tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post8916951320014232298..comments2024-03-06T11:11:48.095-08:00Comments on Too Much Horror Fiction: The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum (1989): How Do the Angels Get to Sleep?Will Erricksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-60576215759623138082022-03-08T18:16:25.686-08:002022-03-08T18:16:25.686-08:00"A cheap and foolish writer - whose ranks in ..."A cheap and foolish writer - whose ranks in the horror genre are legion - could only ever dream."<br /><br />Stephen King?Abner Willianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16701353264430913118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-30876722917059397612020-01-25T21:02:22.393-08:002020-01-25T21:02:22.393-08:00I just finished reading The Girl Next Door last Tu...I just finished reading The Girl Next Door last Tuesday. I have read lots of horror books, but this one was too extreme even for me.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11209746105702047261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-72408069751419970512017-10-30T21:10:53.836-07:002017-10-30T21:10:53.836-07:00I saw the movie based off this book. It was "...I saw the movie based off this book. It was "good", in the sense of being well made and compelling. However, it's one of those movies you only see once if you have any healthy emotions at all. I run across the book every so often, but I have no desire to read it.Nine-Fingered Menacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05805957315306533577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-17634991387345334792013-12-17T19:31:57.314-08:002013-12-17T19:31:57.314-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08870132556037307260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-3546694836299919362013-11-26T23:32:03.589-08:002013-11-26T23:32:03.589-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.hasnain razahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11629194654437486724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-45909072774128857862013-09-12T09:06:29.757-07:002013-09-12T09:06:29.757-07:00I am a horror writer, and a lot of readers say my ...I am a horror writer, and a lot of readers say my writing is on the "sadistic" side. That being said, I found "The Girl Next Door" to be a pretty disturbing read. There's something about "based on a true story" that just changes things. I enjoy knowing my brutality never really happened.<br /><br />Great post. I like how you presented this. <a href="http://Play With Deathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12476980995100823397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-767361178825625192012-10-02T07:16:54.920-07:002012-10-02T07:16:54.920-07:00A very well written article within a fantastic blo...A very well written article within a fantastic blog. I read 'The Girl Next Door' slowly, because I couldn't take it. And I'm a horror author. <br /><br />I have the pleasure of knowing Dallas, by the way, and he's a great guy. I love it when talented writers turn out to be good people. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03960489508496116138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-33393789421859173852012-02-23T22:25:47.039-08:002012-02-23T22:25:47.039-08:00Read it in 3.5 hours. Just finished. Sometimes bei...Read it in 3.5 hours. Just finished. Sometimes being a horror fan is a whole lot rougher than I expected it to be, but this book just cements Ketchum in my top 5 writers. Period.<br /><br />Someone once said it in an interview with Ketchum, and I think it still holds true. The first line of <i>The Girl Next Door</i> ("You think you know about pain?") is the "Call me Ishmael" Alejandro Omidsalarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15539800558494273368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-5227866115713527432011-10-24T15:07:13.305-07:002011-10-24T15:07:13.305-07:00Thanks Max. Reminds me the only book I literally t...Thanks Max. Reminds me the only book I literally threw at a wall wasn't b/c it was badly written, but b/c it upset me so: LOLITA. But we need difficult books now and then, don't we? We do.Will Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-35534578163680293372011-10-24T08:43:32.507-07:002011-10-24T08:43:32.507-07:00Hey, Will. Great post. I've been a fan of Dall...Hey, Will. Great post. I've been a fan of Dallas' since I read a pre-released copy of Off Season back in the '80s. I didn't like TGND much when I first read it--not because it was badly written, but because it made me so ANGRY. When I finished it I threw it against a wall--a fact I told to Dallas personally one of the times I met him--I think he understood.:) I came to appreciate maxruehlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00255274381678105347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-66044653803301423812011-10-24T08:39:02.802-07:002011-10-24T08:39:02.802-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.maxruehlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00255274381678105347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-90789836575985276582011-10-19T15:32:44.138-07:002011-10-19T15:32:44.138-07:00Ditto on the review quality, sir. This blog of you...Ditto on the review quality, sir. This blog of yours never disappoints. As for the book, it's one of the most soul-destroyingly sad things I've ever read but well worth the experience. It didn't exactly restore my faith in the kindness of my fellow human beings but I'm glad I read it.Richard of DMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15009346741909948722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-78439492775210377062011-10-18T06:47:41.818-07:002011-10-18T06:47:41.818-07:00And oh yeah, I can't get enough of "L'...And oh yeah, I can't get enough of "L'arrivee d'Sylvia Kristel" either!Will Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-85531853569306426212011-10-18T06:45:49.983-07:002011-10-18T06:45:49.983-07:00Francisco, in the States "true crime" re...Francisco, in the States "true crime" refers to nonfiction journalistic accounts that attempt to be objective about real-life crimes. They are not the same thing as mysteries or thrillers, which are fictional novels. THE GIRL NEXT DOOR is based on a real-life case, as is the James Ellroy novel THE BLACK DAHLIA. These novels however are greatly fictionalized and are not trying to give anWill Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-47181341537430877392011-10-18T06:42:03.282-07:002011-10-18T06:42:03.282-07:00"I prefer my horror frightening and weird, bu..."I prefer my horror frightening and weird, but not participatory. Something about these books made me feel like I was part of it, and that was very uncomfortable"<br /><br />Ron, you make great point here. Some artists *want* their audience to "participate" in violence, I guess to make them complicit - as if we didn't already know violence was wrong. This can seem pretty Will Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-13969636299222421682011-10-18T03:31:23.198-07:002011-10-18T03:31:23.198-07:00Dammit, about every time we get this deep into the...Dammit, about every time we get this deep into the comments, I get distracted by the "L'arrivee d'Sylvia Kristel" link to the right...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-33587450999829360752011-10-17T15:20:50.664-07:002011-10-17T15:20:50.664-07:00HEED, I am quite pleased to see you mention "...HEED, I am quite pleased to see you mention "The Ultimate Evil" in your comment. I finished reading it recently and had a strong reaction to it, too. <br /><br />I wimped out on "The Girl Next Door" about halfway through. Damn. I am finding parallels to that building tension Ketchum creates in Jerzy Kosinski's "The Painted Bird". A rough one as well and not jeremyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09665425660787776473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-74663882137209973032011-10-17T11:23:30.542-07:002011-10-17T11:23:30.542-07:00It's the only book by David Ketchum published ...It's the only book by David Ketchum published in Spain by a important (more or less) publisher, Off season and the other about Mexico in the XIX century (I don't remind the title) are published by small press... although they don't publish a lot of modern horror in Spain, I didn't want to read the book because of the true crime thing, just like people commenting on the blog, I'franciscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16141925304481130360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-2189480665023108652011-10-17T03:26:14.629-07:002011-10-17T03:26:14.629-07:00Excellent review. May even get me to overcome my p...Excellent review. May even get me to overcome my prejudice against this sort of book. Hats off.<br />Highwayknees put his/her finger on what bothers me about THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (haven't read), OFF SEASON (skimmed quickly once, was disgusted), RED DRAGON (fascinated but felt guilty after), and similar -- the "true crime" aspect.<br />I prefer my horror frightening and weird, but not Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-42968691144071526422011-10-16T12:11:20.360-07:002011-10-16T12:11:20.360-07:00highwayknees - I've seen the movie adaptation ...highwayknees - I've seen the movie adaptation of this novel, and one of the things that makes it, uh, watchable, is that some of the acting does lack a bit. The girl that plays Meg, however, is all too good. Probably I'll check out the Millet book at some point...<br /><br />And Bob, thanks for tipping me to the Johnson novel; sounds worth a look. Nice vintage cover, I just saw at Amazon;Will Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-44674496523419325862011-10-16T02:01:01.978-07:002011-10-16T02:01:01.978-07:00Great review of a book that stays with you after y...Great review of a book that stays with you after you've read it. The cover is just awful though.Has absolutely nothing to do with the book.<br /> There's another novel called Let's Go Play At The Adams, by, Mendal W. Johnson that is just as disturbing,and, riveting.It was one of those once you start, you just can't stop books.Highly recommendedBob The Wordlesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17696744140505706449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-43358833227950387282011-10-14T21:03:23.239-07:002011-10-14T21:03:23.239-07:00Hi Will, I came to THE GIRL NEXT DOOR in a roundab...Hi Will, I came to THE GIRL NEXT DOOR in a roundabout way. I had heard of the actual case from a friend who reads true-crime novels so I read THE BASEMENT, by Kate Millett. WHich is an excellent psychological study of the case. And not what is know as the usual cheap, exploitative true crime book. I was so shaken by the details of the actual case of Sylvia Likens ,that I was paralyzed to re-live highwaykneeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00458606266831050852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-88883775208674698172011-10-14T11:23:55.429-07:002011-10-14T11:23:55.429-07:00Interesting and perceptive review, thanks. I'v...Interesting and perceptive review, thanks. I've not read any Ketchum, although I have Off Season on my shelf waiting. I love The Black Dahlia and Ellroy though.<br /><br />And yes *dreadful* cover.James Everingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04717149514440381738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-19466865943902118822011-10-14T01:50:00.428-07:002011-10-14T01:50:00.428-07:00HEED, I read & reviewed SILENCE here a couple ...HEED, I read & reviewed SILENCE here a couple months ago! Check it out. Thanks for reading. Reminds me: I need to get back on my Thompson collection.Will Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-41618374436020763212011-10-14T01:41:43.033-07:002011-10-14T01:41:43.033-07:00Another spot-on review! Girl Next Door was the fir...Another spot-on review! Girl Next Door was the first Ketchum novel I read and it haunted me for weeks. While still entertaining, Off Season is nowhere near as good, and the movie adaption (from a screenplay by Ketchum) downright sucks.<br /><br />You are also right about Ellroy's Black Dahlia, which ranks among my all-time favorites. Jim Thompson's best work (Pop. 1280, Killer Inside Me &HEEDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01729480270830343455noreply@blogger.com