The Sentinel, Jeffrey Konvitz, 1974
My favorite quote: “My dear Miss Parker, aside from the old priest, and now you, no one has lived in that building for three years!”
Notable characters: Alison Parker, the new tenant; Michael, her jackass boyfriend; Charles Chazen, her strange little neighbor (whom I personally adore); Gatz, the detective; Miss Logan, the realtor; Father Halliran, the mysterious priest (who creeps me out super bad)
Most memorable scene: The Sentinel has one scene that really made me go WTF!?!? and that’s the surprise masturbation scene. I mean, who does that? Who just starts going at themselves in the middle of a conversation with a complete stranger? Sandra, that’s who — and if you want to know more about her (and of course I know you do) you’ll just have to read The Sentinel. Jeffrey Konvitz outdid himself with that one. So yeah. That’s first on my list of memorable moments is The Sentinel — hands down. Seriously. Put your hands down, you perv. Jesus …
Greatest strengths: As good as he is at surprise masturbation scenes, Jeffrey Konvitz is just as good at creating creep. It’s rare that a horror novel actually scares me, but The Sentinel really did
Standout achievements: Jeffrey Konvitz got The Sentinel published at a time when horror fiction was rising to unprecedented heights — and even so, it manages to stand out from the crowd. I’d even go so far as to say The Sentinel has earned a rightful place right next to Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist … neither of which have a surprise masturbation scene to fall back on, by the way
Fun Facts: My collaborator, Tamara Thorne, and I met Jeffrey Konvitz a few years ago and were able to talk to him about this book and its follow-up, The Guardian (which sadly does not have a surprise masturbation scene — but is actually an extremely compelling novel despite that minor flaw). Anyway, Jeffrey Konvitz remains one of the most interesting writers I’ve had the pleasure of knowing
Other media: The 1977 film, The Sentinel, starring Cristina Raines, Ava Gardner, Chris Sarandon, and Burgess Meredith is a (loyal) adaptation of Jeffrey Konvitz’s novel. (It even has the surprise masturbation scene, you guys! And Beverly D’Angelo is the surprise mastubator!)
What it taught me: So much — but most notably, The Sentinel taught me the power of building intrigue. Jeffrey Konvitz’s novel has it in spades and it’s one of the reasons I wasn’t able to put it down (that and the surprise masturbation scene, of course)
How it inspired me: Because The Sentinel is one of the books I teethed on, it felt appropriate that I pay it some kind of homage in my own work — and so I did. In my murder mystery, Sleep Savannah Sleep, I named a school teacher Mr. Chazen, after Alison Parker’s strange little neighbor in the Sentinel. The similarities end at the name, but I enjoyed tipping my hat to Jeffrey Konvitz and his creepy little classic
Additional thoughts: Though strange, dated, and perhaps relying a bit too heavily on shock value, this book has that “cozy vintage horror” vibe that always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. For that reason, I do overlook a lot of its flaws — but even so, I love it. And I’m not just saying that because Jeffrey Konvitz is an awesome guy. Or because it has a surprise masturbation scene in it. Although that’s definitely a contributing factor …
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Alistair Cross 