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Spare Key
Rachel was cursed. She was sure of it. She always seemed to get the fruitcake neighbours. No matter where she went, they were always the selfish and inconsiderate people who had no respect for anyone else. And she was sure her last one had been the worst of rude and obnoxious, fond of loud music and endless parties, he'd made her life a living hell. Once he disappeared, she was certain that nobody would ever be that bad again. But she was wrong. After two months of peace, a new tenant is moving in next door and Rachel is about to discover just how bad a neighbour can be. Because even though her new neighbour is supposed to be starting a fresh life. Even though he is planning to take the pills just like the doctor told him to... Ben Fowler has a Red Room in his mind. A special, secret place he built where he can take revenge on the lady responsible for the horrors of his childhood. It's just unfortunate that Rachel looks exactly like her... And that a neighbourly gesture of good will years earlier could provide Ben with all the temptation he needs to slip back into his old habits. The debut novella by R. Frederick Hamilton is a graphic and disturbing story of urban horror that is not for the faint of heart. Included in the volume are two short stories guaranteed to leave a bad taste in your mouth. The a horrific portrayal of teens degenerating into sadism, and Writer's a surreal trip into the world of a boy held captive by his body-building mother.
- GenresHorror
228 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
R. Frederick Hamilton
5 books18 followersR Frederick Hamilton is an author from Melbourne, Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 21, 2011
***REVIEW RATING : NC-17 (18 IN BRITAIN) for scenes of extreme violence , constant sexual references and an insulting and high-handed tone of voice***
The debate about female equality here in the west has got tired and stale, everybody knows all the arguments, and it bogs down into long-winded stuff about the need for more child care provision and glass ceilings and gender pay gaps and having-it-all discussions (you can have it all, no you can’t, you can if you re-introduce the concept of domestic servants – ah, yes, then you can! – but see how the domestic servants are all low paid women… aw heck…). The economic arguments are still all there – how many publicly quoted companies have women CEOs? – Well, if you really wanna know, 12 of the Fortune 500 companies. That figure rockets up to 25 out of the Fortune 1000 companies.
So that’s on one level. A whole category of argument, and that goes on and on and on.
But there’s a whole other level.
There’s an amazing throbbing gushing onrushing river of misogyny which flows on unabated throughout this planet of nine billions humans. A quick riffle through any recent newspaper will get you trafficking of females, female genital mutilation, stoning of women, etc. But I never watch the news, it’s boring. Let’s watch a movie instead. Crack open a tube of liquid gold, and settle back. I’ve been shopping on the internet and I found some movies which look pretty interesting.
So, in no particular order, I got IRREVERSIBLE (2002) – let me read out what this review says…
It was also noted for its excruciatingly-long, almost-unbearable, nine-minute real-time beating and anal-rape sequence - shot with a static camera - of Alex (Monica Bellucci) in a deserted Parisian underpass tunnel lit by a reddish glow, by a stranger
What’s that? You don’t wanna see that one? Oh, okay. What about ICHI THE KILLER (2001)… er, it says “A wild parade of murder, mutilation and sexual violence. The BBFC were unamused, demanding 3 minutes and 15 seconds of cuts before granting it an "18" in 2002, the most cuts to an 18 rated movie since 1994. The Board took umbrage with what they called "erotically explicit violence" which "could have a harmful effect on certain viewers". They stated that the violence against women "seemed to have no function other than the pleasure of the onlooker."
Hmmm, no good? Okay… what about The Human Centipede (2009).. here’s the review…
In his horrific midnight movie, two American girls Lindsay (Ashley C. Williams) and Jenny (Ashlynn Yennie) traveling in Europe on a road trip experienced a flat tire at night in the rain, and came into contact with demented retired Nazi-Germany surgeon Dr. Heiter (Dieter Laser) at his luxurious modern villa. After drugging the drinks of the two girls, and tying them up on hospital beds in his basement operating room….
No? Man alive, you’re hard to please. Okay, well, here’s another French movie, you usually like those..Inside (2007)… the review says
À l'intérieur is written and co-directed by Alexandre Bustillo offers only a few minutes of introduction before launching into a melee of intense violence and gore. It tells the story of a pregnant woman whose husband has recently died in a car accident. On Christmas Eve, a she prepares to go the hospital to give birth, a strange woman appears at her home and attempts to take her unborn child. Throughout the night, the stranger violently terrorizes the pregnant mother…
No ? Then I suppose "Tumbling Doll of Flesh" (1998) by Tamakichi Anaru is gonna be right out. Shame, this one sounds really good. Listen :
a Japanese shocker about three thugs who sexually abuse,torture and dismember a young woman whilst filming their horrible actions. Typically twisted Japanese porno sickie that offers plenty of sadistic sexual violence and grisly gore.There is no plot to speak of,just plenty of hard core sex scenes and lots of blood.The special effects are quite impressive-the dismemberment of Japanese porn actress is shown in unflinching detail
Okay, I could go on. But what do you make of this quote from a movie fan site?
I had some pretty high hopes for Philosophy of a Knife (Andrey Iskanov, 2008). Like, really, really high. When I chose it for review, I was assured it was “fucking brutal.” Of course. How could it not be? The DVD case cover alone depicts the image of a naked, disemboweled, curiously nipple-less woman bound and gagged with nothing but barbed wire as the shadow of a scalpel-wielding surgeon looms ominously. The back of the case proclaims the film as “truly one of the most violent, brutal, and harrowing movies ever made.” It sounded like it was right down my alley. IMDB user reviews said – nay, promised – I would walk away feeling violated from the sheer level of gory blasphemy.
I like gore. I love gore. And torture. And the vicious, inappropriate use of vintage medical implements. This film seemed to have it all! Philosophy appeared to have all the makings of a truly brutal film-watching experience.
Sounds like he was really disappointed that the film didn’t live up to the hype. This other fanboy sounds happier:
Folks, trust me, Andrey Iskanov does torture, mutilation, rape and dismemberment like nobody in the genre. It’s truly a work of absolute beauty and psychotic inspiration; not unlike a Picasso painted in blood and feces
We turn our sickened eyes away from such stuff – actually, we probably don’t ever get to hear about them in the first place, who’s going to announce in the office that they saw Tumbling Doll of Flesh last night, you wanna borrow it? Nobody. I think this stuff must be bought and watched in secret.
So, let us consign the movies, where modern directors like to make movies like Irreversible and call them transgressive or essential or some such euphemism, to a special circle of hell, and retire to the library and the bookshop. Ahh, that’s better,
I see on my shelf the famous novel 2666 by Roberto Bolano. I’d like to read it , I’m fascinated, everyone says it’s great stuff, but what’s this goodreads review saying?
In the fourth part of 2666, “The Part About the Crimes,” Bolaño chronicles these deaths of females in horrific and exacting detail. Spanning nearly three hundred pages, this may be some of the most haunting, harrowing writing in modern literature, as Bolaño’s descriptions of murder, rape, and mutilation are all the more unsparing in their effect per the clinical, detached tone he employs. “No one pays attention to these killings, but the secret of the world is hidden in them,” a character asserts. Incomprehensible in their brutality, it seems even Bolaño was at a loss to make sense of the (still) ongoing “feminicidios.” Later in part four, “…the inspector told him he shouldn’t try to find a logical explanation for the crimes. It’s fucked up, that’s the only explanation.”
I’m thinking – do I need this? I’ve already had the American Psycho experience, I don’t need an update. Hnh!
2666 and American Psycho are the Irreversible and Funny Games and Dogville of books. The violence against women is tricked out as art. Hey, don’t come after me with that nail gun, it might even BE art. Look at my forehead – does it say Art Professor? No, it don’t.
But underneath those books, those high profile big name books, far below, swirling and burbling around, is stuff like The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum, The Seven Days of Peter Crumb by Jonny Glynn, and the slim volume of which this vomitous diatribe is ostensibly a review, Spare Key.
In which a cute guy in his 20s has been in the psycho ward for slaughtering ten women but is then released because his doctor is experimenting on a new drug. (Keep taking the tablets, Ben! But guess what, he doesn’t. That’s a surprise.)
Like that would ever happen in ten trillion years. I mean, psychotics have indeed been released and killed again, that always makes the paper, but they weren’t inside for killing ten women. Those guys are not released. Ever. But R Frederick Hamilton, our first time author, doesn’t care about that because he wants to get to the gore . So Ben’s revenge fantasies against his mother begin to surface & take over. Why his mother? Well, it’s the usual sad story. His mother liked to do all this nasty sex and violence to him when he was just a little lad. I’ll spare you the details. But anyway, our serial killer was the real victim here, wasn’t he. It was a bad woman what done it. The brutalised son is fated to revenge himself repeatedly against his mother through his female victims. And Ben’s detailed daydreams of the happy slice, dice, meathook and Bateman-stylee soft part-meets-power-tool sessions – that’s the stuff our author really wants to write about. You get pages of that. You get your money’s worth.
Why did I read this? Because folks are inclined to say that you shouldn’t judge something until you’ve experienced it yourself I guess. Although I have no intention of checking out Tumbling Doll of Flesh any time soon.
Well, perhaps this river of misogynistic shit which floweth and floodeth everywhere one looks is the price we all pay for freedom of expression. Don’t wanna go back to the fifties, do we? No sir.
Moreover, finding myself tut-tutting at the moral depravity and swirling filth of these books and movies makes me sound like all the people I don’t want to be.
What do we want?
CENSORSHIP OF MISOGYNY!!
When do we want it?
ER, WE’LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT!!
This is my dilemma. One of them, anyway. Nick Lowe once asked in song:
What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?
and now I ask:
What’s so funny about suggesting that men stop writing novels where a man chops up and sexually tortures a bunch of women?
and
What’s so funny about suggesting that men stop making movies where a man chops up and sexually tortures a bunch of women?
In fact there’s nothing at all funny about that.
The debate about female equality here in the west has got tired and stale, everybody knows all the arguments, and it bogs down into long-winded stuff about the need for more child care provision and glass ceilings and gender pay gaps and having-it-all discussions (you can have it all, no you can’t, you can if you re-introduce the concept of domestic servants – ah, yes, then you can! – but see how the domestic servants are all low paid women… aw heck…). The economic arguments are still all there – how many publicly quoted companies have women CEOs? – Well, if you really wanna know, 12 of the Fortune 500 companies. That figure rockets up to 25 out of the Fortune 1000 companies.
So that’s on one level. A whole category of argument, and that goes on and on and on.
But there’s a whole other level.
There’s an amazing throbbing gushing onrushing river of misogyny which flows on unabated throughout this planet of nine billions humans. A quick riffle through any recent newspaper will get you trafficking of females, female genital mutilation, stoning of women, etc. But I never watch the news, it’s boring. Let’s watch a movie instead. Crack open a tube of liquid gold, and settle back. I’ve been shopping on the internet and I found some movies which look pretty interesting.
So, in no particular order, I got IRREVERSIBLE (2002) – let me read out what this review says…
It was also noted for its excruciatingly-long, almost-unbearable, nine-minute real-time beating and anal-rape sequence - shot with a static camera - of Alex (Monica Bellucci) in a deserted Parisian underpass tunnel lit by a reddish glow, by a stranger
What’s that? You don’t wanna see that one? Oh, okay. What about ICHI THE KILLER (2001)… er, it says “A wild parade of murder, mutilation and sexual violence. The BBFC were unamused, demanding 3 minutes and 15 seconds of cuts before granting it an "18" in 2002, the most cuts to an 18 rated movie since 1994. The Board took umbrage with what they called "erotically explicit violence" which "could have a harmful effect on certain viewers". They stated that the violence against women "seemed to have no function other than the pleasure of the onlooker."
Hmmm, no good? Okay… what about The Human Centipede (2009).. here’s the review…
In his horrific midnight movie, two American girls Lindsay (Ashley C. Williams) and Jenny (Ashlynn Yennie) traveling in Europe on a road trip experienced a flat tire at night in the rain, and came into contact with demented retired Nazi-Germany surgeon Dr. Heiter (Dieter Laser) at his luxurious modern villa. After drugging the drinks of the two girls, and tying them up on hospital beds in his basement operating room….
No? Man alive, you’re hard to please. Okay, well, here’s another French movie, you usually like those..Inside (2007)… the review says
À l'intérieur is written and co-directed by Alexandre Bustillo offers only a few minutes of introduction before launching into a melee of intense violence and gore. It tells the story of a pregnant woman whose husband has recently died in a car accident. On Christmas Eve, a she prepares to go the hospital to give birth, a strange woman appears at her home and attempts to take her unborn child. Throughout the night, the stranger violently terrorizes the pregnant mother…
No ? Then I suppose "Tumbling Doll of Flesh" (1998) by Tamakichi Anaru is gonna be right out. Shame, this one sounds really good. Listen :
a Japanese shocker about three thugs who sexually abuse,torture and dismember a young woman whilst filming their horrible actions. Typically twisted Japanese porno sickie that offers plenty of sadistic sexual violence and grisly gore.There is no plot to speak of,just plenty of hard core sex scenes and lots of blood.The special effects are quite impressive-the dismemberment of Japanese porn actress is shown in unflinching detail
Okay, I could go on. But what do you make of this quote from a movie fan site?
I had some pretty high hopes for Philosophy of a Knife (Andrey Iskanov, 2008). Like, really, really high. When I chose it for review, I was assured it was “fucking brutal.” Of course. How could it not be? The DVD case cover alone depicts the image of a naked, disemboweled, curiously nipple-less woman bound and gagged with nothing but barbed wire as the shadow of a scalpel-wielding surgeon looms ominously. The back of the case proclaims the film as “truly one of the most violent, brutal, and harrowing movies ever made.” It sounded like it was right down my alley. IMDB user reviews said – nay, promised – I would walk away feeling violated from the sheer level of gory blasphemy.
I like gore. I love gore. And torture. And the vicious, inappropriate use of vintage medical implements. This film seemed to have it all! Philosophy appeared to have all the makings of a truly brutal film-watching experience.
Sounds like he was really disappointed that the film didn’t live up to the hype. This other fanboy sounds happier:
Folks, trust me, Andrey Iskanov does torture, mutilation, rape and dismemberment like nobody in the genre. It’s truly a work of absolute beauty and psychotic inspiration; not unlike a Picasso painted in blood and feces
We turn our sickened eyes away from such stuff – actually, we probably don’t ever get to hear about them in the first place, who’s going to announce in the office that they saw Tumbling Doll of Flesh last night, you wanna borrow it? Nobody. I think this stuff must be bought and watched in secret.
So, let us consign the movies, where modern directors like to make movies like Irreversible and call them transgressive or essential or some such euphemism, to a special circle of hell, and retire to the library and the bookshop. Ahh, that’s better,
I see on my shelf the famous novel 2666 by Roberto Bolano. I’d like to read it , I’m fascinated, everyone says it’s great stuff, but what’s this goodreads review saying?
In the fourth part of 2666, “The Part About the Crimes,” Bolaño chronicles these deaths of females in horrific and exacting detail. Spanning nearly three hundred pages, this may be some of the most haunting, harrowing writing in modern literature, as Bolaño’s descriptions of murder, rape, and mutilation are all the more unsparing in their effect per the clinical, detached tone he employs. “No one pays attention to these killings, but the secret of the world is hidden in them,” a character asserts. Incomprehensible in their brutality, it seems even Bolaño was at a loss to make sense of the (still) ongoing “feminicidios.” Later in part four, “…the inspector told him he shouldn’t try to find a logical explanation for the crimes. It’s fucked up, that’s the only explanation.”
I’m thinking – do I need this? I’ve already had the American Psycho experience, I don’t need an update. Hnh!
2666 and American Psycho are the Irreversible and Funny Games and Dogville of books. The violence against women is tricked out as art. Hey, don’t come after me with that nail gun, it might even BE art. Look at my forehead – does it say Art Professor? No, it don’t.
But underneath those books, those high profile big name books, far below, swirling and burbling around, is stuff like The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum, The Seven Days of Peter Crumb by Jonny Glynn, and the slim volume of which this vomitous diatribe is ostensibly a review, Spare Key.
In which a cute guy in his 20s has been in the psycho ward for slaughtering ten women but is then released because his doctor is experimenting on a new drug. (Keep taking the tablets, Ben! But guess what, he doesn’t. That’s a surprise.)
Like that would ever happen in ten trillion years. I mean, psychotics have indeed been released and killed again, that always makes the paper, but they weren’t inside for killing ten women. Those guys are not released. Ever. But R Frederick Hamilton, our first time author, doesn’t care about that because he wants to get to the gore . So Ben’s revenge fantasies against his mother begin to surface & take over. Why his mother? Well, it’s the usual sad story. His mother liked to do all this nasty sex and violence to him when he was just a little lad. I’ll spare you the details. But anyway, our serial killer was the real victim here, wasn’t he. It was a bad woman what done it. The brutalised son is fated to revenge himself repeatedly against his mother through his female victims. And Ben’s detailed daydreams of the happy slice, dice, meathook and Bateman-stylee soft part-meets-power-tool sessions – that’s the stuff our author really wants to write about. You get pages of that. You get your money’s worth.
Why did I read this? Because folks are inclined to say that you shouldn’t judge something until you’ve experienced it yourself I guess. Although I have no intention of checking out Tumbling Doll of Flesh any time soon.
Well, perhaps this river of misogynistic shit which floweth and floodeth everywhere one looks is the price we all pay for freedom of expression. Don’t wanna go back to the fifties, do we? No sir.
Moreover, finding myself tut-tutting at the moral depravity and swirling filth of these books and movies makes me sound like all the people I don’t want to be.
What do we want?
CENSORSHIP OF MISOGYNY!!
When do we want it?
ER, WE’LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT!!
This is my dilemma. One of them, anyway. Nick Lowe once asked in song:
What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?
and now I ask:
What’s so funny about suggesting that men stop writing novels where a man chops up and sexually tortures a bunch of women?
and
What’s so funny about suggesting that men stop making movies where a man chops up and sexually tortures a bunch of women?
In fact there’s nothing at all funny about that.
August 19, 2016
Πολλές φορές, όταν διαβάζω ακραία βιβλια τρόμου, έχω την αίσθηση ότι ο συγγραφέας γράφει με το ένα χέρι μέσα στο σωβρακο.
Ο Χαμιλτον δε μου έδωσε την εντύπωση αυτή, ή νουβέλα έχει ένα έξυπνο εύρημα που κάνει τα χιλιογραμμενα αποσπάσματα του μανιακού μακελαρη που φαντασιωνεται βιασμούς με εργαλεία υποφερτα. Υπάρχει μία υποδόρια αίσθηση ειρωνείας που κάνει το ανάγνωσμα ενδιαφέρον.
Δυστυχώς όμως ή γραφή καθαυτή χάνει πολύ (και όχι λόγω μετάφρασης,η οποία ειναι εξαιρετικη) και δεν εξυψώνει το βιβλίο. Οι δύο ιστορίες που συμπληρώνουν το βιβλίο είναι εντάξει.
Ευχάριστο βιβλίο σπλαττερ.
Ο Χαμιλτον δε μου έδωσε την εντύπωση αυτή, ή νουβέλα έχει ένα έξυπνο εύρημα που κάνει τα χιλιογραμμενα αποσπάσματα του μανιακού μακελαρη που φαντασιωνεται βιασμούς με εργαλεία υποφερτα. Υπάρχει μία υποδόρια αίσθηση ειρωνείας που κάνει το ανάγνωσμα ενδιαφέρον.
Δυστυχώς όμως ή γραφή καθαυτή χάνει πολύ (και όχι λόγω μετάφρασης,η οποία ειναι εξαιρετικη) και δεν εξυψώνει το βιβλίο. Οι δύο ιστορίες που συμπληρώνουν το βιβλίο είναι εντάξει.
Ευχάριστο βιβλίο σπλαττερ.
July 4, 2012
Violent! Violent! and, of course, Violent!
Oh, i forgot,
VIOLENT!
Five stars for Robert Hamilton!
Oh, i forgot,
VIOLENT!
Five stars for Robert Hamilton!
August 16, 2019
There's something wonderful about reading an author for the first time and being blown away. It rarely happens, but when I finish a book by a writer I've never read before and make a mental note to read everything he or she has ever published, I feel like I've discovered a treasure I have to share with everyone. Ladies and gentleman (you know, those not familiar with him), please meet R. Frederick Hamilton.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
June 5, 2018
Ben je sexuálně orientovaný sériový vrah, jehož život je nekonečný koloběh hledání žen, které se podobají jeho matce, zběsilé masturbace a vraždění. Přesně taková je taky tahle knížka, jen namísto vraždění si dosaďte fantazírování, masturbace je zbytečně moc a všechno to zastřešuje třeskutá nuda. Fandím Hamiltonovi za to, že se pokusil reálně vykreslit nitro vraha, nicméně občas není na škodu vynechat vyčerpávající popisy myšlenkových pochodů a psát o něčem zajímavém…
March 15, 2015
Το βιβλίο αποτελείται από μια μεγαλούτσικη νουβέλα με τον τίτλο "Αντικλείδι", ένα μεγάλο διήγημα με τον τίτλο "Οι Σκηνοθέτες" και ένα μικρότερο διήγημα με τον τίτλο "Συγγραφική ένδεια".
Όσον αφορά την νουβέλα, έχουμε να κάνουμε μ'έναν ανώμαλο σαδιστή τύπο που μετακομίζει σε ένα συγκρότημα διαμερισμάτων, με μοναδικά αντικείμενα στον σάκο του τα αγαπημένα εργαλεία της δουλειάς και τα χάπια του που υποτίθεται ότι θα γιατρέψουν τα "οράματά" του για το Κόκκινο Δωμάτιο. Αμ δε, όμως, ο τύπος είναι πραγματικά άρρωστος, τον παίζει όλη μέρα και σκέφτεται αυτά που έκανε στο παρελθόν και, βλέποντας καθημερινά την όμορφη γειτόνισσα στο διπλανό διαμέρισμα, σκέφτεται πως με την σειρά της θα γίνει το επόμενο θύμα του. Βέβαια τα πράγματα δεν είναι καθόλου απλά... Δεν ξέρω γιατί, αλλά μου άρεσε. Η γραφή δεν είχε κάτι το ξεχωριστό, αλλά μου φάνηκε καλή και ευκολοδιάβαστη, βοήθησε στην γρήγορη ανάγνωση. Η πλοκή όπως θα περίμενε κανείς ήταν αρκετά απλή και μονότονη θα έλεγα, με το σπλάτερ της και τις άρρωστες στιγμές της, με μια γαμάτη έκπληξη προς το τέλος όμως. Πραγματικά το ευχαριστήθηκα το τέλος και σίγουρα δεν το περίμενα. Από κει και πέρα οι χαρακτήρες μου φάνηκαν εντάξει, σχετικά ενδιαφέροντες, χωρίς ιδιαίτερο βάθος πάντως. Σίγουρα δεν είναι για όλα τα γούστα ούτε για όλα τα στομάχια, μπορεί ν'αργεί να πάρει μπρος αλλά υπάρχουν πολλές σκηνές και περιγραφές με σαδισμό και αίμα.
Η παραπάνω νουβέλα ήταν το κυρίως πιάτο και το πιο χορταστικό.
Το πρώτο διήγημα, "Οι Σκηνοθέτες", περίπου είκοσι σελίδων, σχετικά δυνατό με κεντρικό θέμα τον βασανισμό ανηλίκων από ανήλικους, είχε το ενδιαφέρον του και τις σκληρές στιγμές του, όμως καμία σχέση με την νουβέλα. Σίγουρα πάντως ευκολοδιάβαστο και σε γενικές γραμμές μπορώ να πω ότι μου άρεσε.
Τέλος, το τρίτο διήγημα, με τον τίτλο "Συγγραφική ένδεια", έκτασης περίπου δέκα σελίδων, ήταν θα έλεγα αρκετά περίεργο και σχετικά πρωτότυπο. Πιο ελαφρύ από τις προηγούμενες δυο ιστορίες όσον αφορά την βία και το σπλάτερ, αλλά συνάμα αρκετά άρρωστο σαν ιδέα. Σίγουρα μου άρεσε.
Επιγραμματικά, έχουμε να κάνουμε με ένα αρκετά βίαιο και βρόμικο βιβλιαράκι τρόμου, που δεν προτείνεται σε όλους για αρκετούς λόγους. Δεν είναι ότι μου αρέσει να διαβάζω ιστορίες με λεπτομερείς σαδισμούς και ανώμαλες έως άρρωστες φαντασιώσεις, αλλά το συγκεκριμένο μου άρεσε. Βοήθησε βέβαια και το τέλος της νουβέλας, αλλά ακόμα και λίγο πριν από αυτό είχα αποφασίσει τον βαθμό. Τέσσερα αστεράκια. Αυτό δεν σημαίνει ότι ακόμα και οι φαν του είδους θα μείνουν το ίδιο ευχαριστημένοι, έτσι;
Όσον αφορά την νουβέλα, έχουμε να κάνουμε μ'έναν ανώμαλο σαδιστή τύπο που μετακομίζει σε ένα συγκρότημα διαμερισμάτων, με μοναδικά αντικείμενα στον σάκο του τα αγαπημένα εργαλεία της δουλειάς και τα χάπια του που υποτίθεται ότι θα γιατρέψουν τα "οράματά" του για το Κόκκινο Δωμάτιο. Αμ δε, όμως, ο τύπος είναι πραγματικά άρρωστος, τον παίζει όλη μέρα και σκέφτεται αυτά που έκανε στο παρελθόν και, βλέποντας καθημερινά την όμορφη γειτόνισσα στο διπλανό διαμέρισμα, σκέφτεται πως με την σειρά της θα γίνει το επόμενο θύμα του. Βέβαια τα πράγματα δεν είναι καθόλου απλά... Δεν ξέρω γιατί, αλλά μου άρεσε. Η γραφή δεν είχε κάτι το ξεχωριστό, αλλά μου φάνηκε καλή και ευκολοδιάβαστη, βοήθησε στην γρήγορη ανάγνωση. Η πλοκή όπως θα περίμενε κανείς ήταν αρκετά απλή και μονότονη θα έλεγα, με το σπλάτερ της και τις άρρωστες στιγμές της, με μια γαμάτη έκπληξη προς το τέλος όμως. Πραγματικά το ευχαριστήθηκα το τέλος και σίγουρα δεν το περίμενα. Από κει και πέρα οι χαρακτήρες μου φάνηκαν εντάξει, σχετικά ενδιαφέροντες, χωρίς ιδιαίτερο βάθος πάντως. Σίγουρα δεν είναι για όλα τα γούστα ούτε για όλα τα στομάχια, μπορεί ν'αργεί να πάρει μπρος αλλά υπάρχουν πολλές σκηνές και περιγραφές με σαδισμό και αίμα.
Η παραπάνω νουβέλα ήταν το κυρίως πιάτο και το πιο χορταστικό.
Το πρώτο διήγημα, "Οι Σκηνοθέτες", περίπου είκοσι σελίδων, σχετικά δυνατό με κεντρικό θέμα τον βασανισμό ανηλίκων από ανήλικους, είχε το ενδιαφέρον του και τις σκληρές στιγμές του, όμως καμία σχέση με την νουβέλα. Σίγουρα πάντως ευκολοδιάβαστο και σε γενικές γραμμές μπορώ να πω ότι μου άρεσε.
Τέλος, το τρίτο διήγημα, με τον τίτλο "Συγγραφική ένδεια", έκτασης περίπου δέκα σελίδων, ήταν θα έλεγα αρκετά περίεργο και σχετικά πρωτότυπο. Πιο ελαφρύ από τις προηγούμενες δυο ιστορίες όσον αφορά την βία και το σπλάτερ, αλλά συνάμα αρκετά άρρωστο σαν ιδέα. Σίγουρα μου άρεσε.
Επιγραμματικά, έχουμε να κάνουμε με ένα αρκετά βίαιο και βρόμικο βιβλιαράκι τρόμου, που δεν προτείνεται σε όλους για αρκετούς λόγους. Δεν είναι ότι μου αρέσει να διαβάζω ιστορίες με λεπτομερείς σαδισμούς και ανώμαλες έως άρρωστες φαντασιώσεις, αλλά το συγκεκριμένο μου άρεσε. Βοήθησε βέβαια και το τέλος της νουβέλας, αλλά ακόμα και λίγο πριν από αυτό είχα αποφασίσει τον βαθμό. Τέσσερα αστεράκια. Αυτό δεν σημαίνει ότι ακόμα και οι φαν του είδους θα μείνουν το ίδιο ευχαριστημένοι, έτσι;
January 26, 2010
Ben just got out of the loony bin and moved into a hideous lime-green apartment. The lime green perhaps an attempt to subdue the encroaching red. He needed his pills, especially with the pretty neighbor next door, Rachel. Rachel has had her share of wack-job neighbors and naturally is apprehensive about this one as well - and for good reason.
The story takes you into the depths of psychosis, obsession, deranged fantasy, and finally relief...but not the kind you would expect. "Spare Key" spares no detail on the depravities taking place. The book also includes two shorter stories - "The Filmmakers" and "Writer's Block" - both fun reads, almost like icky aftershocks from the main story.
It's gooey, warped and will leave you feeling sticky.
The story takes you into the depths of psychosis, obsession, deranged fantasy, and finally relief...but not the kind you would expect. "Spare Key" spares no detail on the depravities taking place. The book also includes two shorter stories - "The Filmmakers" and "Writer's Block" - both fun reads, almost like icky aftershocks from the main story.
It's gooey, warped and will leave you feeling sticky.
December 24, 2010
The novel Spare Key itself is a slow boiling and greatly characterized tale. Last House On The Left with a psychosis. It might take a while for the violence to start , but the author never bored me as he plunged into the brain of a very disturbed man. After that we are treated to a couple of sadistic and nasty scenes of extreme horror. This novel gets a 4 out of 5 from me.
The Filmmakers isn't all that interesting. Sure it is depraved, but the writing didn't come of as smoothly as it did in Spare Key. 2/5
The last very short read in this book is 'Writer's Block'. Surrealistic and pretty strange, but again not as interesting as Spare Key. I've still not decided yet if I give it a 2 or 3 out of 5...
Read this book for Spare Key. That novel is thoroughly worth it.
The Filmmakers isn't all that interesting. Sure it is depraved, but the writing didn't come of as smoothly as it did in Spare Key. 2/5
The last very short read in this book is 'Writer's Block'. Surrealistic and pretty strange, but again not as interesting as Spare Key. I've still not decided yet if I give it a 2 or 3 out of 5...
Read this book for Spare Key. That novel is thoroughly worth it.
September 14, 2014
I enjoyed this book through and through!
The first story, the Title story was fantastic, I couldn't put it down. Every gory detail was awesome and it was perfectly paced. Rachel is my absolute favorite protagonist ever.
The second story, despite the graphic gore of it all I did enjoy it though not in the same magnitude as Spare Key, though The Film Makers was good and touched on something quite dark and overall gruesome, but at the same time was enjoyable.
Writer's block was a nice way to end the volume, wasn't a gorefest and just a nice bit of salve for the rest of the book. Kind of like a calm way to end the book after the intense imagery and themes of the previous two stories.
Overall, I do recommend this book but only for the strong of stomach!
The first story, the Title story was fantastic, I couldn't put it down. Every gory detail was awesome and it was perfectly paced. Rachel is my absolute favorite protagonist ever.
The second story, despite the graphic gore of it all I did enjoy it though not in the same magnitude as Spare Key, though The Film Makers was good and touched on something quite dark and overall gruesome, but at the same time was enjoyable.
Writer's block was a nice way to end the volume, wasn't a gorefest and just a nice bit of salve for the rest of the book. Kind of like a calm way to end the book after the intense imagery and themes of the previous two stories.
Overall, I do recommend this book but only for the strong of stomach!
May 4, 2016
Got this book several years ago when it was free and I had just gotten my first kindle, so I was clicking on free books like crazy! Thank goodness it was free, cause this book was blech, dismal, repetitive, and just plain stupid. Dnf'd at 35%.
July 17, 2010
Predictable but loved the build up to the end...
Also liked the second story, especially when you know the places they visit.
Third story...WTF!
Also liked the second story, especially when you know the places they visit.
Third story...WTF!
February 8, 2016
Sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted.
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