I read Rosemary's Baby not long after it first came out in 1967. I then saw the movie version starring Mia Farrow when it was first released in 1968. I've always considered both the book and the movie as the top of the heap for horror stories. Since then, I have read all of Levin's other novels including A Kiss Before Dying, This Perfect Day, The Stepford Wives, The Boys from Brazil, and Sliver. I enjoyed most all of these, some more than others, and finally got around to reading Levin's last novel, Son of Rosemary. I had been putting this one off mainly because of the poor reviews that I had read about it.
Well, it definitely was not on a par with his other novels, especially Rosemary's Baby. In this sequel, Rosemary has been in a coma for 27 years that occurred at the behest of the coven of witches that were instrumental in the first book. When she comes out of the coma in 1999, her son Andy is the head of an international organization called "God's Children" (GC). Most everyone on earth considers him charismatic and inspirational and the leader of a movement to bring mankind together in peace. He resembles Christ with long hair and a beard and people wear pins that say "I heart Andy". So what are Andy's and GC's real motivations? They are instrumental in an event planned for New Year's Eve 2000 where everyone on Earth will light candles at the same time. So what are the consequences of this?
I won't spoil the ending to this one but it was very disappointing! And overall, the book just wasn't up to par with Levin's other novels. I read this one because it was the only novel of his that I hadn't read and now I'm thinking I shouldn't have bothered.
Well, it definitely was not on a par with his other novels, especially Rosemary's Baby. In this sequel, Rosemary has been in a coma for 27 years that occurred at the behest of the coven of witches that were instrumental in the first book. When she comes out of the coma in 1999, her son Andy is the head of an international organization called "God's Children" (GC). Most everyone on earth considers him charismatic and inspirational and the leader of a movement to bring mankind together in peace. He resembles Christ with long hair and a beard and people wear pins that say "I heart Andy". So what are Andy's and GC's real motivations? They are instrumental in an event planned for New Year's Eve 2000 where everyone on Earth will light candles at the same time. So what are the consequences of this?
I won't spoil the ending to this one but it was very disappointing! And overall, the book just wasn't up to par with Levin's other novels. I read this one because it was the only novel of his that I hadn't read and now I'm thinking I shouldn't have bothered.
