The Keep is often seen as a Horror Classic.
It was first published in 1981.
Wikipedia says:
Discuss!It is also the first volume in a series of six novels known as The Adversary Cycle. It appeared on the New York Times Bestsellers List and has been adapted for film and as a limited-series of comics.
Mark
Last edited by Hobbit; May 5th, 2011 at 04:23 PM.
Mark
One of the best horror novels I have ever read. I purchased the book after watching the movie, which a lot of people didn't like, but for some reason I do. I found the book to be much better than the movie, and explained much of what didn't make sense in the movie. I still have the exact book I purchased back then, sitting on my shelf five feet away.
The interesting thing is I didn't really know about any of FPW's other books until about five years ago. Who would have thought the characters from The Keep would be the beginning of a story told in so many books, each as good as the first or better? I've been reading his work religiously now for several years.
If you haven't read The Keep, pick it up. Mystical strangers, Nazis, murders in a remote Keep, and a monster that makes Dracula look like a "Twilight" vampire...
Last edited by ColdSun; April 30th, 2011 at 07:08 PM.
" "Something is murdering my men."
Thus reads the message received from a Nazi commander stationed in a small castle high in the remote Transylvanian Alps. And when an elite SS extermination squad is dispatched to solve the problem, the men find a something that's both powerful and terrifying. Invisible and silent, the enemy selects one victim per night, leaving the bloodless and mutilated corpses behind to terrify its future victims. Panicked, the Nazis bring in a local expert on folklore--who just happens to be Jewish--to shed some light on the mysterious happenings. And unbeknownst to anyone, there is another visitor on his way--a man who awoke from a nightmare and immediately set out to meet his destiny.
The battle has begun: On one side, the ultimate evil created by man, and on the other...the unthinkable, unstoppable, unknowing terror that man has inevitably awakened."
How could I turn that down?
I agree. I had a busy weekend, so I'm only about 1/4 into it, so no comment yet aside from the fact that the first 1/4 of it read very smoothly.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first two thirds of the book, but I actually found the final third a bit of a let down.
Before I go any further, what is the etiquette on these book of the month discussion forums? Do I assume that everybody has read it and therefore spoilers are permissable? Or if not, what level of spoiler is permissable (if any). I hate it when somebody on an online forum spoils either a book or a film for me, so I want to be careful that I dont commit the same sin.
Just in case, more detailed comments below:
Spoiler:
Anyway, gripeing aside, certainly not a bad book, just a bit of a let down to me because I so enjoyed the first part. This is the first book by the author I have read, and I have just ordered a second hand copy of the next in the series (it seems difficult to get hold of in the UK - why ebooks are available in one country and not another is beyond me).
I'm still looking to get me a copy of this, I'm trying to find a good mass paperback version, but having a bit of trouble finding a cheap one. So we'll see.
Yup. Think you've got it. To discuss properly, it's inevitable - you've got to be able to discuss the plot!Do I assume that everybody has read it and therefore spoilers are permissable? Or if not, what level of spoiler is permissable (if any). I hate it when somebody on an online forum spoils either a book or a film for me, so I want to be careful that I dont commit the same sin.
So it's fine, though personally I tend to put it in spoiler tags, just in case. As you have!
B: It was very difficult to get for about a decade, and older editions are quite expensive! However the edition I've used above was released in the last year or so and should be easier to get.
Don't know about cheaper, though!
Mark
Mark
Why don't you ask The Man himself on http://www.repairmanjack.com? I bet you could find a copy somewhere on there. My son actually has a newer edition, the one pictured in this thread (he picked it up at Borders here in Phoenix). I have the first edition that came out in the 80s.Originally Posted by Hobbit
Myself, I enjoyed the last part of the book the most. It was unexpected.
Spoiler:
Last edited by ColdSun; May 5th, 2011 at 07:52 PM.
Interesting! The Keep was the first FPW book I ever read, and like another poster, I read it after seeing the movie. This was a looong time ago. (And I also like the movie - in fact, it was my first or early introduction to not only Wilson but also Jurgen Prochnow, Ian McKellen, and Tangerine Dream, who are all favorites of mine nowadays.)
I have no memory of Repairman Jack being in The Keep. Since The Keep takes place in WWII, Jack would be at best a kid, I think. I thought he was introduced in The Tomb, which takes place in more modern times. I know that the events of The Keep (and other characters like Glaeken) later become involved in the Repairman Jack storyline, but was Jack himself really in The Keep?
(I know, I know, the easy answer is: just re-read it to find out! But I just decided to get started with the behemoth Under the Dome by Stephen King, so I might be involved in that one for a while. :-)
Ken
Last edited by metalprof; May 5th, 2011 at 12:35 PM. Reason: adding more name dropping :)
Actually, I think The Tomb introduces Repariman Jack. I'm about 1/3 to 1/2 into the book and no sign of the Repairman yet.
On to what I think of the book thus far - very compelling. You know Wilson is doing something right if he can make members of the German army during World War II seem sympathetic. So far, the creepiness is in the shadows and the aftermath, Wilson doesn't yet show what did the bad things to the people in the keep, just the results.
Spoiler:
I think the addition of those creepy/cool sounding books really hopped up my curiousity factor. Nice tactic.
About 3/5 of the way through and enjoying some qualities; others not so much.
Not a very deep book; could almost skim it easily if I wanted to and not think I would have missed much.
Still, what's with those darn crosses? LOL.
Last edited by newfiesailor; May 5th, 2011 at 01:24 PM.
Apologies. You are quite right: I was misinformed. Repairman Jack cannot be seen in The Keep, as far as I know.
Is now corrected. I think my brain was thinking Tomb, not Keep.
Think of it as a Senior Moment!
Mark
Last edited by Hobbit; May 5th, 2011 at 04:24 PM.
Mark
I've got an interesting fact about the cover... Or at least I think it's a fact. The castle in Hobbit's image appears to be the very same one as used on the cover for a game called Castles:
I've not heard of this book, nor this series, but it seems slightly Hellboy-ish. I'm a little intrigued now.
I first read The Keep in the mid-80's. And then again after I saw the movie. (I concur that the movie wasn't as good, naturally, but at least it followed most of the book's plot. Vampire was really cheesy, if I remember correctly).
Anyway, I loved the book. Great, chilling atmosphere.
@Rob:
FPW is a huge Lovecraft fan. The Keep is just part of his overall timeline (from a few book series). I won't give anything away, but you won't be disappointed. At the same time, you need to read the rest of the Adversary and Repairman Jack series to have many pieces that are just put in play in The Keep.
Down with Rasalom!
P.S. FPW recently co-wrote a great vampire novel with J.A. Konrath and a couple other guys called "Draculas." It was an action-packed gore-fest with vampires that make Dracula himself look like a character from "Twilight." I think the only way to get it is in ebook format though. I loved it and hope these guys decide to join forces again and continue the story.
EDIT: I see it is now available in hardcover. The ebook version is only $2.99 though. http://www.amazon.com/Draculas-Novel...4642930&sr=8-1
Last edited by ColdSun; May 5th, 2011 at 07:51 PM. Reason: Fix Draculas Info
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