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The Sibling
A brother and sister whose childhood wickedness surpasses understanding, meet again years later. Fascinated with their power as adults, the evil they share boils into flower.
301 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1979
417 people want to read
About the author
Adam Hall
157 books99 followersAuthor also wrote as Elleston Trevor.
Author Trevor Dudley-Smith was born in Kent, England on February 17, 1920. He attended Yardley Court Preparatory School and Sevenoaks School. During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force as a flight engineer. After the war, he started writing full-time. He lived in Spain and France before moving to the United States and settling in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1946 he used the pseudonym Elleston Trevor for a non-mystery book, and later made it his legal name. He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Adam Hall, Simon Rattray, Mansell Black, Trevor Burgess, Roger Fitzalan, Howard North, Warwick Scott, Caesar Smith, and Lesley Stone. Even though he wrote thrillers, mysteries, plays, juvenile novels, and short stories, his best-known works are The Flight of the Phoenix written as Elleston Trevor and the series about British secret agent Quiller written as Adam Hall. In 1965, he received the Edgar Allan Poe Award by Mystery Writers of America and the French Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for The Quiller Memorandum. This book was made into a 1967 movie starring George Segal and Alec Guinness. He died of cancer on July 21, 1995.
Author Trevor Dudley-Smith was born in Kent, England on February 17, 1920. He attended Yardley Court Preparatory School and Sevenoaks School. During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force as a flight engineer. After the war, he started writing full-time. He lived in Spain and France before moving to the United States and settling in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1946 he used the pseudonym Elleston Trevor for a non-mystery book, and later made it his legal name. He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Adam Hall, Simon Rattray, Mansell Black, Trevor Burgess, Roger Fitzalan, Howard North, Warwick Scott, Caesar Smith, and Lesley Stone. Even though he wrote thrillers, mysteries, plays, juvenile novels, and short stories, his best-known works are The Flight of the Phoenix written as Elleston Trevor and the series about British secret agent Quiller written as Adam Hall. In 1965, he received the Edgar Allan Poe Award by Mystery Writers of America and the French Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for The Quiller Memorandum. This book was made into a 1967 movie starring George Segal and Alec Guinness. He died of cancer on July 21, 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 17, 2016
As vampires are to Transylvania, and the Creature is to the Black Lagood, the psychotic teenaged boy is to WASPs. This is one of several WASP horror stories in which rich, upper class white people gather at Christmas to drink too much, make catty comments, give extravagant gifts, and ignore the fact that their son is quietly going insane and planning to kill them all. A cross between The Charlie Brown Christmas Special and The Shining only not quite as good as either, this is still a terrific Yuletide read full of near-incest, corpse castration, attempted murder, and people getting buried in their limited edition Rolls Royces.
You can read my full review here.
You can read my full review here.
May 24, 2021
Well that ending was sad.. I mean it was foreseeable. But I like my happy endings... but there was never gonna be that in this. I still really enjoyed the ride. 2 siblings fought so much and almost killed eachother, they had to separate them. And 3 years later the parents are like.. "fuck it let's give it a go" and bring back both brother and sister to have a big ass rich Christmas together. Both dread it until they see eachother and pull the whole "OH NO S/HES HOT!"
So now its all good times and fun.. with sexual tension and that wrongness taboo. And oops turns out the brother is insane. Its kinda sad bc it seems not really him being crazy but a past life and the poor kids struggle to keep the past from happening all over again. Queue the wacky hijinks of getting body parts, dual personalities fighting to kill off his sister or protect her, and a taboo love story centered around a rich as hell family. And okay you got me for the ride!! 👌
And everytime something disturbing happened im like
👁👄👁 👍🍿
For anyone that cares.. theres a dog death.. its quick and fast and doesn't go into too great detail.. I skipped the 2 or 3 sentences and was fine..
So now its all good times and fun.. with sexual tension and that wrongness taboo. And oops turns out the brother is insane. Its kinda sad bc it seems not really him being crazy but a past life and the poor kids struggle to keep the past from happening all over again. Queue the wacky hijinks of getting body parts, dual personalities fighting to kill off his sister or protect her, and a taboo love story centered around a rich as hell family. And okay you got me for the ride!! 👌
And everytime something disturbing happened im like
👁👄👁 👍🍿
For anyone that cares.. theres a dog death.. its quick and fast and doesn't go into too great detail.. I skipped the 2 or 3 sentences and was fine..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2023
If the horror of each decade reflected the fears of the generation, then what the hell was going on in the 70s and early 80s with their obsession with evil children? Well, maybe having kids was the ultimate fear of Boomers. But here is yet another example from the golden age of horror paperbacks, a Christmas story about a spoiled and ridiculously wealthy pair of siblings whose insane rivalry and incestuous attraction reaches murderous heights.
Sixteen-year-old Raff and his fifteen-year-old sister Debby haven't seen each other in three years at the suggestion of their psychotherapist, because if they didn't separate, they'd likely have killed each other. Their constant competitiveness and one-upsmanship just kept getting darker and more dangerous. But this Christmas, their dopey Wall Street parents think it is a great idea to try reuniting them at the family's Connecticut estate. Spoiler: it's a BAD idea.
Unfortunately, this was not the Christmas horror gem I thought it would be from all the buzz I've heard since it was featured in "Paperbacks from Hell." It's certainly over-the-top at times, and definitely entertaining, but it pushed my ability to suspend disbelief too often. For example, we barely get introduced to the siblings before Raff, driving like a maniac, almost kills Debby by running their mom's Cadillac off the road and sending it crashing into a ravine. Their mom is told about it, but hardly seems phased at all despite the lurid history between the two. And guess what Raff gets for Christmas? A Jaguar as his first car! As long as he promises to drive safe. Was this supposed to be satire? Was this to show that their mother is in denial that she has disturbed homicidal children? Who cares! It's silly.
Still, most horror fans will find this vintage paperback brimming with enough winter holiday atmosphere to put them in the Christmas spirit, and with enough uncomfortable taboo buggery to make V.C. Andrews and Anne Rice blush. The book made enough of a splash to spawn a sequel. Also, vintage paperback collectors will appreciate the cover art, complete with a less-widely seen inside cover of the sinister brother, Raff, and a paid endorsement from Robert Bloch.
"The Sibling" certainly is one wild and sleazy ride that'll make you want to break out the egg nog and take a scalding shower with bleach.
SCORE: 3 crashed Cadillac Sevilles out of 5
Sixteen-year-old Raff and his fifteen-year-old sister Debby haven't seen each other in three years at the suggestion of their psychotherapist, because if they didn't separate, they'd likely have killed each other. Their constant competitiveness and one-upsmanship just kept getting darker and more dangerous. But this Christmas, their dopey Wall Street parents think it is a great idea to try reuniting them at the family's Connecticut estate. Spoiler: it's a BAD idea.
Unfortunately, this was not the Christmas horror gem I thought it would be from all the buzz I've heard since it was featured in "Paperbacks from Hell." It's certainly over-the-top at times, and definitely entertaining, but it pushed my ability to suspend disbelief too often. For example, we barely get introduced to the siblings before Raff, driving like a maniac, almost kills Debby by running their mom's Cadillac off the road and sending it crashing into a ravine. Their mom is told about it, but hardly seems phased at all despite the lurid history between the two. And guess what Raff gets for Christmas? A Jaguar as his first car! As long as he promises to drive safe. Was this supposed to be satire? Was this to show that their mother is in denial that she has disturbed homicidal children? Who cares! It's silly.
Still, most horror fans will find this vintage paperback brimming with enough winter holiday atmosphere to put them in the Christmas spirit, and with enough uncomfortable taboo buggery to make V.C. Andrews and Anne Rice blush. The book made enough of a splash to spawn a sequel. Also, vintage paperback collectors will appreciate the cover art, complete with a less-widely seen inside cover of the sinister brother, Raff, and a paid endorsement from Robert Bloch.
"The Sibling" certainly is one wild and sleazy ride that'll make you want to break out the egg nog and take a scalding shower with bleach.
SCORE: 3 crashed Cadillac Sevilles out of 5
December 10, 2018
The Sibling was my very first foray into 1970s horror and I totally loved it! I learned about this book from Grady Hendrix's classic Paperbacks From Hell and I'd been looking at it on my TBR shelf all year, waiting for the holiday season to come around so I could read it. The Christmas setting and the winter gloom work together to create a wonderfully dark atmosphere that really helps induce a feeling of dread throughout the book. It's creepy, unnerving, and filled with lots of poetic writing. I'm not sure how to discuss any plot points without giving anything away so I'll just say that if you're looking for an odd, creepy holiday horror story, take a trip to Ashdown Mannor. You'll definitely enjoy your stay!
July 1, 2020
This book was very good. Ultimately, it makes you wonder and speculate mental illness and how serious it can be. For this family, it all went downhill. It was not at all the kind of story I was expecting. In fact, I thought it would be a lot like the book called Such Nice People, but to be honest, it was not to that extreme. Such Nice People was far worse. Overall, it was a very interesting read and a different take on family dynamics that I truly enjoyed.
February 5, 2025
I was really surprised by how thoroughly decent this cheap and cheerful 70s horror book ended up being. It's the Omen by way of the Shining by way of, I don't know, Blue Lagoon, maybe? Offensively seedy, charmingly campy, and just teetering on the edge of being actually tense from time to time.
The thing I treasure about this type of book is that it really does feel like the gloves are off: anything could happen at any time without regard for how a typical story might be told or what lines are typical to stay within. Don't expect literature, but expect to be surprised, shocked, and entertained.
The thing I treasure about this type of book is that it really does feel like the gloves are off: anything could happen at any time without regard for how a typical story might be told or what lines are typical to stay within. Don't expect literature, but expect to be surprised, shocked, and entertained.
November 30, 2020
An interesting read...A darker book than Mr. Trevor's Quiller boooks, I was drawn into the story and had difficulty putting it down. However, I didn't like the ending. It was never clear whether the lead character was truly mad or possessed. Some explanations might have helped. All in all, totally tragic book with a lot of explicit sexual and gory details. Only recommended for those who enjoy horror stories.
January 5, 2022
Hoiatan kohe ette, et ma küll hullult palju ei taha sisu lahti kirjutada, samas kuna ilmselt seda raamatut niikuinii keegi rohkem ei loe, eesti keelde ka vaevalt, et tõlgitakse, siis pigem olen rohkesõnalisem.
Peale Barbara Cartlandi lugemist tahtsin lugemiseks hoopis midagi muud, midagi tumedamat, ehk ka sügavamat. Adam Halli raamat jäi näppu kui potentsiaalselt vähe vanem pehmekaaneline õudukas, ilmus esimest korda aastal 1979, mu eksemplar ongi seesama, sama vana kui mina. Tähendab ega ma täiesti kindel polnudki, mis raamatut nüüd lugema asun, kuna netist leitav info oli kas liiga üldine või vastupidi, liiga detailne. Kuna aga raamat oli äärmiselt kutsuv juba kaanepilti vaadates, siis asusin hea meelega lugema. Kiirelt avastasin, et väljaandjaks on Playboy - lihtsalt taustinfoks, et kuigi seda brändi kiputakse teadma kui seksuaalse vabameelsuse maaletoojat, siis tegelikult oli kogu see maailm märksa laiem, paljud kirjanikud on ajakirjas oma lühijutte avaldanud, rockist polkani. Rääkimata siis näiteks raamatutest, kus "põrutamiskirjandust"... no ilmselt oli, aga taas, pigem oli Playboy maailm see, kus sai vähe julgemalt rääkida, millest iganes ja avaldada kraami, mille peenema pirtspersed teinekord ära põlgasid.
Adam Hall on Elleston Trevori pseudonüüm. Ta spioonikaid on eesti keelde tõlgitud ka, Mirabiiliaski on omal ajal ilmunud Quilleri sarjast "Quilleri memorandum". Ma pole seda autorit varem lugenud, ka "The Sibling" jäi näppu üsna juhuslikult.
Eesti keeles polegi head sõna "sibling" tõlkimiseks. Tähendab see tänapäeval õde või venda, varasemalt siis sugulussidet, kus vähemalt üks lapsevanem oli ühine. Hea Jüri Kallas aitas välja, pakkudes välja sõna "kaim", mis sobib väga hästi. Seega, raamat "Kaim" räägib vennast ja õest, Raffist ja Debbyst, kes pole teineteist mõned aastad näinud ja kohtuvad teismeeas kuueteistaastastena (poiss oli vist isegi seitseteist). Neid hoiti vahepeal teineteisest eemal, kuna koos juhtus nende vahel päris hirmsaid asju, armastavad lapsevanemad otsustasid, et äkki annab aeg arutust. Laste suhe võtab taaskohtumisel järjest kuumemaid tuure, see raamat pole tihkelt seksi täis või muul viisil põrutasmisromaan, pigem on see üsna sensuaalne lugu, kus on jah ka krehvtisemaid kohti (tegelikult isegi koht, üksainus eriti kuum stseen), aga kokkuvõttes on juttu inimloomuse tumedamatest pooltest, kus seksuaalsus on lihtsalt üks paljudest normaalsetest osadest, millest me elu koosneb. See, et nende kaante vahel läheb lugu eriti omamoodi krussi, on hoopis teine asi. Pealegi on see lugu vahel ikka hästi ilus, vahepeal liigub väga õudsetel radadel. Võrratu kombinatsioon.
Siin raamatus on mitu paralleelmaailma. Üks on siis jah noorte Thelma ja Louise või Bonnie ja Clyde lugu, mille kõrval aga jookseb kopitava kõrgema klassi rada. Kus inimeste elud on tühjad, napsutatakse ja igavletakse. Raamat algab kohe matusega, kus surnukirstuks on väga uhke luksusauto. Tegelikult ka, inimene maetakse hunnitus autos, mis kraanaga koletusse hauda tõstetakse. Kui siis matmise ajal kogemata juhtub nii, et kivi pääseb liikuma, kukub alla puusär... st autole ja kriimustab seda, judisevad vaatavad inimesed õudusest.
Ahjaa. Ulme. On või? Ega ma ju väga sellel osal oma jutus ei peatunud, eriti kuna mulle meenutas see romaan vägisi gooti õudust, kus ebaloomulik, ulmeline element võib olla. Aga ei pruugi. See raamat pole kindlasti tinane ja tolmunud pastišš; kui ma loen võõrkeelse romaani läbi mõne päevaga, siis peab selles midagi olema, mis köidab. On ka, inimese hullumine oli küll Kingi "Hiilguses" juba paar aastat tagasi võrratult üles joonistatud, aga ega Adam Halli oma ka kehv pole (kuigi mis seal salata, King on kunn). Kaimu-raamatus on veel paras osa Stockholmi sündroomil, lisaks meenus mingil hetkel mulle äraspidiselt Georges Bataille "Silma lugu", kus ka peategelased üsna noored on.
Siiski. Ulme? Puhas, stiilipuhas ebaloomulik õudus? Ei. Võika meeleolu, häiriva miljööga õudne lugu? Kahtlemata! Ning see pole ka lugeja ninapidi vedamine, mida gooti horroris vahel kohtab. Pigem on siin jäetud lugeja otsustada, et mis siiski toimus ning kui ulmeline kõik oli. Samas olgem ausad - see pole üldsegi oluline, vähemalt minu arvates. Raamat on aus värk, mekib hästi ning las see olla, et kui "puhas" ta nüüd ikkagi on. Juba kaanepilt koos tekstiga, mis lubab romaani, mis nõretab hirmust ja ihast - äärmiselt kutsuv sellises camp-komplektis. Ning see pole siin suvaline odav pehmekaaneline ja -sisuline värk - mõnus ja jälk amps. Pole ka ülihea "viieline", on just selline paras, mis jääb lugejat mõneks ajaks saatma. Oh need lapsepõlve süütud mängud, ja-jaa...
Muide - raamatu tegevus toimub jõulude ja uusaasta kandis. Seega kogu see trall on hetkel küll möödas, aga kuna mul oli veel värskelt meeles, siis lisas lugemisele veel eraldi toreda mõõtme.
Peale Barbara Cartlandi lugemist tahtsin lugemiseks hoopis midagi muud, midagi tumedamat, ehk ka sügavamat. Adam Halli raamat jäi näppu kui potentsiaalselt vähe vanem pehmekaaneline õudukas, ilmus esimest korda aastal 1979, mu eksemplar ongi seesama, sama vana kui mina. Tähendab ega ma täiesti kindel polnudki, mis raamatut nüüd lugema asun, kuna netist leitav info oli kas liiga üldine või vastupidi, liiga detailne. Kuna aga raamat oli äärmiselt kutsuv juba kaanepilti vaadates, siis asusin hea meelega lugema. Kiirelt avastasin, et väljaandjaks on Playboy - lihtsalt taustinfoks, et kuigi seda brändi kiputakse teadma kui seksuaalse vabameelsuse maaletoojat, siis tegelikult oli kogu see maailm märksa laiem, paljud kirjanikud on ajakirjas oma lühijutte avaldanud, rockist polkani. Rääkimata siis näiteks raamatutest, kus "põrutamiskirjandust"... no ilmselt oli, aga taas, pigem oli Playboy maailm see, kus sai vähe julgemalt rääkida, millest iganes ja avaldada kraami, mille peenema pirtspersed teinekord ära põlgasid.
Adam Hall on Elleston Trevori pseudonüüm. Ta spioonikaid on eesti keelde tõlgitud ka, Mirabiiliaski on omal ajal ilmunud Quilleri sarjast "Quilleri memorandum". Ma pole seda autorit varem lugenud, ka "The Sibling" jäi näppu üsna juhuslikult.
Eesti keeles polegi head sõna "sibling" tõlkimiseks. Tähendab see tänapäeval õde või venda, varasemalt siis sugulussidet, kus vähemalt üks lapsevanem oli ühine. Hea Jüri Kallas aitas välja, pakkudes välja sõna "kaim", mis sobib väga hästi. Seega, raamat "Kaim" räägib vennast ja õest, Raffist ja Debbyst, kes pole teineteist mõned aastad näinud ja kohtuvad teismeeas kuueteistaastastena (poiss oli vist isegi seitseteist). Neid hoiti vahepeal teineteisest eemal, kuna koos juhtus nende vahel päris hirmsaid asju, armastavad lapsevanemad otsustasid, et äkki annab aeg arutust. Laste suhe võtab taaskohtumisel järjest kuumemaid tuure, see raamat pole tihkelt seksi täis või muul viisil põrutasmisromaan, pigem on see üsna sensuaalne lugu, kus on jah ka krehvtisemaid kohti (tegelikult isegi koht, üksainus eriti kuum stseen), aga kokkuvõttes on juttu inimloomuse tumedamatest pooltest, kus seksuaalsus on lihtsalt üks paljudest normaalsetest osadest, millest me elu koosneb. See, et nende kaante vahel läheb lugu eriti omamoodi krussi, on hoopis teine asi. Pealegi on see lugu vahel ikka hästi ilus, vahepeal liigub väga õudsetel radadel. Võrratu kombinatsioon.
Siin raamatus on mitu paralleelmaailma. Üks on siis jah noorte Thelma ja Louise või Bonnie ja Clyde lugu, mille kõrval aga jookseb kopitava kõrgema klassi rada. Kus inimeste elud on tühjad, napsutatakse ja igavletakse. Raamat algab kohe matusega, kus surnukirstuks on väga uhke luksusauto. Tegelikult ka, inimene maetakse hunnitus autos, mis kraanaga koletusse hauda tõstetakse. Kui siis matmise ajal kogemata juhtub nii, et kivi pääseb liikuma, kukub alla puusär... st autole ja kriimustab seda, judisevad vaatavad inimesed õudusest.
Ahjaa. Ulme. On või? Ega ma ju väga sellel osal oma jutus ei peatunud, eriti kuna mulle meenutas see romaan vägisi gooti õudust, kus ebaloomulik, ulmeline element võib olla. Aga ei pruugi. See raamat pole kindlasti tinane ja tolmunud pastišš; kui ma loen võõrkeelse romaani läbi mõne päevaga, siis peab selles midagi olema, mis köidab. On ka, inimese hullumine oli küll Kingi "Hiilguses" juba paar aastat tagasi võrratult üles joonistatud, aga ega Adam Halli oma ka kehv pole (kuigi mis seal salata, King on kunn). Kaimu-raamatus on veel paras osa Stockholmi sündroomil, lisaks meenus mingil hetkel mulle äraspidiselt Georges Bataille "Silma lugu", kus ka peategelased üsna noored on.
Siiski. Ulme? Puhas, stiilipuhas ebaloomulik õudus? Ei. Võika meeleolu, häiriva miljööga õudne lugu? Kahtlemata! Ning see pole ka lugeja ninapidi vedamine, mida gooti horroris vahel kohtab. Pigem on siin jäetud lugeja otsustada, et mis siiski toimus ning kui ulmeline kõik oli. Samas olgem ausad - see pole üldsegi oluline, vähemalt minu arvates. Raamat on aus värk, mekib hästi ning las see olla, et kui "puhas" ta nüüd ikkagi on. Juba kaanepilt koos tekstiga, mis lubab romaani, mis nõretab hirmust ja ihast - äärmiselt kutsuv sellises camp-komplektis. Ning see pole siin suvaline odav pehmekaaneline ja -sisuline värk - mõnus ja jälk amps. Pole ka ülihea "viieline", on just selline paras, mis jääb lugejat mõneks ajaks saatma. Oh need lapsepõlve süütud mängud, ja-jaa...
Muide - raamatu tegevus toimub jõulude ja uusaasta kandis. Seega kogu see trall on hetkel küll möödas, aga kuna mul oli veel värskelt meeles, siis lisas lugemisele veel eraldi toreda mõõtme.
December 10, 2021
Pretty fucked up and absurd but written well enough to be made just believable enough.
October 26, 2019
This book could've been a horror classic if it was in better hands. I think the general idea for the plot was great, but the writing and pacing were mediocre. The second half of the book was supposed to be more horrifying, but the first half is actually much creepier as it was written as a genuine romance novel about a brother and sister.
I gave it 3 stars instead of 2, because the book was effective and disturbing.
I gave it 3 stars instead of 2, because the book was effective and disturbing.
June 23, 2021
I won’t lie, I would probably have given this 4 stars purely on the strength of the cover art and blurb (He was young and sensual yet demonic and ungodly) but gratifyingly, the content doesn’t disappoint. Something to ponder on - is it truly incest if one of them is the reincarnation of somebody else?? I hope that doesn’t count as a spoiler - it’s called The Sibling after all - what the heck were you expecting?
August 18, 2015
My 14 year old self found this book disturbing in the extreme. It stuck with me however, and now I want to read it again.
I've been looking for it for awhile now; no online seller seems to have it in stock.
I've been looking for it for awhile now; no online seller seems to have it in stock.
December 17, 2020
Sibling teenages meet again after a 3 year gap and who have been competing against each other their whole lives. Throw in shit tins of money and one of them going insane. Oh and some incest and this is a deeply disturbing book. And what's in the box! What's in the box?
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews