The Unloved [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

John Saul (Author), Sandra Burr (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 10, 2003

The House: Lush and deceptively tranquil, with its pristine beaches and blossoming vegetation, the island basks in splendid isolation off the South Carolina coast. Here, where sudden storms unleash the murderous rage of wind and sea, stands the Devereaux mansion, a once-great plantation house now crumbling amid ancient oaks dripping with Spanish moss. Here, Marguerite Devereaux, fifty and childless, has cast off her dreams to care for her aged, demanding mother. The Family: Now, for the first time in twenty years, Kevin Devereaux has returned home to this secluded place with his wife and two children. They have come to visit Kevin's mother - hated, frightening Mother, with her slash of red lipstick, mask of bone-white powder, and a tongue that has always cut to Kevin's heart...and into his darkest nightmares. She said she was ill - but is that the real reason the old woman summoned the son she has not seen in so many years? The Horror: Suddenly, horribly, Mother dies inside the locked nursery. And now there will be no escape. For now, all the secrets of this once-proud southern family emerge like tortured spirits from the sinister past to wrap their evil around the unsuspecting children. Until, in the shadowed corridors and dust-covered rooms of this decaying old house, they learn the true terror of The Unloved.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Saul has the instincts of a natural  storyteller."--People --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Lush, a deceptively tranquil, the secluded island basks in splendid isolation off the South Carolina coast--as does the Devereaux mansion, a once-great plantation house now crumbling amidst the ancient oaks. Now, for the first time in two decades, Kevin Devereaux has returned here with his wife and children to visit Kevin's hated, and frightening mother. She said she was ill--but is that really why the old woman has summoned the son she has not seen in so many years? Suddenly, horribly, one of the Devereauxs is going to die. And now, all the dark secrets of this once-proud family will emerge to wrap their evil around the unsuspecting children. Until, in the shadowed corridors and dust-covered rooms of the decaying old house, they learn the true terror of The Unloved.

"Saul has the instincts of a natural storyteller."--People --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio Lib Ed; Abridged edition (December 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590868951
• ISBN-13: 978-1590868959
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

More About the Author

House of Reckoning is John Saul's thirty-sixth novel. His first novel, Suffer the Children, published in 1977, was an immediate million-copy bestseller. His other bestselling suspense novels include Faces of Fear, In the Dark of the Night, Perfect Nightmare, Black Creek Crossing, Midnight Voices, The Manhattan Hunt Club, Nightshade, The Right Hand of Evil, The Presence, Black Lightning, The Homing, and Guardian. He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling serial thriller The Blackstone Chronicles, initially published in six installments but now available in one complete volume. Saul divides his time between Seattle, Washington, and Hawaii.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You can't leave home again, October 26, 2002

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Unloved (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is actually quite good, yet it is also the very book that turned me off of John Saul years ago. My memory told me this book was rather boring and drawn-out, and that it was just too much like other Saul books. Unquestionably, Saul has been known to address the same themes across several novels, and The Unloved features a hackneyed family history, young people having to react to a crisis no one else seems to see, and the same type of madness that dates back to Saul's first novel Suffer the Children. Having reread it again now, I was much more impressed than I expected to be. Saul really pulls no punches on this one-if you like happily ever after endings, this book is definitely not for you. There is plenty of misery in these pages, and Saul spreads it out widely among the characters.

There is nothing strikingly original about the basic plot. Kevin Devereaux escaped the world of his hated mother at eighteen and never planned to return to his old home off the coast of South Carolina. Still haunted by nightmares from his youth, he nevertheless does go home again, taking his wife, son and daughter with him, when he receives word his mother is dying. Helena Devereaux is a thoroughly cruel, self-centered, frightening woman, and the way she heavily cakes her face in power and makeup makes for a startling first impression on her son's family. Determined to regain control over her prodigal son even in death, she draws up a will that basically constrains Kevin to stay in the family home for the sake of his sister Marguerite. Separated from the mainland by a causeway that is impassable during stormy weather, the lonely mansion soon becomes a completely isolated house of horrors. Saul does a good job of placing a hint of doubt in the mind of the reader halfway through as to who exactly is to blame for the developing troubles on the island, but the truth becomes pretty clear as family secrets are slowly revealed.

The novel is perhaps a little longer than it needed to be. Saul seems to love showing his main characters fret and worry about things to come, always hesitating or refusing to recognize the truth of what is happening around them, and it can get slightly tiresome and frustrating at times. When I reached the point where the whole story seemed to be approaching a resolution, I was quite surprised to see well over a hundred pages left. I had no idea how Saul was going to be able to fill that many pages, but fill them he did-and how. To his credit, Saul packs a real punch into those last hundred pages, slowly turning the screws and ratcheting up the reader's interest, discomfort, and personal involvement. I should mention the epilogue, however, being careful to give nothing away. Saul goes a step farther than I would have gone, but I greatly admire this author's confidence in ending the novel on his own rather than on the reader's terms. At first glance, this novel may not look all that interesting, but it slowly sinks it claws into you and compels you to keep reading in morbid fascination.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This was my #1 fave book by Saul! (Old School Fan), October 6, 2009

By 

Susan L. Stimmel - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Unloved (Mass Market Paperback)

Except for Suffer the Children & Punish the Sinners, I have read the majority of Saul's books. However, after Blackstone Creek Crossing, a major disappointment, I decided maybe I need to take a break or move onto to other authors for a while. I will eventually read his newer books but after reading his reviews here, I thought I would do a better job of contributing my own perspective for new readers.

Comes the Blind Fury was my 1st at age 13...awesome, couldn't put it down, emotional, creepy, sexual undertones, full of revenge, no happy endings here, but loved it! As a starter Saul book, this book definitely will strike a chord with younger readers.

The Unloved was my 2nd, a year later, and this still remains my favorite! I have read it three times! As a novel, it is definitely longer so most readers will feel that it drags but, personally, I couldn't put it down. I also think this novel is more adult and reminds me a lot of V.C. Andrew's Flower's in the Attic Series (by the way, her new books suck but this is by far her 1st and most original series...I recommend it as a read). Back to the point..both Flowers and Unloved have strong characters, a good plotline and story setting, climatic ending, a haunting family history which, in turn, leads to nightmarish consequences. In Unloved, Saul did a good job of isolating his characters, especially the devastating Marguerite Devereaux. Though she is the villain you can't help but feel saddened by the events that contributed to her madness. There is definitely a big body count in this book and it all leads to a frightening revelation for the conclusion followed by the character's demise and a chilling but good closure in the epilogue.

My third favorite I read at age 15 on a family vacation....Second Child...I also couldn't put this down and have read it twice. The main antagonist is just plain evil and she is only 16! You feel incredibly sorry for the good girl character Melissa. Although you know early on that Teri is the villain, her ability to manipulate and deceive all in the name of revenge and the "rich life" makes your emotions pulse for sure. This story is good also for a memorable "car accident" death scene, the ghost storyline character who is responsible for Teri's getting her last desserts, and a great closure...there is somewhat of a happy ending to this book...but then again, that epilogue is just creepy!

Other Great Ones from Saul:

BrainChild...Really Good!...Sci-Fi Scary!
Shadows...Really Good...Lawnmower Man-Ish
The God Project....Sci-Fi Scary
Creature...Creepy
The Unwanted...Creepy
Cry for The Strangers...Creepy
Hellfire.....Creepy...(this one kinda reminds me of Second Child..tale of two sisters...that sort of thing....also, his other other novel, Where the Wind Blows reminds me of the Unloved.....it's funny how some of his books parallel each other...However, I preferred Unloved and Second Child to these two)
The Homing...Creepy due to all those damn insects...yuck!
Darkness....Voodoo is creepy plus what happens to the villain at the end sounds like a horrible death to me

Hope this helps the newer readers! I will try to write more reviews if I can think of any I missed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great! Wonderful!, May 10, 2000

By 

Yigit - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Unloved (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought this book three days ago and from that moment on I couldn't put it off. I have just finished the book and I am still in shock! It's one of the best books I have ever read! It's full of frightenin' at the same time creepy events! It was like my hands nailed to the book! I recommend it to everyone who loves horror! It also has a very good ending! Something very different from what I thought! It was brilliant.