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dnurse64 View Drop Down
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    Posted: November/29/2008 at 8:25pm
SPOILERS



It was awesome! I think Dean Koontz was brilliant. I was so caught up in Ryan Perry's paranoia. My brain is still foggy. I was completely taken by surprise by the ending and now I want to read parts of it again. I was so certain that Ryan was going to end up being schizophrenic that I didn't even catch what actually transpired. There was subtext beneath the subtext. DK painted this story with his words. The last chapter seems out of place at first but ChristopherSnow put it best when he compared it to an epilogue. I was so entertained by DK's style and sometimes felt hypnotized by it all. Very surreal for me at times. DK really took me into Ryan's head and I didn't know for sure what was real and what wasn't. Samantha had me guessing. The first chapter, I lol 3 times about the sandals, the bears, and Dr. Suess. Loved Cathy Sienna's 5 roots of violence and taproot of violence statements. Like I said earlier, I have to go read parts of it again now that I know the ending before I can comment more on it.

It's my 19th DK book and I think it's one of his best that I've read.
I'm inclined to believe in parallel worlds filled with dark bound Snow and Odd adventures.

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christophersnow View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote christophersnow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/05/2008 at 3:43pm
57th Dean Koontz book.

Start: November 27
Finish: November 29

An astounding return of the highly unique Koontz. With sequels and concept thrillers, Koontz finally returns to his originality formula. This formula is the one he followed most of his life. Write about original plot concepts that are only the shadow of the real story that encompasses the reading experience. These are his best stories because they can not be defined on the jacket of the book.

In this novel, Koontz partitions perfectly a three part story weaved together with an almost irrelevant prologue. The prologue answers some of the most important questions about the novels themes, but the setting was arbitrary enough to ruin the scene. All three parts are unique in style and mood, though of course there is an underlying theme that binds them all together.

Koontz also does something he has not done in a long time. He concocts bizarre twists and translates them into reasonable happenings. Even though the suspense was knocked down a notch, there was a good reason for this. He ratcheted the intrigue higher than any of his previous books. Each scene left just the right amount points unexplained, creating a must-know-what-happens-next ambiance.

The characters make all the above possible. There is an inscrutableness about each of the pivotal characters that makes it impossible to be certain of where the story could go next. Koontz reveals at just the right time the precise detail about a character to sate the reader until Koontz reaches his peak where he reveals the full twist, and finalizes the details that create a near perfect story.

Add in Koontz's brilliant views on modern art, and what the reader gets is pure enjoyment.

This is Koontz's most groundbreaking novel since Velocity.

Need I say it, a perfect 10/10!
"It had to be said. The world is perishing from an orgy of self-sacrificing." - Howard Roark
Dean Koontz= Always working!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dnurse64 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/05/2008 at 4:04pm
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I read the entire book again! I just loved this book! I'm so impressed. I mentioned in the other thread that DK said in an article that he wrote this entire book in a flow state. I noticed this quote from Ryan Perry in YHBTM, "Sometimes, when he fell into a hyperactive flow state while writing a piece of software, Ryan passed days like a hermit, living in his pajamas and shaving only when his beard stubble began to itch." I wonder if DK wrote YHBTM wearing his pj's? I never caught onto the possibility of illegal organ donation. I just watched a couple of movies on the subject too but still that didn't clue me in. I was so caught up in Ryan's self deception that I "hated the truth" right along with him. I haven't gone back and read a book again back to back but once or twice before in my life. I really enjoyed this book the 2nd time around and seeing it from a different point of view. At the end, when Violet is telling Ryan all the "implicit meanings" that he should've inferred from what Dr. Hobbs implied, I was like, wow, I didn't even catch one of them the first time! I loved the paraphrasing of Poe's poetry. And reading chapter 31 again was really creepy, knowing exactly how Lily's heart was taken. The sadness hearing the church bells knowing it was Violet ringing them for her sister. Well, I could go on and on. I really got into this book. I loved all the metaphors and symbolism. Every chapter had something that made me think "wow!" It's one of DK's best.
I'm inclined to believe in parallel worlds filled with dark bound Snow and Odd adventures.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote christophersnow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/05/2008 at 4:34pm
Thanks for mentioning Poe. I forgot about that. It really made me want to read Poe. I hope I remember to look for his books next time I visit the used book store.
"It had to be said. The world is perishing from an orgy of self-sacrificing." - Howard Roark
Dean Koontz= Always working!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SlimMackenzie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/17/2009 at 12:31pm
Well, here is my official opinion.

This book is terrible. It took be about 4 days to read, which is 3 days and 20 hours longer than normal. I want to point out specific things I disliked, but the whole book was a huge disappointment. I will put this book on my shelves next to DEOTY and The Husband, because it is one of the worst DK's I have ever read. I am beginning to think his best writing days are behind him.

I find it strange, almost to a disturbing point, that my opinion varies so much from everyone elses. I had a good frame of mind when I was reading this book, but the story, and the characters, were below par. I didn't have high expecations for this novel, partly because the few before it were disappointing.

The other night I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.
-Rodney Dangerfield
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