There are two little boys, twins Niles and Holland, the picture of innocence. There are no vampires in the story, no ghosts, no swamp monsters or ghouls or zombies or witches.

The 1971 horror classic is a tale of a seemingly bucolic farmhouse in a small Connecticut town in the 1930s. 'The Other 'is a highly readable chiller.' - Anthony Burgess 'If you're looking for a good scary book to enjoy this Halloween, here is a suggestion: 'The Other' by Thomas Tryon. Hughes 'Los Angeles Times'' ' 'Like most professional writers, I resent Tom Tryon's 'The Other,' since Tryon should get on with the job of being a good actor and not write good books as well. Rarely have such commonplace surroundings been made to seem quite so dark and menacing and chillingly evil.' - 'Chicago Tribune'' ' 'A lyrical, impressive horror story that is a cross between 'The Bad Seed 'and John Cheever's 'The Wapshot Chronicles.'' - 'Los Angeles Times'' ' 'This first novel from Thomas Tryon is a distinguished one, it may well leave you blenched with horror, but it is beautifully, even poetically, wrought, and within its boundaries there would seem an actual divination into the spirit of murderess insanity.In due time 'The Other 'will doubtless become one of the classics of horro tales, comparable to 'The Turn of the Screw.'' - Dorothy B. Where he really excels is with mood and atmosphere. But the people who inhabit Tryon's New England are just as haunted as O'Neill's, and a lot more violent.His characterizations have depth and subtlety, the narrative is well-paced and suspenseful. The setting is the small Connecticut town of Pequot Landing, which under other circumstances, might be idyllic.

It is so ingenious and well-written that it transcends that-or any-label. 'It is perhaps unfair and a little inaccurate to typecast 'The Other 'as a horror story. Thomas Tryon's bestselling novel about a homegrown monster is an eerie examination of the darkness that dwells within everyone. The Other is a landmark of psychological horror, part of a lineage that includes the works of James Hogg, Robert Louis Stevenson, Shirley Jackson, and Peter Straub. As the summer goes on, though, and Holland's pranks become increasingly sinister, Niles finds he can no longer make excuses for his brother's actions. Perry never quite recovered from the shock and stays sequestered her room, leaving her sons to roam free. The Perrys live in the bucolic New England town their family settled in centuries ago, and indeed, the extended family has gathered at their farm this summer to mourn the death of the twins' father in an unfortunate accident. Holland is bold and mischievous, a bad influence, while Niles is kind and eager to please, the sort of boy who makes his parents proud. They are close, close enough, almost, to read each other's thoughts, but they couldn't be more different. Holland and Niles Perry are identical thirteen-year-old twins.

The Other by Thomas Tryon