The Other

by Thomas Tryon

Book Overview

Holland and Niles Perry are identical thirteen-year-old twins. They are close, close enough, almost, to read each other's thoughts, but they couldn't be more different. Holland is bold and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394467442
• ISBN13: 9780394467443
• Release Date: January 1971
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The Other & Harvest Home/The Best Horror Novel 's 70's

I've read hundreds of horror books in my lifetime, 39 yrs. to be exact, but very few have fascinated me or stayed with me like this book, called The Other. This is the most realistic horror novel ever written (I have read it 5 times) and I absolutely love it. There are no devils, aliens, or monsters of any kind, just two psychologicaly messed up kids(which one is the evil one? or is it both?) who play an imagination game that goes horribly out of control, awesome twist ending, this book will keep you riveted for hours on end. Mr. Tryon creates characters that are so true to life you swear you met them before or they really existed at some time. This book is intelligent horror written by a late great author who doesn't suffer from verbal diarrhea like some of the popular present day writers. Harvest Home is another novel written in the early seventies that is just as creepy with a stunning ending, I loved it! If you enjoy The Other here are a few books you might want to look up : Harvest Home-Thomas Tryon, Conjure Wife-Fritz Leiber, The Nightwalker-Thomas Tessier, The Manitou-Graham Masterson, The Godsend-Bernard Taylor, After Sundown-Randall Boyll, The Homing-Jeffrey Campbell, For Fear of the Night-Charles L. Grant, The Dogs-Robert Calder, Dead White-Alan Ryan they are all fantastic scary reads!.

A truly great horror story

Once upon a time there was a somewhat forgettable actor named Thomas Tryon who starred in a series of very forgettable movies ("The Cardinal" and a few others). Mr. Tryon wisely decided to forget about the forgettable and sat down and wrote a spooky novel called "The Other". The result is an absolutely superb, un-put-downable, unforgettable horror story."The Other" tells us the story of the Perry twins, Niles and Holland, 13 years old, identical twins born on either side of midnight and thus have not only different birthdays, but, in a true stroke of fictional genius, different astrological signs. They are thus as different as day from night, one friendly and sunny and outgoing, and the other deep, dark and diabolically evil. Their father is dead, their mother imprisoned inside her own creeping madness, and their grandmother, blessed or cursed with the Sight, is unable to stop the horror that is about to engulf the whole family. Two-thirds of the way through the book, Tryon divulges the twins' secret that will literally rock the reader in his tracks. You would think the rest of the book would be an anti-climax after this; fasten your seatbelts, because the real ride is about to begin. The last page of the book will have the reader wondering if Tryon was pulling the wool over everyone's eyes and have you guessing for days. Tryon is an excellent writer as well as a great storyteller; he has the gift of understatement, and he knows how to let the horror build up ever so slowly and insidiously until the reader is totally wrapped up and can't escape. He also has a delightful touch with small but telling period descriptions that set the novel firmly in its time frame (do any older readers recall Mr. Coffee Nerves and Belle Sharmeers?). It's a shame this book is out of print because there is a whole new generation out there waiting to discover what a treasure it is. It is, quite simply, one of the best suspense/horror stories ever written.

A truly great horror story

Once upon a time there was a somewhat forgettable actor named Thomas Tryon who starred in a series of very forgettable movies ("The Cardinal" and a few others). Mr. Tryon wisely decided to forget about the forgettable and sat down and wrote a spooky novel called "The Other". The result is an absolutely superb, un-put-downable, unforgettable horror story. "The Other" tells us the story of the Perry twins, Niles and Holland, 13 years old, identical twins born on either side of midnight and thus have not only different birthdays, but, in a true stroke of fictional genius, different astrological signs. They are thus as different as day from night, one friendly and sunny and outgoing, and the other deep, dark and diabolically evil. Their father is dead, their mother imprisoned inside her own creeping madness, and their grandmother, blessed or cursed with the Sight, is unable to stop the horror that is about to engulf the whole family. Two-thirds of the way through the book, Tryon divulges the twins' secret that will literally rock the reader in his tracks. You would think the rest of the book would be an anti-climax after this; fasten your seatbelts, because the real ride is about to begin. The last page of the book will have the reader wondering if Tryon was pulling the wool over everyone's eyes and have you guessing for days. Tryon is an excellent writer as well as a great storyteller; he has the gift of understatement, and he knows how to let the horror build up ever so slowly and insidiously until the reader is totally wrapped up and can't escape. He also has a delightful touch with small but telling period descriptions that set the novel firmly in its time frame (do any older readers recall Mr. Coffee Nerves and Belle Sharmeers?). It's a shame this book is out of print because there is a whole new generation out there waiting to discover what a treasure it is. It is, quite simply, one of the best suspense/horror stories ever written. Judy Lind

A Modern Masterpiece of the Macabre!

You absolutely must read this book. Your best bet is to obtain a copy through intra-library loan, being that it's out of print. There is not one thing wrong with this book. The narrative is pefectly written, and the story perfectly structured and developed. What kind of horror is this novel? Easy, the book is a spider: it subtly, slowly, and silently creeps upon you, first crawling on your shoulder, and then working it's way down your arm, and before you know it, it's there in your lap, and you shriek as you discover it...too late. I believe the two best horror novels of the 20th century were either The Other, or Blatty's The Exorcist. The Exorcist is more explicit, perverse, and gruesome; The Other is more more quite. It's just a matter of preference as to which you rank the best. Also, be sure to see the film, which was written by Thomas Tryon. The one problem with the film, though is a slow first twenty minutes, but stay with it. It's an injustice to the literary world that this book is out of print. Not only is it probaby the best horror novel ever written, but also one of the all-time best novels. A genuine masterpiece. You must find a copy of it! Period.