Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
459th out of 936 books
—
3,326 voters
The Watcher
Charles Maclean's horror classic is finally back in print
Friday, rush hour. Martin Gregory just manages to catch the 4:48 train. Tomorrow is his wife's birthday and he plans to devote the weekend to her and their beloved dogs. But when he rises in the morning, Martin does something so horrific, so inexplicable, and so out of character that his only option is to run. A los...more
Friday, rush hour. Martin Gregory just manages to catch the 4:48 train. Tomorrow is his wife's birthday and he plans to devote the weekend to her and their beloved dogs. But when he rises in the morning, Martin does something so horrific, so inexplicable, and so out of character that his only option is to run. A los...more
Paperback, 343 pages
Published
March 6th 1984
by Penguin Books
(first published 1982)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
339)
Martin Gregory is a happy man with a normal life living with his beautiful wife in a country home near New York City with their two beloved dogs. It’s his wife’s birthday, and he is in a hurry to get home and give her a special present. He ends up doing something so horrible, so strange, he flees. This is how THE WATCHER, a remarkable horror novel by Charles Maclean, long out of print but now published in a new edition, begins, and once it hooks you, it never lets go.
The novel proceeds primarily...more
The novel proceeds primarily...more
Martin Gregory is in a hurry. He has arm loads of presents for his wife’s birthday. Martin just makes the train. The next morning Martin surprises his wife with a gift that she will not soon forget. Martin slaughters their dogs and leaves their corpses for his wife. Martin then leaves town.
Martin decides to seek help. It seems that the help Martin is receiving has opened the doors wide open. Martin is having a hard time trying to figure what exactly is real and just who he is.
The Watcher is a...more
Martin decides to seek help. It seems that the help Martin is receiving has opened the doors wide open. Martin is having a hard time trying to figure what exactly is real and just who he is.
The Watcher is a...more
When the fine folks at Penguin approached me recently about reviewing THE WATCHER, I jumped on the opportunity like a dog on a steak-bone. I had heard of this book numerous times over the years but never got the chance to check it out. It is dubbed by The Guardian (London) as “the number one horror novel of all time.” With a plug like that, how could I resist? I’m very happy to report that this book is an excellent read by a visionary author, and is destined to be a literary classic.
I will state...more
I will state...more
I don't know what went wrong with this book. I liked it. It was okay, but I expected so much more after reading such blurbs as:
The number one horror novel of all time!--The Guardian (London)Not one to usually be influenced by such things, I couldn't help myself when even Paul Newman went out of his way to blurb this book: "I'm something of an insomniac. I read The Watcher and stopped sleeping altogether". How could I resist such an...more
If you are easily upset...stop right here.--The New York Times
12 likes · like · see review
The Wall Street Journal's Cynthia Crossen (author of the paper's "Readback" column) made me aware of this book, and I am glad she did. While some have called this a horror novel, and there are some genuinely nasty images, I'm not sure the label fits. But categorization really isn't the point. This is an entertaining and engaging book. And it is extremely creepy.
Some reviewers have complained that the novel's final act fails to fulfill the promise of the rest of the story. I disagree. Throughout...more
Some reviewers have complained that the novel's final act fails to fulfill the promise of the rest of the story. I disagree. Throughout...more
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:
*Complimentary copy received in exchange for an honest review
The Watcher is a deep psychological thriller with mind numbing twists and turns, reminiscent of the good 80's style psycho-horrors where nothing is quite as frightening as the human mind.
I honestly wasn't sure if I would be able to read this book to completion. The Event that takes place at the beginning that sets up the rest of the story is utterly and completely distur...more
*Complimentary copy received in exchange for an honest review
The Watcher is a deep psychological thriller with mind numbing twists and turns, reminiscent of the good 80's style psycho-horrors where nothing is quite as frightening as the human mind.
I honestly wasn't sure if I would be able to read this book to completion. The Event that takes place at the beginning that sets up the rest of the story is utterly and completely distur...more
Wasted my weekend reading this book. Picked up this book on a whim, wanting to get back into psychological thrillers. This one had a promising premise and keeps you guessing throughout the book, but I'm disappointed to say that you'll end up guessing even after the last word. Nothing is really resolved. Some of the theories/visions the main character experiences are so farfetched, they reduce the momentum of the plot carrying forward.
To sum up, great set-up, but outlandish theories about reinca...more
To sum up, great set-up, but outlandish theories about reinca...more
Despite the wildly enthusiastic reviews, this was a book I found myself with no great urge to continue with, only reading it because it was the book I was currently reading, not through any great interest. Individual segments of it are compelling, though they fail to add up to anything. The question as to the narrator's sanity became secondary to the feeling that nothing was going to be resolved satisfactorily by the end, which is the case, and connections introduced as twists seemed painfully o...more
May 01, 2012
Vicky
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
for-review,
read-in-2012
Original review: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...
The Watcher by Charles Maclean is another great example for the common saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. When I looked at my review copy and read the synopsis, I thought I knew what was coming: a fast paced horror story, people dying one by one, the protagonist getting madder by the day. Boy, was I wrong. Even though it’s completely different from what I expected, it’s an interesting read and without a doubt nothing like any of the...more
The Watcher by Charles Maclean is another great example for the common saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. When I looked at my review copy and read the synopsis, I thought I knew what was coming: a fast paced horror story, people dying one by one, the protagonist getting madder by the day. Boy, was I wrong. Even though it’s completely different from what I expected, it’s an interesting read and without a doubt nothing like any of the...more
This book starts off with a punch to the gut that may be too much for some readers. After that it take a turn into strange territory, strange dreams, past lives and lots of psycho analysis. Charles Maclen blends elements of fantasy into The Watcher which leads to an enjoyable and unique horror read. An excellent but somewhat ambiguous ending caps it all of perfectly. A most enjoyable book overall and a worthwhile read for fans of weird fiction.
I'm so glad I won this novel. I believe this is one of the strangest horror stories I've ever read. After a lovely evening with his wonderful wife and adoring pet dogs, Martin locks his wife in their bedroom and brutally kills their dogs. Martin then gift boxes the dead dogs and runs away, unable to explain what he has done. What a fabulous tale if you are into horror. I throughly enjoyed it!
This was a bit of a disappointment in that I wouldn't say that it was a horror story. And even if it were a horror story, I wouldn't say that it was the "number one horror story of all time" as the Guardian claims.
More of a very in-depth psychological suspense, The Watcher explores the steady progression to madness of Martin Gregory, a businessman who one day slaughters his two pet dogs and leaves them in the living room for his wife to find when she wakes up. And that is just the beginning.
I f...more
More of a very in-depth psychological suspense, The Watcher explores the steady progression to madness of Martin Gregory, a businessman who one day slaughters his two pet dogs and leaves them in the living room for his wife to find when she wakes up. And that is just the beginning.
I f...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Yes, I really liked it. Saw it on a list of top horror novels.
It's compulsively readable. A stay up past bedtime to keep reading kind of book. That said, I am unable to understand all that happened, but go with the feeling of the book: definitely and vividly unsettling.
It's compulsively readable. A stay up past bedtime to keep reading kind of book. That said, I am unable to understand all that happened, but go with the feeling of the book: definitely and vividly unsettling.
Seriously, this book has the most pretentious dust jacket summary I've ever read -- the marketing blurbs compare it to Lord of the Flies, Tolkien, and Fowles' 'The Collector'. This book is nowhere in that league -- nor do any of the comparisons actually make sense. It's an interesting read, and an effective example of the unreliable narrator -- though which narrator is unreliable is ultimately one of the questions of the book.
The Guardian listed this in their top 10 horror novels of all time. It...more
The Guardian listed this in their top 10 horror novels of all time. It...more
2 likes · like · see review
I wanted to like this book but something happens in the second chapter that put me of reading anymore of the thing. This is only the second book that it’s happened in for which I’m grateful but it gets me everytime and as such I had to put it down
Straight up, this book is not horror. It's a psych thriller, with supernatural undertones. The author creates a decent enough atmosphere, his prose are tightly knit n fast paced, but he fails to deliver any of the things that the blurbs on the cover claim; horror, chilling, number one horror book of all time, etc. It's a frustrating read because at no point do you really know what's going on. is he crazy or is he just gifted with supernatural powers? I don't think even McLean ever knew. The enti...more
A creepy horror tale of madness, paranoia and murder, Or is it.....maybe, just maybe the man whose story is told in the tale is telling the truth. Certainly a creepy tale and one that will haunt you long after you have finished reading it.
Jesus Christ the first chapter of this book is effed up! It will haunt you. The rest of the book doesn't quite live up to the promise, but it creates a mood.
I could not get into this book. It is really better than the one star I gave it but just not for me.
Very exciting. Significantly twisted. If you enjoy the "horror" genre, read this one next.
A read in one sitting with very little sleep sort of book. Grim, convincing, psychological horror.
Read during the readathon.
To me it was not the page turner that it was built up to be. I am a horror story fanatic, and this was far from "the greatest horror story of all time" that one of the reviews claimed. I honestly wish I hadn't spent the money or time on it.
Read this many years ago, shortly after it cam out in '83, and it had such a strong affect on me. I foolishly loaned my copy out and never saw it again, and the book drifted into obscurity but apparently developed a bit of a cult status.
Reissued and now re-read, this following is totally validated. The Watcher takes some interesting turns, and is more sinister/disturbing than outright horrific. It twists your melon - and is written so clearly and seamlessly at the same time. Outstanding.
Reissued and now re-read, this following is totally validated. The Watcher takes some interesting turns, and is more sinister/disturbing than outright horrific. It twists your melon - and is written so clearly and seamlessly at the same time. Outstanding.
Whoa.
I watch a lot of horror movies and read some horror books and none of them made me feel as uncomfortable or anxious as this book. At times I literally thought that the suspense was inducing a stroke. It was a total mind fuck and as soon as I think I have the story sussed out I remember some detail that just confuses the shit out of me again. I will definitely be reading this again, probably more than once. Enjoy!
This is a nice little find....deliciously creepy 80's psychological thriller. Writing is solid, if not spectacular...really, really compelling. It's a fantastic mystery!
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
great read very memorable....
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Name o...: Horror novel about past lives [s] | 7 | 39 | Aug 25, 2011 11:21pm |
Dec 19, 2012 01:13am