Jack Ketchum's Red

[Anamnesis]

I read The Girl Next Door earlier this month, and while I didn't think Ketchum's writing style was the best (far from it, really) he can tell a darn good story. Therefore I decided to give him another try and decided to check out Red.

This one's quite short, only 211 pages. I assumed the book would have been longer but there was a bonus novella included. Oh, those publishers... . Anyway, I did enjoy the story and was intrigued to see where Ketchum was going with it. Characters weren't bad either, except for the trio of kids who shoot and kill Red. While Red wasn't a bad read, the awkward relationship between Ludlow (the main character) and Carrie the reporter didn't work for me, and Ketchum's style can get really annoying. Someone needs to tell him to stop with the overlong sentences...

 

[lenny nero]

I thought Red was a good read, but not as good as some of his other stuff. I forget, what was the name of the novellal included with this paperback? Was it The Passenger?

 

[Madeline]

I can't figure out what he has written lately, can you? I thought Offspring was a new pub. book, but now I read that it was first published in 1991.

 

[lenny nero]

I think his most recent works have been short story collaborations with Edward Lee. He hasn't written a full length novel in a very long time. Most of the stuff that Leisure are now releasing in paperback are reprints of his older stuff and some of his small press hardbacks.