Joyce Reardon and Stephen King's The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red was the latest audio book selection of my husband for our daily rides to and from work. It is billed as a thriller or suspense novel, but I found that the diary format did not lend itself to suspense over the audio. I'm not sure if I would feel differently if I had read the hard copy of the book.
The book begins with Ellen Rimbauer and her budding relationship with her future husband John Rimbauer, who is building a mansion to surpass all mansions in Seattle--Rose Red. The construction of the home is rittled in controversy as it is built on an Indian burial ground and contractors are killed on the site.
Her marriage to John is wrought with marital turmoil as she continues to uncover the depths of her husband's perversity and sexual desire. While the premise of the house being haunted is obvious from Ellen's visits to psychics in Chinatown and the various disappearances inside the home, I was not scared while this audio book played, and I found it a bit predictable.
The diary is entertaining until you get near the end when the supposed paranormal investigator, Joyce Reardon, interrupts the narrative to interject her reasons for eliminating portions of the narrative and to explain about speculation at the time of Ellen Rimbauer's behavior after major events happen in the house, etc.
Overall, this was a good book to listen to in the car and maybe to pick up and read, but it is not something that will frighten you. It is interesting to see how Ellen learns how to take control of her life with the help of her African handmaid Sukeena.
If you have reviewed this book, feel free to drop me a link and I will add it to the review.
Aug 11, 2008
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4 comments:
This sounds like an interesting book. Was Reardon interrupting the book as part of the book or as an author? That's a little odd.
She is a character in the book, but interrupts more so at the end....she annoyed me. I wished she was gone. LOL
But she's also listed as an author. That's odd.
It is odd....she starts the book by explaining her "credentials" and the diary...etc...then she interjects at certain points near the end. It is odd, indeed.
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