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Burnt Offerings
Ben and Marian Rolfe are desperate to escape a stifling summer in their tiny Brooklyn apartment, so when they get the chance to rent a mansion in upstate New York for the entire summer for only $900, it’s an offer that’s too good to refuse. There’s only one catch: behind a strange and intricately carved door in a distant wing of the house lives elderly Mrs. Allardyce, and the Rolfes will be responsible for preparing her meals.
But Mrs. Allardyce never seems to emerge from her room, and it soon becomes clear that something weird and terrifying is happening in the house. As the suspense builds towards a revelation of what really lies behind that locked door, the Rolfes will discover that their cheap vacation rental comes at a terrible cost...
The basis for a classic 1976 film adaptation and an acknowledged influence on Stephen King’s The Shining, Burnt Offerings is one of the most original and scariest haunted house novels ever written.
But Mrs. Allardyce never seems to emerge from her room, and it soon becomes clear that something weird and terrifying is happening in the house. As the suspense builds towards a revelation of what really lies behind that locked door, the Rolfes will discover that their cheap vacation rental comes at a terrible cost...
The basis for a classic 1976 film adaptation and an acknowledged influence on Stephen King’s The Shining, Burnt Offerings is one of the most original and scariest haunted house novels ever written.
246 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
297 people are currently reading
15.1k people want to read
About the author
Robert Marasco
8books64followersRobert Marasco was born in the Bronx in 1936 and educated at Regis High School in Manhattan and Fordham University. A classical scholar, Marasco taught at Regis before turning to writing, with Child’s Play, an eerie melodrama about incidents of evil at a Catholic boys� school. The play was a surprise success in 1970, running for 343 performances on Broadway and earning a Tony Award nomination for best play of the year, and was adapted for a 1972 film.
Marasco also wrote two novels: Burnt Offerings (1973) and Parlor Games (1979). Burnt Offerings was a bestseller and spawned a 1976 film adaptation directed by Dan Curtis and starring Oliver Reed, Karen Black, and Bette Davis.
Marasco died of lung cancer in 1998.
Marasco also wrote two novels: Burnt Offerings (1973) and Parlor Games (1979). Burnt Offerings was a bestseller and spawned a 1976 film adaptation directed by Dan Curtis and starring Oliver Reed, Karen Black, and Bette Davis.
Marasco died of lung cancer in 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,023 reviews
May 23, 2015
I can't say enough good things about this incredible haunted house story!
It was fast paced. It was chilling. It was vividly real. It was atmospheric. It was scary.It inexorably, unrelentingly pulls the reader to its final conclusion and that conclusion is stunning.
This is one of the best haunted house tales I've EVER read. Perhaps it's not as literary as The Haunting of Hill House, but it makes up for that with amazing imagery punctuated with scenes of such a chilling nature that my hands actually trembled while reading them. If you're looking for a haunted house tale with an ending that doesn't disappoint, this is THE book for you.
My HIGHEST recommendation!
*I received a free copy of this book from Valancourt Books in exchange for an honest review. Here it is.*
It was fast paced. It was chilling. It was vividly real. It was atmospheric. It was scary.It inexorably, unrelentingly pulls the reader to its final conclusion and that conclusion is stunning.
This is one of the best haunted house tales I've EVER read. Perhaps it's not as literary as The Haunting of Hill House, but it makes up for that with amazing imagery punctuated with scenes of such a chilling nature that my hands actually trembled while reading them. If you're looking for a haunted house tale with an ending that doesn't disappoint, this is THE book for you.
My HIGHEST recommendation!
*I received a free copy of this book from Valancourt Books in exchange for an honest review. Here it is.*
April 2, 2019
”The hum that drew her to the door at the end of the sitting room had become deeper and stronger, but almost imperceptibly so. It was the door itself that caught her attention now. It was white, and framed within the narrow, smooth border was an intricate pattern of lines and curves carved into the wood, so delicate in the room’s dim light that she hadn’t noticed the design until she came within a few feet. Swirls and garlands were cut into triangular panels that met in a small, raised pistil. She moved closer and the design became more intricate and abstract and impenetrable: a globe, a web, a sunburst, a maze, a slab carved with ancient pictographs.�
It all begins with an advertisement.
Marian Rolfe likes fine things. She even takes temporary work occasionally to afford an extra fine desk or a lovely bureau. She also loves to clean, and more days than not when Ben returns from teaching, he is greeted by the aroma of lemons and polish.
Ben believes she is a bit obsessive.
Marian is determined to escape Brooklyn for the summer. With a thought to protecting their modest savings, Ben wants to stay in Brooklyn and venture out on a few trips to upstate New York when they need some relief from the oppressive heat of summer. Ben is overmatched, of course, with battling a splash of feminine wiles, a dash of not so subtle manipulations, and a smattering of outright deception.
Once Marian sees the palatial, crumbling Allardyce mansion, she is in lust.
The old adage if it is too good to be true is manifesting in Ben’s mind in neon colors and mile high letters. It doesn’t help that the brother and sister team of Arnold and Roz are not only odd, but are as creepy as a pair of zombie monkeys tethered to Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
The house is full of all the wonderful things that Marian can only dream of every possessing. Ornate furniture, delicate vases, expensive dinnerware, and antique clocks are scattered throughout the house, all shrouded with dust and cobwebs. The walls and floors of this faded beauty are drab and dingy. All of this would give most anyone else pause, but Marian sees beyond the dreariness and knows with buckets of Lemon Pledge, warm water, elbow grease, and a pile of fresh rags she can make it gleam again.
I was looking up Lemon Pledge (Marasco never does say exactly what Marian uses to make everything smell of lemons), and believe it or not, there is a “sexual act,� involving two usually elderly men, called Lemon Pledge. I won’t share what act that is, but it definitely falls under gross, moronic, and Never Doing That categories for me. This description, though, of Lemon Pledge made me laugh: “The purest most addictive artificial smell in the history of humankind. As its aroma ventures into your unworthy nostrils, it plants the seeds of ecstasy and euphoria into the womb of your mind.�
Despite Ben’s misgivings, they take the house. After all, it is a bargain, and when would they ever get this opportunity again? Part of the stipulations is that Marian has to feed the matriarch of the family, Mrs. Allardyce, the glorious mother, three times a day by leaving a tray for her outside her ornately carved door. Marian never sees her and only occasionally gets a proof of life by noticing that some of the food on the plates she leaves... has been picked apart.
So this novel is written with a slow burning fuse. There are sprinklings of foreshadowing that add to the unease of the reader. Things start out strange, but not too strange. It was interesting to see the acceptable level we have for the unusual before we start to feel alarmed. Clocks spring to life that refused to work. Weathered roof tiles fall to the ground revealing new tiles. Everything about the house starts to take on a healthy shine. The tendrils of gray hair that start to appear in Marian’s hair are just natural,...right?
Ben starts to feel his personality change. He starts to know with more and more certainty that he needs to get away from this place, whether Marian wants to go or not. Things long buried are being pulled out of the recesses of his brain. ”It wasn’t there. He knew that. It didn’t exist, not outside those childish and unreasonably frightening nightmares. There was absolutely no way something could creep back from the distant past and be real; or out of the tiny, vulnerable part of his brain where the image had lodged itself. And be real and no more than ten feet from him.�
And then there is the creepy chauffeur�*shudder*. He reminds me of Charles Manx from Joe Hill’s book NOS4A2. I wonder if Marasco’s chauffeur had some influence on Hill when he was creating Manx. Certainly, Joe’s father, Stephen King was influenced by this novel when he wrote The Shining, which came out four years after Burnt Offerings was published. This book makes the cut for most lists of Best Haunted House novels or even Best All-Time Horror Novels. It is certainly a classic of the genre. No slashing arcs of blood or piles of steaming gore, just good old fashioned psychological terror. I loved it! It was another perfect addition to my reading resume as part of my nostalgic tour through 1970’s horror. A movie was made in 1976 starring Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, and Burgess Meredith. I will definitely be cuing that up in the near future.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:
It all begins with an advertisement.
UNIQUE SUMMER HOME
Restful, secluded. Perfect for large
families. Pool, private beach, dock.
Long season. Very reasonable for the
right people.
Marian Rolfe likes fine things. She even takes temporary work occasionally to afford an extra fine desk or a lovely bureau. She also loves to clean, and more days than not when Ben returns from teaching, he is greeted by the aroma of lemons and polish.
Ben believes she is a bit obsessive.
Marian is determined to escape Brooklyn for the summer. With a thought to protecting their modest savings, Ben wants to stay in Brooklyn and venture out on a few trips to upstate New York when they need some relief from the oppressive heat of summer. Ben is overmatched, of course, with battling a splash of feminine wiles, a dash of not so subtle manipulations, and a smattering of outright deception.
Once Marian sees the palatial, crumbling Allardyce mansion, she is in lust.
The old adage if it is too good to be true is manifesting in Ben’s mind in neon colors and mile high letters. It doesn’t help that the brother and sister team of Arnold and Roz are not only odd, but are as creepy as a pair of zombie monkeys tethered to Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
The house is full of all the wonderful things that Marian can only dream of every possessing. Ornate furniture, delicate vases, expensive dinnerware, and antique clocks are scattered throughout the house, all shrouded with dust and cobwebs. The walls and floors of this faded beauty are drab and dingy. All of this would give most anyone else pause, but Marian sees beyond the dreariness and knows with buckets of Lemon Pledge, warm water, elbow grease, and a pile of fresh rags she can make it gleam again.
I was looking up Lemon Pledge (Marasco never does say exactly what Marian uses to make everything smell of lemons), and believe it or not, there is a “sexual act,� involving two usually elderly men, called Lemon Pledge. I won’t share what act that is, but it definitely falls under gross, moronic, and Never Doing That categories for me. This description, though, of Lemon Pledge made me laugh: “The purest most addictive artificial smell in the history of humankind. As its aroma ventures into your unworthy nostrils, it plants the seeds of ecstasy and euphoria into the womb of your mind.�
Despite Ben’s misgivings, they take the house. After all, it is a bargain, and when would they ever get this opportunity again? Part of the stipulations is that Marian has to feed the matriarch of the family, Mrs. Allardyce, the glorious mother, three times a day by leaving a tray for her outside her ornately carved door. Marian never sees her and only occasionally gets a proof of life by noticing that some of the food on the plates she leaves... has been picked apart.
So this novel is written with a slow burning fuse. There are sprinklings of foreshadowing that add to the unease of the reader. Things start out strange, but not too strange. It was interesting to see the acceptable level we have for the unusual before we start to feel alarmed. Clocks spring to life that refused to work. Weathered roof tiles fall to the ground revealing new tiles. Everything about the house starts to take on a healthy shine. The tendrils of gray hair that start to appear in Marian’s hair are just natural,...right?
Ben starts to feel his personality change. He starts to know with more and more certainty that he needs to get away from this place, whether Marian wants to go or not. Things long buried are being pulled out of the recesses of his brain. ”It wasn’t there. He knew that. It didn’t exist, not outside those childish and unreasonably frightening nightmares. There was absolutely no way something could creep back from the distant past and be real; or out of the tiny, vulnerable part of his brain where the image had lodged itself. And be real and no more than ten feet from him.�
And then there is the creepy chauffeur�*shudder*. He reminds me of Charles Manx from Joe Hill’s book NOS4A2. I wonder if Marasco’s chauffeur had some influence on Hill when he was creating Manx. Certainly, Joe’s father, Stephen King was influenced by this novel when he wrote The Shining, which came out four years after Burnt Offerings was published. This book makes the cut for most lists of Best Haunted House novels or even Best All-Time Horror Novels. It is certainly a classic of the genre. No slashing arcs of blood or piles of steaming gore, just good old fashioned psychological terror. I loved it! It was another perfect addition to my reading resume as part of my nostalgic tour through 1970’s horror. A movie was made in 1976 starring Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, and Burgess Meredith. I will definitely be cuing that up in the near future.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:
March 15, 2018
When the Rolfe family finds a beach house for the summer for only $900, it seems too good to be true. And it is, for the house seems to be exerting its influence on Marian, Ben, and their son David. Will the Rolfe family head back to Brooklyn before it's too late?
Chalk another one up to . This one caught my eye when I was perusing that sacred text one day and I eventually took the plunge.
Burnt Offerings is a slow-burn haunted house store, emphasis on the slow. The tortoise-like pace was a little frustrating for awhile. Also, it's very much rooted in the 1970s, from Marion being a mostly compliant house wife to some rapey moments from Ben, which seems to be a lot more commonplace in 70s fiction than it should be. It's one of Stephen King's inspirations for The Shining, and it shows. Most of the gripes I had with The Shining are here as well.
Now that I have my gripes out of the way early, I wound up enjoying the book once the pace picked up. The creepy atmosphere is very well done, starting with subtle bits of weirdness and eventually going full tilt.
Would you take a tray of food to an unseen ancient woman once a day to live in your dream house for a couple months? How far would you go for your dreams? These are the questions posed by Burnt Offerings. "If something looks too good to be true, it probably is" is probably the core message. I thought I knew which of the Rolfe's would go off the rails first but I was wrong.
The last 25% was pretty fantastic. If the rest of the book had been up to that standard, it would have been an easy four stars. As it stands, it had to work pretty hard to earn three from me. As always, your mileage may vary. If The Shining was to your liking, you might like this more than I did.
Chalk another one up to . This one caught my eye when I was perusing that sacred text one day and I eventually took the plunge.
Burnt Offerings is a slow-burn haunted house store, emphasis on the slow. The tortoise-like pace was a little frustrating for awhile. Also, it's very much rooted in the 1970s, from Marion being a mostly compliant house wife to some rapey moments from Ben, which seems to be a lot more commonplace in 70s fiction than it should be. It's one of Stephen King's inspirations for The Shining, and it shows. Most of the gripes I had with The Shining are here as well.
Now that I have my gripes out of the way early, I wound up enjoying the book once the pace picked up. The creepy atmosphere is very well done, starting with subtle bits of weirdness and eventually going full tilt.
Would you take a tray of food to an unseen ancient woman once a day to live in your dream house for a couple months? How far would you go for your dreams? These are the questions posed by Burnt Offerings. "If something looks too good to be true, it probably is" is probably the core message. I thought I knew which of the Rolfe's would go off the rails first but I was wrong.
The last 25% was pretty fantastic. If the rest of the book had been up to that standard, it would have been an easy four stars. As it stands, it had to work pretty hard to earn three from me. As always, your mileage may vary. If The Shining was to your liking, you might like this more than I did.
November 22, 2015
Hands down, the best dream-house turned nightmare chiller ever. A classic.
November 28, 2015
The thing that I like about this novel is that it is not a hungry house itself but a certain family that goes crazy and freak out with nasty nudges from the monster mansion.
How could small things lead us into destruction so easily (unfortunately with the help of an uncanny thing),just when we feel stressed out?
This story doesn’t contain bloody scenes,but there is definitely something about it that chills me to the marrow every time I read.
A superb psycho thriller with a bad aftertaste.
How could small things lead us into destruction so easily (unfortunately with the help of an uncanny thing),just when we feel stressed out?
This story doesn’t contain bloody scenes,but there is definitely something about it that chills me to the marrow every time I read.
A superb psycho thriller with a bad aftertaste.
August 31, 2017
Not as good as you want it to be, but this is the most important haunted house book of the Seventies.
April 26, 2020
Perhaps it's simply because it doesn't hold up to an unfair comparison, but Robert Marasco's Burnt Offerings, though not an awful read by any means, was not everything I imagined it would be. The premise isn't bad, as horror novels go: little urban family rents a beautiful, if sadly dilapidated, grand house in the country for summer vacation, and they slowly come to discover there's an evil presence in the house which automatically rejuvenates it under just the right conditions.
The "evil house" concept has been used by more than one author to advantage, but that's not really the problem with this particular book. Here's the thing about writing psychological horror: if the terrifying conditions you've created are really going to dig into your readers' minds and make it impossible for them to put the book down, you must give them a compelling reason to care about the protagonists; your readers have to want desperately for the characters to make it out of the mess alive. And Marasco simply didn't take the time to make me care about anyone in the family. From the outset, one rarely gets the feeling that the husband and wife feel anything more than mild annoyance toward each other; Ben, the husband, is barely sketched out as a harried English teacher who may be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Marian, the wife, is teasing and shallow, obsessed with acquiring beautiful objects. The two tend to ignore their son -- who is largely a cipher -- when they aren't actively traumatizing him. Aunt Elizabeth, who could have been a sassy old broad in the right author's hands, is little more than a cigarette holder and a paintbox. I followed these people with a kind of dull curiosity, wondering merely which one would die first and how the rest would be dispatched.
Then, too, there are a number of dead ends in this book -- cul-de-sac ideas that aren't properly followed up. Before finding the main house, the family comes upon a ruined summer cottage; the son swears he saw a tricycle covered in dried blood next to the place. At the house, the husband finds a set of broken glasses in the bottom of the pool; they don't belong to anyone in the family and the lenses are smashed in a way that suggests unusual violence. There's no spoiler in mentioning these plot points, because neither one has any follow-up in the story. I kept expecting the gory tricycle, in particular, to turn up again because the son has very little to do and is often bored; what would be more natural for him than to go exploring around the property, and maybe to find that tricycle again? But it never happens.
Marasco wrote his thriller before a number of modern horror authors started their work, and perhaps his work was judged at the time of its publication based on a dearth of entries in the genre. But this book doesn't even compare to a number of quality titles that were completed a decade earlier -- including the one I was concurrently re-reading, We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.
(This review was previously published on my blog, Confessions of a Laundry Faerie.)
The "evil house" concept has been used by more than one author to advantage, but that's not really the problem with this particular book. Here's the thing about writing psychological horror: if the terrifying conditions you've created are really going to dig into your readers' minds and make it impossible for them to put the book down, you must give them a compelling reason to care about the protagonists; your readers have to want desperately for the characters to make it out of the mess alive. And Marasco simply didn't take the time to make me care about anyone in the family. From the outset, one rarely gets the feeling that the husband and wife feel anything more than mild annoyance toward each other; Ben, the husband, is barely sketched out as a harried English teacher who may be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Marian, the wife, is teasing and shallow, obsessed with acquiring beautiful objects. The two tend to ignore their son -- who is largely a cipher -- when they aren't actively traumatizing him. Aunt Elizabeth, who could have been a sassy old broad in the right author's hands, is little more than a cigarette holder and a paintbox. I followed these people with a kind of dull curiosity, wondering merely which one would die first and how the rest would be dispatched.
Then, too, there are a number of dead ends in this book -- cul-de-sac ideas that aren't properly followed up. Before finding the main house, the family comes upon a ruined summer cottage; the son swears he saw a tricycle covered in dried blood next to the place. At the house, the husband finds a set of broken glasses in the bottom of the pool; they don't belong to anyone in the family and the lenses are smashed in a way that suggests unusual violence. There's no spoiler in mentioning these plot points, because neither one has any follow-up in the story. I kept expecting the gory tricycle, in particular, to turn up again because the son has very little to do and is often bored; what would be more natural for him than to go exploring around the property, and maybe to find that tricycle again? But it never happens.
Marasco wrote his thriller before a number of modern horror authors started their work, and perhaps his work was judged at the time of its publication based on a dearth of entries in the genre. But this book doesn't even compare to a number of quality titles that were completed a decade earlier -- including the one I was concurrently re-reading, We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.
(This review was previously published on my blog, Confessions of a Laundry Faerie.)
November 7, 2020
My enthusiasm for this book may be tempered by the fact of having read too many scary stories this October past and my dislike of domestic chores. Burnt Offerings left me bedraggled. It is well written, but maybe I just have a hard time believing that any woman in the past or anytime would have loved housework as much as Marian does in this book.
Even before they move into the possessed house, she is a cleaning fiend in their tiny apartment in New York, waxing the floors obsessively, and making, her son, David, hang up his school clothes properly which she then readjusted because he did it wrong. When they move into the grand house which is so surprisingly cheap for the whole summer, she begins attacking the dirt and grime with gusto. Ben, her husband and David and Aunt Elizabeth beg her to slow down and take some time with them, but she can't be bothered. Is the house taking control already or was she already coo coo for cocoa puffs?
This book and it's sentient house was an influence on Stephen King for The Shining's Overlook Hotel apparently and I can see why.
Even before they move into the possessed house, she is a cleaning fiend in their tiny apartment in New York, waxing the floors obsessively, and making, her son, David, hang up his school clothes properly which she then readjusted because he did it wrong. When they move into the grand house which is so surprisingly cheap for the whole summer, she begins attacking the dirt and grime with gusto. Ben, her husband and David and Aunt Elizabeth beg her to slow down and take some time with them, but she can't be bothered. Is the house taking control already or was she already coo coo for cocoa puffs?
This book and it's sentient house was an influence on Stephen King for The Shining's Overlook Hotel apparently and I can see why.
Read
October 18, 2023BURNT OFFERINGS by Robert Marasco
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: First time, not sure there are other books
Affiliate Link:
Release Date: February 1973 (reprinted by Valancourt Books, March 2015)
General Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Haunted House, Occult & Supernatural
Sub-Genre/Themes: (location: Long Island, NY) Vacation home, old house, marriage/young couple, possession/obsession, caretaking, hallucinations
Writing Style: slow burn, creeping dread, quiet/subtle horror
What You Need to Know: This book is like a chilled-out, less scary/intense version of The Shining. A young couple is looking to escape their busy city-life situation in Queens, so the wife finds this sprawling estate to rent for the summer. In exchange for low rent, they must take care of an elderly woman locked away in a private wing of the vast house and maintain the property.
My Reading Experience: The set-up is fun. I love a “too good to be true� situation presented to a naive couple in a horror book. Rent a beautiful mansion in the country with a pool on the cheap for the whole summer and all you have to do is dust, mow the lawn, and leave some food on a tray outside an old lady’s bedroom door. Sure! What could go wrong?
Sounds familiar. How about an offer to stay in a hotel during the winter rent-free with your family and all you have to do is keep an eye on things and do some light cleaning while you’re snowed in?
Unfortunately, that’s where the similarities end. Nothing very sinister happens, I’m afraid. The husband, Ben sees things he can’t quite explain, he plays with his son a little too rough in the pool which is very out of character for him, and has a general feeling of unease that he expresses to his wife that goes ignored. Meanwhile, the wife is falling in love with the mansion and her duties of caring for it and the old lady.
She is obsessive about cleaning the house and it’s very boring. There is a lot of staring at old photographs and polishing furniture. She enjoys touching all the antiques more than having sex with her husband and he's very put it out by it. They have this discussion several times.
I wish I loved this book more. Seems like horror readers recommend it quite a bit and I’ve seen it on plenty of haunted house lists.
I enjoyed the very last few scenes. I relished the intensity of the conclusion after enduring rather long episodes of waiting for shit to go down. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I read it. Reading the classics is never a waste of time. I like to understand the framework of horror sub-genres and see where certain tropes originated. I can see the fingerprints of this story in modern haunted house stories today.
Final Recommendation: This tale feels appropriate for brand-new horror fans who express they want to start off slow and ease into the scary stuff. There’s enough here to entertain curious readers all the way through until the payoff. Seasoned horror fans will struggle a little with the pacing. Marasco holds back on the intensity focusing more on subtle dread while leading the reader to believe that something is coming down the line.
Comps: The Shining by Stephen King, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand, The Elementals by Michael McDowell
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: First time, not sure there are other books
Affiliate Link:
Release Date: February 1973 (reprinted by Valancourt Books, March 2015)
General Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Haunted House, Occult & Supernatural
Sub-Genre/Themes: (location: Long Island, NY) Vacation home, old house, marriage/young couple, possession/obsession, caretaking, hallucinations
Writing Style: slow burn, creeping dread, quiet/subtle horror
What You Need to Know: This book is like a chilled-out, less scary/intense version of The Shining. A young couple is looking to escape their busy city-life situation in Queens, so the wife finds this sprawling estate to rent for the summer. In exchange for low rent, they must take care of an elderly woman locked away in a private wing of the vast house and maintain the property.
My Reading Experience: The set-up is fun. I love a “too good to be true� situation presented to a naive couple in a horror book. Rent a beautiful mansion in the country with a pool on the cheap for the whole summer and all you have to do is dust, mow the lawn, and leave some food on a tray outside an old lady’s bedroom door. Sure! What could go wrong?
Sounds familiar. How about an offer to stay in a hotel during the winter rent-free with your family and all you have to do is keep an eye on things and do some light cleaning while you’re snowed in?
Unfortunately, that’s where the similarities end. Nothing very sinister happens, I’m afraid. The husband, Ben sees things he can’t quite explain, he plays with his son a little too rough in the pool which is very out of character for him, and has a general feeling of unease that he expresses to his wife that goes ignored. Meanwhile, the wife is falling in love with the mansion and her duties of caring for it and the old lady.
She is obsessive about cleaning the house and it’s very boring. There is a lot of staring at old photographs and polishing furniture. She enjoys touching all the antiques more than having sex with her husband and he's very put it out by it. They have this discussion several times.
I wish I loved this book more. Seems like horror readers recommend it quite a bit and I’ve seen it on plenty of haunted house lists.
I enjoyed the very last few scenes. I relished the intensity of the conclusion after enduring rather long episodes of waiting for shit to go down. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I read it. Reading the classics is never a waste of time. I like to understand the framework of horror sub-genres and see where certain tropes originated. I can see the fingerprints of this story in modern haunted house stories today.
Final Recommendation: This tale feels appropriate for brand-new horror fans who express they want to start off slow and ease into the scary stuff. There’s enough here to entertain curious readers all the way through until the payoff. Seasoned horror fans will struggle a little with the pacing. Marasco holds back on the intensity focusing more on subtle dread while leading the reader to believe that something is coming down the line.
Comps: The Shining by Stephen King, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand, The Elementals by Michael McDowell
January 30, 2021
“The closer she looked at those windows, the lovelier and more irresistible the house became.�
Burnt Offerings is a slow-burn of a horror novel - but maybe a little TOO slow. It tells the story of the Rolfe family, who are tired of their claustrophobic sweltering apartment in New York, so decide to move into a beautiful old mansion in Long Island for the summer. It‘s too good to be true, of course!
We love a haunting sentient house, don’t we?! And the house really does take centre stage in Burnt Offerings as it slowly consumes the mother to the point where it’s all she can think about. It’s more of a psychological horror than creaky doors and blood running down the walls, but it excels in pulling all the threads together to deliver an excellent ending!
When I look at this book as a whole, I really appreciate the story and the slow-build towards a fantastic ending. But keep in mind this book was just over 200 pages - it felt way longer. Usually I’m all about a slow-burn, but there needs to be SOMETHING there to captivate me along the way - whether it’s the characters or the writing or a building sense of dread. Admittedly there is some dread and I was intrigued by what was going on, but the characters were flat and the writing was nothing special.
If my review seems all over the place in terms of conflicting viewpoints, that’s truly fitting because it reflects what’s going on in my brain. I liked it, but at the same time have my complaints - such as the husband’s ridiculously misogynistic behaviours (but hey, it was the 70s *eye roll*).
In conclusion (to this essay) I would recommend this one, but manage your expectations going in! 3 stars.
Burnt Offerings is a slow-burn of a horror novel - but maybe a little TOO slow. It tells the story of the Rolfe family, who are tired of their claustrophobic sweltering apartment in New York, so decide to move into a beautiful old mansion in Long Island for the summer. It‘s too good to be true, of course!
We love a haunting sentient house, don’t we?! And the house really does take centre stage in Burnt Offerings as it slowly consumes the mother to the point where it’s all she can think about. It’s more of a psychological horror than creaky doors and blood running down the walls, but it excels in pulling all the threads together to deliver an excellent ending!
When I look at this book as a whole, I really appreciate the story and the slow-build towards a fantastic ending. But keep in mind this book was just over 200 pages - it felt way longer. Usually I’m all about a slow-burn, but there needs to be SOMETHING there to captivate me along the way - whether it’s the characters or the writing or a building sense of dread. Admittedly there is some dread and I was intrigued by what was going on, but the characters were flat and the writing was nothing special.
If my review seems all over the place in terms of conflicting viewpoints, that’s truly fitting because it reflects what’s going on in my brain. I liked it, but at the same time have my complaints - such as the husband’s ridiculously misogynistic behaviours (but hey, it was the 70s *eye roll*).
In conclusion (to this essay) I would recommend this one, but manage your expectations going in! 3 stars.
June 16, 2022
Classic 70's haunted house horror. A "too good to be true" summer rental home includes a resident that needs feeding and a whole lot of weirdness and turmoil.
November 19, 2015
Well, even after only a couple of years before reading this the first time, there were some scenes that I was delighted to re-discover! This stands among my top ten "haunted house" stories, easily--among others such as Hill House, The Elementals, and The Shining.
The best part for myself in Robert Marasco's novel is the slowly building tension and atmospheric terror that I could get from just about every page! This story just kept on delivering the chills all the way through to the end. Yes, the movie version was great, but do yourself a favor and pick up the actual novel--there is so much more awaiting you behind those walls....
The best part for myself in Robert Marasco's novel is the slowly building tension and atmospheric terror that I could get from just about every page! This story just kept on delivering the chills all the way through to the end. Yes, the movie version was great, but do yourself a favor and pick up the actual novel--there is so much more awaiting you behind those walls....
May 25, 2018
I like psychological thrillers, but cannot say the same of this psychological horror thriller. This is one of those, in which the house takes the center stage for a young couple, Ben and Marian Rolfe, who desperately wanted to escape the stifling heat in their tiny Brooklyn apartment and need a place to go for the summer holiday. They found this beautiful old house out in the country, in upstate New York. Charming, with an ocean front, a boat, and a big swimming pool. Little did they know that it would destroy the husband, possess the wife and terrify their child.
Yes, it's that scary! Way too graphic for me, but for the right reader it will be perfect. I don't know why I feel like this about this book since I loved the Alfred Hitchcock books. It is similar in ambiance, but I think what disturbed me the most was the presence of the old lady and the young boy. I wanted them gone from there. But of course, the author knew that and made me suffer for it :-))
Oh and upstairs in one of the bedrooms, there was old Mrs. Allardyce for whom Marian had to prepare three meals a day. That was the catch for getting the house so cheap.
How can I leave the vulnerable people behind and close the book, you know.
Which reminds me, take a very....long.....intense.....look at the cover.
I DID take notice of the introduction of the book in which , in 2014, Stephen Graham Jones forewarned the reader:
Look ahead just a decade in 1983, when the horror shelves were spilling over, when the fan base had gone locust, was chewing through pages as fast as the publishing houses could print them.
Those shelves contained Robert McCammon, Clive Barker and Peter Straub, but Marasco did not share it. This was his only one. An oddball beautiful novel which became one of a kind.
In the last paragraph of the foreword, Jones leaves us with this final warning before proceeding:
But now in an older period of my life, I knew what this author was doing, and I DID NOT connect with the book on the same level, but nevertheless could still not leave it alone and walk away! Nope, hubby was gone on a business trip, I was sleeping alone with the two Jack Russels and three cats on our bed, and I refused to switch off the lights. So at five (!!) this morning, when the first rooster crowed, I lit a candle, switched off the bed lamp and fell asleep. The book finally finished. I wrote a note for the staff to wake me up at 7.00, but they should open the curtains and windows before they do it. No darkness for me right now :-))
The rest of the morning I was in a super happy place in my mind. Life was just beautiful and worth living!
I think the next author should try to write a novel in which the reader is pulled into the pages, get strangled in the captivating words, and then introduce that house of horrors to the unsuspecting mind. Come to think of it, this is exactly what happened here. My only salvation was that I refused to switch off the bed lamp - or so I thought. Honestly, I think it worked! :-))
I so much want to add some more thoughts, but I will refrain, sit on my hands. This is an excellent book, with a deeper dimension, leaving a moral message behind. It's more than just a scary experience.
That's all you're gonna get out of me. Why I always choose these books for my alone-time is just beyond me. What can I do. I'm addicted. And I desperately need some sleep. Oh, and chocolates and a cuddle!
RECOMMENDED!
Read Jeffrey Keeten's superb review.
/review/show...
Yes, it's that scary! Way too graphic for me, but for the right reader it will be perfect. I don't know why I feel like this about this book since I loved the Alfred Hitchcock books. It is similar in ambiance, but I think what disturbed me the most was the presence of the old lady and the young boy. I wanted them gone from there. But of course, the author knew that and made me suffer for it :-))
Oh and upstairs in one of the bedrooms, there was old Mrs. Allardyce for whom Marian had to prepare three meals a day. That was the catch for getting the house so cheap.
How can I leave the vulnerable people behind and close the book, you know.
Which reminds me, take a very....long.....intense.....look at the cover.
I DID take notice of the introduction of the book in which , in 2014, Stephen Graham Jones forewarned the reader:
Drive by the house you're interested in at night, I say. Watch the windows. See if anybody's waiting for you there. And then drive home with the dome light on, and check that back seat as often as you can.Published in 1973, it was a few years before Stephen King hit the book stores with his own books for which the horror shelves had to be created.
It won't be enough.
And that's healthy, that's good, that's right...
...The central dilemma for us, for people, it's that as much as we might spook when our dog won't set foot in a room, we NEED that room.
...there's two kinds of haunted houses. There's the Stay Away kind, like we get The Amityville Horror or Poltergeist, where you are punished for your trespass, and then there's the Hungry House. Whereas Stay Away Houses just want to be left alone, Hungry Houses aren't complete without people to digest for reasons or decades or centuries.
Hill House was Hungry. The Overlook Hotel was hungry.
So is this pretty house Marasco give us in Burnt Offerings.
Look ahead just a decade in 1983, when the horror shelves were spilling over, when the fan base had gone locust, was chewing through pages as fast as the publishing houses could print them.
Those shelves contained Robert McCammon, Clive Barker and Peter Straub, but Marasco did not share it. This was his only one. An oddball beautiful novel which became one of a kind.
In the last paragraph of the foreword, Jones leaves us with this final warning before proceeding:
The best haunted house novels, they grow their walls up around you, they give you a place to live, if you dare.While plowing through the dark, sinister, amazingly beautiful interior of the house with this unfortunate family, I was reminded of those years in which pheromones, teenage oxytocin and the magic of endorphins, triggered by chocolates, created this magic hormonal concoction for teenagers enjoying a movie such as Burnt Offerings(1976). We could happily cling to our latest love interest, while sharing a mountain of popcorn, cuddles and kisses in the movie theater. This would have been the perfect movie for just that purpose!
Open this book, step in. We haven't left the light on for you.
But now in an older period of my life, I knew what this author was doing, and I DID NOT connect with the book on the same level, but nevertheless could still not leave it alone and walk away! Nope, hubby was gone on a business trip, I was sleeping alone with the two Jack Russels and three cats on our bed, and I refused to switch off the lights. So at five (!!) this morning, when the first rooster crowed, I lit a candle, switched off the bed lamp and fell asleep. The book finally finished. I wrote a note for the staff to wake me up at 7.00, but they should open the curtains and windows before they do it. No darkness for me right now :-))
The rest of the morning I was in a super happy place in my mind. Life was just beautiful and worth living!
I think the next author should try to write a novel in which the reader is pulled into the pages, get strangled in the captivating words, and then introduce that house of horrors to the unsuspecting mind. Come to think of it, this is exactly what happened here. My only salvation was that I refused to switch off the bed lamp - or so I thought. Honestly, I think it worked! :-))
I so much want to add some more thoughts, but I will refrain, sit on my hands. This is an excellent book, with a deeper dimension, leaving a moral message behind. It's more than just a scary experience.
That's all you're gonna get out of me. Why I always choose these books for my alone-time is just beyond me. What can I do. I'm addicted. And I desperately need some sleep. Oh, and chocolates and a cuddle!
RECOMMENDED!
Read Jeffrey Keeten's superb review.
/review/show...
December 8, 2017
I listened to this audio for the HA Audiobook Group Read Come and join us!
Marian is a 70’s housewife and she is tired of city life and coerces her husband, Ben, into checking out a summer rental with a beach that is far from the sweltering heat, stink and noise of the city. He says it sounds too good to be true and whines, “but honey, we can’t afford it�. But he caves. Should’ve stood your ground, man!
The rental turns out to be a giant estate on 200 acres. There are 30 rooms and all they have to do is pay $900 for the summer and leave “Mother� sustenance three times a day. Ummm, what? Yes, Mother is staying! Apparently, Mother doesn’t leave her room and will be no trouble at all as long as you keep to the feeding schedule or so say the weird brother and sister who are renting the place and who skedaddle out of town leaving no contact information as soon as the couple agrees to rent the place.
Marian immediately takes to the home as if it were her own, obsessively preparing meals for Mother and cleaning and fretting (which sounds like a vacation in Hell to me) while Ben, his aunt and their young son fritter away their days in the sun. But that doesn’t last long. Soon enough eerie events start to occur and Marian’s obsession with the house intensifies. They can try to escape but the house wants what it wants!
This was an unnerving listen that allows the dread to slowly build. It is read expertly by R.C. Bray who is perfect for this kind of old-timey story. His voice is so serious and wizened just enough to set the scene and make the words even creepier. But, folks, it was written in the early 70’s and its 70’s roots are definitely showing in some of the dialogue.
“I’ll do the talking. Just look pretty and keep your mouth shut.� Ben says this to Marian and she doesn’t punch him the face.
At another point Marian says (out loud, mind you) to Ben, “You know I’m the dumb one.� He accepts this as fact and again does not get punched in the face and they move along with their day.
Ahhh, the 70’s. I am so very glad I was too young to have to deal with this WTFery!
If you like haunted houses and haven’t listened to this story on audio, what the heck are you waiting for?
Marian is a 70’s housewife and she is tired of city life and coerces her husband, Ben, into checking out a summer rental with a beach that is far from the sweltering heat, stink and noise of the city. He says it sounds too good to be true and whines, “but honey, we can’t afford it�. But he caves. Should’ve stood your ground, man!
The rental turns out to be a giant estate on 200 acres. There are 30 rooms and all they have to do is pay $900 for the summer and leave “Mother� sustenance three times a day. Ummm, what? Yes, Mother is staying! Apparently, Mother doesn’t leave her room and will be no trouble at all as long as you keep to the feeding schedule or so say the weird brother and sister who are renting the place and who skedaddle out of town leaving no contact information as soon as the couple agrees to rent the place.
Marian immediately takes to the home as if it were her own, obsessively preparing meals for Mother and cleaning and fretting (which sounds like a vacation in Hell to me) while Ben, his aunt and their young son fritter away their days in the sun. But that doesn’t last long. Soon enough eerie events start to occur and Marian’s obsession with the house intensifies. They can try to escape but the house wants what it wants!
This was an unnerving listen that allows the dread to slowly build. It is read expertly by R.C. Bray who is perfect for this kind of old-timey story. His voice is so serious and wizened just enough to set the scene and make the words even creepier. But, folks, it was written in the early 70’s and its 70’s roots are definitely showing in some of the dialogue.
“I’ll do the talking. Just look pretty and keep your mouth shut.� Ben says this to Marian and she doesn’t punch him the face.
At another point Marian says (out loud, mind you) to Ben, “You know I’m the dumb one.� He accepts this as fact and again does not get punched in the face and they move along with their day.
Ahhh, the 70’s. I am so very glad I was too young to have to deal with this WTFery!
If you like haunted houses and haven’t listened to this story on audio, what the heck are you waiting for?
May 4, 2017
I know the 1976 movie with Oliver Reed. What a scary read! You really get so absorbed by this book that you can't stop reading. Only thing is that many questions aren't solved in the novel. The old Lady and the horror in this house remain a mystery. Great novel and a great movie!
November 6, 2017
I discovered Burnt Offerings through a recommendation by Stephen King, who described it as "disturbing tale, and one which comes highly recommended not just to fans of the genre but to the general reader", praising its "near brilliance" , which he considers to be second only to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House . King deemed this book to be important enough to include in his recommended reading section of his work on horror fiction, . I couldn't resist a book praised so highly by one of my favorite authors, and I have to admit that I picked it up with a certain level of expectation. I wanted to experience something wonderful and memorable, which would keep me up at night.
First published in 1973, the novel is almost entirely forgotten today - its lifespan was probably extended by the , but not quite enough to make it a classic on the level of by my favorite Ira Levin, or Stephen King's own , both novels also immortalized by their respective film adaptations - in Levin's case extremely faithful, not so much in King's. After years of being out of print, the novel was re-released two years ago in a variety of formats - allowing us to finally experience it again.
In Burnt Offerings, Marian Rolfe - wife of Ben and mother of David - tries desperately to get her family out of the overcrowded and unbearable borough of Queens in New York City, which she dearly hates. Much to her husbands' chagrin, she has been looking through ads in various papers and found an offer which is almost too good to be true - a home in the country available for the entire summer, available for "the right kind of people". Low on cash but high in spirit, Marian manages to get Ben to agree to go and see the place. When they arrive, they see not a regular home but a real, proper mansion - run down and neglected, but livable. The owners - Roz and Arnold Allardyce, a pair of siblings - offer it to Marian for just $900...for the entire summer, as they are going away and need someone to house sit. There's just a single catch: their elderly mother has to stay behind. But she's not any trouble at all, they say; she never leaves her room, and all that is required are three simple meals a day which are to be left in front of her door. Surely, this can't be that bad? Of course not - Marian packs her family up, along with their older aunt Elizabeth, and they set out to what should be the summer of their lives.
As you can probably guess, it's not just that bad - it's worse. Soon it becomes apparent that taking care of Mrs Allardyce's meals is the least of Marian's worries - she begins to feel incredibly attracted to the house itself, spending most of her time cleaning, organizing and tending to it, at the same time feeling growing physical repulsion towards her husband; Ben is horrified at his own aggressive behavior towards his son, which turns an innocent game in the pool into a fight for life and death; aunt Elizabeth, the image of virility and humor at the beginning of the book discovers that she grows tired quicker and quicker, and becomes frailer with each passing day. Instead of feeling the joy of the summer, they begin to feel an increasing sense od dread - that something dark and terrible is happening to them.
Like many popular novels, Burnt Offerings reflects the period in which it was written - the 1970's were a period of widespread urban decay in America. Work was leaving major American cities in the north - Detroit alone lots tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs as its auto industry contracted and struggled to survive - which was followed by all sorts of social problems: quickly growing poverty and unemployment led to a drastic increase in violent crime - overall murder rate rose by over 100%, while robberies rose more than 250%! Big cities in the north were no longer neighborhoods in which people wanted to live, and in which businesses wished to invest; political and economic power begin to shift towards the southern and southwestern states, as jobs, money and people began to move to these warmer regions. As big cities began to be considered dirty and dangerous, Americans fled the blight of the inner city by moving towards the suburbs, attracted by better housing opportunities, friendlier neighborhoods and other factors; even if they still had to work in the city itself, cars were widespread and easily available and made commuting relatively easy. Thriving development of suburbia only added to the trouble of cities, now even more deprived of desperately needed funding and investment. New York City was hit particularly hard in that era: the city struggled with a fiscal crisis for most of the decade, city workers often went on strike to protest the worsening conditions which only added to the miserable climate of the place at the time. As urban housing decayed and new housing was not built, more and more middle-class white Americans left the cities which began to be populated by more and more immigrants and minorities. Of all major cities New York City experienced the largest population loss of a single U.S. city for a 10 year period; from 1970 to 1980 824,000 people left the city towards greener pastures - roughly the population of San Francisco.
Although novels should ideally be timeless, urban decline is at the heart of Burnt Offerings; it is not political or social commentary, but it's impossible to not see these things reflected in Marasco's depiction of Queens as loud, dirty, hot and just unbearable. Marian's desire to escape it was shared by most of New Yorkers at the time; she is attracted to a prospect of life in an enormous mansion in beautiful countryside, even if it's reclusive and neglected. Although Marasco doesn't outright explore the theme of class division in his novel, it is not difficult to see it in the story of a financially struggling family from a decaying city turning up to serve the rich, country aristocrats. Marian loves the material aspect of the house, its gold and silvers, spacious rooms and all that they represent. She can polish all of the silvers and dust all of the tables in their house, but it is not hers and it never will be - she can never belong to their world and inhabit it the way they do, and at the end she is there to serve the purpose that they have arranged for her and her family, and not fulfill her own desires and ambitions. By living in the mansion she can pretend to have climbed the social ladder, but in the end it is only an illusion; and one for which she will pay the highest price. She can pretend to own the house, but in the end it is the house that will own her.
In Marasco said that he initially wanted his book to be a comedy: "I thought it would be a black comedy", he said, "but it just came out black". This can be most clearly seen in the character of aunt Elizabeth - the bubbly, elderly woman who was probably meant to serve as comedic relief in his initial idea of the book. The end result isn't perfect - his characters are on the thin side when it comes to personality, especially the Rolfe's son, David, who is seemingly unfazed by his parents' descent into madness - but it's definitely not terrible, and not something I regret reading. I see it as an icon of popular culture of its time - something which paved the way for other and better things to come.
First published in 1973, the novel is almost entirely forgotten today - its lifespan was probably extended by the , but not quite enough to make it a classic on the level of by my favorite Ira Levin, or Stephen King's own , both novels also immortalized by their respective film adaptations - in Levin's case extremely faithful, not so much in King's. After years of being out of print, the novel was re-released two years ago in a variety of formats - allowing us to finally experience it again.
In Burnt Offerings, Marian Rolfe - wife of Ben and mother of David - tries desperately to get her family out of the overcrowded and unbearable borough of Queens in New York City, which she dearly hates. Much to her husbands' chagrin, she has been looking through ads in various papers and found an offer which is almost too good to be true - a home in the country available for the entire summer, available for "the right kind of people". Low on cash but high in spirit, Marian manages to get Ben to agree to go and see the place. When they arrive, they see not a regular home but a real, proper mansion - run down and neglected, but livable. The owners - Roz and Arnold Allardyce, a pair of siblings - offer it to Marian for just $900...for the entire summer, as they are going away and need someone to house sit. There's just a single catch: their elderly mother has to stay behind. But she's not any trouble at all, they say; she never leaves her room, and all that is required are three simple meals a day which are to be left in front of her door. Surely, this can't be that bad? Of course not - Marian packs her family up, along with their older aunt Elizabeth, and they set out to what should be the summer of their lives.
As you can probably guess, it's not just that bad - it's worse. Soon it becomes apparent that taking care of Mrs Allardyce's meals is the least of Marian's worries - she begins to feel incredibly attracted to the house itself, spending most of her time cleaning, organizing and tending to it, at the same time feeling growing physical repulsion towards her husband; Ben is horrified at his own aggressive behavior towards his son, which turns an innocent game in the pool into a fight for life and death; aunt Elizabeth, the image of virility and humor at the beginning of the book discovers that she grows tired quicker and quicker, and becomes frailer with each passing day. Instead of feeling the joy of the summer, they begin to feel an increasing sense od dread - that something dark and terrible is happening to them.
Like many popular novels, Burnt Offerings reflects the period in which it was written - the 1970's were a period of widespread urban decay in America. Work was leaving major American cities in the north - Detroit alone lots tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs as its auto industry contracted and struggled to survive - which was followed by all sorts of social problems: quickly growing poverty and unemployment led to a drastic increase in violent crime - overall murder rate rose by over 100%, while robberies rose more than 250%! Big cities in the north were no longer neighborhoods in which people wanted to live, and in which businesses wished to invest; political and economic power begin to shift towards the southern and southwestern states, as jobs, money and people began to move to these warmer regions. As big cities began to be considered dirty and dangerous, Americans fled the blight of the inner city by moving towards the suburbs, attracted by better housing opportunities, friendlier neighborhoods and other factors; even if they still had to work in the city itself, cars were widespread and easily available and made commuting relatively easy. Thriving development of suburbia only added to the trouble of cities, now even more deprived of desperately needed funding and investment. New York City was hit particularly hard in that era: the city struggled with a fiscal crisis for most of the decade, city workers often went on strike to protest the worsening conditions which only added to the miserable climate of the place at the time. As urban housing decayed and new housing was not built, more and more middle-class white Americans left the cities which began to be populated by more and more immigrants and minorities. Of all major cities New York City experienced the largest population loss of a single U.S. city for a 10 year period; from 1970 to 1980 824,000 people left the city towards greener pastures - roughly the population of San Francisco.
Although novels should ideally be timeless, urban decline is at the heart of Burnt Offerings; it is not political or social commentary, but it's impossible to not see these things reflected in Marasco's depiction of Queens as loud, dirty, hot and just unbearable. Marian's desire to escape it was shared by most of New Yorkers at the time; she is attracted to a prospect of life in an enormous mansion in beautiful countryside, even if it's reclusive and neglected. Although Marasco doesn't outright explore the theme of class division in his novel, it is not difficult to see it in the story of a financially struggling family from a decaying city turning up to serve the rich, country aristocrats. Marian loves the material aspect of the house, its gold and silvers, spacious rooms and all that they represent. She can polish all of the silvers and dust all of the tables in their house, but it is not hers and it never will be - she can never belong to their world and inhabit it the way they do, and at the end she is there to serve the purpose that they have arranged for her and her family, and not fulfill her own desires and ambitions. By living in the mansion she can pretend to have climbed the social ladder, but in the end it is only an illusion; and one for which she will pay the highest price. She can pretend to own the house, but in the end it is the house that will own her.
In Marasco said that he initially wanted his book to be a comedy: "I thought it would be a black comedy", he said, "but it just came out black". This can be most clearly seen in the character of aunt Elizabeth - the bubbly, elderly woman who was probably meant to serve as comedic relief in his initial idea of the book. The end result isn't perfect - his characters are on the thin side when it comes to personality, especially the Rolfe's son, David, who is seemingly unfazed by his parents' descent into madness - but it's definitely not terrible, and not something I regret reading. I see it as an icon of popular culture of its time - something which paved the way for other and better things to come.
November 1, 2016
Obsession & Possession- 5 stars...
This was one of the best haunted house stories I've ever read! I just loved it! It's about The Rolfes- Marian, Ben & their son David. They live in a noisy apartment building in Queens so in order to get some peace they rent a house in the country for two months for their summer vacation. The house turns out to be a huge mansion that has fallen in disrepair. They find the renters, Roz & Brother, to be very eccentric and in the back of their mind they know that something isn't quite right. They present them with an offer they can't refuse though so they move in and take possession of the house but they'll come to find out that the house has taken possession of them; and as Marian's obsession with the house intensifies and her will to choose her family over the house is slowly taken from her, the house comes back to life...
Sometimes I find the endings to haunted house stories can be kind of hokey but I thought this one was very satisfying. The entire story was very atmospheric and I really enjoyed the sense of dark foreboding that overcast their stay. Seeing the house take possession of the family was very eerie and nicely written by the author.
If I absolutely 'had' to pick something that I didn't care for, it would probably be Marian & Ben's lovey-dovey dialogue. It was kind of sweet at first, and to give the author credit where credit is due, it was pretty realistic but I really don't care to hear couples baby talk in real life so I definitely don't care to hear it in a book either. That's really just a personal preference though and it didn't bother me enough to sway my rating.
On a side note, my 'obsession' with books 'possessed' me to buy a 1973 first edition of this but I'm so glad I did! It was totally worth it and I know I'll go back and reread it one day. For now though, it's going back in its Brodart and I'm going to find a copy of this movie that I'm dying to see!
This was one of the best haunted house stories I've ever read! I just loved it! It's about The Rolfes- Marian, Ben & their son David. They live in a noisy apartment building in Queens so in order to get some peace they rent a house in the country for two months for their summer vacation. The house turns out to be a huge mansion that has fallen in disrepair. They find the renters, Roz & Brother, to be very eccentric and in the back of their mind they know that something isn't quite right. They present them with an offer they can't refuse though so they move in and take possession of the house but they'll come to find out that the house has taken possession of them; and as Marian's obsession with the house intensifies and her will to choose her family over the house is slowly taken from her, the house comes back to life...
Sometimes I find the endings to haunted house stories can be kind of hokey but I thought this one was very satisfying. The entire story was very atmospheric and I really enjoyed the sense of dark foreboding that overcast their stay. Seeing the house take possession of the family was very eerie and nicely written by the author.
If I absolutely 'had' to pick something that I didn't care for, it would probably be Marian & Ben's lovey-dovey dialogue. It was kind of sweet at first, and to give the author credit where credit is due, it was pretty realistic but I really don't care to hear couples baby talk in real life so I definitely don't care to hear it in a book either. That's really just a personal preference though and it didn't bother me enough to sway my rating.
On a side note, my 'obsession' with books 'possessed' me to buy a 1973 first edition of this but I'm so glad I did! It was totally worth it and I know I'll go back and reread it one day. For now though, it's going back in its Brodart and I'm going to find a copy of this movie that I'm dying to see!
December 29, 2022
«C'è sempre stata, a quanto ne sappiamo», proseguì lui.
«E credetemi, sarà ancora qui quando tutti noi ci leveremo di torno.»
Si erano fatti più vicini. La voce della signorina Allardyce si abbassò e divenne quasi un sussurro. «Si può dire che sia immortale. E io, sinceramente, credo sia proprio così.»
«Vale anche per me», disse Fratello.
Cercando disperatamente di fuggire dal soffocante caldo cittadino nel loro angusto e rumoroso appartamento nel Queens, a Ben e Marian Rolfe non pare vero di poter affittare per due mesi, ad un prezzo a dir poco irrisorio, la splendida ma trascurata villa in campagna dei fratelli Allardyce.
«Non dovrete far altro che lasciarle un vassoio», spiegò la signorina Allardyce. «Tre volte al giorno. Basta che lo mettiate sul tavolo nel suo salottino privato...»
«Mai in camera da letto», precisò Fratello. «La tiene sempre chiusa a chiave.»
«Sempre», confermò la signorina Allardyce. «Il nostro caro, amorevole angelo.»
Le loro voci si fondevano l'una nell'altra, Marian le distingueva a malapena
Unica condizione: i coniugi Rolfe dovranno prendersi cura dell’anziana madre dei due proprietari, la quale non esce mai dalla propria stanza, portandole da mangiare tre volte al giorno e lasciandole il vassoio con il cibo fuori dalla porta.
Come ultima cosa, aveva percorso il corridoio fino al salottino, aveva aperto le tende e aveva acceso una piccola lampada. Il vassoio non era ancora stato toccato, come il vassoio pomeridiano del resto... Ma non c'era niente di cui preoccuparsi, si ripeteva per convincersene.
Andò in bagno e lasciò la porta socchiusa.
Si prospetta una vacanza da sogno per i coniugi Rolfe, il loro figlioletto David ed Elizabeth, l’anziana ma ancora arzilla zia di Ben, due mesi da trascorrere in un vero e proprio castello da fiaba, pur se un po� troppo grande e non troppo ben messo.
Abbassò lentamente le mani e guardò il sangue, poi alzò gli occhi e fissò zia Elizabeth e David, che tremava e singhiozzava a più non posso.
L'acqua sbatteva contro le pareti della piscina e passò un po' prima che Ben, spaventato e incredulo, riuscisse a recuperare la voce per dire: «Dave?...» E poi di nuovo: «Dave?...»
La seconda volta, udibile a malapena, la voce si spezzò, così come qualcosa nella sua testa.
Purtroppo diventa presto chiaro che qualcosa decisamente non va, perseguitato dalle visioni di un tetro carro funebre e del suo inquietante autista Ben diventa sempre più aggressivo, Marian sviluppa un attaccamento ossessivo e morboso verso la casa e l’invisibile madre dei due proprietari, trascorrendo intere giornate a pulire vecchi servizi da tè e rimirare le vecchie foto presenti nel salottino antistante alla stanza chiusa e misteriosa dove l’anziana signora Allardyce trascorre non vista le sue giornate, e perdendo sempre più interesse ed affetto verso il marito ed il figlio.
«Ma certo», disse Marian. «Lascia che ti prepari la colazione.»
«Non voglio nessuna colazione.» Si voltò per andarsene. «Di' a Ben che sono in camera mia, per favore.»
«Se vuoi ti porto lì la colazione.»
Zia Elizabeth si fermò e appoggiò la mano sul tavolo per sorreggersi. «Come la porti già in quella stanza... quella dell'altra vegliarda? Non ti disturbare, Marian.»
Come se non bastasse, i capelli di Marian iniziano ad ingrigire, zia Elizabeth sembra invecchiare e deperire a vista d’occhio, mentre la casa inizia a prendere vita di nuovo, diventando sempre meno fatiscente quasi come se si stesse nutrendo delle vite dei suoi occupanti.
Marian gli prese il viso fra le mani, mettendolo ancora più a disagio. «Perché ti voglio bene», disse con un'intensità inquietante, quasi quanto le urla che aveva lanciato in soggiorno. «Ti voglio bene più che a lei, più che alla sua casa. Più che a qualsiasi cosa al mondo. Lo sai questo, vero, amore?»
Quando Marian finì di parlare, il nodo inspiegabilmente era ancora lì.
Così, quella che doveva essere una vacanza spensierata, si trasformerà invece in un vero e proprio incubo per la sventurata famiglia Rolfe, con la progressiva e letterale disgregazione del nucleo familiare, e la distruzione di tutto ciò che c’era di buono al suo interno.
Si allontanò malfermo dal letto, e quando si scopri davanti alla porta aperta, il dolore era diventato più intenso, nebbia che aveva davanti agli occhi più opaca. Oh, Cristo, no, pensò, fai che passi, fai che passi. Come sempre per distrarsi in qualche modo cominciò a contare, e stavolta arrivò fino a undici prima che il corridoio tornasse a fuoco e potesse dirigersi barcollante fino alle scale.
Un gradino sotto l’inarrivabile per me
«In questo caso», proseguì Marian, «la cena è ancora in tavola.»
Ben l'afferrò per un braccio e la fermò, stavolta gli tremava la voce: «Te lo chiedo per l'ultima volta. Torna a casa con noi».
Le stava rivolgendo una preghiera, diretta e umiliante, considerò Marian. Ma perché non lo voleva capire? Come faceva a essere più chiara? Lei era già a casa.
Un terrificante racconto d'atmosfera sulle conseguenze dell’avidità umana, che prova a dare una terribile risposta alla domanda su fino a che punto siamo disposti a spingerci per ottenere ciò che desideriamo, e soprattutto su quali orrendi mostri la mente umana può generare.
In conclusione, una lettura imprescindibile per gli amanti della letteratura di genere, e che mi ha fatto venire voglia di rivedere assolutamente Ballata Macabra (1976), adattamento cinematografico di questo classico dell’orrore che vidi da bambino e che, pur non ricordando bene praticamente nulla ad eccezione di qualche scena terrificante, mi spaventò tantissimo all’epoca.
September 23, 2018
Completely unsettling and disturbing!
Ben (rather reluctantly), Marian, and their young child David go with Ben's Aunt Elizabeth to an old and sprawling mansion in upstate New York for the summer. The house, which belongs to a pair of adult siblings, The Allardyces, seems too good to be true: For an incredibly low price, the family can stay in the home for the entire summer. There's just one catch: the elderly mother of the Allardyces will remain in the home, although out of sight. Mother is to be fed three times a day by leaving a tray of food outside her bedroom. No one is to see her.
At this point, any reasonable person would have said, no way. HARD PASS. But of course, this is a horror novel, and a supernatural horror novel at that - and here we begin to see the influence the house has over its guests. Once settled into the mansion, Marian becomes obsessed with it, and the rest of her family starts to suffer, and transform, under a mysterious malevolence.
EDIT: Someone asked me how is the story disturbing and unsettling. I will paste my reply here. I don't think what I wrote spoils the story, so:
But basically, with the exception of the child character, the major characters go through a transformation because of the house. The wife, Marian, is the one the house has targeted. She's the one who has to bring Mrs. Allardyce, the mother who stays in her room, the food 3x a day. Marian's obsession with this responsibility and her obsession with fixing up the house causes a rift between her and the rest of the family. Through her actions, the house is becoming "alive', and more powerful. Ben, her husband, is heading towards a mental breakdown. He does something that traumatizes the family and himself, and starts experiencing hallucinations. Aunt Elizabeth, who is 74 years old, begins the book as a lively and sociable woman, but is now deteriorating. Marian has these moments where she knows she should do the rational thing (leave the house with her family), but force of the house is very strong. So it's disturbing to see this family collapse because I felt helpless watching it all unfold.
A must read for fans of haunted house stories.
Ben (rather reluctantly), Marian, and their young child David go with Ben's Aunt Elizabeth to an old and sprawling mansion in upstate New York for the summer. The house, which belongs to a pair of adult siblings, The Allardyces, seems too good to be true: For an incredibly low price, the family can stay in the home for the entire summer. There's just one catch: the elderly mother of the Allardyces will remain in the home, although out of sight. Mother is to be fed three times a day by leaving a tray of food outside her bedroom. No one is to see her.
At this point, any reasonable person would have said, no way. HARD PASS. But of course, this is a horror novel, and a supernatural horror novel at that - and here we begin to see the influence the house has over its guests. Once settled into the mansion, Marian becomes obsessed with it, and the rest of her family starts to suffer, and transform, under a mysterious malevolence.
EDIT: Someone asked me how is the story disturbing and unsettling. I will paste my reply here. I don't think what I wrote spoils the story, so:
But basically, with the exception of the child character, the major characters go through a transformation because of the house. The wife, Marian, is the one the house has targeted. She's the one who has to bring Mrs. Allardyce, the mother who stays in her room, the food 3x a day. Marian's obsession with this responsibility and her obsession with fixing up the house causes a rift between her and the rest of the family. Through her actions, the house is becoming "alive', and more powerful. Ben, her husband, is heading towards a mental breakdown. He does something that traumatizes the family and himself, and starts experiencing hallucinations. Aunt Elizabeth, who is 74 years old, begins the book as a lively and sociable woman, but is now deteriorating. Marian has these moments where she knows she should do the rational thing (leave the house with her family), but force of the house is very strong. So it's disturbing to see this family collapse because I felt helpless watching it all unfold.
A must read for fans of haunted house stories.
November 16, 2014
3.5 stars.
Solid family-is-haunted-possessed-by-eeeevil-house story, if not a little campy at times, especially with some of the dialogue. Probably could've been novella length instead of a novel, too. That said, solid characterization with some beautifully detailed passages and atmosphere. Glad I read it. Now I need to track down the Karen Black/Oliver Reed film.
ASIDE: I bought a used copy and while I was reading a little note fell out of the book. Written in pen, quite old. At the top is a quick sketch of a jackolantern. The note: "Happy Halloween! This book is just right for the special day! I don't know if it's good for you to read a horror-type novel now. What do you think? Maybe your Dad can stop in at the library on your way home from the hairdresser's + get some light, "doctor"/"nurse" books! Have a nice day! I hope the weather turns brighter + warmer for you. Bon dejeuner! Love + kisses, Pat"
I give the note 3.5 stars as well and it's pretty darn creepy too.
Solid family-is-haunted-possessed-by-eeeevil-house story, if not a little campy at times, especially with some of the dialogue. Probably could've been novella length instead of a novel, too. That said, solid characterization with some beautifully detailed passages and atmosphere. Glad I read it. Now I need to track down the Karen Black/Oliver Reed film.
ASIDE: I bought a used copy and while I was reading a little note fell out of the book. Written in pen, quite old. At the top is a quick sketch of a jackolantern. The note: "Happy Halloween! This book is just right for the special day! I don't know if it's good for you to read a horror-type novel now. What do you think? Maybe your Dad can stop in at the library on your way home from the hairdresser's + get some light, "doctor"/"nurse" books! Have a nice day! I hope the weather turns brighter + warmer for you. Bon dejeuner! Love + kisses, Pat"
I give the note 3.5 stars as well and it's pretty darn creepy too.
December 18, 2015
Rounded up from 4.5*
So I read this book in one day. I thought I'd read it over the next few days, along with some other reads, but pretty soon I was at 25% and then 50% and then I was huddling under the blanket last night to keep from waking up Mr. Marsh with my Kindle light and couldn't stop reading until it was done.
A young family needs a break from the city and gets a great deal on a house in the country. The house is huge but run down, the wife is a little OCD and sees it as the project of her life. THERE'S ONLY ONE CATCH, the brother sister owners tell them: they must feed the old lady living in the West wing 3 times daily, but don't worry, they won't see her, she never leaves her room. That's right! Grandma comes with the house!
You can imagine what ensues from there. Great writing, a really interesting dynamic between the family members and a haunted house plot with a slow burn.
So I read this book in one day. I thought I'd read it over the next few days, along with some other reads, but pretty soon I was at 25% and then 50% and then I was huddling under the blanket last night to keep from waking up Mr. Marsh with my Kindle light and couldn't stop reading until it was done.
A young family needs a break from the city and gets a great deal on a house in the country. The house is huge but run down, the wife is a little OCD and sees it as the project of her life. THERE'S ONLY ONE CATCH, the brother sister owners tell them: they must feed the old lady living in the West wing 3 times daily, but don't worry, they won't see her, she never leaves her room. That's right! Grandma comes with the house!
You can imagine what ensues from there. Great writing, a really interesting dynamic between the family members and a haunted house plot with a slow burn.
February 24, 2016
Burnt offerings is a classic of a book from the same guy that wrote about a catholic boys school. This book of his "Burnt Offerings" is spooky haunted house read. The pace is set with a relaxed feel that soon evolves you into a suspenseful feel. Well written and very good char's I was very impressed to begin with. HOWEVER, the ending made me feel blah. I was expecting a better ending with the build up. And was sad when I didn't get it. But I loved how it left me with a Must know feeling at work I personally love book's like that. Reprinted by Valancourt books, this makes for a good Haunted house read.
February 13, 2013
This novel is basically a classic definition of insidious horror. It manages to unsettle, disturb and scare without relying on gore, violence or any other typical horror trappings. It's sort of in a class of its own, the mixture of a haunted house and a possession story that works so well in no small part due to the excellent writing. It's quite remarkably not all that dated (with exception of real estate rentals, of course) for a 40 year old book. Recommended.
May 5, 2020
Page turning suspense!
I was expecting more then I received from this book as all the reviews I read before getting into it seemed to light up the "scare" tactic, but I wasn't scared at all. I guess it takes quite a bit to scare me, but it was still a good book as it had a lot of suspense, mystery, and there were some spooky moments, but not the "leave the light on" spooky.
Ben and Marian Rolfe want to get out of their apartment and go somewhere far away for the Summer months. Marian sees an ad to rent a mansion for a price they can not believe. When Ben and Marian go to check out the mansion, they meet the owners who seem way beyond eccentric and they seem to really want the Rolfes to stay there. There is only one exception: the Rolfes will need to take care of their mother who lives in the house. Ben and Marion along with their son and Ben's Aunt decide to pay the price and stay there for the Summer. The owners in the meantime let it be known that they will be going away themselves and the Rolfes will have access to everything in the house plus all the buildings on the property. This is where that saying comes into play "if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is" should have weighed down upon the Rolfes, but they ignored any kind of bad feelings about the place. Marian was all for staying there, but Ben had very mixed feelings and really didn't want to stay in the mansion.
At that point on from when the owners left to the Rolfes exploring their newly acquired domain, little things start happening in the house. Marian takes it upon herself to see to the "mother", but the "mother" never makes an appearance as she stays behind a locked door and Marian has to leave food trays for the woman.
The book starts off kind of slow as the author builds the storyline and nothing really gets going strong till about midway through the book. The book picks up more of a quickened pace as more things start happening in the book, but like I said before, I never really felt scared reading it. I wasn't really happy with the ending as there was an unexpected turn of events near the end of the book, but it doesn't deter me from giving it anything less than four stars.
I was expecting more then I received from this book as all the reviews I read before getting into it seemed to light up the "scare" tactic, but I wasn't scared at all. I guess it takes quite a bit to scare me, but it was still a good book as it had a lot of suspense, mystery, and there were some spooky moments, but not the "leave the light on" spooky.
Ben and Marian Rolfe want to get out of their apartment and go somewhere far away for the Summer months. Marian sees an ad to rent a mansion for a price they can not believe. When Ben and Marian go to check out the mansion, they meet the owners who seem way beyond eccentric and they seem to really want the Rolfes to stay there. There is only one exception: the Rolfes will need to take care of their mother who lives in the house. Ben and Marion along with their son and Ben's Aunt decide to pay the price and stay there for the Summer. The owners in the meantime let it be known that they will be going away themselves and the Rolfes will have access to everything in the house plus all the buildings on the property. This is where that saying comes into play "if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is" should have weighed down upon the Rolfes, but they ignored any kind of bad feelings about the place. Marian was all for staying there, but Ben had very mixed feelings and really didn't want to stay in the mansion.
At that point on from when the owners left to the Rolfes exploring their newly acquired domain, little things start happening in the house. Marian takes it upon herself to see to the "mother", but the "mother" never makes an appearance as she stays behind a locked door and Marian has to leave food trays for the woman.
The book starts off kind of slow as the author builds the storyline and nothing really gets going strong till about midway through the book. The book picks up more of a quickened pace as more things start happening in the book, but like I said before, I never really felt scared reading it. I wasn't really happy with the ending as there was an unexpected turn of events near the end of the book, but it doesn't deter me from giving it anything less than four stars.
October 30, 2017
What scares me most, as a horror reader, is not gore or on-screen frights; what gets under my skin is the unseen. The imagination is a helluva thing, and mine is good at creating terrors worse than what is usually on the page. Perhaps this is why horror from the 1960s and 1970s is my favorite: it isn’t gratuitous or in your face with blood and screams . . . instead, it relies on the reader using his or her own imagination to fill in the blanks.
Burnt Offerings is one such novel.
This is quiet horror at its finest. The Rolfes � Ben, Marian, and son David, as well as Ben’s aunt Elizabeth � rent a “unique� summer home for two months at a steal. The estate is two hundred acres of water-front property. The mansion has tons of rooms, endless hallways, a pool, the finest furniture and dishes. It is a marvelous place, especially compared to the Rolfes� cramped Queens apartment. But, of course, some things are too good to be true . . .
A rather unrelenting descent into obsession and insanity, this novel is a force to be reckoned with and should get more recognition. It seems to be largely forgotten these days. An obvious inspiration for stories like The Shining, this is an unnerving tale I won’t soon forget.
Read for ‘Gothic� in Halloween Bingo.
Burnt Offerings is one such novel.
This is quiet horror at its finest. The Rolfes � Ben, Marian, and son David, as well as Ben’s aunt Elizabeth � rent a “unique� summer home for two months at a steal. The estate is two hundred acres of water-front property. The mansion has tons of rooms, endless hallways, a pool, the finest furniture and dishes. It is a marvelous place, especially compared to the Rolfes� cramped Queens apartment. But, of course, some things are too good to be true . . .
A rather unrelenting descent into obsession and insanity, this novel is a force to be reckoned with and should get more recognition. It seems to be largely forgotten these days. An obvious inspiration for stories like The Shining, this is an unnerving tale I won’t soon forget.
Read for ‘Gothic� in Halloween Bingo.
April 25, 2022
Pretty easy to see why Burnt Offerings is a classic in the horror genre as it still holds up after almost 50 years and is a nice little creepy tale. The story centers on Rolfe family (mom, dad, 8 year old boy and dad's elderly aunt). The Rolfes live in Queens and Ben teaches high school english; mom (Marian) keeps the apartment tidy and food on the table. Ah, the early 70s, when single 'bread earners' were the norm! I have to admit a little nostalgia for this tale as I was about the same age as David (the son) at this time. Remember the days when mom said 'go out and play, but by back for dinner' to an eight year old?
In any case, summer is approaching and Marian really wants to spend the summer not in the tiny, hot apartment, but by the beach or something; it seems ideal as Ben will be off for the summer as well. So, she starts looking in the papers and finds a place out on Long Island advertised as 'reasonable' for a summer rental. After cajoling Ben, they drive out and check the place out. Turns out it is a huge mansion situated on 200 beachfront acres and the 'owners' (brother and sister) only want 900 bucks for the summer total. Yes, it is a little (actually, more than a little) run down, and the Rolfes are told by the 'brother' that their elderly mother lives in one wing of the place, but they insist that she only needs to be brought meals three times a day and is very self-sufficient.
Marian instantly falls for the place; under layers of grime and such are many beautiful antiques all around the house, it has a pool and of course, the beach is right there! Ben, her husband, has some qualms about it, but she browbeats him into accepting the deal; they will even bring Ben's aunt along for the summer. What could go wrong?
I will not go beyond the basic set up here to avoid spoilers, but Burnt Offerings put a unique twist on 'haunted house' tales and just gets creepier as the book goes on. You know something will go wrong here, but I can bet you will not see this coming. Taut prose moves the book along to its fiendish end. I believe the author was also a screenwriter and it shows here; this is dying to be made into a movie! 4 spooky stars!! I wish I had the dust jacket for my 1973 hardcover as this is a keeper, but life goes on. 😎
In any case, summer is approaching and Marian really wants to spend the summer not in the tiny, hot apartment, but by the beach or something; it seems ideal as Ben will be off for the summer as well. So, she starts looking in the papers and finds a place out on Long Island advertised as 'reasonable' for a summer rental. After cajoling Ben, they drive out and check the place out. Turns out it is a huge mansion situated on 200 beachfront acres and the 'owners' (brother and sister) only want 900 bucks for the summer total. Yes, it is a little (actually, more than a little) run down, and the Rolfes are told by the 'brother' that their elderly mother lives in one wing of the place, but they insist that she only needs to be brought meals three times a day and is very self-sufficient.
Marian instantly falls for the place; under layers of grime and such are many beautiful antiques all around the house, it has a pool and of course, the beach is right there! Ben, her husband, has some qualms about it, but she browbeats him into accepting the deal; they will even bring Ben's aunt along for the summer. What could go wrong?
I will not go beyond the basic set up here to avoid spoilers, but Burnt Offerings put a unique twist on 'haunted house' tales and just gets creepier as the book goes on. You know something will go wrong here, but I can bet you will not see this coming. Taut prose moves the book along to its fiendish end. I believe the author was also a screenwriter and it shows here; this is dying to be made into a movie! 4 spooky stars!! I wish I had the dust jacket for my 1973 hardcover as this is a keeper, but life goes on. 😎
July 13, 2024
An atmospheric, incredibly tense, slow-burn, 70s horror classic! I was totally hooked by this Haunted House Masterpiece and could not put the book down from the 50% point onwards!
Will give a more thorough review on my channel!
Will give a more thorough review on my channel!
May 5, 2015
One of THE best haunted house stories ever written!
Burnt Offerings is a dated yet classic take on a haunted house, a hungry house. (Great Introduction by Stephen Jones.) Written in 1973, his novel was not widely known. The film adaptation however, established its cult following. And those who have a copy in their possession can attest its awesomeness!
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
We all want to get away, more so when summer approaches!
Marian Rolfe can’t take it anymore in their Brooklyn apartment � the noise, the heat, everything!! As she peruses through the classified ads (back in the day, pre-Craigslist) to circle what interests her for a call and an appointment � there IT is!
“Unique summer home. Restful, secluded. Perfect for large family. Pool, private deck, dock � �
[You know where this is heading…]
So Ben (reluctantly) and Marian (excitedly) Rolfe finally decide this is the time.
Along with their son David and Aunt Elizabeth, they spend a Saturday driving through upstate New York to check out this “unique summer home�. While at first they believe it is the dilapidated cottage off of the vast and overgrown estate, it is actually the house (or rather, mansion).
There they are met by owners Roz and Brother (or Arnold) Allardyce. An eccentric pair, they quibble amongst themselves on the price and what they consider “unique�, and “perfect for a large family�.
“Unique summer home. Restful, secluded. Perfect for large family. Pool, private deck, dock � � at $900 for the entire summer!
They begin to convince them � and are convinced � this is the perfect home for Marian, for them all, while sharing thoughts of nostalgia the grand mansion has been a part of throughout its years.
And of course there’s a catch. And it is to leave their ninety-five year old “mother� Mrs. Allardyce in their care.
Happy wife, happy life.
Despite everything � and Marian’s wonton need for this � they move in July 1st.
In the next three weeks, well�.you’ll just have to order a copy and find out what happens. Its paranormal tension and lingering sense of danger abounds throughout.
For what one may consider a simple haunted story, its atmospheric and insidious � that’s what makes this story so great!!
Thank you Valancourt Books for returning this classic to print! This has been on my to-own booklist once I found out the movie was based on a novel.
Burnt Offerings is a dated yet classic take on a haunted house, a hungry house. (Great Introduction by Stephen Jones.) Written in 1973, his novel was not widely known. The film adaptation however, established its cult following. And those who have a copy in their possession can attest its awesomeness!
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
We all want to get away, more so when summer approaches!
Marian Rolfe can’t take it anymore in their Brooklyn apartment � the noise, the heat, everything!! As she peruses through the classified ads (back in the day, pre-Craigslist) to circle what interests her for a call and an appointment � there IT is!
“Unique summer home. Restful, secluded. Perfect for large family. Pool, private deck, dock � �
[You know where this is heading…]
So Ben (reluctantly) and Marian (excitedly) Rolfe finally decide this is the time.
Along with their son David and Aunt Elizabeth, they spend a Saturday driving through upstate New York to check out this “unique summer home�. While at first they believe it is the dilapidated cottage off of the vast and overgrown estate, it is actually the house (or rather, mansion).
There they are met by owners Roz and Brother (or Arnold) Allardyce. An eccentric pair, they quibble amongst themselves on the price and what they consider “unique�, and “perfect for a large family�.
“Unique summer home. Restful, secluded. Perfect for large family. Pool, private deck, dock � � at $900 for the entire summer!
They begin to convince them � and are convinced � this is the perfect home for Marian, for them all, while sharing thoughts of nostalgia the grand mansion has been a part of throughout its years.
And of course there’s a catch. And it is to leave their ninety-five year old “mother� Mrs. Allardyce in their care.
Happy wife, happy life.
Despite everything � and Marian’s wonton need for this � they move in July 1st.
In the next three weeks, well�.you’ll just have to order a copy and find out what happens. Its paranormal tension and lingering sense of danger abounds throughout.
For what one may consider a simple haunted story, its atmospheric and insidious � that’s what makes this story so great!!
Thank you Valancourt Books for returning this classic to print! This has been on my to-own booklist once I found out the movie was based on a novel.
July 13, 2016
I received the audio book in exchange for a honest review.
I've seen the movie and I've read the book before. I'm not sure if its because this was a re-read or what but I liked it a lot more this time around. There was more that stood out to me- the way the Aldice's acted in the beginning, the trim around the door and how it seemed to change (to Miriam), her relationship with everyone around her. as far as the narrator, R.C. Bray, he did a fantastic job! now I want to see the movie again lol. oh! and I did not remember that it ended that way! I liked it!
I've seen the movie and I've read the book before. I'm not sure if its because this was a re-read or what but I liked it a lot more this time around. There was more that stood out to me- the way the Aldice's acted in the beginning, the trim around the door and how it seemed to change (to Miriam), her relationship with everyone around her. as far as the narrator, R.C. Bray, he did a fantastic job! now I want to see the movie again lol. oh! and I did not remember that it ended that way! I liked it!
April 5, 2015
Review of Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco Burnt Offerings, by Robert Marasco, is far from your typical haunted house story. Ben and Marian Rolfe decide to get away from the city for the summer with their son David and aunt Elizabeth. When Marian finds an ad to rent a mansion in the country for the summer at a reasonable price, it seems too good to be true. Ben is suspicious but Marian, always the optimist, believes that the house is fate—that they are meant to have it, and Marian is unusually insistent upon this. Ben reluctantly agrees to go look at this house they cannot possibly afford, if only to prove his point.
The house is everything Marian imagined and more. The Allardyces�, Roz and Brother, however, are beyond strange. And there’s a catch� The house is indeed reasonably priced but comes with the Allardyces� elderly mother. Their mother who is said to never leave her room and who only needs three meals a day. It’s an odd request but one that Marian doesn’t think unreasonable for the use of such a lavish house to live in for the summer. For the use of a house that is everything she has ever wanted.
A classic, slow burning tale of the things that consume us and the things we are willing to sacrifice to have it all. Robert Marasco is a man who knew obsession. He is a man who understood a level of insanity that I sincerely hope never to attain. A well written story with an ending that won’t disappoint, I highly recommend this one.
I received this e-book from Valancourt Books in exchange for an honest review.
© 2015 by Andi Rawson of Andreya's Asylum
The house is everything Marian imagined and more. The Allardyces�, Roz and Brother, however, are beyond strange. And there’s a catch� The house is indeed reasonably priced but comes with the Allardyces� elderly mother. Their mother who is said to never leave her room and who only needs three meals a day. It’s an odd request but one that Marian doesn’t think unreasonable for the use of such a lavish house to live in for the summer. For the use of a house that is everything she has ever wanted.
A classic, slow burning tale of the things that consume us and the things we are willing to sacrifice to have it all. Robert Marasco is a man who knew obsession. He is a man who understood a level of insanity that I sincerely hope never to attain. A well written story with an ending that won’t disappoint, I highly recommend this one.
I received this e-book from Valancourt Books in exchange for an honest review.
© 2015 by Andi Rawson of Andreya's Asylum
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