Sliver: A Novel (Thorndike Press Large Print Paperback Series) [LARGE PRINT] (Paperback)

by Ira Levin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Short, slick, and not up to snuff is the latest suspense thriller by the author of The Boys from Brazil ( LJ 4/15/76). Levin draws on his experience as a screen playwright during the Golden Age of Television to create hero Sam Yale, a down-and-out veteran TV director who lives in a "sliver" high rise in Manhattan's Carnegie Hill district. The novel's central character is Yale's neighbor, Kay Norris, an editor at a major publishing house. The young son of a famous soap actress owns their building and seems to know everything about his tenants, past and present--including several who met grisly deaths. When it's almost too late, Norris and Yale discover their demonic landlord's secret--that he watches real-life daytime (and nighttime) dramas with TV monitors he has placed in each apartment. It's contrived, but there are some surprising moments. Literary Guild main selection.
- Joyce Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
A successful career woman living in Sliver, a glittering Manhattan high-rise, discovers that someone is watching her every move. By the author of Rosemary's Baby. Reprint. Movie tie-in. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 243 pages
• Publisher: G. K. Hall & Company (March 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816159394
• ISBN-13: 978-0816159390
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,440,071 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A not-bad thriller with good local color, December 24, 2003

By	JLind555 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sliver (Hardcover)

"Sliver" is definitely not up to "Rosemary's Baby" but it's one of Levin's better products, and for those readers who felt it lacked believability, what would they say about "Rosemary's Baby" or "The Stepford Wives"? It's not supposed to be read with a straight face; it's fun, and on that count, it measures up. What made the book especially enjoyable for this reader was that I know the Carnegie Hill neighborhood very well, and it was a lot of fun identifying all the places Levin mentioned in the book -- real places, in fact. (The Corner Bookstore is one of my favorite book shops in all of New York.) The story of the sophisticated, jaded older woman who falls in love with a younger man has been done to death, but Levin makes this one refreshing by giving the heroine sense enough not to take this too seriously; she knows sooner or later it's bound to end so she just enjoys what she has while she has it. The book's main theme of voyeurism is well presented; we share the heroine's mixture of fascination and revulsion, and realize how all too easy it is to get sucked into the thrill of snooping and being privy to all the neighbors' secrets. And while the ending may be as believable as a two-headed giraffe, the whole book is slightly off-center so we shrug and enjoy the fun. If you're looking for something heavy or profound, go read "War and Peace" or an equally weighty tome; "Sliver" is a good book to spend a rainy day with.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time with this one!, August 24, 1998

By A Customer

I read this book several years ago (before the movie), and it still sticks in my mind as one of the worst books I've ever read. The entire story line is unlikely at best, and parts (notably the end) are so conveniently contrived, it becomes silly and pathetically comical. Rent the movie if you're curious. It was universally panned, but it couldn't be any worse than the book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A strong work from a master writer., February 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sliver (Mass Market Paperback)

Not one of Ira Levin's best, but still heads and shoulders above what most horror writers out there are cranking out. (And Mr. Levin's best [Rosemary's Baby, Stepford Wives, Boys from Brazil] are the defining classics of the horror genre.) I don't understand how the people below can recommend the movie, as it bore no resemblance to the book whatsoever.

A taunt, exciting thriller that had me up late to finish it. Levin's forte is psychological horror, and here he deals with an ancient psychological terror and thrill, voyeurism, and gives it a very modern spin, while retaining mythical elements.

If they had stuck to the plot, they could have made a great movie out of this.