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Children of the Night
The schoolteacher looked around her in this stretch of abandoned parkland, this peculiar hidden valley, where she had been led by the naked children running before her.
Like an instant stinging rash, goose-flesh prickled the woman's body, head to toe, for now she could actually see and count five children; all graceful and strong, all shaggy-haired, wet, inexplicably naked; and all-what?-drugged, mad, possessed, rabid? No word would suffice, no word explain.
Why had they lured her here! What did they want to do with her?
"No, children. No-please...!"
Like an instant stinging rash, goose-flesh prickled the woman's body, head to toe, for now she could actually see and count five children; all graceful and strong, all shaggy-haired, wet, inexplicably naked; and all-what?-drugged, mad, possessed, rabid? No word would suffice, no word explain.
Why had they lured her here! What did they want to do with her?
"No, children. No-please...!"
- GenresHorror
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 13, 2019
synopsis: lives mired in poverty and cycles of abuse and neglect transform young whippersnappers into a marauding band of murderous, devouring animal-kids.
Lortz tries to bring attention to the supposed nihilism of ghetto life with what amounts to a morality tale disguised as a horrorshow, but it's clear that the author has no real understanding of these lives. this is a drive-by view of tough living and broken surroundings by someone who is horrified, disgusted, and completely clueless; the windows are rolled up and the doors are definitely locked. there is a secret condescension here, along with the lack of dimensions. Lortz paints a picture of excrement and calls it a picture of life in the hood. sorry, but no. I'm not sure whether this is a staid bourgeois perspective or, more likely, a terminally artsy perspective. it certainly doesn't help matters that Lortz's previously displayed fascination with the sexuality of children and of gays has somehow curdled into homophobia and a pretty gross interest in sexualizing kids.
the author's talent with prose actually works against him: his various bits of writerly flair were like ribbons and bows wrapped around said excrement, and often came across as hopelessly amateurish to boot. this is a writer whose past three books I've really enjoyed; after reading this ostentatiously grimy book, it became clear that he is best off writing about milieus that he actually understands: the often eccentric lifestyles of the upper and upper-middle classes.
so yeah, this was super disappointing. I usually love Lortz but this time he overreached and fell into an abyss of pretension, bad writing, and all around repulsiveness.
also, there are way too many cock-rings in this book! I mean 1 is already 1 too many. alas!
Lortz tries to bring attention to the supposed nihilism of ghetto life with what amounts to a morality tale disguised as a horrorshow, but it's clear that the author has no real understanding of these lives. this is a drive-by view of tough living and broken surroundings by someone who is horrified, disgusted, and completely clueless; the windows are rolled up and the doors are definitely locked. there is a secret condescension here, along with the lack of dimensions. Lortz paints a picture of excrement and calls it a picture of life in the hood. sorry, but no. I'm not sure whether this is a staid bourgeois perspective or, more likely, a terminally artsy perspective. it certainly doesn't help matters that Lortz's previously displayed fascination with the sexuality of children and of gays has somehow curdled into homophobia and a pretty gross interest in sexualizing kids.
the author's talent with prose actually works against him: his various bits of writerly flair were like ribbons and bows wrapped around said excrement, and often came across as hopelessly amateurish to boot. this is a writer whose past three books I've really enjoyed; after reading this ostentatiously grimy book, it became clear that he is best off writing about milieus that he actually understands: the often eccentric lifestyles of the upper and upper-middle classes.
so yeah, this was super disappointing. I usually love Lortz but this time he overreached and fell into an abyss of pretension, bad writing, and all around repulsiveness.
also, there are way too many cock-rings in this book! I mean 1 is already 1 too many. alas!
January 12, 2020
1.5 stars Spoilers of a kind below.
Well, that was...something.
Apparently, this book was named "one of 1982's Most Outstanding Books of the Year by the Books for Young Adults Program, University of Iowa", leading one to wonder what the hell the judges were smoking (perhaps the same thing Lortz was using when writing this ungodly mess?). Incest, child rape, dismemberment, cannibalism, racial and ethnic stereotyping, all served up with a side of supernaturalism and faint, hand-wringing attempts at social consciousness (all while the author exploits the youthful objects of his pity for all they're worth), make for an unsavoury story I'd be hard pressed to recommend to anyone, much less an impressionable young person.
As always, Lortz's writing has a certain over-the-top charm and he keeps things moving fairly briskly, but this is a poorly put together book, awkward in structure and filled with odd non-sequiturs and dangling ends (the lovingly detailed introduction near the beginning of the book of two cops, one young and hip, the other older and crusty, only to have them never show up again is the oddest: a genuinely head-scratching WTF episode in a book full of peculiarly disjointed scenes). The ending is abrupt and anticlimatic and seems almost tacked on. On reflection, I wonder if Lortz set out to write a longer book, found he couldn't for one reason or another, and wrapped the whole thing up without bothering to go back and tinker with the original structure and character development.
Not recommended for anyone besides Lortz fanatics/completists.
Well, that was...something.
Apparently, this book was named "one of 1982's Most Outstanding Books of the Year by the Books for Young Adults Program, University of Iowa", leading one to wonder what the hell the judges were smoking (perhaps the same thing Lortz was using when writing this ungodly mess?). Incest, child rape, dismemberment, cannibalism, racial and ethnic stereotyping, all served up with a side of supernaturalism and faint, hand-wringing attempts at social consciousness (all while the author exploits the youthful objects of his pity for all they're worth), make for an unsavoury story I'd be hard pressed to recommend to anyone, much less an impressionable young person.
As always, Lortz's writing has a certain over-the-top charm and he keeps things moving fairly briskly, but this is a poorly put together book, awkward in structure and filled with odd non-sequiturs and dangling ends (the lovingly detailed introduction near the beginning of the book of two cops, one young and hip, the other older and crusty, only to have them never show up again is the oddest: a genuinely head-scratching WTF episode in a book full of peculiarly disjointed scenes). The ending is abrupt and anticlimatic and seems almost tacked on. On reflection, I wonder if Lortz set out to write a longer book, found he couldn't for one reason or another, and wrapped the whole thing up without bothering to go back and tinker with the original structure and character development.
Not recommended for anyone besides Lortz fanatics/completists.
June 14, 2014
What I have basically taken away from this book is that the author enjoys writing about male genitalia and lacks the ability to write a coherent plot. I nearly stopped reading it several times but finished it since it is fairly short. I have considered the possibility that the author was attempting to write some form of social commentary on urban decay and child abuse; however, if that was the intent, it fell horribly flat. After completing the book I'm still not sure how Dracula really tied in.
October 12, 2021
Written in beautiful language, the book is filled with fierce energy.
Faceted storytelling that allows you to look into the head of each character has an amazing effect: even the little that is clear to us is a complete mystery for the characters themselves - hence the episode with the detectives, which seemed superfluous to someone.
The absolute freedom of Richard Lorz in his creative act deserves the envy, modern writers, whose bloggers and readers are fined for every incorrect statement, should pray that such books remain in print as a reminder of writers' paradise.
Faceted storytelling that allows you to look into the head of each character has an amazing effect: even the little that is clear to us is a complete mystery for the characters themselves - hence the episode with the detectives, which seemed superfluous to someone.
The absolute freedom of Richard Lorz in his creative act deserves the envy, modern writers, whose bloggers and readers are fined for every incorrect statement, should pray that such books remain in print as a reminder of writers' paradise.
December 9, 2015
I thought other reviews where being rough but this is truly crap. It's violent and wrong!!! If this book is meant for young adults, all I can say is I would not let anyone I know read it. And I don't really understand the title with the storyline. There are not many books I hate but this is sadly one of them.
January 26, 2024
I picked this up because I’ve been on a vintage horror binge. I thought the blurb on the back was interesting enough—- so without much thought I started this.
The first two chapters set the scene for what I was thinking could’ve been a really interesting creature driven story… and then i was immediately let down as the following chapters proved to just get worse off the deeper I went—- both in content matter and how far it seemed to be straying away from any kind of real native that wasn’t just what I would consider to be torture themed smut.
The over arching theme seems to have been that the author wanted to investigar how it might have been to grow up in lower income/“ghetto” communities— I completely understood this and the concept would’ve been cool especially paired with the spooky “creatures of the night” situation… but he just does a bunch of world building and sets up a bunch of set pieces without doing anything with them. The only thing you’re really left with as you move from each chapter is how much he likes making dick jokes in addition to how odd it is that he would choose to write something as graphic as the assault of MULTIPLE underaged characters over SEVERAL chapters in such obscene detail each time. It wasn’t horror, it was just uncomfortable and at the risk of sounding like a prude—- kinda just gross?
This was a hard read. I finished it to give it a fair shot but truly I wanted to stop reading it after the first 50 pages.
Do not recommend.
The first two chapters set the scene for what I was thinking could’ve been a really interesting creature driven story… and then i was immediately let down as the following chapters proved to just get worse off the deeper I went—- both in content matter and how far it seemed to be straying away from any kind of real native that wasn’t just what I would consider to be torture themed smut.
The over arching theme seems to have been that the author wanted to investigar how it might have been to grow up in lower income/“ghetto” communities— I completely understood this and the concept would’ve been cool especially paired with the spooky “creatures of the night” situation… but he just does a bunch of world building and sets up a bunch of set pieces without doing anything with them. The only thing you’re really left with as you move from each chapter is how much he likes making dick jokes in addition to how odd it is that he would choose to write something as graphic as the assault of MULTIPLE underaged characters over SEVERAL chapters in such obscene detail each time. It wasn’t horror, it was just uncomfortable and at the risk of sounding like a prude—- kinda just gross?
This was a hard read. I finished it to give it a fair shot but truly I wanted to stop reading it after the first 50 pages.
Do not recommend.
March 17, 2010
Quelqu'un, quelque chose était derrière elle, quelque part ! Elle se retourna brusquement. L'entrée du parc avait la même apparence qu'auparavant, bien que maintenant la brume eût épaissi. Puis soudain, comme si elle avait toujours su où porter exactement son regard, elle tourna lentement la tête vers la gauche. Elle ne vit pas apparaître cette chose imaginaire, épouvantable, contre laquelle sa raison se débattait : ce n'était pas le Comte Dracula aux longues dents, ni le monstre du Dr Frankenstein, ni même un junkie new-yorkais de deux mètres agitant un rasoir ouvert... Sa peur fit place à un étonnement plus grand encore : ce qu'elle voyait, c'était un enfant nu...
Avec Les enfants de Dracula, Richard Lortz dénonce violemment la misère, l'indifférence et l'inhumanité des villes qui engendrent les monstres modernes.
Avec Les enfants de Dracula, Richard Lortz dénonce violemment la misère, l'indifférence et l'inhumanité des villes qui engendrent les monstres modernes.
May 12, 2014
A mishmash of sex and violence. At times I don't know if the author wants me to like what I read, get upset or feel disgusted.
To many short storys and to thin red line for me to feel more for it than two stars-
To many short storys and to thin red line for me to feel more for it than two stars-
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews