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The Sentinel
A beautiful young model. The old brownstone apartment she simply had to have. The grotesque blind priest who watched down on her day and night from an upper-story window. The pair of perverted creatures who wanted her to join their circle. The mad little old man who gave her tea and sympathy. The cool, calculating, supremely rational lover who first mocked her fears.
And the secret you will never be able to forget, even if you try...
And the secret you will never be able to forget, even if you try...
372 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
210 people are currently reading
6699 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Konvitz
6 books66 followersJeffrey Konvitz was born in New York City, but after graduating from Cornell University and Columbia Law School, he headed to Los Angeles, where he lives and works as an entertainment finance attorney, producer (The Sentinel and Spy Hard, among others) and novelist. His first published novel (Simon and Schuster and Ballantine) was The Sentinel, which rose to Number 2 on the New York Times Mass Market Best Seller List. The Sentinel sequel, The Guardian, was also a bestseller along with his next book, Monster. He is now at work on the third book in The Sentinel Trilogy, currently untitled, while The Sentinel and The Guardian are being mounted for e-book sales.
This year, his newly-written historical novel, The Circus of Satan, will be published. It is a story of murder and revenge, set during the rise of organized crime in America from 1900 to 1912 when the Irish Mob ruled all major American cities, only to be taken down by its own hubris and the rise of the Jewish and Italian Mobs into labor racketeering and, then, bootlegging. Filled with real events and real heroes and villains, who rampaged from New York's Bowery through to Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Boston, it is the story of epic, transformative times and two violent men, who meet on a descent into blood and Hell.
This year, his newly-written historical novel, The Circus of Satan, will be published. It is a story of murder and revenge, set during the rise of organized crime in America from 1900 to 1912 when the Irish Mob ruled all major American cities, only to be taken down by its own hubris and the rise of the Jewish and Italian Mobs into labor racketeering and, then, bootlegging. Filled with real events and real heroes and villains, who rampaged from New York's Bowery through to Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Boston, it is the story of epic, transformative times and two violent men, who meet on a descent into blood and Hell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
October 21, 2016
When Allison Parker, a young model, returns to NYC after her father's funeral, she finds the perfect brownstone apartment. But what about the old blind priest who never leaves the building or her other, equally strange neighbors? What secrets is the building hiding?
Some books stand the test of time. Others remain a product of the time they were written. The Sentinel is one of the second type.
The setup for this book has a lot of potential. A woman moves into an apartment that seems to be a bargain and a lot of crazy shit happens. Too bad the rest of the book doesn't come close to living up to the potential of the setup.
From the beginning, I wanted to be interested but I didn't care about any of the characters enough to be invested in the story. Allison was an uninteresting doormat, Michael was a douche nozzle and he and Allison had zero chemistry. I had trouble believing they even knew each other, never mind them being in a relationship.
The paranoid, "is she going insane" angle of the book had potential but the cat was let out of the bag too quickly. The blind priest was the most interesting part of the book but not enough to save it.
As I said before, the book is a product of the time it was written. It feels like it was written specifically to capitalize on The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and other devil-themed works of the 1970s.
The writing was unremarkable and the transitions between scenes were rocky. By the time the big revelation happened, I didn't care anymore. The detective angle in the background felt like padding to me. I already hated Michael. It didn't matter to me if he killed his ex-wife or not. Also, who brings a chisel to a break-in without something to hit it with?
Hate is a strong word but I can't think of anything good to say about this book except that the premise was promising and another writing could probably make hay with it. It really didn't work for me and I can't say I'd recommend it to anyone unless they want to read a shitty haunted house story for some reason. One star out of five.
Some books stand the test of time. Others remain a product of the time they were written. The Sentinel is one of the second type.
The setup for this book has a lot of potential. A woman moves into an apartment that seems to be a bargain and a lot of crazy shit happens. Too bad the rest of the book doesn't come close to living up to the potential of the setup.
From the beginning, I wanted to be interested but I didn't care about any of the characters enough to be invested in the story. Allison was an uninteresting doormat, Michael was a douche nozzle and he and Allison had zero chemistry. I had trouble believing they even knew each other, never mind them being in a relationship.
The paranoid, "is she going insane" angle of the book had potential but the cat was let out of the bag too quickly. The blind priest was the most interesting part of the book but not enough to save it.
As I said before, the book is a product of the time it was written. It feels like it was written specifically to capitalize on The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and other devil-themed works of the 1970s.
The writing was unremarkable and the transitions between scenes were rocky. By the time the big revelation happened, I didn't care anymore. The detective angle in the background felt like padding to me. I already hated Michael. It didn't matter to me if he killed his ex-wife or not. Also, who brings a chisel to a break-in without something to hit it with?
Hate is a strong word but I can't think of anything good to say about this book except that the premise was promising and another writing could probably make hay with it. It really didn't work for me and I can't say I'd recommend it to anyone unless they want to read a shitty haunted house story for some reason. One star out of five.
September 30, 2019
I started my Halloween Reads a day early!!
I actually loved the movie and I think I own it 🤔. It scared me a bit when I was little! 🎃 The book was ok 🤷🏻♀️
Happy Reading! 🎃🧟♀️🍁
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I actually loved the movie and I think I own it 🤔. It scared me a bit when I was little! 🎃 The book was ok 🤷🏻♀️
Happy Reading! 🎃🧟♀️🍁
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
July 29, 2011
Hi All! So, the way I discovered, The Sentinel, was through Jeff Konvitz himself. We met, went out, enjoyed each others company. Then he told me about the book. I love a good horror read! So he gave me a copy and I read it. An easy read for a scary weekend... it was fun. Then I read The Guardian, which I enjoyed even more... the interesting thing is! I found the treatment for the third one!! We've been married for 14 years and I found it on the back shelf recently. Also, I found another completed book on the shelf! A historical fiction! He's taken that one off the shelf and has been inspired to write... after all these years! Hopefully he will start on the 3rd part of The Sentinel after the historical fiction! And for me, acting in horror films (Jillian McWhirter) I know how amazing horror fans are! So, hopefully the third part of The Sentinel will be out within the next year or so!! Thanks for hanging in there! Jill
August 23, 2025
I love the movie which is packed with stars from the '70s, but I never realized it was based on a book!
I feel like it reads easier than a lot of older novels, but some of the scene transitions (especially at the end) were jarring. Most of the mystery also slowly unravels, so parts of the book are going to be confusing and a bit repetitive for a while.
Instead of outright scares, it's more of a psychological creeping full of weirdness. Charles Chazen is incredible, and I wish there was a book just about him, his parakeet, and his black and white cat with the black and white birthday cake.
I'm glad I read it as an ebook because a man with freckled hands covered in tufts of white fur was mentioned several times without any explicit callbacks, so the search function was a major help.
I did find some of the sins bothersome. It is a product of the '70s and Christianity is central to the plot, but there were a couple of things that were considered sinful that shouldn't be and it stuck with me throughout the novel. It's probably not fair to expect older satanic panic novels to be PC, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more without those parts.
I feel like it reads easier than a lot of older novels, but some of the scene transitions (especially at the end) were jarring. Most of the mystery also slowly unravels, so parts of the book are going to be confusing and a bit repetitive for a while.
Instead of outright scares, it's more of a psychological creeping full of weirdness. Charles Chazen is incredible, and I wish there was a book just about him, his parakeet, and his black and white cat with the black and white birthday cake.
I'm glad I read it as an ebook because a man with freckled hands covered in tufts of white fur was mentioned several times without any explicit callbacks, so the search function was a major help.
I did find some of the sins bothersome. It is a product of the '70s and Christianity is central to the plot, but there were a couple of things that were considered sinful that shouldn't be and it stuck with me throughout the novel. It's probably not fair to expect older satanic panic novels to be PC, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more without those parts.
July 1, 2017
A real 70s classic. A model is moving into a flat of an old brownstone and meets some eerie people there. Who are they and where do they come from? Unforgotten is the blind priest Father Halliran always sitting int the window and staring out. Then there is Michael, Allison's boyfriend and a detective named Gatz. What role does Michael play in here? A pageturning novel full of suspense and horror. Top-recommendation!
July 17, 2014
This was a very entertaining and addictive read. It was mysterious. I didn't know what was going on til the very end. Halfway through it became sort of a whodunit, but I wasn't disappointed because it still kept its horror aspect. The ending was surprising and had some very interesting elements that tied it all in dealing with religious themes. I also had no idea that its a movie, so can't wait to ser it someday. Recommend strongly.
October 25, 2024
I enjoyed the authors writing style and found this an easy read. But nothing was particularly compelling. Very few horror scenes and the ending was a little underwhelming. But I would just about reccommend this one as I could see somebody enjoying it more than I did. I am also going to check out the movie that was made because the story was an interesting premise at least.
Alison is a professional model who moves into an apartment building and befriends the locals. But when she finds out that there is only one person living there, her boyfriend suggests she may be losing her mind. But is it as simple as that? Or are there other mysterious forces at play?
Alison is a professional model who moves into an apartment building and befriends the locals. But when she finds out that there is only one person living there, her boyfriend suggests she may be losing her mind. But is it as simple as that? Or are there other mysterious forces at play?
March 4, 2020
3.5 Stars
This was an entertaining and reasonably creepy modern classic. I never watched the movie so I went into the book quite blind. It was clear from the start that the author was inspired by Rosemary’s Baby, which made it hard not to compare it to the classic that I loved so much. While not an all time favourite, I still very much enjoyed this one. I really liked the ending.
This was an entertaining and reasonably creepy modern classic. I never watched the movie so I went into the book quite blind. It was clear from the start that the author was inspired by Rosemary’s Baby, which made it hard not to compare it to the classic that I loved so much. While not an all time favourite, I still very much enjoyed this one. I really liked the ending.
November 4, 2024
Silly, but grotesquely entertaining entry in the late 60s/early 70s religious horror boom. It feels a little like Rosemary’s Baby at times, with a young woman facing weird events (and neighbours) in a NY brownstone. Like Rosemary’s Baby the Hollywood adaptation was helmed by a European bad boy director. The fact that Rosemary got Roman Polanski and The Sentinel got Michael Winner tells you all you need to know about the relative quality of the source material.
October 19, 2023
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pub. Date: January 1977
Martie's Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Mini-Review
Reread “The Sentinel,” which is a near-classic horror thriller that was written in 1977. I was searching for another Halloween read, and because “The Sentinel” is reminiscent of both William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist” and Ira Levin’s “Rosemary’s Baby,” I chose the ideal book to frighten me all over again. The story revolves around a young female model with a traumatic childhood who is now living in New York City. She moves into a brownstone apartment with a creepy blind priest sitting in one of the building’s windows. He can appear not to be human, suggesting evil. Alternatively, the model is going insane because her boyfriend is gaslighting her. The novel does not hold up to the test of time as well as the Levin and Blatty books, probably because Konvitz’s writing does not have the same depth. That doesn’t mean that it still didn’t scare the bijous out of the Catholic schoolgirl in me.
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Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pub. Date: January 1977
Martie's Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Mini-Review
Reread “The Sentinel,” which is a near-classic horror thriller that was written in 1977. I was searching for another Halloween read, and because “The Sentinel” is reminiscent of both William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist” and Ira Levin’s “Rosemary’s Baby,” I chose the ideal book to frighten me all over again. The story revolves around a young female model with a traumatic childhood who is now living in New York City. She moves into a brownstone apartment with a creepy blind priest sitting in one of the building’s windows. He can appear not to be human, suggesting evil. Alternatively, the model is going insane because her boyfriend is gaslighting her. The novel does not hold up to the test of time as well as the Levin and Blatty books, probably because Konvitz’s writing does not have the same depth. That doesn’t mean that it still didn’t scare the bijous out of the Catholic schoolgirl in me.
Find all my book reviews at:
https://books6259.wordpress.com
https://www.goodreads.com
https://www.amazon.com
https://www.facebook.com/martie.neesr...
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/c...
June 20, 2017
Well... this book was ok. Allison got on my nerves sometimes but not so much that I hated her or couldn't finish the book. The story was very interesting. I never saw that ending coming!
October 24, 2022
Has its moments, but overall it felt very dated and all the buildup leads to an ultimately unsatisfying ending.
November 1, 2020
This book was right up my alley with the creepy apartment/tenants, it was a great read for Halloween, I also enjoyed the nostalgia of the day when one had to walk 9 blocks to find a payphone to make a call ;-)
Allison was an annoying character and Michael was very unlikeable but all the other, interesting supporting characters made up for that
Allison was an annoying character and Michael was very unlikeable but all the other, interesting supporting characters made up for that
November 12, 2025
This book was so good. The first scary book I’ve read in years, although more suspenseful than anything. I’d categorize it to The Sixth Sense type of horror.
The story is about Allison, who has dealt with attempted suicides in the past due to abuse from her father and some personal choices she’s made. She moves into an apartment and becomes friends with an old man named Mr. Chazen who’s best friends are a parakeet and a cat. She’s also neighbors with an old blind priest who seems to never come out of his apartment. As the story commences, ominous things happen to Allison and people aren’t who they seem. Her boyfriend Michael try’s to help her uncover the mysteries of what’s going on while a detective Gatz is uncovering clues of Michael’s past to show that he may not be the good guy he seems to be. What will become of Allison’s eternal fate?
The story is about Allison, who has dealt with attempted suicides in the past due to abuse from her father and some personal choices she’s made. She moves into an apartment and becomes friends with an old man named Mr. Chazen who’s best friends are a parakeet and a cat. She’s also neighbors with an old blind priest who seems to never come out of his apartment. As the story commences, ominous things happen to Allison and people aren’t who they seem. Her boyfriend Michael try’s to help her uncover the mysteries of what’s going on while a detective Gatz is uncovering clues of Michael’s past to show that he may not be the good guy he seems to be. What will become of Allison’s eternal fate?
August 30, 2022
3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads!
This book is a fun, unholy time (if you can stomach the misogyny, homophobia, and the fact that the protagonist's boyfriend is an absolute asshole. Ah, the 70's.)
A young woman burdened by a dark past, an apartment listing too good to be true, strange neighbors (including...*clutches pearls*... LESBIANS!), a blind priest, and the gates of Hell, all wrapped up in 200+ pages of an occult horror classic.
And yet, my favorite part of this book is the birthday party for the neighbor's cat.
This book is a fun, unholy time (if you can stomach the misogyny, homophobia, and the fact that the protagonist's boyfriend is an absolute asshole. Ah, the 70's.)
A young woman burdened by a dark past, an apartment listing too good to be true, strange neighbors (including...*clutches pearls*... LESBIANS!), a blind priest, and the gates of Hell, all wrapped up in 200+ pages of an occult horror classic.
And yet, my favorite part of this book is the birthday party for the neighbor's cat.
April 22, 2022
Pocas veces una novela consigue hacerme perder el sueño. Lo habitual es que disfrute de su historia, que me inquiete, que me lleve a esos pasajes anhelados en los que uno duda de si conviene encender o no la luz…pero al llegar el momento de irme a la cama suelo caer rendido, perdido entre mis pensamientos cotidianos.
Sin embargo, fueron varias las veces en que mi cabeza se iba una y otra vez a las implicaciones que tiene todo lo que nos narra Jeffrey Konvitz en este Centinela. Y es curioso, ya que en realidad esta historia no cuenta nada nuevo que se aleje de la eterna lucha entre el bien y el mal. No es necesario desvelar demasiado de la trama pero digamos que juega en la misma liga que otras obras emblemáticas de su época. En especial de La semilla del diablo, pero este libro posee esa pequeña magia que te lleva a través de sus hojas a los rincones más oscuros que frecuentan nuestros miedos.
La historia de nuestra protagonista, Allison Parker, mujer independiente con algún que otro trauma del pasado, la lleva a alquilar un apartamento cuyos vecinos tienen comportamientos un tanto especiales. Su vuelta al trabajo tras el fallecimiento de su padre, y su necesidad de vivir sola, alejada de su novio, le genera una ansiedad que se materializa en frecuentes dolores de cabeza y desmayos, los cuales se verán aliviados al sujetar con fuerza un pequeño crucifijo que tenía olvidado.
A pesar de lo recurrido de su argumento la novela consigue transmitir todo ese mal rollo necesario para que su experiencia se vuelva aterradora. Situaciones desconcertantes, apariciones grotescas y fantasmales, comportamientos siniestros, secretos oscuros…toda una serie de momentos que parecen sublimarse ante la presencia de un centinela que vigila desde su ventana los acontecimientos que se van desarrollando a lo largo de la novela. Permítame que deje de lado todas las implicaciones y las claves que rodean a este personaje que titula la novela y que sea el propio lector el que descubra lo que se esconde tras esa mirada.
Por otro lado, a pesar de las grandes virtudes que se encuentran en esta historia, su narrativa está completamente lastrada por una visión arcaica de una sociedad en donde el papel de la mujer queda relegado a un espacio impropio para los tiempos actuales. Quizás como advertencia a las jóvenes del momento, a mediados de la década de los setenta, acerca del peligro que supone tratar de vivir de manera independiente y no bajo la fuerte protección masculina. Es lamentable comprobar como la novela se divide en dos partes en las que, a mitad de la narración, se deja de lado a su protagonista para centrarse en la validez del hombre para resolver conflictos o como algunos de los momentos más estremecedores de la historia vengan generados por la orientación sexual de algunos personajes de relevancia en la historia. O la de veces que la solución que se adopta ante la elevación de la voz de la protagonista sea respondida con una contundente bofetada.
Dejando de lado todo eso, la historia se disfruta y mucho puesto que Konvitz consigue mantener en todo momento el desconcierto de una historia que requiere de esa sensación para llevar al lector hacia las puertas del mismo infierno. Cuando terminas por aceptar esa propuesta, el miedo te acompaña a cada párrafo del último tercio de la novela y a partir de ahí, las pesadillas se materializarán desde el momento en que apagas la luz de tu cuarto.
Sin embargo, fueron varias las veces en que mi cabeza se iba una y otra vez a las implicaciones que tiene todo lo que nos narra Jeffrey Konvitz en este Centinela. Y es curioso, ya que en realidad esta historia no cuenta nada nuevo que se aleje de la eterna lucha entre el bien y el mal. No es necesario desvelar demasiado de la trama pero digamos que juega en la misma liga que otras obras emblemáticas de su época. En especial de La semilla del diablo, pero este libro posee esa pequeña magia que te lleva a través de sus hojas a los rincones más oscuros que frecuentan nuestros miedos.
La historia de nuestra protagonista, Allison Parker, mujer independiente con algún que otro trauma del pasado, la lleva a alquilar un apartamento cuyos vecinos tienen comportamientos un tanto especiales. Su vuelta al trabajo tras el fallecimiento de su padre, y su necesidad de vivir sola, alejada de su novio, le genera una ansiedad que se materializa en frecuentes dolores de cabeza y desmayos, los cuales se verán aliviados al sujetar con fuerza un pequeño crucifijo que tenía olvidado.
A pesar de lo recurrido de su argumento la novela consigue transmitir todo ese mal rollo necesario para que su experiencia se vuelva aterradora. Situaciones desconcertantes, apariciones grotescas y fantasmales, comportamientos siniestros, secretos oscuros…toda una serie de momentos que parecen sublimarse ante la presencia de un centinela que vigila desde su ventana los acontecimientos que se van desarrollando a lo largo de la novela. Permítame que deje de lado todas las implicaciones y las claves que rodean a este personaje que titula la novela y que sea el propio lector el que descubra lo que se esconde tras esa mirada.
Por otro lado, a pesar de las grandes virtudes que se encuentran en esta historia, su narrativa está completamente lastrada por una visión arcaica de una sociedad en donde el papel de la mujer queda relegado a un espacio impropio para los tiempos actuales. Quizás como advertencia a las jóvenes del momento, a mediados de la década de los setenta, acerca del peligro que supone tratar de vivir de manera independiente y no bajo la fuerte protección masculina. Es lamentable comprobar como la novela se divide en dos partes en las que, a mitad de la narración, se deja de lado a su protagonista para centrarse en la validez del hombre para resolver conflictos o como algunos de los momentos más estremecedores de la historia vengan generados por la orientación sexual de algunos personajes de relevancia en la historia. O la de veces que la solución que se adopta ante la elevación de la voz de la protagonista sea respondida con una contundente bofetada.
Dejando de lado todo eso, la historia se disfruta y mucho puesto que Konvitz consigue mantener en todo momento el desconcierto de una historia que requiere de esa sensación para llevar al lector hacia las puertas del mismo infierno. Cuando terminas por aceptar esa propuesta, el miedo te acompaña a cada párrafo del último tercio de la novela y a partir de ahí, las pesadillas se materializarán desde el momento en que apagas la luz de tu cuarto.
May 4, 2011
I have to admit this story had me somewhat bored and I just skimmed the second half of the book to "finish" it. Not scary or even very interesting.
The main character is a rich model named Allison. She starts having headaches and fainting spells for some reason. This is what happens throughout at least the first third of the book. The word "migraine" is used interchangeably with "headache", which is kind of a pet peeve of mine since I suffer from migraines and they are not a normal headache. Also, everyone keeps giving her aspirin, and that would likely not help a migraine.
Ok, moving on. Allison and her boyfriend Michael have ZERO chemistry together, and seem to not like each other very much. It's like the author realized this and had to stick in lines like "You know I love you, right?" to let us know they were not supposed to hate each other.
Then you find out that Michael was married when he and Allison started dating (UGH!) and when his wife decided she wanted a divorce, Michael either outright killed her or drove her to suicide. Classy. So at this point I decide I don't even like these characters, but nothing has happened yet to make this a novel of the horror genre, so I keep reading. Really it seems like the scariest things that happen in this book are Allison's hallucinations. The "horror" bits take on a religious cast in the second half, and this book seems to end in a bunch of religious nonsense. Religious horror can be done well, like in the Exorcist, a book I gave 5 stars. Not here, though.
I want to address a few other reviewers that had issue with the lesbian couple being referred to as "perverts". Now, I don't know if the author was calling them that just because they were lesbians. I have no issue with them being called such, because when Allison met them, one of them started masturbating in front of her. When Allison asks the other woman what they do for a living, she says she does nothing and that they spend their time fondling each other. I'm sorry, but those are perverts, whether they were a hetero couple or not. I suppose it was a bit cold for the book to just refer to them as "the lesbians", but if it were me they would have been "crazy bitches".
So overall not recommended. Sloppily written, unlikeable characters, and not scary.
The main character is a rich model named Allison. She starts having headaches and fainting spells for some reason. This is what happens throughout at least the first third of the book. The word "migraine" is used interchangeably with "headache", which is kind of a pet peeve of mine since I suffer from migraines and they are not a normal headache. Also, everyone keeps giving her aspirin, and that would likely not help a migraine.
Ok, moving on. Allison and her boyfriend Michael have ZERO chemistry together, and seem to not like each other very much. It's like the author realized this and had to stick in lines like "You know I love you, right?" to let us know they were not supposed to hate each other.
Then you find out that Michael was married when he and Allison started dating (UGH!) and when his wife decided she wanted a divorce, Michael either outright killed her or drove her to suicide. Classy. So at this point I decide I don't even like these characters, but nothing has happened yet to make this a novel of the horror genre, so I keep reading. Really it seems like the scariest things that happen in this book are Allison's hallucinations. The "horror" bits take on a religious cast in the second half, and this book seems to end in a bunch of religious nonsense. Religious horror can be done well, like in the Exorcist, a book I gave 5 stars. Not here, though.
I want to address a few other reviewers that had issue with the lesbian couple being referred to as "perverts". Now, I don't know if the author was calling them that just because they were lesbians. I have no issue with them being called such, because when Allison met them, one of them started masturbating in front of her. When Allison asks the other woman what they do for a living, she says she does nothing and that they spend their time fondling each other. I'm sorry, but those are perverts, whether they were a hetero couple or not. I suppose it was a bit cold for the book to just refer to them as "the lesbians", but if it were me they would have been "crazy bitches".
So overall not recommended. Sloppily written, unlikeable characters, and not scary.
October 27, 2016
Are Strange things happening? Or are those hallucinations?
Is it god or the devil?
Suspense! Horror! I loved the book and I love the movie! Totally scary!
Read
October 3, 2009Horror Classics Book Review
THE SENTINEL
By Jeffrey Konvitz
(Original publication date: 1974)
My suspicion is that there was a different expectation from horror in the 1970s. “The Sentinel” is not as horrific as one might expect from, what is considered, a classic horror work from the early boom of the genre. In 1974, Ira Levin and William Peter Blatty were the leaders of the burgeoning genre, and King had yet to become a household name. Most people didn’t know the difference between a well-written thriller vs. a balls-to-the-wall horror tale. One part mystery and one part horror, this is the space in which Konvitz’s novel falls.
When New York City fashion model, Allison Parker, decides to rent an apartment in a crumbling brownstone building, she is pulled into the mystery of the domicile. A blind priest sits at his eternal vigil in the top floor, and the rooms are full of people who seemingly do not exist. Her life is going out of control after the death of her father; her boyfriend quite possibly murdered his wife to be with her, and who is the naked old man that walks the floors above her at midnight?
Universal Studios took this story and turned it into a classic creepy film. The movie is full of nice touches of light and shadow, slow buildups to some great scares, and great characters we care about.
The book has almost none of these things.
What it does have is a nasty take on lesbians (referred to by most of the characters as perverts), shite dialogue that sounds like a Saturday afternoon radio drama from the 40s, and block-headed descriptive passages that gloss over any attempt at elegance. The extraneous scenes that could have been weeded from this work are too many to count here, but let us just say that a good editor would have been a godsend. And what’s truly astounding is that Dario Argento took a fairly similar notion and created the film “Susperia” a few years later.
Go figure.
All that aside, why is this considered a classic of the genre?
Because in some ways this is a transitional work, one that we can look back on now and recognize as a link between gothic horror and modern (urban) horror. Konvitz took one of the most identifiable tropes of gothic horror (lone female moves into place with mysterious past) and used it to create an admixture of old and new. The story strives for a modern cosmopolitanism, while sitting firmly in the tradition of gothic literature. Sadly, it doesn’t always work, but “The Sentinel” still remains a brick in the wall of the genre.
--Nickolas Cook
04/26/06
THE SENTINEL
By Jeffrey Konvitz
(Original publication date: 1974)
My suspicion is that there was a different expectation from horror in the 1970s. “The Sentinel” is not as horrific as one might expect from, what is considered, a classic horror work from the early boom of the genre. In 1974, Ira Levin and William Peter Blatty were the leaders of the burgeoning genre, and King had yet to become a household name. Most people didn’t know the difference between a well-written thriller vs. a balls-to-the-wall horror tale. One part mystery and one part horror, this is the space in which Konvitz’s novel falls.
When New York City fashion model, Allison Parker, decides to rent an apartment in a crumbling brownstone building, she is pulled into the mystery of the domicile. A blind priest sits at his eternal vigil in the top floor, and the rooms are full of people who seemingly do not exist. Her life is going out of control after the death of her father; her boyfriend quite possibly murdered his wife to be with her, and who is the naked old man that walks the floors above her at midnight?
Universal Studios took this story and turned it into a classic creepy film. The movie is full of nice touches of light and shadow, slow buildups to some great scares, and great characters we care about.
The book has almost none of these things.
What it does have is a nasty take on lesbians (referred to by most of the characters as perverts), shite dialogue that sounds like a Saturday afternoon radio drama from the 40s, and block-headed descriptive passages that gloss over any attempt at elegance. The extraneous scenes that could have been weeded from this work are too many to count here, but let us just say that a good editor would have been a godsend. And what’s truly astounding is that Dario Argento took a fairly similar notion and created the film “Susperia” a few years later.
Go figure.
All that aside, why is this considered a classic of the genre?
Because in some ways this is a transitional work, one that we can look back on now and recognize as a link between gothic horror and modern (urban) horror. Konvitz took one of the most identifiable tropes of gothic horror (lone female moves into place with mysterious past) and used it to create an admixture of old and new. The story strives for a modern cosmopolitanism, while sitting firmly in the tradition of gothic literature. Sadly, it doesn’t always work, but “The Sentinel” still remains a brick in the wall of the genre.
--Nickolas Cook
04/26/06
August 30, 2018
Oh boy, old fashioned horror stuff going on here! I give a lot of leeway to 1970's horror novels. Generally they're not going to have the pace of modern horror novels. Even the saturation of 80's horror paperbacks that hit the bookstores make these older novels seem like silent movies in comparison. Still, I love the old stuff. It had a style and, if you give them the patience they sometimes deserve, they're a lot of fun to read. This novel has some good things going for it. It's got a pretty neat New York setting. You get a taste of 1970's manners and culture. It's also a well written example of commercial fiction. The problem I had with it is that the main character, Allison Parker, doesn't present much for the reader to relate to. If you met her at a cocktail party you'd probably remember a pretty, but somewhat vapid, young woman and forget about her soon afterward. Her boyfriend, Michael Farmer, is a lawyer, of course, and pretty much a jerk. You might ask yourself, why is she going with such an obvious jerk, then determine that they probably deserve each other. There is a shift about halfway through the novel that brings in a jaded and obsessive New York police detective named Gatz. Gatz has a hatred for Michael Farmer, and is convinced that Farmer is guilty of the death of Farmer's first wife. Then you learn that Allison was seeing Micheal Farmer while he was still married to his now deceased wife. What the hell? Why should I root for this person? Why should I care? And you read it for the horror stuff you've been promised on the blurb. Or you could just see the movie if it ever shows up on Underground Classics on TCM.
February 4, 2020
When a cat birthday party and an appearance from Jeff Goldblum are the most interesting things in a horror movie, you can't really say it's a successful chiller, can you? For some reason both the randomness and bizarreness work better in the book, and the plot doesn't drag quite as much as in the jarringly slow movie. Sure, Allison is pretty much made out of thin air as a character, and her boyfriend is such a punchable sleazeball that it's almost otherworldly, but the hilariously strange and creepy neighbors, the mystery and eeriness surrounding the brownstone, and the enigma of the blind priest all add to the cheesy world of 70s satanic craze.
I don't find religious horror scary or even that interesting (The Exorcist nearly put me to sleep), but The Sentinel is kooky and a bit of a mess in a good way, and I'm partial to that sort of thing. It's the kind of entertaining oddball novel that I'll gladly champion instead of a much too serious and sedate one that is touted as a masterpiece.
Oh, and I love the surprise cover this edition has!
I don't find religious horror scary or even that interesting (The Exorcist nearly put me to sleep), but The Sentinel is kooky and a bit of a mess in a good way, and I'm partial to that sort of thing. It's the kind of entertaining oddball novel that I'll gladly champion instead of a much too serious and sedate one that is touted as a masterpiece.
Oh, and I love the surprise cover this edition has!
April 25, 2025
Review: THE SENTINEL by Jeffrey Konvitz
Originally published in 1974, and later adapted as film, THE SENTINEL relates the tragic tale of model Allison Parker, an Indiana native living the dream in Manhattan. The death by terminal illness of her long-estranged father should finally free her from the traumatic chains of her past. Certainly, the serendipity of discovering an affordable renovated brownstone apartment is an external indicator of her new good fortune. But "too good to be true" often has a gritty underside. How could psychologically disordered naif Allison expect that the brownstone is a virtual portal to hell?
Originally published in 1974, and later adapted as film, THE SENTINEL relates the tragic tale of model Allison Parker, an Indiana native living the dream in Manhattan. The death by terminal illness of her long-estranged father should finally free her from the traumatic chains of her past. Certainly, the serendipity of discovering an affordable renovated brownstone apartment is an external indicator of her new good fortune. But "too good to be true" often has a gritty underside. How could psychologically disordered naif Allison expect that the brownstone is a virtual portal to hell?
November 16, 2014
I enjoy scary books, but add Satan and a priest and I can't put them down. Catholic thing, I'm sure. For fans of Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby, the Sentinel borrows obviously and heavily. Both books are set in New York City, and both begin with a pretty young catholic girl hunting for the perfect apartment in an old brownstone. Rosemary's new husband is an overly-ambitious actor, and Allison's long-time boyfriend is an overly ambitious lawyer. You almost want to shout at Allison: "Be careful! Didn't you read Rosemary's Baby?" Although the plots diverge from there, this initial tension pervades both books.
The basic conflict that makes this genre work is that the very fantastic stories we learned in church seem irrelevant in the world outside. But, what happens if they are not so irrelevant? Throw in a sympathetic woman, some unsavory characters, and a good mystery and you have The Sentinel ... or The Exorcist, The Omen or Rosemary's Baby. I enjoyed the story, but it lacked the allegorical morality of the Exorcist or the freshness of Rosemary's Baby, and depended more on over-the-top supernatural phenomenon. Maybe not a classic, but fun if you enjoy Satan and priests :)
The basic conflict that makes this genre work is that the very fantastic stories we learned in church seem irrelevant in the world outside. But, what happens if they are not so irrelevant? Throw in a sympathetic woman, some unsavory characters, and a good mystery and you have The Sentinel ... or The Exorcist, The Omen or Rosemary's Baby. I enjoyed the story, but it lacked the allegorical morality of the Exorcist or the freshness of Rosemary's Baby, and depended more on over-the-top supernatural phenomenon. Maybe not a classic, but fun if you enjoy Satan and priests :)
May 27, 2019
A rare instance where the book and the film are equally as good. Clear, descriptive writing, and scary in all the best ways. Both the book and the film are not to be missed!
Ok full disclosure, when I wrote the first part of this review, I hadn't finished it. Having now finished it, my rating went down by two full stars...
Not particularly well written, and 3/4 the way thru, I wanted to choke Allison myself. The film, in this case, is far better.
Ok full disclosure, when I wrote the first part of this review, I hadn't finished it. Having now finished it, my rating went down by two full stars...
Not particularly well written, and 3/4 the way thru, I wanted to choke Allison myself. The film, in this case, is far better.
August 17, 2020
A creepy novel, a little dated, and with difficult characters, but it works. The pieces are fit together skilfully.
August 28, 2021
Forget 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'The Exorcist' and get ready for the ultimate excursion into the depths of HELL! Welcome to Jeffrey Konvitz' classic story of 'The Sentinel' and don't expect to sleep after finishing this one!
First published in 1974 and made into a well known horror movie starring Christina Raines and Chris Sarandon, this is a classic tale of the Sentinel, the keeper and watcher of the entrance to the Gates of HELL!
Alison Parker is a high paid New York fashion model, who just has to have the ultimate brownstone in Brooklyn Heights....what she does not know, is once she moves in, she will never move out!
Her best friend Jennifer tells her it is the perfect address, close to her work and just the best of views of the New York skyline.....Alison must have it. Upon moving in, her wealthy boyfriend Michael is excited for her. When she gets her first neighborly visit from one of her new neighbors, a strange little man by the name of Charles Chazen, and his bird Mortimer and his black and white cat, Jezebel; Alison is kind of taken aback with his forcefulness of just walking in before being asked to come in. As Alison starts meeting more of the tenants, she is tormented by severe migraines, and disturbing nightmares and scary sounds in the middle of the night. One night when she is awoke to the ceiling light swaying, and pounding on the walls.....Alison goes to investigate and this is when this horrifying tale of demonic possession and ghosts revs into high gear and turns on the scares and gore. Graphic violence, a scary and blind priest that sits in a window watching her every move, gruesome scenes of ghostly lesbians, dead people walking around the building, and one of the most terrifying scenes of incestuous murder that you will never forget, and all this takes place in under 300 pages!! The book spawned a sequel; 'The Guardian'. If you have not read this horror classic, I highly recommend it. I have read this now multiple times.....most recently finishing just this evening. 4.5 😱😱😱😱
First published in 1974 and made into a well known horror movie starring Christina Raines and Chris Sarandon, this is a classic tale of the Sentinel, the keeper and watcher of the entrance to the Gates of HELL!
Alison Parker is a high paid New York fashion model, who just has to have the ultimate brownstone in Brooklyn Heights....what she does not know, is once she moves in, she will never move out!
Her best friend Jennifer tells her it is the perfect address, close to her work and just the best of views of the New York skyline.....Alison must have it. Upon moving in, her wealthy boyfriend Michael is excited for her. When she gets her first neighborly visit from one of her new neighbors, a strange little man by the name of Charles Chazen, and his bird Mortimer and his black and white cat, Jezebel; Alison is kind of taken aback with his forcefulness of just walking in before being asked to come in. As Alison starts meeting more of the tenants, she is tormented by severe migraines, and disturbing nightmares and scary sounds in the middle of the night. One night when she is awoke to the ceiling light swaying, and pounding on the walls.....Alison goes to investigate and this is when this horrifying tale of demonic possession and ghosts revs into high gear and turns on the scares and gore. Graphic violence, a scary and blind priest that sits in a window watching her every move, gruesome scenes of ghostly lesbians, dead people walking around the building, and one of the most terrifying scenes of incestuous murder that you will never forget, and all this takes place in under 300 pages!! The book spawned a sequel; 'The Guardian'. If you have not read this horror classic, I highly recommend it. I have read this now multiple times.....most recently finishing just this evening. 4.5 😱😱😱😱
December 22, 2019
Allison returns to New York after having spent months at home watching her father die. When she returns to her (horribly obnoxious) boyfriend, she must begin looking for a new apartment. She finds herself a place in a lovely brownstone with a fully furnished apartment. But there's a problem...
At first I thought this book was reminiscent of Rosemary's Baby - a nice girl moves into a creepy building and starts meeting the odd neighbors. Then it took a fast U-turn, spun out, tires blazing and took off in the other direction. I couldn't tell if Allison was just plain crazy, if Michael was attempting to drive her crazy, or if something else altogether was happening. I must say that I LOATHED Michael. What a pompous asshole. I was actively hoping something bad would happen to him!
This has been on my To Buy list for a looooong time, and I'm so glad that I finally bought it and read it. Creepy and compelling.
At first I thought this book was reminiscent of Rosemary's Baby - a nice girl moves into a creepy building and starts meeting the odd neighbors. Then it took a fast U-turn, spun out, tires blazing and took off in the other direction. I couldn't tell if Allison was just plain crazy, if Michael was attempting to drive her crazy, or if something else altogether was happening. I must say that I LOATHED Michael. What a pompous asshole. I was actively hoping something bad would happen to him!
This has been on my To Buy list for a looooong time, and I'm so glad that I finally bought it and read it. Creepy and compelling.
April 24, 2020
For the most part I was pleased with this little gem I found in a thrift store. The copy was printed in 1976 and was old and creepy looking. After trying a couple of horrors that disappointed me, I picked it up expecting literally nothing only to find that it read not dissimilar to Rosemary’s Baby. It was the kind of writing that I adore in an old school horror, exceptionally creepy while also being really subtle. It read like a scary 80’s film and I proceeded to stay up in the dark reading this odd little book until 3am. The first half of the book was incredibly unsettling and I respect it for it’s complete originality in the type of horror it brought to the table. Where this book lost some of the magic was slightly toward the end which it rushed through a little. If it had stayed with that slow building of horror, it would have not only scared the shit out of me but been a solid 5 star read.
July 28, 2020
Hoo boy, that was bad! I think I found this on some list/recommendation of scary books. This is not at all scary, but it is poorly written, sexist, homophobic, very right-wing, and deeply stupid. I do not recommend. I am absolutely going to watch the film adaptation because I have to see if it improves on the source material.
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