Definitely a horror classic from Masterton. He does a great job with character, plot, and suspending disbelief. THE MANITOU is an excellent read.

I can't say much about this book, having read it in 1977, other than to say that I did read it and that it has left a less than favourable impression with me. (May this review be at least marginally useful 🙏🏻)

Well, that was fun! This is my first Graham Masterton read. I enjoyed it. The story was engaging from the very start and kept me interested through the whole book which made it a quick read. I would read more by this author and I would recommend this book.

Really liked it:) A fast simple read. Although its clear this was his first novel and it feels kinda rushed is till liked the feeling it gave me and Harry is a great character. Nice indian folklor with all the ghosts demons and what not. I will go for the second book in this series for sure. 4 stars:)

Yes, this is a real modern horror classic! Harry Erskine, a mystic and fortune teller, comes across a very strange case. Kate, one of his clients, is having a strange tumor at the neck. Dr Hughes doesn't have any clues how to get rid of it. Then we have an eerie Indian shaman trying to be born again and seeking revenge upon white people. Can Singing Rock, another medicine man, defeat Misquamacus? In the hospital Kate is treated he's conjuring up The Great Old One (always had to think about Lovec...

I really enjoyed this one. Brisk, wacky, unique. It's the first time I've read Masterton, and now I can see why folks dig his stuff so much. He's great with pace and characterization; his protagonist in this one was particularly likable. I'll definitely be reading more Masterton soon. Any suggestions?

Early in the book, I expected to see a story populated with caricatures, but I think this might be some of Graham Masterton's charm. He probably knows you are expecting tropes, and in fact, I bet he is counting on it. You see familiar character types walk on stage, but then they start fleshing out in a way that causes the reader to think, "This is exactly how real people would act if they were in these roles."This is an archetypal horror story. Masterton draws from some of the best terrifying re...

quick, fun, and cheesy ‘70s horror of the highest order: my first book by graham masterton certainly didn’t disappoint! what some might, justifiably, called an exorcist rip-off is scary as hell in its own right—my phone began ringing during the story’s climax, and i nearly came out of my skin. because this book was written in the mid-70s, certain trademarks of that era in horror abound: weird/borderline-offensive characterizations of women and minorities, mostly, but it’s certainly not as bad he...

I don't understand the 3.5 average rating for this book. I thought it was terrible. I enjoyed the characterization but found the plot so preposterous that I barely finished it. It started out promising but just went off the rails about 2/3 the way through it. And although I realize it's dated, and am not an advocate of updating any book to modernize, the constant references to "Red Indians" was a bit much. I will read more Graham Masterton -- I will not, however, read any more books in the Manit...

As debuts go, Masterton put his name on the map with this. You can read the synopsis, to get a real good idea about the story. What I was impressed with, was how he made this such a visual read. Wherever the story is taking place you are there, feeling the confusion of the doctors as to what kind of tumor seems to move/pulse on young Karen Tandy. Convincing doctors to the terror, the horrendous evil... that is the Manitou.

I've read The Manitou, and thought it was GREAT! - It was actually the very first "adult" horror-novel I read (besides my HUGE collection of children's and young-adult horror-books by writers as R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, and Darren Shan ;) ), and to be honest; it's the only (of the over a 1000 adult-horror-books I have here) one I've actually finished so far. So I don't have much "comparison-material" currently, but it was definitely one of the best books I've read; really suspenseful, terri...

What to say? This book was a bit of a disappointment. It started out fairly good, but then went completely ridiculous. I can understand that the movie is prob far more comical than intended. The characters were dry and I didn't care about them. The book went into detail about Indian legend and what this manitou could do, what it could summon, how to defeat it, etc. Just boring. I realize that this is a first novel, so I'm willing to try this author again. I do not recommend starting with this bo...

Good: - dialog - description - allusion to Lovecraft - horror elements - pace Bad: - character motivation - plot - occasional slips into slapstick comedy...not clear if they were deliberate.The characters were ok. They were distinct and fun, but their reactions to things didn't make very much sense. Race is handled as I expected - very 1975. It's not maliciously racist, just feels really ignorant and insensitive.

Crazy funny 70's "Exorcist"-rip-off! 2/3 fast-paced and very absorbing, totally improbable, odd dialogue, roller-coaster ride of fun followed by 1/3 absolutely ridiculous explanations and endgame.A young girl approaches a self-proclaimed phony fortune-teller, Harry Erskine, with a disturbing dream which he can connect to her aunt, who she lives with and who is his client. The dream follows a medical condition - an apparent tumor on the neck, which grows incredibly fast. When complications arise

Extremely cheesy, dated, ridiculous, over the top and enjoyable debut novel by prolific Scotsman Masterton. I enjoyed the first half more than the second. The enthusiasm Masterton embues his characters with is infectious and makes for a fun read in the first half. The never ending battle that comprises the second half of the novel is set strictly at a quarter past Velveeta on the cheese scale and I felt my enthusiasm waning, although I was still chuckling at the ridiculousness of the goings on.

I came across this author’s latest book on Netgalley and was contemplating applying for it when in a flash I remembered THIS book I read at the tender age of 13 (thanks mom for the unsupervised library access)I don’t remember the details of the storyline, but I do remember that is scared the living daylights out of me. Even now, 31 years later when I think of this book it sends shivers down my spine.

Well, it starts well and is a really interesting idea, but it swiftly becomes poorer and just daft. Furthermore, Masterson's use of racial slurs and offensive language has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I understand that the book was written in the 70s and it hasn't aged well, but the story and how it's been written isn't enough to justify some of the language; referring to a black lady as a 'negress' and constantly using the terms 'red skin' and 'medicine man' when discussing native Americans...

Karen's got a lump on her neck. She goes to see a tumor specialist. Turns out it's a 400 year old pissed off Medicine Man growing in there. You find that hard to take seriously? Evidently, so did the author and therein lies the problem. The tone jars throughout. It's spot on in the third person prelude, but then Erskine's first person narrative kicks in and the novel turns into a jokey curate's egg. An enjoyable enough battle between old magic and modern technology, but I was expecting something...

Not terrible. But you have to do a temporal reset and perhaps it’s best viewed as a campy thriller. It’s definitely fixed in the time it was written. Patients smoking in hospital exam rooms. Native Americans are referred to as Red Men and Red Indians. African-Americans are referred to as Negros. Computers use punch cards.The narrative evolves around a fake psychic and a group of press-ganged doctors and police battling the spirit of an ancient shaman with the help of the “spirit” of a punch card...

I recognize that this a first novel (it's the first novel I've ever read by Masterton actually). I recognize that there are minor slip ups about American culture by a British writer (just little turns of phrase that don't ring true - can't even think of one now they were so few - the constant usage of 'Red Indians' for one), and some major generalizations about Native American culture. I recognize that (SPOILER) it's a bit ridiculous and maybe a little racist that the white spirit of a police co...