The
Diary of Ellen Rimbauer:
My Life At Rose Red
Reviewed by Kenny Brechner
References to non-existent books have made for an amiable and entertaining tradition in macabre literature. The essential component of these references is, of course, an air of authenticity. A convincing history of both text and author, and a favorable comment on a particular translation, are all de rigueur.
Without question the gold standard in this exercise belongs to H.P. Lovecraft's creation of "the dreaded volume kept under lock and key at the college library--the hideous Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred in Olaus Wormius' Latin version, as printed in Spain in the Seventeenth Century." Lovecraft constantly cited the Necronomicon, even penning a 'History of the Necronomicon' giving an in depth account of the book's pedigree. Lovecraft encouraged other writer's in the genre, such as Frank Belknap Long and August Derleth, to make use of the book as well, which added to its authenticity."
Many writer's have followed in Lovecraft's footsteps. Clark Ashton Smith, often began his stories by quoting from The Testaments of Carnamagos, and more recently Dean Koontz has made a habit of prefacing his novels with quotes from The Book of Counted Sorrows.
Alongside these references to non-existent books stands the venerable tradition of first person narrative accounts of dreadful events purportedly found on musty manuscripts which tumbled out of sealed cylinders or secret drawers of ancient chests. And so it is that, with The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red, Stephen King has entered into this time honored practice.
The manuscript presented to the public emerged from "a locked diary covered in dust," the Diary was discovered by Dr. Joyce Reardon, Ph.D, a faculty member of Beaumont University. Reardon relates that "Beaumont University's Public Archive department examined the paper, the ink and the binding and determined the diary to be authentic." The book also contains and afterword by Steven Rimbauer, Ellen Rimbauer's great grandson.
The underlying concept of a diary recording the horrors surrounding an ill omened mansion is nothing new, Jean Ray's masterpiece Malpertuis, named after a mansion containing unspeakable horrors, is drawn from an erudite manuscript thief's discovery of "yellowing scribbled papers" which he had emptied from a pewter tube. The psychological overtones of a young woman and madness also hearken back to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's masterpiece, The Yellow Wallpaper. Nonetheless King's account clearly draws the most from Shirley Jackson's classic tale of paranormal doings in a haunted mansion, The Haunting of Hill House.
In terms of
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer, The Diary, Ellen Rimbauer, Joyce Reardon, Steven
Rimbauer, and Beaumont University are all imaginary creations of Stephen King.
King's role in this is not hard to discern, labels advertising the "World
Premier Event Stephen King's Rose Red," have been affixed to the front
cover. Nonetheless the fictive detail King provides is entertaining and good
humored. A chocolate chip recipe employing good ingredients may be sure of
tasting good, and, in creating Ellen Rimbauer's diary we may say the same of
Stephen King's production of this traditional macabre confection.
