Son Of Rosemary by Ira Levin
No.
Only its author, Ira Levin, could revisit Rosemary's Baby, and the only reason to consider this is his previous body of excellent work, but the plot, motives, characterizations, and tone of this sequel are so lacking that I would be surprised if he even wrote it. I hope he didn't.
Rosemary wakes up in a nursing home in 1999 after a 27 year coma, disoriented and confused. Everyone is wearing "I đź–¤ Andy" buttons - gee, the same name as the son she raised for six years before trying to escape that New York coven. The staff explain Andy is the most charismatic man in the world, a handsome Jesus-figure inspiring religions, politics, and the people of the world to unite in cooperation and respect. When she finds he is her grown son, it causes a media sensation and (never mind she has been bedridden in a coma) she's off to the New York headquarters of his international empire named God's Children to meet him. He is thrilled she is back, the only person who knows he is the son of the Devil, and describes how he was raised to enact a master plan to destroy the earth - but rebelled as a teenager, turning the organization towards good. So thrilled he has no qualms about rubbing up against and French kissing his mother. The organization owns offices and TV studios below his penthouse apartment, and Rosemary quickly becomes a celebrity, touring with him, with perhaps her own TV show. Never mind she discovers the staff chanting in druidic sex rituals, they are just blowing off steam after hours. Rosemary may have some questions, but doesn't do much when Andy's assistant Judith S. Kharyat betrays him, or he comes on strong sexually (and she considers it), or how he uses mental projection to hide his tiger eyes and horns. The worldwide plan of God's Children is distributing candles in every country, to be lit simultaneously at midnight GMT on New Year's Eve - a beautiful concept of renewal and unity? Or a trap to wipe out all human life?
Besides the ridiculous story, it's hard to state how poor the writing is.
Perhaps a spoiler, but...
The infuriating ending not only negates what we've read but destroys the classic novel that is Rosemary's Baby. I heard he disapproved of the horror films and books inspired by Rosemary (such as The Omen) and how pop culture embraced the satanic. His solution is to erase everything like it never happened. An appalling and infuriating cop-out—causing the reader to throw the book across the room. So disappointing. I am not the first reviewer to say the only way to handle such a travesty is to pretend it does not exist.
Ira Levin is the author of the classics The Stepford Wives, The Boys From Brazil, Deathtrap, Sliver, and Rosemary's Baby, earning him the moniker 'the Swiss watchmaker of suspense' for his excellent plotting and character. Do not waste your time on this sequel.
1997 / Hardcover / 262 pages
My other reviews for Ira Levin:
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