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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The only know survivor of the 1973 Texas massacre that took the lives of thirty-three victims describes the macabre killing spree and the vicious killer known as "Leatherface." Original. (A New Line Cinema film, written by Scott Kosar, directed by Marcus Nispel, releasing on DVD March 2004, starring Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour, Andrew Bryniarski, R. Lee Ermey, & Lauren German)
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 3, 2026
In a remote farmhouse in Texas, police were dispatched to investigate a cryptic residence where a crazed young woman claims she just barely managed to escape from with her life. Within the confines of this morbid hellhole, they discover the grotesquely mutilated corpses of 33 victims, butchered in the fashion of livestock in a slaughterhouse. The woman claims that this is the macabre craftsmanship of Leatherface, a chainsaw-wielding psycho who wears the skin of his victims to hide his severely deformed face. She recounts her insane tale of the nightmare she experienced in that place.
This was... actually pretty damn scary! I recently read the novelization of Halloween and felt it was a bit subpar in many ways. To be fair, I felt the same way about the original movie. I confess I've never seen the movie for Chainsaw Massacre, but I was expecting something in the same vein as the story of Michael Myers. I was dead wrong. While there are definitely some similarities between the setup and the main villains, the execution here is much stronger.
There are multiple villains in this story, every single one of them is terrifying. Leatherface on his own is pretty damn scary, but the way all of the other villains work alongside him to psychologically destroy and manipulate their victims dials the horror factor up quite a few notches. Once the main cast of characters end up stranded in the domain of this cult-like family of sadistic psychos, it becomes a nonstop thrill-ride with lots of shocking twists, gruesome imagery and constant psychological tension. I also found the backstory of Leatherface to be surprisingly sad. I wasn't expecting to empathize with such a perversely gross and violent dude, but I did feel a little bad for him at some points.
While the horror elements and all of the villains were awesome, I can't say I really liked any of the main characters at all which is a shame. They were all selfish, rude and annoying and none of them had developed backstories. They were just a bunch of cookie cutter slasher film teen characters that were created just to be killed. If they were better written I think I could have easily given this book a 5/5.
While I wish more was done with the protagonists, I loved the villains and the extreme horror throughout the majority of the book was exciting and ruthlessly intense.
This was... actually pretty damn scary! I recently read the novelization of Halloween and felt it was a bit subpar in many ways. To be fair, I felt the same way about the original movie. I confess I've never seen the movie for Chainsaw Massacre, but I was expecting something in the same vein as the story of Michael Myers. I was dead wrong. While there are definitely some similarities between the setup and the main villains, the execution here is much stronger.
There are multiple villains in this story, every single one of them is terrifying. Leatherface on his own is pretty damn scary, but the way all of the other villains work alongside him to psychologically destroy and manipulate their victims dials the horror factor up quite a few notches. Once the main cast of characters end up stranded in the domain of this cult-like family of sadistic psychos, it becomes a nonstop thrill-ride with lots of shocking twists, gruesome imagery and constant psychological tension. I also found the backstory of Leatherface to be surprisingly sad. I wasn't expecting to empathize with such a perversely gross and violent dude, but I did feel a little bad for him at some points.
While the horror elements and all of the villains were awesome, I can't say I really liked any of the main characters at all which is a shame. They were all selfish, rude and annoying and none of them had developed backstories. They were just a bunch of cookie cutter slasher film teen characters that were created just to be killed. If they were better written I think I could have easily given this book a 5/5.
While I wish more was done with the protagonists, I loved the villains and the extreme horror throughout the majority of the book was exciting and ruthlessly intense.
October 8, 2021
"House of Horror stuns nation - massacre in Texas. Chainsaw butcher kills 33."
We all know the story; a group of friends on their way to a concert in Texas fall prey to Thomas Hewitt Brown aka Leatherface - a hulking behemoth of sheer power and mindless violence, wearing a real human face as a mask for his hideous deformity.
From the chainsaw wielding maniac to the backwoods sheriff under the family's thumb, this book is pure nightmare fuel. I absolutely loved the movies and it was awesome to be able to read the book as well.
The only thing I have to nitpick at is that it needed a little editing and the author was overly dramatic at times in his narration. Lots of caps and exclamation points, and just worded very over-the-top. Other than that, an awesome book.
We all know the story; a group of friends on their way to a concert in Texas fall prey to Thomas Hewitt Brown aka Leatherface - a hulking behemoth of sheer power and mindless violence, wearing a real human face as a mask for his hideous deformity.
From the chainsaw wielding maniac to the backwoods sheriff under the family's thumb, this book is pure nightmare fuel. I absolutely loved the movies and it was awesome to be able to read the book as well.
The only thing I have to nitpick at is that it needed a little editing and the author was overly dramatic at times in his narration. Lots of caps and exclamation points, and just worded very over-the-top. Other than that, an awesome book.
May 21, 2023
Holy hell this was an insane ride! As a reader and fan of both extreme horror and splatterpunk, I was honestly taken aback by the intensity of this book. To me, this is definitely extreme horror. Some of the lines read like death metal lyrics. Some of the scenes were so brutal they made me grimace in disgust and wonder. And, unlike the film, you get more of a peek into the twisted psyche of the Hewitt family members. I'm not saying this is high art, and the notions of what is "good" or "bad" are certainly subjective, but I enjoyed the hell out of this book. I'm a huge fan of the film as well and I feel that this is a wonderful companion piece. Definitely check this out if you are a fan of writers such as Matthew Vaughn, Ryan Harding, Brian Berry, CV Hunt, Aron Beauregard, etc... This will brutalize you in the best way possible.
PS - I listened to the 80s Slasher Librarian version of this book, which can be found on the Slash Trax Network channel on YouTube. It's raw and homemade, like a great death metal demo from the early 90s, or a no-budget indie slasher movie. I had so much fun listening to it, even when my stomach was churning. I highly recommend it!
PS - I listened to the 80s Slasher Librarian version of this book, which can be found on the Slash Trax Network channel on YouTube. It's raw and homemade, like a great death metal demo from the early 90s, or a no-budget indie slasher movie. I had so much fun listening to it, even when my stomach was churning. I highly recommend it!
June 20, 2016
I am usually not one for a book made AFTER a movie but I have to admit I really enjoyed this book. It parallels the movie for sure with some nice added touches to make it an interesting read. While I did see the movie back in early 2000's it did not stop me from becoming completely engulfed in this book.
June 25, 2010
This was a really mindless novelization of the remake that came out in the early 2000's. I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to read this, other than I was a teenager and probably pining for some trash to distract me from having to read "Heart of Darkness" in high school.
October 31, 2013
the best slasher story ever made!
leather face icon with the chainsaw always makes everyone scary.
this story remind myself if be careful on strangers,because can be bad news never can't you imagine!
so,watch you step!!!;)
leather face icon with the chainsaw always makes everyone scary.
this story remind myself if be careful on strangers,because can be bad news never can't you imagine!
so,watch you step!!!;)
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February 6, 2014its soo awsome
May 30, 2019
Awful and poorly written
February 9, 2023
I don't think I can accurately describe my feelings regarding this book. I'm an avid fan of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre; a movie that created a cult following and an iconic character loved by many. The concept, atmosphere and overall vibe of the original timeline's movie was what drew me in and made me want to discover more. Eventually, I leaned towards the remake and thought that it wouldn't hurt to try the book adaptation first (I just need to consume any piece of media with leatherface in it) and hoo boy... what a journey.
First off, this version of TCM is far more crass and dark and twisted. The Hewitts are deranged and more sophisticated than their predecessors. The original had a simple yet eerie charm- you knew close to nothing about them, yet that's what made it terrifying and fun. When you have the chance to theorize and guess what happened to turn a character this way, it gives you the opportunity to imagine and expand the movie's universe in your own way. This is how I felt about the original leatherface: Bubba Sawyer. He was a character shredded in mystery, with only few details about his past revealed to the audience. I loved that about him, loved how most of his character was 'shown' rather than 'told'. Everyone had their own perception of leatherface and it was just beautiful.
Thomas Brown Hewitt, however, has a detailed history. This book contained nearly everything, from his roots to the reason behind his murderous psychotic behavior. The way it was revealed was absolutely brilliant. The pacing of this book, the atmosphere, the writing- it was all so very immersive! I usually dislike when something is too 'in your face' (makes it feel as though the author thinks his readers are idiots) but the reveals in this book were subtle. Some twists were completely unexpected and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It takes real talent to stretch a movie plot into a full-length book while simultaneously not making it feel tedious to read. I didn't skip a single page.
Another thing that is praiseworthy are the characters. Look, I'm not one to care much about stupid teenagers doing stupid crap in slasher movies. I usually root for the killer, because why should I care about 2 dimensional idiots whose only character traits are being horny and wasted? But hear me out- I actually cared about the teenagers in this book. At first, not so much, but midway in... I couldn't help but feel pity. The author did a fantastic job at humanising them and adding layers to their character. They weren't just a bunch of horny teens near the end of the book, they were people with lives, feelings, aspirations and dreams. They were characters and not fodder, they actually MATTERED to me and I was very emotional when they met their demise. Again, it takes real talent to do that, and I applaud the author for the way he handled them.
I guess the only negative thing I'd have to point out is the vulgarity. Certain scenes and details felt a little unnecessary. Some descriptions were too over the top and it made me think that the author tried too hard to make us feel disgusted. I know that this is a horror book and everything goes when your job is to terrorise readers and yadda yadda yadda... but come on... did we really need to visualise leatherface shitting on a girl's innards? Metaphor or not, it felt like a gross detail that didn't have it's place in the scene.
Vulgar language aside, the writing was very good. There were a lot of quote-worthy paragraphs and sentences that I had a bunch of fun saving. This entire book was entertaining to read and made me feel a lot of things at once. I debated on the rating, but it deserves a 5 in the end, because I rarely experience books as disturbing yet entertaining.
Bubba is still the best leatherface though.
First off, this version of TCM is far more crass and dark and twisted. The Hewitts are deranged and more sophisticated than their predecessors. The original had a simple yet eerie charm- you knew close to nothing about them, yet that's what made it terrifying and fun. When you have the chance to theorize and guess what happened to turn a character this way, it gives you the opportunity to imagine and expand the movie's universe in your own way. This is how I felt about the original leatherface: Bubba Sawyer. He was a character shredded in mystery, with only few details about his past revealed to the audience. I loved that about him, loved how most of his character was 'shown' rather than 'told'. Everyone had their own perception of leatherface and it was just beautiful.
Thomas Brown Hewitt, however, has a detailed history. This book contained nearly everything, from his roots to the reason behind his murderous psychotic behavior. The way it was revealed was absolutely brilliant. The pacing of this book, the atmosphere, the writing- it was all so very immersive! I usually dislike when something is too 'in your face' (makes it feel as though the author thinks his readers are idiots) but the reveals in this book were subtle. Some twists were completely unexpected and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It takes real talent to stretch a movie plot into a full-length book while simultaneously not making it feel tedious to read. I didn't skip a single page.
Another thing that is praiseworthy are the characters. Look, I'm not one to care much about stupid teenagers doing stupid crap in slasher movies. I usually root for the killer, because why should I care about 2 dimensional idiots whose only character traits are being horny and wasted? But hear me out- I actually cared about the teenagers in this book. At first, not so much, but midway in... I couldn't help but feel pity. The author did a fantastic job at humanising them and adding layers to their character. They weren't just a bunch of horny teens near the end of the book, they were people with lives, feelings, aspirations and dreams. They were characters and not fodder, they actually MATTERED to me and I was very emotional when they met their demise. Again, it takes real talent to do that, and I applaud the author for the way he handled them.
I guess the only negative thing I'd have to point out is the vulgarity. Certain scenes and details felt a little unnecessary. Some descriptions were too over the top and it made me think that the author tried too hard to make us feel disgusted. I know that this is a horror book and everything goes when your job is to terrorise readers and yadda yadda yadda... but come on... did we really need to visualise leatherface shitting on a girl's innards? Metaphor or not, it felt like a gross detail that didn't have it's place in the scene.
Vulgar language aside, the writing was very good. There were a lot of quote-worthy paragraphs and sentences that I had a bunch of fun saving. This entire book was entertaining to read and made me feel a lot of things at once. I debated on the rating, but it deserves a 5 in the end, because I rarely experience books as disturbing yet entertaining.
Bubba is still the best leatherface though.
April 13, 2019
I only gave this book 3 stars because if you have seen the remake with Jessica Beil than it’s basically the exact same. I would only recommend the book to someone, like myself, that is a Texas Chainsaw Massacre fan boy. The reason being is that there are subtle differences that are interesting and make you wonder why they didn’t leave that in the film. Especially since Hand wrote the book from the script.
I would say the little differences in the novelization should have been used in the film. I thought it made the story a bit more cohesive. Such as jedidiah not really being a Hewitt. Such as the van scene with Erin and Pepper. I thought it would have been more terrifying if they would have went the novel’s way and they made it a bit down the trail before the wheel came off.
I also thought that the novel was amazing in that it was even more gruesome and went into more detail, and went deeper into kemper than just bashing his head in and then that was it.
Overall, if you have seen the film don’t waste your time. That is unless you are a big fan like me. I would hope that someday a more gory, extended, uncut edition will be released.
I would say the little differences in the novelization should have been used in the film. I thought it made the story a bit more cohesive. Such as jedidiah not really being a Hewitt. Such as the van scene with Erin and Pepper. I thought it would have been more terrifying if they would have went the novel’s way and they made it a bit down the trail before the wheel came off.
I also thought that the novel was amazing in that it was even more gruesome and went into more detail, and went deeper into kemper than just bashing his head in and then that was it.
Overall, if you have seen the film don’t waste your time. That is unless you are a big fan like me. I would hope that someday a more gory, extended, uncut edition will be released.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2022
Well that was certainly something. I've never seen the 2003 TCM reboot, but I saw this on the 80s Slasher Librarian's channel, and felt like breaking up my listen of his fan audiobooks for the various Friday the 13th novels with something else.
It's interesting to get a look at the reboot movie's story, and I can never express enough my appreciation for The 80s Slasher Librarian's efforts to record these books so they can be accessible to more people as well as archived so they aren't totally lost. But the entire spirit behind this one was just...mean. There's no better way to explain it: the nature of the way this book is written is downright mean to all the characters in it. And Stephen Hand has a tendency to use graphically appalling turns of phrase with a regularity that I find distasteful. If you don't care for fatphobia, ableism, slut-shaming, body-shaming, misogyny/sexism, graphic descriptions of defecation and fecal matter that are as constant and graphic as the descriptions of blood and gore, and child endangerment and death, I'm here to tell you don't bother with this. It just get nauseating. Like I said, distasteful.
It's interesting to get a look at the reboot movie's story, and I can never express enough my appreciation for The 80s Slasher Librarian's efforts to record these books so they can be accessible to more people as well as archived so they aren't totally lost. But the entire spirit behind this one was just...mean. There's no better way to explain it: the nature of the way this book is written is downright mean to all the characters in it. And Stephen Hand has a tendency to use graphically appalling turns of phrase with a regularity that I find distasteful. If you don't care for fatphobia, ableism, slut-shaming, body-shaming, misogyny/sexism, graphic descriptions of defecation and fecal matter that are as constant and graphic as the descriptions of blood and gore, and child endangerment and death, I'm here to tell you don't bother with this. It just get nauseating. Like I said, distasteful.
February 7, 2017
Another well made work, based on true story will little edits and what?
Something which make it incredible, these stories keep scarying the hell out of people!
Something which make it incredible, these stories keep scarying the hell out of people!
May 22, 2017
This is an intense story and a look into an evil mind. Well done dark murder story.
November 23, 2018
This book is interesting and horrible.
September 5, 2025
I wanted to get this book finished around the 50th anniversary of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre but life happened and pushed me back a little from reading. I give this book a five star not only because it is one of my favorite horror movie remakes of all time but also this book did awaken the younger horror movie fan part of myself that really wanted to see this film on its first release. This novel does have some details involving the characters that wasn’t told or shown to us in the film. Including deleted scenes from the movie involving Erin’s pregnancy to Kemper and more of the hitchhiker’s story plot involving her family. Some deaths went into gory detail than the film so keep that in mind when you pick this book up and the language can get a little graphic at times when the writer is amping up a scene but eventually you will get used to the writing tone if you keep up with it. The ending was a little rushed involving the interview with Erin’s backstory after what happened in 1973. Also, the plot involving Leatherface as a shocking twist I kind of didn’t care for. But all in all the book followed closely to the film. If you enjoy The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003 film I would say give this novel a shot. But be fair warned this novel is expensive to own physically since it is out of print.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2021
Nearly running over a desperate, confused, frightened, hysterical young girl who tells everybody they are going to die before she sucks on a pistol and splatters her head cheese and blood all over the inside of the van, hot goblets dripping and caked on the wall. Leatherface smashing a sledgehammer down on the back of a skull, the victim unable to move, he is dragged along the floor, the victim looking at Leatherface, big, powerful, howling, squealing like a pig, rotten teeth encased in a mask of human skin, the victim looking at the face of hell. Then the industrial, rusty, heavy, slaughterhouse like door slammed shut, the cellar where evil resides. Another victim, his leg severed by a chainsaw, hung up on a meat hook tearing his organs, meat and sinew. Another victim with the chainsaw cutting in and out in the face, the cold blades mincing her vocal cords and whipping out her windpipe before she could scream. The stillness of the night raped and buttfucked by sound of the chainsaw. Finally a meat cleaver will sever Leatherface's arm, the butcher/psycho/cannibal now bleeding and injured the bubonic, syphilitic eyes still scanning. The grimey, bloody, cesspool of the story will stick to your skin.
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October 4, 2021i just wanna say, that i saw the movie (1974) today, bc it's october 3rd (it's mean girls day, i know) but, yes, i think i will be into trash horror movies more often, bc they are really my thing for sure.
August 15, 2023
Stephen Hand's writing skills are powerful! This novel's even better than the movie! The psychological description is nicely put, and the preface and epilogue are wonderful. Especially in the epilogue, the journalist guessed the whereabouts of Leatherface! Well done!
October 29, 2023
I really loved this. If you loved the remake of the movie, I highly recommend reading this book because it allows you to look at the perspective and minds of each character. It's just an interesting read in the end.
November 29, 2022
Better than the movie...but not really that enjoyable.
June 26, 2023
Ahhh, one of my favorite horror books. I loved that movie as well but of course nothing is better than the book. Most of the time!
July 14, 2023
The movie was better
October 29, 2023
A thought-provoking and beautifully written journey that challenges and expands perspectives.
November 21, 2023
Didn't expect to finish this in one sitting, but here I am. Really well told.
March 21, 2024
Youtube
August 29, 2024
surprisingly good? better than the movie? idk lol. I wanted something spooky, got something spooky. can’t complain
October 23, 2024
Jessica Biel film
made compelling splatterpunk-
it's an achievement.
made compelling splatterpunk-
it's an achievement.
September 29, 2025
2.5/5 stars. While I generally enjoyed the overall story, the writing was lackluster and juvenile.
January 2, 2025
Longer than it needs to be, just like the movie but I liked a lot of the little extra details and lore sprinkled in. The intro and little twist in the epilogue are also fun additions. My biggest complaint is that while it describes everything a bit more and it's pretty good with that, it also gets really dramatic in descriptions where sometimes it's like 'oh boy, you're trying too hard to add some extra edge here' and it comes off more ridiculous than brutal and gross. Don't get me wrong, it's still brutal and gross but it's not written as well as some other books I've read where it makes your stomach churn. You'd also think for a novelization, maybe they'd flesh the characters out better... and there's a small attempt but not really, there's not much added depth that you wouldn't get from watching the film and that unfortunately makes it feel a bit lackluster. I still like it though and it's a nice side piece to the film but for such a rare find, which I'm lucky to have a physical copy of for a reasonable price, I wanted something packing more punch. If only The Beginning got a nice novelization like this too!
June 14, 2025
Not sure how to rate this, but it’s surprisingly better than the movie… though I’m not a fan of some of the word choices.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews