Island - Richard Laymon

The best of the best! (202 words)
by philsammie - written on 16/07/00, updated on 16/07/00 (Useful, 49 readings)
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Out of all Richard Laymon's excellent novels, Island is my favourite. It has everything you could ever want from a novel, including an absolutely jaw-dropping final twist. It's the story of a group of people who are shipwrecked on a tropical island, only to be hunted down by a crazed killer. This might not sound like the most original premise you've ever heard, but it's what Laymon does with this basic idea that is so special. The writing is absolutely flawless, and the characters are utterly believable and never dull. It's written in the form of a diary, from one character's point of view, and is so well crafted that you genuinely feel you're ...

Island - Richard Laymon

Gripping but flawed (165 words)
by moleman - written on 14/08/00, updated on 14/08/00 (Useful, 46 readings)
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excellent treatment by Laymon, whose books are constantly gripping and readable. However, Island remains, in my mind, rather flawed. The unique aspect of the novel is that it is narrated by a teenage geek, who uses the situation to overcome some of his neuroses and live some of his fantasies. This leads to some uncomfortable ...

The Cellar - Richard Laymon

Shocking but compelling (130 words)
by philsammie - written on 12/07/00, updated on 08/05/05 (Useful, 43 readings)
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The Cellar was Laymon's very first novel, and is probably his most shocking too. It contains scenes of paedophilia which some readers will find offensive, but it has to be said that they are justified and necessary in order to define the character of Roy, a child abuser who is released from prison and sets off after his daughter and ex wife. ...