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Joan Samson

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The Auctioneer Kindle Edition

by Joan Samson (Author), Grady Hendrix (Introduction) Format: Kindle Edition

730 ratings

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One of the finest and best-selling horror novels of the 1970s returns at last to chill a new generation of readers

In the isolated farming community of Harlowe, New Hampshire, where life has changed little over the past several decades, John Moore and his wife Mim work the land that has been in his family for generations. But from the moment the charismatic Perly Dinsmore arrives in town and starts soliciting donations for his auctions, things begin slowly and insidiously to change in Harlowe. As the auctioneer carries out his terrible, inscrutable plan, the Moores and their neighbors will find themselves gradually but inexorably stripped of their freedom, their possessions, and perhaps even their lives ...

A chilling masterpiece of terror whose sense of creeping menace and dread increases page by page, Joan Samson's The Auctioneer (1975) is a rediscovered classic of 20th-century fiction. With echoes of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and Stephen King's Needful Things, Samson's novel returns to print at last in this long-awaited new edition, which features an introduction by Grady Hendrix (Horrorstör, Paperbacks from Hell) and an afterword by the author's husband.

"Buy this book ... there is no way to stop reading it, once you've started!" - Baltimore Sun

"A well-made piece of dynamite ... For all their talk, the author seems to be saying, men will permit their souls to be carried away bit by bit and auctioned off to the highest bidder. Samson has written a suspenseful, engrossing novel with the most gripping and violent ending we've encountered for some time." - Newsday

"A frightening novel . . . a powerful book from a powerful writer." - The Grand Rapids Press

"A novel you may never forget . . . a tight classic." - San Diego Tribune

"Brilliant, compelling . . . Add a powerful twist at the end and you have a total novel that takes hold of the reader on Page One and never lets go until the finish. This just could prove to be one of the top thrillers of the year." - Dayton News

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joan Samson, deceased. Wrote one novel, The Auctioneer, which was published to rave reviews and optioned for a major motion picture. She died of cancer shortly after publication.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07F4N7CNB
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Valancourt Books (July 24, 2018)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 24, 2018
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2.3 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 188 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #388,849 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #295 in Horror Fiction Classics
- #3,403 in Classic Literature & Fiction
- #4,321 in Fiction Classics

Customer Reviews:
730 ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a good solid read with excellent writing and superb craftsmanship. Moreover, they describe it as a suspenseful thriller, with one review noting it serves as both a taught thriller and libertarian allegory. However, the pacing receives mixed reactions, with some praising its brisk pace while others find it slow. Additionally, the emotional content and character development receive mixed reviews, with several customers noting character development was lacking.

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Readability Suspenseful Writing quality Craftsmanship Emotional content Pacing Character development

19 customers mention "Readability"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be an interesting and gentle read.

"This was the best book I've read in years. Written back in the 70s it is reminiscent of our country today...." Read more

"...and it certainly is worth a renaissance in popularity among fans of good books...." Read more

"...From the beginning though it was incredibly engaging, and I almost put it aside because it stressed me out so much, wondering what that despicable..." Read more

"...quite lives up to its stellar reputation, but it's nevertheless an enjoyable read and one that ought to give you a few things to think about after..." Read more

12 customers mention "Suspenseful"10 positive2 negative

Customers find the book suspenseful, with one describing it as a cracking good thriller and another noting it's a prophetic novel.

"...Outstanding story." Read more

"...these are minor quibbles with an otherwise worthy and exciting piece of entertainment fiction with something important to say to our generation...." Read more

"...On some level, it can be considered an important and timeless allegory for how readily people give up their liberty if only it is taken from them..." Read more

"A difficult book to review. Literarily, it's excellent. Excellent plot, good characters, pacing that keeps you reading...." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its excellent prose and strong characterization, with one customer highlighting its flowing narrative and another mentioning its fascinating commentary.

"...(though I'm guessing about that), the book also offers some fascinating commentary on the differences between life in the city and the country, and..." Read more

"...That’s just a testament of how effective and powerful Samson’s writing is. Long story short, lol...." Read more

"...The story will live forever as a monument to this very gifted writer...." Read more

"Read it in a few days upon receiving it. Excellent writing, characterization and scene setting...." Read more

3 customers mention "Craftsmanship"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the craftsmanship of the book, with one mentioning it arrived in perfect condition.

"...In this case, the patty is juicy good and made of quality beef, but it sure would have been perfect with some fries and a cold drink...." Read more

"Joan Samson has written a superbly crafted and exquisitely conceived horror story...." Read more

"...It was a great price and is in perfect condition." Read more

6 customers mention "Emotional content"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the emotional content of the book, with some finding it engaging and tense, while others describe it as stressful and filled with dread and anxiety.

"...Masterful writing, emotionally engaging." Read more

"...I don't want to give away the plot but it made very tense reading and I wound up getting angry and hateful towards some of the characters...." Read more

"This book makes you happy and sad. What the town local was doing to the community is so sad. I wanted to stop the chaos. Anyway, good read." Read more

"This novel filled me with dread and anxiety the entire time I was reading it...." Read more

6 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it brisk while others note it drags.

"...Excellent plot, good characters, pacing that keeps you reading. Are you not American?..." Read more

"...As a result, the novel drags a bit despite it's short length and brisk pacing, like eating only the plain patty for your meal rather than the whole..." Read more

"Slow, but in an engrossing way. Very creepy." Read more

"...Excellent writing, characterization and scene setting. The pacing is slow but works for the setting and the build up...." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the character development lacking in the book.

"...'s no injection of any sense of humor or wit, and very little complexity to the characters...." Read more

"...Because characters are so slow to take any action, much of the book's length seems to drag a bit...." Read more

"...This book left me so angry and frustrated with the central characters while simultaneously wanting to scoop in and save them...." Read more

"I wasn’t overly impressed by this book. Character development was lacking and I was left wondering why the characters behaved as they did...." Read more

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Allen B
I Loved This Book.
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2021
Verified Purchase

This was the best book I've read in years. Written back in the 70s it is reminiscent of our country today. I don't want to give away the plot but it made very tense reading and I wound up getting angry and hateful towards some of the characters. It made me realize how easy it is to manipulate people and turn good people bad. Outstanding story.

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CourteousKitsch
Sold!
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2019
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Author Grady Hendrix is quickly becoming to 70s and 80s horror literature what Brian Stableford has been to early 20th Century science fiction, helping new audiences rediscover old titles that should never be forgotten. "The Auctioneer" was one such title that I had never heard of before reading Hendrix's "Paperbacks From Hell," and it caught my interest enough to overstep other books in priority on my TBR list. I'm glad to have had the pleasure of reading it this year, and it certainly is worth a renaissance in popularity among fans of good books. The tension and pacing are crafted with Hitchcockian mastery, all the more impressive as this was author Joan Samson's first and only novel. Though many reviewers refer to this as a horror novel, it really is a taught thriller and libertarian allegory that retains its relevance after 4 decades. It reminds me very much of the work of Bentley Little with a smattering of Steinbeck.

My complaints, though, are a bit too many to give this my highest recommendation. The entire novel has only one tone. There's no injection of any sense of humor or wit, and very little complexity to the characters. As a result, the novel drags a bit despite it's short length and brisk pacing, like eating only the plain patty for your meal rather than the whole burger, dressed with all the fixings. In this case, the patty is juicy good and made of quality beef, but it sure would have been perfect with some fries and a cold drink.

Also, much of it is repetitive. Characters set their mind to something, then seem to change it, then change it back again. The wife of the main protagonist drove me insane with her nagging to "get out" of the bad situation to the point where I skipped over the paragraphs in which I happened to have glimpsed her name.

But these are minor quibbles with an otherwise worthy and exciting piece of entertainment fiction with something important to say to our generation. I was a little surprised to read the afterword comments by the author's widower which made the rather abrupt assumption that modern readers would see President Trump in the actions of the book's antagonist since the novel seems to have such strong populist and libertarian themes: "First, they ask for your stuff nicely, in the name of decency and the betterment of your fellow citizens, then they shame you if you don't give up your stuff, then they come for your guns so you can't protest, then they come... for you..." It's a powerful and chilling warning for people on any side of the political spectrum to be careful to not take liberties for granted and to pay attention to who or what may be out there trying to cajole you to give them up. It's a contemporary vampire story, a rallying cry, a prophetic warning, and just good storytelling.

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13 people found this helpful

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NA
Stressful!
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2020
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I didn't know what to expect reading this book - if it was going to be scary, gritty, boring, etc. From the beginning though it was incredibly engaging, and I almost put it aside because it stressed me out so much, wondering what that despicable auctioneer was up to and scared something horrible would happen to the little family living outside of town. I'm glad I didn't bail on it though, it was charged with tension all the way through, and I felt fully satisfied at the end. This was apparently Joan Samson's only novel - she died from cancer shortly after.

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3 people found this helpful

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Bob Lewis
Intriguing
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2023
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This is an intriguing little book. On some level, it can be considered an important and timeless allegory for how readily people give up their liberty if only it is taken from them gradually. In this case, the villainous auctioneer barely even needs to ask people to give up their property, and because his requests-turned-demands are increased gradually, people feel powerless to stop him (though it certainly doesn't hurt that he manages to disarm the town early in the book, and therein lies a lesson I think those of us living in the 21st Century desperately need to relearn).

But at the same time, one does sort of question the plausibility of the entire premise. While these kinds of gradual declines are entirely realistic under some circumstances, I found myself questioning, throughout the entire length of the book, the plausibility of these events occurring in the kind of town depicted. Characters engage in repetitive and circular arguments about what to do in their situation, but seem not to notice that they've fallen into such a cycle and the result is that people who one would expect to be the first to defend themselves and their property...simply don't.

Because characters are so slow to take any action, much of the book's length seems to drag a bit. It's only a little over 200 pages, but it feels longer simply because nothing seems to be happening during long sections of its length. Along similar lines, likely the issues I had with plausibility wouldn't have come so prominently to mind had the book been a bit shorter and punchier (I focused on the implausibilities because I had opportunities to do so).

But on the other hand, despite all those issues, the characters are interesting, the prose flows, and the premise is certainly interesting and arguably quite important to think about. More than once I had the thought that the book could easily be read as allegory for excessive taxation or the slide into totalitarianism. Equally, and probably more in line with the author's intentions (though I'm guessing about that), the book also offers some fascinating commentary on the differences between life in the city and the country, and the costs of our accelerating march into modernity. Change may be inevitable, but that doesn't necessarily mean change is good.

All in all, I don't think the book quite lives up to its stellar reputation, but it's nevertheless an enjoyable read and one that ought to give you a few things to think about after you finish.

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4 people found this helpful

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Jayda Hellyer
So goo!
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2024
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This novel filled me with dread and anxiety the entire time I was reading it. From the moment it begins to the moment it ends, you never know what is going to happen next.

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David John Wallinder
Everyone should read this book - a masterpiece of writing and psychology
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2017
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This is an absolute must read book, you will struggle not to get "page rage", it brings out such a feeling of injustice as it is written exquisitely, I have bought lent out re-bought and given this book to all my friends, some have not been able to complete reading because it created such emotions but it is a book that you can read and read again once you overcome that anger....

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Todd23
It was ok
Reviewed in Australia on April 10, 2024
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I wasn’t blown away but it was an ok read

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Stephanie
Amazing 10/10
Reviewed in Canada on November 25, 2023
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It’s an amazing book. The writing is really great and the feelings you get from reading this book are intense. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a fast read and a 10/10!

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Andy C
Not so much horror as creeping dread.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2020
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Not sure that I would really count this book as horror. It does have an increasing level of dead as you read though, but not so many of your regular horror tropes. It would make a brilliant movie. I wouldn't recommend as a horror to friends, but it is an excellent thriller.

The printing is great quality, although I feel a bit expensive.

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Christine Folan
Dreadful in the best sense of the word
Reviewed in Canada on September 5, 2020
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Not often has a novel invoked in me such a sense of dread and suspense, requiring frequent breaks in order to get myself back to sorts. Beautiful in its simplicity but powerful in its modern relevance, I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a story built on human emotion and experience.

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5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved This Book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Sold!

5.0 out of 5 stars Stressful!

3.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing

5.0 out of 5 stars So goo!

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read this book - a masterpiece of writing and psychology

3.0 out of 5 stars It was ok

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing 10/10

4.0 out of 5 stars Not so much horror as creeping dread.

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreadful in the best sense of the word

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I Loved This Book.

Sold!

Stressful!

Intriguing

So goo!

Everyone should read this book - a masterpiece of writing and psychology

It was ok

Amazing 10/10

Not so much horror as creeping dread.

Dreadful in the best sense of the word