This is the first King that I read (also King's first novel). Of course this was the basis of the movie about the girl with telekinetic powers. ExcellThis is the first King that I read (also King's first novel). Of course this was the basis of the movie about the girl with telekinetic powers. Excellent!...more
This is the second novel by Palahniuk that I have read. I read Choke a few years ago and thought it was quite shocking. Haunted is equally so and maybThis is the second novel by Palahniuk that I have read. I read Choke a few years ago and thought it was quite shocking. Haunted is equally so and maybe a little more so. It is really a collection of stories included within the framework of a novel telling of a group of people who are locked in an old abandoned theater for 3 months on the pretense of a writing seminar. As the novel progresses, each character tells a story and the conditions of the storytellers decline. They run out of food, the plumbing goes bad, and they resort to extremes ... all of them thinking that when they get rescued, their story will make a great news or TV story. The stories they tell along the way are the meat of the novel and many of them are quite good and quite horrific. Some reminded me of Ray Bradbury or Rod Serling in a Twilight Zone kind of way. Others were definitely meant to shock including the first story Guts which supposedly made people faint when read aloud by the author. There was also a lot of humor in some of the stories. My favorites were probably Slumming about rich people dressing up as the homeless for kicks; The Nightmare Box a Bradburyesque story about what happens when someone looks into an antique box at the right moment; Crippled a Hitchcockian story about living on disability benefits; and Guts detailing the potential dangers of masturbation. Some of the other stories didn't work real well for me and the overall premise of the novel was a little over the top....more
This is the fourth Cottam novel that I have read and I have really enjoyed all of them. I think Cottam is one of the best writers in the horror genre.This is the fourth Cottam novel that I have read and I have really enjoyed all of them. I think Cottam is one of the best writers in the horror genre. In this one, a young arboreal expert, Tom Curtis, is hired to restore a huge tract of land on the Welsh coast to its original forest. The land is owned and the project is funded by billionaire, Saul Abercrombie, who is also dying from throat cancer. Abercrombie believes that by reforesting this land, a spirit from ancient folklore will restore his health. But no one realizes just how dangerous the awakened entity will be. The entity was vanquished 1,000 years earlier by the ancestor of Curtis but can it be vanquished again? Cottam really has a good sense of description and character. The book really has an overwhelming dread to it along the way to a classic battle of good vs. evil. High recommendation for this one and all of Cottam's works. I will be looking for the ones I have missed....more
I really enjoyed this Gothic horror story about a young man living in Australia with his family who happens on to some secrets of his mother's includiI really enjoyed this Gothic horror story about a young man living in Australia with his family who happens on to some secrets of his mother's including a photo of a young unknown woman and a story written, as it turns out, by his mother's grandmother, Viola. Along the way, the boy, Gerard, becomes "penfriends" with a young girl, Alice, who lives in England who had been in an accident where she lost her parents and became paralyzed. Gerard writes to Alice for years and looks forward to finally meeting her in England. Then after his mother dies, he receives some correspondence from a woman who had known his mother's sister in England who had disappeared not long after Gerard's mother moved to Australia. Gerard goes to England and ends up searching his mother's old house for answers including whether or not his mother had killed her sister. Woven into the novel are several ghost stories written by Viola that seem to relate to the history of Gerard's family. All of this leaves one with a feeling of dread throughout the novel as Harwood expertly weaves his tale of terror. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it even though the ending was a little bit open to interpretation. I also have Hardwood's second novel, The Seance and look forward to reading it.
This, of course, is the basis of the Hitchcock masterpiece, Psycho. I have been wanting to read this for years and finally came across a copy recentlyThis, of course, is the basis of the Hitchcock masterpiece, Psycho. I have been wanting to read this for years and finally came across a copy recently. The book is very similar to the movie with a few exceptions. In the book, Norman Bates is described as a middle-age fat man -- very unlike Anthony Perkins in the movie. Also, the book takes place in Texas and Oklahoma unlike the movie version set in Arizona and California. Otherwise, Hitchcock based the plot pretty much on the book. The book does go deeper into Norman's psychosis and includes a description of how Norman killed his mother and her fiance -- soon to be married. Overall, I would recommend the book; however, since I have seen the movie countless times, there were no big surprises. This was written in 1959, the year before the movie was made. So if you are from another planet and had not seen the movie, the book would probably come off as a real shocker!...more
This is the third novel I have read by F.G. Cottam and I have enjoyed them all. This one was about a young boy who is cursed by a sorceress when the bThis is the third novel I have read by F.G. Cottam and I have enjoyed them all. This one was about a young boy who is cursed by a sorceress when the boy's father was sent to Bolivia to put down a possible drug cartel base. But it turns out, the location was really a spot chosen as a showdown between two powerful sorceresses and by interrupting this conflict, one of them put a curse on the boy leaving him possessed by bad spirits and dreams. The father must find some way to get rid of the curse. He enlists the help of a local doctor and healer, Elizabeth, who it turns out has a family history of possible witchcraft. Like his previous novels, Cottam uses events from recent history to make his novel come alive. In this case, the sorceress was instrumental in the rise of Nazism in Germany and is dead set on starting another global situation. I really enjoyed Cottam's use of language and his descriptions of the English countryside as well as other locales. I was a little let down by the ending but overall I would recommend this one. Not quite as good as The House of Lost Souls however....more
I've had this book on my shelf for several years and got around to reading it after watching the TV series which was supposedly based on the book. TheI've had this book on my shelf for several years and got around to reading it after watching the TV series which was supposedly based on the book. The series seemed to be dragging on and on without an end in sight so I thought by reading the book I would at least get to see how King envisioned the story. Well, I am definitely glad I read it (all 880 pages). In my mind the TV series has little relationship to the book (it must have received good ratings because Season 2 just ended with a cliffhanger which means there must be a Season 3 in store). I believe the TV series is just being dragged out because of the ratings -- it should really die a quiet death! On the other hand, the book was excellent. Some of King's best writing reminiscent of "The Stand" and his other lengthy tomes. The premise of the book (and the TV show) is that a dome falls onto a small town in Maine and then the town folk have to fend for themselves to survive. The bad guy in the book is Big Jim Rennie, a town selectman who has also been stockpiling propane to feed a large meth cooking operation on the outskirts of town. (The propane stockpiling is hinted at in the TV show but never explained.) When the dome comes down, Jim wants more and more power which leads to mass destruction within the dome. At the end, there are only a few survivors out of over 2000 residents. So what caused the dome? This may be a spoiler but it was caused by a group of alien children, called leatherheads by the towns people, who are playing with the town like burning ants with a magnifying glass. (There is no "egg", no paintings by Big Jim's wife, no reappearance of a long-dead student, etc. as in the TV show). Overall, I would recommend this but stay away from the TV series!...more
This is definitely one of the strangest novels I have read in a long time. It tells the story of "Isserly" who picks up hitchhikers in the Scottish coThis is definitely one of the strangest novels I have read in a long time. It tells the story of "Isserly" who picks up hitchhikers in the Scottish countryside and provides them for "processing" by her fellow beings. Isserley is an alien who was altered to look like a human with large breasts to attract beefy men who can be used as a food supply. The book is really a satire making points about humanity including its use of animals for food, animal cruelty, environmental concerns, and even women's rights. The book reminded me of another book I read a couple of years ago that has some similar themes: Meat. I would recommend both books if you are not easily shocked!
I know "Under the Skin" was recently made into a movie starring Scarlett Johansson. I'm curious to see how they were able to adapt this book into a film. ...more
I am a big fan of the the HBO series "True Blood" which is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. So I thought I would give the boI am a big fan of the the HBO series "True Blood" which is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. So I thought I would give the books a try. Well, "Dead Until Dark" was just okay. Somehow HBO seemed to have much improved the written version of the story. The storyline of the book was close to the portrayal on HBO with some exceptions; however, while the TV series really sucked you in, the novel kind of dragged. In the series, HBO really developed the characters which was kind of lacking in the book. Especially, Lafayette, the gay African-American cook - in the HBO series he is one of the delights while in the book he is just barely mentioned. Another favorite character in the series, Tara, is not even in the book! I did enjoy the Sookie character in both the series and the novel and I will probably read one or two more in the series to see if there is improvement. Overall, a mild recommendation....more
This book was highly recommended--I found the premise to be interesting but I really had difficulty buying into it. I mean come on - vampires shouldn'This book was highly recommended--I found the premise to be interesting but I really had difficulty buying into it. I mean come on - vampires shouldn't have rights! The whole thing about vampire groupies and clubs, ghouls and reanimators, wererats!, and zombies just seemed too contrived and comic bookish. It was like "Toon-town" in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." I know the Anita Blake books have received generally great reviews but it was just not for me....more
I really savored every page of this haunting novel. I especially enjoyed Cottam's multilayered story, his descriptions, characters, and his use of theI really savored every page of this haunting novel. I especially enjoyed Cottam's multilayered story, his descriptions, characters, and his use of the English language to tell the story. The novel starts out at a funeral of a young girl who had committed suicide after visiting a house on the Isle of Wight with a group of other young women. The house was formerly owned and used by Klaus Fischer who was the head of a coven of spiritualists or witches. The funeral is attended by the brother of another of the young women who also attempts suicide. Cottam goes on to tell the story of the history of the house and the people who used it during the 1920's. He also tells the story of Paul Seton, who visited and was haunted by the house in the 1980's and the story of Pandora Gibson-Hoare, an obscure photographer who Seton is researching for his girlfriend. Seton finds a diary left by Gibson-Hoare that details the diabolical affairs at the Fischer house in 1927.
Members of the coven included actual historical figures such as Dennis Wheatley, Aleister Crowley, and Hermann Göring. Wheatley was a writer of occult fiction and Crowley was an occultist who was later considered "the wickedest man in the world." I had never heard of Wheatly but he was evidently a best-selling author in Britain for many years. I need to seek out and read some of his books. I would also like to read more about Crowley.
Overall, this novel really capture the imagination and has an overall tone of foreboding. I would highly recommend this one!...more
Another great one from King! This is the long-awaited sequel to THE SHINING and it was worth the wait. This tells the story of what happened to the liAnother great one from King! This is the long-awaited sequel to THE SHINING and it was worth the wait. This tells the story of what happened to the little boy, Danny, who was terrorized at the Overlook Hotel during that crazy winter in the Colorado mountains. Danny grows up and has some of the same faults as his father including being an alcoholic with a bad temper. But along the way, he is able to fight his demons and comes to meet Abra, a little girl who also has "the shining". However, Abra is being stalked by a group of psychic vampires known as the "True Knot" who want to siphon off her powers to make them stronger. What ensues is a great fight of good vs. evil. DOCTOR SLEEP is Stephen King at his finest and reminds me a lot of his earlier works that I loved and devoured including THE SHINING, SALEMS' LOT, CARRIE, and THE STAND. A high recommendation for this one....more
Read this one back in the 1980's when it first came out. I remember reserving it at the library and I believe I was the first to read it. One of King'Read this one back in the 1980's when it first came out. I remember reserving it at the library and I believe I was the first to read it. One of King's early favorites of mine....more
Listened to this on CD during a trip to and from San Francisco. Enjoyable performance by David Colacci. The story was quite intense about an unknown eListened to this on CD during a trip to and from San Francisco. Enjoyable performance by David Colacci. The story was quite intense about an unknown entity on the loose in New York's natural history museum. The creature is a cross between a human and some kind of reptile or gecko (based on DNA samples). Overall another enjoyable thriller from Preston/Child....more
I never know what to expect from Koontz. I was expecting this book to be possibly a kind of haunted house type thriller but in actuality it was more oI never know what to expect from Koontz. I was expecting this book to be possibly a kind of haunted house type thriller but in actuality it was more of a sci-fi what-if novel with themes of overpopulation and post-humanism. I was somewhat surprised at this because the recent Dan Brown novel Inferno also used these same themes but in a totally different way. Shadow Street took the reader into a very bleak future where mankind had been wiped out as a result of a need for population control and use of nano-technology to develop super-humans who were more-or-less immortal. A very scary portrayal of this future including the use of "pogramites" to eliminate the overpopulation. I would mildly recommend this book and rate it above some of Koontz' more recent novels but still not in a league with his earlier work such as Watchers....more
I saw the movie version of this a few years ago and remember it being quite disturbing. Well, the book is just as disturbing and then some. It's basicI saw the movie version of this a few years ago and remember it being quite disturbing. Well, the book is just as disturbing and then some. It's basically about a widower in his 40s in Japan who is seeking a new wife. He and his friend come up with an idea to set up an audition for a possible movie to screen the young women who show up for the audition and try to find a suitable prospect as a wife. The protagonist ends up fixating on one young woman in her 20s who, it turns out, has a somewhat troubling past filled with abuse by her step father and aunt when she was a child. Don't want to spoil this but be prepared for a fast-paced story with a very horrific climax. High recommendation!...more
This has to be the most weird and bizarre book I have ever read! It was a mixture of horror, science fiction, crime novel, and very hard core erotica.This has to be the most weird and bizarre book I have ever read! It was a mixture of horror, science fiction, crime novel, and very hard core erotica. Some of the things described in this novel were just too strange and shocking. I think Farmer was out to pull all the strings in this one just to see how far he could take it and far he did. I have been a fan of Farmer's sci-fi ever since I read the first Riverworld novel, To Your Scattered Bodies Go back in the early 70s. This novel was written in 1968 and takes place in the then not-to-distant future Los Angeles which is choked in smog and torrential rains. The novel starts out with a horrific description of a snuff film and doesn't let up along the way. Included are aliens from another dimension that are the source of legendary beings including vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. The story definitely kept my attention up until the last third or so which sort of devolved into a 30's pulp science fiction tale of two warring groups of aliens. Overall I would recommend this if you are not easily offended!...more
I've read a couple of Herbert's novels in the past and remember thinking they were pretty good horror stories. This one fell a little short for me. I I've read a couple of Herbert's novels in the past and remember thinking they were pretty good horror stories. This one fell a little short for me. I think it was because of on top of the creepy things happening in the cottage, Herbert made a cult group - the Synergists - a big part of the story. The Synergists were out to obtain the cottage because of its location and the "magic" vibes emanating from there. I think the novel would have been better as a more direct ghost story. Anyway, a very mild recommendation for this one. ...more
Loading...
