The Auctioneer
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4.2 • 27 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
One of the finest and best-selling horror novels of the 1970s returns at last to chill a new generation of readers
In the isolated farming community of Harlowe, New Hampshire, where life has changed little over the past several decades, John Moore and his wife Mim work the land that has been in his family for generations. But from the moment the charismatic Perly Dinsmore arrives in town and starts soliciting donations for his auctions, things begin slowly and insidiously to change in Harlowe. As the auctioneer carries out his terrible, inscrutable plan, the Moores and their neighbors will find themselves gradually but inexorably stripped of their freedom, their possessions, and perhaps even their lives ...
A chilling masterpiece of terror whose sense of creeping menace and dread increases page by page, Joan Samson’s The Auctioneer (1975) is a rediscovered classic of 20th-century fiction. With echoes of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Stephen King’s Needful Things, Samson’s novel returns to print at last in this long-awaited new edition, which features an introduction by Grady Hendrix (Horrorstör, Paperbacks from Hell) and an afterword by the author’s husband.
Customer Reviews
Scary and shocking!
I just finished reading this book today—as a paperback, not as an iBook—and I’m stunned! The Auctioneer is a terrifying tale that any horror fan who wants a chillingly plausible horror novel should read. This nightmare is about the Moore’s, who decide to donate one or two belongings to the auction after a new auctioneer arrives in town. It seems harmless—until his requests become demands! As they find their lives threatened by the stranger, they discover that they are not the only victims of this horror who live in town. What’s even more terrifying is just what all there is that the auctioneer will auction! I wasn’t thrilled with this story’s ending, but I otherwise recommend it for fright fans who enjoy horror tales about something that COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN! Joan Samson wrote one other book after this, but it’s a shame that this was her only horror novel. It was, in fact, her only fiction book. Most of the horror books I read, aside from older YA horror books, are supernatural tales. But, of the rare books I’ve read for adults that are psychological “this could really happen” books I’ve read, this is absolutely one of the most frightening! Recommended!👍🏻👍🏻