Book #3 Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

When people meet me, they assume I am the type of girl who loves, loves, LOVES, romantic comedies. Maybe it’s my perpetually happy demeanor or my resting nice face; I’m not completely sure. However, my favorite type of movie is not the romantic comedy. It is the horror movie. This shocks people. They ask “Why would such a sweet, joyous girl like you enjoy scary movies?” (well, they might not phrase it exactly like that). The reason I love horror movies is because I enjoy the adrenaline rush. I always say that it reminds of the feeling of having a crush and your heart beats uncontrollably. People look at me like I’m crazy when I make that comparison. They may be right and I might just have a twisted sense of romance. But think of it this way, it is also the same feeling I have on the top of a roller coaster. All of these situations involve an uncontrollable variable for which it makes the situation exciting and full of suspense.

            I know that was a tangent, but it was necessary to describe my love of scary movies (and stories) in order to express my thoughts on Ira Levin’s novel Rosemary’s Baby.

Tall, Dark, Stranger

            Rory mentions Rosemary’s Baby when she first meets her boyfriend Dean in the halls of Stars Hollow High. He bumps into her and she drops her books. The first thing she says to Dean is “God! You’re like Ruth Gordon just standing there with a tannis root. Make a noise.” Not really the most polite thing to stay to a cute boy who is trying to talk to you. Luckily, Dean knew exactly what Rory was talking about and proved that he could keep up with her. For myself, I definitely find this a plus in a boy. It is difficult to find one who can keep up with me, not just in pop culture references, but one who understands my humor and challenges me intellectually. 

Books vs. Movies

The reference Rory made above was to the movie version of Rosemary’s Baby and not the book. But because I am a big nerd and it was a book first, it was included on the official list. (It also took me awhile to find a copy of this book because someone else had it on hold before me at the library. Rosemary’s Baby, but perhaps I would like it better than the book in this instance.
Grrrr…So I read it on my phone instead). Whenever a book is adapted into a movie, there are always changes made because page and screen are different mediums. Therefore, fans of the book are never going to be one hundred percent pleased. I always abide by the rule that the book is better because it is the original source, but that is subject to debate. I have never seen the movie version of

What is horror?

            The reason I did not particularly enjoy Rosemary’s Baby is because it was not scary nor was it suspenseful and it did not live up to the hype. On the cover of the novel, it reads “The Masterpiece of
Modern Horror.” With a subtitle like that, you can’t help but think the book is going to be scary. Maybe it was because it was written in 1967 or I’ve seen too many horror movies and I am desensitized to scary stories. I do not think it is the second and I do not believe it is the first either, as Edgar Allen Poe stories scare me and they are much older. Perhaps, if I had had a child, I would find this story scarier. The idea of an evil fetus growing inside of you is creepy, but this idea was not made present till the end of the novel. In my opinion, I thought the build up was too slow and the characters were frustrating. Rosemary was very one dimensional and was kind of bland. I could not find a connection with her and therefore did not sympathize with her struggles. She relied on her husband and other characters too much and did not trust herself when she needed to. If Rosemary trusted her instincts in the beginning of the novel rather than other peoples' words, the entire conflict could have been avoided (but there would be no book then). 

Good versus Evil

            If you have not read the ending or seen the ending of the movie, I suggest you do not read this next part if you do not want to be spoiled. Although I did not think this novel was scary, I do hold an appreciation for the ending. The beauty of the ending is in the simplicity of the writing. Rosemary’s baby is revealed to be the son of Satan and Rosemary is torn between loving her child and running away from evil. In the end, Rosemary chooses to stay with her baby but it is unclear if she is going to raise the child to be good or if she is going to succumb to the dark side. Levin leaves it purposefully ambiguous with this ending which frustrates some readers and pleases others. I enjoy ambiguous endings because it leaves room for interpretation and keeps you wondering. You are more likely to think about a story if part of it is left open-ended. Why else do you think this trend of television reboots and revivals are so popular?

Rosemary’s Baby, although, not my favorite read, was an essential one. As a horror buff, it is one that I needed to continue my education on the genre. It is also one of the novels/movies that the Gilmore girls reference several times throughout the series so therefore it was an important one. One of the lessons I have learned in my life, is that a story does not have to be your favorite in order to learn from it.

***The next book, The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir, is really long so the next post might take longer than others.


Citations
Book cover:https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b3/64/36/b364362c81418d379a7b344e4d7e9835.jpg
Movie Still:http://az795576.vo.msecnd.net/bh-uploads/2015/12/rosemarys-baby-still-1050x700.jpg