In this new Fiftieth Anniversary edition of the classic masterpiece of spellbinding suspense, evil wears the most innocent face of all…Rosemary Woodhouse and her struggling actor husband Guy move into the Bramford, an old New York City apartment building with an ominous reputation and mostly elderly residents. Neighbors Roman and Minnie Castevet soon come nosing around to welcome the Woodhouses … welcome the Woodhouses to the building, and despite Rosemary’s reservations about their eccentricity and the weird noises that she keeps hearing, her husband takes a shine to them.
Shortly after Guy lands a plum Broadway role, Rosemary becomes pregnant—and the Castevets start taking a special interest in her welfare. As the sickened Rosemary becomes increasingly isolated, she begins to suspect that the Castevets’ circle is not what it seems…more
Classic masterpiece of suspense, heart-stopping depiction of “the banality of evil,” and still the best psychological thriller…ever, ever. What caring, loving faces they all wear while planning the destruction of an innocent. (Also the best study source of how to write well: author Levin describes more in THREE WORDS than other writers do in pages.) Shocks on every page… 10 stars!
Ira Levin is one of my favorite authors, a true original. If you liked the movie, GET OUT, you’ll love Rosemary’s Baby!
A book of spellbinding suspense, where evil wears an innocent face. I read this in one sitting and was unable to sleep without lights on for a day or two.
Ira Levin is one of the most underappreciated horror/thriller authors of the ’60s transgressive movement. Rosemary’s Baby is just one of his many great works that will teach scores of budding young authors how to establish and maintain a writing style unique to its content.
Rosemary’s Baby, Ira Levin, 1967
My favorite quote: “She opened her eyes and looked into yellow furnace-eyes, smelled sulphur and tannis root, felt wet breath on her mouth, heard lust-grunts and the breathing of onlookers.”
Notable characters: Rosemary Woodhouse, the mother; Guy Woodhouse, her husband; Minnie and Roman Castavet, their strange, flamboyant neighbors
Most memorable scene: The conception scene. Creepy stuff. Seriously
Greatest strengths: It’s nerve. This book has more balls than a bowling alley … and I love it
Standout achievements: Despite being over 50 years old, this book remains surprisingly timeless
Fun Facts: Rosemary’s Baby was the top bestselling novel of the 1960s and is considered a major catalyst for the “horror boom” of the subsequent decades
Other media: The 1968 Roman Polanski film of the same name starring Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon
What it taught me: In its simplest interpretation, Rosemary’s Baby is the story of the birth of Christ turned on its head, proving again that there are no new ideas under the sun, only new variations on old ones — something that all writers should take comfort in
How it inspired me: In the Thorne & Cross collaboration, Darling Girls, we have a character named Erin Woodhouse — who’s mother’s name is Rosemary. We think we’re pretty funny …
Additional thoughts: Rosemary’s Baby is one of my favorite novels of all time, coming in at number seven on my list of top ten
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
It was pretty freaky. Worth the read for horror classic fans.
This is an all time classic and a must read for anyone who enjoys the genre or is new to it. Made a fantastic movie.
I can remember reading this book The First Time in the 60s and I couldn’t put it down. One of the best books and movies I have yet to see. The concept was Haunting and
I was quite young when I read this book. I meant to read for a short while before going to sleep, but instead stayed up until I finished the book. Thankfully it was the weekend!!
Rosemary and actor-husband, Guy, are all ready to move out of their one-room bachelor pad when they hear about an apartment in the Bramford. The old New York City building might have a worrying reputation and a tenant list that seems only to include ‘mature’ residents, but the couple pull a few strings and soon move into the four-room apartment. Two of their new neighbours, Roman and Minnie Castevet, become regular visitors to the young couple’s residence and while they may be a little eccentric, seem fairly harmless. However, when Rosemary becomes pregnant, the Castevets take her forthcoming happy event a little too seriously and begin foisting gifts on Rosemary, some of which are just plain weird. As well as insisting she go to their own doctor rather than the one she had chosen, the mother-to-be soon finds herself becoming suspicious of the amount of time her husband spends with the old couple as well as the pair’s elderly, and equally weird, friends. When a young woman staying with the Castevets dies suddenly, Rosemary begins to wonder…
Although not an out-and-out horror novel, Rosemary’s Baby is nevertheless pretty damn creepy. Levin manages to create a gradual feeling of uncertainty and suspicion in his main character, pushing her towards increasingly bizarre theories concerning her neighbours. The book is an easy read and the author doesn’t waste time on irrelevancies, moving the plot continually forwards. My only criticism is that the paperback edition I bought has rather a lot of typos and additional (misplaced and repeated) commas dotted here and there, which you’d think, with a book first published in the sixties, would have been ironed out by now.
Aside from that, this is a cracking good read leading to an unsettling and sinister denouement that no doubt inspired horror writers the world over.
You have too love this book. It’s a classic.
This book scared me to death when I read it in my 20’s.
A classic
By now, we’ve all seen the movie. Now read the book it was based on and gripe about all the stuff they did wrong.
My second throw-back of the day, Rosemary’s Baby is better known for the film, not the book. Give it a try. It has that sense of unease running beneath the print, the feeling that you’re being watched as you turn the pages. That clever slow build of – something’s wrong and I don’t think I want to know what it is…
Beautiful writing too, stylish and unique. A must read for horror lovers, but also for fans of psychological suspense, although I’m not recommending it late at night. Really gave me the creeps.
Brilliant. I have enjoyed the film for years, the book is even more frightening.
Long time favorite
Wonderful
I read this when I was very young so this is not a detailed review. I just remember it scared the snot out of me, which is the design.
Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse have moved to the “Bram”, an elite apartment complex. When a tragedy accords at the apartments they meet the elderly couple who live above them, Minnie and Roman. Minnie and Roman take a quick interest in Rosemary and Guy and the interest gets a bit intrusive when she gets pregnant. What secret are they hiding and why?
There are very few movies that follow the book as well as Rosemary’s Baby. I watched the movie many years ago, several times, and I was able to picture the movie while reading. The characters are fabulous and you can’t help but like Minnie and Roman. They may be a bit annoying and always around, but they are so sweet.
The author does an excellent job with descriptions and the scenes that are meant to evoke fear are wonderful. They are so vivid and move quickly. The book itself is a quick read. There were times when I didn’t want to put it down.