One October Night

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Zelazny is a genius Where else would you come up with the idea of telling a Victorian mystery-humor-horror story from the point of view of a dog? The first clue of the kind of upcoming weirdness comes from the dedication, which is to Shelley, Poe, Stoker, Doyle, Lovecraft, Bradbury, Bloch, and Terhune dog breeder and writer. That means not only does the cast of characters include the watchdog Snuff, and his master, Jack, a Zelazny is a genius That means not only does the cast of characters include the watchdog Snuff, and his master, Jack, a man who is particularly talented with a knife, but a host of horror and mystery classics.

The Great Detective and his sidekick are in the vicinity, investigating the sudden uptick in activity and maybe solve a murder or two. The Count drops by in his flowing, dark glory. The Good Doctor has moved into a nearby farmhouse looking for some quiet space in which to conduct various experiments using lightening.

Is it any surprise he has a misshapen dwarf sidekick and an experiment man? And perhaps, in the vein of Bloch, there's a bad pun or two--really, Zelazny, really?? The structure is the daily dairy of a mathematically-talented watchdog, Snuff, as he and Jack prepare for a final confrontation on October 31 between those who would open a door to other worlds and those who would keep it closed.

Spell and geographical preparations need to be made while strategizing against the other participants. I have to admire how Zelazny takes simple sentence structure to initially build believability in a dog narrator although, to be fair, there are hints he might be more than canine , but by story end, he is at his usual level of sophistication and imagery. Actually, the sense-world of the canine rather lends itself to Zelazny's imagery. Underneath the spell-preparing shenanigans is the building of a serious conflict.

Preparations make for strange bedfellows, and Snuff finds himself relying on Ms. He also interacts with a variety of other animal companions to the main human? Zelazny must of had a blast writing this. There's amusing variations on a theme wandering through the month. Notable are the many disguises of the Great Detective, and the variety of injuries his companion displays.

There's a particularly fun ongoing riff using the Things that Jack and Snuff guard. The Things in the Mirror, Thing in the Wardrobe, the Thing in the Steamer Trunk and the Thing in the Circle downstairs are always trying to escape, but are kept under control by Snuff's ferociousness.

The Thing in the Circle has settled for deception as its escape strategy, and daily turns into some type of dog, hoping to tempt Snuff. The Peke gave me the paw as I departed, and it's hard to turn your leg that way. Well, there is a section where Zelazny indulges in his trademark other-world building that didn't seem to be particularly germane to the narrative.

While a fun read, it just didn't hit '5' on my 'must own now' scale, but I'd rate it at 4 and a half stars. A lot of fun, worth a read or two and I'd certainly give it space if a cheap copy came my way--it could nestle up to the Amber series and his short story books I already own. Cross posted at http: View all 25 comments. Mar 03, Dan Schwent rated it it was amazing Shelves: A Night in the Lonesome October is about a gateway to a dimension of Lovecraftian horrors and the two opposing forces dedicated to opening the gate or making sure it stays closed.

The story is told from the point of view of Jack the Ripper's dog Snuff. Yeah, you read that right. I was hooked right away, around the time Snuff and the graveyard dog had a funny conversation and asked to see one another's teeth. One of the characters calls The Game, as it is known, a lunatic scavenger hunt. That's pr A Night in the Lonesome October is about a gateway to a dimension of Lovecraftian horrors and the two opposing forces dedicated to opening the gate or making sure it stays closed. That's pretty much what it is. Snuff spends most of the book calculating where the gateway will appear, having to recalculate every time a player turns up dead One of the best parts of A Night in the Lonsesome October is trying to figure out which characters are actually participants in The Game, and which side they are on.

Through in the Cthulhu mythos and you have a ripping good yarn. View all 14 comments. Recommended to Orient by: Evgeny , thanks again for a great recommendation: This book is a great blend of mystery spices, gripping suspense, funny dialogues and fabulous fantasy. The story simply is a page-turner. What gripped me in A Night in the Lonesome October?

Definitely the talking animals, the monsters who entertained Snuff with their mad requests and danger Evgeny , thanks again for a great recommendation: Definitely the talking animals, the monsters who entertained Snuff with their mad requests and dangerous plans and the heroes from other famous and classical books. The author borrowed some characters from fabulous classics Mary Shelley, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker to create his book as an interesting game. The book presented the story of a strange Game, a shrewd and sometimes dangerous fight between two groups of players.

When the right time comes, they prepare for one special Night in the Lonesome October when the fate of the world is to be decided. I liked the players and their companions. A dangerous gentleman who wanders the streets at night with a knife view spoiler [some ties to the Great Ripper? Snuff managed all the funny dialogues and I really enjoyed his interaction with others. I moved in a big circle about the hilltop, pissing on stone after stone as I calculated, partly to keep track of the lines, partly in frustration.

A new form of counting: D well now I know why does my dog have to pee on every bush while going for a walk. No one wants to hurt you. I'd rather talk to you! Ok, here lurk some other interesting personalities: Then there is a crazy bloodlusty man of god, with a peculiar companion Tekela.

October diary

The Game is presented quite masterfully, with lots of bits that the reader has to put together to see the whole puzzle. I tracked Snuff and the other players in the Game with interested as the story revealed the closeness of great friendships, the great alliances and the nasty treason. The finale revealed some secrets and it was great to have one of the players, I liked, back. I have only one complaint.

Some characters were not fully developed, I would have liked to know more about their past, their stronger sides and weaknesses. This is the last book that Mr. Jack and Jill went down the hill. Gray and I ran after. View all 22 comments. Oct 30, Robin Bridge Four rated it really liked it Shelves: I used to watch How I Met Your Mother and loved all the various challenges that Barney took on because someone in the group said there was no way he could do it. Like picking up girls in overalls or licking the Liberty Bell. So in my head this is how Roger Zelazny responded when someone told him it would be impossible to make Jack the Ripper into a good guy.

I always try to read something for the Halloween season. There are a few things that are done really well in this story. First the narrator is a dog, but not just any dog but one with some sort of ties to the supernatural and he is companion to none other than Jack the Ripper but that is never clearly stated. Still it gives a different and unique perspective on his activities. The Second is that all the players in the story are from those old horror movies I watched as a kid including Dr. Each one has their own pet familiar AND is working for a big event on Halloween to either release a great power or keep it where it is.

Until very close to the end it is hard to say who is on which side. The Third thing I enjoyed about this set up is that nothing is told to you. Everything is shown and the story teases out a little at a time with hints here and there but nothing overt. And I admittedly ended up reading some of the lore on a few of the other characters in the book which added to the Halloween fun of it.

I really wanted to know what happened to a few of the other characters but it is left to my own imagination. Dec 19, Jim rated it it was amazing Shelves: An entertaining, interesting story on the face, the understory is even better. Re-reading yet again with the Beyond Reality group. Both of these topics contain spoilers. I'm armed with 20 p An entertaining, interesting story on the face, the understory is even better. We're having a great discussion with some additional pieces being filled in.

This is definitely a book best enjoyed with a mixed group. All our diverse experience still leaves a few lingering mysteries. Many are easy, but a few are about impossible. I contacted James Warhola again, but he still doesn't have access to his notes. Yes, I'll likely read it again that soon, so I had to give it 5 stars.

It's a gift that never stops giving. Read in the Zelazny group. The story, as one of the character's of the book puts it, is 'a lunatic scavenger hunt' in more ways than one. Who are the people, what are they trying to accomplish - are they good or bad guys? It's also perfect Halloween reading.

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There are 31 chapters, one for each day of the month of October during which the story plays out. At first, we're not quite sure what is happening, but the characters are interesting. As usual, his novels are worthy of a re-read at a later date. Usually, I ignored them. View all 3 comments. And it never loses its freshness or excitement. And how do I write a review for this book that will do it justice? My three children, then teenagers, listened to it twice on car trips, lapping up every word, eager to hear what was to come next.

Nor are any of their neighbors ordinary. Although a full moon coincides with Halloween only three or four times in a century, Snuff has played the game many times before. Before the game comes to its thrilling culmination on Halloween night, several players will die, several animal companions will flee, and much blood and mayhem will flow. To reveal any more would ruin the book.

With lots of irony and wit, A Night in the Lonesome October will make you rue that Zelazny died before penning a sequel. You will recognize the deft allusions to famous characters in fiction, which provides part of the fun in this masterful fantasy novel. If you have the privilege of enjoying the audio version of A Night in the Lonesome October , you will hear Roger Zelazny himself reading it, and he does a magnificent job — before than the average professional reader.

You can buy the audio version through Speaking Volumes. View all 15 comments. Reading yet again with Fantasy Book Club. Many thanks to Helen for inviting me to read along. Definitely a Halloween tradition.

The one with Tim Curry, of course. It was a great read with a great bunch of people. She saw the characters as grouped by their roles in the story. That's a major spoiler, so don't look until you've read the book, but it makes so much sense. James Warhola finally looked through his old boxes 6 years of nagging! No notes, but he did find some sketches.

There are 5 of them posted in the Zelazny group's photos here: I made up a set of notes this year from discussions over the past couple of years in the Roger Zelazny group here: While some of the characters are obvious, several are not. Here's the full picture, much of which is cut out on the cover: I picked up a few more tidbits this year, which is pretty amazing. As fun as it is to read just the obvious story, the subtleties make it even better. What a fantastic read for October, especially if done one day at a time while discussing with others.

Oct 01, Celeste rated it really liked it Shelves: Zelazny is a science fiction and fantasy forefather of the s through the s, having influenced the likes of Neil Gaiman and George R. In other Actual rating: In other words, we have him to thank for some of the stories and authors that we as SFF fans love so much.

The aforementioned format was engaging and unique, and the plot was very original. But those were honestly my two favorite aspects of the book. All of the players were well known characters or tropes from classic horror fiction, which added to the fun factor. For a Game that had a possibly apocalyptic outcome, the way the story was told seemed very slice-of-life, which removed some of the tension needed to fully absorb a reader in a cosmic conflict.

A Night in the Lonesome October was a light October read, perfect for getting into the spirit of the season. It just left me wanting a bit more. Halloween buddy read with some of my awesome goodreads friends. Feather in the wind. In so many good ways. It is written from a dog's point of view and consists of a prologue plus 31 chapters, one chapter for each day of October.

You have no idea what is going on in the major part of the book, but instead you come across all sorts of characters that you might for Halloween buddy read with some of my awesome goodreads friends. You have no idea what is going on in the major part of the book, but instead you come across all sorts of characters that you might for instance know from other books or the real world Jack the Ripper says hi is all I'll say as you gather hints and clues as to what exactly is happening here.

Many of those hints are so subtle, it's simply brilliant, which is why I will not say more about the plot here. It would already give away way too much. While the book is a quick read and seems rather light and funny on the surface, it is really pretty creepy and touches upon topics such as vivisection, murder and grave-robbing. At times it feels surrealistic, other times it is poetic and heartbreaking, too. He cared about people, about the whole world. He had a lot of that. In short, it makes you feel all the feels - if you let it do so. I felt a strong desire to howl at the moon.

It was such a howlable moon. I feel that I could never do a book such as this credit with my limited ability to express myself by writing a review for it, so I will leave it to you now to pick it up and see for yourself, because you definitely should.

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Last, but not least, thank you, Evgeny , for drawing this book to my attention, and for the hints you gave us. I would have missed so many of them had it not been for you. View all 21 comments. Zelaznijev stil je jedinstven i neponovljiv. I have the stuffed animal collection, the silver screen box, key chains, artwork for the poster of The Creature from the Black Lagoon signed by the artist and autographs from Ricou Browning and Julie Adams from a convention on it years later , a few other collectables, the collector box set with statues of Dracula, Frankenstein and The Wolf Man I'd have much more but, you know, I'm poor.

This book gets brownie points just for including some of these characters. My heart went aflutter seeing the names Count and Larry Talbot. Being told through the points of view of the animals was just another cherry on top of the fandom-sundae. It's a quick read with odd artwork. Not a children's tale because of the language and content, but parts of it read like one. I think it's because it's capturing the magic of youth and adulthood all in one, something we never really outgrow.

Despite how much I loved about the book, my enjoyment comes to a 3. Not to sound dense, but some of the story confused me to tears and there were some dragging bits. I did dig the twist at the end with the count and also loved Jack and his scenes of saving his faithful hound. Recommended for everyone - Halloween or any time of the year, young or old. Oct 04, Carol rated it it was amazing Shelves: Oh what a fast, fun adventure for us lovers of mystery, fantasy and horror Loved every minute of it!

Sep 05, Stepheny rated it liked it. The story is told in 31 chapters- each one is a day in October. You are following around Snuff, a watchdog who tells you all about his adventures for the day. With 15 minutes left in the movie you decide to reach in your bag and get your keys out so you can try to beat the rush. Upon reaching in your bag you find your damn glasses.

I never made that connection and we can blame that on my blonde roots I guess. Overall I enjoyed the story. I mostly loved the kitty because I love kitties. Maybe a combination of both? But not all of it. I want to thank my Goodreads Gal Pals for encouraging me to try new things and especially thanks to Delee for choosing this particular book.

A very enjoyable read from Roger Zelazny , consistent with other material I've read by him. The tone is light, although the subject matter is grim. It seems that on Halloween night, unimaginable horrors will attempt to enter this world.

One October Night

A gathering of powers has come together, some to hold it back, and some to try to help it along. Throughout the month, these opposing forces are playing a game of positioning, alliances, and grabs for talismans to help their cause or hinder the opposition. The story A very enjoyable read from Roger Zelazny , consistent with other material I've read by him.

The story is told by Snuff, the trusty dog of Jack the Ripper. He interacts with other players in the game, and the animal companions of these players. We get cameo appearances from major characters of horror stories written in the 's, or from movies about stories in that era. This came out as a nice mix of horror and comedy, intrigue and mystery, and a puzzle for the reader to pick up on all the outside references. The chapters are broken down to 31, one for each day of October. I read this one chapter a day for the month, along with some good friends, to experience the story as Snuff pretty much lived it.

I think this is one that could be read again, perhaps as early as next October, when the weather is changing, it's getting dark earlier, and there is a crispness in the air. It's a perfect mood book for the season, and I think there are little tidbits that will be picked up in subsequent readings. Watch for an update in October of Dec 05, Miriam rated it really liked it Recommends it for: This amalgamation of Victorian gothic and penny dreadful cliches is the best example of Zelazny's tongue-in-cheek humor.

Without taking itself too seriously, the book avoids the campiness of the author's Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming and manages to be exciting and plot-driven without losing its sense of whimsy. Zelazny also succeeds in capturing the requisite dark-and-shadowed-Victorian-London atmosphere without becoming unbearably heavy or going to extremes of nastiness, as many recent u This amalgamation of Victorian gothic and penny dreadful cliches is the best example of Zelazny's tongue-in-cheek humor.

Zelazny also succeeds in capturing the requisite dark-and-shadowed-Victorian-London atmosphere without becoming unbearably heavy or going to extremes of nastiness, as many recent users of Victorian settings seem driven to do. View all 5 comments. Fans of the classic horror movie characters. Goodness gracious, I am super late writing this review. My schedule just exploded after the middle of October, and I had no time. Because it's been nearly a month, I don't have the best memory of all the plotlines.

But I promised I would write a review for every book I read, so better late than never, and my review will be of the more general sort. I was fortunate to find this at my library and it fit very well thematically into my October Scare Fest reading. I enjoyed it overall. It's an odd lit Goodness gracious, I am super late writing this review. It's an odd little book, no question about it. I would consider it a bit of a pastiche to the famous literary figures of Dracula, Frankenstein and his monster, Sherlock Holmes, Merlin-type druids, and the Wolfman.

I rather enjoyed that about this book. What I loved the most is that the narrators are the familiars, or animal companions of the human or humanlike characters. They all strike up a strange sort of friendship driven by mutual interest and that old adage that drives too many middle grade friendships, especially among girls: The story's chapters are broken down into each one representing a day in October. They are getting ready for some very important magical event that will have seemingly profound consequences.

It sort of reminded me of the Highlander movie where the various characters are pairing off against each other, but this was more of a semi-good versus evil sort of standoff. Forgive me if I am way off here. I didn't quite understand all of that, but I don't think it was as important as the unfolding paranormal mystery as various human or humanlike characters start to be picked off, one by one. The main character is a dog, who is the familiar of a male wizard. He's an endearing narrator. I liked how he plays dumb dog when necessary, but he's not the average canine I truly feel some dogs are incredibly intelligent, so don't assume I'm picking on dogs here.

I liked his wry and atypical friendship with a cat, who is the familiar of a witch. Along with the fact that their humans are striking up a courtship that may not end well if they end up choosing opposite sides. There is also a bat, rat, snake, and owl character. I'm sorry I don't remember all their names. I do remember the snake's name was Quicklime, so go figure. Strangely enough, the humanlike character who was most developed was Larry Talbot. Classic horror movie buffs will recognize that name as that of the Wolf Man.

He did have the tragic vibe of the character in the movie, but he was quite likable. This book isn't that deep. I mean it's a short book and probably has some hidden meaning, and I think a very prominent satirical tone that some readers will pick up on immediately. It's not super scary, it's a bit.

Enough to make for a nice Halloween read. I'd say this one is worth tracking down if you can find it at your library. Unfortunately, it's out of print. A good read for this time of year. And fun for animal lovers like myself. Nov 01, Maria Dimitrova rated it really liked it Recommended to Maria by: Buddy read with Roger Zelazny Newbies Group.

Thanks for suggesting this read Evgeny! This was a pretty interesting story, a lot more interesting than I initially expected. The way it was approached plays a big role in why I liked it so much. And because of the chosen POV I had a blast figuring out which characters was which famous literature hero. And when i couldn't I had my wonderful friends at RZN to help me out even if I spend most of my time there just lurking. At first it was a slow going but about a week into October those who have read it know what I mean you're hooked and the need to know what the Game is, what an opener and a closer means and which are the "good" guys drives you mad.

It didn't take me too long to figure it all out and let me tell you I was really surprised that view spoiler [Jack the Ripper is what passes for the world-saving hero! This was my very first book by Roger Zelazny and I would definitely be reading more of his works.

I want to thank Evgeny for picking an excellent entry point: View all 16 comments. Oct 16, William rated it it was amazing. A wonderful book in every sense of the word, and perfect October reading. Jack the Ripper, the Wolfman, Sherlock Holmes, Dr Frankenstein and his monster , Dracula, a witch, a mad monk, an evil vicar and many more, all attempting to perform a ritual to either allow Lovecraftian old ones through to our plane, or prevent it from happening.

And all ably narrated by Snuff, Jack's faithful, and possibly immortal, dog companion. Zelazny was on top form here, a towering talent, taken far too early. It' A wonderful book in every sense of the word, and perfect October reading. It's gorgeously written, humorous, completely immersive and one of the greatest things since sliced bread. Do yourself a favor and get onto this straight away - you can thank me later. October 1 - 31, Second reading: October 1 - 31, Third reading: October 1 - 31, Fourth reading: October 1 - 31, Fifth reading: October 1 - 31, Sixth reading: October 1 - 31, The packed edition of Raw saw a return of a Hall of Famer and the flagship show's final build up to Saturday night's event in Melbourne, Australia.

All the storylines for the big event continued, while a new rivalry in the tag team division began with two teams on the uprise involved. Ambrose gave a shocking response by stating that all those talks could be true and he wants out of the Shield. But, he was just kidding as he later added that the Shield is a brotherhood and they will always go to war together.

Ambrose and Corbin had a few verbal exchanges and the former called the latter the world's largest substitute teacher. Ambrose picked the Monster Among Men and the match kicked off straight away. Strowman took control for the larger part of the match and caught Ambrose in a submission move followed by an assault. Dean countered that with a headlock, but the powerful Strowman just threw him away. Later, the pair go back and forth with signature moves.

In the end Roman Reigns interfered to attack Braun and hit the Superman punch to disqualify the match.

A Night in the Lonesome October

After the match, Reigns attempted another Superman Punch but was blocked. They were soon joined by Seth Rollins who came flying off the top rope to nail Strowman. Baron Corbin came out and told he is the man in charge to book Rollins vs. McIntyre and Reigns vs. Roman took on Ziggler in a non-title match. Roman Reigns landed the first strike but Ziggler got the early momentum on his side after Reigns ran straight into the ring post. Ziggler attacked Roman Reigns outside the ring and then hit him with a big move. After back and forth action which included Superman punches and superkicks, Reigns delivered a spear to pick up the win.

Rousey hit 3 Judo throws to get a cautious Riott off her feet. Riott later gained advantage as she made Rousey chase her and kicked Rousey to slam her shoulder against the turnbuckles. In the end, Rousey slammed Riott in the ring and then locked in the armbar for a submission win. Later, in continuity of their feud, Konnor took on Bobby Roode in a one-on-one match. Konor hit Roode with an Irish whip and a stomp to set up for an elbow drop but missed. Bobby Roode jumped from the top turnbuckle and started to get fired up.

Bobby Roode later set up for for a Glorious DDT but a distraction from Viktor allowed Konnor to hit a gut wrench slam to earn a pinfall win. Dawson and Axel started off the match. Dallas and Dawson were legal as the latter hit a spinebuster for a quick two count. Bo soon got a pinfall soon out of no where. The B Team were celebrating on the ramp until the Authors of Pain attacked them from behind. AOP hit the supercollider on the B team in the ring before they stood tall in the ring with their manager, Drake Maverick.

There were a few more back stage segments featuring the Shield and the heel trio of Strowman, Ziggler and McIntyre. Next up was time for Seth Rollins vs.

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