Rosemary's Baby (novel): Difference between revisions
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==Related works== |
==Related works== |
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Whether directly or not, many subsequent novels and films are inspired by Levin's novel ''Rosemary's Baby''... [[The Devil's Advocate (film)]] repeats Levin's plot-contrivances, in which another woman becomes a pawn for her husband's upward rise to fame; [[The Astronaut's Wife]], is about a woman who is impregnated by an extraterrestrial-alien that has taken over the mind and body of her husband. Similarly, the novels ''Lupe'' (1977) by Gene Thompson, and ''The Glow'' (1978) by Brooks Stanwood, share plot elements with ''Rosemary's Baby''; the former story about a Hispanic hair-lipped boy who dabbles in the occult and reincarnates himself in the womb of his unwitting female host-victim, and the latter (in essence) about a coven of elderly New York City 'vampires' who prey on healthy thirtysomething joggers for their immortalizing blood serum. With the exception of ''Lupe'' (San Francisco, CA), the individual storylines of these aforementioned films and novels largely take place in New York City; the protagonist couples are young, upwardly mobile, and acquire choice residency near Central Park (as in Levin's novel, the spacious "classic" floorplan of the Woodhouse couple's Bramford apartment). |
Whether directly or not, many subsequent novels and films are inspired by Levin's novel ''Rosemary's Baby''... [[The Devil's Advocate (film)]] repeats Levin's plot-contrivances, in which another woman becomes a pawn for her husband's upward rise to fame; [[The Astronaut's Wife]], is about a woman who is impregnated by an extraterrestrial-alien that has taken over the mind and body of her husband (Coincidentally, in both those films the subject wife is played by [[Charlize Theron]]). Similarly, the novels ''Lupe'' (1977) by Gene Thompson, and ''The Glow'' (1978) by Brooks Stanwood, share plot elements with ''Rosemary's Baby''; the former story about a Hispanic hair-lipped boy who dabbles in the occult and reincarnates himself in the womb of his unwitting female host-victim, and the latter (in essence) about a coven of elderly New York City 'vampires' who prey on healthy thirtysomething joggers for their immortalizing blood serum. With the exception of ''Lupe'' (San Francisco, CA), the individual storylines of these aforementioned films and novels largely take place in New York City; the protagonist couples are young, upwardly mobile, and acquire choice residency near Central Park (as in Levin's novel, the spacious "classic" floorplan of the Woodhouse couple's Bramford apartment). |
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==Popular culture== |
==Popular culture== |
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Revision as of 02:56, 3 February 2008
| Cover of 1967 1st Edition Hard Cover Cover of 1967 first edition | |
| Author | Ira Levin |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Horror novel |
| Publisher | Random House |
Publication date | 1967 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) & Audio book |
| Followed by | Son of Rosemary (1997) |
Rosemary's Baby is a 1967 best-selling horror novel by Ira Levin, his second published book.
The book centers on Rosemary Woodhouse, a young woman who has just moved into the Bramford, a New York apartment building, with her actor husband, Guy. Rosemary is initially warned that the Bramford has a disturbing past history, but she and Guy ignore this. Rosemary and Guy soon make friends with an eccentric elderly couple whose apartment backs up to their own, Minnie and Roman Castevet. Guy quickly becomes close with the Castevets. One night, Guy and Rosemary are planning a romantic dinner, but after eating a dessert, Rosemary begins feeling woozy and dreams that she is raped by something not human, while her elderly neighbors watch. Guy tells her that she just had a bad dream. Soon after, she discovers she is pregnant. As the pregnancy continues, Rosemary begins to suspect her elderly neighbors are not the kindly souls they appear to be. After receiving a warning from a friend, she discovers her neighbors are the leaders of a coven of witches, and she initially believes they are after her child to use it as a sacrifice, but she is unable to convince anyone to believe her. However, she soon finds out the horrible truth, that Guy allowed the devil to impregnate her in exchange for a successful career. She is informed that she is the mother of the long-awaited anti-christ born in June 1966.
In 1968, the novel was turned into an acclaimed film adaptation starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as her husband. Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Roman Polanski, who wrote and directed the film, was nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. Other actors in the movie include: Ralph Bellamy, Elisha Cook Jr. and Charles Grodin.
The movie was filmed partially on location at The Dakota, off Central Park West in New York City.
Levin published a sequel to the novel, titled Son of Rosemary in 1997. Levin dedicated it to Mia Farrow. The TV movie, "Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby" was made in 1976, but was not connected to the novel.
Related works
Whether directly or not, many subsequent novels and films are inspired by Levin's novel Rosemary's Baby... The Devil's Advocate (film) repeats Levin's plot-contrivances, in which another woman becomes a pawn for her husband's upward rise to fame; The Astronaut's Wife, is about a woman who is impregnated by an extraterrestrial-alien that has taken over the mind and body of her husband (Coincidentally, in both those films the subject wife is played by Charlize Theron). Similarly, the novels Lupe (1977) by Gene Thompson, and The Glow (1978) by Brooks Stanwood, share plot elements with Rosemary's Baby; the former story about a Hispanic hair-lipped boy who dabbles in the occult and reincarnates himself in the womb of his unwitting female host-victim, and the latter (in essence) about a coven of elderly New York City 'vampires' who prey on healthy thirtysomething joggers for their immortalizing blood serum. With the exception of Lupe (San Francisco, CA), the individual storylines of these aforementioned films and novels largely take place in New York City; the protagonist couples are young, upwardly mobile, and acquire choice residency near Central Park (as in Levin's novel, the spacious "classic" floorplan of the Woodhouse couple's Bramford apartment).
Popular culture
- Parody, 1970s Underground Press: "ROSEMERICA'S BABY" - By Paul Krassner and Dick Guindon (Four page political comic, highly drug fueled in appearance, and origin of the joke "Spiro Agnew is an anagram for GROW A P-NIS" - comic is a lampoon of Rosemary's Baby, from The Realist No. 93, August 1972
- In the Seinfeld episode The Baby Shower Elaine throws a baby shower for a woman George despises. In return George says "She doesn't deserve a baby shower. She deserves a baby monsoon. She deserves Rosemary's baby."
- In an episode of That '70s Show Kitty, despairing over Laurie, remarks, "Rosemary had a better baby than me."
- OutKast member Big Boi refers to himself as Rosemary's baby on the track Git Up, Git Out from their debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.
Editions
- ISBN 1-56849-065-8 (library binding, 1991)
- ISBN 1-56865-470-7 (hardcover, 1997)
- ISBN 0-451-19400-4 (mass market paperback, 1997)
- ISBN 0-451-21051-4 (paperback, 2003)
- ISBN 3-926048-30-1 (hardcover)