holley4734
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin is set in New York City during the late 60s. The setting reminds me of Breakfast at Tiffany’s but with Satanists instead of socialites.
Rosemary Woodhouse and her husband, Guy, have recently moved into the Bramford apartment building. They believe that it is more prestigious than most apartment buildings. So they overlook the ominous stories that Rosemary’s friend, Hutch, tells them regarding the Satanists that lived at the Bramford.
Rosemary and Guy have neighbors Roman and Minnie, who take an interest in the young couple. Minnie becomes especially meddlesome after Rosemary becomes pregnant. Rosemary doesn’t feel healthy during most of the pregnancy. She begins to think that there may be something to the stories of Satanists in the building.
Rosemary doesn’t really trust anyone except Hutch, who dies under mysterious circumstances. Is she just imagining that someone is trying to hurt her and the baby? After she has the baby, everyone tells her that the baby has died but Rosemary doesn’t believe it. What would you do if you were Rosemary?
Recommendation
If you like creepy stories that could be true, then you will like Rosemary’s Baby. If you don’t want to read a book that was made into a movie, then you are missing out on a classic horror novel. I read this book for part of the Spooktober Readathon. The prompt was a horror novel published before 2010. Rosemary’s Baby was published in 1967.
On a side note, I could not stand the smell of the herb Rosemary while I was pregnant. It’s probably unrelated to this story.
Based on your writing here, I feel like I owe it to myself to read the book. I’ve only seen the movie and every time I read the title, that high pitched “Hail Satan!” soundbite pops right into my head
I don’t think that you will be disappointed.
Both the book and film are fantastic. And I love your comment “The setting reminds me of Breakfast at Tiffany’s but with Satanists instead of socialites.” So true!