Book Review: Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

Rosemary's Baby is easily one of the most unsettling novels of all time. Ira Levin's clean, calm prose sets a deceptive backdrop for a truly memorable horror novel.

Rosemary's Baby tells the story of newlyweds Guy and Rosemary Woodhouse. The couple move into a new apartment in New York City. Guy, a struggling actor, befriends the other tenants in the building, in particular Roman and Minnie Castavet. Wonderful things begin to happen to the young couple, with Guy's acting career taking off and Rosemary becoming pregnant. But Rosemary starts to realize her new life isn't nearly as ideal as she once believed.

The most remarkable thing about Rosemary's Baby is how easily it reads. Levin's prose is bursting with details that never seem overbearing. The simple style paints a vivid picture of late 1960's Manhattan, embodying all of the values of that society and slowly twisting them to create suspicion and suspense. Levin's greatest strength is lulling the reader into a false sense of security. Once the safety lines drop, it's impossible to put the book down.

Levin never once loses control of the story and the reader in Rosemary's Baby. While the novel is well layered and every twist justified, the reader only knows what Rosemary herself has experienced or figured out. Each tiny detail she ascertains as to the true nature of her condition is a surprise. Her growing paranoia and suspicions rise at the same pace as the reader's sense of unease. Every time Rosemary feels she is losing control, Levin casts a stronger spell upon the reader, beckoning them to continue with the story.

Rosemary's Baby is not a standard horror novel by any means. Upon it's release, critics heralded it as revolutionary. If the reader didn't know it was a horror novel when they purchased it, they most likely wouldn't have realized it until they became entranced by the story. The novel is pure psychological horror. There are no overt scares. There are no cats jumping out of the dark or grizzly murders. While the book does contain many traditional horror elements, Levin presents a new perspective on how to approach the archetypes of genre fiction.

Ira Levin's novel Rosemary's Baby will seem like a quick read because of his engaging prose. This novel is best served in a single, quiet session, allowing for the suspenseful horror masterpiece to wash over your mind with pure paranoia.