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Richard Laymon

Island

I just joined the Book Forum, a few days ago. I saw a section - Book Search. Well, I've been searching for a particular book for a long time. I read it a long time ago, and few books since then have been as engrossing or as fun - and I wanted to re-read it. I thought the title was The Island - but kept coming up with zilcho. I posted it on the Book Search and that huge Laymon fan, Dorian Gray, came right up with it - it's called Island. I instantly went out to Borders and bought it, and 3 other Laymon books.
Reading his work is so much fun, takes such little effort, and is so spellbinding, that it feels like a guilty pleasure. I don't mind if a book takes me 30-40-50 pages to really get caught up, but this book Island does it from sentence 1. Not page 1 or paragraph 1 - sentence 1. I can't wait to get on the bus tonight so I can continue. I read it so long ago, it's like reading it for the first time. I only remember a few isolated plot points - which were enought for Dorian Gray to recogize it.
He's great. I intend to read everything he's written.
 
Tina said:
Thanks for the tip, I'll have to pick up Night in the Lonesome October. I do have some Bentley Little and Ed Gorman books that I got this summer at some used books stores. So many books so little time :)
What did you think of Bite? I haven't read it yet so no spoiler, but I'd like your opinion.
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Bite.. That's the vampire one yes? Where right at the end... J/K. I liked it from what i can remember. I think my favourites are 'Night/Lonesome/October, Island, Travelling Vampire show and Funland. If there is any of those at your library I suggest you get them. they is other really good ones but I can't remember a lot of them.

The good thing with Laymon is though, if you like 1 of his books it a certainty that you'll like the rest. Oh... The Beast House Trilogy are REALLY good too!
 
DorianGray said:
The good thing with Laymon is though, if you like 1 of his books it a certainty that you'll like the rest.
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I got bored of him very quickly. The only memorable book he wrote, in my opinion, was Savage.
 
Stewart said:
I got bored of him very quickly. The only memorable book he wrote, in my opinion, was Savage.
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I suppose it can be like that. I couldn't read two of his books in a row. Most of what I read is really different to Laymon though. The last 4 books I read were,

Crime and Punishment,
Jane Eyre,
Pride and Predjudice
and Sense and Sensibility.

I just love Laymon cause you know what your going to get. He'f familiar and easy to get into. I suppose that can be boring for some though.
 
DorianGray said:
Bite.. That's the vampire one yes? Where right at the end... J/K. I liked it from what i can remember. I think my favourites are 'Night/Lonesome/October, Island, Travelling Vampire show and Funland. If there is any of those at your library I suggest you get them. they is other really good ones but I can't remember a lot of them.

The good thing with Laymon is though, if you like 1 of his books it a certainty that you'll like the rest. Oh... The Beast House Trilogy are REALLY good too!
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Yes, Bite is the vampire one. I'm definately going to pick up Night in the Lonesome October. I don't remember seeing it at B&N though, I might have to do some searching. :)
 
Tina said:
Yes, Bite is the vampire one. I'm definately going to pick up Night in the Lonesome October. I don't remember seeing it at B&N though, I might have to do some searching. :)
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In paperback it's a lurid bright orange colour so you can't miss it! Well, It is in the UK anyway. I'm not entirely sure about in the US.

I think i'll hang around on this thread for a while. It seems quite active. :D
 
In a way, I found Traveling Vampire Show to be very nostalgic. It was a coming of age story that had a horrific twist. I'm glad it was my first Laymon read. I don't think I've ever seen Funland either. The ones I see most commonly around here are Come out Tonight, Body Rides, Among the Missing, and Blood Games.
 
Tina said:
In a way, I found Traveling Vampire Show to be very nostalgic. It was a coming of age story that had a horrific twist. I'm glad it was my first Laymon read. I don't think I've ever seen Funland either. The ones I see most commonly around here are Come out Tonight, Body Rides, Among the Missing, and Blood Games.
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Yes, you do tend to see the same ones in the shops always, and never the ones your looking for!

Yaaaaaaawn, I'm sleepy. Gotta go ya'll. See you next time!
 
Stewart I agree with what you've written, but I still can't help enjoying Laymon - I find it hard to explain why his work appeals so much to me.

I''ve just finished reading Endless Night and really really enjoyed it - I didn't see it mentioned on the thread so was wondering whether anyone else has read it/and what they thought of it.

Oh and just as an add on - Island was a great read.
 
I read Black Rain a few years ago, because it had a good premise. I don't remember the writing being that great, though.

Has anyone read Beware, by Laymon? I think it's about an invisible killer. Sounds kind of cliche, but I've gotten into the invisibility thing and want to read as many novels about it as possible.
 
I read a few of his books a while back, but only 1 stands out in my mind. It is about something happening to a woman in a university campus under a tunnel. I think this was the same book, where the main character takes to wandering the streets at night, and starts following a young girl, who goes into other peoples houses in the dead of night.


I agree with what was said before about his writing being misogynistic. I found a few of his books along the same lines as each other. Still enjoyable books though.
 
Blood Games

I read Island years ago - and re-read it recently. I enjoyed it quite a lot - although, I could have done without the brutality of the women at the end. None-the-less, Island was a great read. Now I have started Blood Games, and tell you the truth, I'm struggling with it. I'm kind of sick of the haunted house genre - it's been done so many times and better. I also agree with the poster above that says that Laymon's females don't think like females - not that I would know, being a male, but his females, at least in Blood Games, seem more like men with female names. Others above said they liked Blood Games. What do YOU think? I have no aversion to dumping a book in the first 100 pages if it doesn't grab me - I've read about 50.
 
RGame, yes Beware! is about an invisible psycho on the loose. I recall enjoying reading it, but expect the usual Laymon shenanigans.

Snowwhite I think your thinking of Night in the Lonesome October, though I don't recall the tunnel bit.

Libre, personally I thought Blood Games was one of his weakest. Granted all his work is kinda samey, and the writing is not brilliant but i really did enjoy works like Body Rides and Night in the Lonesome October. Blood Games just didn't hold my attention and i struggled to finish it.
 
Thanks, Gem. I've plodded on, read about 60 more pages, and I'm just pretty disappointed with it - but I guess I'll read on, as it is not unbearable, and I paid good money for it. I have 2 more after this one - Body Rides and In the Dark.
 
Gem said:
Snowwhite I think your thinking of Night in the Lonesome October, though I don't recall the tunnel bit.
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If I remember right from memory, the cannibals ("trolls") in Night in the Lonesome October live in a tunnel under the road. It is a good book.
 
thanks Shaun, i think i remember - something to do with a bridge? i'll have to reread it i guess.

Lenny, I was looking up In the Dark as i wasn't certain if it was the one with librarian, anyway i came across the site, so for any laymon fans:

http://laymon.lostdestinations.com/

I hadn't known that he had so much work out there.
 
I just started reading Darkness, Tell Us. It's okay so far. I also picked up Night in the Lonesome October since I've heard so many good opinions.
 
I finally gave up on Blood Games, as it was terminally boring and I went back to sleeping on the express bus, which can't be a good thing.
So, I abandoned the poor girls in the haunted lodge, and started In The Dark. Now this one really has me hooked. Not that I believe a word of it, but it's entertaining as all hell and I don't have an inkling what is going to happen next. I'm back to being glued to a book on the bus!
 
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