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A battle-scarred Vietnam vet has been living alone deep in the woods, but when a group of weekend campers enter the area his fragile grasp on reality breaks and he believes he’s back in the jungle…surrounded by an enemy he needs to kill. This novel contains graphic content and is recommended for regular readers of horror novels.
272 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2014
81 people are currently reading
1004 people want to read
About the author
Jack Ketchum
198 books2,956 followersDallas William Mayr, better known by his pen name Jack Ketchum, was an American horror fiction author. He was the recipient of four Bram Stoker Awards and three further nominations. His novels included Off Season, Offspring, and Red, which were adapted to film. In 2011, Ketchum received the World Horror Convention Grand Master Award for outstanding contribution to the horror genre.
A onetime actor, teacher, literary agent, lumber salesman, and soda jerk, Ketchum credited his childhood love of Elvis Presley, dinosaurs, and horror for getting him through his formative years. He began making up stories at a young age and explained that he spent much time in his room, or in the woods near his house, down by the brook: "[m]y interests [were] books, comics, movies, rock 'n roll, show tunes, TV, dinosaurs [...] pretty much any activity that didn't demand too much socializing, or where I could easily walk away from socializing." He would make up stories using his plastic soldiers, knights, and dinosaurs as the characters.
Later, in his teen years, Ketchum was befriended by Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, who became his mentor.
Ketchum worked many different jobs before completing his first novel (1980's controversial Off Season), including acting as agent for novelist Henry Miller at Scott Meredith Literary Agency.
His decision to eventually concentrate on novel writing was partly fueled by a preference for work that offered stability and longevity.
Ketchum died of cancer on January 24, 2018, in New York City at the age of 71.
A onetime actor, teacher, literary agent, lumber salesman, and soda jerk, Ketchum credited his childhood love of Elvis Presley, dinosaurs, and horror for getting him through his formative years. He began making up stories at a young age and explained that he spent much time in his room, or in the woods near his house, down by the brook: "[m]y interests [were] books, comics, movies, rock 'n roll, show tunes, TV, dinosaurs [...] pretty much any activity that didn't demand too much socializing, or where I could easily walk away from socializing." He would make up stories using his plastic soldiers, knights, and dinosaurs as the characters.
Later, in his teen years, Ketchum was befriended by Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, who became his mentor.
Ketchum worked many different jobs before completing his first novel (1980's controversial Off Season), including acting as agent for novelist Henry Miller at Scott Meredith Literary Agency.
His decision to eventually concentrate on novel writing was partly fueled by a preference for work that offered stability and longevity.
Ketchum died of cancer on January 24, 2018, in New York City at the age of 71.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
October 9, 2023
I have always like Ketchum's lean, mean prose and story telling gifts and Cover is no exception. This novel should not be as good as it is. As a thriller, you pretty much know what is going to happen right off the bat. As a horror story, it features a traumatized Vietnam vet, not evil demons or something. Yet, it works, and works well.
Our vet, Lee, had a horrific time in Vietnam, leaving him emotionally scared to say the least. He now 'works' growing weed in the mountains of California, which he sells to another vet, who takes care of the curing and distribution. Lee's wife has really tried; that they are still married says quite a bit all by itself, as Lee can be very dangerous when his inner demons come to call. Meanwhile, we are introduced to several people, six in all, who are planning a weekend camping trip up in the mountains. You know Lee will encounter the group, and you know bad things will happen, but Ketchum managed to keep me on the edge of my seat regardless.
The real outstanding component of Cover rests with the deep characterization of the characters, but Lee in particular. You feel sympathy for Lee more than anything else and his new war with the V.C. in the mountains is nothing less than tragic all around. Ketchum gives us many flashbacks to Vietnam, which if anything, make Lee's tale even more tragic. Finally, Ketchum has a way to keeping you unsettled, both during the book and after. Good stuff! 4 stars!!
Our vet, Lee, had a horrific time in Vietnam, leaving him emotionally scared to say the least. He now 'works' growing weed in the mountains of California, which he sells to another vet, who takes care of the curing and distribution. Lee's wife has really tried; that they are still married says quite a bit all by itself, as Lee can be very dangerous when his inner demons come to call. Meanwhile, we are introduced to several people, six in all, who are planning a weekend camping trip up in the mountains. You know Lee will encounter the group, and you know bad things will happen, but Ketchum managed to keep me on the edge of my seat regardless.
The real outstanding component of Cover rests with the deep characterization of the characters, but Lee in particular. You feel sympathy for Lee more than anything else and his new war with the V.C. in the mountains is nothing less than tragic all around. Ketchum gives us many flashbacks to Vietnam, which if anything, make Lee's tale even more tragic. Finally, Ketchum has a way to keeping you unsettled, both during the book and after. Good stuff! 4 stars!!
February 16, 2019
This was an interesting morsel that took no time at all to get through, in fact I gobbled it up in half a day and was ready to tackle even more reading that day. Ketchum enchants the reader with his smooth prose and easy to digest writing, making the story shocking, quick and genuinely real when it comes to the crazy characters and the trouble they got into. Lee, the mentally confused Vietnam vet isn't the only odd ball character here, some of the people who go camping are even stranger than him, maybe not deadly enough to kill someone but they sure have issues. When the two intense worlds combine the battle is not only for the sake of their own interests, but a battle for life and survival in its crudest and rawest form.
Lee Moravian is startled by his unwelcome guests, but his clouded mentality never stops keeping track of Kelsey, his wife and a their guests. Pretty soon the city people find themselves cornered by war style traps and a stalker who has nothing better to do than outwit their every move and make their camping trip a living hell. I thoroughly enjoyed the tale and was on the edge not only about the vet but also about the complex and volatile relationships between the other characters. I was instantly drawn into the book and had a good time reading it on a lazy Sunday. I love theses types of stories, the lost in the woods tales, or creepy islands, Antarctic or desert tales when the wish for survival makes the desperation swell and the story grow into something intense. This was a fun, quick read that was thoroughly enjoyable. The ending was a surprise as well, it left me with a feeling of buzzing unease but also a deep curiosity of what the future held, well done and not obvious at all.
Lee Moravian is startled by his unwelcome guests, but his clouded mentality never stops keeping track of Kelsey, his wife and a their guests. Pretty soon the city people find themselves cornered by war style traps and a stalker who has nothing better to do than outwit their every move and make their camping trip a living hell. I thoroughly enjoyed the tale and was on the edge not only about the vet but also about the complex and volatile relationships between the other characters. I was instantly drawn into the book and had a good time reading it on a lazy Sunday. I love theses types of stories, the lost in the woods tales, or creepy islands, Antarctic or desert tales when the wish for survival makes the desperation swell and the story grow into something intense. This was a fun, quick read that was thoroughly enjoyable. The ending was a surprise as well, it left me with a feeling of buzzing unease but also a deep curiosity of what the future held, well done and not obvious at all.
February 10, 2018
This hardcover is numbered 466 of 1000 produced and is signed by Jack Ketchum.
"Cover" is the story of a soldier who suffers the aftermath of serving in Vietnam.
"Cover" is the story of a soldier who suffers the aftermath of serving in Vietnam.
February 24, 2022
Lee is a Vietnam veteran, struggling with his life after the war, gone AWOL with his wife and young son. He's haunted by memories of the horrors of war, and as a result, has fled to the countryside to grow marijuana as a means of making money. His wife is deeply troubled by his state of mind, already having taken their son to live with a relative. Then she leaves him with just his loyal dog for company, but strangely, Lee is quite okay with the solitude.
Bestselling novelist, Bernie Kelsey and his agent wife, and his mistress super model, decide on a scenic camping trip to the country outside LA. Along with his literary agent, playwright best friend, and a photographer, they all believe the weekend getaway is just what they need. Kelsey has been struggling with his latest writing project...and what they don't realize is that once they stumble upon Lee's crop, they're wholly unprepared for what happens next. Because Lee's mind still sees ghosts from the war and enemies surround him...
Chilling, tautly written, and terrifying in its honesty and complexity, Ketchum presents a psychological horror novel that resonates even today.
Highly recommended.
Bestselling novelist, Bernie Kelsey and his agent wife, and his mistress super model, decide on a scenic camping trip to the country outside LA. Along with his literary agent, playwright best friend, and a photographer, they all believe the weekend getaway is just what they need. Kelsey has been struggling with his latest writing project...and what they don't realize is that once they stumble upon Lee's crop, they're wholly unprepared for what happens next. Because Lee's mind still sees ghosts from the war and enemies surround him...
Chilling, tautly written, and terrifying in its honesty and complexity, Ketchum presents a psychological horror novel that resonates even today.
Highly recommended.
September 8, 2022
Ketchums novel about a Vietnam vet who returns home suffering from PTSD is an engaging and fast paced thriller/horror story. It follows Lee the vet who returns home from the war and lives in the woods with his dog suffers nightmares and torment from all he did and saw whilst tending to his crop of cannabis plants. We meet a group of highly successful people who go to the woods for a weekend retreat and stumple across Lee and his plants. Lees doesnt see this group as the harmless people they are and is transformed back to Vietnam. The hunting commences.
This was very good, you feel sorry for Lee and also hate him for what occurs in this along with the group on the weekend away who are not just one dimensional as we learn their backgrounds and history as the story progresses. Its violent but not overly so, one chapter about some war crimes committed against a village was pretty hard to read but other than that its an action packed story of cat and mouse where in the end nobody is a winner.
This was very good, you feel sorry for Lee and also hate him for what occurs in this along with the group on the weekend away who are not just one dimensional as we learn their backgrounds and history as the story progresses. Its violent but not overly so, one chapter about some war crimes committed against a village was pretty hard to read but other than that its an action packed story of cat and mouse where in the end nobody is a winner.
August 24, 2023
Cover
By Jack Ketchum
Wow ok first off its been a while since I've read a Jack Ketchum novel and it was damn satisfying. Cover is a brutal horrific survival horror \thriller that from the first page grabs you and keeps you wanting more until the very last page. I had forgotten what a powerful storyteller and vivid writer Ketchum is. He just has this way of making you get attached to all the characters and the beautiful way he builds the tension to the point it just explodes like a shotgun blast and the horrific brutal savagery that follows is insane. I highly recommend this one as its one of my new favorites. If you like books like The Warrior's Retreat by John Lynch and The best of intentions by Joshua MacMillan then this is for you. Fuckin awesome read 10\10
By Jack Ketchum
Wow ok first off its been a while since I've read a Jack Ketchum novel and it was damn satisfying. Cover is a brutal horrific survival horror \thriller that from the first page grabs you and keeps you wanting more until the very last page. I had forgotten what a powerful storyteller and vivid writer Ketchum is. He just has this way of making you get attached to all the characters and the beautiful way he builds the tension to the point it just explodes like a shotgun blast and the horrific brutal savagery that follows is insane. I highly recommend this one as its one of my new favorites. If you like books like The Warrior's Retreat by John Lynch and The best of intentions by Joshua MacMillan then this is for you. Fuckin awesome read 10\10
May 2, 2011
This is a story about a shell shocked Vietnam war veteran Lee, who lives isolated deep in the woods after his son and wife leave him because they fear that he might hurt them. Meanwhile, a group of professionals go camping nearby and find their selves fighting for their lives while Lee (who think he is back in the war or something) plays a game of cat and mouse with them.
I really can't think of anything good to say about this book, it just didn't work for me. The unlucky campers, might be among the most unlikable characters in any story I have ever read. Sometimes unlikable characters can work for a horror story, as long you set them up to get killed in some gruesome way, like a slasher movie for example. But the problem is, this novel wants to be something bigger than that, a powerful statement about the war or something, which ends up falling very flat.
One of the campers and central characters, a middle aged man named Kelsey, has a polygamist type relationship with his attractive wife, and his mistress who happens to be a model. Kelsey is also a novelist, and I couldn't help but wonder if the author Jack Ketchum was trying to live out some "having two hot women" fantasy through one of his fictional characters.
Throughout the story, Lee has flashbacks of the war, which almost all consist of American soldiers killing civilians, women, raping and murdering children. There is never any reference to a commanding officer, mission, or objective.
If your looking for a story about a Vietnam vet who goes batshit crazy and kills a bunch of people, check out First Blood by David Morrell, and avoid this one at all costs.
I really can't think of anything good to say about this book, it just didn't work for me. The unlucky campers, might be among the most unlikable characters in any story I have ever read. Sometimes unlikable characters can work for a horror story, as long you set them up to get killed in some gruesome way, like a slasher movie for example. But the problem is, this novel wants to be something bigger than that, a powerful statement about the war or something, which ends up falling very flat.
One of the campers and central characters, a middle aged man named Kelsey, has a polygamist type relationship with his attractive wife, and his mistress who happens to be a model. Kelsey is also a novelist, and I couldn't help but wonder if the author Jack Ketchum was trying to live out some "having two hot women" fantasy through one of his fictional characters.
Throughout the story, Lee has flashbacks of the war, which almost all consist of American soldiers killing civilians, women, raping and murdering children. There is never any reference to a commanding officer, mission, or objective.
If your looking for a story about a Vietnam vet who goes batshit crazy and kills a bunch of people, check out First Blood by David Morrell, and avoid this one at all costs.
August 26, 2012
Cover is one of those books that I am not quite sure if I truly enjoyed or enjoyed the structure of the piece. It didn't leave me feeling sad, excited or hasn't really left any impression at all.
The book opens with Lee, a Vietnam Vet who has demons (figuratively not real)and the mentality of this character is the book's strongest asset. He is torn between the past and the present which keeps him disconnected to the good in his life. The sequences where his mind is flung back to Vietnam are some of the strongest.
Kelsey is a well read, successful author who is middle age, married, has a girlfriend as well and considers himself to be the bee's knees. His agent is likeable enough and a college friend is there to be irritable. Graham, the photographer/journalist there to capture the images for a magazine. His wife Caroline and his mistress Michelle (Mitch) are very strong women who are friendly with each other and are accepting of sharing the man (Kelsey).
This is one of the points of the book that doesn't quite ring true is the threesome. You have two strong woman characters who are successful in their own right. Apparently, they are extremely beautiful and enjoyed sharing the husband/boyfriend. This situation to me, seemed to be more of a male egotistical point of view than a realistic set up. Personally, I can not see why these women would be happy in this situation but maybe I am missing something.
The story spends a third of the book building characters nicely. Lee's back story is very well flushed out and the main trio's current situation is well told though back story is lacking with them. This is where the story falls apart. When the central group make it the woods and start violating the nature and Lee starts to regress back to his military days, you find yourself not particularly caring about the central group.
I do find that you feel more for Lee because you have some understanding for the character and although you can't condone him for what he does, you can sympathise with him. I felt more loss with this character than I did for Kelsey's group.
Personally, I feel that Ketchum has a story in three parts that don't quite mesh together. The Vietnam part is excellent, well constructed and characterisation is extremely strong. The second part concerning the group is well written and the characters appear a little two dimensional and not much worthy of your time. The third part is when the two worlds collide and you find yourself cheering for Lee and this is the book's let down. You find yourself sympathising with the killer and you feel uncomfortable because it is like sympathising for a mass murderer and cheering him on as he wipes out the next victim.
Jack Ketchum is a very talented writer and if you are a fan, this is an interesting piece to read along with his other works but if you are new to him, I suggest to stay away until you read his other work first as they are a lot stronger. I gave three stars for the Vietnam part of the story and the story of Lee. As for the missing stars, I think the balance was slightly off to give it more.
The book opens with Lee, a Vietnam Vet who has demons (figuratively not real)and the mentality of this character is the book's strongest asset. He is torn between the past and the present which keeps him disconnected to the good in his life. The sequences where his mind is flung back to Vietnam are some of the strongest.
Kelsey is a well read, successful author who is middle age, married, has a girlfriend as well and considers himself to be the bee's knees. His agent is likeable enough and a college friend is there to be irritable. Graham, the photographer/journalist there to capture the images for a magazine. His wife Caroline and his mistress Michelle (Mitch) are very strong women who are friendly with each other and are accepting of sharing the man (Kelsey).
This is one of the points of the book that doesn't quite ring true is the threesome. You have two strong woman characters who are successful in their own right. Apparently, they are extremely beautiful and enjoyed sharing the husband/boyfriend. This situation to me, seemed to be more of a male egotistical point of view than a realistic set up. Personally, I can not see why these women would be happy in this situation but maybe I am missing something.
The story spends a third of the book building characters nicely. Lee's back story is very well flushed out and the main trio's current situation is well told though back story is lacking with them. This is where the story falls apart. When the central group make it the woods and start violating the nature and Lee starts to regress back to his military days, you find yourself not particularly caring about the central group.
I do find that you feel more for Lee because you have some understanding for the character and although you can't condone him for what he does, you can sympathise with him. I felt more loss with this character than I did for Kelsey's group.
Personally, I feel that Ketchum has a story in three parts that don't quite mesh together. The Vietnam part is excellent, well constructed and characterisation is extremely strong. The second part concerning the group is well written and the characters appear a little two dimensional and not much worthy of your time. The third part is when the two worlds collide and you find yourself cheering for Lee and this is the book's let down. You find yourself sympathising with the killer and you feel uncomfortable because it is like sympathising for a mass murderer and cheering him on as he wipes out the next victim.
Jack Ketchum is a very talented writer and if you are a fan, this is an interesting piece to read along with his other works but if you are new to him, I suggest to stay away until you read his other work first as they are a lot stronger. I gave three stars for the Vietnam part of the story and the story of Lee. As for the missing stars, I think the balance was slightly off to give it more.
June 1, 2009
An exceedingly well written suspense yarn that is also thought provoking and tragic. A Vietnam Vet distances himself from the world, living in the woods with his dog and tending his marijuana crops. A celeb-writer, his college buddy, his agent, a photographer, his wife and his mistress inadvertently impede on his solitude and are hunted by the Vet. I almost thought this book blew its promise with these somewhat disposable victim characters, but they definitely work as a study in contrast. The celeb-writer has too much for one man, the Vet has nothing but his dog, his weed and his horrifying memories. The passages that are written from the shell shocked Vietnam Vet's point of view are incredible. This is scare lit at its very best. Ketchum is an incredibly talented writer, definitely a cut above most of the "splatter-punk" pulp horror writers he gets lumped in with. As an afterthought: I thought it was interesting that Ketchum complains about the exploitative cover art that adorned the book's initial release in 1986 in the Author's Note. I thought that the cover to this new Leisure reissue was probably the worst thing about the book. Leisure needs to exercise a little restraint now and again so I don't feel embarrassed when I whip out one of their books at the DMV.
September 3, 2011
As always a good solid read. I don't think Ketchum could write a bad book if he tried. I have to say I didn't love it as much as some of his other books I've read, mainly because I found the characters tougher to relate to, but the writing was great and the book sped by like a crazed rollercoaster. I would definitely recommend this one.
September 3, 2023
What if Deliverance and Rambo were mixed up together? A famous ex-military novelist Kelsey, his actor agent wife Caroline, a beautiful celebrity model Michelle, the Literary agent Alan, a writer friend Ross, and a photo-journalist Graham, decide to go on a 3 day out of the way camping trip and run into PTSD ex-Vietnam Vet Lee, who was living off the grid. The action never lets up.
Jack Ketchum is sort of a more dangerous Stephen King. (If that’s possible) Both have interesting characters you care about and plenty of action though Jack tends to hit harder with the action/horror and keeps the tension going far longer. I like both writers very much, but I think King fans definitely need to read Ketchum.
I have read Off Season and The Girl Next Door. I’ll never forget them. And I’ll never forget Cover.
Jack Ketchum is sort of a more dangerous Stephen King. (If that’s possible) Both have interesting characters you care about and plenty of action though Jack tends to hit harder with the action/horror and keeps the tension going far longer. I like both writers very much, but I think King fans definitely need to read Ketchum.
I have read Off Season and The Girl Next Door. I’ll never forget them. And I’ll never forget Cover.
August 3, 2017
My second Jack Ketchum book (after the 5 star experience that was The Girl Next Door). This is a good read and it is very much like First Blood and Deliverance. It has some gory parts but it could be classed as a thriller or drama.
It is not a supernatural horror. It is the horror that some of us create and carry out against our fellow humans. How brutal and nasty events we witness can change us.
I enjoyed the book and it is a good mix between a "backwood"s horror and a Vietnam Veteran drama.
It is not a supernatural horror. It is the horror that some of us create and carry out against our fellow humans. How brutal and nasty events we witness can change us.
I enjoyed the book and it is a good mix between a "backwood"s horror and a Vietnam Veteran drama.
June 1, 2009
It's kind of hard to lump this book into the horror section - I would consider it more of a horrifying thriller. A vietnam vet has determined that he is too dangerous to live in society and has removed himself far into the wilderness. He lives secluded from society with his wife and dog. His wife helps him to keep his last grip on his sanity - but when she leaves to go stay with family, his last grasp is gone.
Meanwhile we have a pack of well to do upper crust individuals, and author, a playwrite, a model, an agent and a photographer who are all planning on a camping trip. Their intermingled dramas are very realistic and border on annoying (much like real people). Unfortunately when they select their camping spot they may find themselves mistaken for a couple of Uncle Ho's minions by a man who has long ago left his sanity behind him.
The chapters from the vet's eyes are disturbing and all too real - frightening. Ketchum did a fantastic job of building him and making us care about him even though we are utterly terrified of him.
Although this is no "Girl Next Door" this is a wonderfully written book that will shock the casual reader, and be loved by the avid horror/thriller fan.
Meanwhile we have a pack of well to do upper crust individuals, and author, a playwrite, a model, an agent and a photographer who are all planning on a camping trip. Their intermingled dramas are very realistic and border on annoying (much like real people). Unfortunately when they select their camping spot they may find themselves mistaken for a couple of Uncle Ho's minions by a man who has long ago left his sanity behind him.
The chapters from the vet's eyes are disturbing and all too real - frightening. Ketchum did a fantastic job of building him and making us care about him even though we are utterly terrified of him.
Although this is no "Girl Next Door" this is a wonderfully written book that will shock the casual reader, and be loved by the avid horror/thriller fan.
September 23, 2013
Even with this early Ketchum tale, you could see he was well on his way with his horror that resides in and around folks. Watching the Vietnam vet in this story was like waiting for a pot of water to boil...then boil over. With his thoughts and nightmares, he never really left the war. A heart wrenching tale.
What I really enjoyed (in my Leisure '99 edition) was Ketchum's foreword. The gentleman that was over there to share his tale, with his wife by his side. Also, the afterword by, Thomas Tessier was very well written, about this story and the talent of Mr. Ketchum.
What I really enjoyed (in my Leisure '99 edition) was Ketchum's foreword. The gentleman that was over there to share his tale, with his wife by his side. Also, the afterword by, Thomas Tessier was very well written, about this story and the talent of Mr. Ketchum.
December 1, 2025
Ketchum has an uncanny ability to elevate what are relatively simple thriller plots by using the first 40-50% to craft three dimensional characters with a level of empathy not really seen often in the genre. He’s obviously setting characters up to go through hell, but by doing so in such a fleshed out, human manner, it makes the tension that much stronger.
We don’t want to see these characters go through what they have to, but it’s so compelling we can’t resist. And it makes their inevitable terror that much more real and convincing.
Ketchum is just a fabulous horror author and stands above so many of his contemporaries, it’s a wonder he wasn’t mimicked more.
We don’t want to see these characters go through what they have to, but it’s so compelling we can’t resist. And it makes their inevitable terror that much more real and convincing.
Ketchum is just a fabulous horror author and stands above so many of his contemporaries, it’s a wonder he wasn’t mimicked more.
Read
September 2, 2018Worth reading, though I found the ending weak
October 16, 2022
COVER, while being unheralded, is one of Ketchum's best novels. It is a Vietnam novel wrapped in the skin of a Gothic wilderness survival / suspense novel. It is similar to James Dickey's DELIVERANCE, but (from my vantage point) with a greater depth of humanity and meaning, and with better pacing and plotting, too.
March 19, 2020
Schon einmal ein Roman von Jack Ketchum gelesen? Das hier ist der 2. Roman von ihm. Zusammen in einem „buddyread“ habe ich „Jagdtrip“ von Ketchum gelesen. Wie ich das Buch so fand, wie sonst noch mein Eindruck und mein Fazit ist, erfährt ihr in dieser ausführlichen Rezension.
Ich möchte auf nur einen halbwegs positiven Punkt hinweisen, nämlich den Schreibstil. Der Roman ist halbwegs gutgeschrieben und ist auch durchgehend in einer relativ leichten, flüssigen Sprache wiedergegeben. Daher lässt es sich durchaus relativ „angenehm“ lesen. Das war es auch schon.
WAS HABE ICH HIER GELESEN? Jetzt einmal im Ernst, lieber Jack Ketchum. Ich verstehe deine Geschichte nicht, erkenne keinerlei ausschlaggebende Zusammenhänge ich kann gegenüber deinen Charakteren keineswegs Empathie Empfinden. Sie haben keinerlei Sympathie und zeugen kein Anzeichen an Authentizität. Sie sind x beliebig mit jedem anderen Charakter ersetz- bzw. austauschbar.
Die Handlung wird in mehreren Zeitabschnitten erzählt. Viele Rückblenden und erschütternde Ereignisse treffen den Protagonisten. Doch auch hier kommt keine Emotion wirklich zum Vorschein, weswegen die gesamte Story durchweg langweilig und farblos geblieben ist. Der Leser baut keinerlei Verbindung zu den Charakteren auf, hat keinerlei Möglichkeiten, authentisch in die Geschichte einzutauchen, keine spannenden Momente in dem man mitfiebert. Es gibt Momente zwischen diverse Charaktere, die mir beim Lesen, wie die Szenen, aus billig produzieren Filmen vorkamen. Völlig wie ein „Trash-Buch“. In der Mitte und gegen Ende der Geschichte gab es jeweils 1 Moment in der ich ein Hauch an Emotion und Sentimentalität seitens der Charaktere erwartet habe, jedoch wurden auch diese Erwartungen erfolgreich durch absurde Handlungen zerstört.
Durch die Recherche im Internet kommt einem sehr schnell die Erkenntnis, dass dieser Roman ein sehr früher Werk von 1987 war und vermutlich damals nicht entsprechend genug ausgearbeitet. Das kann unter anderem einer der Gründe sein, wieso sich dieser Roman, unausgereift, unvollendet anfühlt. Die Geschichte ist nicht tiefsinnig, die Charaktere nicht genug ausgedacht und die einzelnen Ereignisse ergeben letztendlich im Zusammenhang, kein nachvollziehbarer Sinn und lassen den Leser am Ende mit einer enttäuschenden Auflösung das Buch abschließen.
In diesem Fall möchte ich nicht viel näher auf manche ausgelassenen Punkte eingehen. Das Buch war eine reine Enttäuschung und pures Ärgernis im Nachhinein. Vermutlich wird es zu den Top Jahresflops zählen, wobei das Jahr noch relativ jung ist. Aber hier kann ich trotzdem tröstend erwähnen, dass das Lesen mir dann letztendlich doch nicht ganz so schwer viel, da ich es in einer kleinen Lesegruppe mit einer guten Freundin gelesen habe und mich mit ihr permanent austauschen und über das Buch diskutieren konnte. Der Austausch in diesem Fall, war das einzige Gute an diesem buddyread. Wie sagt man so schön – Geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid.
Ich möchte auf nur einen halbwegs positiven Punkt hinweisen, nämlich den Schreibstil. Der Roman ist halbwegs gutgeschrieben und ist auch durchgehend in einer relativ leichten, flüssigen Sprache wiedergegeben. Daher lässt es sich durchaus relativ „angenehm“ lesen. Das war es auch schon.
WAS HABE ICH HIER GELESEN? Jetzt einmal im Ernst, lieber Jack Ketchum. Ich verstehe deine Geschichte nicht, erkenne keinerlei ausschlaggebende Zusammenhänge ich kann gegenüber deinen Charakteren keineswegs Empathie Empfinden. Sie haben keinerlei Sympathie und zeugen kein Anzeichen an Authentizität. Sie sind x beliebig mit jedem anderen Charakter ersetz- bzw. austauschbar.
Die Handlung wird in mehreren Zeitabschnitten erzählt. Viele Rückblenden und erschütternde Ereignisse treffen den Protagonisten. Doch auch hier kommt keine Emotion wirklich zum Vorschein, weswegen die gesamte Story durchweg langweilig und farblos geblieben ist. Der Leser baut keinerlei Verbindung zu den Charakteren auf, hat keinerlei Möglichkeiten, authentisch in die Geschichte einzutauchen, keine spannenden Momente in dem man mitfiebert. Es gibt Momente zwischen diverse Charaktere, die mir beim Lesen, wie die Szenen, aus billig produzieren Filmen vorkamen. Völlig wie ein „Trash-Buch“. In der Mitte und gegen Ende der Geschichte gab es jeweils 1 Moment in der ich ein Hauch an Emotion und Sentimentalität seitens der Charaktere erwartet habe, jedoch wurden auch diese Erwartungen erfolgreich durch absurde Handlungen zerstört.
Durch die Recherche im Internet kommt einem sehr schnell die Erkenntnis, dass dieser Roman ein sehr früher Werk von 1987 war und vermutlich damals nicht entsprechend genug ausgearbeitet. Das kann unter anderem einer der Gründe sein, wieso sich dieser Roman, unausgereift, unvollendet anfühlt. Die Geschichte ist nicht tiefsinnig, die Charaktere nicht genug ausgedacht und die einzelnen Ereignisse ergeben letztendlich im Zusammenhang, kein nachvollziehbarer Sinn und lassen den Leser am Ende mit einer enttäuschenden Auflösung das Buch abschließen.
In diesem Fall möchte ich nicht viel näher auf manche ausgelassenen Punkte eingehen. Das Buch war eine reine Enttäuschung und pures Ärgernis im Nachhinein. Vermutlich wird es zu den Top Jahresflops zählen, wobei das Jahr noch relativ jung ist. Aber hier kann ich trotzdem tröstend erwähnen, dass das Lesen mir dann letztendlich doch nicht ganz so schwer viel, da ich es in einer kleinen Lesegruppe mit einer guten Freundin gelesen habe und mich mit ihr permanent austauschen und über das Buch diskutieren konnte. Der Austausch in diesem Fall, war das einzige Gute an diesem buddyread. Wie sagt man so schön – Geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid.
April 7, 2010
Lee Moravian is a Vietnam vet who came home from the war to find he no longer has a place in society. He lives in the woods with his dog, tending a patch of marijuana and facing increasingly realistic flashbacks.
Bernard Kelsey is a famous author who's going camping with his wife, agent and assorted hanger-ons, all of which will be documented by a noted photojournalist.
Looking at the book's cover, you can tell these two are on a collision course, but it takes nearly 200 pages before Moravian sets his sights on Kelsey's party. Up to that point, you spend a lot of time in each character's head and -- although their individual personalities are compelling -- it's hard to get invested in characters who are presumably doomed.
Ketchum has written some intense, gristly novels, but this one has the slow burn pacing of Red. My hope was that the lengthy setup would result in a rewarding payoff, but it doesn't -- Ketchum is more interested in meditating on the displacement of Vietnam vets which means Moravian is never effectively villainized.
Bernard Kelsey is a famous author who's going camping with his wife, agent and assorted hanger-ons, all of which will be documented by a noted photojournalist.
Looking at the book's cover, you can tell these two are on a collision course, but it takes nearly 200 pages before Moravian sets his sights on Kelsey's party. Up to that point, you spend a lot of time in each character's head and -- although their individual personalities are compelling -- it's hard to get invested in characters who are presumably doomed.
Ketchum has written some intense, gristly novels, but this one has the slow burn pacing of Red. My hope was that the lengthy setup would result in a rewarding payoff, but it doesn't -- Ketchum is more interested in meditating on the displacement of Vietnam vets which means Moravian is never effectively villainized.
September 23, 2009
It's really weird... I had a hard time getting into this book and kept putting it aside. I don't know what it was that turned me off exactly. It may be that I just wasn't in the mood for this sort of read when I first picked it up. The story moved much too slowly in the beginning compared to other Jack Ketchum novels I've read, but boy did it pick up in the middle, so much so that I couldn't put it down until the end. I was sure I wouldn't like this book, but, really, it was excellent! Ketchum is truly talented. He really got inside the mad Vietnam veteran's head, chilling. Cover is a great thriller with a deliberate suspense building pace and I would recommend it even though it's not amongst my favorite of his works.
December 26, 2022
OH….MY…GOD. How do you even review this? Trigger warning concerning explicit violence of physical and sexual nature… Jack Ketchum writes complex characters seamlessly and “Cover” is no exception. I absolutely love this author. The conversational critique invoked by this work on how our nation deals with untreated post traumatic stress disorder in our service members is not only necessary… but IMPERITIVE….Ketchum fully embraces this fact and doesn’t allow the reader lenience throughout the work’s entirety. 4.25/5
November 2, 2020
review to follow
October 8, 2019
A good Ketchum outing, stops short of greatness.
A Vietnam Vet with severe PTSD has moved to the woods to live in solitude with his wife and dog and grow marijuana and be left alone in peace. But his wife leaves and a writer and his friends who go camping come across the man who's spiraling into madness with flashbacks and paranoia.
Ketchum's unsurpassed empathy with prose is on display here, and I really enjoyed how the "villain" was written. He wasn't a hulking, mutated Cretan, not an out and out "bad" man, but a broken man who was never able to mend, and his wife, though she loves him, couldn't stay around and watch his destruction. All of this was heartbreaking and beautifully written, and you can feel so much for this guy. The other characters are likewise interesting, but none as much as the man in the woods. When the killing finally starts, it's shocking and visceral, but I found myself caring more about the man inflicting the violence than his victims.
I love Ketchum's style, his characters are so real, and his writing so empathetic. It's just brilliant. This book doesn't quite achieve the same level as Red or Joyride, but it's still worth the time and to see a haunting and tragic portrayal of a man who was whisked away to a war he didn't want to be in, for reasons no one could understand, and how it shattered an otherwise good and decent man. THAT'S the power of Ketchum's writing, and though this book wasn't my favorite of his, I'd still recommend it.
Beautiful, tight prose, powerful characterizations, and shocking fallout. That's Ketchum, and that's COVER. Check it out.
A Vietnam Vet with severe PTSD has moved to the woods to live in solitude with his wife and dog and grow marijuana and be left alone in peace. But his wife leaves and a writer and his friends who go camping come across the man who's spiraling into madness with flashbacks and paranoia.
Ketchum's unsurpassed empathy with prose is on display here, and I really enjoyed how the "villain" was written. He wasn't a hulking, mutated Cretan, not an out and out "bad" man, but a broken man who was never able to mend, and his wife, though she loves him, couldn't stay around and watch his destruction. All of this was heartbreaking and beautifully written, and you can feel so much for this guy. The other characters are likewise interesting, but none as much as the man in the woods. When the killing finally starts, it's shocking and visceral, but I found myself caring more about the man inflicting the violence than his victims.
I love Ketchum's style, his characters are so real, and his writing so empathetic. It's just brilliant. This book doesn't quite achieve the same level as Red or Joyride, but it's still worth the time and to see a haunting and tragic portrayal of a man who was whisked away to a war he didn't want to be in, for reasons no one could understand, and how it shattered an otherwise good and decent man. THAT'S the power of Ketchum's writing, and though this book wasn't my favorite of his, I'd still recommend it.
Beautiful, tight prose, powerful characterizations, and shocking fallout. That's Ketchum, and that's COVER. Check it out.
May 10, 2022
Jack Ketchum's third published novel, Cover (1987), is more thriller than horror but that doesn't stop him from doing what he does best: smothering the reader with a pillow of unrelenting and brutal suspense. Six celebutantes run afoul of an off-the-grid psychotic Vietnam vet while camping and must run, hide, or fight to survive when he decides to take them to war. Fantastic book, through and through. Excellent pacing, compelling and interesting characterization — like David Morrell's First Blood but sympathy is shared among both protagonists and antagonist. The delayed introduction to the unwitting survivors was crafted meticulously — challenging my forecasted tolerance by first appealing to the worst of their natures, only to eventually reveal internal complexities hinted at through dialogue previously, changing my perception of the group almost entirely. Highly recommended for those who favor getting lost in backwoods thrillers à la Deliverance, Southern Comfort, and First Blood, but unlike most of those (exception being First Blood), Cover is baptized in cruelty and extreme violence. Harrowing combat flashbacks and war crimes are vividly detailed during moments of psychosis, punctuated by racial epithets. Moments of fleeting clarity from our antagonist are often a reprieve from the escalating tension, occasionally indicated by the author with chapters containing as little as a single paragraph. All in all, the antithesis to the term "Happy Hunting!"
May 27, 2018
Кетчъм за пореден път не разочарова. Вече съм свикнал с бавното му изграждане на героите в първите две третини на книгите му, което ги привързва към читателя и когато започнат гадостите, не можеш да престанеш с четенето. Тук случая не беше точно такъв. Нито полуоткачилия ветеран от Виетнам, нито групата приятели – негови жертви ми станаха симпатични, но точно това в крайна сметка ме спечели в повествованието. Кетчъм рисува героите си с безпристрастност, на която може да завиди всеки журналист. Те са назъбени, незавършени и имат своите слабости и сили. Добавете и най-разкошните семпли природни описания от Хемингуей насам и получавате Cover. Ако някой иска симпатия към герой и гняв към неоправдано отношение, да бяга при Морел и неговата Първа кръв, но ако иска нещо истинско – това е книгата.
Група приятели се отправя на палатки край красиво езеро. Наблизо ветеран от войната се е скрил от човечеството и отглежда марихуана. В обърканата му глава се заражда идеята, подкрепена от редица травмиращи флашбекове, че има противник в лицето на лагеруващите. Тoва води до див 24 часов ужас за вторите, където са избивани един по един от откачалника. Чак до развръзката, която е логична толкова, колкото мозъка на лудия започнал всичко.
Група приятели се отправя на палатки край красиво езеро. Наблизо ветеран от войната се е скрил от човечеството и отглежда марихуана. В обърканата му глава се заражда идеята, подкрепена от редица травмиращи флашбекове, че има противник в лицето на лагеруващите. Тoва води до див 24 часов ужас за вторите, където са избивани един по един от откачалника. Чак до развръзката, която е логична толкова, колкото мозъка на лудия започнал всичко.
January 20, 2019
Essentially Ketchums take on Deliverance, this follows a group of not quite young anymore people as they trespass the woods that traumatized Vietnam veteran Lee has made his home. And for Lee, that trespassing means war.
The issue with this one is that the core trio of this book, the aging writer Kelsey and his two woman friends who both happen to be gorgeous for their ages, simply rings hollow. Kelsey is said throughout to be a great man, an insightful one, but we pretty much never see that. It's supposed to be the emotional core, but it just doesn't work very well. It leads to this feeling oddly inconsequential given the wider scope of his bibliography, lacking that emotional attachment that mamakes his dark fiction so goddamn effective. Not bad, but nothing particularly stand out either. It has one whopper of an anti climax, too.
The issue with this one is that the core trio of this book, the aging writer Kelsey and his two woman friends who both happen to be gorgeous for their ages, simply rings hollow. Kelsey is said throughout to be a great man, an insightful one, but we pretty much never see that. It's supposed to be the emotional core, but it just doesn't work very well. It leads to this feeling oddly inconsequential given the wider scope of his bibliography, lacking that emotional attachment that mamakes his dark fiction so goddamn effective. Not bad, but nothing particularly stand out either. It has one whopper of an anti climax, too.
April 3, 2025
In his third novel, Ketchum revisits a technique he'd established with his first book, Off Season: taking a plot straight out of the pulps and using it to sincerely explore the dark heart of mankind. Where his debut used cannibalism (as well as sexual assault and torture) as shorthand for all the ways people are nasty to each other, and Hide and Seek took loneliness to its extreme with its dilapidated house occupied by incestuous hillbillies, Cover uses the "crazed Vietnam vet stalks people using jungle tactics" plot to tackle PTSD, regret, and the gulf men create between themselves and women.
It's like Hemingway (there are no happy endings between men and women) stretched to a brutal conclusion, using the horrors of the Vietnam war as a filter.
It's like Hemingway (there are no happy endings between men and women) stretched to a brutal conclusion, using the horrors of the Vietnam war as a filter.
May 26, 2021
Solid 3.0. Overall a good read. Story flowed for the most part, some parts better than others. A lot of the story is more about the group camping and their lives, which really didn't need to be so detailed. Not a big fan of the end either. Plot was good but seemed to be lacking. Basically, a group of Hollywood types go camping and they seem sort of pretentious. They stumble across a weed growing Vietnam Vet with PTSD and violence follows. There really wasn't a need to have him as a pot grower, did nothing for the story really except his fellow grower gets killed too.
May 28, 2024
“People were not some Platonian half-circle creature wandering through life looking for the other half to make them whole. The model was wrong. People weren’t solid. There were hundreds of empty spaces. Thousands. They were shot full of holes. Someone came along and put a finger here, a finger there, and you bled less, and it helped. But no one could stop up all the holes.”
June 6, 2021
It is a slow burn, only kicking in by chapter 15 or so, but by chapter 18/20, business picks up and leaves you breathless until the very end. Well worth the wait on the beginning chapters, they really do help build the characters and their psychology.
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