Only Child BCA Edition [Hardcover]

My first encounter with Jack Ketchum's work was reading his novel 'Red'. A somewhat slim book, I finished reading it in one day. You know if a book is going to be worthwhile usually after the first couple of chapters, and the time spent reading 'Red' was thoroughly worthwhile. It still remains one of the best pieces of fiction I have encountered, which brings me to ...
... 'Only Child'.

Like 'Red', this novel is fairly slim. But that is as it should be. There is no room for wasted words in Jack's writing. He gets to the point quickly and effectively, inviting his readers into a nightmare journey - a mixture of fiction and reality. It is exactly this juxtaposition of taboo realism and carefully crafted fictional characters that lends Jack's writing its uniqueness. He deals with the cruelty and evil inherent in society, bringing such issues to the surface, almost as if he is attempting to release his anger by way of writing.

Violence in 'Only Child' is extreme and, at times, graphically depicted. In this way, the novel can be likened to Richard Laymon's work. But there is nothing supernatural about this book. Jack's horror is about the experiences some people suffer everyday of their lives - people who want to escape from their tormentors but are too terrified to take a stand, because of the consequences should they fail. Lydia McCloud, however, does make a stand.

Married to the fraudulently good-natured Arthur Danse, Lydia soon discovers his dark side. For Danse does not adhere to the rules of society. Undoubtedly disturbed, Danse believes he is here for a reason ... to ensure that he teaches humankind that both fear and pain are necessary, and that he has been chosen to inflict such pain on anyone who refuses his demands. His disturbing behaviour is not limited to the unfortunate people he encounters outside his family - rather it is Lydia and his young son, Robert, who are most at risk.

Jack Ketchum has created two strikingly different characters here. Lydia is imbued with inner strength, a giving nature, and an understanding of what really counts in life. Arthur Danse is cruel, calculating, and possesses a relentless determination to both control and hurt people.

The message behind this book is that good can triumph over evil if the victim is able summon enough courage to face their tormentor. 'Only Child' takes a realistic and accurate view of domestic violence and child abuse. It explores the psychological aspects of such abuse from the viewpoint of both antagonist (Danse) and protagonists (Lydia, Robert, and anyone else who, along the way, dares to question Arthur Danse).

I once knew a mother and daughter who were subjected to physical and psychological violence and abuse within a domestic environment, and can therefore relate to this story.

'Only Child' should be remebered alongside Thomas Harris's 'Silence of the Lambs' as one of the best psychological thrillers of violence ever written. Jack's writing is both dark and powerful; his subject matter disturbing yet insightful. Certainly unforgettable.

Matt Lee-Williams.

My first encounter with Jack Ketchum's work was reading his novel 'Red'. A somewhat slim book, I finished reading it in one day. You know if a book is going to be worthwhile usually after the first couple of chapters, and the time spent reading 'Red' was thoroughly worthwhile. It still remains one of the best pieces of fiction I have encountered, which brings me to ...
... 'Only Child'.

Like 'Red', this novel is fairly slim. But that is as it should be. There is no room for wasted words in Jack's writing. He gets to the point quickly and effectively, inviting his readers into a nightmare journey - a mixture of fiction and reality. It is exactly this juxtaposition of taboo realism and carefully crafted fictional characters that lends Jack's writing its uniqueness. He deals with the cruelty and evil inherent in society, bringing such issues to the surface, almost as if he is attempting to release his anger by way of writing.

Violence in 'Only Child' is extreme and, at times, graphically depicted. In this way, the novel can be likened to Richard Laymon's work. But there is nothing supernatural about this book. Jack's horror is about the experiences some people suffer everyday of their lives - people who want to escape from their tormentors but are too terrified to take a stand, because of the consequences should they fail. Lydia McCloud, however, does make a stand.

Married to the fraudulently good-natured Arthur Danse, Lydia soon discovers his dark side. For Danse does not adhere to the rules of society. Undoubtedly disturbed, Danse believes he is here for a reason ... to ensure that he teaches humankind that both fear and pain are necessary, and that he has been chosen to inflict such pain on anyone who refuses his demands. His disturbing behaviour is not limited to the unfortunate people he encounters outside his family - rather it is Lydia and his young son, Robert, who are most at risk.

Jack Ketchum has created two strikingly different characters here. Lydia is imbued with inner strength, a giving nature, and an understanding of what really counts in life. Arthur Danse is cruel, calculating, and possesses a relentless determination to both control and hurt people.

The message behind this book is that good can triumph over evil if the victim is able summon enough courage to face their tormentor. 'Only Child' takes a realistic and accurate view of domestic violence and child abuse. It explores the psychological aspects of such abuse from the viewpoint of both antagonist (Danse) and protagonists (Lydia, Robert, and anyone else who, along the way, dares to question Arthur Danse).

I once knew a mother and daughter who were subjected to physical and psychological violence and abuse within a domestic environment, and can therefore relate to this story.

'Only Child' should be remebered alongside Thomas Harris's 'Silence of the Lambs' as one of the best psychological thrillers of violence ever written. Jack's writing is both dark and powerful; his subject matter disturbing yet insightful. Certainly unforgettable.

Matt Lee-Williams.

This book is more a human horror tale, as nothing supernatural or paranormal happens here. This is the story of the sheer nastiness, brutality and depravity that one man is capable of.
We first meet Arthur Danse as a child, dodging the police, hiding behind his mothers blind love, he is already a twisted, horrible little soul and he gets no better with age. The character of Arthur is all the more chilling to read because to all appearances he seems so nice, so normal but we know there is a depraved sick monster lurking inside the slick and successful exterior that is liable to explode at any moment. So, when he meets a pleasant and beautiful nurse called Lydia, you fear for her safety from the off. Lydia is no fool, neither is she a victim waiting to be abused, she is a strong intelligent woman who is refreshing as the female heroine of this book, but even she is duped by Arthur. They soon get married, have a child called Robert and for a while everything seems fine. Happy families. Then the true Arthur begins to surface with strange expectations of Lydia in the bedroom and very short fuse anger. Then Robert starts exhibiting strange behaviour, he's nervous and clumsy,he messes the bed and stutters but Lydia although troubled, puts Roberts behaviour down to stress. This is when the books twists and what the reader has been fearing all along happens, Arthur beats Lydia to within an inch of her life. Usually, in books, this is when the woman crumbles but to Ketchum's credit he doesn't do this, Lydia is proactive and remains fierce.But, when she comes to the horrifying conclusion that Arthur has also been abusing Robert her whole existence is turned upside down. The boy doesn't speak of it but she knows and sets out in a desperate journey through the legal system to rid Robert's life of Arthur but Arthur has other things in mind. He has been betrayed and made to look foolish and in his sick mind he's willing to do anything to get his revenge. With smarmy lawyers, a biased judge and a weak legal system,not to mention Arthur's psychopathic slyness, Lydia's finds herself having to take the law into her own hands to make Robert safe, even if this includes her losing her own life.
Reading this book made many emotions stir within, Ketchum doesn't shy away from the nastier details of the abuse and violence,nor does he let you off the hook with the constant building of tension that escalates with every chapter. There's much sadness but also anger and fear and any book that can run such a gamut of turmoil and have you interested in every way is worth reading and with the side-plot of a serial-killer that runs parallel to the main story before colliding head on into it,this book, although lacking in vast amounts of guts and gore, is no less disturbing or affecting. It get's you on a whole different emotional level and will stick in you brain for many days after the unpredictable and horrible conclusion. Other Jack Ketchum books I've liked Old Flames Thank you for reading.