The Other | Litsy

The Other | Thomas Tryon

@LeahBergen This #creepychristmas #cc swap is fantastic! My spouse and I have sweatshirts of the Christmas Vacation quote, so having the towels will really enhance the collection! The tea and candies are perfect, The Other is new to me, and while I JUST finished Rouge, I was planning to give a copy to my sister, so now I can give one to her and keep one for myself! And the moose poop bookmark...yes, definitely scary! 😂

@teebe

LeahBergen I saw you were just reading Rouge and said, “Darn it!” to myself and then laughed when I saw the photo of you and your husband in the Christmas Vacation shirts after you‘d already received the box! Perhaps I stalked you too well? 😆😆 Happy Creepy Christmas! 11mo

BarbaraBB Great gifts! The Other is so good and the ending is 🔥 11mo

ImperfectCJ @LeahBergen Your stalking abilities are definitely on point! (I'm going with that reason rather than "I'm predictable.") If it helps you feel any better, my husband brought home one of the books he'd gotten me (Reprieve) only to find that I was already reading it, so apparently I'm tough to keep up with. ? 11mo

LeahBergen @ImperfectCJ Well, that does make me feel better! 😆 11mo

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Tkimsal

The Other | Thomas Tryon

30 Book Recommendations in 30 Days — Day 6 “The Other,” by Thomas Tryon. Anything by this author, really, but this one helped cement a love of scary stories that has lasted my entire life.

6 likes

erzascarletbookgasm

The Other | Thomas Tryon

#AlphabetGame #letterO

Loved this one! So evil! I‘m still searching for other Thomas Tryon‘s novels, especially Harvest Home.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

batsy This book was a trip and a half! 2y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing! 2y

BarbaraBB Such a great choice 🍷 2y

37 likes3 comments

Michael_Gee

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

Like a beautiful horror movie (I could see this being adapted by Ari Aster), it‘s gorgeous and poetic when it isn‘t disturbing and grisly. A book that made me jolt awake in the night, convinced there was a creepy kid plotting in the corner. Carefully and precisely built. I loved this. New favorite.

vivastory Oh, man. I'd love to see this as an Ari Aster movie! 3y

LeahBergen Yes! Such a good read. 3y

37 likes2 comments

Addison_Reads

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

Peaches took a nap on me while I finished up this book. Thankfully I had another book handy so I didn't have to wake her up. 😻

This book just reminds me of why I love horror. If evil kids and surprise endings are something you enjoy, you have to read this book. Tryon does such a great job with building the suspense and the terror. I'm already looking forward to reading this again in the future because it's just that good.

wanderinglynn What a content kitty! ❤️🐱 3y

vivastory I liked this one even more the second time around 🍷🍷 3y

Bklover I read this a very long time ago and remember loving it! There‘s another one that‘s good too-

Harvest HOme

44 likes3 comments

TrishB

The Other | Thomas Tryon

I‘ve been waiting to read this for ages and then get 2 for Christmas! Sorry it already appeared in my pile Barbara- but thank you so much for thinking about me, it‘s very kind ♥️
All the best for a vastly improved 2022 for us all. At least we have Litsy!

BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB That we do ❤️😘 3y

BarbaraBB Such a coincidence about the book. I hope you can swap it with someone or give it to another bookish friend. It‘s good!! 3y

TrishB I‘ll try and find a happy home for it! ♥️ 3y

LeahBergen It‘s a fun read. 👍 3y

77 likes4 comments

TrishB

The Other | Thomas Tryon

Father Christmas brought us many books today 📚
Left - right - hubby‘s, sons, daughters and mine.
Hope those that are celebrating are having a great day and others are having a lovely weekend ♥️

DGRachel What beautiful stacks! Merry Christmas, Trish! 3y

erzascarletbookgasm Wow! 👏👏👏👏 Happy Christmas! 🎄 3y

TheBookHippie Beautiful!!! Happy Christmas! 3y

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AmyG Merry Christmas Trish! 🎄 3y

CBee Lovely!! Happy Christmas 🎅🏻 🎄♥️💚 3y

squirrelbrain So any books! Merry Christmas! ❤️ 3y

MicheleinPhilly WOW! Santa did really well this year! Merry Christmas! 😘 3y

vivastory Long Players! The Other! I bet your family has fantastic book discussions. Merry Christmas 🎄📚📚 3y

Leniverse So many books! I'm on the phone app so I can't make out any of the titles. 🧐 Must check again later when the iPad is free. 😊 3y

kspenmoll What a bookish Christmas!!🎄❤️📚 3y

Caroline2 Good book hauls all round eh! 😁 3y

Centique Merry Christmas Trish - looks like lots of bookish delights! 3y

Bookzombie Merry Christmas!🎄 3y

TrishB @DGRachel @erzascarletbookgasm @TheBookHippie @AmyG @CBee @squirrelbrain @MicheleinPhilly happy Christmas 🎄 enjoy your day 3y

TrishB @vivastory we have some great debates! 3y

TrishB @Leniverse @Caroline2 it‘s good having some choices 😁 3y

TrishB @kspenmoll it‘s lovely ❤️ 3y

TrishB @Centique definitely lots of choice! ♥️ 3y

TrishB @Bookzombie happy Christmas 🎄 3y

Megabooks Merry Christmas! Nice haul! 3y

CarolynM You all did very well this Christmas! Enjoy. 3y

LeahBergen How wonderful! Merry Christmas to you, my friend! 😘😘 3y

BiblioLitten Lovely! Merry Christmas to you and your family🎄✨ 3y

BarbaraBB Oh no… I sent you one of these too 😳, will be there later this week according to my track & trace 🤷🏻‍♀️😘 3y

TrishB @Megabooks always grateful for the Christmas books 😁 hope you had a good day. 3y

TrishB @CarolynM @LeahBergen @BiblioLitten hope you all had a wonderful day ❤️ 3y

TrishB @BarbaraBB oh no ☹️ thank you in advance for the kind thought 😘 3y

Cathythoughts Lovely Trish ! ❤️🎄📚📚📚📚 3y

batsy How lovely! ❤️🎄 I took a screenshot to peer closely at the titles 😂 3y

TrishB @Cathythoughts 😘 3y

TrishB @batsy definitely should be a thing on Litsy! 3y

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ChelseaM6010

The Other | Thomas Tryon

Finished this book, The Other, by Thomas Tryon on December 29th, 2020. Would definitely recommend! Creepy children and murder abound in this book! 😱

#horrorbook

BarbaraBB Such a scary book... that barrel 😱 4y

ChelseaM6010 @BarbaraBB right? That gave me the chills! 4y

vivastory I think this is my fave evil children book of all time. That ending! 4y

ChelseaM6010 @vivastory I agree! This book rocked me! 4y

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BookwormOfTheDamned

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

In this video, I review the supernatural thriller, "The Other" by Thomas Tryon.

https://youtu.be/VNhn3GVtHJQ

Bklover Oh I remember reading this a loooong time ago! I loved it back then. Also liked Harvest Home. 4y

BookwormOfTheDamned @Bklover loved this and Harvest Home. I just added "Lady" and "Night of the Moonbow" to my list. 4y

13 likes2 comments

veritysalter

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book was so unsettling. Niles and Holland Perry are twins: one good, one wicked, as the extended family gather to mourn the loss of their father, a series of tragic events rock the family. This book challenges our belief in absolutes, and the duality of good and evil, love and hatred, pity and fear.

LeahBergen Wasn‘t it good?? This was my pick for our #NYRBBookClub here on Litsy. 4y

veritysalter @LeahBergen I read through your Q&A after I finished. An excellent choice, have you read any others by him? 4y

LeahBergen No, but I do want to read

Harvest HOme

vivastory Such a great book. 4y

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veritysalter

The Other | Thomas Tryon

The body count is really starting to stack up ☠️

53 likes

mklong

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

I am so sorry that I didn‘t have time for this one during October. Not only because I missed discussing it with the fabulous #NYRBBookClub, but also because it was a perfectly terrifying read. I‘m going to have to watch several comforting Christmas movies to shake this one off.

LeahBergen, vivastory

vivastory Ha! It was somehow more unsettling the second time I read it. Great review 👍 5y

Leftcoastzen Nice review ! I was late too ! Sang happy songs so I could go to sleep after finishing it.😳 5y

mklong @vivastory @Leftcoastzen Thanks! It‘s tough to leave a review because I didn‘t want to spoil anything. Happy songs are a great idea. Might use that one. 5y

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LeahBergen Haha! Yes, it was a bit unsettling, wasn‘t it? And look at all your pretty NYRBs! 😍😍 5y

BarbaraBB What did you think of the ending? You should read @Billypar ‘s post about the book and the comments below. Really unsettling 😱😱 5y

mklong @BarbaraBB When I read the “I am Holland” part, I thought maybe I missed a twin switch, and like so many others was flipping back to see what I missed. I think I landed on insanity. The idea of the monster being within the “good” twin, is scarier to me. Such a great discussion about it though. Thanks for pointing me to it! 5y

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Leftcoastzen

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

I was swamped with guests and did not finish in time for #NYRBbookclub discussion,I just finished last night.Gothic & Atmospheric,I kept trying to figure out is it good twin /evil twin or something else all together?I also wanted the adults to pay attention to the children,maybe they wouldn‘t be so weird!

vivastory I actually raised my rating after rereading it. I thought it was a great Halloween read. I don't know if you saw my message, but I need to touch base with you about the Nov discussion. Are you on Goodreads? 5y

Leftcoastzen I am ! Same name . yes , we need to discuss. 5y

batsy Great point about the adults paying attention! I felt the same. Felt like shaking them a bit 😆 5y

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Leftcoastzen @batsy Right?! If I was acting that weird my parents would have been on me like stink on a skunk!And I was a pretty free range child back in the day. 😁 5y

LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @batsy But the adults were super weird themselves. 😆😆 5y

batsy @LeahBergen True! 😂 Tryon was showing just how rotten their environment is. A part of me just wants to feed the twins some cornflakes, make sure they have a hot bath, and send them to bed with some Hardy Boys books 😅 5y

40 likes6 comments

Myhusbandhatesreading

The Other | Thomas Tryon

so-so

Not bad but not great.

25 likes

Billypar

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

Parts of this kept reminding me of other books or films (some of which came after the book, so not Tryon's fault) that I didn't feel completely immersed in what would have creeped me out even more than it did. Even if you can get many of the events elsewhere (with a few memorable exceptions), Tryon is an expert at creating a thick, eerie atmosphere when he describes scenes, and has a gift for depicting mad, spiraling thoughts in his characters 👇

Billypar It's also a very meticulous novel - lots of themes and motifs that are carefully woven throughout, so there's a lot of layers to appreciate as you go. Speaking of which, I need to give a late response to the discussion question 5, in the next comment under the spoiler mask. #nyrbbookclub 5y

Billypar My interpretation of the end was the same as @vivastory and @Aimeesue But @batsy and @LeahBergen your theory had me doubting that, so I spent at least an hour flipping back through parts of the book to try to get more insight. There's the ring (gifted to Holland) and the mark from Russell on the finger to consider. But then, the magic theme is sort of irresistible - what if those are the parts of the trick the magician shows you to throw you off? 5y

Billypar I'm still in the insanity camp - just by the way the last page was written and the lack of any hints during any of the well incident recollections. And what @Aimeesue said about the whole double-reversal thing being improbable. But not as confident as before.. 🤔 5y

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vivastory Excellent review! I agree. I want very much to think it was Holland tricking Niles, but the way the ending is written I just can't get there. As Chaon points out in the afterword, by the end of the book you realize how disillusioned & pathetic his life has become. 5y

LeahBergen What a great review! And yes, I did waffle back and forth (and really wanted a twin switcheroo) but the little dribbled clues all point to a irrevocably mad Niles. Too bad! 😆 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Great review. I think your initial interpretation of the ending is more plausible although like you, the other theory had me flipping back some pages to see what clues I may have missed. 5y

BarbaraBB Fab review! I was blown away too by @batsy and @LeahBergen interpretation but I can‘t allow myself to go there 🙈 so am sticking to the insanity camp as well 😉 5y

batsy Nice review! And you guys are very right in pointing out that certain clues lead to it being Niles. That he has completely lost his sense of self is also pretty damn terrifying, in its own way. But I still like to go... What if? Like you said, what if there was a certain dark art to Holland conjuring up what people can and can't see? (it's a theory I can't let go off 😆😬) 5y

Billypar Thanks everyone for the thoughts- @batsy I agree that even the insanity end is pretty scary by itself! Thanks @LeahBergen for leading the discussion of this strange and memorable book, and I enjoyed reading everyone's comments from the discussion! @vivastory @erzascarletbookgasm @BarbaraBB @Aimeesue @Liz_M 5y

Aimeesue @Billypar It was a fun discussion! I'm still going to be wondering about who survived and what that means for a while, I think. 5y

Billypar @Aimeesue Yes, me too! Poor Niles. Poor Holland. 😁😁 5y

Liz_M Nice pic, btw! 5y

Billypar @Liz_M Thanks - couldn't resist a mirror pic for this 😮😮 5y

39 likes13 comments

LeahBergen

The Other | Thomas Tryon

This post contains spoilers

show me

#NYRBBookClub

Question 5

vivastory Best illustrations 😂 5y

Aimeesue Definitely felt like a Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation here, at least in Niles' mind. The good/bad split is so essential to his psyche that he literally can't believe he's Niles. The good one would never be locked up in Babylon. 5y

Aimeesue @vivastory I will never see a wine cask in quite the same way again! That's another callback to Bradbury, though. The whole Something Wicked This Way Comes vibe of the traveling circus/ fair with its exhibitions of the grotesque. 5y

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vivastory I took that line to mean that Niles had identified with Holland so intensely & for so long that he had in effect replaced himself with Holland entirely. It's hard for me to say about Ada. I feel like she tried her best, but she sometimes seemed a little too willfully blind to what was happening. I think she knew more than she admitted. But if you're close to someone it's not uncommon to make excuses. 5y

vivastory @Aimeesue I will also never look at finger sandwiches the same way 😂 5y

Aimeesue @vivastory 😂😂😂 5y

Liz_M I don't know how much outcomes would have changed, but it probably wasn't a good idea to allow Niles to ignore Holland's death. 5y

batsy No identical twins in my family & didn't grow up with them or have identical twins as friends, so I'm wondering if I'm the only one who read the ending as that actually being Holland? Because of Niles' sensitivity to being able to do what he does (conjure, become possessed/overtaken by another), Holland made Niles do a Holland-like thing with the cat in the well & got Niles to die and pulled off the ultimate evil prank? Is that too far-fetched? 😂 5y

batsy ⬆️ Only because I'm wondering if family & people who knew them intimately can of course tell apart the difference between them. So Holland wouldn't be able to pull that off right? I am being far-fetched? 😂 And I think Ada is culpable to some degree. Not maliciously, but out of misplaced love & indulgence & wanting to believe the best, I think she let something go on that would prove to be extremely harmful. 5y

LeahBergen @vivastory I‘m so glad you appreciated my illustrations 😂😂 5y

LeahBergen @Aimeesue You‘re really making me want to read Something Wicked. 👍🏻 5y

LeahBergen @vivastory That‘s so true. I think a grandmother can be very forgiving of anything a troubled grandchild might do. 5y

LeahBergen @Liz_M Right?? I‘m thinking that can‘t be very good therapeutic protocol. 😳 5y

LeahBergen @batsy I was totalling thinking that and thought it was just me. I initially read it as actually being Holland in the asylum. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y

batsy @LeahBergen Oh, good! That truly gives the story the WHOA, DAMN!!! effect & so I'm sticking to our interpretation 😆 5y

LeahBergen @batsy Sounds good to me! 😂 5y

Aimeesue @LeahBergen Something Wicked and Dandelion Wine are my favorite Bradburys. They both have that gentle country summer into fall thing going on, but SW has that evil aspect to it as well. 5y

Aimeesue @batsy I did wonder if it really was Holland, but thought that Holland would probably have found playing Niles for long periods of time impossible. The obsessive wearing of Holland's shirt seems like it would've been a too-sophisticated double bluff for a 12 year old. But you could also see The Thing as a trophy, along with the glasses, ribbon, and ring, and the switch would make sense. 5y

LeahBergen @Aimeesue Then I shall try SW first. 😄 5y

19 likes19 comments

LeahBergen

The Other | Thomas Tryon

This post contains spoilers

show me

#NYRBBookClub

Question 4

vivastory This was a reread for me, so I don't remember when I suspected that. I do feel like it was very well executed though & the magic trick metaphor is a good one 5y

Liz_M I never reached the point of questioning the existence of Holland, but since the narration is dominated by Niles, it was only with the sneaking in of an outside perspective that I began to question his truthfulness -- when Ada gently scolded him about blaming Holland for not winding the clock. 5y

Aimeesue Not until *really* late in the book. 5y

batsy At some point where Ada asks Niles "Has Holland gone away then?" and then she muses about Niles getting carried away, then it dawned on me that no one ever talks to Holland except Niles. I'm usually so dense when it comes to these things so I was pretty disappointed when it was revealed as such and I had already suspected it (this rarely ever happens ?) 5y

LeahBergen @vivastory @Liz_M @Aimeesue @batsy I actually suspected this really early but (maybe due to soap opera viewing in my pre-pubescent years) I‘m always expecting some sort of “twin switcheroo”. 😂😂 5y

14 likes5 comments

LeahBergen

The Other | Thomas Tryon

#NYRBBookClub

Question Three

vivastory It's more disturbing when evil can't be easily explained. Readers like an explanation for certain events & genres, but I think we accept ambiguity more with others. 5y

Liz_M The nature argument is simpler and allows the plot to focus on action. The antagonist is evil, can't be changed, so the story becomes good overcoming evil (or not). The nurture argument is complex and may make the reader complicit in ways that are uncomfortable. 5y

Aimeesue @vivastory @Liz_M Yes to both those things! Nature's easier - it is what it is. 5y

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vivastory @Liz_M @Aimeesue I definitely agree that Nature's easier. 5y

MicheleinPhilly Happy Birthday love! 😘 5y

LeahBergen @vivastory That‘s very true about how evil is more disturbing when it can‘t be explained (and thus our fascination with true crime). 5y

LeahBergen @Liz_M That uncomfortableness is always a part of good horror fiction, isn‘t it? 5y

LeahBergen @MicheleinPhilly Thanks, darlin‘!! 😘😘 5y

38 likes8 comments

LeahBergen

The Other | Thomas Tryon

#NYRBBookClub

Question Two

(I‘m having the worst time trying to tag you all by cut and paste with this new IOS update 🤬 so I‘ll manually tag you all in a bit!).

GatheringBooks, sprainedbrain, sisilia, LeahBergen, Rachel_nyc, Leftcoastzen, Reviewsbylola, emilyhaldi, MicheleinPhilly, mklong, Suet624, merelybookish, saresmoore, batsy, vivastory, BarbaraBB, Liz_M, Theaelizabet

vivastory I see your tag in discussion post 1, so people will probably just look at the rest of your feed 5y

vivastory I think part is childhood fascination but I think Tryon's argument is that nature is "red in tooth & claw." Which also adds weight to his other argument of nature vs nurture. 5y

Aimeesue @vivastory Interesting. I saw the book mainly in terms of doubling and the uncanny other. Or the child/adult split, as the bucolic descriptions hit me in a the Ray Bradbury Dandelion Wine loss-of-innocence way, too. (edited) 5y

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vivastory @Aimeesue It has a very strong Bradbury feel to it. I was especially struck though by the passage when Niles "played the game" & focused on the dragonfly. And it said "Devour, devour, devour." There seemed to be a mirroring going on there. 5y

Liz_M I can't comment on the Bradbury feel of it, but if the author was alluding to nature's "red tooth and claw", it needed to be more obvious to make an impression on me. I don't remember any instances of animals killing other animals. And then there is the bunny that adopted the rats.... 5y

batsy Good question! I've only read Something Wicked by Bradbury & there was that grotesque funfair aspect to this book. I looked up the "red in tooth & claw" reference & apparently goes back to a Tennyson poem referring to man's capacity for violence in relation to nature vs a cultivated (Christian) nurture. With all the references to Babylon there's a sense that Tryon too is questioning whether evil is just a fundamental nature in certain people? 5y

LeahBergen @Aimeesue @vivastory I really need to read some more Bradbury one of these days (specifically The Halloween Tree and Dandelion Wine). 5y

LeahBergen @batsy I was telling myself I had to check out what the different connotations of Babylon meant after reading this (especially with that creepy harmonica nursery rhyme 😆). 5y

LeahBergen @Liz_M I liked that bunny. 😆😆 And yes, I see what you mean. I sort of interpreted this as how many close family members were killed, though. Yikes. 😬 5y

34 likes9 comments

LeahBergen

The Other | Thomas Tryon

#NYRBBookClub

Question One.

Hey, everyone! I‘m going to quickly post our discussion questions and then I‘m out for the rest of the day. I know several of you are also busy today/tonight as well, so let‘s just all pop in to discuss when we can! 😘

GatheringBooks, sprainedbrain, sisilia, Rachel_nyc, Leftcoastzen, Reviewsbylola, emilyhaldi, MicheleinPhilly, mklong, Suet624, merelybookish, saresmoore, batsy, vivastory, BarbaraBB, Liz_M, Theaelizabet

vivastory Oh, man! That illustration! 😄👍 5y

GatheringBooks apologies again for missing this one! 😭😭😭 and thank you so much for being patient with me 💕 5y

vivastory I think this is true. Horror literature literary ancestor is the gothic. The loss is both literal (death of a loved one, passage of time & it's effect on everything humans try to make) & more metaphorical. I think that The Other is very much in this tradition, with the family living on the abandoned farm holding their annual dinner honoring their ancestor & trying to hold onto the prestige. It struck me while reading this that there are 👇 5y

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vivastory similar books being published today. Flynn's Sharp Objects is a great example. 5y

vivastory @GatheringBooks No worries! Glad you can join us when you're able 👍 5y

Aimeesue Yep. Loss and fear of loss is what drives most of our psychopathologies, innit? Couple that with our tendencies to romanticize the past and politically you get uber conservative governments that (somewhat ironically here) demonize the other. (edited) 5y

vivastory @Aimeesue Politicians have definitely exploited this fear of change. According to reviews I've read Biskind made the argument that genre entertainment is inherently reactionary in

The Sky Is Falling: How Vampires, Zombies, Androids, and Superheroes Made America Great for Extremism

Aimeesue @vivastory See also: "THE PRINTING PRESS WILL MEAN THE DEATH OF THE SCROLLS AND SCRIBES INDUSTRIES!!!" ? (edited) 5y

vivastory @Aimeesue And I've even seen John Sutherland make that argument before, which I don't agree with. I think as you said writers like Tryon (& as Chaon points out in the afterword Bradbury & Jackson) are writing of loss, but theirs is more personal. Often in those writers work the cultural environment is very threatening, whereas it seems like politicians are trying to resurrect past cultural (MAGA) situations 5y

vivastory @Aimeesue 😂😂 5y

Aimeesue @vivastory I've not read Sutherland, but I do kind of agree that each generation gets the monsters it most fears culturally. Vampires as the elite feeding themselves at the expense of the poor, Frankenstein's monster demonstrating the danger of scientists "playing god." Today's zombies relentlessly consuming the world … (edited) 5y

Aimeesue Personal loss is the basis for inflaming broader fears, I think. Tryon and Bradbury, and Jackson show us where those fears begin, and the depths to which they drive us. Eeeek.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Deluxe)

batsy Yes, I would agree that most (all?) of horror is deeply influenced by loss or the prospect of it. Interesting thoughts above and I appreciate @vivastory comment that maybe a loss of roots, or a sense of place, or a heritage is maybe percolating in the background of The Other. Where twins are concerned I think the constant themes seem to be loss of self/individuality coupled with the ever-present fear of losing the twin sibling, as well. 5y

LeahBergen @GatheringBooks No problem at all! We know you have a specific reading challenge for this year. 😘 5y

LeahBergen @vivastory Good point about the family hanging on to their home and traditions. 👍🏻 5y

LeahBergen @Aimeesue I‘m the worst sort of “past romancer”. 😂😂 5y

LeahBergen @vivastory @Aimeesue Your comments just reminded me that Anne Rice began writing her novels in the wake of losing her 5-year-old daughter. 😕 5y

LeahBergen @batsy Ah, yes! Loss of self. How astute! 5y

Aimeesue @LeahBergen I had no idea about Anne Rice's loss of her daughter. Hard not to read into that. 5y

Billypar I'm finally finished and I regret missing this one! Such an interesting discussion- I've never thought about horror as an exploration of loss, but I can see it. I wonder whether the genre accidentally fell into that: all the death is scary, dramatic, visceral... but then the writer is forced to write the sad aftermath afterward. I still wonder if all the horror movies I consumed as a kid are in part why I think about death so much as an adult. 5y

LeahBergen @Aimeesue The character of the little girl vampire, Claudia, is based on her, I guess. The child that lives forever. 😭😭 5y

LeahBergen @Billypar I‘m going to have to go back to the book, Paperbacks from Hell, to verify but I believe the resurgence of horror novels in the 1960s and 1970s was a result of Cold War paranoia ... something else that was dramatic and scary, as you say!

Paperbacks from Hell

Billypar Took one look at the book you tagged, and the audio version is now downloading 😂 Looking forward to it - thanks! 5y

Leftcoastzen @Billypar if it‘s paperbacks from hell you downloaded on audio, you need to see the real book . Half the fun is all the cover art .I borrowed it from the library,but I‘m keeping an eye out for a copy to buy cheap.😂 5y

Billypar @Leftcoastzen Those would have been great to see - there was one I had to Google based on the detail he was going into. This is definitely one to own, though I will say, fantastic audio narration too. 5y

LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Billypar It really is a great little reference book to own. The covers are hilariously awesome. 😆 5y

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erzascarletbookgasm

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

A slow burn read with an escalating sense of foreboding, and clever twists. The story is scary enough but I‘m not a fan of the writing (or narrative?). Without giving away anything, I‘ll just say I like it but didn‘t love it.

#Screamathon
#ScreamathonReadingChallenge

alisiakae

BarbaraBB Yes I had a but of a problem with the writing too. I did like the plot though. 5y

64 likes1 comment

batsy

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

This is a qualified pick, & a bit of a weird one. I expected to love it when I first started, but like @BarbaraBB I found the writing crowded, or overcooked in parts, with excessive foreshadowing. I saw the 1st twist coming. But I found certain narrative strands & the ending quite brilliant. Not the kind of psychological chills I get from Shirley Jackson or even Henry James, but still, compelling & grotesque. #nyrbbookclub @LeahBergen @vivastory

batsy I will admit that I didn't warm to the frequent references to the sly, up-to-no-good "Asiatic look" ? And on that note, is it just me or does the man on the cover look like a young unsmiling Jamie Oliver? ? ? I'm looking forward to the discussion!
5y

vivastory Great review! I agree about some uncomfortable stereotypes. This was a reread for me & I enjoyed it more the second time around. It does have a very claustrophobic, crowded feeling to it. 5y

pigeonsandcrows @batsy Absolutely about the Jamie Oliver- I thought that when I read this a while back! 5y

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erzascarletbookgasm I‘m not happy with the ‘Asiatic look‘ reference either and now that you mention about JO...I can‘t get that off my mind! 😆 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Btw, have a great Deepavali ! 💕 5y

LeahBergen @batsy YES! That‘s who that cover reminds me of exactly! 5y

BarbaraBB Great review. And I‘m glad you mention Jamie Oliver, I kept wondering of whom the boy on the cover reminded me! 👨‍🍳 (edited) 5y

batsy @vivastory Thank you! It does seem like the kind of book that will reward re-readings. There's a lot going on even at the level of the language. 5y

batsy @pigeonsandcrows @erzascarletbookgasm @LeahBergen @BarbaraBB I'm glad I'm not the only one who kept looking at it and thinking of it as the Jamie Oliver book 😆 5y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm Thank you, friend! ❤️ 5y

Aimeesue I'm def using Jamie's recipe for sandwiches for the discush. 😂 5y

batsy @Aimeesue 😂😂 5y

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LeahBergen

The Other | Thomas Tryon

It‘s almost time for our “book club meeting”, everyone! #NYRBBookClub

@BarbaraBB @emilyhaldi @sprainedbrain @mklong @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @MicheleinPhilly @GatheringBooks @Rachel_nyc @saresmoore @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @batsy @Suet624 @Theaelizabet @vivastory

LeahBergen And @Aimeesue and @Billypar , too! 5y

BarbaraBB Thanks for organizing! I‘m afraid I won‘t make it this time. It‘s 8 PM here then and I am having a dinner party with friends. But I‘ll check in afterwards, I am so liking forward to what all of you think! 5y

vivastory 👏👏📚📚🎉🎉 5y

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Aimeesue I‘ll bring the finger sandwiches. 😂 5y

Reviewsbylola Shit I‘ve gotta give this one another shot. Especially now that I remember it was your pick. 🤣🤣 5y

batsy Yay! I think we're 14 hours ahead so I'll be asleep in this time zone 😆 and it's Diwali on Sunday but I'll do my best to catch up when I can! 5y

Leftcoastzen I‘ve had visitors for 10 days.Hope to finish reading it. 5y

vivastory @Aimeesue I'll bring the wine 😱😈 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Shall I perform some magic tricks while you all snack on the 🥪 and drink 🍷? 😁 5y

LeahBergen @Aimeesue @vivastory @erzascarletbookgasm 🤮🤮🤮 😂 (edited) 5y

Aimeesue @erzascarletbookgasm @vivastory 😂😂😂😂😂 5y

emilyhaldi Yay! I will try to pop in, tomorrow if not today!... Busy preparing for our "Haldiween" party tonight ? 5y

Reviewsbylola Update, I‘m on page 137 and it‘s much better than I originally thought. The opening in the mental hospital threw me off. It‘s way too streak of consciousness for me. 5y

Reviewsbylola That being said, I doubt I‘ll finish it in time for the discussion so I‘ll jump in a bit late! 5y

Billypar Sorry I missed the discussion. I planned my reading schedule poorly around a few weekends in a row visiting family. About halfway through but looking forward to seeing everyone's thoughts once I finish! 5y

youneverarrived Sorry I missed the discussion with being on holiday! I thought it was going to be this weekend for some reason 😆 5y

LeahBergen @Billypar @youneverarrived @emilyhaldi @Reviewsbylola Don‘t feel bad - I missed my own discussion as I was travelling. 😂😂 5y

48 likes17 comments

Aimeesue

The Other | Thomas Tryon

This post contains spoilers

show me

So I saw these on a mailbox today. 😄
#nyrbbookclub

Aimeesue Just something I saw on my walk today. But if you haven't read the book, seriously, it's a spoiler. 5y

DGRachel Oh wow. That's one time I wish I could put the spoiler tag back on after I clicked it. 😱 5y

batsy Oh yikes! The Thing!! 5y

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Aimeesue @DGRachel Yeah, no one wants to look at that while they're scrolling! 5y

Aimeesue @batsy I actually laughed out loud when I got close enough to see what it was. 😄 5y

LeahBergen Bahahaha! Peregrine for Perry! 😆😆 5y

BarbaraBB 😱😂 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Yikes, perfect! 5y

9 likes8 comments

LeahBergen

The Other | Thomas Tryon

How‘s everyone making out with this month‘s #NYRBBookClub pick? I‘m about 45 pages in and surprised by how “Southern Gothic” this feels (considering it‘s set in Connecticut 😄). I‘m liking it! 👍🏻

@BarbaraBB @emilyhaldi @sprainedbrain @mklong @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @MicheleinPhilly @GatheringBooks @Rachel_nyc @saresmoore @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @batsy @Suet624 @Theaelizabet @vivastory

sprainedbrain I still have ‘~2 weeks‘ wait on the library hold list. 😬 I do believe I‘m going to have to download the audiobook! (edited) 5y

ralexist Someday I need to get back to Hay-on-Wye 📖📖📖 5y

batsy I'm planning to start today! :) 5y

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saresmoore I just started it today. It does have a southern gothic feel. 5y

Reviewsbylola I read two pages and wasn‘t in the mood. I actually texted @emilyhaldi to ask her if the problem was me or the book. Apparently it‘s me this time. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 5y

BarbaraJean Love your bookmark!! 😍 5y

BarbaraBB @Reviewsbylola I had a hard time those first pages too but am happy now I made it through them. Finished the book! 5y

LeslieO I remember loving it when I read it oh so many years ago. I think I went through a Thomas Tyron phase. 5y

sisilia I don‘t think I can make it in time for the discussion 😞 Currently deep in Stalingrad, and I need to stick with it. Otherwise I‘d forget all the Russian names and have to re-start 😅 5y

merelybookish I am on the fence about starting. I get spooked so easily. 😲 5y

Suet624 Chose not to read this one. Like @merelybookish I wasn‘t up for being scared. 5y

Billypar Just started it yesterday: one of those opening pages that made me instantly intrigued. 5y

batsy What @Billypar said, just started today and I'm finding it compelling and also very ominous 😬 5y

LeahBergen @sprainedbrain That‘s crazy! Wait, is it someone from our club that has it signed out? 😆 5y

LeahBergen @ralexist I went for the first time this summer. It was definitely a “bucket list” thing for me! 😍 5y

LeahBergen @batsy It‘s sooo ominous from the get-go! 😮 5y

LeahBergen @saresmoore Doesn‘t it? I think a lot of it has to do with the house (and barn). 😬 5y

LeahBergen @Reviewsbylola Ha! Sometimes that happens. I wasn‘t immediately gripped by it either but I was after the first chapter (not the prologue). You may want to give it another try? 5y

LeahBergen @BarbaraJean Thanks! 😘 5y

LeahBergen @merelybookish @Suet624 I‘m about 100 pages in and finding it more atmospheric than scary actually. I‘ll cover this with a spoiler but it seems more “murder-y” than horror (at this point, anyway!) 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y

LeahBergen @Billypar I‘m so glad you‘re joining in! 👏🏻👏🏻 5y

Suet624 Let me just admit that after reading Cassandra and noticing how the twin aspect affected me so much, I thought it best to avoid this one. (I also don‘t like being scared.) I have been very fortunate in having very emotionally-sensitive twins and the thought of having twins who aren‘t kind to each other or others freaks me out. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y

LeahBergen @Suet624 Oh, I forgot you have twins!! Yes, it‘s perfectly understandable to give this one a pass! 😬😬 5y

sprainedbrain @LeahBergen it might be! Lol 5y

Aimeesue Started it last night, and I'm liking it, too. Definitely atmospheric! 5y

rubyslippersreads I totally forgot about this. Have to finish a book for an IRL book club, but may start it after that (though I know I read it years ago). 5y

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Aimeesue

The Other | Thomas Tryon

Just starting this one. Guess I'll read until I suffocate from the 45 POUND PIBBLE SITTING ON MY CHEST! Good grief.
#pibble #Stella #pitbullsoflitsy
#nyrbbookclub

LeahBergen 😆😆 5y

Reggie Lolol they love you! 5y

batsy Keeping you company for the scary bits! 😁❤️ 5y

Aimeesue @batsy She IS the scary bit! *Wheeze* 😄 5y

Aimeesue @Reggie @LeahBergen I wish she would love me from afar! 😄 (edited) 5y

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BarbaraBB

The Other | Thomas Tryon

so-so

For me this book was too crowded. Too many people, too many rooms and corners in the house, too many words. All of this made it hard for me to concentrate on what was happening. Still it was a scary read with smart twists. The horror was real and I am looking forward to discussing this one with the #NYRBBookClub!

(Pic: My son in his usual pose 😂)

LeahBergen, vivastory

TrishB Great review 👍🏻 made me feel claustrophobic! 5y

Cathythoughts Lovely picture ♥️ 5y

batsy Nice review! Thanks for the reminder that I should read this soon 😆 I keep thinking October lasts forever! 5y

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Bookwormjillk Ha! Looks like my son 😜 5y

Suet624 I was just wondering how folks were faring with this book. I chose to skip this one because I don‘t like being scared. 😁 5y

mklong Great review! And @batsy Same! I guess it doesn‘t last forever just bc I want it to. 5y

LeahBergen @batsy @mklong Me, too! I better get cracking on this one as it‘s my pick. 😆😆 5y

75 likes7 comments

emilyhaldi

The Other | Thomas Tryon

Perfect fall weather today 🙌🏻 and perfect time of year to ready this creepy book...
#NYRBbookclub

LeahBergen, vivastory

vivastory I have the feeling this one will be a hit with the group 5y

LeahBergen What a pretty photo 😍 5y

Reviewsbylola I still need to read this. 5y

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BarbaraBB I am so looking forward to this one! 5y

Mdargusch Great photo and that cover is very creepy. 5y

Cinfhen Hi!!!!!!‘ It‘s been FOREVER 😢miss you 😘 5y

emilyhaldi Hi!!! @Cinfhen was just thinking about you the other day!! It's been way too long... October was a crazy month for my but I'm hoping to spend more time on litsy now that it's over 😅 Hope all is well with you?! 5y

Cinfhen All is good here!!! Thanks for asking ❤️ 5y

75 likes8 comments

LisaMorr

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

Excellent creepy read! Set in 1930‘s Connecticut, it tells the story of Niles and Holland and their family on an old farm and all the trouble they get into...
Saw the movie in the 70‘s and it was fantastic - just learned upon reading the introduction that Tryon wrote the screenplay; I think his earlier career as an actor must‘ve helped him successfully turn his book into an equally creepy movie.

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Cool! I read this not long ago and am curious about the movie 5y

LisaMorr I will definitely have to find it and watch it again to see if it lives up to how it made me feel as a kid. 5y

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BarbaraBB

The Other | Thomas Tryon

Great idea Megan, to share our #20booksby2020! These are some of my choices of books to read before the end of the year. They are #bookerprize nominated books, books from the #1001books list, one to be read for the #nyrbbookclub and books for this year‘s various challenges (#booked2019, #ATY2019, #pop2019 and #ReadingUSA2019).

I am looking forward to seeing the reading plans from others 💕🤓

megnews

Cinfhen You‘ve got some AWESOME titles!!!! 5y

Crazeedi Very well done! 5y

Kalalalatja Great picks! 5y

See All 7 Comments

Mdargusch Great list! 5y

KarenUK Love your list 👍💕 5y

megnews Great list! Thanks for sharing! 5y

GatheringBooks this is in my list too

Testaments

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MicheleinPhilly

The Other | Thomas Tryon

Of the ones I still own (I‘ve either given them away willingly or someone borrowed and “forgot” to return 🤬), this my favorite NYRB title. It scared the bejesus out of me. I have at least 20 unread titles. 😬 #nyrbbookclub

NOTE: Do NOT look at this book‘s Goodreads page as there are massive spoilers in the question section.

vivastory

AmyG I love this book. I first read it as a teen and Tryon became a favorite. 6y

BookNAround I read this at our cottage when I was either a preteen or young teen. There was no electricity and we‘re totally secluded so it‘s no wonder this scared the bejesus out of me at the time. But decades and decades later, I still This is the scariest book I‘ve ever read and a major reason I don‘t read scary stuff at all anymore, ever. 6y

MicheleinPhilly @BookNAround Oh wow! It‘s kind of like what happened to me with movies. I grew up watching ALL of the stupid Freddy, Jason, Michael Meyers movies and I became so desensitized because they were so stupid. And then my parents let me see The Silence of the Lambs when I was like 14 and it TRAUMATIZED me. I had nightmares for months. It‘s still one of my favorite movies ever but it gives me the creeps to this day. 6y

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vivastory I feel much better about my pile of unread NYRB now 😄 6y

LeahBergen I‘m in the 20+ TBR club, too. 😬 6y

BarbaraBB I must read this one! 6y

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TheWordJar

The Other | Thomas Tryon

I love this image of selecting your words as you would your produce!

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TheWordJar

The Other | Thomas Tryon

Starting this one now because I‘m a glutton for psychological horror punishment. ‘Tis the season! I‘ve been saving this one since receiving it last Christmas from @BookNAround as I think it sounds like the perfect creepy read. At least I have the cute snowman post-it to use as a bookmark and offset the creepy cover a smidge.

LeahBergen I‘ve been saving this one, too! 6y

GatheringBooks sounds exactly like my kind of read!! :) 6y

BookNAround I don‘t know whether to wish you the same reading experience I had or not since it still haunts me 30+ years after reading it! 😂😱 6y

TheWordJar @BookNAround 😂 I‘ll let you know how it goes! 6y

emilyhaldi This is a good October read 🖤 I think I might actually own it too! 🤔🤞🏻 6y

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TheWordJar

The Other | Thomas Tryon

1. Helping Stanley adjust to our household. He‘s my niece‘s pup, but she has two more months of school, so we volunteered to be his caretaker. It‘s been interesting to see him interact with our 16-year-old, deaf, and blind pug!
2. Taylor Swift...my daughter‘s first concert
3. I never put things away right after I use them.
4. New season of Orange is the New Black and Better Call Saul
5. Another scary read for the season!

#HumpDayPost

MinDea

LauraJ He‘s so cute! 6y

TheWordJar @LauraJ We‘re a bit smitten with him! 6y

JenReadsAlot Omg. So cute!!! 6y

tammysue Stanley‘s a cutie!! 6y

48 likes4 comments

LeahBergen

The Other | Thomas Tryon

I‘m saving this horror classic for an October read. 😬

#Horror
#MayLovesClassics
#LitsyClassics

Bambolina_81, Sarah83

LauraJ It‘s good enough to read twice 😉 6y

AlaMich This sounds like a winner...creepy identical twins? Yes, please!! #redrum 6y

vivastory I enjoyed this one 6y

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erzascarletbookgasm Sounds creepy but stacking 😅 6y

andrew61 I've seen this in the library - even picked it up twice, may have to give it a go. 6y

RadicalReader @LeahBergen Oct needs to hurry up lol rotfl 6y

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Chocamanda

The Other | Thomas Tryon

Just downloaded the Libby app and finally decided to give this one a read. I love the narration! So spooky!

11 likes

emilyhaldi

The Other | Thomas Tryon

An eclectic mix 📚
#bookspublishedinthe1970s
#jubilantjuly

RealLifeReading

TheBookStacker So funny but I just bought Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance yesterday! Lol 7y

Kimbono The Other is one of those books that I wish I could read again for the first time. 7y

emilyhaldi @Kimbono awesome!! I haven't read it yet and until today, kind of forget I had it! I will move it to my more urgent TBR pile 😄 7y

Mdargusch Very eclectic. 7y

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laytonwoman3rd

The Other | Thomas Tryon

"Are you sore, Holland? Does it hurt?" "Sure it hurts, what didja think?" This is my all-time favorite horror story, and it comes with a nifty twist.
#favoritetwist, #riotgrams, #suspense, #horror

Bklover Loved this! 7y

RadicalReader @laytonwoman3rd what an awesome sounding novel!! What are your top three favorite twists in books? 6y

laytonwoman3rd You've stumped me! Can't think of any others right now. 6y

5 likes3 comments

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled

The Other | Thomas Tryon

Watched Stand By Me with the kids (because it's so sad that they missed the 1980s), and now some alone time in my jam-jams with scotch and a scary book for #litsypartyofone

Alisnazzy

vivastory I just ordered this one yesterday 8y

BookishTrish That sounds like a perfect evening 8y

RadicalReader @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled what an awesome sounding book love when you can and do cuddle up with a good book and you‘re reading for hours 6y

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled @RadicalReader It was a fun read - perfect for a cozy night! 6y

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TNbooklover66

The Other | Thomas Tryon

#januarytbr #audiobook style #readjanuary

22 likes

reneelyons

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

This book makes you want to start reading it again as soon as you've finished the last page. It's full of plot twists and chilling imagery, leaving you to wonder if things are things what we think they are, or if we are at the mercy of a disturbed mind. As with many works that centre around disturbed children, expect some animal violence. While this was a bit slow in pace, I really enjoyed it and loved reading the final chapters on Halloween!

RadicalReader @reneelyons what‘s you all time favorite books about disturbed children? 6y

reneelyons @RadicalReader Oh boy!! I don‘t know that I‘ve read too many but this one was damn good. Any recommendations? 6y

RadicalReader @reneelyons just now reading the classic Exorcist, Rosemary‘s Baby and Mrs Pernagerie Home For Peculiar Children and Mrs Piggle Wiggle Series 6y

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LauraJ

The Other | Thomas Tryon

What kind of monster does this? Geez, no wonder one of her kids is like little Charles Manson and the other is Norman Bates in-training. #halloweenreads #booktober

Sweettartlaura 😂😂😂 8y

Peterdamien After I finish a page, I eat it before moving on to the next. People say it's "weird," but I say it keeps down the clutter. Also, roughage. 8y

LauraJ @Peterdamien it's also a great way to keep your place 8y

RadicalReader @LauraJ absolutely love your analogies 6y

41 likes4 comments

LauraJ

The Other | Thomas Tryon

Started this #allhallowsread but TCM is doing Universal Horror flicks all night, so the creepy kids will have to wait.

bookdrunkard78 Ah! I remember stumbling across this in 7th grade. I remember being so spooked! May have to revisit, haven't thought about this one in awhile! 8y

Bklover There's another one he wrote - Harvest Home. Equally creepy. 8y

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MicheleinPhilly

The Other | Thomas Tryon

pick

One of the scariest and most effective thrillers I have ever read. This book TERRIFIED me. Several twists had me 😱 and I read the entire thing with palpable dread running through my veins. Absolutely FANTASTIC. Don't look at its GR page b/c someone posted a MASSIVE spoiler in answer to a question.

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