Customer Reviews

Keep

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the Graphic Novel written in 2006, not the original novel written in 1981. As the forward by F. Paul Wilson states "... I consider this visual presentation of The Keep my version of the movie. What could have been... what should have been."

The graphic novel does a good job of blending parts of the movie and the original novel. It isn't true to either one and I do miss not having some of the dialog from the novel but in the end the changes work well. I don't care for the artist's heavy lined, sparse drawings. It makes all the characters look like they are carved in stone.

It was one of the best novels I have ever read. It not only kept me in suspence, it also kept me sleepless for a couple nights straight. The ending is so terrifying and unexpected, I doubt I'll ever forget it. The plot, setting and characters are so real, you'll think you were actually there.

I first read this book over twenty years ago, when it was first released and loved it. I decided that it was time to give it another go around to see if my original opinion of it still held. Well, time has certainly not diminished the power of this book to hold the reader in its thrall. I still love this book, and it remains my favorite book by this author.

As far as horror stories go, this one is definitely up with the best of them. The author has written a riveting page turner with this tautly written, inventive tale. The author has taken some vampire folklore and given it a new twist. In the hands of this master of the horror genre, the quintessential battle between good and evil takes on a new dimension.

In Romania, deep in the heart of the Transylvanian Alps, lies the Dinu Pass. In April of 1941, a small squadron of German soldiers has been ordered to occupy a small, deserted, five hundred year old castle keep at the Dinu pass. From the beginning, Captain Klaus Woermann senses that there is something unusual about the keep. Looking as if it had just been built and inlaid with brass and nickel crosses in every corridor, crosses that the caretaker for the keep exhorts the Germans not to touch, the keep is an architectural oddity.

Soon the games begin, as an unseen force begins murdering his men. Captain Woermann sends a message to the high command. To his dismay, they respond by sending a Nazi squadron of einsatzkommandos under the leadership of SS Major Kaempffer to quell whatever local guerilla activity is, undoubtedly, responsible for the murders. Soon, these death's head troopers begin succumbing to the same fate as their German Army counterparts, and all hell breaks loose.

Enter the ailing Dr. Theodor Cuza, a Romanian Jew and former professor at the University of Bucharest. Although suffering from the ravages of scleroderma, he is ordered by the Nazis to the keep, as he is an expert in the history of the region. It is hoped that he will be able to shed some light on the mysterious keep and enable his hosts to defeat their unknown adversary.

Accompanied by Magda, his daughter, they find themselves confronted with the cruelty of the Nazis, the unexpected kindness of Captain Woermann, and something from their worst nightmares that has them call into question their deepest beliefs. Then, a mysterious red-headed stranger with piercing blue eyes also appears, and nothing is ever the same again.

This is one of the premier horror stories of all time. Bravo!

Good written book, with many different views on the circumstances during the second World War in a deserted middle ages castle which is occupied by the Germans, first a Wehrmacht army unity and after discovering strange horrible things a SS party. They get an old Jewish scientist and his daugther to this damned place to solve the unexplainable events. Then shows the original forboding occupant of the castle himself from long forgotten times with a clear view on those who disturb his eternal rest. Comes in some good guy who seemingly is from all times and places and the combatants battle in a never ending fight from good and evil/light and darkness. Well the end is not so spectaculair and who survives and get the girl may be no surprise but all together this is a nice tale and for most of the part a real pageturner. Maybe the plot is a little bit outdated but apart from that a tremendous good novel. Should be read!

The Keep was one of the first F. Paul Wilson books I read --up to about 17 now. While I do not remember a great deal of detail, I can say this: I was TERRIFIED. Take a child's fear of what might be lurking in the basement and multiply that exponentially. The inhabitant of the Keep has Nazi soldiers shaking in their boots....

Isn't there anyone who remembers that this book was turned into a movie? One of the actors who played in it was Jurgen Prochnow? Does anyone remember it?

Anyway, I am sure the book is much better anyway because the movie cvame out during a time when special effects were not very good. The being that they discovers is well, not very scary in the movie let me put it that way. But still, I feel it is a classic and damn hard to find as well. Not even Amazon.com carries it. I'll have to check Ebay I suppose.

Anyway, the movie, "The Keep" is still very watchable so if you find it, watch it and after you're done, send it to me so I can watch it too. :)

Im not going to read it because I wanted the Keep novel. This is NOT the novel, it is a graphic novelization. If that is what you are looking for then here it is, otherwise you should check out the mass market paperback editions.