Off Season

Jack Ketchum's OFF SEASON is a classic horror novel for fans of the grotesque. There's no doubt the novel is horrific - it's about a family of inbred cannibalistic lunatics living in a cave on the coast of Maine, and Ketchum holds no punches in describing the brutality of their violence. But beyond that, OFF SEASON is a well-written and gripping novel that has a lot to say about both humanity's propensity for violence and the sheer absurdity of our ongoing struggle to survive. There's more to this book than blood and body parts, and that's what makes it worth reading.The story focuses on Carla, a young editor from the big city who has rented a remote cabin in Maine for a month of relaxation and work on her latest project. When she invites sister Marjie and four of their friends to join her for a week in the woods, she has no idea it will be the start of a nightmare for all of them. Within hours of the guests' arrival, the six friends are attacked by human monsters intent on murder . . . and worse.Some reviewers here have described OFF SEASON as a novel that lacks characterization, while others have complained about the slow start to the violence. Neither assessment has merit. Ketchum does an excellent job differentiating his characters: Carla is self-assured and confident, younger sister Marjie has always seen herself as weak and suffers from depression, Nick loves both of them but is trying to put the past behind him, and police chief Peters is middle-aged and tired but determined to do the right thing. These are identifiable characters that are likable and easy to root for. Carla's other three guests (her current boyfriend Jim, Marjie's boyfriend Dan, and Nick's new girlfriend Laura) are less fleshed out, but Ketchum is able get his readers to understand all three in very short order.As for the slow start to the violence, the only readers who will complain about that are those who are only picking this up for the gore-fest. It's true that the first 130 pages are a set-up for what's to come, but that set-up is full of foreboding, hints of brutality, and glimpses of depravity. Ketchum shifts perspective from Carla to her sister and friends to Peters to members of the cannibalistic family, and in so doing he is able to build suspense over those first 130 pages, so that when the attack actually occurs it's impossible not to be blown away. The "slow start" is the roller coaster's creaky rise up to the first big drop, and the rest of the book is pure free-fall.Just how gross is this book? It's pretty gross. Ketchum's villains are cannibals, after all, and they really love the hunt . . . and the kill and the butchering and the cooking. There's enough blood and gore for any shock-horror fan. At the same time, what makes this novel worth reading is Ketchum's portrayal of these fiends as human - as horrible as they are, they are not monsters. And as Marjie and the others are sucked deeper and deeper into depravity, Ketchum forces us to see how far they themselves will go to survive. This is not an easy book to read, and it's not an easy book to forget.The original version of OFF SEASON, published in 1981, was edited to remove things the publisher felt were too over-the-top for mainstream readers. The paperback edition released in 2006 (as well as the pricier hardcover edition) restores the uncut version of the manuscript. Does it make a huge difference? I read the original version in 1981, and the only thing that stood out to me as obviously different in this new version is the ending and the fate of one particular character - this change is important, and it makes a big difference in terms of the overall message of the novel. The other changes involve the inclusion of some additional bits of grotesque description during the many scenes of brutality. I can't say I would have noticed most of the changes without Ketchum's afterward - well, one particularly horrific moment with a fish hook did stand out!Overall, if you're a horror fan, this is a novel that is definitely worth reading. It's more than just a collection of gross-out moments, though, so if it's just the gore you're looking for, OFF SEASON might disappoint (the sequel, OFFSPRING, actually has more non-stop violence than OFF SEASON, although it is less successful). Horror fans who appreciate well-written prose with a challenging message will enjoy this. It remains one of my favorites.

Off SeasonMan..this book was..SOMETHING. 😂 Crepy kid vibes. Family of cannibals. Remote getaway gone wrong.This was a wild ride. It gives me Wrong Turn vibes. Very descriptive, very gory scenes. My heart was pounding, and I felt like I was right there with the group as they fell into this nightmare scenario. While it isn't the scariest book I've read this year, it kept me interested. If you're into gore, horror, and creepy kids, it's a good read! Definitely don't read if you have a weak stomach. 😂

Bottom line, this book is worth reading to us voyeurs and carnage junkies. It is short and the first 50 pages or so establish the characters, who will soon get mangled and massacred and maimed like sides of beef slaughtered by the feral killers in the woods. This leaves about 100 pages of breakneck action, with gore and brutality of almost unspeakably epic proportions. You want violence? You want rape? You want a perverse combination of the two that will make you retch? This story makes cannibalism look like Grey Poupon on a silver spoon. I'm still not sure why the author bothers to attach any background or personality to the main characters when they only serve to further the plot and be systematically annihilated. They're like human slabs to be fed into the meat grinder to provide the bizarre predators with a focus for their aggression. The natives are appropriately revolting and primitive, and are chilling in their single-minded butchery. The characters' complexities quickly dissolve into basic qualities: THE BRAVE ONE, THE COWARD, THE SENSITIVE ONE, etc. The writing style is simplistic and raw, which serves the story well. No poetic metaphors or descriptions here; everything is described in straightforward terms, like a series of roundhouse blows that leave one doubled over on the ground. The gore eventually grows tiresome, even though the author takes it to new heights of sadism. Any attempt at humor or irony or insight is mowed over by the grotesque series of events that spirals out of control and makes you wish the protagonists had an Uzi to chop the offenders into hamburger. The ending is horrendous, with some sort of moral attached, showing how violence feeds on itself. But I found the turn of events rather contrived, as if the author wanted to comment on how ordinary men can become murderers if placed in a terrifying situation.

WowEven after reading this book it still lingers.This book was selected for my monthly August read and this was a great selection. I have read Jack Ketchum before but I can honestly say this book is definitely unhinged. This book was a slow burn for me slow at some parts but when the action started I was held captive. This book is about a woman who has a cabin in the woods to meet a deadline and have a nice vacation. So she decides to invite her sister, her friends and ex what could possibly go wrong? Did I mention the woods is isolated and there is tribe of people that has a taste for humans? The scenes, the setting and the explicit graphics in the book makes it a great read! If you have a weak stomach and don’t normally read horror books I would urge you to read something else. Everyone else enjoy.

A wonderful book that pulled no punches. An easy 5*. Not an easy read but a vivid, real story. Looking forward to more from Ketchum

Aclaro que aun no lo he leído, pero este y su secuela encabezan mi lista de pendientes.

arrived a week earlier than expected and is in great condition, i’m a couple chapters in and loving kethcum’s style of writing! all in all a good buy

der zweite roman von ketchum, den ich gelesen habe. "the girl next door" war schon ziemlich gut und grauenhaft - im positivem sinne -, aber dieser roman schlägt "the girl next door" auf ganzer länge. eigentlich recht kurz und knackig gehalten, so ist's vielleicht am besten. ketchum hält sich nicht mit belanglosen dingen in diesem roman auf. carla, eine autorin, hat ein am waldrand liegendes ferienhaus gemietet. ruhige gegend, kaum eine menschenseele, da will sie mit fünf freunden eine schöne zeit verbringen. doch diese schöne zeit, kaum hat sie angefangen, wird urplötzlich von eine großfamilie von kanibalen zerstört. fast hilflos sind die stadtbewohner diesen wilden ausgeliefert und müssen einen erbitterten kampf ums überleben aufnehmen.wie gesagt, ruhephasen oder sowas gibt's in dem buch kaum, nur am anfang ein paar. danach zieht das tempo ernorm an. an brutalitäten und splatter hat ketchum diesmal echt nicht gespart, also sollten eher zartbeseitete leute dieses buch nicht kaufen. genial von ketchum ist, dass man die wahren hauptrollen eigentlich nicht erkennt. hat man einen scheinbar identifiziert und denkt: ach, der/die ist also der/die held(in) hier", stirbt diese person auch schon.und sehr gut finde ich es, dass das buch recht actionreich ist, soll heißen, es geht hier auch zur sache.als bonus gibt's die kurzgeschichte "winter child". ist zwar nicht schlecht, aber nachdem man den roman gelesen hat wirkt die geschichte recht unspektakulär.kann's kaum erwarten mehr von ketchum zu lesen...

Good book..lots of gore I would have liked a little more detailed ending…like what happens next…and where did those “people” come from and how did they become what they are…maybe a book 2?