Lori

by Robert Bloch

A young woman is plunged into a nightmare of supernatural madness and violence as the birth mother Lori never knew reaches out from beyond the grave to claim her daughter's body as her own and to consign Lori's soul to eternal damnation

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Literature, Suspense, Collections

282 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Robert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer. He was the son of Raphael "Ray" Bloch (1884, Chicago-1952, Chicago), a bank cashier, and his wife Stella Loeb (1880, Attica, Indiana-1944, Milwaukee, WI), a social worker, both of German-Jewish descent.

Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction, and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle; Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent.

He was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.

Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures. He also worked for a time in local vaudeville, and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. He was a good friend of the science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum. In the 1960's, he wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.

Reviews

[Alex Zuza Izaguirre · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first it might feel a bit slow, but once it picks up pace, it’s amazing. One of the best by this author.


En Español:

Al principio quizá se hace largo, pero cuando coge ritmo es lo mas. De este autor de las mejores.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Lori, published in 1989, was Bloch's last published novel before his death. He was continuously known as the "author of Psycho," even though he published more than 50 other novels, 50 other screenplays, and more than 400 short stories.

I’m always eager to dig into a Bloch creation – the man has a natural talent with words that makes writing seem effortless. It’s no wonder that when modern horror greats are asked who their inspirations were, Bloch makes most of those lists. That said, Lori proves the point that writing talent isn’t the only thing a book needs to make it worth reading.

The plot takes turns on the merry-go-round deciding what it wants to be. I’m guessing this wasn’t a pre-plotted piece. It flip flops between a murder mystery, psychological teaser, and all-out supernatural war. Blending the three works superbly if it’s cohesive; instead it turns out some of the hints aren’t fully realized at the end. I read segments and wondered where the story was going, it was impossible to tell; that unpredictability is usually good, but I think now that it’s all said and done that Bloch was finding his way and paving the story’s road while writing it. This caused more harm than success.

It starts subtle, slowly unraveling with confusion, but enough interest to keep me intrigued. Unfortunately the middle keeps confusion up too long where interest starts disappearing. The ending churned out a lackluster revelation, which I had semi-guessed already.

Lori was an okay heroine. She’s always convincing, but more likeable at the start than later. I didn’t understand her attraction to the doctor much and found her starting to get too snippy. There’s not many players in the story, none memorable enough to remember or grow attached to.

Overall Lori is a disappointing read. The very end was decent and slightly creepy, I just wish the entire book had that kind of impact. Bloch will always be worth reading, but this is a weaker offering from his collection. I guess they all had to have them.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pulpy, paranoid, possibly paranormal mystery about a college graduate who returns to her parents' burned-out home and finds an old yearbook, with a picture of a girl who looks exactly like her, dated from before she was born.

The IDW edition has a beautiful cover by Ben Templesmith, but contains a lot of typos. My favorite is "[the door] started to swing shit behind him."

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started with the discovery of a old high school year book in the burned out ruins of her family home - surrounded by death and devoid of family, Lori seeks truth through the paranormal. I expected more horror from the author of 'Psycho' than psychological suspense. As the story progressed and the POV altered from Lori's story to a cop (Metz) of the verge of retirement, I felt the author wasn't sure which direction he wanted to take the mystery surrounding the death of Lori parents - be it a homicide investigation, horror, Lori's estranged family, or a good old fashioned PI angle. There were many references of life portrayed through film which grew tiresome and repetitive and didn't add anything to the story. There were a few interesting plot threads but not enough to warrant more than a 2 star rating for mind.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Bloch is a very talented writer. That's evident just from how his words flow and the way he can tell a story. I really enjoyed this. A page turner that kept me glued the entire read. However, when it was all wrapped up, there were just a few things that left me confused. The confusing plot points were still minor to me in the overall scheme of things, however, and for the most part this was great. Mystery, supernatural thriller, horror, a little bit of everything. Some readers think the mish mash of genres hurt the novel, and while there's probably some truth to that, I did still like it.

[Will Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This started so strong then just fell into a cycle of the protagonist going from meeting to meeting and not really progressing the plot along. This was a huge departure from the master work the was “ Psycho”.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another great read from Robert Bloch. I stayed up late into the wee hours reading this one!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich mag diese Art von Old School Horror :D

[Leonardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixture of psychological thriller with supernatural horror elements that never quite manages to balance all its elements, "Lori" nevertheless presents a disturbing and enrapturing tale of a young woman's late 20th-century life being disrupted by dark forces from the past. The least that can be said about this book is that its decidedly ambitious, although that ambition may hinder its overall effect. There are great redeeming elements in this book: the depiction of the slow breaking-down of the (allegedly) main character, the dark appeal of her (suppoused) allies/saviours, and even the humor-tinged hommage to noir literature. Nevertheless, they never quite manage to work together. There are too many red herrings and false leads that distract the reader from the main protagonist's discovery of her dark origins and the crumbling down of her world. Nevertheless, when Bloch focuses on the psychological elements, the book really manages to present a story that will not be easy to forget (even if the protagonist herself pales in comparison to her own story).

[Jaksen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all what I expected. Very little suspense, mystery or excitement to this story. I always look at the publication date of an 'older' novel and try to remember what we were doing at that time. (If I was around then.) This sort of 'sets' the story in place and time for me. (I do this only if the book was written as a contemporary story.)

So in the late 80's, I tried to remember events, what tech. products were new, who was president, etc. What was the climate of the country, what were we all talking about...

So, from that POV the story might have been a little 'scary' in the late 80's and early 90's. Maybe, or maybe not. What happens to Lori - and what did happen to her in the past - was not so much an exciting, eerie, or weird 'revelation' as it was a yawn and a 'so what?'

If you do choose this book to read, keep in mind it is no 'Ripper tale' or Psycho. It moves right along and is a fairly quick read, but I was very disappointed in the whole book.

[Coyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely wasn't the greatest book I've ever read. Certainly Bloch's prose style is engaging, but darned if I could work up any affection for Lori or the other characters involved. Lori is much like the lead in Rebecca , always making mountains out of molehills and going places she shouldn't mentally (well, granted, people actually ARE out to get Lori, but still...).
So why four stars? Because Bloch achieves what few writers (or TV shows, or movies, for that matter) actually can, despite great efforts at it: he actually leaves us wondering whether anything supernatural had occured or not.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say this. I was pretty embarrassed to read this based solely on the cover art. It is dated and aesthetically horrible but that aside I read it in a day. It isn't great but it is a quick page turner. For some reason, I saw that Stephen King recommended this and this was probably years ago. I was in the mood for a light thriller and this seemed right up my alley. It was written I think in '89 so there's that. Not the most fabulous heroine either but over all I didn't hate it. But it's the guy that brought us Psycho so that is fun.

[Reyomega · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book consistently kept me guessing. It's a mind-bender and a brilliant mystery/thriller. Despite its surreal elements, the book is very accessible and draws you in from the outset. It's a thrill-ride of a book, beautifully written and impossible to put down. There seems to be influence from both Japanese and Western horror, making the way it reads feel completely original. Highly recommended.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Robert Bloch but must admit this book (the last he published before his death) is not his best. It's a bit of a mess, honestly. He can't seem to decide if it's a crime thriller or supernatural adventure. Characters appear apropos of nothing and then disappear just as quickly. The surprise reveal is not even remotely surprising. Too bad-I had high hopes. Three stars for the man himself, but the book will be quickly--and justifiably--forgotten.

[♤Nora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Comenzó muy bien pero el final no lo entendí muy bien y me dejó asuntos inconclusos...

[Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got 78 pages into this before I decided I couldn’t take anymore. It’s hard to believe this book was written by the same man who wrote Psycho. Lori is the complete opposite of that masterpiece — so poorly written, needlessly padded, and just downright boring. It almost feels like Bloch needed the money and dashed this off in a couple of days, filling up the word count with nonsense to get it done as quickly as possible. I’m totally baffled by the quotes praising this book from Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, and Harlan Ellison. Did they actually enjoy reading this or were they merely helping out a dear friend by giving his latest a little boost? I can only assume the latter. I honestly don’t have any desire to find out what happens to these characters, that’s how flat and lifeless they are. It’s not worth enduring the torture of reading this book.

[. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've never read a Bloch book before and honestly I don't know if I'd be willing to read another. I'm sure Psycho is a fine novel, but Lori just falls completely flat. Oh, it's engaging for 80% of it: the story is building nicely, there's a creepy atmosphere, murders start piling up and the mystery deepens ... but then it all falls apart.

I mean, there were so many dangling plot points, I really just don't know what to say. The book teeter-totters back and forth between supernatural terrors and realistic, V.C. Andrews-ish mystery, but it never seems to decide what kind of story it wants to be. And that, more than anything, is its biggest downfall -- though the rushed ending and inevitable flatness of the characters don't much help either.

[Victoria Fuller · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish this one. Impulsively gave it to my doctor after he gave me 2 books at my doctors apppointment.

[Tony Ross Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bloch is a master of his craft, but this book is a mix of many genres. The beginning is almost scarier than the ending.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

IDW is a comic book publisher, and they have done adaptations of two Bloch titles, Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper and That Hellbound Train. When I saw this one listed as a graphic novel, I assumed that it was an IDW mini-series that I somehow missed. I picked this up to flip through it and, to my horror, it was a not comic book at all but an actual book, with no pictures save for the one on the cover.

I have enjoyed the other Bloch stories that I've read, and even the one that I haven't but saw the film of (Psycho). Once I got past the fact that there would be no artwork to dissect, and that the words alone would have to carry this story, I was off to the races. I plowed through this book in very little time, as it was a real page turner. The major difference between reading real books and comic books (graphic novels to the faux comic fans out there) is that your mind paints pictures rather than the artist. I quickly assigned images to every place and character, and as usual, I assigned voices to them all. This is a practice that I have done for as long as I can remember. Everyone has a voice, and I read their parts with that voice.

Lori is a really good read. While I hashed out the bulk of the climax at least 120 pages before the end, there were a few curveballs, especially in the final chapter. I won't say what, but it's almost as if Bloch had it all sewn up, and decided to throw the w********* aspect in there just to fuck with you. It makes me want to re-read it with that in mind.

There are several typos throughout this book, which is disappointing to say the least. I wonder if the original had these or if IDW screwed it up.

The cover has that thin, non-waxy matte coating that seems to be easily scuffable. It has two scuffs after prolonged handling. OCD fail.

This book suffers from a mousetrap binding. While the signatures are sewn, it appears that they are just glued right into the spine, with no casing whatsoever. It requires you to force the book open with both hands just to read it. I don't know if people who read real books tolerate these shenanigans, but I can see why people are switching to ebooks if this is standard operating procedure. I was aggravated reading each and every page, since it didn't lay flat at any point during the book.

[David Stephens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lori is Robert Bloch's penultimate novel. I was hoping that his novel writing skills had matured over the years, as I was not a fan of some of his earlier works. But, unfortunately, while the story and writing here are more cohesive than they've been in the past, he still fumbles to the point of incompetence in numerous other areas.

The first of which is the plot itself. The story basically revolves around a young woman who discovers a photo of herself in an old yearbook except the picture is labeled with another name and came from before she was born. Mystery and intrigue allegedly ensue. Maybe this could have evolved into something interesting, but the characters are so bland they can't stop asking questions the readers should be asking and the story so formulaic everything basically plays out the way any half knowledgeable reader would expect it to. New information comes to light, the prime suspect is knocked off, repeat ad nauseam.

The characters, to which I've already alluded, are as dull as can be. The relationships are barely there. The tension in moments that are supposed to be suspenseful is nonexistent. The protagonist, who is admittedly under duress, flies off the handle at innocuous matters in the most unbelievable ways.

There are so many worn out cliches as well: the introduction of a medium simply to get the plot rolling, the detective who constantly compares himself to movie detectives to show how gritty and real this story actually is, and plenty of dream sequences and psychiatric babble. Multiple characters play around with words in a way that is occasionally amusing but mostly irritating. At some point, it begins to border on parody. I couldn’t help but think of Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun rattling off silly puns and ham fisted cop talk by the end.

I will admit I didn't figure out who the killer was, and I was a little impressed that Bloch managed a couple of surprises at the end. But one of the biggest signs to me that this book didn't work was that, by then, I simply didn't care.

[Juan Sanmiguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lori Holmes returns for her graduation to a catastrophe. Her parents have died in a fire. Lori finds herself in the middle of intrigue. A psychic dies trying to deliver a message to her. She has dreams about a women named Priscilla who resembles her. She turns to a therapists for help. Can Lori finds the answers before something happens to her. An interesting thriller done by a master. There a few minor glitches (written on the sides by a library patron, how annoying). Good characterization and an interesting subtle injection of a fantasy element.

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

El inicio es una maravilla, y cada vez que la historia se adentra en la parte más sobrenatural de la trama, con visiones terribles y voces siniestras, roza el sobresaliente. No obstante, la mayoría del libro consiste en Lori, la protagonista (por si había dudas) yendo de consulta en consulta, de reunión en reunión, cuestionando su estabilidad mental y su paranoia, lo cual se hace bastante tedioso.
Aun así, me ha gustado mucho como está escrito y tiene esos detalles escabrosos que son muy potentes.
Seguiré leyendo al señor Bloch.

[Sarah Haque · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars


This was an okayish read but I don't understand why this was named Lori. The incidents were all surrounding her but she was clueless about everything. One of the most passive protagonists I have ever seen.

The plot was good but execution was mediocre. There were a lot of pages just about Lori thinking & confusing everything but the conclusion was somehow short.

[Cassie Bozeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t even know what to say about this book. It wasn’t what I expected (not entirely sure how this falls into the horror genre) I expected it to be more spooky. It wasn’t a BAD book. It started off okay, but the middle of the book (I’d say a good 75%) was boring and slow. The ending was excellent, but a little confusing. This is more psychological thriller than horror, IMO.

[Jamie Ojendi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My introduction to Bloch’s work, left me a fan and interested in further exploring ! It is true that the plot is a bit disjointed. It does read as though Bloch was not too sure in the direction this book was headed to , but it was still enjoyable. 10/10 for the vibes

[Britt Echols · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not that great. Found it to be rather boring

[Jeffrey W Brigham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwhelming.

[Justin Weems · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75, almost 3/5, for effort. The book has a decent enough premise and starts off fairly alright/promising, a bit like a failed screenplay or something for a film. There is a vaguely filmic quality to it, that is when the book isn’t up its own ass.

Seriously, the biggest misstep with this book is just how pretentious it gets, both from a writing standpoint and from a story standpoint. The main character gets hung up on words, due to her fixation on etymology, leaving her (& Bloch by proxy) to dissect and yammer ad nauseum about words and articulation. It’s amateurish and that’s being kind.

That’s the in-story side, on the actual writing end, there’s something of a pace and construction issue. More than a couple times, any attempt at constructive storytelling is abandoned in favor of nonsensical passages. Not nonsensical in an abstract, enjoyable, atmospheric way either. Just nonsensical in a way that attempts to illustrate something, while actively impeding the flow of the narrative. There are whole chapters that are skippable because they contribute nothing of any real value.

It culminates in something sort of haphazard and telegraphed, never quite deciding whether or not it’s a supernatural horror or just a thriller, making for sort of a non-ending. The book, it’s fine. The ideas are sort of there. The execution isn’t, not in the least. Full respect to Bloch, I haven’t been turned off reading a few of his other works from this era. Just don’t expect anything life changing.

[Roderick Usher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hoky but enjoyable psychological thriller by one of the Ancient Ones.