Rosemary’s Baby Book Review

I can’t believe it’s here, but reader, this is my 300th review! I started reading and thinking critically of books, movies, and television shows 8 years ago, and I have never looked back. I’ve encountered a true variety of titles from a woman traveling to Antarctica to find herself to a former president of Turkmenistan’s obsession with the Akhal-Teke horse. Today, I wanted to look at a book that has remained memorable for many decades. You want to know what it is? It’s Rosemary’s Baby – the intriguing and disturbing novel by Ira Levin published back in 1967.

Rosemary’s Baby is about a woman fearing that something’s wrong with her unborn baby and her neighbors have sinister plans for them. A young couple moves into an old and elegant New York apartment house with a rather strange past. They meet several tenants in the building, including an elderly eccentric couple who dote on them. Soon, the wife Rosemary becomes pregnant with their first child. However, she begins to suspect the building harbors a diabolically evil group of devil worshippers who have mastered the arts of black magic and witchcraft. What’s worse is that she believes that this satanic conspiracy has been set to not only claim her husband Guy but also their baby. Is this true?

Let’s get this out of the way. Rosemary’s Baby is not a scary book, but it’s disturbing in many ways. Yes, there’s the devil worship and the notion of an infant being the child of Satan, but I was frustrated most with the gaslighting that several characters inflict onto Rosemary for her sake. For example, she experiences sharp pains during the early months of her pregnancy, yet Dr. Sapirstein – the physician recommended to her by the elderly eccentric Castevets – repeatedly tells her that it’ll be fine since it will go away soon. People, especially women, have dealt with not being believed since the beginning of time, and it’s still a big issue.

And, it all works because readers are on Rosemary’s side the entire time. She is a kind person who may be naive at moments. She yearns to be a mother, but what occurs is the worst case scenario. There are characters in horror that make stupid decisions. Rosemary is not one of them. In fact, every choice is smart because she listens to her intuition, and yet, she’s still backed into a corner by people who don’t believe her. This is especially true with her husband. I hated his guts at the end. Even at her lowest point, I was still rooting for Rosemary because I knew she was telling the truth. I’m glad that she asserts herself when the baby is born.

Levin is a good writer. Not only is Rosemary well developed, but the supporting characters are also. Minnie and Roman Castevet feel like the kind of old people who would nose into everything because they need something to do. In addition, Edward Hutchins is a kind-hearted man who is a father-figure to Rosemary and senses something is off with the apartment building she moves into. The writing can be dry at times, particularly with the amount of times he says that Rosemary did this or she did that. Nevertheless, when he expands on important story beats, he is in his element. He creates great tension. Yes, I knew what was going to occur because I saw the 1968 film first, but I was still surprised. I also couldn’t unhear the actors from the flick while reading the dialogue from the novel, especially Ruth Gorden as Minnie going, “OH-kay!”

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin is a great, albeit disturbing novel. The scariest aspect of this book is how people simply don’t believe the main character although she knows deep down something is wrong. Readers will root for Rosemary all the way. I would recommend it to readers who love reading psychological horror and about motherhood. I’m glad that this book is my 300th review because I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life.

Now, for those who are saying, “Emily, why are you reviewing a horror novel in August? Shouldn’t you be doing this in October?”

Well, it worked better to review it now. In addition, Matthew Anderson from the Lone Screenplay Nominee Podcast will come on the Adapt Me Podcast to discuss how we would adapt this book into a play in October. Keep an eye out for the link.

In the meantime, I will be reviewing the 1968 movie adaptation starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, and Ruth Gordon on Thursday. Stay tuned for that!

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