Reviewed by Christy
In Paperbacks from Hell, Grady
Hendrix covers the history of the horror paperback boom of the 1970s and 1980s.
Some of these novels had a lasting impact on the horror genre but were still
lost to time. Thanks to the small printing press Valancourt Books, several of
these titles were re-released with their original cover art. The Auctioneer,
published in 1976, was one such title. In it, author Joan Samson tells the
story of a hardscrabble New England town helplessly taken over by a smooth
talking auctioneer who comes once a week to ask for donations for his auction.
But what if you've given up everything you're willing to part with? Well, the
auctioneer has ways to be very convincing.
Admittedly,
this was a very slow read for me. It is meandering and repetitive and because
of that, I was never in a big hurry to get back to it. John, one of the
protagonists, is an obnoxious character. Seemingly always simmering with rage
over his family's plight, he constantly hesitates to do anything about it. Even
when his wife pleads for them to leave. I understand that's one of the themes
of the story: why does an entire TOWN go along with this? But it still makes
for a frustrating read.
Despite this,
I'm glad I read it. I think it's worth checking out, especially if you're
interested in the history of the horror genre as a whole. Unfortunately, the
topic of gentrification is one that still resonates to this day. Some negative
reviews suggest "others have done it better" (specifically Stephen
King with Needful Things), and maybe that's true but I still think there's
value in reading the origins of inspiration. Particularly if a forgotten female
writer gets her day in the sun.
