The landlady

by Constance Rauch

Softcover No pages are ripped. Yellow tint on pages. Both front and back cover show wear.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

245 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Jack Tripper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jessica and Sam decide they want a nice, relaxing life in the suburbs with their 2 1/2 year old daughter Patience, instead of the constant hustle and bustle of New York City. They find a seemingly perfect house to rent on the Hudson River in the hilly town of Wimbledon, just a short drive from the city, where Sam works. The one drawback is the weird, nasty old landlady who lives upstairs. They should have listened to the ominous warnings of neighbors, as well as the odd little occurrences that soon began happening -- such as Patience's sudden regression into babytalk and the pornographic doll left in her crib one night -- but it may be too late.

I've found that horror novels from the 70s, such as this one, have a much higher probability of being good, or at least well-written, compared to the 80s, when publishers were pumping out whatever crap they could get their hands on that had a horror element to it. I would say the 80s had more great horror novels than the 70s, but a lot more garbage as well. This definitely isn't garbage, and kept me turning the pages even during the chapters of normal domestic life. The horror element is only a minor aspect here, as most of the novel deals with the faltering relationship between Jess and Sam, much of it brought on by the sinister landlady. You can see their marriage crumbling, yet they are too wrapped up in their own problems to notice.

One thing I can't stand in horror novels, and in fiction in general, is when the characters don't use common sense. I know that if I found evidence of a prowler having been in my daughter's bedroom, causing a sudden regression in her behavior, I would be on the phone with the police in a New York minute. I certainly wouldn't [Vaguely Spoilery] let multiple incidents go by while doing nothing but worry all night, as Jess does here (she's often left alone due to Sam's job, and his drinking issues). [End Spoiler] Still, it's obvious she wasn't thinking rationally by this point, so I was able to let that go, somewhat.

The Landlady isn't all that scary, but it is a unique examination of victimization, and a deteriorating marriage. There are a few unsettling moments, but anyone looking for pure terror won't find it here. They will find a good, though at times a bit "cozy," tale of suburban life, intercut with some freaky scenes that are all the more disturbing due to the real-life nature of them. And you get a nice, twisted conclusion to boot.

3.5 Stars

[Kurt Reichenbaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good "horror" novel that you've probably not seen around that much in the used stores. Or maybe you have. I tend to gravitate towards 70's horror novels, more so now than I used to. I think it's because I'm weary of the zombie shenanigans that saturated the most recent horror trends. Think of something like Burnt Offerings or The Stepford Wives and you'll be in the frame of mind needed for this icky novel that involves a doll and an evil landlord. Not that the the cover and the title didn't tip you off already. Dolls are creepy.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't believe the tagline on the cover comparing this to Rosemary's Baby or The Exorcist. It doesn't even come close. However, I did enjoy this twisted little tale of marital strife and malicious intent that centered around a couple, their child, and the unbalanced landlady they decide to rent from. The author has a decent writing style. The characters were well developed, even if some of their decisions clearly made no sense whatsoever. And I definitely didn't see that ending coming. This is a surprising little gem if you enjoy a tight, well-written semi-horror novel from the 70s. 3 1/2 stars.

[Tome Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting twist that I never saw coming at the end but most of this book is just dealing with day to day domestic life drama (Like most horror books from the 70’s seem to be like). But like other reviewers have said about halfway through you get to the weird sex doll in the child’s crib and then it starts to get interesting.

[Em SWL · Rating 1 out of 5]

good lord this was a terrible book

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

The advertising is blatantly false. "The Landlady - the novel that makes Rosemary's Baby look innocent and even Jaws seem tame." and the front cover claims "The greatest terror turn-on since Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist..." Well no, it's not supernatural terror, and the main character isn't even in danger until the final scenes. It's actually a mystery with a delightful twist at the end and some perversion. But it's well written - in fact I had to look up a number of words in the dictionary - and moves along well. For the record I thought I'd guessed the ending but didn't get it right. A lot of the fun is also realizing just how awful it can be to be a renter.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book. This was a nice surprise. It's not terrifying, more like a subtle creepiness which I liked a lot. There are definitely a few icky, cringy moments, but this story did not go at all how I thought it would originally, and that made it even more compulsively readable.

I had it figured out towards the end, but it didn't make me want to stop reading. I definitely need more vintage horror books in my life.

[Scott Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young family move into a nice little home in upstate New York and are subjected to a campaign of weird home invasion, perversion and intimidation by the old landlady who lives upstairs

A nice little twist appears near the end