Son of Rosemary: The Sequel to Rosemary's Baby

... because I was foolish enough to ignore the bad reviews on this page, and read the book anyway.

I've tried to understand what would motivate Levin to write crap like this, and the only answer I can come up with is that he wanted to cash in on all the "end of the world" millenialism that was floating around in 1997. His previous authorship of _Rosemary's_Baby_ gave him a ready audience for a sequel. Clearly this was a money-making opportunity too good to pass up.

The book is pathetic. The plot is ridiculous; the characters are inconsistent and unconvincing, and the ending... what can I say?
[SPOILER ALERT]
Levin does that terrible thing that soap opera writers do when they can't figure out how to end a story: Everything (including the events of the first novel) turns out to be a dream. How rude! How pathetically rude. For an author, this is the literary equivalent of urinating on your readers. It completely violates the contract between author and reader.

So, Ira Levin, if you're reading this from the Great Beyond somewhere, "Shame on you."

I started this book with eager anticipation remembering the sleepless nights I experienced after reading "Rosemary's Baby". Well I slept like a baby after this one. The fact that it is not a horror book, though, is not the failing of this book. Ira Levin who so beautifully brought to life the characters of his first book, fails to make us care at all about any of these 2 dimentional characters, the worst of whom is Rosemary. I can only assume that Mr. Levin threw this together for the huge advance he undoubtedly received. I wonder if the money was worth the damage to his reputation as a writer.

In this gripping sequel to Rosemary's Baby, Rosemary wakes up 28 years after being thrown into a coma, which took place six years after part one. Her son Andy begins to display an increasingly ominous obsession with her, and she eventually begins to wonder whether he is the Antichrist or the second coming of Christ. A very interesting and highly anticipated sequel to the unforgettable classic is somewhat of a letdown, yet a satisfying read. Was brought to film in the inferior, disgusting, forgettable, cliched, and utterly distasteful The Beast Within, which was followed by the great but unknown The Evil Within.

The author thanks friends who encouraged him to rise from his couch and write another book. These friends cannot be censured too harshly.

The heroine, Rosemary, is older but not smarter in this ridiculous sequel. Her devil-fathered son is an adult, and although he attempts to commit incest with her, belongs to a robed coven, hangs around with evil Republicans such as Rob Patterson and Lush Rimbo, and has glowing eyes and little horns, she continues to accept his assurances that she has given him the perfect start to a life of honor and generosity. The various "suspenseful" foreshadowings are as subtle as a 4th of July fireworks display. The last 2 pages of the book are surprising, but only in the sense that it is hard to believe that such an able author would select such a hackneyed device to solve Rosemary's problems.

I see that this book can be purchased for 1 cent. The unhappy seller may volunteer to pay postage just to get this hellish "work of fiction" out of the house.

Although occasionally witty, most of the dialogue is cheesy, the plot paper thin and the pacing uninspired. I had to read the ending three times in shock, horror and disbelief at the sloppy, amateurish way a previously accomplished writer chose to end this yawner. Maybe I 'm in the minority but the book felt as if it were a first draft, a scattergun regurgitation of ideas, outlines, characters and witty snippets of conversation.Shame on the editor (if there was one).

I finally got around to reading Rosemary's Baby and checked out this one at the same time. After finishing Baby I couldn't wait to start on Son. I wish I had waited, and also wish I'd never done it. It was terrible. The characters in Rosemary's Baby were so developed and complex and wonderful whereas the characters in Son of Rosemary were dull and one-dimensional. I loved Rosemary in Baby but there was nothing intriguing about her at all in Son. Please, please, stop after reading the original. The sequel is a complete waste of time.

Rosemary's Baby was fun; this sequel sucks. Idiotic concept and threaded with all sorts of never-answered plot developments. Murders are left unsolved and never rate another mention after they've happened. The notion of the whole world falling so much in love with a religious figure they're willing to do what Levin would have us believe they are is out and out laughable. And to end this novel as he did, not only knocking this one out of the sky, but Rosemary's Baby as well? Mr. Levin is a rude man. Don't buy this book and don't read it. And if anyone ever figured out his word puzzle, I've yet to hear about it.

I cannot recommend _Son of Rosemary._
The book is so shallow you can't even get your toes wet. The story is ridiculous, the dialog is inane, and I believe the twist at the end was written for the sole purpose of convincing the reader to look back on the book and think, "Gee, I guess all that rubbish was possible after all." Tragically, the conclusion robs readers of any suspension of disbelief they might have harbored after reading the wonderful _Rosemary's Baby._

After reading these other reviews--which, thank GOD gave me the anagram solution and a more philsophical explanation of the stupid ending--there isn't much more to say. It's kind of a book you HAVE to read if you loved Rosemary's Baby. But, clearly, Levin should have tightened it up A LOT. The crucifixtion thing was lame at best, Rosemary's daftness at all the odd goings on around her was insipid, even for Rosemary, and while, in general, there were some decent concepts in here, they were presented like a novice hack writer. Yes, it's a story that will stay with me...unfortunately.

Very easy to plough through on public transport, but the novel is deeply grounded in the preposterous. Towards the final pages you think "How on earth is this going to end", knowing there are only 5 pages left. The ending is fitting for a story that is set up from the start in a style similar to a 70's made-for-TV movie. The entire experience was enjoyable, if you're into trash and enjoyed "Roesemary's Baby".

After reading these other reviews--which, thank GOD gave me the anagram solution and a more philsophical explanation of the stupid ending--there isn't much more to say. It's kind of a book you HAVE to read if you loved Rosemary's Baby. But, clearly, Levin should have tightened it up A LOT. The crucifixtion thing was lame at best, Rosemary's daftness at all the odd goings on around her was insipid, even for Rosemary, and while, in general, there were some decent concepts in here, they were presented like a novice hack writer. Yes, it's a story that will stay with me...unfortunately.

Very easy to plough through on public transport, but the novel is deeply grounded in the preposterous. Towards the final pages you think "How on earth is this going to end", knowing there are only 5 pages left. The ending is fitting for a story that is set up from the start in a style similar to a 70's made-for-TV movie. The entire experience was enjoyable, if you're into trash and enjoyed "Roesemary's Baby".

I just finished reading Rosemary's Son, the sequel to Rosemary's Baby. I've read thousands of novels, this is certianly in the bottom five. The terrible dialogue and tortured exposition serve only to irritate the reader and telegraph every "surprise." It is a piece of throw-away junk that deserves no respect at all. If you feel sorry for Levin, do your self a favor, send him a few bucks and take a pass on the book.

I could tell from the first paragraph that this tome was a loser-but i let it live in the john for a few days-it lived down to my worst expectations-after 100 pages- nothing happens!the worst part is he alomost hooks u with an anagram-that he never reveals the answer to! (i solved it with a web anagram solver-for those unfortunates who waded thru this poorly written dreck "roasted mules" means "somersaults" The amazing thing is the solution has absolutely nothin to do with the story-a fouler red herring I have never followed!Avoid at all costs

Like another reviewer,I bought this from a bargain bin in front of a bookshop,and although right from the start I wondered what on earth I was doing wasting good reading time on this junk,I was unable to stop.It is so appallingly bad that I felt compelled to finish it. The only explanation that I can find for Mr.Levin is that he must have been on yippie beans !How else can a writer of his calibre produce such rubbish.

So many sequels disappoint fans of the original work - and this one is no exception. Although it begins well, it quickly disintegrates into implausability. Plot points are frustratingly simplistic or inadequately fleshed out, so that the reader is either guided insultingly through the book or left to fill in important sequences without enough information to do so. Somewhere toward the middle, I started turning pages to leapfrog to the end, never a good sign. And the ending is ambiguous - surely intended to leave the reader thinking about it, but a little too ambiguous for my taste. I spent an hour on the Internet afterward trying to have it explained for me.

Take a pass on this one. Thank goodness I borrowed it from the library instead of spending good money on it.

2014 Revision: WARNING: Spoiler Alert...
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I just re-read "Rosemary's Baby", first time in many years, and it was even better than I remember: tight, tight, tight, excellent foreshadowing, great plot, it moved, there was zero editorializing--just a great work.

Then as a special summertime treat, as soon as I put down RB, I picked up "Son of Rosemary". Frankly, I wasn't expecting much, most sequels being pretty disappointing (like Puzo's "The Sicilian".)

Well, holy crap, this was AWFUL. It was stupid, cheap, smarmy, had lots of "writer-isms" like Stephen King at his worst, and...IT WAS ALL A DREAM!! Not just THIS book--but the first one, too!

One of the first things I was taught in a college creative writing class was, "don't be cheap". We asked what that meant, and the instructor said, "Well, flashbacks are cheap, and are usually overused and poorly done. Making characters suddenly be revealed at the end as crazy is cheap. Oh--and making an entire plot a dream is the cheapest."

Ira Levin dedicated this story to Mia Farrow and then happily released his literary turd upon the world. I sure as hell don't "heart" him anymore. Not at all.

I have read -- and thoroughly enjoyed -- many of Levin's books, including Rosemary's Baby, This Perfect Day, and my favorite, The Boys From Brazil. Levin's plot twists, and especially his rare talent for unusual and thought-provoking endings have made each of these books real page-turners. Some sequels actually improve on their originals; Son of Rosemary is a lame effort that only reinforces the opinion that even talented authors like Levin should leave wildly successful stories uncontinued. If you are a "Dallas" fan and bought the "Pam's dream" explanation for Bobby's resurrection after the scriptwriters killed him off, you'll love this book. Otherwise, don't waste your money.

I was so happy when I accidentally came across this book. I LOVED both the original book and the movie with John Cassavetes and Mia Farrow, so I was thrilled to find out that a sequel had been written so many years later.

I wish I had never seen this book. After I finished reading it, I felt so angry. How dare anyone -- let alone the original author -- totally tear down the ENTIRE plot of the original story, which was so perfectly written and filmed.

I promptly threw this book in the trash, where it belongs. I couldn't even bring myself to sell it. I wouldn't want any fan to experience the extreme disappointment and anger that I did.

Appalling!

I was so disappointed in this sequel. I was intruiged when Rosemary awakened from her coma after almost three decades. It was there that it went downhill. I wanted to see her reunited with her old friends like Elise Dunstan. What about her family? Even the brother who treated her nicely didn't postpone a trip to be by the side of his sister who was supposedly dead. You would think that they would try to contact her after seeing her on live television after a thirty year absence. Also, since the entire coven died off, therefore releasing Rosemary from her coma, wouldn't actor Donald Baumgart regain his site? I wanted to see her return to the Bramford and relive the haunting memories. In the original everyone was told that Rosemary's baby died, so how does she explain to everyone she knew that she just revealed on live television that he is still alive? Was Guy actually a part of the coven? If not, I wanted to see him reduced to doing toilet bowl cleaner commercials. I'm also tired of that corny plot of the antichrist being the head of a big corporation. (spoiler)
The dialogue was a major snoozer. Levin should have forgone the social satire in favor of telling a straight story. I couldn't finish it and skipped to the ending. Maybe I will try again now that I know the ending. Maybe it will get better over time. I hope so.

I know this book received a lot of negative criticism for not being as strong as the original, but for me, it truly kept much of the atmosphere of the first. I felt at times as if Rosemary's Baby and Son of Rosemary were written at the same time -- as one novel -- and that Ira Levin split into two books. I loved the setup and social commentary that Levin weaves throughout. His mood and paranoia had me turning pages like a wildfire. Yes, I worship the movie like most people, but this sequel is very entertaining as well. So relax, folks, it's just a book.

This is a great book because the author gives the reader little tips and clues that make you want to read more.I think this is a good sequel to Rosemary's Baby.From the first time I got my hands on it I knew that it was going to be scary.The best thing I like about this book is how Andy makes every one think that he is a good guy, but the mom thinks that every thing is weird.

I read this several years ago. My mother had found it in a discount bin at a grocery store so bought it. I had thought Rosemary's Baby was really terrific and that this book, a sequel, should be at least worth reading. It's an awful book, one of the worst I've ever read. It seemed like Levin needed some money quickly so threw this book together. Zero stars or negative stars would be a better choice than the one-star minimum rating that the store allows.

A cautionary tale: I brashly ignored the other negative reviews and bought the book anyway. Imagine my shock when the reviews turned out to be correct. The ending IS indeed spectacularly silly (reminiscent of the movie DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, but worse).
There are a few nice waspish observations in here (like "Her mascara looked like it wouldn't make it through dinner" to describe a distraught woman, and "What's-his-nom" to refer to a previously introduced Frenchman. But there's no real suspense or credibility in the whole enterprise.
I've now read all seven of Levin's novels. This ranks the lowest. Read A KISS BEFORE DYING, THE STEPFORD WIVES and of course ROSEMARY'S BABY instead. Trust me on this one!

granted, i would not label this a "good" book; in fact, it is quite possibly the worst book i have ever read. the original novel worked because it takes a very ordinary premise (a woman having a baby) and frighteningly proposes the impossible (could the baby be the son of satan?). this one fails because it takes a ridiculous premise (the son of satan has gotten the whole world to worship him by simply saying "love ya" a couple of times) and then proposes the utterly obvious (could the antichrist be up to no good?). but let's face it, any sequel to rosemary's baby was bound to fail, because the twist has already been taken . . . and as bad as this sequel is, it is ten times better than the DREADFUL 1975 made-for-tv-movie sequel, Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby . . . at least in this version, the coven isn't referred to as "the tribe" . . .

I must admit, Son of Rosemary held my interest during the opening chapters. But, things slowed down fairly quickly. Then, finally a murder takes place (now we're getting somewhere). But, that ending! (GROAN!) Not only does Son of Rosemary end with a cop-out, but the wonderful Rosemary's Baby does, too! Don't bother.

I really enjoyed this little book. Some reviewers here say it was a "turd", but not to me. I love the "Rosemary" series, regardless. I personally enjoyed this book. I read it about 10 years ago and don't recall many details. The son's interest in the mother was weird, but the book was still interesting.

I just finished reading the other sad, disappointed, and angry reviews of Son of Rosemary's many other readers. Let me say that I am astonished that so many people found so much fault and so little content in the novel! The characters in the book are ones that Freud would love to have lie on his couch; there is the mother of Satan incarnate/Satan's mate, the son who not only suffers from an Oedipal complex but also has the terrible fate of looking like Jesus and having half Satanic DNA. Surprise happenings and finally the ending make this book worth reading in themselves. Do not be distracted or mislead by other reviews; this book is definitely readable and worth reading!

Sure, this book could have been better, but it's not as bad as some of the reviews suggest. As for the ending, I wonder if it really is a "Dallas" situation? Maybe Rosemary isn't exactly where she seems to be. In any case, there is another nice surprise at the end. Has anyone figured out the anagram "ROAST MULES?"

I read Son of Rosemary right after reading Rosemary's Baby, and though the pace of the book was slower than the previous, and not of the same calibur, I enoyed the book just the same. But I did think the ending was somewhat of a letdown.

I read Son of Rosemary right after reading Rosemary's Baby, and though the pace of the book was slower than the previous, and not of the same calibur, I enoyed the book just the same. But I did think the ending was somewhat of a letdown.

I read this book recently, directly after reading Rosemary's Baby for the first time. I had seen the movie, Rosemary's Baby years ago, saw it in the library and checked it out again. Then I decided to read the book. Staright way then I read this book. Contrary to what many readers have posted in other sites, I did not find this book to be the straight-forward hastily written hack job, I thought it was cleverly written, just as the first one. I think the ending of this book has been mis-interpreted by many readers. If you read the first book, and then this one, you will see a consistent style. It differs from the movie stylistically though. Also, it doesn't top the first one, almost no sequel could do that- so I give it one star less.

Sorry, but all the subtle subtextual layering in the world can't make up for story problems of major proportions. And arguing that if I didn't like it, I must not have understood it is almost as big a copout as Levin's ending.

Warning for those yet to read the book - The following contains major spoilers throughout.

I am surprised by the amount of negative reviews on this novel.
Any sequel - movie or written work will always be criticised as not be as good as the original... but I would like readers to take this as a story in itself.
As the plot unfolds (and regardless of the ending) it is a good plot, with characters bearing similarities to that of the original coven and we see a 'human' side to Andrew, as he is basically juggling between his father's traits and his mother's goodness and sincerity.
A lot of reviews have condemned the ending and dismissed it, but I think it certainly gives pause for thought... how could it have been a dream? In our most vivid dreams we certainly cant predict and see how the future 30 years down the line will be... Rosemary dreamt of palm pilots, computers, specific tv channels, the current president, wars, in such detail? I dont think so... even George Orwell didnt hit the jackpot on that one.
One of the intriguing parts was the whole "roast mules" anagram... who can honestly say when reading it that they didnt give it a try?! I certainly did, and wondered if the resulting "somersault" was to figure greatly in the storyline to come.. and I think it did. At the end, Andy said to "trust him"... did he in fact 'somersault' her back to 1965.. giving her the chance to re-live her life and to take different roads and options in order for his existence never to happen? I think that is the most plausible explanation. The last words "She looked ahead.." signifies her 'new' life ahead of her, and the new choices she can make to avert the candle lighting catastrophe to ever happen.
This book reminds me a little of the film "Devils Advocate" with Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron.. both characters there were took back to the beginning... but it is up to them - and to Rosemary - to make decisions on where they want to go and what they want to happen, knowing what they know now.
I like a story that makes me think.. and this was certainly one of them.

I began reading this novel with high hopes. I thoroughly enjoyed Rosemary's Baby, and could not wait to read the long-awaited sequel. I read the novel on and off for about a week. The book moved at a sluggish pace and I simply couldn't get into it. By the time I came to the ridiculous ending, I was disgusted. I will not give away the ending, but lets just say it's a major disappointment. Save your money and skip this novel...

As with all sequells, this is a huge disapointment.I may be less intelligent having read this book. The premise is hard to buy. The original book had a great potential for a sequel- one that is not realized here. The end is not at all satisfing. The mysterious anagram that supposedly will tie every thing together is a crushing disapointment(I spent an hour on a scrabble board working it out). Now thats scary!

I LOVED Rosemary's Baby and expected far more from the sequel, which I found boring and, frankly, difficult to finish. I did plow through, however, and agree with those who say the ending is a total cop out. Don't bother.

Spoilers to follow, you've been warned.
After reading most of the posted reviews, it seems that there is just very little thought given to the book by the 1 star reviewers. I read the book immediately following Rosemary's Baby, and while schematically different, the writing is there. I love the facades that Rosemary and Andy put on for each other, while the whole time she suspects that he is not entirely on the up-and-up and he suspects that she suspects. Levin only really gives you their respective shows until later on, and it's well done. I loved the Judas Iscariot reference, and the thirty pieces of silver, and how could you not appreciate "Bloodfest at Tiffany's"? Finally, now that we're convinced that Andy is up to something, he comes clean at the end and ends up opposing his father after all. I thought it made his character a lot deeper that what I had assumed him to be.
You can't view the end as waking from a dream. Nor do I assume that it's social commentary about religious fallacy or God's existence. Hutch's final lines seem to disprove both. Both stories are filled with Rosemary's "visions", and now maybe she's had 2 novels worth of her most important one. What will she do about it? Something... "She looked ahead." That's not forward looking in action, that's forward thinking. Couple it with the somersault reference and it's a no-brainer.
It's a great read if you like Levin's style. There are some very intelligent reviews on here, and I appreciate it (particularly G Cone, and his comments about rollerblades and Palm Pilots - it's in the 4 star section).
The only thing i'm not clear on is the significance of 3 minutes and 12 seconds. I understand that the reference was made a few pages earlier by Dad, but is there something behind the number? If anyone sheds light on it for me, I'd appreciate it.
Get it. You should read it once. Try to think as you do.

I was excited to read the sequel but was disappointed. The writing was jerky in style and disconnected making it hard to follow. The ending was a disappointment also. It strikes me as a book very quickly written and only for the money. It has no heart and I don't recommend it to my friends. It was a waste of a read.

The novel was fairly ridiculous throughout, but the ending was so awful, that were Levin not already deceased when I read the book, I would hunt him down and slap him! I paid 25 cents for this book as a library reject, and I want my money back.

Spoiler alert* Honestly, to everyone that says the ending was "lame" and "just a dream..." Really? Did none of you make the connection between the ending of this book and the beginning of the first one? Oh, and I'm pretty sure the answer to "Roast Mules" is somersault. Enough said. Read the first one again, then read this one again. You'll get it. Sheesh.....

SPOILER ALERT-To defend this pretty-good sequel, I'm having to give away the ending. Don't read this post until you have read the book--and have done your part to noodle out its puzzling conclusion. Then tell me if you think I'm right!

Why so many bad reviews? First off, let's be real. Most horror books are nothing but brain candy. When you come to one that requires reflection, it's disconcerting. We were all expecting a typical horror story so that we could be entertained, close the cover and move on to the next read. But this Hershey's Kiss turns out to be more of a Slo-Poke (I betray my age), and we are asked to chew on it awhile to get our nickel's worth.

Were you annoyed by that last page--discovering that ROAST MULES was not to be revealed, and realizing that the book's entire point hinged on it? I enjoy subtlety, but am averse to working anagrams so that I can THEN assemble an author's meaning. The ending would have spun out much more smoothly had the anagram been solved at some point, and I don't think the story would have lost a gram of subtlety.

Nevertheless, the novel is successful and here's why. First, this was no "It was only a dream ... or was it?" cornball kid-book ending--unless, in the manner of Elias Howe, Rosemary was able to invent roller blades and the Palm Pilot as she dozed. The conversation with Hutch assures us (doggedly) that the dream was a vision. Of course, that's not enough to keep the book out of the bush-leagues, but there's more.

To save you a couple of aspirin, the solution to the anagram is somersault. Some have interpreted this as cyclical imagery, suggesting that Rosemary is damned to repeat her ordeal for eternity. However, a somersault is not a cycle. While one does alight in the same posture/position as before, he finds himself a few steps advanced. That's what's happening here. At St. Pat's, Rosemary prays for a sign, and for guidance. The unexpected response turns out to be a full replay--but this time, with the benefit of experience. The last words of the book are, "She looked ahead." That's a lot different from her starting point in Rosemary's Baby. Rosemary never had a chance in the first go-round. Anyone, no matter how good or how clever, would have been pulled in and defeated. But this next time, her mettle and faith can play a role, and depending on how she performs, she'll either save the world or find herself once again on that stuffy elevator. Though the somersault gives her a fighting chance, this won't be a cake walk. `We're about to be thrown out, it's a free year at the Dakota, look, it was only a dream,' and etc. She'll doubtless go on to the Dakota, and there she'll find out how much she learned in the practice round.

Astonishingly bad....there were even sentences that were unintelligible. The characters were flat, the dialogue awkward. The ending was utterly bogus. I could tell that the book was a loser from the start but read on in perverse hope. My perserverance was NOT rewarded.

For social commentary and suspense, try "This Perfect Day" instead. If you must read it for yourself, borrow it from the library. In my opinion, Rosemary's Son is a unforunate waste of paper, time and money from a normally quite gifted writer, Ira Levin. A real clunker.

I am horrified that such an excellent writer would stoop to such a trite and disappointing ending. The majority of the book was palatable, but the lousy ending left me with a foul taste in my mouth. Rosemary's Baby is indeed a classic, but this one is just a cop-out.