Customer Reviews

The Other

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!.

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.

The story takes place mostly during a long, lazy Connecticut summer in the 1930's, and as the temperature cools down, the plot heats up. 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 now you're in for a real ride. And hang on tight: Tryon piles one horror on top of another until you wonder if he has anything left in his bag of tricks, and then he pulls it out: a climax that will knock you over. And as if all this wasn't enough, the last page of the book will leave the reader wondering if Tryon was pulling the wool over everyone's eyes and have you guessing for days.

Tryon may have been a mediocre actor, but he proved to be an excellent writer as well as a great storyteller. Plot, characters, and writing are just about perfect in this book. Like Stephen King in his earliest and best books, Tryon 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?). "The Other" has been out of print for some time now, but it's finally being re-printed and it's about time. I've treasured mine since the year it was published. It is, quite simply, one of the best suspense/horror stories ever written.

Judy Lind

In prose as easy as a floating dream with a story as frightening as a pre-dawn nightmare, Thomas Tryon's 1971 novel THE OTHER is one of the three finest horror novels of 20th Century America, easily ranking alongside Shirley Jackson's THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and Stephen King's 'SALEM'S LOT.

Holland and Niles Perry are twins on the brink of adolescence, residing with their large extended family on a comfortably ramshackle farm in 1930s New England. But their lives have been touched with tragedy: their father, killed in an accident; their mother, unable to recover from the shock. Grandmother Ada, Russian-born, has become the backbone of the family. And Grandmother Ada has a game for them to play together, a solace for them in a time of grief. But it is no ordinary game, this. It is one passed down through the blood from generation to generation. And it is through this game of the mind that Ada unwittingly unleashes a psychological horror that consumes everything it touches.

THE OTHER is the first of the several novels Tryon wrote before his premature death and, although the novel HARVEST HOME is perhaps more widely remembered, to my mind it is his finest. The plot has been extremely influential, and some readers may recognize various turns from having encountered them at the less talented hands of later writers who shamelessly borrowed Tyron's ideas. But it hardly matters: the prose is absolutely flawless, dreamy, languid, and seductive even as it begins to unravel into a psychological void from which there is no return. It is a rare reader who will not unravel right along with it--and immediately re-read the novel to see how Tyron has so unerringly cast his spell. Strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Actor-turned novelist Thomas Tryon's first book is one of the best out there. The technique the book uses to creep up on you if very unique. This book is very old (and very out of print..i'd sell my soul before giving up my 1971 first edition with dj) so I hope you can find yourslef a copy, because this is a book that you simply HAVE to read, if you want a good horror story.
And now the plot (don't worry, I'm not giving any spoilers):
In 1935 12-year old twin boys (Niles and Holland) live on a New England farm. The twins are both very different. Niles is more outgoing and light-hearted, while Holland is shy and hides a lot. Their Russian grandmother Ada has taught them "The Game," which allows you to be (or at least see from the POV) whatever or whoever you concentrate on. Their mother always stays inside, and their father's rcent death is probably the reason for it. It doesn't take long before a series of murders take place in the peacful town, and it becomes clear that Holland is connected to each of them...to say anything else about the novel would ruin the book. Just remember:
Peregrine for Perry.
Also, check out the movie: It's excellent.

I saw the movie over twenty years ago. WHile at garage sale, I picked up the book and was bowled over on its ability to scare and disturb me. Mr. Tryon wrote a masterpiece of psychological horror and a horrifying descriptive narrative on the true nature of evil. I am surprised that this work is out of print. With such junk today, works like this only look even better over time. One of the best suspense/horror stories I have read.

My dad introduced me to the work of Thomas Tryon. A few months ago he found a handful of books up in the garage that he'd read when he was in high school, and some of Tryon's novels were among them. I cooked through Harvest Home and was very impressed with with his masterful descriptions and breathtaking plot twists/revelations. Then I read The Other... I was completely blown away. You can't miss this book. It's a masterpiece. It's not frightening in a slasher, better-look-over-your-shoulder-type way, but the concept will chill you, without a doubt. It's such a good story, and it's executed so well... It's the best book I've read in a very long time. I would recommend it to anyone who is the mood for a good, haunting, thought-provoking piece of literature. My hat is off to Thomas Tryon... I can't wait to get my hands on another one of his works.

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.

I first read this book when I was in High School and was chilled to the bone! That was nearly 20 years ago and I've not read another like it since. Mr. Tryon pulls you into the twisted hearts and minds of what first appears to be a normal family with twin sons and a loving nanny. Not so! Once I started I couldn't put it down-which left me quite fatigued at school. I have been looking for another copy of the book since, with no luck. If you are fortunate enough to find one-hang on to it and hang on to your spine, what a tingling ride!

Thomas Tryon began his career as a novelist after having a fairly successful run as an actor in Hollywood.

Tryon is a better author than actor. For that I am truly grateful!

The Other (1971) is a gothic horror story that tells the story of twin boys, Niles and Holland Perry, who live on a farm in New England some time during the Depression.

Niles and Holland are inseparable. Holland is particularly attached to his Russian-born grandmother who has been forced to helm their family in the aftermath of the twins' father's death and their mother's incapacitation due to shock over trauma she endured. The boys' grandmother is very loving and doting, but Niles isn't as loving as Holland. He likes to play pranks.

Tryon broke new ground with The Other. Subsequent authors have come forward and regurgitated and reworked material that Tryon created. None of the others have managed to create the actual horror that Tryon managed.

This novel was so wildly popular - an immediate best seller - that it spawned a film of the same name in 1972.

It would be unfair and cheating to tell you any more about the plot of this fine book. Rest assured the time you spend reading this will not be time wasted.

"The Other" is the best horror story I have ever read. The atmosphere is chilling, austere, and creepy throughout. I read it while camping in Europe more than 20 years ago and got to the thrilling, surprise plot twist deep in the night. This twist produced an electric shudder in the gut. Written from the perspective of one of a set of young twin boys, the inner dialogue of this character feels genuine. The plot speeds you along on a can't-put-it-down read, despite much interior action.