Customer Reviews

Flesh

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sometimes you read for deep enlightenment, for knowledge or just to broaden your horizons. Sometimes you read just to have fun. FLESH definitely qualifies under the last category! Any of Laymon's books is an automatic ticket on a non-stop thrill ride. You might get those butterflies in your stomach before you start, you might even feel a bit queasy before the ride's over, but you're going to rush to the end of the line to ride it again and again.

FLESH introduces a whole crowd of characters beginning with Eddie who is cruising back roads in his van for his next victim. Eddie ends up a bit crispy, but what happens after that is absolutely fascinating. Seems that dear Eddie was not acting alone; he was the host for something that compels humans to turn cannibal. The whole novel follows the leap of this "something" from person to person, hideous murders, creepy abandoned buildings with danger at every corner and one cop's relentless pursuit of the weird killer. Along the way, Alison becomes an unsuspecting target, and the reader is treated to scene after scene of nightmarish proportions. ("Ron lifted his head. A bleeding patch of his wife's flesh came with it...He calmly chewed. Then he reached back for the shotgun.")

FLESH is typical Laymon. It's gritty, it's fast-paced, it's filled with gore and sex. However, Laymon has a great feel for suspense and mystery; there are segments here that had me checking over my shoulder every few seconds. I got a bit fed up with reading constantly about Alison's dilemma over whether or not to have sex with her boyfriend, but all in all, this was one heck of a good read! Don't pick this one up if you are the least bit squeamish...there's a lot of graphic gore and quite a bit of sex (which isn't as graphic as the gore). But if you like good, solid horror, check this one out along with any of Laymon's other titles.

This was the first Laymon novel I ever read and it maintains a spot in my heart. This is another attempt by Laymon to show how dark some people can become.

The story opens with a maniac looking for a new victim. But the maniac is quickly toasted, but not before a disgusting worm leaves his body to infest another. People infested with the work turn violent and shed all pretense of being civilized.

Typical Laymon suspense and horror spiced with the reality of just how does one go about stopping this worm.

Laymon again shows us that he can craft characters who act as people should. In this book, it takes time for people to see the signs of the worm and deduce that something else might be behind the violence.

A terrifying read that will really make your flesh crawl.

This book has a different style than any other Laymon, most of his books could not be converted to film due to censorship, but this book in my opinion can be made into a great movie, yet it still contains Dicks usual magic and blood splattering fun.
Its a simple concept really, a worm that crawls into people and turns them into homicidal maniacs, thrown in is the usual love story spiced with a little sex, but the finished product is more than the normal, its written with perfection, its unputdownable and you will be going back for more, I treasure my copy and will do so for as long as I live, if you love horror or even just love reading you must at least read this book, you will never forget it.

Before getting into this review, I feel like I should disclose that I have never been a huge Richard Laymon fan. There has always just been something about his work that I have found off-putting, and I really don't know why. That being said, I recently obtained a copy of Flesh. At first, I thought it was a new novel, but after checking the copyright date determined that it was originally published 21 years ago, and was being re-released with a snazzy new cover just in time for Halloween. Another thing that I really don't care for is when books are re-released and passed off as new - I have read so many books over the course of my life that new covers often throw me. I think I'm getting something new only to get a few chapters in before realizing that it's something I read a decade ago. But, I digress.

The action in Flesh picks up from page one, as a coed is run off the road while biking in a remote area of Weber Creek. She ends up battered and sprained, and the driver of the van that inexplicably tried to take her out is killed when he speeds into a guard-rail head on. More shaken up than injured, she is assisted by a local police officer Jake Corey, who realizes (while inspecting the wreckage) that while the driver is clearly dead, someone (or something) exited the van after the crash. He follows the tracks, but his search yields nothing. He does, however, come across a couple renovating a newly-purchased rural restaurant. He advises them to leave the area, and goes on his way.

Wouldn't you know, they return to continue their renovating hours later (in the dark, mind you). The hubby ends up going down to the cellar alone to check out an unusual noise (horror novel mistake numero uno), only to return a mindless zombie that blasts his wife's face off with a single shotgun shot and then proceed to eat her flesh. Officer Jake, who had returned to the scene to follow-up, happens upon the site of husband gnawing on wife, and ends up shooting the man in self defense.

A few days later, the officer receives a call from a friend in the morgue, who has discovered something bizarre while conducting autopsies. He confides in Jake that it looks like they may have an Invasion of the Body Snatchers scenario going on in their small town. And it appears as though their "invader" has escaped. They decide not to report their truly bizarre findings to anyone else. Paranoia and mayhem ensue. Oh, and the invader finds a new host. Surprise, surprise.

Frankly, I was far from impressed by this book. It was predictable and dated (granted it was originally published in 1988), and I had to force myself to trudge through to the end. While I can't really divulge any more without being considered a spoiler, most readers will have figured this one out fairly early on. Even if you take it for exactly what it is intended to be - entertaining, but not thought-provoking horror - it is sub-par. It had no psychological dimension whatsoever, and read almost exactly like a B horror movie, horny coeds and all. Although die-hard Laymon fans will probably want my head on a pike, I have to give Flesh 2 little stars.

If you read Laymon's books then this is right up your alley. Just like all the rest this is full of gore and yuck! Something enters people and lives on their spine. It needs a host, it makes you want to eat other people. It's sick and you want to keep reading. You meet numerous people in this book that in the end are all connected to each other, like most horror novels there will be some show down in the end. Who or what will win?

this is my first book by richard laymon and it was terrible. at first i thought..mmm... this could be good but then is all down hill.

for me, what makes this book terrible is the characters. is this town consist of stupid people that makes stupid/ slly decisions and fall in love at first glance? i mean, how can a person just got out of a terrible experience of violence and gore... and a few hours thinking about a possible "romantic situation" with a complete stranger she/he met? then the next day their are kissing and caring for each other... mauybe even in love. it is just silly and childish.

i give it a 2 stars because this author had good ideas for specific terrifying scenes that i liked but in the end of the book i was reading at a fast, very fast pace, to finish the story because it was terrible.

i will try to read other books of this author because maybe i wasnt that lucky with this one.

maybe this book works for young persons.

This was the first Laymon book I've read, but it won't be the last! It keeps you guessing until the end. Great book!Flesh

This was an unexpectedly entertaining read. I got a stack of old Laymon books for my birthday, Flesh included. I thought by the synopsis that it sounded a little hokey, but it would probably be a half decent light horror read if nothing else.

It turned out to be really engaging, well beyond what I thought it would be capable of. I hate to say I had never even heard of Laymon before this, but I'm certainly glad i got the pleasure of discovering him for myself. It was extremely
well-written, descriptive and entertaining. Pick it up, you won't be disappointed.

If you're a fan of this - Come Out Tonight by Laymon is another good place to find some entertainment.

This is the first book I have read by Richard Laymon. Initially, I thought the female characters were simply far too contrived male fantasies, then I remembered the title of the book and thought, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Don't get me wrong, though. It's not a sex book. It is pretty good American gothic monster story.

I started reading Laymon about two years ago and became a huge fan!!!! I have read about 20 of his novels so far and Flesh was one of the first. It gets you going from start to finish with plenty of gore, violence and sex! Laymon is great with detail and captivates you with every page...