Jason Voorhees' Childhood Explored In Novel
Jason Voorhees is truly viewed as an anti-hero in the eyes of many people who have embraced the Friday The 13th films over the past three decades. He has transformed in pop culture from a vengeful mongoloid boy who was mistreated to an unstoppable killing machine that audiences cheer for. However, for all that has been revealed about Jason with his appearance in twelve movies, the story of his childhood has been left untouched.
The 2009 reboot actually showed more about Jason's childhood than any other film in the franchise, and really there was not much explained in that film either. We saw Jason's bed, his numerous toys and, for the first time, the audience experienced the rage over his mother's death. Some fans want to know more about Jason. So the great mystery of where Jason came from and how he, his father and Mrs. Voorhees all fit into the curse on Crystal Lake still need to be explained to many.
Simon Hawke's 1988 book, based on the screenplay of writer Ron Kurz for Friday The 13th Part 2, decides to dive into the sorted past of a young Jason Voorhees and show what he was like from the perspective of other people in town. Not only did the kids have an uneasy feeling around Jason, but adults sensed something terribly wrong with young Mr. Voorhees. Below is an excerpt from Simon Hawke's book showing fans the beginning of fear in Crystal Lake.
From Simon Hawke's Friday The 13th Part 2 Novel
Even as a child, Jason was unusual. No one ever saw him smile. He never gurgled with delight at the brightly colored mobile that was hung above his crib or at the toys that he was given. He never screamed when he needed to be changed and he displayed no reaction whatsoever when his first teeth came in. He acted as though he didn’t feel the pain.
He never woke his mother in the middle of the night with crying. Sometimes, feeling the anxiety that every mother of a newborn child feels, Pamela Vorhees would awaken at night and tiptoe to the baby’s room just to reassure herself that there was nothing wrong. She would look down into the crib and see her infant Jason laying on his bed, his eyes wide open, staring at her. He never made a sound.
For a while, she was afraid that there might be something wrong with him, and that perhaps he was autistic, one of those tragic children who were withdrawn into their own secret, silent world. But Jason was not withdrawn. He noticed everything. His reactions were unusually quick and sharp. He was incredibly alert and his senses were remarkably acute. He grew strong quickly, and he never became ill.
He had no playmates because the other children avoided him. They seemed to be afraid of him. They ran away from him and complained about his “creepy eyes.” In truth, there was nothing at all unusual about his eyes, except for the fact that, like a cobra, he never seemed to blink. The neighbors could never really explain why, when they were walking back from the train station after riding home from work, they always crossed to the opposite side of the street whenever Jason was outside playing. It was as if some involuntary reaction had taken hold of them, some primal instinct warning them away.
The 2009 reboot actually showed more about Jason's childhood than any other film in the franchise, and really there was not much explained in that film either. We saw Jason's bed, his numerous toys and, for the first time, the audience experienced the rage over his mother's death. Some fans want to know more about Jason. So the great mystery of where Jason came from and how he, his father and Mrs. Voorhees all fit into the curse on Crystal Lake still need to be explained to many.
Simon Hawke's 1988 book, based on the screenplay of writer Ron Kurz for Friday The 13th Part 2, decides to dive into the sorted past of a young Jason Voorhees and show what he was like from the perspective of other people in town. Not only did the kids have an uneasy feeling around Jason, but adults sensed something terribly wrong with young Mr. Voorhees. Below is an excerpt from Simon Hawke's book showing fans the beginning of fear in Crystal Lake.
From Simon Hawke's Friday The 13th Part 2 Novel
Even as a child, Jason was unusual. No one ever saw him smile. He never gurgled with delight at the brightly colored mobile that was hung above his crib or at the toys that he was given. He never screamed when he needed to be changed and he displayed no reaction whatsoever when his first teeth came in. He acted as though he didn’t feel the pain.
He never woke his mother in the middle of the night with crying. Sometimes, feeling the anxiety that every mother of a newborn child feels, Pamela Vorhees would awaken at night and tiptoe to the baby’s room just to reassure herself that there was nothing wrong. She would look down into the crib and see her infant Jason laying on his bed, his eyes wide open, staring at her. He never made a sound.
For a while, she was afraid that there might be something wrong with him, and that perhaps he was autistic, one of those tragic children who were withdrawn into their own secret, silent world. But Jason was not withdrawn. He noticed everything. His reactions were unusually quick and sharp. He was incredibly alert and his senses were remarkably acute. He grew strong quickly, and he never became ill.
He had no playmates because the other children avoided him. They seemed to be afraid of him. They ran away from him and complained about his “creepy eyes.” In truth, there was nothing at all unusual about his eyes, except for the fact that, like a cobra, he never seemed to blink. The neighbors could never really explain why, when they were walking back from the train station after riding home from work, they always crossed to the opposite side of the street whenever Jason was outside playing. It was as if some involuntary reaction had taken hold of them, some primal instinct warning them away.
