Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today is Friday, and it’s time for another review. Today, I am reviewing Black Christmas, the novelisation of the classic holiday slasher movie of the same name.

Black Christmas by Lee Hays was first published in 1976 by Popular Library, and (my copy) is 108 pages long.

The Plot
Black Christmas is a novelisation of the classic 1974 slasher film of the same name. Like the film, the book revolves around a house of sorority sisters who become the target of a mysterious and sadistic stalker during their Christmas break.

Characters
Jess Bradley (Bradford in the movie)
Jess, the protagonist of the story, is a college student who lives in an old sorority house. She is portrayed as strong-willed and independent and struggles with her decision to have an abortion without consulting her boyfriend, who flies off the handle when he finds out.

She is shown as a resilient and independent character, willing to fight back when in danger. Her determination and wits are tested when a mysterious stalker begins to torment her and her friends during the Christmas holidays.

Barbara Pollard
Barb lives in the sorority house along with Jess and the others. She is portrayed as abrasive and self-centred but also vulnerable as she struggles with her own personal demons. She is sarcastic, witty, and a heavy drinker, which often lands her in trouble, especially when dealing with the police.

Phyllis (Phyl) Thompson
Phyl is a gentle and kind-hearted member of the sorority. She often mediates between the other characters and tries to keep the peace. Phyl’s death is particularly gruesome and shocking, adding to the overall horror of the story.

Clare Harrison
Clare is shown as gentle and sweet, and her fate ends up being a tragic one. While she’s looking for Mrs MacHenry’s (the house mother) cat, Claud, in the closet of her bedroom, she is the first to be killed when the stalker mistakenly thinks Clare called him ‘bad’, when, in fact, she had been referring to the cat.

Mrs MacHenry
Mrs MacHenry is the sorority house mother. She is an ex-Vaudeville actress who used to perform in a double act with her sister. She is portrayed as an alcoholic who seems to resent the fact she has to look after the young women in the house, even though she does seem to be good at it and genuinely cares about them.

Peter Smythe
Peter, Jess’s boyfriend, is a complex character. He is a talented musician who struggles when Jess tells him she is pregnant and wants to have a termination. Throughout the story, he becomes increasingly erratic and violent; at one point, he is even suspected to be the killer by the police.

Lt. Fuller
Lt. Fuller is the officer in charge of the investigation into the killings. He is a no-nonsense character, dedicated to his job and finding the killer. He becomes increasingly frustrated as the body count rises and is determined to catch the killer before it’s too late.

The killer/Billy
The killer’s identity is not revealed until the end of the story, and even then, it is only hinted at. The killer is portrayed as cunning and calculating, with a twisted sense of morality that justifies his actions. He can slip in and out of the sorority house undetected, using a variety of weapons and tactics to intimidate and ultimately murder his victims.

Writing Style
Lee Hays has done an exceptional job of capturing the essence of the original movie while delivering an expanded narrative with more depth, suspense, and horror elements. The author’s prose is engaging, concise, and well-structured, keeping readers captivated from start to finish.

Furthermore, he has a talent for creating tension and suspense with his words and brings the story to life in a way that is genuinely chilling. The book is filled with intricate and atmospheric descriptions that’ll keep readers turning pages, if only so they don’t have to put the book down and go to sleep… in the dark.

I’m a massive fan of the original film, and I wasn’t sure what more I could get from the story by reading this book, but Hays doesn’t disappoint. He delves deeper into the main characters’ lives, providing more insights into their personalities and motivations, allowing the reader to connect with them in a way that was impossible in the film.

The pacing of the novel is also noteworthy. Hays balances the story’s slow burn with moments of frantic terror and gradually builds tension until the final climactic confrontation. His descriptions of the killer’s methods are truly imaginative and stomach-churning, adding to the already intense atmosphere of the book.

Final Thoughts
Black Christmas by Lee Hays is an excellent novelisation. It manages to enhance and expand upon the original film. With its gripping writing style, well-drawn characters, and thoughtful themes, this book will surely be a hit with horror fans and general readers, but more so those who love a scary story at Christmas.

I’m giving Black Christmas an 8/10.

Have you read Black Christmas or watched any of the Black films? For me, the original is unbeatable, though the two remakes are watchable in their own right.

Thank you, as ever, for stopping by to read my review. It really means the world.

Until next time,

George

© 2023 GLT

Categories: Book Reviews, Reading

Tags: Black Christmas, book, book review, Christmas Horror, festive, Holiday Horror, horror, reviews, Xmas