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173rd out of 644 books
—
653 voters
The Manitou (Manitou #1)
It only grows at night. Karen Tandy was a sweet and unassuming girl until she discovers the mysterious lump growing underneath her skin. As the doctors and specialists are puzzling over the growth, Karen's personality is beginning to drastically change. The doctors decide there is only one thing to do, cut out the lump. But then it moved. Now a chain reaction has begun and...more
Paperback, 216 pages
Published
November 28th 2000
by Olmstead Press
(first published 1975)
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The Manitou is a series of books steeped in native American Indian mythology. The book was made in to a movie too. The series consists of:
The Manitou
Revenge of the Manitou
Burial
Spirit Jump (short story)
Manitou Blood
Blind Panic
These are great books and I am surprised that Masterton hasn't become more prominent.
Plot ***Spoilers***
A woman is suffering from a growing tumor on her neck, enters a hospital in San Francisco. After a series of X-rays, the doctors begin to think it's a living creature, a...more
The Manitou
Revenge of the Manitou
Burial
Spirit Jump (short story)
Manitou Blood
Blind Panic
These are great books and I am surprised that Masterton hasn't become more prominent.
Plot ***Spoilers***
A woman is suffering from a growing tumor on her neck, enters a hospital in San Francisco. After a series of X-rays, the doctors begin to think it's a living creature, a...more
I recognize that this a first novel (it's the first novel I've ever read by Masterton actually). I recognize that there are minor slip ups about American culture by a British writer (just little turns of phrase that don't ring true - can't even think of one now they were so few - the constant usage of 'Red Indians' for one), and some major generalizations about Native American culture. I recognize that
(SPOILER) it's a bit ridiculous and maybe a little racist that the white spirit of a police co...more
(SPOILER) it's a bit ridiculous and maybe a little racist that the white spirit of a police co...more
My ratings system is as follows. One star is GOOD. The book is entertaining, easy to read and you don't want to stop reading because something about the book is compelling you not to. Two stars is GREAT! This time the story is not only entertaining, but highly creative, unique, easy to read and hard to put down. Three stars is EXCELLENT. Here the book has all aspects of one and two stars, but now the book is thought and emotionally provoking. Four is AWESOME. This is the read that is not only cr...more
Ok, so it's not a literary masterpiece but it's a lot of fun. Considering that I read it in one day should tell you that it is an easy read. The characters are very thin but the author's imagination makes up for all the flaws. It seems rushed in the beginning but once the action of the story picks up the rushed feeling flows into a normal feel for what is happening. Graham Masterton has written over one hundred books and is still going. I believe this is his first horror novel but I am not 100%...more
I've read The Manitou, and thought it was GREAT! - It was actually the very first "adult" horror-novel I read (besides my HUGE collection of children's and young-adult horror-books by writers as R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, and Darren Shan ;) ), and to be honest; it's the only (of the over a 1000 adult-horror-books I have here) one I've actually finished so far.
So I don't have much "comparison-material" currently, but it was definitely one of the best books I've read; really suspenseful, terri...more
So I don't have much "comparison-material" currently, but it was definitely one of the best books I've read; really suspenseful, terri...more
I know you thought that growing lump on the back of your neck meant you had cancer… but I’m sorry to say it’s not a tumor… it’s a medicine man… oh yes, medicine men are quite fatal, what you need is a psychic, a shaman, a tarot card reader and a doctor willing to believe anything and maybe you can make it out of this alive!
Wow…. Masterton certainly has an imagination doesn’t he… And he has no trouble at all raising the bar beyond believability, flies right by the limits of suspension of disbelie...more
Wow…. Masterton certainly has an imagination doesn’t he… And he has no trouble at all raising the bar beyond believability, flies right by the limits of suspension of disbelie...more
Misquamacus, the Wampanoag sorceror from H.P. Lovecraft's story "The Lurker at the Threshold," erupts into the modern world and proves himself to be one of the most bad-ass wizards in all of fantasy fiction. (Voldemort and Saruman together wouldn't last five melee rounds against this guy!) A culturally-insensitive mashup of Native American religious practices with Cthulhu mythos, but still one of the most inventive and scary horror novels ever written.
I first read this book when I was a very young teenager and it scared the living daylights out of me! It made a huge impression, enough to prompt my review of the book over twenty years later. I don't know if it would have such an impact on me now, and might be worth another look. But for an older child/young adult, this book is frightening. In a good way.
Sometimes humorously dated 1975 horror about a salty fortune teller, a young woman with a fast growing tumor on her neck and a medicine man from Colonial America trying to come back into the world. When the going gets tough, everyone grabs a cigarette, including the doctors. Never believable, but very creative, something Stephen King might have dreampt up
I read this book many years ago,but I still remember it as a fabulous story,steeped in the mythology of the native Anerican Indians. I love mythology and although there were gross aspects, as you come to expect with modern horror,it was still a well written story,which did not focus solely on the more gruesome aspects.
I've read The Manitou, and thought it was GREAT! - It was actually the very first "adult" horror-novel I read (besides my HUGE collection of children's and young-adult horror-books by writers as R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, and Darren Shan ;) ), and to be honest; it's the only (of the over a 1000 adult-horror-books I have here) one I've actually finished so far.
So I don't have much "comparison-material" currently, but it was definitely one of the best books I've read; really suspenseful, terri...more
So I don't have much "comparison-material" currently, but it was definitely one of the best books I've read; really suspenseful, terri...more
The Masterton series about the Manitou, written some time ago, are just about the ONLY good books this man has written. I've tried over and over and over again (because I really liked this series) - but he has been reduced to formulaic, colorless write-by-numbers.
Such a wacky idea that is just might work! Although the movie version was campy in the most extreme way, the book it is based one (this one) is quite a nice little thriller. Enjoyable, even if it can be a bit non-PC from time to time.
I read this book several years ago & only remember it vaguely, but I am a die-hard Graham Masterton fan & have read everything that I can find by him. I liked this book for being a mythic type of story based on native americans.
Thinking back, I was in my mid teens and I think this was the first horror story I read. I can remember being quite wrapped up in it. I think these days I'd find it less interesting, I'll have to reread it to find out.
Am I the only one that noticed the similarity between the Great Old One in this book and the god in Lovecraft's Call of Cthulthu? (Probably. Lol)
Lovely read.
Spooky, gory, and filled with mysticism.
Lovely read.
Spooky, gory, and filled with mysticism.
For all its charm, Graham Masterton's "The Manitou" sure sports a lot of shortcomings for a horror classic. Masterton's trademark less-than-sharp dialogue rings through the book and he sometimes gives away his Britishness, having his American narrator use words like "flat" for apartment and "sick" for vomit. All in all, though, the idea for the book is a fun mash-up of Native American folklore (with which Masterton plays quite fast and extremely loose) and Lovecraftian mythologies. Despite the p...more
I don't understand the 3.5 average rating for this book. I thought it was terrible. I enjoyed the characterization but found the plot so preposterous that I barely finished it. It started out promising but just went off the rails about 2/3 the way through it.
And although I realize it's dated, and am not an advocate of updating any book to modernize, the constant references to "Red Indians" was a bit much.
I will read more Graham Masterton -- I will not, however, read any more books in the Manit...more
And although I realize it's dated, and am not an advocate of updating any book to modernize, the constant references to "Red Indians" was a bit much.
I will read more Graham Masterton -- I will not, however, read any more books in the Manit...more
As debuts go, Masterton put his name on the map with his. You can read the synopsis, to get a real good idea about the story. What I was impressed with, was how he made this such a visual read. Wherever the story is taking place you are there, feeling the confusion of the doctors as to what kind of tumor seems to move/pulse on young Karen Tandy. Convincing doctors to the terror, the horrendous evil... that is the Manitou.
This is the book that started Masterton's career. He's one of my favorite horror writers of all time. So consistently good. I own a different edition, though.
Started off kinda silly but improved quite a bit as it went along, there were some pretty creepy parts toward the end of the book. Chapters 7-10 were the best.
First read this at nine years old. Shaped my young brain and removed good sense and replaced it with eldritch goodness. Yay.
A 1970s horror novel about an Indian medicine man from 1650 trying to come into the present. Properly atmospheric page-turner.
The book was good, the film was pants. I was 16 when I read it though and it scared the life out of me.
was a good story an easy read but the book is very old and the first of a series lookin forward to the others
This book shouldn't be a favorite of mine...But it is. It's cheezy. It has a ridiculous hero. It has a villain that claims to be all-powerful, but can't seem to do much more than freeze-dry a hospital room. But it is so damned readable! And other than Masterton's equally enjoyable (and equally ridiculous) WELLS OF HELL there's just no other book like it. Except for maybe the sequel...
Fun horror story with a handful of great ideas which, unfortunately, show their age from being done better since.
One of the first horror genre books that I read as a kid. Still a great read all these years later.
Oh Graham Masterton, could you possibly be more racist?
This was considered horror at the time (1975), but it pales in relation to current horror, so it's dated. but it does have some commendable and selfless heroes.
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Graham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British menis magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles whi...more
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Apr 12, 2011 04:56pm