R. Patrick Gates: Grimm Memorials

[lenny nero]

One of the more gruesome books I've read recently(and I've read a lot of Edward Lee lately!), this one concerns a witch who murders children, in order to gain everlasting life. Gates doesn't hold back when describing the violence against the children and there is a lot of it.

I missed this one on its first printing back in 1990. Reprinted by Pinnacle, it's to prepare for the upcoming sequel, Grimm Reapings. Recommended for those with strong stomachs.

 

[Libra6Poe]

While you were gone, I finished Grimm Memorials.

I kind of figured that Eleanor

Spoiler

was going to "live forever" by being reborn. I mean, I must admit that I wasn't sure at first about what she wanted "Steve Jr." for, I guess I thought he was going to be a sacrifice. But what I don't understand is how her spell/ritual worked when she didn't sacrifice Jackie.

It's strange, you know? Because as I was reading it, it seemed like not a lot of time went by (in the story that is)... and it makes sense considering that all the events take place for about 2 months.

Steve's story was

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a sad one. I felt really sorry for him. He was really manipulated and aside from the brutality of the children, received a lot of the worst. I mean, he did a lot of disgusting stuff and he wasn't aware of it. The bar scene where him and Eleanor have sex was absolutely disgusting.

I really enjoyed how all the fairy tales (and some non-Grimm Fairy Tales i.e. "The Wizard of Oz") were incorporated. What was your favorite fairy tale gone wrong Lenny? I'm not sure what mine was... I mean, too much happened with the

first kid, Davy Torrez (Chapter 6)- There were a million stories going wrong at once that the detail was lacking to really freak me out. It was like, Mother Goose with Humpty Dumpty, Wee Willie Winkie, Little Boy Blue, Little Miss Muffet, Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Jack & Jill, Ole King Cole, Simple Simon, Tom Tom the Piper's Son, Old Mother Hubbard, Jack Be Nimble, Little Jack Horner, Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, Mr. & Mrs. Sprat, etc. etc. I mean, it all went crazy, like with Mr. & Mrs. Sprat starting to eat each other... But the most disturbing part was when Humpty Dumpty fell and it was all bloody and gross. But still, it wasn't very horrible.

The twins with Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum and their mother with the Fairy Godmother or whatever wasn't scary at all...

Betty Boone & Timmy Walsh with ... who's the one that plays a flute or whatever and leads the mice out of the city? anyway, that also wasn't very scary...

Poor poor Margaret Eames. It's with her when it all went horribly wrong for me. When I finally realized that this book was unlike any other horror I'd ever read.

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First she sees the "Ritual of Defilement" in which Eleanor & Mephisto... ugh. Then she goes out searching for her cat, finds a nice old lady that makes her hot chocolate(?) and then realizes that she's been drinking her dead cat. Then she becomes part of the ritual... that part really freaked me out. When Davy Torrez kind of comes out of shock and watches Eleanor labotomize Margaret... the whole while Margaret is alive, and her eyes kind of widen... ::shudders:: it was so freaky! I felt bad when Mr. Eames had discovered his daughter's body only to find that the top of her falls off - then in turn gets maued by Mephisto. Mrs. Eames is the lucky one. She only had to live with the horror of her daughter and husband's death for a moment before being quickly shot to death. Was she shot? Whatever, stabbed I think. She died quickly.

The four boys that Jennifer led into the woods to the 3 bears' cottage was sad. With the flayed body of Betty Boone lying under the covers as the bloody Goldilocks. ugh.

Hmm... Hmm...Hmm... There's four more boys: Jason, Mark, Billy Schmidt, & Greg.. I can't remember what happened to each at the moment. One was Steve's student and he led him to that place to meet a classmate... the other was a Wizard of Oz thing with Glenda turning into the witch with crazy Munchkin people... another was Red riding Hood(?) and a wolf cartoon turning into something real... but I can't remember the fourth.

Anyway, I didn't find Jackie's strength for survival very believable. He seemed too wussy for me to go through all that and not end up like Davy Torrez - in shock. Nor did I really believe him to find the strength to close the door on Eleanor to escape. :sigh: This last ritual was just gruesome. But I liked all the craziness in the rooms when Jackie was trying to escape. It was so intense. In one room, Snow White with the 7 Dwarves, Santa, The Step sisters trying to chop up their feet/toes...

When things became clear about Eleanor's past... how she controlled her father and made him come to her room, just so many things like that... it was scary, but the background information was really interesting. I liked the story about the blackmarket - where her brother traded 2 boys for prescription drugs with some FBI/CIA agent...

Anyway, after I finished this book, the next day, Paul & I went to Half Price Books, I saw the sequel Grimm Reapings for like 3 bucks. But I passed on it. The edition of Grimm Memorials I have has an excerpt of the sequel. It's like 13 years in the future... and

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Jackie's 19, he's some gothic/punk kid and they're watching his Barbara Walters/Barbra Waters Halloween special... it didn't seem that interesting... I read on the back of the sequel that Jennifer was married and her and her husband was turning Grimm Memorials into a B&B or something. Okay, so it sounds pretty interesting, but I think I need a change.

Hey! How come I can't find any information on R. Patrick Gates? I'd like to know more about him, but I'm having trouble finding information.
Well, that's all. Sorry for all the rambling. But there ya go. Let me know if I should get Paul to pick up the sequel for me since it's there at the Half Price Books in Arlington, TX.

Great recommendation as usual Lenny. Thanks a bunch.

 

[lenny nero]

I enjoyed the sequel, but I don't think you would. I had a big problem with:

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Jennifer was married and her and her husband was turning Grimm Memorials into a B&B

. After what happened there, no one would do that. I'm glad you enjoyed the first one. I hope you found it gruesome enough!

 

[Libra6Poe]

So... okay. Damn, I was kind of hoping you'd convince me to get Reapings.

Anyway, do you know anything about Gates Lenny? We have a lot of catching up to do!