previous books, revolving around cannibal cults in a forest or bizarre bestial creatures hiding in the basement, this one's almost pedestrian. You could almost classify it as a mystery, since much of the book revolves around the questions of who's behind the party at Sherwood house, and who's going around killing people prior to the festivities, but halfway through the book Laymon provides the answers. At that point the story turns into a straight-up thriller promising one carnage-filled blood orgy of a climax. Also, despite the carnage on display, Laymon's surprisingly light on details, choosing to tell rather than show most of the gore. The death of one major supporting character even happens entirely off-screen, with the reader unaware until literally the book's last page. I get the feeling this reaction was prompted by Warner's overreaction to all the blood'n'guts on display in The Cellar and Laymon's original draft of The Woods Are Dark, as Laymon in later novels has no qualms leering over the fleshy morsels. Even boobs, one of Laymon's most favorite things in the world to write about, are barely touched upon when bared. The final scene in the Sherwood house features several disrobings, and each rates a quick single sentence to let the reader know it happened and that someone saw them. I'm not complaining about the lack of these things, mind you--it's kind of interesting to see a more mature side of Laymon, if only slightly--but I do a disservice as a reviewer if I fail to point out a dearth of something a writer is otherwise infamous for including in the text.
Allhallow's Eve isn't a bad book, but it isn't a particularly great one either. I get the feeling from reading it, however, that it was a very necessary book for Laymon to write. The prose just has that 'whipped dog' feel to it, where the scars of his treatment at Warner are still tender to the probing. It's very much to Laymon's credit as a writer that he managed to rise above the abuse he suffered at their hands and continue his writing career for almost another two decades. It doesn't take long for him to get back into the swing of things, as 1986's The Beast House proves, but Allhallow's Eve is a fascinating point of interest along Laymon Boulevard for this reason alone. It's one of the least Laymon-esque Laymon novels you'll ever find.
Three blood-slicked butcher knives out of five.
* * * * *
Best Scene:
Two pop readily to mind.
First, Sam's interview with Thelma concerning her whereabouts on the night of the sheriff's murder is fucking hysterical. The woman's clearly getting off on telling him all the sordid details of her sexual escapades with different lovers, leading to this screamer right here:
Thanks, Thelma, I'll file that one away for future reference. :D
The other is a simple bit of Sam's background. Turns out he used to date a girl named Donna back in high school, up until she left him for someone else. He reflects on this:
Of course, anybody who's read The Cellar knows that Donna found out in just about the hardest way imaginable. I didn't notice this the first time I read the book, but I love when authors create their own little connections between their novels like this as Easter eggs for avid readers to discover.
What do you mean, "When's the party?" Halloween night! When did you think they'd plan something like that, butt smear? No idea who's throwing it though. The invitation doesn't say. Just 9pm, October 31st and all the standard crap about games and refreshments and come in costume, bring a friend, yadda yadda yadda.
Guess ol' Morley decided to do something with it since there's no way in hell anybody'd buy that house. 'Investment opportunity' my ass. One whisper about the murders that took place there and any sane buyer would bolt. Wonder how much of it he had to fix up? Fifteen years is a long time for a house to sit vacant like that.
Of course I'm going. Why wouldn't I? Got the invitation didn't I? Surprised you didn't, but it says to bring a guest, so you could go with me if you're not heading over to Aleshia Barnes' place for her party instead.
Anyway, I'm gonna go tell the rest of the team. Maybe after Mrs. Barnes throws us out, we can crash that one. I bet it'll be killer, just you wait and see. Catch you later, man.
* * * * *
The publication date on my Headline UK paperback of Allhallow's Eve reads 1994, but this story makes a lot more sense to me knowing its original copyright was 1985; the Laymon writing this book isn't the same fun-loving, happy-go-lucky guy who penned some of my favorites like Quake and Night In the Lonesome October.
Oh no.
The Richard Laymon who penned this story was angry enough to frighten the Hulk and bitter enough to piss vermouth. And I totally get it. After all, it was just a few years' prior that his second horror novel, The Woods Are Dark, was snipped to pieces and re-written without his consent by a publisher with no interest in seeing it strike gold. This is a post-fucked-over-by-Warner Laymon, and does it ever show.
Exhibit A is the characters. This is one of the very few books Laymon wrote where the protagonists are all downright unsympathetic. Normally, Laymon's main characters are simple run-of-the-mill ordinary folk who try to do the right thing and get brutally worked over by circumstance. Allhallow's Eve, however, delivers up a smorgasbord of characters both major and minor who barely deserve to live, and rest assured, virtually everybody even remotely on the 'good' side of the column will be hacked to stock cubes by the story's end. Even Sam, the closest this book comes to a good guy protagonist, the deputy investigating not only the death of the sheriff, but also the disappearances of a few other people around the community, proves to be something of a dick, especially when the epilogue is taken into consideration.
Besides Sam, we have Eric. Eric's the high school-aged son of Cynthia, the woman Sam's been seeing (and sleeping with) for a few months before the book opens. Initially portrayed as your standard loser outcast, roughed up by bullies, ignored by girls, and looked down on by much of the faculty and staff of the school as a delinquent due to behavioral issues stemming from his father's abandonment of him before he was even born, Eric's the sort of kid we should be sympathizing with...but it doesn't take long for Laymon to give us a glimpse into Eric's psyche that firmly cements him as a complete asshole who enjoys ogling his mom in her nightgown and committing minor acts of vandalism.
The final viewpoint character we get is Bill. He's another high school student, but he's best friends with Nate, the local juvenile delinquent, who enjoys nothing more than bullying Eric and taking his money. Bill isn't exactly a bad kid, and he genuinely feels remorseful about some of the antics he pulls, but it's hard to get too attached to anyone who's best friends with a douchebag the size of Nate. We all remember kids like this from high school, and there's no shame in rooting against them when the chips are down. That they both get the shit kicked out of them and humiliated in front of their classmates towards the end of the story is no skin off anybody's nose.
That's just the main characters though--virtually all of the side characters are just as bad, or at least as vacuous, and this small town is rife with just so much misconduct, you guys! I honestly lost track of who all was sleeping and/or swinging with whom by the end of the book. The vice-principal is a power-tripping sociopath who makes a kid do push-ups on urine-soaked restroom floors, quizzes a girl in a grotesquely inappropriate manner about an assault she endured , and straight-up cock-punches a student with zero repercussions. Finally, we have the stock 80's horror trope of the inappropriately creepy gay pedophile flasher showing up just to make sure you well and truly never want to come back to this community once the visit's concluded.
It's also barely appropriate to call this one a horror book. Compared to the terrors unleashed by Laymon's imagination in previous books, revolving around cannibal cults in a forest or bizarre bestial creatures hiding in the basement, this one's almost pedestrian. You could almost classify it as a mystery, since much of the book revolves around the questions of who's behind the party at Sherwood house, and who's going around killing people prior to the festivities, but halfway through the book Laymon provides the answers. At that point the story turns into a straight-up thriller promising one carnage-filled blood orgy of a climax. Also, despite the carnage on display, Laymon's surprisingly light on details, choosing to tell rather than show most of the gore. The death of one major supporting character even happens entirely off-screen, with the reader unaware until literally the book's last page. I get the feeling this reaction was prompted by Warner's overreaction to all the blood'n'guts on display in The Cellar and Laymon's original draft of The Woods Are Dark, as Laymon in later novels has no qualms leering over the fleshy morsels. Even boobs, one of Laymon's most favorite things in the world to write about, are barely touched upon when bared. The final scene in the Sherwood house features several disrobings, and each rates a quick single sentence to let the reader know it happened and that someone saw them. I'm not complaining about the lack of these things, mind you--it's kind of interesting to see a more mature side of Laymon, if only slightly--but I do a disservice as a reviewer if I fail to point out a dearth of something a writer is otherwise infamous for including in the text.
Allhallow's Eve isn't a bad book, but it isn't a particularly great one either. I get the feeling from reading it, however, that it was a very necessary book for Laymon to write. The prose just has that 'whipped dog' feel to it, where the scars of his treatment at Warner are still tender to the probing. It's very much to Laymon's credit as a writer that he managed to rise above the abuse he suffered at their hands and continue his writing career for almost another two decades. It doesn't take long for him to get back into the swing of things, as 1986's The Beast House proves, but Allhallow's Eve is a fascinating point of interest along Laymon Boulevard for this reason alone. It's one of the least Laymon-esque Laymon novels you'll ever find.
Three blood-slicked butcher knives out of five.
* * * * *
Best Scene:
Two pop readily to mind.
First, Sam's interview with Thelma concerning her whereabouts on the night of the sheriff's murder is fucking hysterical. The woman's clearly getting off on telling him all the sordid details of her sexual escapades with different lovers, leading to this screamer right here:
"We hoist a few, then take off in his Volvo, spread a blanket on the eight hole of the golf course and go humpy-humpy. Okay? The automatic sprinklers go on, and we get drenched. Never fuck on a golf course.
Thanks, Thelma, I'll file that one away for future reference. :D
The other is a simple bit of Sam's background. Turns out he used to date a girl named Donna back in high school, up until she left him for someone else. He reflects on this:
The memory soured as he remembered Donna dumping him for Roy. He'd warned her that Roy was a sadistic sicko, but she'd laughed it off. Claimed it was sour grapes.
Well, he hoped Donna never had to find out the hard way.
Of course, anybody who's read The Cellar knows that Donna found out in just about the hardest way imaginable. I didn't notice this the first time I read the book, but I love when authors create their own little connections between their novels like this as Easter eggs for avid readers to discover.
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