| Title | : | The Face That Must Die |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1933618027 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781933618029 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 312 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1979 |
The Face That Must Die Reviews
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I first stumbled across The Face That Must Die in
Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction, where Grady Hendrix discusses it on pages 122 - 123.
There was something about the way Hendrix described Campbell's distinct brand of Urban Horror that called to me. I needed to experience it for myself, so I found this pristine edition and immediately gave it a go.
This story mainly follows John Horridge, a man who you can tell fairly quickly struggles with life. His thoughts are despicable in many respects, but it does set the stage nicely for the ultimate events that play out.
You also get the perspectives of two young women, Fanny and Cathy, who live in flats in the same building, along with a few other young folks mentioned.
The residents of this building, unfortunately, become involved with John Horridge after he becomes obsessed with another man living in the building, we'll just call him by his surname, Craig.
Murders have been plaguing Liverpool and Horridge suspects that Craig is the culprit, mainly because he is homosexual, Horridge's word choice, not mine. It's clear to Horridge that Craig and his sexuality are a threat to the city and Horridge can't rest until he has flushed him out.
We're in Horridge's mind as he considers how vulnerable he is and how he needs to protect himself, all while he is literally stalking and harassing Mr. Craig.
As this novel begins and we are introduced to Horridge, you can tell he is on a collision course with those around him. This can't end well, but never did I expect just how wild it would get.
In the beginning, we get brief glimpses into his childhood through his musings regarding his overbearing father, the accident that left him with a permanent limp and the bullying he sustained at the hands of his peers.
Sometimes, when you get that sort of a background on a character it can maybe evoke sympathy or understanding for their actions. I can say, not really the case here.
I did really enjoy the stark urban landscape as the backdrop. It enhanced the feelings of our characters, those of desperation, loneliness and isolation, not just for Horridge, but for the young people as well.
Cathy and Peter especially, it was difficult for them. Cathy really wanted to get out, but the money just wasn't there for them to buy a home. It felt like you were trapped with them. I was frustrated for Cathy, particularly because Peter didn't seem able to get out of his own way.
Also, Miss Fanny, the artist. I liked her character a lot and her storyline really got to me. She has a run in with Horridge outside the building and even though she describes meeting him as making her feel more uncomfortable than she ever felt in her life, she invites him up to her flat!
She believes he is an investigator looking into one of the murders, but even so. She felt it in her gut, but pushed her thoughts aside so as to be polite, or not to seem disagreeable.
This was interesting to me. A perfect example of how women, not so much anymore, but enough to notice, were raised to smile, be polite, help out, even if it meant going against their own instincts.
These are just a couple of examples of what I found so interesting about this story. I was glued to the pages. It was uncomfortable to be in Horridge's mind, that type of Paranoia Fiction that makes you feel like you need a very hot shower after.
As the plot progresses, Horridge spirals more and more into his paranoid, repetitive thoughts. There were aspects towards the end that reminded me of Raskolnikov's descent into, shall we say guilt-fueled madness, in
Crime and Punishment.
Overall, I was impressed with how immersed I got in this story. Some aspects felt dated, but it was first published in 1979, over 40-years ago, so that makes sense.
I think in spite of that though, the horror of the story remains as impactful today as it would have been then. I was properly disturbed after this one and can't wait to read some more from Ramsey Campbell! -
This was actually my first Ramsey Campbell novel. I had read short stories before, but nothing this lenghty. Overall I liked it. It really came across as a typical slasher story. Nothing groundbreaking, but still suspenseful and interesting. Actually the most disturbing part of the book was the long introduction by Campbell where he went into detail about his childhood and about his mother's descent into dementia. Heartbreaking, eerie stuff. It really made the fictional horror tale pale in comparison, and I think it would have better serve as an afterward so as to not dilute the novel. Then again, after the introduction the novel almost serve as cathartic, so maybe it's best as is.
Overall I would recommend this for any Campbell fan, or fan of suspense/slasher tales. I will read more by Campbell, but I have to say this one didn't come across as terrible impressive to me. -
OK, Ramsey Campbell got me. The Face That Must Die has a reputation: written early in his career, it’s known as the one originally published in edited form due to content matter, and the one maybe partly inspired by Campbell’s mother’s ailing mental health and paranoia. Luckily, a full version of the novel was released in mass market form in the early 1980s, and that’s the version I read.
This is a close and personal view into the mind of a paranoid, homophobic (sex-phobic in general, really) man feeling put down upon by society—a loser, really, but he’s always able to justify his own feelings and opinions and actions. In a way this novel reminded me of Peter Loughran’s Dearest (1981), one of my favorite reads of 2020, which covers a good bit of similar subject matter while remaining its own thing. Both books require some patience, as they’re rather slowly paced and the reader spends most of the time in the head of an unlikable antagonist. By story’s end maybe the reader will almost feel sorry for Horridge, the killer here . . . and that’s where Campbell succeeds most, making this villain not only terrifying but sympathetic, at least in part.
Campbell’s speciality is paranoia, making the reader feel just slightly off kilter, and that skill is on full display here. Every word here is purposeful; not a passage or chapter is put to waste. This is a grimy, sweaty, relentless look at Liverpool circa the late 1970s. The city is smoggy and rainy the people are miserable, still suffering a hangover from the 1960s and doing whatever drugs they can get their hands on, and then there’s Horridge with his razor . . . determined to make the world right.
I’d recommend new Campbell readers start here, if they’re not interested in his short stories. This is a tense, suspenseful (and supernatural-free) brick of a story going through your window—or maybe a straight razor against your throat. -
I had this book for a very long time and I was very excited to be able to choose it for a Spook season read. I found that I was pretty disappointed in the story telling, the plot and the characters. This is a first time read for this author and will probably be the last.
Synopsis
Ramsey Campbell’s daring look into the mind of a psychotic killer was published in truncated form in 1979; an expanded edition was later published in 1982. The paranoid outlook of the book's main character, Horridge, is a grim commentary on a bleak Liverpool suburb and Thatcher-era England. Millipede Press is proud to present this masterpiece of paranoia literature in a brand new edition, with the corrected text by Campbell and the compelling photographs of J.K. Potter.
Ramsey Campbell is Britain's most respected living horror writer. He has been given more awards than any other writer in the field, including the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, as well as numerous World Fantasy Awards.
I thought the plot of this story would be much more than it was. I expected that this would be an exciting psychological thriller but actually I found that the story was really just all over the place which made it quite confusing at times. There were parts that really grabbed my attention, but the slow and confusing parts far outweighed those parts that were appealing. I also found that the main storyline seemed to be put back on the back burner while other parts of the story were more in the forefront. I wanted to read about a maniacal killer, not a relationship between two messed up characters. This lead to parts of the story that I found were unnecessary.
The characters were just boring. I found that there was no connection for me with any of them. They did not have any development at all. Horridge the main character, who I expected to be chilling, creepy and beyond evil, was really just a guy who was confused, indecisive and mundane. I kept expecting him to turn into this psychotic serial killer, and never really got that from him. He was not a nice guy by any means, but he was a far cry from malevolent.
I really can't recommend this book to anyone since it was such a disappointment to me. I expected one thing and got something totally different. The reason it even got 2 stars was because I did really enjoy the illustrations by J.K. Potter. If the story would have been as good as the pictures it would have been a 5 star read. -
I suppose I would have to file this under a classic I was long over due to read. It has been many years since I last read a Ramsey Campbell novel( I read Count of Eleven probably fifteen years ago). I have read lots of wonderful short stories over those years and not sure what took so long to get back to reading one of his novels.
If you don’t know Ramsey Campbell is novelist and film critic who is considered one of the greatest living British(or otherwise) horror novelists of all time. With good reason, many consider this novel to be his ultimate classic.
Poppy Brite the author of my all-time favorite serial killer horror novel (Exquisite Corpse) introduced a new edition of this novel. Peter Straub (Ghost Story) said it was one of his favorite horror novels. David Morrell (First Blood) and Whitley Strieber (Wolfen) blurbed it and if that was not enough the paperback I read had an introduction from Psycho author Robert Bloch.
Sold yet? That should be enough but if not I’ll tell you my opinion on this psycho-killer horror novel classic. If that is your type of novel, you must read it. The Face that Must die comes with a thirty plus pages forward that really is amazing. It comes across as brutally honest and opened hearted explanation of what events Campbell’s life led to him writing this novel from the ultra-paranoid point of view of the killer.
I feel like a jerk even suggesting the notion, but is it possible that Campbell is pulling our chain, adding additional story telling device in the form of a gut wrenching forward where he pours out his heart?
It is all told with such an open mirror cast on Campbell I felt that he was being brutally honest. In the end I would say this part was worth the read on it’s own.
Once in the story we are introduced to Horridge a paranoid character who doesn’t even admit to himself that he is a killer. Driven by homophobia and homesexual panic he becomes entangled with a group of young Liverpool professionals who all live in the same building.
Of course they don’t know that he is involved in their lives, as he stalks their gay neighbor, and blames his own violence on others.
Campbell is a master at the level of paranoid narrative and might even match some of Phil K. Dick’s deepest and most powerful delusions. A lot of the suspense is built off of watching helplessly as the delusions deepen, We see the trainwreck ahead but understand nothing can stop it.
Standard moments of suspense pepper the story, but the strength of the novel is found in Horridge’s mind.
In that sense it’s fitting that Bloch wrote the introduction as the novel resembles Psycho in it’s source of terror. It’s a trip into the killer’s mind. If that sounds interesting, and it should you should read this classic. -
This makes the 6th Ramsey Campbell novel I've read (along with a few short story collections), and I'd say this is now my second favorite, Ancient Images still being #1.
This is a different story for Campbell, the horror in this story comes from madness, not the supernatural or the cosmic. Instead we experience the paranoia and despising of society by a lunatic which is amusing, even hilarious at times, but is insidiously, and increasingly creepy.
Campbell's theme of urban blight and decay, seen throughout much of his work has never come through better than here. It's got that counterculture and illicit druggie hangover feel of the 70's which mingles in and makes it all the more convincing. Cathy, probably the most sympathetic character, feels very vulnerable in the old, rundown apartment building where murders are happening. And her pothead boyfriend doesn't care, doesn't want to move. There's a sense of twisted nostalgia as Horridge(!), the killer, reminisces about his childhood and how much better he believes the world was then, while looking over the ruins of his old neighborhood. He now finds himself relegated to living in a concrete, labyrinthine graffiti-strewn slum and living off the public dole.
Horridge is believable murderer because he's not Hannibal Lecter, he's a paranoid, limping guy who blends in with his bleak surroundings, alienated from society and without a definite plan as he goes along. He thinks everyone is spying on him, that the radio announcer is speaking directly to him, and listening as well. You never can trust modern devices! None of the other characters are as interesting, but the story also centers around Cathy who feels increasingly vulnerable as her pothead boyfriend Peter doesn't get concerned regardless how many people are murdered in their building.
The story is told from various characters' perspectives, which overlap with one another. So typically there's a little backtracking, then the story continues and this turns out to be very effective for creating the tension where we know, or suspect we know, what's coming, but another character is entirely innocent of it.
The first half of this novel probably will bore some people. There's a lot of walking around, getting on buses, stalking, etc. But there's some truly scary moments in the second half which really had me on the edge of my seat. -
THE FACE THAT MUST DIE
This book deals with madness and I must say, I was left dealing with madness trying to finish this book. The pace was extremely slow, so slow at times I found myself nodding off on more than one occasion.
In general, I prefer horror novels to have elements of horror, the type of horror that actually scares you. I for one do not find psychiatric disorders to be scary, especially when the main character spends much of his time doing nothing with the exception of talking to himself and hoping on and off city buses. Maybe my description lacks a bit of substance, I’m sure more was going on than that, but honestly, riding a city bus would be the most excitement this main character ever had.
Lifeless, listless, and comatose all describe me after reading this book. -
The serial killer plot is a simple mechanism for Campbell to engage in his most paranoid prose. Liberated from his Lovecraft/James devices, which I eat up every time as a fan of the genre and him, he indulges in a more viscerally frightening style of horror. One of his finest novels.
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Horridge is a man rejected from society whose beliefs lead him to stalk someone he thinks is a murderer.
This sits more at the thriller/crime end of horror but I would still class it as horror. The psychological element of the book is fascinating and excellently written. I found Horridge to be a repellant but fascinating character and the focus on his thoughts and inner-workings of his mind was very compelling. The book mostly follows Horridge but we also have sections from the perspectives of a few other characters who become involved in the story. The setting of 1970's Liverpool, and its social and political climate, is a big part of the story too; the era's idea of 'the other' including homosexuality and immigrants fueling Horridge's fear. Campbell's writing is unsettlingly evocative in this bleak and disturbing read. -
The story is told mostly through the perspective of an odious and most likely paranoid schizophrenic called Horridge. This entirely unpleasant man is hate-filled, self-aggrandising, homophobic and racist. He even has a limp and at times feels almost a Dickensian caricature. But the book doesn't let the reader off that easily. We are trapped in the mire of Horridge's psyche and even when we escape for brief respites we see echoes of similar paranoia in the fear or drug-heightened senses of others.
After reading Campbell's moving introduction it is unsurprising that the author has such a drive to explore various expressions of paranoia, looking in turn at how it can cripple or aid us. A powerful read, but not a pleasant one. -
I love Ramsey Campbell but I did not love this novel. Was expecting something supernatural that never happened. It's a straight-up slasher/serial killer novel which is maybe my least favorite genre of all.
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📕📕📕 Η άποψη μου 📕📕📕
Τίτλος : Το πρόσωπο που πρέπει να πεθάνει
Τι να σχολιάσω τώρα εγώ για να μην σας αποτρέψω να το πάρετε.
Για εμένα ήταν ένα βιβλίο παρωδία χωρίς συνεχόμενη ροη λόγου, γεμάτο με ασυναρτησίες.
Ένιωθα ότι βρισκόμουν στο μυαλό κάποιου σχιζοφρενή ή για να το θέσω καλύτερα σε κάποιον που είχε πάρει απαγορευμένες ουσίες και έγραφε ότι ασυναρτησία του ερχόταν στο κεφάλι !
Που είμαι,ποιος είμαι...χάθηκα σε ένα παρανοϊκό λαβύρινθο που δεν με οδήγησε πουθενά.
Λυπάμαι πραγματικά αλλά έχασα τον χρόνο μου με ένα βιβλίο που δεν υπήρχε συνοχή και κόντεψα να χασω και την λίγη λογική που είχα 🙃
Του βάζω 1/5
⭐️
Σύνοψη του βιβλίου "Το πρόσωπο που πρέπει να πεθάνει"
Ένας ψυχοπαθής δολοφόνος…
Μια σειρά από αποτρόπαιες δολοφονίες…
Άνθρωποι αθώοι, παγιδευμένοι σε μια κούρσα ανάμεσα στον χρόνο και στον θάνατο…
Η αφήγηση επίμονα κάνει τον αναγνώστη να νιώθει δύσκολα· βυθίζεται στην ψυχή του δολοφόνου και συνεπαίρνεται από τον κύκλο μανίας και μεγαλείου όπου οδηγείται. Κάθε μικρή λεπτομέρεια, κάθε σφήνα διαλόγου, κάθε παρομοίωση οδηγεί στην κλιμακούμενη απειλή, ότι όλη η κανονικότητα είναι έτοιμη να καταρρεύσει.
Να θυμάσαι μόνο ότι ποτέ δεν είμαι πολύ μακριά. Θα εκπλαγείς άμα δεις πόσο κοντά σου είμαι!
Κριτικές
Ένα από τα βαρύτερα μυθιστορήματα τρόμου που έχουν γραφτεί ποτέ.
Aπαγορευμένος Πλανήτης
Tο μυθιστόρημα του απόλυτου αστικού τρόμου.
Έψιλον
Οι μελλοντικές γενιές θα τον θεωρούν ως τον κορυφαίο συγγραφέα τρόμου της γενιάς μας, τοποθετώντας τον σε ίδιο βάθρο με τον Lovecraft ή τον Blackwood.
S.T. Joshi
Ο Campbell είναι ο απόλυτος μονάρχης στο είδος σήμερα.
T.E.D. Klein
O σημαντικότερος εν ζωή συγγραφέας τρόμου της Βρετανίας.
Oxford Companion to English Literatur
Συγγραφέας: Campbell Ramsey
Κατηγορία: επιστημονική φαντασία
Ημερ/νία έκδοσης: 01/03/2018
Εκδότης: Οξύ
Σελίδ��ς: 368 -
Man, this was just bad. I wanted to give it one star, but I just feel like I can't do that to Ramsey Campbell, he seems like such a nice guy.
I don't know why I keep reading his books. I really liked one collection when I was about 17, Alone With the Horrors was the title, I think, but really, everything else I've read, god, it's so dorky. He writes this quiet style of horror that I find really boring, the books seem to lose the plot quite often, and he spends a lot of time just dicking around instead of getting on with the story. As one other reviewer here wrote, there is a crazy amount of time in this book spent with the bad guy riding buses, getting off buses, changing buses, on and on and on, because he thinks people are following him. His paranoia isn't very well written either, like, say, the way it is in Crime and Punishment, it's so hokey, and the end was just, man it was bad, but I shouldn't give it away.
I'd like to say this is the last book of his I'll read, but I've got another one sitting on the shelf I haven't read yet, and I'm still interested in reading Cold Print if I can ever find it. -
A pretty solid slasher horror written mostly from the perspective of a deranged person. Campbell's writing makes his paranoia and delusions very engrossing and unsettling at the same time. First time I've read something by Campbell, will be reading more.
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This early novel of the author's is an exploration mainly of one character's delusions and homophobia, which lead him into murder. Given his hallucinations, which include the idea that the people on TV are watching him and the radio is either passing coded messages or listening to him, it is clear that his mental state is due to the illness known as paranoid schizophrenia. The general decay of the urban setting, and the claustrophobia of being trapped on a soul-less high rise housing estate, together with a dysfunctional upbringing - Horridge's drunken father was directly responsible for the accident which left Horridge with a lifelong problem with his leg - has tipped the character over the edge, as gradually becomes clear, and after reading about some well publicised murders, his delusions start to coallesce around the unfortunate inhabitants of an older house, some distance from the housing estate, which has been divided into flats.
Most of the novel is told from Horridge's point of view though the viewpoints of the various people he ends up stalking - and worse - are also utilised. Most of these are sympathetic characters which makes their fate all the more disturbing. There are some truly horrible images - a metal bird in particular - and, as usual with this author, the characters stumble into peril after mutual misunderstandings and failures to communicate over a slow but inexorable build-up.
The use of schizophrenia and its disordered thinking as the motive force for a serial killer made a good change from the usual ice cold sociopath. Possibly this was influenced by the author's own life, given the account in this edition - I read an abridged/edited version of the novel some years ago, but this restores the original text and a previously excised chapter, adding also a short story and an introduction where the author describes his dysfunctional upbringing to which he credits his ability to write disturbing fiction. That gave an interesting insight into not only this book, but others, such as Obsession which I read recently, where the mother of one of the characters disintegrates mentally due to a form of senile dementia. The only thing I wasn't keen on about the present book was the character of Peter, although I can see, especially from the introduction, that he is supposed to be an annoying drug besotted layabout, but for that reason I rate this as 4 stars. -
Not a fan of following a disturbed man bumble into becoming a murderer. This reads like an insanely dark Mr Bean episode.
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4.3 stars.
“He hurried back. Walls seemed to shift and advance. Right here, it must be. Wasn’t this passage too short? No, it wasn’t a wall that blocked his way, only fog. The fog retreated before him—then at once yielded up a wall. Staggering crimson letters caught in the web of graffiti spelled KILLER.”
― Ramsey Campbell
One of my top five favorite Campbell novels. Nobody does paranoia like Campbell. -
More suspenseful than outright scary, it's still one of the best written psycho killer novels. And, good news, Good Readers, the Millipede Press edition is a quality, smythe-sewn paperback that won't fall apart on you. On April 2nd, 2009 there will be a discussion about this title at Eerie Books in Wylie Texas.
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Can't decide whether it's a 4 star book or a 3 star book. It reminds me of myself narrating stories to a certain friend. Other than that, it's a good story about a crazy killer. Nothing special but nothing bad either. Solid 3,5 star! But since I can't put half a star I'm writing these lines to remember and change the rating if I feel it's worse than my most 4 stars, better than my 3 stars etc.
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Great story about a paranoid homophobic killer. All the chapters from his POV were brilliant. Seeing his paranoia grow and his warped perspective of the world around him was very interesting and well done.
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Ολόκληρη η κριτική στο
Smassing Culture
Ένα ψυχεδελικό τριπ στον κόσμο “ενός άλλου Jason”
Το βιβλίο «Το Πρόσωπο που Πρέπει να Πεθάνει” δεν είναι από τις πρόσφατες δουλειές του Ramsey Campbell. Γραμμένο το 1979 συνιστά μια καλτ απεικόνιση της ζωής τη δεκαετία του ’70, γεμάτη με pop διάθεση, ναρκωτικά, κακά τριπ, rock μουσική και σπέρματα της new age φιλοσοφίας που χαρακτηρίζει την ύστερη εποχή των hippies. Επιπλέον, πρόκειται για ένα κλασσικό ανάγνωσμα τρόμου, γραμμένο από τη μεριά του δολοφόνου, που προσφέρει στον αναγνώστη κλειστοφοβικές στιγμές παράνοιας και πανικού. Παρ’ όλα αυτά, στην τελευταία έκδοσή του, όπως αυτή κυκλοφορεί από τις εκδόσεις Οξύ, ο Campbell επιλέγει να δώσει στο έργο του έναν πιο προσωπικό χαρακτήρα. Όπως χαρακτηριστικά αναφέρει στην εισαγωγή του βιβλίου πρόκειται για μια περιήγηση στα βάθη του μυαλού του. Ως εκ τούτου, περιλαμβάνονται αποσπάσματα που δεν υπάρχουν στο αρχικό κείμενο, μέσω των οποίων ο συγγραφέας πραγματοποιεί μια έμμεση εξομολόγηση των εμπειριών και των φόβων του. Με τον τρόπο αυτό, “Το Πρόσωπο που Πρέπει να Πεθάνει” αποκτά εξομολογητική υπόσταση, η οποία αφορμάται από την παιδική ηλικία του Campbell, τις ιδιαίτερες σχέσεις με τους γονείς του και τα κλονιστικά γεγονότα που αυτές συνεπάγονται. Με άλλα λόγια, πρόκειται για ένα βιβλίο τόσο σκοτεινό, όσο και οι εμπειρίες από τις οποίες πηγάζει.
Η επανακυκλοφορία, λοιπόν, του συγκεκριμένου έργου είναι το προϊόν μιας βαθύτερης συνειδητοποίησης του συγγραφέα ,παρατηρώντας και ερμηνεύοντας το έργο του και ιδιαίτερα τις ιστορίες που διηγείται στο “The Chimney”, στο “Mackitosh Willy” και στο “Again”. Ως εκ τούτου, ο Campbell, μέσα από μια λαβκραφτική (“εγώ είμαι εκείνο και εκείνο είναι εγώ”) προσέγγιση του του βιβλίου του κατορθώνει να επιδοθεί σε μια διαδικασία ψυχανάλυσης, και απελευθέρωσης από τη δημόσια εικόνα και τις φοβίες του. Με αυτό το τρόπο, ο πρωταγωνιστής του αποτελεί ένα μωσαϊκό προσωπικοτήτων, έχοντας στοιχεία του ίδιου, αλλά και της μητέρας του, χαρακτήρα που επηρέασε ολόκληρη την ενήλικη ζωή του. Επιπλέον, ολόκληρος ο καμβάς του έργου, από την κλειστοφοβική πολυκατοικία, στην οποία κατά μεγάλο μέρος διαδραματίζεται η ιστορία και λαμβάνουν χώρα οι φόνοι, μέχρι την ομοφοβία του δολοφόνου και το χώρο δράσης του, που δεν είναι άλλος από τις φτωχογειτονιές του Λίβερπουλ, ανάγονται σε συμβολικές οντότητες ψυχαναλυτικής συμμετρίας.
Από τα ανωτέρω προκύπτει ότι “Το πρόσωπο που πρέπει να πεθάνει” δεν είναι απλά ένα ακόμα βιβλίο τρόμου, με γκροτέσκο περιεχόμενο και γλαφυρές αφηγήσεις τεμαχισμών και gore φρικαλεοτήτων. Αντίθετα, το ιδιαίτερο χαρακτηριστικό του έργου αυτού είναι η παράλληλη εξιστόρηση των γεγονότων -ιδιαίτερα των φόνων – από τον δολοφόνο και άλλους χαρακτήρες, με αποτέλεσμα η οπτική γωνία να μεταβάλλεται συνεχώς, προκαλώντας στον αναγνώστη αίσθημα ναυτίας και παλινδρόμησης, ενώ παράλληλα η πραγματικότητα μετατρέπεται σε έναν εφιάλτη, από τον οποίο δε μπορείς να ξυπνήσεις. Παράλληλα, ιδιαίτερη πηγή τρόμου είναι ο ίδιος ο δολοφόνος. Πράγματι, πρόκειται για ένα άτομο τόσο παρανοϊκό και ψυχικά ασταθές, που μετατρέπει τα πάντα γύρω του σε συνωμοσία και διαστρέβλωση. Πολύ περισσότερο, ο τρόπος με τον οποίο λειτουργεί το μυαλό του, όντας παράλληλα σε θέση παρατηρητή και παρατηρούμενου, επιτρέπει τη συνεχή επίβλεψη όλων, ακόμα και του αναγνώστη, στοιχειοθετώντας το κλασσικό σχήμα του Πανοπτικού και προκαλώντας αίσθημα ασφυξίας και αδυναμίας διαφυγής, παρόμοιο με εκείνο που βιώνει κανείς βλέποντας τον “Εφιάλτη στο δρόμο με τις λεύκες”. Τέλος, το προσωπικό βίωμα, η δυσπλασία του δολοφόνου, καθώς και το εφιαλτικό φινάλε ανοίγουν γέφυρες επικοινωνίας και με άλλα κλασσικά έργα, όπως είναι το “Παρασκευή και 13”.
Όλα τα παραπάνω σε συνδυασμό με την άψογη επιμέλεια και μετάφραση των εκδόσεων Οξύ συνθέτουν ένα κλασσικό και ειλικρινές βιβλίο τρόμου που παγιδεύει τον αναγνώστη σε έναν σκοτεινό ιστό φρίκης, ασφυξίας και μαζοχιστικής απόλαυσης. Θα σας παγώσει το αίμα! -
Told from primarily two points of view, Campbell's book is a thriller about a man quickly unraveling into madness. John Horridge has had a horrible upbringing that has left him both physically and mentally damaged. His solution for this disfigurement is to strike out at those that he feels are wrong about society. But what he hopes will be a simple case of victimisation is thrown off-keel when he ends up murdering the recipient of his abuse, and, as is typical, one murder leads onto others. At the same time, Cathy is trying to balance a hum-drum professional life with a marriage to a man she isn't even sure she loves anymore. These two people step closer and closer to each other with each passing chapter. Will she survive Horridge or become the latest in his murder spree?
I really enjoyed the switch in narratives with this work - especially how the author finished a chapter at one point of view and then showed those final scenes of the chapter from another's point of view in the next. It also offered an intriguing slice of late 20th Century Liverpool life - the good and the bad - that was completely believable. Some have mentioned that the book is a bit slow moving but i didn't find that at all to be honest. i also enjoyed the author's note at the end of this edition that discussed some of his thinking about why he chose the themes he did. His points about the way certain minorities are treated in crime fiction - particularly considering the sexuality of the first victim - was really interesting.
On a side note, I'd spotted what he says about Raymond Chandler before, but hadn't really considered that Chandler might have been quite that homophobic - only that crime fiction often naturally ends up using the bullied in society as its victims. -
One of the author's earlier novels, The Face That Must Die takes us deep into the mind of a psychotic killer and it si a disturbing journey. The central character, Horridge, is a man without conscience, convinced he is right. As the novel progresses, we see his delusions and phobias intensify and we also see the world through other eyes, such a Fanny, an artist and others who cross his path. It is a complex story and demonstrates vividly the horrors of homophobia and psychotic mindsets. in this story, Ramsey Campbell truly takes horror to another level
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I've been looking forward to reading Campbell for the longest time. With The Face That Must Die, I can't say I was blown away unfortunately. The atmosphere was well done, setting up an oppressive, decayed environment, but I never became connected to the characters. The book isn't long but it still felt padded as there is a lot of the characters just going from place to place instead of plot development and story momentum. Still, the novel was good enough for me to finish. I've heard many day Campbell is strongest in his short fiction, so I'm interested in giving that a try.
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My first Ramsay Campbell book and it won't be my last. This book has remained with me since I finished it two weeks ago. This is a book about mental illness and paranoia. The book is set in a council estate in Liverpool that is like a maze and the feeling of being closed in and being manipulated runs through the book. Don't sit there reading this review go and get a copy. You won't be disappointed and you will feel this book long after you've finished it.
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A mixed bag of madness
The face that must die is about a serial killer and the rest is so nuanced that I don’t want to spoil it.
I really like the portrayal of madness on this and the slow plodding is the best part. The story is very basic but that seems to be on purpose.
Not a lot to say but I recommend it for psychological fiction fans. -
An urban nightmare that explores a paranoid loner's schzoid idea of the world at large. Nothing happens until half way through because Campbell is ensuring that you are entrenched in his narrator's mindset. Pretty creepy even for a die hard gore fan like me.
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Delirious, feverish serial killer novel and far and away the greatest non-supernatural work Campbell has ever produced. Full review:
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