| Title | : | The Unloved |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0727817914 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780727817914 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1988 |
Suddenly, horribly, one of the Devereauxs is going to die. And now, all the dark secrets of this once-proud family will emerge to wrap their evil around the unsuspecting children. Until, in the shadowed corridors and dust-covered rooms of the decaying old house, they learn the true terror of The Unloved.
The Unloved Reviews
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When Kevin Devereaux finds out his elderly mother (Helena) is dying he decides to go back home to Sea Oaks (a mansion which is on a secluded island off the South Carolina coast) for a brief stay with his wife Anne, his daughter Julie, and his son Jeff. He hasn’t been back there for twenty years. (He left Sea Oaks because he has never liked his mean, malevolent mother and wanted to get away from her dominating presence.) When they arrive they meet Kevin’s sister, Marguerite, and Kevin’s cruel mother. Not long after they are there, old Helena dies.
Now that Helena is dead Kevin’s wife (Anne) can’t wait to leave Sea Oaks (which is very old, run down, shabby, and dilapidated) and go back home. But unfortunately, when Helena’s will is read, Kevin is forced to stay and live at Sea Oaks or else his sister Marguerite will lose her home (she lives at Sea Oaks). The kids like the place, Anne hates it. Anne thinks Kevin is crazy when he starts talking about turning the decrepit mansion into a hotel. Not long afterward people start dying and go missing. And why is Marguerite acting so weird?
This was another enjoyable read by John Saul. It had sort of a sinister, disturbing feel. I liked the setting at the old mansion and the atmosphere of the place. There was an interesting cast of characters. Some I liked, (Anne, Julie, Jeff...) some I hated (especially Kevin's mother Helena, what a horrible old hag she was!). One character was really totally insane. This book kept me turning the pages and I was curious to see what was going to happen next. I was sad to see some characters die.
An entertaining, strange, and creepy read. -
This is excruciating to read. I'm so close to finishing, but I feel so done with it! I've never not finished a book, so I'll finish this one as well, despite everything. This book is what makes slasher films so popular....the blood, guts and shock value.....no content! I love slasher films, don't get me wrong, but I want my books to be weightier! And when John Saul takes a dream from earlier in the book and we realize it's actually prophetic, he treats us like 2 year olds and explains it till it loses all meaning! Ugh! And did I mention the cliches???? It was painful at some points! Did he really just say that????
I did read John Saul as a teenager, and had remembered liking him.....maybe I have a bad memory or whatever I had read was good and this book is the exception!
I hate being so negative about a book, because there are some people out there that like it. To each their own. Thankfully every book has someone to love it. (Sappy, right? lol)
Ok, finished this last night and my review stays the same. I just want to add......what a waste of time! :( -
De citit noapteape la 2, așa ca mine :D
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El Estigma.- John Saul
"En el primer momento, no supo por qué había tenido la certeza de que ya no estaba sola en la habitación. Fue tan sólo una sensación. Permaneció con los ojos cerrados, escuchando. Oyó un leve crujido. No era el sonido habitual de la casa. Lo que se hallaba en la habitación se acercaba a ella. ¿Por qué no le hablaba? El corazón de Anne se aceleró Debía abrir los ojos y mirar a su alrededor."
Luego de veinte años Kevin regresa a la casa familiar, la Mansión Devereaux. Acompañado de su esposa Anne y de sus dos hijos, Julie y Jeff, Kevin vuelve a la aislada mansión por una razón, su posesiva y atemorizante madre se encuentra a un paso de la muerte, la cuida la otra Devereaux de la familia, la hermana de Kevin, Marguerite, quién da clases de ballet a las niñas de la zona desde hace años al quedar trunca su carrera por un accidente. Muy pronto al llegar, la madre de Kevin muere, pero esta va a ser la primera de muchas muertes, aunque el resto no van a hacer por causas naturales; alguien, o algo de otro plano, empieza a hacerse ver en los alrededores de la Mansión.
El Estigma (The Unloved) se publicó originalmente en el año 1988 y es el onceavo libro publicado por el autor nacido en Pasadena, John Saul (1942-).
Después de un arranque de historia deudora de lo mejor de la literatura gótica en cuanto a ambientación, la novela empieza a tomar carrera, una frenética carrera en dónde las muertes se suceden una tras otra. Salpicones de sangre garantizados.
De ritmo muy ágil y de lectura atrapante, El Estigma es un punto alto de la bibliografía de un experto en hacer pasar muy mal rato a los peques en sus historias. Así que si ya leyeron el fundamental Dejad A Los Niños, El Estigma puede ser una gran opción para continuar con John Saul.
🤘🤘🤘🤘 -
Well, this book was good up until the last 100 pages. The town was walking around with blinders on and suddenly everyone was stuttering and stammering every sentence. That and the flaws surrounding one of the characters action were implausible. If someone in their mid fifties has a lame leg and is nearly crippled by it, I can assure they are NOT going to be flitting about killing people younger, faster and stronger than them.
It was like the classic horror movie cliché; victim is running faster than an Olympic sprinter to escape a psycho killer that somehow is keeping pace with her at a zombie stagger. Just no! The only cliché missing was the cops showing up after the victim manages to kill the psycho killer. -
The Unloved is a disturbing tale of madness and the macabre that's both atmospheric and suspenseful, complimented by a slow-burning plot in which the tension simmers and steadily rises to great effect.
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4.111111666 stars, shockingly loved this
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The Unloved, John Saul, 1988
My favorite quote: “He pitched forward, his vision going black as he died. The last thing he saw was the scarlet gash of Marguerite’s mouth, twisted into a vicious parody of a victorious smile.”
Notable characters: The Devereaux family, Kevin and Anne, and their children Jeff and Julie; Helena, Kevin’s rude-ass dying mother; Marguerite, Kevin’s weird-ass creepy sister
Most memorable scene: When Jenny sees old Aunt Marguerite dancing in the ballroom. Her strange limping waltz is really effective in creeping the reader out. And by “the reader,” I mean me. It creeped me out. There, I said it
Greatest strengths: The horror. And by that, I don’t necessarily mean blood and gore. I mean that it’s seriously scary
Standout achievements: The Unloved has the sole distinction of being the only book that actually made me jump. There’s a line at the end of chapter 20 that says, “... a bolt of lightning flared in the sky outside and a sharp clap of thunder shook the house.” I read this book on a stormy night and right as I read those words, real lightning flashed followed by a big crash of real thunder. It scared me so bad tears were running down my leg
Fun Facts: I know it’s morbid but I was laughing out loud when the little kid corpses were being dragged up the stairs for a dead-kid tea party. I’m calling this a ‘fun’ fact because when I met John Saul many years later, he said he thought that part was hilarious, too, and was cracking up while he wrote it. And that’s when I knew this man was my kinda guy
Other media: N/A
What it taught me: That sometimes, there are no heroes … and that’s okay
How it inspired me: John Saul’s work has influenced me in a million ways, but his ability to foreshadow without weakening the storyline tops the list. Foreshadowing is a tricky thing, but when it’s done well -- as it is here -- it adds an exciting sheen to even the weariest plotline
Additional thoughts: After giving it a lot of thought (and I actually do give a lot of thought to such things) I’ve decided that this is probably my all-time favorite John Saul novel. Probably. I might feel differently later
Haunt me: alistaircross.com -
This was not at all as entertaining as I remembered it. I got to page 136 before I realized, with clarity and definition, that I had read this before. I was only 13 years old the first time, back in 1990 or 1991, and this was one of the first thriller/horror stories I ever read. I didn't have anything to compare with, my literary diet at the time consisted of children's classics and horse books.
Kevin Deveraux brings his wife Anne and his two children, Julie and Jeff, to the south for the first time to meet his dying mother. There is heat, a run-down house, a cruel dying mother and an aunt Maurgerite desperate to please. The atmosphere starts with being threatening and then eventually everything teeters over the edge, down to hell.
I found the story implausible, poorly conceived and the characters bareley believeable. The thrill I remember feeling from reading it the first time never entered the picture this time around. I will let John Saul stay as a "have-read don't-read anymore author". He belongs to my teens, together with Danielle Steel, Belva Plain and other authors who simply do not do anything for me anymore. -
This is one of the best horror I've read in a while. I love how well-planned the whole story was--even if it was a tad predictable. Each character was fleshed out so well that I even had my heart break for some minor characters. Some of the imagery gave me a good case of the spooks.
Very well done. 4/5 only because of the predictability. -
I almost stop halfway.
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I first read this book in junior high and remember being so terrified by it. Of course, a couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon it again and while I could recall the feeling when I first read it, I could not remember much of anything else. A good opportunity to make an old book new!
This is another of Saul's book set in the rural south with a creepy desolate mansion on an island that has been owned by the Devereaux family for more than a century. The only road in is a causeway that comes and goes with the tide. Woman in Black, anyone? Once a luxurious home, it is now a severely dilapidated home occupied by the maniacal Helena Devereaux; her daughter, Marguerite; and their lifelong servant, Ruth. Helena is a wretched old bitty who, thankfully, is on her death bed. Coming into town to say his goodbye to his mother is her son, Kevin, and his family. There's no love lost for Kevin, luckily having been sent away at a young age to boarding school to avoid the abuses from his mother. Needless to say, after Helena kicks the bucket (please note that this is not a spoiler as it happens very early on), her will essentially binds Kevin to the house and so his family move into the mansion. Not long afterwards, there are images of dead people walking in the cemetery, teenagers turning up missing, and life-threatening storms. I cannot reveal much more without compromising the plot twist.
I loved this book and was enthralled with the story. This is definitely a southern gothic horror novel which will have you reading on your Kindle Cloud Reader on the computer while at work pretending to do work. Maybe that's just me. It's a great novel for this Halloween season. Go freak yourselves out and read it. -
I found this book to be meh. It had some good parts, but it veered into old tropes, with an ending that was predictable. The big question I have here is why the housekeeper didn't do more to help Marguerite, knowing what happened to her and what Helena did to her. This complicity was what bothered me, if Ruby had acted differently (and more sensibly) then this story would have taken a different, and better turn. There are some questions left unanswered as well.
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I read this book 25 years ago and it still sticks in my head when I think of books that haunted me. It had my heart pounding and from page to page, I had no idea what was going to happen next. Ever since this book, I have been a John Saul groupie. His books are high on the creep factor and so very enjoyable to read.
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Again, John Saul has entrapped me in his way of bringing his characters to life. He is a highly skilled writer. Most certainly one of my all time favorites. This book is definitely worth reading.
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10/10 for creepiness
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"-¿Qué te sucede, tienes miedo? - dijo Jeff a su hermana, burlonamente.
Julie lo miró con furia - ¿Y por qué no habría de tenerlo? - preguntó ella -. Si fueras inteligente, también tu lo tendrías."
Kevin Dereaux regresa a la casa de su infancia ya que su madre está por morir, y con el va su familia: Su esposa Anne y sus hijxs Julie y Jeff.
Desde el inicio, la atmósfera es muy densa. La tensión ya se puede notar desde las primeras. su madre, Helena, es una tirana, y tiene a su hija Marguerite básicamente como una esclava. La presencia de esta anciana se transmite al lector de una manera increíble, donde es posible detestarla y temerla al mismo tiempo. Además, algo raro pasa en esa casa.
El autor usa un recurso interesante y el de "la única persona que se da cuenta que hay algo mal desde el inicio y no le creen", en este caso en el personaje de Anne. Me generó mucha desesperación e impotencia al leerla, y hacía mucho que no me pasaba.
El autor lleva a los personajes al límite, y no tiene ni un poco de compasión, ni siquiera por los que ya están sufriendo. Me pareció al respecto una lectura muy interesante, y hacía rato que no me encontraba con tanta crueldad (no porque sea gore, sino porque no les da un respiro).
El final me pareció excelente, no se me ocurre una mejor forma de terminar la historia. Aunque es un poco predecible, no le quita mérito y me mantuvo entretenida en toda la lectura. Es un libro de lectura ágil y que está cargado de suspenso. -
Interesting book… but some “fatal flaws” for me personally. The narrator had a tendency to emphasize “THEN” which grated on me as it made me realize how often the word was used… THEN… and THEN… and THEN… and THEN…. Some of the plot points were kind of skimmed over without being explained… how did that happen? Who did that? When did it change?
Overall premise was intriguing, but it just couldn’t push past 3 stars for me.
Characters:
* Kevin Devereaux - son (moved away from home)
* Anne - Kevin’s wife
* Julie - Kevin’s daughter, age 15
* Jeff - Kevin’s son, age 8
* Helena (mother)
* Lucinda (mother’s caretaker)
* Margarite (daughter, lived at home)
* Ruby (in-home servant/cook/housekeeper) -
I read a ton of John Saul in my teen years, back in the early 90’s, and The Unloved was my favorite. I just finished rereading it, some 30 years later, and I can see why I found it scary at the time! Genuinely creepy with great atmosphere!
Side note: You really have to read books like this one from the perspective of a young reader of the 90’s. They aren’t super deep, they aren’t literally scary in today’s world of overexposure to such things, they can be somewhat predictable, and they’re written mostly from a child’s point of view. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, the nostalgia, and the creepy atmosphere! -
That third star is for the suspense of it all, which is recurrent in John Saul's books. They always hit that narrow sweet spot that I crave in horror literature, but never beyond the point of mediocrity. I keep rewriting the review, but words fail me today. I suppose I have nothing important to say about the book, nothing that could make a review valuable or important to read. I feel like others have phrased my opinions better and have nothing new to add to what has already been said.
My final thought is: mediocrity. That's the best you can get from John Saul. Never expect more or less. He writes based on tropes we find now overused and non-sensical, yet he makes them nostalgic in one sense or another. It's cheap horror, but sometimes that is all I want to read. So I suppose I got what I wanted. -
From the time I was in high school, re-reading John Saul books was my favorite thing to do in the summer. I have to admit, it's really interesting to read a book written before cellphones and the internet. Makes one wonder how we managed.
This is one of his books that has aged pretty well, all things considered and I'll certainly read it again. Not a bad way to spend an evening or two. -
Every once and a while I like to read these cheesy 80's horror novels. Boy they could make whole careers on so little good writing. Fun and fast and predictable. I rated it strictly as three stars when up against other books of the same genre and time.
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Sin dudas uno de los mejores libros de terror que leí hasta el momento es todo tan crudo y retorcido. Súper recomendable. Fue inesperado!!!
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Oh, the drama!
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So this was fun! Definitely gory, definitely some pretty nice kills--very pulpy horror kind of shit here, which, sometimes, is just what you want. Logical? Not particularly. Eerie? Yeah. I enjoyed it.
