Rosemary's Baby.

ROSEMARY'S BABY. Ira Levin. 1967/2005. Read by Mia Farrow. 6 cds. 6.5 hrs. Harper Audio. 0-06-082815-3. $34.95. Cardboard; plot, reader notes. SA

Popular films may make YAs think that horror requires a homicidal maniac armed with a machete about to jump out of every corner, or a satanic demon who, with a glance of an evil eye, blows up entire buildings on a whim. But mass carnage and a high body count are not prerequisites for a frightening story. Levin proves that a good writer can produce a scary book with nothing more explicit than the skillful manipulation of mood and tone.

This classic, which spawned a horde of lesser works featuring demonically possessed children, simply involves a typical young couple with ordinary aspirations and the wife's growing paranoia that her husband is involved in some insidious conspiracy that will involve her unborn child. Farrow, her voice still as girlish and innocent as when she starred in Roman Polanski's 1968 film version, is as perfectly cast now as she was then. Her escalating terror is entirely convincing, and her emotional range in the final scene is remarkable. Francine Levitov, New York, NY

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.