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10th out of 157 books
—
189 voters
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red
At the turn of the twentieth century, Ellen Rimbauer became the young bride of Seattle industrialist John Rimbauer, and began keeping a remarkable diary. This diary became the secret place where Ellen could confess her fears of the new marriage, her confusion over her emerging sexuality, and the nightmare that her life would become. The diary not only follows the developme...more
Paperback, 277 pages
Published
April 29th 2001
by Hyperion
(first published 2001)
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If ever there was a book that had me enthralled from cover to cover and constantly saying to myself "OMG...WTF" (yes...I'm sorry, my thoughts were quite that profane as I read it and for the sake of some of our viewers I've not spelt out the phrases), this was it. Trying to recall the movie I had watched depicted after Stephen King's version I can't quite place the two together. While I believe the movie was quite scary, reading the diary was far more dark and it wasn't that graphic. Chills were...more
I really loved this book. I recieved my copy as a surprise gift from my husband and I read it right after I watched the series on TV. The book is very well written and is just like a diary. It complaments the movie very well if you have seen the movie by all means read this companion book.
A mysterious and haunting spirit lurks within the walls of Rose Red, the setting for Stephen King's upcoming ABC miniseries tie-in by the same name. Built on a Native American burial ground in early 20th-centu...more
A mysterious and haunting spirit lurks within the walls of Rose Red, the setting for Stephen King's upcoming ABC miniseries tie-in by the same name. Built on a Native American burial ground in early 20th-centu...more
Blah.
I should have known better. I like reading diaries and letters and find that it is a great way to learn about history and how people lived. I found this in a biography section and didn't look at it closely enough to realize that it was fiction. Even Amazon has a misleading paragraph on their page:
"Release Date: January 1, 1900
At the turn of the twentieth century, Ellen Rimbauer became the young bride of Seattle industrialist John Rimbauer, and began keeping a remarkable diary. This diary be...more
I should have known better. I like reading diaries and letters and find that it is a great way to learn about history and how people lived. I found this in a biography section and didn't look at it closely enough to realize that it was fiction. Even Amazon has a misleading paragraph on their page:
"Release Date: January 1, 1900
At the turn of the twentieth century, Ellen Rimbauer became the young bride of Seattle industrialist John Rimbauer, and began keeping a remarkable diary. This diary be...more
As haunted house books go, this one had an interesting premise but I didn't find the story interesting. The biggest problem was the narrator, for me. The diary conceit is always difficult to pull off, perhaps especially when the book's set in the past. Ellen Rimbauer was, for me, an annoying combination of self-conscious historical voice and modern novel habits. For instance, I'm not going to say what a teenaged bride at the turn of the century would or wouldn't possibly know about, she did seem...more
1 like · like · see review
** Lady Journal Review **
At the turn of the twentieth century, Ellen Rimbauer became the young bride of Seattle industrialist John Rimbauer, and began keeping a remarkable diary.
This diary became the secret place where Ellen could confess her fears of the new marriage, her confusion over her emerging sexuality, and the nightmare that her life would become. The diary not only follows the development of a girl into womanhood, it follows the construction of the Rimbauer mansion called Rose Redan...more
At the turn of the twentieth century, Ellen Rimbauer became the young bride of Seattle industrialist John Rimbauer, and began keeping a remarkable diary.
This diary became the secret place where Ellen could confess her fears of the new marriage, her confusion over her emerging sexuality, and the nightmare that her life would become. The diary not only follows the development of a girl into womanhood, it follows the construction of the Rimbauer mansion called Rose Redan...more
First I would like to point out that while Stephen King was responsible for the miniseries, which takes place after the events of this book, he is not the author of this book, which becomes quickly apparent as you read. It lacks King's style, and I'm surprised that any fan of his would think this was the case more than five pages in. The actual author (according to wikipedia, and the author's own site) is Ridley Pearson. He's apparently a really real person, with his own list of books on amazon....more
Got this book at a library sale because I was in the mood for true!hauntings and/or Victorian spiritualism, and got neither. I was a little disappointed to find out it wasn't a true account, but that didn't ruin the book for me; lots of creepy-haunting books aren't true accounts.
However,I didn't think this book was particularly scary or creepy; it was a fairly run-of-the-mill fictional haunting with some lesbianism thrown in for omgsoshocking!!1!! value.
I didn't think the book felt like a diary...more
However,I didn't think this book was particularly scary or creepy; it was a fairly run-of-the-mill fictional haunting with some lesbianism thrown in for omgsoshocking!!1!! value.
I didn't think the book felt like a diary...more
You all remember the popular Stephen King mini-series that aired earlier this year on ABC under the auspicious title of Rose Red: the story of a group of “gifted people” who, with the help of Joyce Reardon, venture into the old abandoned mansion known as Rose Red, where within they come in contact with the supernatural, though in no way that has ever been televised before. But what happened to the former occupants of the house? The ghosts that now dwell within, what were their lives like? Well h...more
This diary belongs in everyone's personal library.
It amazes me that this diary was found at an estate sale in the summer of 1998. It is quite revealing of the past. The diary will take you into the mind of a woman who found herself in a torrid relationship with a wealthy man in the early 1900s. She forced herself to love this man. I would definitely give this book a solid B as it is a GOOD form of reading a womans' thoughts almost a century ago. The romantic woman, Ellen, was in the forefront fo...more
It amazes me that this diary was found at an estate sale in the summer of 1998. It is quite revealing of the past. The diary will take you into the mind of a woman who found herself in a torrid relationship with a wealthy man in the early 1900s. She forced herself to love this man. I would definitely give this book a solid B as it is a GOOD form of reading a womans' thoughts almost a century ago. The romantic woman, Ellen, was in the forefront fo...more
I skimmed through the first few pages because the prose was overwrought and extremely melodramatic. It reminded me of the sort of thing someone who has never read a romance might write thinking this is the way it's done. Purple prose, fluttering hands, and swooning galore. Blech.
Okay, I'm revising my first impression of this book because last night I zipped through 3/4's of it without taking a break, getting bored, or skimming. I haven't done that in YEARS. Something about this story fascinates...more
Okay, I'm revising my first impression of this book because last night I zipped through 3/4's of it without taking a break, getting bored, or skimming. I haven't done that in YEARS. Something about this story fascinates...more
2 likes · like · see review
**Spoiler Alert**
Hmm...This is a tuffy. I began reading this book under the false pretense that it was a real diary. I couldn't believe some of the things Ellen revealed being that it was the early 20th century and all. Sex, desire, lesbian lovers... So those little tidbits raised some red flags, but I chugged on reading happily. It wasn't until the very end when I decided to check out the website "Dr. Joyce Reardon" referred the readers to see that I began to have doubts. No such website existe...more
Hmm...This is a tuffy. I began reading this book under the false pretense that it was a real diary. I couldn't believe some of the things Ellen revealed being that it was the early 20th century and all. Sex, desire, lesbian lovers... So those little tidbits raised some red flags, but I chugged on reading happily. It wasn't until the very end when I decided to check out the website "Dr. Joyce Reardon" referred the readers to see that I began to have doubts. No such website existe...more
I have to admit I'm a sucker for these sorts of premises. A diary is found and authenticated, and it supposedly belonged to a young woman who lived in a sprawling, haunted mansion. Even knowing that it's fiction, the presentation adds to the illusion. If well done, it suspends my disbelief deeply enough that I catch myself thinking, "Oh, I should go look up ____ and see if it's real." I love that feeling and did get it a few times with this book.
Overall, I enjoyed the writing and found the story...more
Overall, I enjoyed the writing and found the story...more
Dec 08, 2010
J.
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Tweens
Shelves:
gothic,
dumpster-adjacent
This was a lesson in what constitutes progress. Found this on a rainy day in Venice Public Library and decided it might be sort of time-capsule creepy, a mouse-hole view into another era.
If I had had any idea whatsoever that this was in fact a companion novelization to a popular Stephen King miniseries... it would've remained on the shelf. But on this day I needed something to read, and my holds had yet to appear in the arrivals stack. Nothing about cover, flyleaf notes, or interior designations...more
If I had had any idea whatsoever that this was in fact a companion novelization to a popular Stephen King miniseries... it would've remained on the shelf. But on this day I needed something to read, and my holds had yet to appear in the arrivals stack. Nothing about cover, flyleaf notes, or interior designations...more
2 likes · like · see review
OK, first it needs to be understood that The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer is not a real diary. It was written by Stephen King to hype his Rose Red movie. That's right. It's a gimmick. Now, I'm not necessary opposed to a gimmick if it's well done. (See my review of Heat Wave.) However, King didn't even put any real effort into the writing of this. It felt like King punched this out on his computer in about an hour, then decided to turn it into a diary, so he took what he already wrote, chopped it up i...more
Creepy and true story about how I came about reading this book:
So I've had this book on my bookshelf for about 5 years. I bought it in a discount bundle of King books, but I'd never gotten around to reading this one. Earlier this week in Minnesota, while throwing some "airplane reading" in my suitcase, this book called to me from the shelves. I threw it in my bag along with a few others. As I started reading this book in my hotel room, I started to get a weird feeling...like the tone of the stor...more
So I've had this book on my bookshelf for about 5 years. I bought it in a discount bundle of King books, but I'd never gotten around to reading this one. Earlier this week in Minnesota, while throwing some "airplane reading" in my suitcase, this book called to me from the shelves. I threw it in my bag along with a few others. As I started reading this book in my hotel room, I started to get a weird feeling...like the tone of the stor...more
When I last reviewed a book in diary form - Stray - I mentioned, that it's not my favourite type of narrative and here's a very good example of why this is.
Ellen's superficial and self absorbed ramblings are simply annoying. I couldn't stand her and since it's her diary there is no escape. And if you skip pages of details about wardrobe or her feeling sorry for herself because her husband isn't treating her well (a man she only married because of his money and social status, mind you) there just...more
Ellen's superficial and self absorbed ramblings are simply annoying. I couldn't stand her and since it's her diary there is no escape. And if you skip pages of details about wardrobe or her feeling sorry for herself because her husband isn't treating her well (a man she only married because of his money and social status, mind you) there just...more
Eeehhh. That's about all I can say on this one. Eeeehhh. It was okay. I saw the mini-series on TV years ago, and I must say it was better than that... It definitely wasn't Steven King, so I'm not sure why so many people thought it was written by him - it's not even remotely his style. Now that I've finished it, I've read some of the other reviews, and it seems like a lot of people also thought this was real at the time it was originally released - sort of like the Blair Witch Project. And like B...more
Is this story true? No, Rose Red does not exist.
However...The story was partially based on the story of Sarah Winchester who continued to build her house until she died. Sarah Winchester was very superstitious and that thought the victims that had died at the hand of Winchester rifles would one day come back to haunt her, so the house was build with doors to no where, steps that lead up to ceilings and went no where, in her vain attempt to protect herself.
You can tour this house the Stephen Kin...more
However...The story was partially based on the story of Sarah Winchester who continued to build her house until she died. Sarah Winchester was very superstitious and that thought the victims that had died at the hand of Winchester rifles would one day come back to haunt her, so the house was build with doors to no where, steps that lead up to ceilings and went no where, in her vain attempt to protect herself.
You can tour this house the Stephen Kin...more
Not bad, I enjoyed this. Although the fact that this is presented as a true story and is really quite unconvincing to begin with somewhat detracted from the impact of the book. Other things were more interesting and they really could have left out the whole "this is a true story!" excerpts from "scholars" etc. Ellen herself is a pretty interesting character, and I especially liked how they started her off as an atypical everywoman who prays to the "other side." The evolution Ellen and the reader...more
The Rose Red Miniseries by Stephen King is the only reason I picked up this book. It was written as publicity for the series. However, it was not written by Mr. King, it lacks his style.
The idea of a diary for Ellen intrigued me but by the time I was finished reading I was left with a less than satisfactory feeling. The book concentrates on sex, violence (I was expecting), and revenge. It painted Ellen as a woman very focused on what others think of her and extremely melodramatic.
It was also h...more
The idea of a diary for Ellen intrigued me but by the time I was finished reading I was left with a less than satisfactory feeling. The book concentrates on sex, violence (I was expecting), and revenge. It painted Ellen as a woman very focused on what others think of her and extremely melodramatic.
It was also h...more
Don't even bother reading this book. I was intrigued when I first picked it up because everything about the description led me to believe that it was non-fiction. I even looked for the caveat in the front of the book that states that it is a work of fiction. Nothing there. The only indication that it was fiction was a tiny line at the very end of the book that said "Fiction". Once I realized it was fiction I quickly lost interest. A truly dumb story and not worth your time reading. No wonder the...more
The book was SO much better than the mini series! The details in the book, & the complete spookiness & shocking details come across as a REAL diary. If it hadn't been written by Stephen King, you'd think it could have been a real experience. This was completely awesome. I love Stephen King anyway, but this little book is quite possibly the least sensationalized & most realistic thing he's ever done. I HIGHLY recommend it as a read. Preferably at night, when you're home alone, & i...more
I seriously had a hard time putting this book down. And it took me forever to figure out that a book found in the fiction section, meant to appear as a work of non-fiction, is nonetheless, entirely fiction! Although it can be said to be loosely based on factual events, the work itself is entirely a hoax. But such a compelling one at that! Marriage, infidelity, sex, intrigue, mysterious disappearances and deaths!? This book has it all. Definitely would recommend this to anyone who loves anything...more
I liked this book a lot better when I thought it was real. Yes, I thought it was real. I had my suspicions about the truth of it about half-way through, as it was well-written and the entries seemed to take place at vital junctures relevant to the story, and the entries were supposedly all there. Ok, so I was taken in. I'm a sucker. Thank goodness it was a fast read. Some parts were frightening, but again, only if the events described had actually taken place. I wish the ending had been less con...more
I really liked this book for some reason. I would have given it a 5 except I did not like it that I was quite a ways through the book when the presented author of the "diary" said I was to be cursed. Eaa gad! All jokes aside I did feel uncomfortable every time she recorded it was to be seen by no one to the extent she wanted it mentioned in her will and wondered about what had gone through the minds of her descendants when they authorized the publishing of this book. Dominant Y I guess. The oth...more
I've listened to books on CD before, but this is the first time I have ever done it without having a copy of the book as well. There were a few genuinely creepy moments, but my experience of the story is colored by the fact that I saw the TV movie Rose Red before I read the book. Although some efforts have been made to disguise the fact that this is a Stephen King book, some elements are familiar, most notably his unkillable urge to scratch the wound until it bleeds. The gruesome and/or sexual d...more
So far this book has me intrigued. It is a bit tedious and I have done a lot of skimming but I sat down last night and flew through about 1/2 of it. I do wish it would get to the real story. I am tired of hearing about the neverending honeymoon they went on and all the stuff they bought. But I will press on.
I really enjoyed this one. I was unsure about it since it was written from a "diary" perspective but it was easy to read and really hard to put down. It was not a deep, thought provoking read...more
I really enjoyed this one. I was unsure about it since it was written from a "diary" perspective but it was easy to read and really hard to put down. It was not a deep, thought provoking read...more
I just finished listening to this book. I read the paperback a few years ago and after watching the movie Rose Red a couple of weeks ago, I had to reread the diary.
I really liked this book. As I was listening to it this second time, I was thinking I might bump my rating down to 4 stars because at times the diary entries are a bit tedious and uninteresting. However, when you look at the book and the movie as an entire entity, I think, on a whole it's genius!
I love that the movie is portrayed as a...more
I really liked this book. As I was listening to it this second time, I was thinking I might bump my rating down to 4 stars because at times the diary entries are a bit tedious and uninteresting. However, when you look at the book and the movie as an entire entity, I think, on a whole it's genius!
I love that the movie is portrayed as a...more
One of the big issues with this book is who was the real author? It was written as a teaser for the then upcoming mini-series Rose Red which was written by Stephen King. Many think King also wrote this diary. Others think it was his wife Tabitha. Whoever wrote this book did an good job.
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer tells an interesting tale of a young lady who marries a rich older man. He then sets out to build then a mansion overlooking Seattle. The building of the mansion they call Rose Red nev...more
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer tells an interesting tale of a young lady who marries a rich older man. He then sets out to build then a mansion overlooking Seattle. The building of the mansion they call Rose Red nev...more
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...more
The book begins with Ellen Rimbauer and her budding relationship with her future husband John Rimbauer, who is building a...more
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Most likely an unacknowledged pseudonym of [Author:Stephen King|3389]
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Aug 30, 2012 06:08am