Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red

From Barnes & Noble

The fictional diary of the first inhabitant of the haunted Seattle mansion central to Stephen King's Rose Red, this cleverly written book provides fascinating background to the ABC-TV movie. On one level, as a "diary," it chronicles the unhappy marriage and tormented life of Ellen Rimbauer, wife of early-1900s industrialist John Rimbauer, who built the mansion that -- in the movie -- is plagued by paranormal phenomena today. (In the miniseries, both the house and the diary are topics of research for paranormal investigator and Beaumont University professor Joyce Reardon.) On another level, the book is an interesting, well developed portrait of an era and the lives of the early 20th century's wealthy social elite. Revealing many details and much "history" behind the tragic events that have made Rose Red such an active paranormal site, The Diary of Ellen Rimabauer is a must-read for any fan of the movie.

USA Today

A clever, beautifully detailed fiction.

Publishers Weekly

A mysterious and haunting spirit lurks within the walls of Rose Red, the setting for Stephen King's upcoming ABC miniseries tie-in by the same name. Built on a Native American burial ground in early 20th-century Seattle, the mansion which is constantly under construction sets the scene for a multitude of inexplicable disappearances and ghastly deaths. While moody oil tycoon John Rimbauer refuses to acknowledge that the house has a mind of its own, his young wife, Ellen, dramatizes these eerie events with great detail in her diary, often personifying the house as if it were a living being. (Or, perhaps, a non-living being?) While the evolution of Ellen's character from innocent and submissive to frighteningly powerful is a slow process, the language and questioning nature of her entries entice the reader as the mystery of Rose Red is brought into full bloom. Ellen also reveals frustration and disappointment with her marriage namely her husband's unfaithfulness and alarmingly frequent involvement in voyeuristic activities as well as a growing confusion about her sexual identity and attachment to her friend and African handmaid, Sukeena. In addition to extensive dialogue that makes the diary seem a tad more like a novel than someone's personal confessions, Ellen's entries are accompanied by a handful of explanatory notes put in by the "editor" and supposed professor of paranormal studies, Joyce Reardon. The people mentioned in the diary, as well as Reardon, are all characters in Rose Red, which was created directly for television by the bestselling author. As to who penned the actual text of the diary? That remains as much of a mystery as Rose Red herself. (Jan. 9) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.