great book that does a good job of setting a gloomy gothic atmosphere. Very engrossing and thrilling with a ghoulish and explosive ending

When Kevin Devereaux finds out his elderly mother (Helena) is dying he decides to go back home to Sea Oaks (a mansion which is on a secluded island off the South Carolina coast) for a brief stay with his wife Anne, his daughter Julie, and his son Jeff. He hasn’t been back there for twenty years. (He left Sea Oaks because he has never liked his mean, malevolent mother and wanted to get away from her dominating presence.) When they arrive they meet Kevin’s sister, Marguerite, and Kevin’s cruel mother. Not long after they are there, old Helena dies.

Now that Helena is dead Kevin’s wife (Anne) can’t wait to leave Sea Oaks (which is very old, run down, shabby, and dilapidated) and go back home. But unfortunately, when Helena’s will is read, Kevin is forced to stay and live at Sea Oaks or else his sister Marguerite will lose her home (she lives at Sea Oaks). The kids like the place, Anne hates it. Anne thinks Kevin is crazy when he starts talking about turning the decrepit mansion into a hotel. Not long afterward people start dying and go missing. And why is Marguerite acting so weird?

This was another enjoyable read by John Saul. It had sort of a sinister, disturbing feel. I liked the setting at the old mansion and the atmosphere of the place. There was an interesting cast of characters. Some I liked, (Anne, Julie, Jeff...) some I hated (especially Kevin's mother Helena, what a horrible old hag she was!). One character was really totally insane. This book kept me turning the pages and I was curious to see what was going to happen next. I was sad to see some characters die. I wasn't totally happy with the epilogue but I guess the author was implying insanity must run in the family?

An entertaining, strange, and creepy read.

El Estigma.- John Saul


"En el primer momento, no supo por qué había tenido la certeza de que ya no estaba sola en la habitación. Fue tan sólo una sensación. Permaneció con los ojos cerrados, escuchando. Oyó un leve crujido. No era el sonido habitual de la casa. Lo que se hallaba en la habitación se acercaba a ella. ¿Por qué no le hablaba? El corazón de Anne se aceleró Debía abrir los ojos y mirar a su alrededor."


Luego de veinte años Kevin regresa a la casa familiar, la Mansión Devereaux. Acompañado de su esposa Anne y de sus dos hijos, Julie y Jeff, Kevin vuelve a la aislada mansión por una razón, su posesiva y atemorizante madre se encuentra a un paso de la muerte, la cuida la otra Devereaux de la familia, la hermana de Kevin, Marguerite, quién da clases de ballet a las niñas de la zona desde hace años al quedar trunca su carrera por un accidente. Muy pronto al llegar, la madre de Kevin muere, pero esta va a ser la primera de muchas muertes, aunque el resto no van a hacer por causas naturales; alguien, o algo de otro plano, empieza a hacerse ver en los alrededores de la Mansión.


El Estigma (The Unloved) se publicó originalmente en el año 1988 y es el onceavo libro publicado por el autor nacido en Pasadena, John Saul (1942-).


Después de un arranque de historia deudora de lo mejor de la literatura gótica en cuanto a ambientación, la novela empieza a tomar carrera, una frenética carrera en dónde las muertes se suceden una tras otra. Salpicones de sangre garantizados.


De ritmo muy ágil y de lectura atrapante, El Estigma es un punto alto de la bibliografía de un experto en hacer pasar muy mal rato a los peques en sus historias. Así que si ya leyeron el fundamental Dejad A Los Niños, El Estigma puede ser una gran opción para continuar con John Saul.

When I grabbed Unloved at a used bookstore, I crossed my fingers hoping I wasn’t bringing home a turd. Thankfully this was a poop-free purchase and read.

The death of a cruel & abusive mother — who was feared not just by her family, but the town as well — brings home the oldest son who hadn’t been back to the hometown that bears his family’s last name in nearly 20 years.

The plan was to stay in South Carolina a few weeks with his family, but the evil Mom was still pulling the strings from beyond the grave.

Kevin was now faced with a dilemma that had no easy answer, which was exactly what his Mother wanted.

As the story unfolded, the Kevin sees a side to his sister he doesn’t recognize and it not only scares his son and daughter, but Kevin as well.

Does Kevin realize too late or will he be able to protect his family from the evil within the walls of Sea Oaks?

A very effective and chilling opening give a solid setup for the narrative. Unfortunately the suspense doesn't hold. I could say that it's slow burn within acts one and two led to a very thrilling act three. However the pacing really felt unbalanced.
I feel that the story would have been much more impactful had it been trimmed a bit.
It's a good story. As I mentioned, the third act is quite thrilling. Once it starts it doesn't really let up. And it all resolves fairly neat.
I would be interested in seeing someone like James Wan adapt this into film. I think he could craft this into something a bit more suspenseful and spooky.

Read this a LONG time ago. I liked this one, but he took the ending on this one WAY too far for me.

It started out so well, with the promise of genuine supernatural goings on as a dude is forced to return to the place he escaped from the moment he was able. Sadly, it drops any such notion and contributes to the stigma of mental illness, in the form of a character pulling a Norman Bates and taking on the personality of her mother. The ending isn't much better either, and implies that the daughter of the guy forced to come back to his southern childhood home is going to repeat what her aunt had, and her brother will thusly be forced to be a caretaker.

Kevin and Anne Devereaux (and their children Julie and Jeff) all go to South Carolina to visit Kevin's ailing mother. The strange thing is, Kevin's family has never met his mother before and, when he does speak of his mother, it's not with much fondness. Lately, Kevin has been having strange nightmares about himself as a boy and his mother trying to kill him, calling out to his sister Marguerite for help but receiving none because it's too late. His mother is going to kill him. Nevertheless, when Kevin gets the call that his mother doesn't have a lot of time, he packs up his family and returns to his childhood home which he has always hated. Once they arrived, it isn't long before Anne's dread starts to gradually grow the longer she is forced to stay in that house. Soon, she realizes that Helena Devereaux, her mother-in-law, has no intention of letting Kevin, or any of them, leave. When she passes, what remains of the Devereaux family are shocked that the Devereaux matriarch, even in death, has gotten her way. Kevin and his family will never leave. That is only the start of their problems! Not long after Helen passes and is laid to rest in their family cemetery, young Jeff claims to have seen her ghost among the gravestones. Then people start coming up dead....

While I think the story, itself, is average but with a definite old school flare, the writing itself is very good. I can't say I loved the plot, but the writing is good enough that I'll absolutely pick up more by this author because I'm sure I WILL find a story I'll love!

I would recommend this for lovers of old school horror. You know the kind! 1980s greatness!

Rating: 7/10

Kevin hates his mother, and tolerates his long suffering sister. Heaven help the children. More twists than a Halloween maze - a fun read.

Who doesn’t love a slasher?!?

Liked this one....another weird, creepy , twisted story! Love them!