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Eleanor Grimm #1
Grimm Memorials
The haggish neighbor to the Nailer family, a real witch, hatches her fiendish plan for immortality, a recipe that requires the souls of thirty virgins
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 5, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 23, 2015
Once Upon A Time I thought maybe I would be getting a clever and probably over-the-top horror updating of The Witch versus Hansel & Gretel but instead I got a a terribly written and very irritating story of an old woman whose powers are way too strong yet who is also way too pathetic and a family that is obnoxious and repulsive and cardboard and and there's way too much pointless backstory and droolingly depicted sex scenes and way too many parentheticals and in general the writing is grindingly obvious and it wasn't even scary it was just gross, and nursery rhyme and fairy tale characters turned into laughably grotesque caricatures with no meaning except hey let's just make them grotesque and then there's the torture of little kids, ugh my God, I guess I should have expected that but what I didn't expect was that the torture-the-children scenes are described in the same drooling fashion as the sex scenes and sure sex and horror go hand in hand but I doubt the author intended any kind of commentary he just wanted to disgust me, hey good job mission accomplished, and so I read the positive reviews of this one to try and maybe reignite my interest and all that I could think was that some readers need to expand their horror reading tastes a bit more if they think this shit is actually good and so I went back and tried to give it a go one more time and it was like stupidcrazystupidcrazyblahblahblah and I'm like Just Shut Up Already, Book and and and and and I just fucking gave up because this book sucks, The End!
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January 9, 2024
It is unfortunate that Gates did not publish more, because Grimm Memorials is a real gem. Set in a fictional Western Mass town, the main character is Eleanor Grimm, an ancient woman living in a funeral home-- Grimm Memorials. Grimm Memorials at one time (turn of the century?) was the biggest funeral home/monument maker in the Connecticut River valley (pioneer valley). Eleanor, along with her twin brother Edmund, were the only children of the Grimm family and they were born with special physic powers; basically the ability to read others minds, and also, to make people see/feel things like illusions writ large. Edmund left home at a fairly early age for boarding houses and then college and along the way discovered the Demonolatria, a book with spells, the most important being how to achieve immortality. Eleanor stayed at home, and after her mother passed away when she was 13, her father systematically started raping her, instead of the corpses he usually employed.
The book begins with the Nailer family moving to Western Mass as Steve, the stepfather, just accepted a job at a prep school there. Steve is a poet and while teaching at the prep school for needed income, he is also writing a poem for a contest, the winner to be given a teaching job at a university. The Nailer family has two kids-- Jackie and Jen-- from Diana's previous marriage, and Diana is hugely pregnant with little Stevie, Steve and Diana's own child. They first encounter Eleanor (the witch) when they pull into Amherst, Mass., and she appears to each of them very differently-- to Steve, she is a fabulous hottie, to Diana, she is her long dead father, to Jen, she seems to be her beloved grandmother, but to Jackie, she seems like a witch.
Eleanor has big plans for the upcoming Halloween, for that is the time she can cast the immortality spell for herself; the only snag is that she needs 13 'innocent' boys to sacrifice. She has already begun collecting them, and how she does it gives the book its haunting power. Basically, she uses her power (what she calls 'the machine') to find children and then immerse them in grand illusions based upon fairy tales (hence the double meaning of Grimm!). Two children, for example, are amazed to see the pied piper walking down the street in front of their school while on recess; they go to follow him and suddenly Eleanor grabs them, chloroforms them and tosses them in the back of her ancient hearse. All the while, any who can see what is actually happening Eleanor makes them either forget or see something else. The captured boys must be feed a diet of human flesh, so while the boys go into a cage in the mortuaries basement, the girls go into the cookpot, along with any adults that get in the way, and yes, there are several.
Eleanor is ancient, however, and her health (and especially her heart) are declining rapidly; she can only hope she has enough strength to last until the final rite. She is also 'haunted' by her dead brother, who assumes her alter ego, constantly either giving her advice or explaining how she is going to fail.
Grimm Memorials is truly a haunting book, first published in 1990 at the end of the horror mania of the 70s/80s. An awful lot of dreck was published in this era, as publishers knew horror would sell, but occasionally, you can find something that really stands out. I would almost call this splatterpunk given the gruesomeness of the story, and the high body count, but consider it more of an evil fairy tale. Gates use of fairy tales throughout gives this something of an edge and something quite new to the horror genre. 4.5 witchy stars!!
The book begins with the Nailer family moving to Western Mass as Steve, the stepfather, just accepted a job at a prep school there. Steve is a poet and while teaching at the prep school for needed income, he is also writing a poem for a contest, the winner to be given a teaching job at a university. The Nailer family has two kids-- Jackie and Jen-- from Diana's previous marriage, and Diana is hugely pregnant with little Stevie, Steve and Diana's own child. They first encounter Eleanor (the witch) when they pull into Amherst, Mass., and she appears to each of them very differently-- to Steve, she is a fabulous hottie, to Diana, she is her long dead father, to Jen, she seems to be her beloved grandmother, but to Jackie, she seems like a witch.
Eleanor has big plans for the upcoming Halloween, for that is the time she can cast the immortality spell for herself; the only snag is that she needs 13 'innocent' boys to sacrifice. She has already begun collecting them, and how she does it gives the book its haunting power. Basically, she uses her power (what she calls 'the machine') to find children and then immerse them in grand illusions based upon fairy tales (hence the double meaning of Grimm!). Two children, for example, are amazed to see the pied piper walking down the street in front of their school while on recess; they go to follow him and suddenly Eleanor grabs them, chloroforms them and tosses them in the back of her ancient hearse. All the while, any who can see what is actually happening Eleanor makes them either forget or see something else. The captured boys must be feed a diet of human flesh, so while the boys go into a cage in the mortuaries basement, the girls go into the cookpot, along with any adults that get in the way, and yes, there are several.
Eleanor is ancient, however, and her health (and especially her heart) are declining rapidly; she can only hope she has enough strength to last until the final rite. She is also 'haunted' by her dead brother, who assumes her alter ego, constantly either giving her advice or explaining how she is going to fail.
Grimm Memorials is truly a haunting book, first published in 1990 at the end of the horror mania of the 70s/80s. An awful lot of dreck was published in this era, as publishers knew horror would sell, but occasionally, you can find something that really stands out. I would almost call this splatterpunk given the gruesomeness of the story, and the high body count, but consider it more of an evil fairy tale. Gates use of fairy tales throughout gives this something of an edge and something quite new to the horror genre. 4.5 witchy stars!!
January 8, 2019
I wanted to like this book. The authot demonstrated mastery of the English language beyond many of his peers and the book is well edited, especially for a horror paperback published during this period.
Unfortunately the author didn't show restraint in demonstrating his mastery of English, and the resulting prose is thick and turgid, overly descriptive, telling, not showing each and every minute detail of setting and action regardless of relevance.
The characters are lost somewhere inside this rich stew of words, and the bits I could find didn't give me much to latch onto.
The perspective of the narrative meanders about, never aligning the reader with anyone in particular to care about or root for. When the bountiful gore finally arrives, it has little impact, generates no tension or dread. It's all telling.
I didn't care about any of the cardboard victims or survivors, and my head throbbed so badly from wading through the endless morass of thick paragraphs that I couldn't get to the end fast enough.
Many reviewers appear to disagree with my assessment, so give it a shot if you wish.
2.5 stars from me, but only in acknowledgement of the stellar vocabulary and solid editing.
Unfortunately the author didn't show restraint in demonstrating his mastery of English, and the resulting prose is thick and turgid, overly descriptive, telling, not showing each and every minute detail of setting and action regardless of relevance.
The characters are lost somewhere inside this rich stew of words, and the bits I could find didn't give me much to latch onto.
The perspective of the narrative meanders about, never aligning the reader with anyone in particular to care about or root for. When the bountiful gore finally arrives, it has little impact, generates no tension or dread. It's all telling.
I didn't care about any of the cardboard victims or survivors, and my head throbbed so badly from wading through the endless morass of thick paragraphs that I couldn't get to the end fast enough.
Many reviewers appear to disagree with my assessment, so give it a shot if you wish.
2.5 stars from me, but only in acknowledgement of the stellar vocabulary and solid editing.
March 30, 2016
Disturbing as hell!!! One of my all time favorites. A true Horror tale. I first read it back in 1994, but it still haunts me to this day. Mr. Gates has no mercy on his characters. This book also has one of the most revolting villains ever.
According to the author's Facebook page.,,he is working on another GRIMM book. It should be out in 2017. Working title is - GRIMM BEGINNINGS.
According to the author's Facebook page.,,he is working on another GRIMM book. It should be out in 2017. Working title is - GRIMM BEGINNINGS.
October 9, 2015
So very good. Dark and warped just like the original Grimm fairly tales before they were watered down for kids.
And so maybe you can't reread books and love them as much as you did originally the same way you can't go home again. Or maybe it's just me. I loved this one back in the day. Now I've revisited it, seemed like an appropriate October read to get in the spirit, and it just didn't sing to me the same way it once did. Mind you, for what it is, it's good. Gates takes the already disturbing and dark fairy tales and twists them into something far more terrifying, not to mention far more disgusting and gory. He even takes the time to do some character development, but Gates' strength is really in his powers of description. Horror fans will find much here to delight their demented brains and morbid hearts. There is a sequel to it as well, for the fans.
And so maybe you can't reread books and love them as much as you did originally the same way you can't go home again. Or maybe it's just me. I loved this one back in the day. Now I've revisited it, seemed like an appropriate October read to get in the spirit, and it just didn't sing to me the same way it once did. Mind you, for what it is, it's good. Gates takes the already disturbing and dark fairy tales and twists them into something far more terrifying, not to mention far more disgusting and gory. He even takes the time to do some character development, but Gates' strength is really in his powers of description. Horror fans will find much here to delight their demented brains and morbid hearts. There is a sequel to it as well, for the fans.
March 20, 2021
Umm... so that was horrifying.
This book has cannibalism, torture, dismemberment, dis- member -ment, bestiality, murder, child murder, baby murder, rape. Just all the bad things. If you have anything less than an iron stomach, or like children at all, stay far, far, FAR away from this book.
I hate myself for saying it, but I actually really enjoyed it. I DID NOT know what I was in for when I started and by the time I realised how vile it would be, I was kind of invested. I feel like I owed it to Jackie to see his story through. What a little trooper, my god.
This book was awful. Disgusting, evil, vile. But it's really gripping. I'm sorry world, I'm a terrible person. I should definitely start going to church.
This book has cannibalism, torture, dismemberment, dis- member -ment, bestiality, murder, child murder, baby murder, rape. Just all the bad things. If you have anything less than an iron stomach, or like children at all, stay far, far, FAR away from this book.
I hate myself for saying it, but I actually really enjoyed it. I DID NOT know what I was in for when I started and by the time I realised how vile it would be, I was kind of invested. I feel like I owed it to Jackie to see his story through. What a little trooper, my god.
This book was awful. Disgusting, evil, vile. But it's really gripping. I'm sorry world, I'm a terrible person. I should definitely start going to church.
June 28, 2011
3 AND 1/2 STARS
This book is a great example of an author needing an editor. There was no need for this book to push nearly 450 pages. Many scenes and character's actions were repetitive and slowed down the momentum of the story. How many times do I have to read about the witch stumbling in pain, dizzy, and then for her to find her inner strength and continue?
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the heck out of this book, but it could have been better with a little trim of 50 - 75 pages. Granted, this is only Mr. Gates' second novel, and I'm sure he gets better with each outing. I was also delighted to see how the fairy tale mythology blended into the story and was used for such evil purposes. The gore factor was extremely high, even for me, and I was quite impressed. Count me in for another R. Patrick Gates book.
This book is a great example of an author needing an editor. There was no need for this book to push nearly 450 pages. Many scenes and character's actions were repetitive and slowed down the momentum of the story. How many times do I have to read about the witch stumbling in pain, dizzy, and then for her to find her inner strength and continue?
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the heck out of this book, but it could have been better with a little trim of 50 - 75 pages. Granted, this is only Mr. Gates' second novel, and I'm sure he gets better with each outing. I was also delighted to see how the fairy tale mythology blended into the story and was used for such evil purposes. The gore factor was extremely high, even for me, and I was quite impressed. Count me in for another R. Patrick Gates book.
January 16, 2011
Yes, this book is very disturbing and graphic...but it's also phenomenal! I loved the immense use of imagination Gates uses to incorporate all the nursery rhymes and how he turns them evil. Clearly a lot of people aren't probably going to like this book because of the gore and sometimes perverse scenes but if you are willing to get past that, you'll love it!
November 27, 2022
WARNING: Do NOT, NOT open this book if you are easily disturbed and or disgusted by scenes of severe graphic violence against children, set in a 'Fairy Tale' type story!!
I remember the summer of 1990 when this book first came out....I immediately picked up a copy at Borders Books and could not wait to get home from work to start it. I had read it entirely over that weekend and NEVER ever forgot the tale of Eleanore Grimm and her twin brother Edmund. You won't either.....believe me! Now it is 2022 and this is the third time reading this, but it is my first time with it being an audio book version.....oh dear!! With this book being the first book in a double book series and being over 440 pages long, you better have a strong stomach to make it thru it, or otherwise don't start it! R. Patrick Gates has written other books but nothing has come close at all to both the 'Grimm Books'.....and that is a good thing; making this extreme 'modern day retelling of Hansel and Gretel' the great book it is. Now please do not think that i am as sick as 'The Witch; Eleanore' that is not who I am.....I just loved to be shocked, and terrified by the horror that i read while reading it.
Married couple Steve and Diane Nailer are moving from Boston to the small town of Northwood, a quiet and very secretive town that nestles in the shadows of the huge Mount Sugarloaf. Yes, how quaint so far....sounds like the beginning of a game of CandyLand, but this is not a game you are going to win at. They have two children; 6 year old Jackie, and his older sister Jennifer roughly 8 or 9. Their mother has remarried their step father Steve and he has been hired at a prep type school in this Massachusetts town with a taste for the macabre, and that is because of it's past, and the old victorian mansion in the woods behind their house; the one that is called Grimm Memorials. And was the sight of the local morgue/crematorium and home to Eleanore and her brother.
Neither of the Grimm children ever had a chance. With her being raped from the time of being 12 by her father nightly in her bedroom while her brother listened and sometimes watched, she always wondered why her, and not the dead and naked bodies that her father had at his disposal at any day and time? Yes, this book has necrophilia in it.....and a LOT let me tell you; described very graphically too. Between the two twins they enable what they learn to call 'The Machine' and this machine lives in their head and imagination, but it is something only they can control, and how fast this machine runs, depends on how many people they can torture and kill to get the electricity to run it's motor. Now you are going to think: what the hell is this? A bad LSD trip? No, this is really happening in Grimm Memorials. Both the twins can manipulate any one who sees them to see them as something different....whether it be a grown Hollywood starlet or a well muscled and handsome man looking for the right woman to swoon. But once you meet the Grimms.....you will never live to tell anyone about them or where they live, that is unless you are Jackie and Jennifer Nailer.
This book is if not THE MOST DISTURBING, GRAPHIC, SICK AND MOST VILE BOOK of cannibalism, sexual deviantness, torture and murder of children being lured to a sugar and gumdrop looking house in the woods you will ever read! But be warned.....once you start it the horror does not EVER let up. Remember there is a second book; 'Grimm Reapings' and there was going to be a 3rd; 'Grimm Beginnings' but it never came out in 2017 as planned. I give this disgusting, sick, EXTREMELY GORY AND GRUESOME, tale of horror 10 blood covered pieces of candy atop a blood covered house! And it is well deserved. I warned you, it is NOT FOR THE Squeamish or light of hear and stomach.
10 blood soaked and flavored Gumdrops
I remember the summer of 1990 when this book first came out....I immediately picked up a copy at Borders Books and could not wait to get home from work to start it. I had read it entirely over that weekend and NEVER ever forgot the tale of Eleanore Grimm and her twin brother Edmund. You won't either.....believe me! Now it is 2022 and this is the third time reading this, but it is my first time with it being an audio book version.....oh dear!! With this book being the first book in a double book series and being over 440 pages long, you better have a strong stomach to make it thru it, or otherwise don't start it! R. Patrick Gates has written other books but nothing has come close at all to both the 'Grimm Books'.....and that is a good thing; making this extreme 'modern day retelling of Hansel and Gretel' the great book it is. Now please do not think that i am as sick as 'The Witch; Eleanore' that is not who I am.....I just loved to be shocked, and terrified by the horror that i read while reading it.
Married couple Steve and Diane Nailer are moving from Boston to the small town of Northwood, a quiet and very secretive town that nestles in the shadows of the huge Mount Sugarloaf. Yes, how quaint so far....sounds like the beginning of a game of CandyLand, but this is not a game you are going to win at. They have two children; 6 year old Jackie, and his older sister Jennifer roughly 8 or 9. Their mother has remarried their step father Steve and he has been hired at a prep type school in this Massachusetts town with a taste for the macabre, and that is because of it's past, and the old victorian mansion in the woods behind their house; the one that is called Grimm Memorials. And was the sight of the local morgue/crematorium and home to Eleanore and her brother.
Neither of the Grimm children ever had a chance. With her being raped from the time of being 12 by her father nightly in her bedroom while her brother listened and sometimes watched, she always wondered why her, and not the dead and naked bodies that her father had at his disposal at any day and time? Yes, this book has necrophilia in it.....and a LOT let me tell you; described very graphically too. Between the two twins they enable what they learn to call 'The Machine' and this machine lives in their head and imagination, but it is something only they can control, and how fast this machine runs, depends on how many people they can torture and kill to get the electricity to run it's motor. Now you are going to think: what the hell is this? A bad LSD trip? No, this is really happening in Grimm Memorials. Both the twins can manipulate any one who sees them to see them as something different....whether it be a grown Hollywood starlet or a well muscled and handsome man looking for the right woman to swoon. But once you meet the Grimms.....you will never live to tell anyone about them or where they live, that is unless you are Jackie and Jennifer Nailer.
This book is if not THE MOST DISTURBING, GRAPHIC, SICK AND MOST VILE BOOK of cannibalism, sexual deviantness, torture and murder of children being lured to a sugar and gumdrop looking house in the woods you will ever read! But be warned.....once you start it the horror does not EVER let up. Remember there is a second book; 'Grimm Reapings' and there was going to be a 3rd; 'Grimm Beginnings' but it never came out in 2017 as planned. I give this disgusting, sick, EXTREMELY GORY AND GRUESOME, tale of horror 10 blood covered pieces of candy atop a blood covered house! And it is well deserved. I warned you, it is NOT FOR THE Squeamish or light of hear and stomach.
10 blood soaked and flavored Gumdrops
January 4, 2019
I loved this book so much that I am currently re-reading it for the 2nd time. Gates took the premise of the well known Hansel and Gretel story and has re-written it for adults. This story isn't for the faint hearted as it does have some very grimm moments (pardon the pun). If you love fairy tales and love horror then this book is for you because it takes the two genres and mashes them up into one hell of a bedtime story...strickly for adults only of course!
October 18, 2010
I picked this up on a whim. Initially it had almost a V.C. Andrews type feel to it. Then it got hellacious! It is fantasy and horror wrapped together in a sleeping bag, in the woods in a cave!
It will scar your brain.
It will scar your brain.
October 23, 2024
The Nailer family moves into a house in the woods. With the family's mother being pregnant, old witch Eleanor sees an opportunity. If she plays her cards right, she will finally become immortal, she only needs thirteen boys to complete the ritual on Halloween...
I was looking forward to a dark fairy tale, and this one is certainely dark and violent. I'd put it into the extreme horror subgenre. My issues were the pacing of the story, and the characters. Lots of scenes felt randomely put together, and some could have been edited out, like the repeated mentioning of Eleanor feeling pain in her old body, followed by Edmund telling her she messed up. While I liked Jackie, the boy of the family, I though the other characters were either not fleshed out enough, or just there to be killed off.
What I did like was the wild imagination of the author, it really felt like a fairy tale at times, especially towards the end, you got trolls, dwarfs, and other horrors waiting for you. Worth reading if you like gritty fairy tales, and just want some witch going on a rampage.
I was looking forward to a dark fairy tale, and this one is certainely dark and violent. I'd put it into the extreme horror subgenre. My issues were the pacing of the story, and the characters. Lots of scenes felt randomely put together, and some could have been edited out, like the repeated mentioning of Eleanor feeling pain in her old body, followed by Edmund telling her she messed up. While I liked Jackie, the boy of the family, I though the other characters were either not fleshed out enough, or just there to be killed off.
What I did like was the wild imagination of the author, it really felt like a fairy tale at times, especially towards the end, you got trolls, dwarfs, and other horrors waiting for you. Worth reading if you like gritty fairy tales, and just want some witch going on a rampage.
September 3, 2012
I read scary gory horrifying books all the time...THIS one stuck with me. It seems nothing is taboo to Gates and that makes this book one hella read!! Horror psuedo-fairytale style where every creature of your fairytale days, be it good or bad is evil, and are out to torment the children to death! Highly recommended if you understand, it's a book! A story! Don't take it so seriously! ;) Cheers all!
July 25, 2019
This was a fairly good cheesy horror novel...but lord did it drag in a lot of places. I feel like there was a ton of stuff that he could have just taken out, and the story would have been much better. Still okay though. I'll probably read the sequel at some point.
September 21, 2025
Fun Fact: If you thought the ending of Zach Cregger's witchy wonderland WEAPONS (2025) was way too pollyanna-upbeat, then GRIMM MEMORIALS is the ruthlessly brutal witch vs. children horror tale you've been craving, you delightful perv.
February 29, 2024
TW/CW: for everything.
Warning I went into this book blissfully unaware that this (in my opinion) is an Extreme Horror that involves children. I’ve definitely read worse (in bleakness and depravity) but, personally, I find books about children, the most challenging to read. Decide whether this is the right book for you.
The best explanation I can provide for the novel, is if the novel IT was co-written with The Brothers Grimm, William Blake, Richard Laymon, V. C. Andrews, Salvador Dali and George R. R. Martin. It’s a raunchy, disturbing, difficult to stomach tale but I somehow managed to find enjoyment despite myself. I wanted to know how what I was reading ended. I was just so captivated, despite my discomfort, which is a genuine sign of a decent writer, in my opinion.
Warning I went into this book blissfully unaware that this (in my opinion) is an Extreme Horror that involves children. I’ve definitely read worse (in bleakness and depravity) but, personally, I find books about children, the most challenging to read. Decide whether this is the right book for you.
The best explanation I can provide for the novel, is if the novel IT was co-written with The Brothers Grimm, William Blake, Richard Laymon, V. C. Andrews, Salvador Dali and George R. R. Martin. It’s a raunchy, disturbing, difficult to stomach tale but I somehow managed to find enjoyment despite myself. I wanted to know how what I was reading ended. I was just so captivated, despite my discomfort, which is a genuine sign of a decent writer, in my opinion.
December 24, 2017
Grimm Memorials!!!
Holy WOAHHHHH!
What a great book. This may be the last one I get to read and review in 2017, and as such, I couldn't be happier to close the year out with such a stellar choice.
Grimm Memorials was put on my radar by several of my online friends at the Facebook group, Books of Horror, who generally have never steered me wrong. They certainly haven't here either, as this is pretty much everything I am looking for in a read.
R. Patrick Gates' second and arguably most well-known novel, a cult-classic of sorts that delivers all it promises in spades, is just perfect reading for a guy like me.
I was a huge fan of his first book, Fear, which I reviewed here on Halloween. Now, on Christmas Eve, I review this...which takes all of the things I enjoyed about that book and turns it up to 11 by refining every quality Gates seems to carry, mastering it and throwing it in the reader's face.
This is the literature equivalent of abrasive punk rock, taking a fairly basic premise, then adding heaps of hallucinatory moments, relentlessly vicious gore, supernatural villains and true human horror for a final product that ends up being one of my favorite books ever.
That's right, Grimm Memorials is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. It places Gates' in "favorite author" status for me, as I enjoyed Fear equally.
I recall reading Fear and being blown away by it's approach, reading like a carnival dark ride run by maniacs, with outlandish set piece after outlandish set piece bombarding the reader, just an incredibly fun, messed-up book for Horror Fiction fans to love. In my review, I said that Gates writes 'feral reading' in presentation...
He masters that here. Those feral moments are still present, just managed in a more linear way. I wouldn't say Grimm Memorials is subdued reading by any stretch of the imagination, of course. It's just more linear and timed in its sequences of viciousness than Fear.
Grimm Memorials takes the same approach, blasting the audience with even more disgusting and unnerving moments but adds much more in the way of engaging narrative. Pacing is perfect for the almost-450 page book...and that's something you'll be hard pressed to hear me ever say again. My feeling is generally that the horror novel sweet-spot is around 300 pages, the equivalent to 90 minutes in film. You get in, you tell your story, you get out.
But Gates' just does those extended set pieces so perfectly that you don't even notice the length. It's never once a boring or slow book, and there would be potential for that to happen with a less-skilled author.
Grimm Memorials tells us the story of the Nailer family who have just relocated to a small, woodsy town in Western Massachusettes from Boston. Dad's got a new job going, Mom's got a baby on the way, Jackie and Jen, the couple's young children are growing up fast...things are going well for the family. Until they cross paths with there twisted neighbor, Eleanor Grimm, a descendant of the Brothers Grimm and proprietor of Grimm Memorials, a mortuary and crematorium. She's a cannibalistic witch, on a quest for immortality with a taste for young children and powers to make her victims hallucinate in truly messed up ways. Along for the ride is her ghostly brother, vicious dog and a basement full of tortured kids...Are the Nailers going to end up the menu?
What do you think?
Originally published by Onyx Books in 1990, Grimm Memorials got republished in 2005 by Pinnacle, as a companion piece to the then-newly published Grimm Reapings, the sequel to this.
My copy is the reprint, whose cover art makes it look like a Lifetime Halloween special or something...don't be fooled by it...the book is ferocious.
Also, if anyone has an Onyx copy, I'd love to hear from you, because that's the art I want in my collection :)
Anyway!
Grimm Memorials is just about everything I could want in a book. It's fun, it's disgusting, it's sad sometimes. I can't think of a single complaint I have here.
Most of the violence in the book does take place against children, so I can see some being unnerved by that. Tread lightly, if that bothers you.
If I could give it a 5+, I would. A total 5/5, with my utmost recommendation. One of my favorite reads of all time, right here.
originally posted on my blog, http://Undivineinterventions.blogspot...
Holy WOAHHHHH!
What a great book. This may be the last one I get to read and review in 2017, and as such, I couldn't be happier to close the year out with such a stellar choice.
Grimm Memorials was put on my radar by several of my online friends at the Facebook group, Books of Horror, who generally have never steered me wrong. They certainly haven't here either, as this is pretty much everything I am looking for in a read.
R. Patrick Gates' second and arguably most well-known novel, a cult-classic of sorts that delivers all it promises in spades, is just perfect reading for a guy like me.
I was a huge fan of his first book, Fear, which I reviewed here on Halloween. Now, on Christmas Eve, I review this...which takes all of the things I enjoyed about that book and turns it up to 11 by refining every quality Gates seems to carry, mastering it and throwing it in the reader's face.
This is the literature equivalent of abrasive punk rock, taking a fairly basic premise, then adding heaps of hallucinatory moments, relentlessly vicious gore, supernatural villains and true human horror for a final product that ends up being one of my favorite books ever.
That's right, Grimm Memorials is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. It places Gates' in "favorite author" status for me, as I enjoyed Fear equally.
I recall reading Fear and being blown away by it's approach, reading like a carnival dark ride run by maniacs, with outlandish set piece after outlandish set piece bombarding the reader, just an incredibly fun, messed-up book for Horror Fiction fans to love. In my review, I said that Gates writes 'feral reading' in presentation...
He masters that here. Those feral moments are still present, just managed in a more linear way. I wouldn't say Grimm Memorials is subdued reading by any stretch of the imagination, of course. It's just more linear and timed in its sequences of viciousness than Fear.
Grimm Memorials takes the same approach, blasting the audience with even more disgusting and unnerving moments but adds much more in the way of engaging narrative. Pacing is perfect for the almost-450 page book...and that's something you'll be hard pressed to hear me ever say again. My feeling is generally that the horror novel sweet-spot is around 300 pages, the equivalent to 90 minutes in film. You get in, you tell your story, you get out.
But Gates' just does those extended set pieces so perfectly that you don't even notice the length. It's never once a boring or slow book, and there would be potential for that to happen with a less-skilled author.
Grimm Memorials tells us the story of the Nailer family who have just relocated to a small, woodsy town in Western Massachusettes from Boston. Dad's got a new job going, Mom's got a baby on the way, Jackie and Jen, the couple's young children are growing up fast...things are going well for the family. Until they cross paths with there twisted neighbor, Eleanor Grimm, a descendant of the Brothers Grimm and proprietor of Grimm Memorials, a mortuary and crematorium. She's a cannibalistic witch, on a quest for immortality with a taste for young children and powers to make her victims hallucinate in truly messed up ways. Along for the ride is her ghostly brother, vicious dog and a basement full of tortured kids...Are the Nailers going to end up the menu?
What do you think?
Originally published by Onyx Books in 1990, Grimm Memorials got republished in 2005 by Pinnacle, as a companion piece to the then-newly published Grimm Reapings, the sequel to this.
My copy is the reprint, whose cover art makes it look like a Lifetime Halloween special or something...don't be fooled by it...the book is ferocious.
Also, if anyone has an Onyx copy, I'd love to hear from you, because that's the art I want in my collection :)
Anyway!
Grimm Memorials is just about everything I could want in a book. It's fun, it's disgusting, it's sad sometimes. I can't think of a single complaint I have here.
Most of the violence in the book does take place against children, so I can see some being unnerved by that. Tread lightly, if that bothers you.
If I could give it a 5+, I would. A total 5/5, with my utmost recommendation. One of my favorite reads of all time, right here.
originally posted on my blog, http://Undivineinterventions.blogspot...
August 19, 2020
Wow! Twisted, unpredictable, original. NOT for the feint of heart.
January 25, 2016
While I do not speak from first hand experience, I understand the original Brothers Grimm fairy tales were quite genuinely creepy; before they were watered down and rendered politically correct. Gates seems to have an excellent grasp on what I imagine the original tales must have been like. His wicked, child-eating witch Eleanor is perfect. I did not find the gore to be over the top, but there were a few scenes that were notably disturbing. Gates does a wonderful job portraying Eleanor throwing herself into her rituals with glee, gusto and such obvious enjoyment that it is chilling.
Why then only 2 stars? Unfortunately there were a couple of points towards the end of the novel that seemed dragged out. Instead of heightening the tension as I assume was the intention, I found myself getting bored and a bit annoyed. I also found it hard to connect with and really identify with/care about any of the characters. The adults were all under Eleanor's mind control for almost the entire book, so while their behavior was understandable given the circumstances; the characters were never really fleshed out. Jackie, the main protagonist, engendered sympathy but was hard to identify with simply because he was 6. My other main complaint is that Gates did not delve deep enough into Eleanor's past and back ground. As a fan of horror fiction, I found Eleanor to be the most fascinating aspect of the story.
In summary, despite my at times overy critical nature; Grimm Memorials is definitly worth checking out by all aficionados of the horror genre.
Why then only 2 stars? Unfortunately there were a couple of points towards the end of the novel that seemed dragged out. Instead of heightening the tension as I assume was the intention, I found myself getting bored and a bit annoyed. I also found it hard to connect with and really identify with/care about any of the characters. The adults were all under Eleanor's mind control for almost the entire book, so while their behavior was understandable given the circumstances; the characters were never really fleshed out. Jackie, the main protagonist, engendered sympathy but was hard to identify with simply because he was 6. My other main complaint is that Gates did not delve deep enough into Eleanor's past and back ground. As a fan of horror fiction, I found Eleanor to be the most fascinating aspect of the story.
In summary, despite my at times overy critical nature; Grimm Memorials is definitly worth checking out by all aficionados of the horror genre.
January 20, 2011
My sister handed me this book and said, "It's weird. I want to know what you think of it." How could I resist?
This is the first flat out Horror novel I've read in a long time, and boy howdy, was it freaky. The concept was awesome though, because it combined elements of Grimm's Fairy tales, Hans Christian Anderson, Mother Goose, and other familiar fantasy characters--in a HORROR novel! The speculative elements were awesome, as were the specific parallels to Hansel & Gretel.
It was also the first time in ages that I've read a book in omniscient POV, and it really worked for this story. The sequel is definitely going on my wish-list.
I do recommend it for horror fans, even some paranormal fans, but there are some pretty squicky things between the pages, so it's not for the faint of heart.
This is the first flat out Horror novel I've read in a long time, and boy howdy, was it freaky. The concept was awesome though, because it combined elements of Grimm's Fairy tales, Hans Christian Anderson, Mother Goose, and other familiar fantasy characters--in a HORROR novel! The speculative elements were awesome, as were the specific parallels to Hansel & Gretel.
It was also the first time in ages that I've read a book in omniscient POV, and it really worked for this story. The sequel is definitely going on my wish-list.
I do recommend it for horror fans, even some paranormal fans, but there are some pretty squicky things between the pages, so it's not for the faint of heart.
July 24, 2019
I really struggled to get through this book. I know the original Grimm fairytales are dark and morbid, but this book was about thirty steps OVER the line. I hated the imagery, sex scenes were unnecessary and, while I'm sure the author meant them to be disturbing, I don't think he meant to actually gross me out so much that I felt the need to literally throw the book away when I was done reading. It was pointless and didn't seem scary or evil, just perverse. They only reason I reached the last page was because I can't bear to leave a novel unfinished once I started. I have no inclination to pick up the sequel or any other books this author has written.
Edit: this has been added to my DNF shelf. Which is where it should have been placed to start out with because I NEVER should have finished this book after getting 1/4 of the way through.
Edit: this has been added to my DNF shelf. Which is where it should have been placed to start out with because I NEVER should have finished this book after getting 1/4 of the way through.
February 13, 2018
The only reason I'm not giving this book a solid 4-star rating is the amount of typos. I don't know if this is a problem exclusive to the Kindle version or what, but there were enough errors in this book to be pretty distracting at times. Aside from that, this was actually one of the best books I've read in a long time. It was very creative, there weren't really any parts that drug on too much, and for the most part, it managed to keep me guessing. It could get pretty nasty at times and really didn't shy away from the gore, which is always a plus, and the last few chapters kept me on the edge of my seat. It had all the makings of a good horror novel and I'm looking forward to reading its sequel next.
September 30, 2011
I got this book with a bunch of others from a library sale. I always make sure I read every book I get at least once. When I first picked this up, I thought it would be another run of the mill, horror book, that played by the rules, and the good guys walk away smiling. I was soo pleasantly surprised! It broke every dull rule, and pushed the limits so many other authors stick to. No one is safe, and thats just the way real life is. Of course this book is vividly graphic, and isn't for the sentimental, or weak gut. But this book, repelled yet intrigued me. If you like a good sick story, Grimm's Memorials is a must read!
November 30, 2019
This is a disturbing book filled with black magic, child abuse, dismemberment (while the victims are alive), torture, murder, and more disgusting things. However, I did read it and enjoyed it (not sure what that says about me 😜). The story is fast paced and hard to put down, if you have the stomach for it.
My only complaint is that the Kindle edition had numerous errors in word choice, unedited sentences, and some of the editors suggested deletions and corrections were left in. Somewhat distracting, but livable.
My only complaint is that the Kindle edition had numerous errors in word choice, unedited sentences, and some of the editors suggested deletions and corrections were left in. Somewhat distracting, but livable.
May 25, 2010
Whatever merit the idea has of bringing a fairy tale witch into the modern world, is wiped ou by this novel's approach to telling the story. Now I am not queasy about violence and sex in fiction, but there are certain limits that I think no story should cross.
Describing the horrific murder-torture of several toddlers in minute detail is such a limit.
Describing the horrific murder-torture of several toddlers in minute detail is such a limit.
June 21, 2008
got sucked in by this book, but be warned it is very demended and graphic. About a witch that kills kids and is able to get into peoples minds and make them think what she wants them to think.
March 5, 2024
Grimm Memorials by R. Patrick Gates is an extreme horror novel flavored with folklore. Steve and Diane Nailer leave Boston behind, moving to the quiet town of Norwood, a seemingly idyllic setting to raise their two children, Jennifer and Jackie, as well as their baby who will be arriving soon. Unfortunately for the Nailer family and the community of Norwood, Halloween is fast approaching and their witchy neighbor, Eleanor Grimm, is desperate to regain her strength which requires the innocent souls of the community's children.
Going into this horror novel, I liked the overall premise of Grimm Memorials with its Hansel and Gretel vibes, the fairy tale/nursery rhyme references, and an evil witch for the antagonist. There were wonderful scenes of characters from nursery rhymes turning into creatures from hell, a troll chasing Jackie over a bridge, and Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum entertaining twins in a mall. What makes all of these scenes wonderfully terrifying is an evil witch, with paranormal abilities, luring children to her house of horrors. I also liked the character Jackie, who was a cute kid with legit childhood fears, but still managed to be brave in the most horrific situations. Sadly, that is where my enjoyment of this book ended.
To be clear, I enjoy reading horror stories; however, I do NOT enjoy reading horror stories littered with gratuitous sex, especially with animals, children, or corpses. Additionally, I'm not a fan of torture porn. Woefully, the author of Grimm Memorials included all of the above and more to shock the socks off of his readers. Instead of this novel being scary, it was over the top gross and off-putting. I know several authors writing horror at this time took liberties, pushing the envelope by including less than savory subject matter, but I do not find it scary, imaginative, or all that interesting. He could easily have shortened Grimm Memorials by 150 pages, given his characters more layers, given Eleanor a more intriguing back story, allowed more time with the Nailer family before they became zombified, and left out the sexual depravity. Burke's imagery, characters, setting, and excellent use of folklore were overshadowed by distasteful content that was not necessary to make this a truly good horror story. I gave it 2.5 stars.
Going into this horror novel, I liked the overall premise of Grimm Memorials with its Hansel and Gretel vibes, the fairy tale/nursery rhyme references, and an evil witch for the antagonist. There were wonderful scenes of characters from nursery rhymes turning into creatures from hell, a troll chasing Jackie over a bridge, and Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum entertaining twins in a mall. What makes all of these scenes wonderfully terrifying is an evil witch, with paranormal abilities, luring children to her house of horrors. I also liked the character Jackie, who was a cute kid with legit childhood fears, but still managed to be brave in the most horrific situations. Sadly, that is where my enjoyment of this book ended.
To be clear, I enjoy reading horror stories; however, I do NOT enjoy reading horror stories littered with gratuitous sex, especially with animals, children, or corpses. Additionally, I'm not a fan of torture porn. Woefully, the author of Grimm Memorials included all of the above and more to shock the socks off of his readers. Instead of this novel being scary, it was over the top gross and off-putting. I know several authors writing horror at this time took liberties, pushing the envelope by including less than savory subject matter, but I do not find it scary, imaginative, or all that interesting. He could easily have shortened Grimm Memorials by 150 pages, given his characters more layers, given Eleanor a more intriguing back story, allowed more time with the Nailer family before they became zombified, and left out the sexual depravity. Burke's imagery, characters, setting, and excellent use of folklore were overshadowed by distasteful content that was not necessary to make this a truly good horror story. I gave it 2.5 stars.
October 15, 2023
First published while I was in still in high school, this was super fun & enjoyable and I'd been looking forward to reading this ever since hearing Leon Saul rave about it years ago on his Paperback Mania YouTube channel. Mr. Gates is definitely my kind of writer, I never found a single sentence of his prose to be difficult or boring and he easily kept me entertained. I really liked how he weaved so many Grimm fairy tales, Wizard of Oz, and classic Disney films into this delightfully gory and evil tale. My only reason for not giving it 5 stars was, at 430+ pages, I felt like it could have been trimmed down about 20% and been just as enjoyable if not more so. Nevertheless, I bought the sequel Grimm Reapings and look forward to reading this and more of his work very soon. Highly recommended.
November 12, 2019
ok.. I LOVE this book, I have since I read it in middle school. However, this edition is deeply flawed. There were times where the edits could be seen and some of the reasons that this book was so great were the darker more... disgusting scenes that showed how screwed up Elanore was... and those were removed from this version. I don't know why they removed these parts of the book, without them, its your basic witch in the woods tale.. this really disappointed me.
So.. while it may be difficult to find and possibly expensive, just read the paperback version, then you will understand why this is such a great book!
So.. while it may be difficult to find and possibly expensive, just read the paperback version, then you will understand why this is such a great book!
July 16, 2017
I was seriously bored by this book. The idea is good, and the presentation was promising - but I got the impression of reading a hastily written piece, with a lot of discusting happenings thrown in, just trying to schock you - most of them don't have any actual meaninin for the plot, nor add anything to the "scary" side of it. Lots of repetitions, characters was flat, and unsympathetic and the only parts I looked forward to was where the witch would kill them, so I didn't have to read more about them. Meh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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