Rosemary's Baby.

By Ira Levin.

Prior to getting round to reading this, I did something I very rarely do. I watched the film; which I loved. Mygawd I've never watch such a creepy film (didn't help that it was on film4 at like 2.00am) and the opening of the baby's eyes at the end still haunt me to this day.

Anywayyy back to the book. I really enjoyed it and was delighted to see that Polanski stayed faithful and after carefully scrutinising Levin's description...Farrow played a brilliant Rosemary and I could visualise her as I read the book with her Vidal haircut and blue nightie. I found it to be written really well- it wasn't overly complex (as an English student when reading for pleasure I'm extremely pleased when books are quite simple to follow, I find that when its written in a complex way I have to 'study' it and I feel like I'm back in class and feel like it's become a set text rather than a book for pleasure).

So yes, Levin introduces us to a young couple, Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse who have just moved into an apartment which has a history of murders as revealed by Hutch, a friend of Rosemary's. The plot deliciously unfolds slowly and through Hutch's clues we learn that the Castavet's aren't the friendly neighbours they appear to be and are in fact Satanists who are plotting to bring forth the Antichrist. Ironically after eating a 'chalky tasting' pudding made by Minnie Castavet, Rosemary conceives Satan's spawn the same day the Pope is due to arrive in New York and conceives whilst dreaming that she is being raped by something 'unhuman'. Levin's fast paced description captivates the reader, and I personally was actually too scared to read this at night as a result of the eyes from the movie and Levin's slow build up along with creepy description.

The book ends with a surprising and rather creepy twist. Our herione Rosemary after discovering the truth bursts into the Castavet's apartment and sees her baby in a black basket with a cross hanging upside down. After I read that part, I could visualise the scene in the film instantly and remember how chilling it was seeing Rosemary's face when the baby opened those terrifying eyes. Despite having the knife ready to kill it...Rosemary accepts and the lack of blood/gore/slashing/hacking made the novel all the more fabulously creepy. A brilliant, creepy, terrifying, pacy read; a perfect classic horror.



10/10