Book Review: The Golem – Author Edward Lee

THE GOLEM
Author Edward Lee
Published by Leisure Books
Publication Date: 2009
Format: color – 323 pages
Price: $7.99

As a reader of intense horror fiction I look for the very best that will have that one of a kind impact to gross me out, which is rare to do. If there’s an author out there that’s capable of grossing out his readers then its Edward Lee. I’ve read one of his other books titled The Bighead when I read that I was deeply disturbed, Lee has a thing for intense violence, gore and graphic sexual scenes, namely including rape. He’s published over thirty five novels and knows how to get underneath the psyches of his readers. Those who have squeamish stomachs should stay away from Edward Lee’s novels at all costs, never read any of his books on a full stomach. That’s how sick and twisted each of his books are, they really strike a nerve when you read them.

Now onto the novel The Golem, the novel centers on mythological creature known as a Golem. The Golem itself goes back centuries where legends say Jewish sorcerers have used Golems as creatures of peace, guardians in a way, but the question I ask is, what if you use a Golem for evil purposes? That question’s answered in Edward Lee’s intense horror novel that focuses on these mythical creatures that are created for pure evil. Now when one goes to read an Edward Lee novel I’m pretty sure they know what they’re getting themselves into. I’m pretty sure that they know what this author’s about. They know of his sick and twisted fiction, I’ve had the pleasure of reading his earlier work and I knew what I was getting myself into when I purchased The Golem I wasn’t disappointed with my purchase and I wasn’t disappointed with the story I’ve read.

Like I’ve mentioned before, I’m a gore hound. I love my stories full of blood and gore and a lot of sex, and if there’s an author that can top that then that’s Edward Lee. The characters that Lee has created within this horrific and disgusting work of fiction are what you’d expect Lee to write about, recovering drug addicts, vile and disgusting rednecks and horrific monsters that love to dismember their victims limb from limb, oh and I forgot, horrific monsters that even rape their victims after they’re torn to bloody pieces. I’m not kidding here that’s how sick and demented Edward Lee’s imagination really is. That’s one of the reasons I love his work. Truth be told.

I love Lee’s writing style what he’s managed to do with The Golem is tell a story about a mythological creature that hasn’t been touched upon for a long time and managed to make this mythological creature very scary. You might ask yourself, just how is a Golem created and turned evil. Good question, my answer is, you dig up the corpse of a sinful person find magical clay that has been blessed upon and cover the corpse with that magical clay, say a few prayers, talk to one nightmarish demon and bingo, you’ve got yourself a Golem that’s capable of doing whatever horrific deed you want it to do for you. The two main characters Seth who’s a video game developer and his girlfriend Judy move into a house that was once owned by a Jewish sorcerer.
The town they live near is called Lowensport, in the novel it goes back and forth from the past which is July of 1880 to the present. A lot of bizarre stuff happens there, we are introduced to two redneck drug dealers who work for two bosses, a corrupt police captain and the main villain of the story who’s kept secret. I don’t want to ruin anything for you, you’d just have to go out and read this book. This novel will not fail to disappoint you if you love intense graphic horror fiction that’s not afraid to push the envelope.

Available from Dorchester Publishing Company