The Mad Cook of Pymatuning: A Novel

By Christopher Lehmann-Haupt

Book Overview

In this chilling novel of a 1950s boys' summer camp gone awry, the former literary critic for the New York Times tells a brilliant coming-of-age story that is Rmesmerizing, terrifying, and nostalgic, all at the same timeS (Stephen King).

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684834278
• ISBN13: 9780684834276
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Summer camp from hell

When I was young I never went to summer camp (never even heard of it, in fact), but this book covers all of the fears engendered by the thought of leaving the homestead and going out into the woods with complete strangers. This is a horror story that begins as a commonplace vacation at a summer camp previously attended by the protagonist, who this year returns as a junior counsellor, bringing his younger half-brother with him for the first time. We get to meet many of the camp's attendees and also the folks, both young and older, who run it. Quite soon there is a palpable feel of menace centering around the mysterious fellow who is supposed to instruct the campers in "Indian lore". There is the obligatory "forbidden woods" that looms threateningly near the camp, odd behavior on the part of many people, and a bit of adolescent (and mature) sex thrown in for good measure. The story moves along at a pace that could have been a bit faster, but the pace does tend to build up the suspense. Everything gets connected at the end, and there is a suitably terrifying conclusion, which wraps up the plot. It's an enjoyable summer read, but not one I'd take with me if I were going camping in a strange place!

great for young adults

I thought the book was great. I would have loved to let my 12 yr old grandson read it but the little bit of sexual content was unfortunate. The book would have been just as great without the sexual comments.

Scary, suspenseful, and smart

In the summer of 1952, seventeen-year-old Jerry Muller returns to his beloved summer camp as a junior counselor. Jerry looks forward to bonding with his younger brother Peter, a first-time camper, while introducing him to the pleasures of the Pennsylvania forest and to the American Indian rituals that have traditionally been the core of the camp program. Instead he finds himself engulfed in a series of increasingly terrifying adventures set in that forest and orchestrated by Buck Silverstone, the camp's enigmatic, charismatic teacher of Native American lore. The Mad Cook is at once a poignant coming-of-age novel, a compelling who-dunnit, and a thoughtful meditation on the darkness and violence that lie just beneath the surface of everyday life. It's hard to put down and impossible to forget.

SUSPENSEFUL AND UNFORGETTABLE

A moving portrayal of a young man coming to grips with his personal life and feelings and a dramatic illustration of ethnic fervor driven to excess. THE MAD COOK OF PYMATUNING is a gripping read, a book to savor and think about - I couldn't keep myself from re-reading it.

A Thrilling Thriller for all Ages

I purchased this book immediately after reading a very positive review in The New York Times. I devoured it in one evening and was totally drawn into the summer camp, its rituals and games, and was fascinated by the charismatic Indian working there...what was he up to?! I could not have imagined the plot that Mr. Lehmann-Haupt develops. As a big fan of the genre, it's rare that I come across such a thrilling, evocative and intelligent--yes, intelligent--thriller! The author is an amazing storyteller and someone who clearly knows an awful lot about Native American myth and history, too...or at least he did his homework! This is an excellent choice.