The Keep by F. Paul Wilson

 

(pb; 1981: first book in The Nightworld Cycle, aka the Adversary Cycle)

From the back cover

“The message is received from a Nazi commander stationed in a remote castle high in the Transylvanian alps: ‘Something is murdering my men.’

“Immediately an elite SS extermination squad is sent to destroy whatever enemy dares to challenge the might of the Third Reich.

“And the battle is joined. A battle more awesomely terrifying than anything ever experienced. Between the ultimate evil created by man. . . and the unthinkable, undreamed of, undead horror it has awakened from centuries of darkness to suck the life from living souls again.”

 

Review

Keep is one of my all-time favorite reads. Its setting (World War II-era Romania), with its pulp-meets- classic-story elements, is immediately immersible, Wilson’s penwork deftly balancing horror, story- and character-organic development and turns, action, pacing, and overall writing. It takes familiar tropes and characters and adds intriguing wrinkles to them, making Keep stand out in a wow-that's-great way—worth owning, this, if the above description sounds intriguing to you.

Keep is the first of seven theme- and character-linked books, originally titled The Nightworld Cycle (later, it was supposedly officially renamed the Adversary Cycle). While the first technical sequel, publishing-wise, is The Tomb (1984), Wilson’s official site—according to Wikipedia in February 2025—suggests that the next story-chronological entry is Reborn (1990).

I’ve read that Wilson also has stories linked to the Nightworld/Adversary universe but I’ve yet to check them out.

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The studio-butchered film was released stateside on December 16, 1983. Director/screenwriter Michael Mann’s 210-minute version was trimmed to 96 minutes by the studio; because of this, Keep is said to have a jump-around-storyline feel.

The film features these actors: Jürgen Prochnow as Klaus Woermann; Gabriel Byrne as SS Commandant Erich Kaempffer; Ian McKellen as Dr. Theodor Cuza; Alberta Watson as Eva Cuza (in the book her name is Magda Cuza); Michael Carter as Radu Molasar; Scott Glenn as Glaeken; and Robert Prosky as Father Fanescu.

More Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin

(pb; 1980: Book Two in the Tales of the City series)

From the back cover:

"The divinely human comedy that began with Tales of the City rolls recklessly along as Michael Tolliver pursues his favorite gynecologist, Mona Ramsey uncovers her roots in a desert whorehouse, and Mary Ann Singleton finds love at sea with the amnesiac of her dreams."

Review:

All the warmth, wit, bawdiness, and often-surprising twists that made Tales of the City such a joy to read are seamlessly recreated, with several of the first book's bizarre mysteries and hanging plotlines concluded in its follow-up -- even as new ones are tantalizingly offered to readers.

Vivacious, organic (as in: it reads like real-life) sequel to a landmark San Francisco-centric read.

Worth owning, this.

Followed by Further Tales of the City.

More Tales of the City, the television mini-series, aired stateside on June 7, 1998. It was scripted by Nicholas Wright, and directed by Pierre Gang.

Laura Linney reprised her role of Mary Ann Singleton. Olympia Dukakis reprised her role of Anna Madrigal. Nina Siemaszko replaced Chloe Webb in the role of Mona Ramsey. Jackie Burroughs played Mona "Mother Mucca" Ramsey. Paul Hopkins replaced Marcus D'Amico in the role of Michael "Mouse" Tolliver. Bill Campbell (billed as "William Campbell") reprised his role of Jon Fielding. Whip Hubley replaced Paul Gross in the role of Brian Hawkins. Colin Ferguson played Burke Christopher Andrew.

Barbara Garrick reprised her role of DeDe Day Halcyon. Françoise Robertson replaced Cynda Williams in the role of D'orothea/Dorothy Williams. Thomas Gibson reprised his role of Beauchamp Day.

Ian McKellen reprised his role of Archibald Anson Gidde. Paul Bartel reprised his role of Charles Hillary Lord. Parker Posey reprised her role of Connie Bradshaw. Suzanne Girard played [Brian's mysterious] "Woman at Blinds".

Book author Armistead Maupin played a "Priest".

Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin

(pb; 1978: Book One in the Tales of the City series)

From the back cover:

"Anna: a mystical landlady, an Earth-Space Mother, the kind of woman F. Scott Fitzgerald would have kissed. Mary Ann: a child of Ohio who caught the last dream leaving Cleveland for the coast. Michael: a gay person singular who wanted another person plural with whom he could buy a Christmas tree. And Mona: a writer, a little lonely, a little looney, and a lotta lovable.

"Shooting sentiment and joy straight from the hip, Tales of the City tells what happened to reality when it moved to San Francisco."

Review:

Warm, witty, and occasionally bawdy and sad work, this. The characters come from wildly-varied backgrounds, allowing San Francisco -- which, true to the cliché, is a character itself -- to be seen from many different views.

The year is 1976. The hippie movement has largely burnt out, leaving the more street-savvy or idealistic characters (Anna Madrigal, Mona Ramsey, Michael Tolliver, Brian Hawkins) to deal with its bittersweet ashes. Idealism still abounds in the city, but it's taken a few bruises, and, accordingly, its adherents have become more practical in their attitudes, goals and methods.

Maupin wrote a celebratory, life-affirming work when he penned this. I've read this a couple of times before, and the third time was no less effective in sparking its effervescent, occasionally-shaded moods in me.

Worth owning, this.

Followed by More Tales of the City.

Tales of the City, the PBS television mini-series, aired stateside on January 10, 1994. Richard Kramer wrote the teleplay. Alastair Reid directed.

Laura Linney played Mary Ann Singleton. Olympia Dukakis played Anna Madrigal. Donald Moffat played Edgar Halcyon. Chloe Webb played Mona Ramsey. Cynda Williams played D'orothea/Dorothy Williams. Marcus D'Amico played Michael "Mouse" Tolliver. Bill Campbell (billed as "William Campbell") played Jon Fielding. Paul Gross played Brian Hawkins.

Barbara Garrick played DeDe Day Halcyon. Thomas Gibson played Beauchamp Day. Robert Downey Sr. (father of Robert Downey Jr.) played Edgar's doctor. Parker Posey played Connie Bradshaw.

Mary Kay Place played Prue Giroux. Ian McKellen played Archibald Anson Gidde. Rod Steiger played "Bookstore Owner". An uncredited Janeane Garofalo played "Coppola Woman". Paul Dooley played Herbert "Herb" L. Tolliver. Michael Jeter played Carson Callas. Paul Bartel played Charles Hillary Lord. Karen Black played herself. Country Joe MacDonald played Joaquin.

Book author Armistead Maupin, in an uncredited role, played "Writer in window".

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

(pb; 2000: second book in the Robert Langdon series)

From the back cover

“While in Paris, Harvard symbiologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci – clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

“Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion – a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and da Vinci – and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle – while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move – the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever.”


Review

A year after the events of Angels & Demons, Langdon finds himself in the middle of another international conspiracy, one that incorporates everything from Mary Magdalene to Walt Disney. The set-up’s familiar, but author Langdon tweaks it in a refreshing way so that it doesn’t feel like a rehash of Angels & Demons. Most of what held true for the previous book holds true for Da Vinci, but this time around, author Brown has concocted a better tale: while there’s just as many twists in this as the previous book, they’re more effective.

The character of Sophie Neveu replaces Vittoria Vetra as Langdon’s (possible) love interest; in true Bond-style, Vetra is briefly mentioned in a couple of flashbacks (a la Tiffany Case, mentioned in Ian Fleming’s From Russia With Love), then forgotten.

The Da Vinci Code, like its predecessor, is a beach-read actioner that ably mixes low- and high-brow humor, though Da Vinci improves the formula.

Followed by The Lost Symbol, which is set for a September 15, 2009 publication date.

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The film version of The Da Vinci Code is scheduled for stateside release on May 19, 2006.

Ron Howard is set to direct Da Vinci, from a script by Akiva Goldsman.

Tom Hanks plays Langdon. Audrey Tautou plays Neveu. Ian McKellen plays Sir Leigh Teabing. Jean Reno plays Bezu Fache. Paul Bettany plays Silas. Jürgen Prochnow plays Andre Vernet.