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the Chosen Child
Arrow 1997 paperback, vg++ In stock shipped from our UK warehouse
407 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
52 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Graham Masterton
422 books1,968 followersGraham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
August 1, 2024
An interesting read with several levels, but for me, not one of Masterton's best. I knew Masterton's wife is Polish and his books always sold well in Poland, and The Chosen Child on one level consists of a homage to the Polish people, their history and the widespread dislocation after the fall of the USSR. On another level, The Chosen Child, reads as a police procedural, and yet another, a horror story, and Masterton even tosses in some romance. For me, the homage aspect was the best part, with the police procedural and horror pretty meh.
In the mid 1990s, the Polish economy, along with most of Eastern Europe, embraced a swath of foreign direct investment, with McDonalds and other food chains opening, and even fancy hotels. Our main protagonist, Sarah Leonard, heads an American firm's development of a new hotel; she speaks fluent Polish, and her parents came from Poland. At the site for the new Senate Hotel, the story starts with a prologue, where some guy gets murdered and his head cut off. WTF? The workers claim it was the devil's work, and refuse to continue construction. Turns out, the police have found several other people murdered the exact same way, but cannot find any connection and even fewer clues.
Well, some of the cops eventually discover the link between the victims; turns out, they were all sons, daughters and even grandkids of the Polish resistance army during WWII. The Russian forces urged them to rise up in 1944, and they did, believing the Russians would come to their aid, but instead, let the Nazis wipe them out with a vengeance. Seems Stalin did not think much of the Polish heroes and wanted them neutralized. Who in Poland would want to see their descendants butchered?
Meanwhile, Masterton introduces some scams and frauds being done by various mobsters that also emerged with economic 'shock therapy', in particular, some engaged in money laundering through the firm building the Hotel. Yes, lots of scams and the rise of the Eastern European mafias which thrived in the 'new capitalism'. I have read quite a bit about these crime syndicates and Masterton does a decent job here for sure.
The highlights of this book, however, concerns the homage to Poland in general. Masterton uses dialogue, street names and even pictures to highlight some of the famous Polish people in history, like Marie Curie, pilots, researchers, etc., and also some the historical landmarks in Warsaw, laboriously reconstructed after the devastation of WWII. You really get some feel for the Polish people here, their desires and longings. The rest-- the police procedural and the horror aspects? Those felt grafted on simply as a means to perform the homage. 3 Polish stars!
In the mid 1990s, the Polish economy, along with most of Eastern Europe, embraced a swath of foreign direct investment, with McDonalds and other food chains opening, and even fancy hotels. Our main protagonist, Sarah Leonard, heads an American firm's development of a new hotel; she speaks fluent Polish, and her parents came from Poland. At the site for the new Senate Hotel, the story starts with a prologue, where some guy gets murdered and his head cut off. WTF? The workers claim it was the devil's work, and refuse to continue construction. Turns out, the police have found several other people murdered the exact same way, but cannot find any connection and even fewer clues.
Well, some of the cops eventually discover the link between the victims; turns out, they were all sons, daughters and even grandkids of the Polish resistance army during WWII. The Russian forces urged them to rise up in 1944, and they did, believing the Russians would come to their aid, but instead, let the Nazis wipe them out with a vengeance. Seems Stalin did not think much of the Polish heroes and wanted them neutralized. Who in Poland would want to see their descendants butchered?
Meanwhile, Masterton introduces some scams and frauds being done by various mobsters that also emerged with economic 'shock therapy', in particular, some engaged in money laundering through the firm building the Hotel. Yes, lots of scams and the rise of the Eastern European mafias which thrived in the 'new capitalism'. I have read quite a bit about these crime syndicates and Masterton does a decent job here for sure.
The highlights of this book, however, concerns the homage to Poland in general. Masterton uses dialogue, street names and even pictures to highlight some of the famous Polish people in history, like Marie Curie, pilots, researchers, etc., and also some the historical landmarks in Warsaw, laboriously reconstructed after the devastation of WWII. You really get some feel for the Polish people here, their desires and longings. The rest-- the police procedural and the horror aspects? Those felt grafted on simply as a means to perform the homage. 3 Polish stars!
January 27, 2016
There comes a rare time when one runs across a book they find truly disturbing, genuinely eerie in moments. These uncommon gems are to the jaded horror fan a sign there is hope more will come, if we all sit and wait patiently, convinced that after muddling through decent book after decent book, something else will arrive again to terrify us in our minds. The Chosen Child is one of those creations, pulsing with genuine tension, true fear, eerily disturbing scenarios, and straight-forward, unrelenting, and undiluted horror.
Strangely, this starts out rather boring. The first chapter or so tries the patience, and I had to commit myself to give it a full-fledged chance. Sarah Leonard is supervising the construction of a massive hotel project in post-Cold War Warsaw. Stakes and pressure are high, and she has made her way to the top only by being a tough, iron-clad ‘bitch’ who makes things happen. When a headless body is discovered in a sewer tunnel at a construction site, the workers refuse to continue until the air is cleansed, fretting over a legend that symbolizes a demon, or even ‘the devil’, is down below. Gritting her teeth, she has to put up with a detective, Stefan Rej, who is out on the hunt for a serial killer fitting the same M.O. as the headless man’s body shows.
While he’s on one side conducting the hunt with no clues to go on, he encounters the formulaic general police politics and interference, the odd victims that keep arising, the loss of a friend/companion, and the steady strings of clues that eventually lead him to the right direction. Sarah, on the other hand, has to deal not only with broken down workers, but also with the unwarranted advances of a boss, who’s also an ex, and convince the workers it is indeed safe to go on. Both of them end up meeting more than they imagined, of course, but the plot is anything but predictable when THAT happens. Finished off the plot synopsis by quoting directly off the cover jacket: “The location is linked to the ancient legend of the Tunnel Child, a murderous creature with the face of an angel. Rumors insist that the Nazis attempted to create such a being with their warped science.”
The plot itself is a complex labyrinth of imagination, obstacles, and unique approach. The villain is eerie enough to jitter the most hardened horror heart; killing techniques are brutal, bloody, grim, and Masterton writes in a skillful way where the ‘sound effects’ others hear amplify the horror 100%. It’s impossible to describe on a review the degree of how unsettling some of these scenes are, but I promise you these deaths will haunt you after this book is long closed. I know they have me.
It’s not a quick fly-by either, it’s long and drawn out, and one reason the villain works so well in this story is because Masterton cleverly keeps the limelight off him a majority of the time. Since a lot occurs in the city’s underground, darkness is an advantage. Even the victim, when we’re inside their heads, may not know what the hell they’re encountering. They only know the strange shuffling they hear, that something is moving far faster than it should down there, etc. It’s amazing work, a creative game of show and tell, leaving so much to the imagination that it’s impossible not to picture something amazingly grim. Even for the uncreative, logical reader, you won’t have to try hard to here to conjure up the ghastliest image out there.
Characters aren’t stiff, they’re rather fun. They have the good sides, the bad sides habits, and naturally the dependencies. Well-rounded out and tragic in their own ways, the story cleanly absorbs them. Motivations make sense, scenes aren’t drawn out overly long, and characters are only introduced when needed. Foreshadowing is delightfully heavy, enriching the chilling, serious atmosphere. Suspense is super high around every corner, and throughout the whole novel I was enraptured by this gritty, serious world. The ending is a nice surprise, explaining things one wouldn’t guess, wrapping it up perfectly. One must ask, though, once everything is said and done, what the hell is up with that last page ending?? I guess it’s another thing left to the imagination.
While starting off choppy and slightly dry (which is why the four stars rating was earned), once attention is ensnared with The Chosen Child, it’s kept. Masterton has proved time and time again he knows his stuff, having a natural tendency toward inducing the creep and ick factor in all. His writing compliments the story. Those who enjoy detective in their horror will go all oogly eyed here, but for those who don’t the thing isn’t a full fledged cop hunt. That’s concentrated on much less than I pictured. Do yourself a favor and read this from the first page to the last the images that are within will haunt you weeks after it’s over.
July 31, 2013
I'd been reading a lot of British horror like Campbell and Herbert, and was aware of Masterton's work although for some reason I wasn't too fussed about reading his work. While I was waiting for a few books that I'd ordered to arrive I happened to pick up The Chosen Child from a charity shop and it sat around my house for a few weeks. I picked it up a few days ago to have a quick glance through and soon found myself brought into a very involving story. Masterton's writing is good, like really good - it surprised me so much. All of the lead 'good' characters are likeable, interesting and what's more I could picture them so vividly that I actually cared about what was going to happen to them.
In horror stories dialogue can occasionally get brushed to the side but the dialogue in this story has some zip and crackle to it. Some of the speeches that come from the lips of a prominent gangster in the story are brilliant and every bit as menacing as they should be - in fact they beat some of the phrases and quotes you might hear from a straight out gangster story. I even IMDB'd Masterton afterwards to see if he had many screenwriting credits, as the wit and charm that the characters oozed could so easily translate to film.
I initially thought that this was a horror book but it encompasses so many different genres that each chapter is almost a separate entity in its own. It's part business thriller, part horror story, part urban legend/folklore, part historical, part cop thriller and part gangster movie. As well as having some comedy and romance thrown in. I also feel that I learnt a lot about Polish culture do to this and the legend that the main evil is based on. Whether or not it is based on real mythology I couldn't be sure although I did try and do a bit of research.
Some writers might have let too many sub-plots get in the way of the tale, but Masterton paced things out well enough - however I was expecting a few twists that didn't actually come to life in the end.
The Chosen Child should be more popular than it is, if anything those looking to study the genre could use it as an example of a great tale. It has contrasting, strong lead characters, a seemingly unstoppable evil, a great backstory and legend, seemingly unexplained murders, scheming characters and the strong possibility that it may be the evil of men that are at work here, as opposed to an otherworldly force. Or maybe it might just be both.
But yeah, I was pleasantly surprised by this and there was no point in during its near 400 pages that I actually wanted to skim through any of it, nor did I want to leave it for another book. The imagery, the sense of claustrophobia and the sense of hopelessness in front of a malevolent presence are so vivid that those who are not used to the genre may have nightmares. And maybe even those who are used to it too.
In horror stories dialogue can occasionally get brushed to the side but the dialogue in this story has some zip and crackle to it. Some of the speeches that come from the lips of a prominent gangster in the story are brilliant and every bit as menacing as they should be - in fact they beat some of the phrases and quotes you might hear from a straight out gangster story. I even IMDB'd Masterton afterwards to see if he had many screenwriting credits, as the wit and charm that the characters oozed could so easily translate to film.
I initially thought that this was a horror book but it encompasses so many different genres that each chapter is almost a separate entity in its own. It's part business thriller, part horror story, part urban legend/folklore, part historical, part cop thriller and part gangster movie. As well as having some comedy and romance thrown in. I also feel that I learnt a lot about Polish culture do to this and the legend that the main evil is based on. Whether or not it is based on real mythology I couldn't be sure although I did try and do a bit of research.
Some writers might have let too many sub-plots get in the way of the tale, but Masterton paced things out well enough - however I was expecting a few twists that didn't actually come to life in the end.
The Chosen Child should be more popular than it is, if anything those looking to study the genre could use it as an example of a great tale. It has contrasting, strong lead characters, a seemingly unstoppable evil, a great backstory and legend, seemingly unexplained murders, scheming characters and the strong possibility that it may be the evil of men that are at work here, as opposed to an otherworldly force. Or maybe it might just be both.
But yeah, I was pleasantly surprised by this and there was no point in during its near 400 pages that I actually wanted to skim through any of it, nor did I want to leave it for another book. The imagery, the sense of claustrophobia and the sense of hopelessness in front of a malevolent presence are so vivid that those who are not used to the genre may have nightmares. And maybe even those who are used to it too.
February 25, 2011
More a crime novel than a horror. There is a lot of police procedural. And some romance. More interesting was the underlying political commentary, with the suggestion that the Polish people might actually have been better off under communism.
November 12, 2010
This is a really good one. Imaginative and creepy.
January 10, 2015
Holy moly, what an amazing horror book set in Poland, amazing characters and plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend it :)
December 5, 2016
A short take:
I was happily surprised by the extent to which Masterton takes advantage of both the time period and the Warsaw setting. The story is driven as much by early 21st century, post-Cold War circumstances as it is by the presence of a homicidal bogey monster with a knack for rapid dismemberment. In fact, the latter aspect of the story recedes for a significant portion of the book, while the protagonists navigate a corrupt city government and their own feelings about the modern world. Masterton strikes a good balance between it all and tells the story with good prose. "Chosen" is not so much a horror novel as it is a drama with some freaky shit thrown in for the occasional gorefest.
I was happily surprised by the extent to which Masterton takes advantage of both the time period and the Warsaw setting. The story is driven as much by early 21st century, post-Cold War circumstances as it is by the presence of a homicidal bogey monster with a knack for rapid dismemberment. In fact, the latter aspect of the story recedes for a significant portion of the book, while the protagonists navigate a corrupt city government and their own feelings about the modern world. Masterton strikes a good balance between it all and tells the story with good prose. "Chosen" is not so much a horror novel as it is a drama with some freaky shit thrown in for the occasional gorefest.
February 15, 2015
This is the Graham Masterton I love and admire. A true horror classic
October 23, 2020
Do przeczytania tej książki popchnęło mnie to, że dzieje sie w Polsce, a dokładniej w Warszawie.
Dzięki temu, że akcja osadzona jest głównie w Warszawie, książkę czytało mi się dziwnie - ale tak pozytywnie dziwnie ;) Zaskakujące jest dobre odwzorowanie topografii Warszawy oraz głównych obiektów. Na plus idzie także niezła powtórka z lekcji historii (głównie II wojny światowej) - a ja jakoś z historią nigdy nie szłam w parze :P
Natomiast przyznam, że przeszkadzało mi nadanie bohatorom nazwisk znanych Polaków, tj. Rej, Matejko... I to chyba jedyna sprawa, która mi trochę nie leżała...
W Warszawie dochodzi do krwawych zbrodni. Ofiary są pozbawiane głów o ich ciała porozrzucane po całym mieście. Sarah Leonard nadzoruje budowę Hotelu Senackiego. Wszystko idzie dobrze, aż do pewnego dnia kiedy to właśnie tam znaleziono kolejną ofiarę psychopaty. Kobieta nie chcąc straszyć pracowników kontaktuje się z emerytowanym detektywem Claytonem Marshem, który wraz z policjantem Stefanem Rejem oraz studentem Markiem zaczynają prowadzić własne dochodzenie. Ich nieoficjalne poczynania szybko odnoszą skutek. Okazuje się, że sprawca jeszcze nie skończył tego co zaczął a swoje ofiary wybiera w konkrety sposób.
Kim jest potwór i jakie motywy nim kierują? Co łączy głównych bohaterów? Jaką tak na prawdę rolę odgrywa przyjezdny z USA Ben Sauders? Co z tym wszystkim wspólnego mają gangsterzy o światowych wpływach?
Nasza piękno stolico jakie tajemnice przed nami skrywasz? Mam nadzieję, że nie takie jak w Dziecku Ciemnośći :) Naprawde kawałek dobrej książki.
Dzięki temu, że akcja osadzona jest głównie w Warszawie, książkę czytało mi się dziwnie - ale tak pozytywnie dziwnie ;) Zaskakujące jest dobre odwzorowanie topografii Warszawy oraz głównych obiektów. Na plus idzie także niezła powtórka z lekcji historii (głównie II wojny światowej) - a ja jakoś z historią nigdy nie szłam w parze :P
Natomiast przyznam, że przeszkadzało mi nadanie bohatorom nazwisk znanych Polaków, tj. Rej, Matejko... I to chyba jedyna sprawa, która mi trochę nie leżała...
W Warszawie dochodzi do krwawych zbrodni. Ofiary są pozbawiane głów o ich ciała porozrzucane po całym mieście. Sarah Leonard nadzoruje budowę Hotelu Senackiego. Wszystko idzie dobrze, aż do pewnego dnia kiedy to właśnie tam znaleziono kolejną ofiarę psychopaty. Kobieta nie chcąc straszyć pracowników kontaktuje się z emerytowanym detektywem Claytonem Marshem, który wraz z policjantem Stefanem Rejem oraz studentem Markiem zaczynają prowadzić własne dochodzenie. Ich nieoficjalne poczynania szybko odnoszą skutek. Okazuje się, że sprawca jeszcze nie skończył tego co zaczął a swoje ofiary wybiera w konkrety sposób.
Kim jest potwór i jakie motywy nim kierują? Co łączy głównych bohaterów? Jaką tak na prawdę rolę odgrywa przyjezdny z USA Ben Sauders? Co z tym wszystkim wspólnego mają gangsterzy o światowych wpływach?
Nasza piękno stolico jakie tajemnice przed nami skrywasz? Mam nadzieję, że nie takie jak w Dziecku Ciemnośći :) Naprawde kawałek dobrej książki.
June 22, 2015
gory and terrifying from the start, this book follows Stefan Rej and Sarah Leonard as they come together to investigate a string of gruesome deaths where the victims have been beheaded.
With a few horrifying scenes in Warsaw's sewer system, we soon learn that the murderer isn't altogether human, and the story that builds on that is gripping, the ending nothing like how I imagined.
This is the kind of book that Stephen King fans would like, it has all the horror and excellent character development you would expect, but it manages to include paranormal elements without getting too silly like some of King's books are guilty of.
I would definitely recommend to lovers of horror, and if you've never read Graham Masterton before - it's a good book to start off with.
With a few horrifying scenes in Warsaw's sewer system, we soon learn that the murderer isn't altogether human, and the story that builds on that is gripping, the ending nothing like how I imagined.
This is the kind of book that Stephen King fans would like, it has all the horror and excellent character development you would expect, but it manages to include paranormal elements without getting too silly like some of King's books are guilty of.
I would definitely recommend to lovers of horror, and if you've never read Graham Masterton before - it's a good book to start off with.
November 5, 2010
this book has a wonderful twisted ending. I classify it as a thriller/mystery yet it has a hint of Scifi to it also.
A serie murder in Poland is roaming through the sewers coming up only to murder and decapitate his victims. No one seems to know who it is, yet there are people who believe in a supernatural being of bygone years coming back to life. The police and the top hat of a hotel chain are determined to find the culprit and stop the killings. Unfortunately, there are more than mysterious killers to try to stop them.
A serie murder in Poland is roaming through the sewers coming up only to murder and decapitate his victims. No one seems to know who it is, yet there are people who believe in a supernatural being of bygone years coming back to life. The police and the top hat of a hotel chain are determined to find the culprit and stop the killings. Unfortunately, there are more than mysterious killers to try to stop them.
May 12, 2020
The Chosen Child e страхотен хорър роман, в който има всичко, което един фен на черния жанр би могъл да иска – страхотни персонажи с развитие на характерите, атмосферна обстановка, която е едновременно близка и екзотична, както и свръхестествен враг, от който да те полазят тръпки – книга, която само майстор като Греъм Мастертън може да напише!
Цялото ревю може да прочетете на линка!
https://citadelata.com/the-chosen-child/
Цялото ревю може да прочетете на линка!
https://citadelata.com/the-chosen-child/
June 1, 2025
zakończenie trochę zawiodło niestety
October 26, 2011
Not a typical horror story. I was going to say it's not a typical Graham Masterton, but despite his reputation as a "Master of Horror" Masterton is a pretty versatile writer - so there isn't really such a thing. With nods to history, crime, thriller, romance as well as horror, The Chosen Child is more a tale made with a variety of ingredients. Not so much a horror story as a story with horror elements. As a Masterton fan, I have to say that this isn't one of my favourites, but it's an intriguing story told by an interesting cast and is worth a read.
January 11, 2021
It was my very first Masterton's book that I read. This is how my fascination with this author and the horror genre started. I think I was 17 back then. I might be a little biased, as the action takes place in one of my favourite cities- Warsaw, Poland. However, the writing drew me straight into the action. Further, I was amazed by how the writer made me feel sorry for the main monster at the end. I remember feeling very conflicted about this story at the end. After so many years, I still remember the precise physical description of this monster.
May 3, 2012
The Chosen Child was a great read and had me page turning right to the end. Dipping into horror/crime/thriller genres, this story really appeals to a wider audience.
The ending brought a mixture of horror, intrigue and empathy. An excellent way to get through a rainy day!
The ending brought a mixture of horror, intrigue and empathy. An excellent way to get through a rainy day!
May 6, 2021
Very well-plotted thriller with several good twists. Also enjoyed the setting, the sewers of Warsaw, because I've read a couple other novels such as Exodus that used the same setting. This is the 2nd time I've read this novel. The first was a decade or so ago. It's that good.
October 9, 2009
Masterton is the master(fittingly) of freaky, crazy, weird, and well-written fiction.
January 3, 2014
Absolutely loved this book, couldn't put it down. Actually terrified me in parts too.
November 13, 2016
Poor police procedural, with a monster. Caricatures for characters wooden dialogue. Badly written and repetitive. No suspense, no horror, no good !
November 18, 2017
Treated myself to a re-read of one of my favourite authors. Surprisingly this only the second time I've read it. It won't be the last....
September 3, 2025
Lisioł ciemności
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Lisioł średnio przepada za horrorami, ale od czasu do czasu spróbuje jakiś przeczytać. Tym razem padło na „Dziecko ciemności” autorstwa Graham'a Masterton'a. Lisiołowi nazwisko już się obiło wielokrotnie o uszy, a fakt, że akcja dzieje się w Warszawie, brzmiało zachęcająco... do czasu.
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Lisioł nie dogadał się z książką. Początkowo mu się dłużyła, a ilość brutalnych morderstw nie zrobiła większego wrażenie na futrzaku. Nawet jak trupy awansowały z bezgłowych do zaszlachtowanych żywcem kawałek po kawałeczku. Wróćmy jednak na sam przód. Lisioł smacznie leniuchował na komisariacie policji, gdy pojawiło się kolejne ciało bez głowy. W dodatku na terenie budowy jakiegoś wielkiego hotelu. Pani Sarah nadzoruje tę budowę i na pierwszy rzut oka nie wydaje się przyjemna w obejściu. Zresztą autor skupił się na podkreśleniu jej urody – Lisioł piśnie, że niektóre sceny miłosne to powinny być przemyślane, bo język w ustach przyrównany do foki, prawie zrzucił futrzaka z fotela… ze śmiechu.
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Trupów przybywa. Polski policjant Rej, zagraniczny detektyw Clayton, młody Marek i pani Sarah próbują rozwiązać zagadkę „Oprawcy”. Istoty, która jednym ruchem odcina głowę za życia i przemieszcza się kanałami. Szykujcie się więc na fakt, że większość akcji spędzicie w szlamie oraz nieczystościach.
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Im dalej w las, tym ciekawiej, ale końcówka znowu spowodowała, że książka według Lisioła powinna dostać 10 na 10 w kategorii komedii. Nad całą tajemniczą sprawą wisi widmo Powstania Warszawskiego, więc zaliczymy wielki (obowiązkowy) powrót nazistów. Nie zabraknie też chwalebnego udziału religii oraz policjantów z orzeszkiem zamiast mózgu. Do tego przekręty finansowe i mafia w natarciu. Z tą religią Lisioł nie żartuje, powieje średniowieczem! Patrząc na cały ten kocioł, można uznać, że autor wybrał sobie Warszawę tuż po transformacji jako takie egzotyczne miejsce, korzystając ze stereotypów, stworzył fabułę, która miała siać grozę, a sieje niedowierzanie, połączone ze szczerym rozbawieniem.
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Lisioł średnio przepada za horrorami, ale od czasu do czasu spróbuje jakiś przeczytać. Tym razem padło na „Dziecko ciemności” autorstwa Graham'a Masterton'a. Lisiołowi nazwisko już się obiło wielokrotnie o uszy, a fakt, że akcja dzieje się w Warszawie, brzmiało zachęcająco... do czasu.
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Lisioł nie dogadał się z książką. Początkowo mu się dłużyła, a ilość brutalnych morderstw nie zrobiła większego wrażenie na futrzaku. Nawet jak trupy awansowały z bezgłowych do zaszlachtowanych żywcem kawałek po kawałeczku. Wróćmy jednak na sam przód. Lisioł smacznie leniuchował na komisariacie policji, gdy pojawiło się kolejne ciało bez głowy. W dodatku na terenie budowy jakiegoś wielkiego hotelu. Pani Sarah nadzoruje tę budowę i na pierwszy rzut oka nie wydaje się przyjemna w obejściu. Zresztą autor skupił się na podkreśleniu jej urody – Lisioł piśnie, że niektóre sceny miłosne to powinny być przemyślane, bo język w ustach przyrównany do foki, prawie zrzucił futrzaka z fotela… ze śmiechu.
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Trupów przybywa. Polski policjant Rej, zagraniczny detektyw Clayton, młody Marek i pani Sarah próbują rozwiązać zagadkę „Oprawcy”. Istoty, która jednym ruchem odcina głowę za życia i przemieszcza się kanałami. Szykujcie się więc na fakt, że większość akcji spędzicie w szlamie oraz nieczystościach.
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Im dalej w las, tym ciekawiej, ale końcówka znowu spowodowała, że książka według Lisioła powinna dostać 10 na 10 w kategorii komedii. Nad całą tajemniczą sprawą wisi widmo Powstania Warszawskiego, więc zaliczymy wielki (obowiązkowy) powrót nazistów. Nie zabraknie też chwalebnego udziału religii oraz policjantów z orzeszkiem zamiast mózgu. Do tego przekręty finansowe i mafia w natarciu. Z tą religią Lisioł nie żartuje, powieje średniowieczem! Patrząc na cały ten kocioł, można uznać, że autor wybrał sobie Warszawę tuż po transformacji jako takie egzotyczne miejsce, korzystając ze stereotypów, stworzył fabułę, która miała siać grozę, a sieje niedowierzanie, połączone ze szczerym rozbawieniem.
February 26, 2022
At first this read more like a detective novel and I was thinking if I should DNF it. But I am happy I continued reading, since after the first 100 pages or somewhere around there it started to get into the horrors of the book.
Somehow the reading experience felt a bit like when I read It by Stephen King. Got the same vibes from this novel while reading, so if you liked It, you might like this one too.
The novel was really descriptive and at times made me feel sick when it came to the killings etc., but that is not a bad thing. In my opinion, that is a sign of good writing. Or bone-chilling might I say when it comes to this horror novel. 😅
And of course! One of the best parts, I learned so much more about Poland.
Somehow the reading experience felt a bit like when I read It by Stephen King. Got the same vibes from this novel while reading, so if you liked It, you might like this one too.
The novel was really descriptive and at times made me feel sick when it came to the killings etc., but that is not a bad thing. In my opinion, that is a sign of good writing. Or bone-chilling might I say when it comes to this horror novel. 😅
And of course! One of the best parts, I learned so much more about Poland.
February 29, 2024
I don't remember a book that scared me like this one. From one hand there was a lot of predictability, and the things the characters were doing were really stupid. Doing everything you not supposed to do, otherwise you get hurt. They did just that. But on other hand I was glued to the pages, because the story was so good. Scary, creepy, but good. It was interesting to see the historical events being the main source of the killings in the story.
June 17, 2023
This novel is a masterpiece by Graham Masterton. Takes place in Poland. Could be because his wife is from this country I think. So I guess that he has spent a lot of time here. I can really recommend this book. I will have to reread this one in the nearest future.
April 9, 2018
Very good scary read.....
November 17, 2020
Bardziej polskiej książki nie znajdziecie. Musi być wszystko, wojna, papież, religia, niemcy, babcie z chustami, kiszona kapusta. Brakowało tylko pierogów
October 22, 2021
3.5 rounded up to 4
December 20, 2022
Fast engaging read
November 1, 2023
4.5 stars
Deduct 1/2 a star for the cringe sex scene and a quick conclusion.
Deduct 1/2 a star for the cringe sex scene and a quick conclusion.
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