Rating: 
Summary: Scared the heck out of me!!
Review: I first read "Summer of Night" back when it was originally published in 1991 and was scared by it - I went on to read other Dan Simmons and loved "Children of the Night", "Lovedeath" and especially one of his short stories, "Iverson's Pits" which also scared me, but "Summer of Night is definitely his masterpiece. With the recent publication of the sequel, "A Winter Haunting", also quite spooky but a much quicker read, I had to go back and revisit Elm Haven, Illinois, circa 1960, and found it to be as scary as I remembered it! The Soldier, Duane and the combine, Father Cavanaugh, Old Central, the "thing" under the bed...shivers!! By all means, read this book if you enjoy well-written horror - it's similar to King's "It" or, in a lesser way, McCammon's "A Boy's Life". Wonderful and horrifying!!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Book
Review: Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of horror. There is nothing quite like curling up to a good scary book on a cold night. The problem I have always had with the genre is the lack of what I believe to be talented authors. So when I find one, I tend to jump for joy and read all of the books that person has written. So let me say that based on Summer of Night, which is the first novel I have read by Dan Simmons, I can't wait to read more. It seems Dan Simmons writes similiar to Stephen King but not quite to the EXTENT...if you know what I mean. He gets to the point quicker but does not by any means compromise character development, description or depth. Most importantly to me anyway, he lets your mind do the scaring. He is subtle. Do not pass up this book, it is by far one of the best I have read in the genre.
Rating:
Summary: Taps into our Universal Fears!!
Review: I just finished this book last night and I can't recommend it highly enough. Dan Simmons taps into our universal childhood fears like few have done before. The "thing" under the bed, or the "monster" living in our bedroom closet, the pale face outside our window. There are some genuinely frightening moments in this novel. I have seen this book compared to "It" and "Boys Life", and I too feel it belongs in the same catagory as those fantastic novels. All I can say is that if you enjoyed either of those novels you will surely enjoy "Summer of Night". Do not read any reviews that give away plot points or try to summarize this eerie tale! Read it without any forwarning of what is to come, and let Simmons' carry you away into his nightmarish story.
Rating:
Summary: One of the scariest horror novels I've ever read!
Review: If Ray Bradbury and Shirley Jackson had taken a chance and had a child together, that kid would have produced a novel something like this. Claiming a spot firmly in the middle of "Bradbury country" and sprucing it up with Jacksonesque prose stylings, Simmons perfectly recreates what it was like to be a kid back in the early sixties, when things were seemingly more innocent. Having done that, he proceeds to scare the pants off his readers as he dishes up horror after horror: the zombie-like teachers, the strange, many toothed, subterranean animals; the rendering truck...and more! (Personally, I'll never forget the scene in the flooded, darkened basement as Dale realizes the cold hand of a long-dead classmate has just brushed his leg). Simmons is a genius. He writes equally well in whatever genre he chooses. Forget what the previous mook said about this book (anyone that goes around comparing writers like baseball players is an idiot). Besides,the fact that children are involved, King's book (IT) and this one have nothing in common. And this book is one of the scariest horror novels I've ever read! (in fact, like all of Simmons' books, I liked it so much I reread it -- twice!).
Rating:
Summary: No comparison
Review: I noticed that several other reviewers here make comparisons to IT and BOY'S LIFE. Having read all three I can safely say that SUMMER OF NIGHT is incomparable. Dan Simmons is the only one of these three authors (and I'm a huge McCammon fan) who actually makes these kids REAL. King's kids are always stereotypes, McCammon's weren't drawn deeply enough, but Simmons actually makes them live and breathe. They act their age, for one thing, and you care about them....a lot! And, unlike the other two authors, Simmons draws a female heroine who is so likeable, so unique and so interesting, that she merited her very own sequel!In addition to loving the characters, the story is a slam-bang horror yarn that keeps you intrigued from start to finish, and has some of the most suspenseful scenes in all of horror fiction (the coal bin in the cellar, just to name one...and, of course, THE RENDERING TRUCK...a character all on its own!)
I recommend this book to every horror fan I know, with a guarantee that you won't be disappointed.
And Dan Simmons, if you are reading this, PLEASE WRITE ANOTHER HORROR NOVEL!!!
Rating:
Summary: One scary summer in the '60's
Review: If you were a child growing up in the 1960's this novel will certainly evoke strong memories of childhood summers filled with an innocence and freedom that has long since disappeared. If you are of an age to remember when you could leave your house in the morning and disappear for hours without concern, you will love this novel for the wonderful sense of nostalgia it will no doubt bring. The merit for this novel is not purely based on sentiment however; it is one fine horror story that hurtles the reader along at breakneck speed. Full of fine scares and boys we all knew as children, this novel does not disappoint. 4.5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Simply brilliant
Review: First I'd like to say this: please, for the love of God(s), do not listen to reviews that degrade this amazing piece of work. It's beyond me how anyone can find this book boring. If you like the kind of horror where every page is filled with "splatter" and about as subtle as a car crash then of course, "Summer Of Night" is probably not for you. But if you can appreciate beautiful, suspenseful writing combined with skillful storytelling and believable characters, then do not miss this one. I'm yet to find a book by Dan Simmons that would disappoint me (even the pretty-average "Hollow Man" didn't leave me feeling like I'd spend my money for nothing). I have read nearly all of his books, and to me, he stands way above bestselling authors like Stephen King. Simmons is subtle. He takes ordinary events, ordinary people, and makes them interesting. He makes you think and feel. This is a writer who, apart from being a master storyteller, has an incredible talent of taking all things cliche and turning them into pure gold. This book is testament to that. Sure, what can be more cliche - a bunch of eleven-year-olds losing their innocence through horrible events involving the supernatural? Everything turns out to be true, every stupid little fear you had as a kid. Monsters in the closet. White claws coming up from under the bed to grab you. School turning out to be a home for long-dead teachers and other evil things interested in either killing you or turning you into one of them. But despite all that, IT WORKS. The characters seem real, their surroundings seem real, and everything else, as unreal as it is, seems like it could actually happen. It's probably not the best book to start with if you've never read Simmons - check out Hyperion/Endymion books first, but it's definitely one of his best. And this is a must-read for anyone who appreciates well written, intelligent horror.
Rating:
Summary: He knows what scares you.
Review: As a fan of horror novels, I read quite a few and rarely do I find one as engrossing and enjoyable as Dan Simmons Summer of Night. If you are a fan of Stephen King's It, Robert McCammon's Boy's Life, and maybe Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked this Way Comes, then you will not be disappointed by this book. Summer is set in the early 1960's in a small town in Illinois just after school is out for the Summer. The book revolves around five friends who each begin having some truely horrifying events happen to them. The descriptions of these events are so vivid that it really took me back to when I was twelve and what things would scare me the most. This is the third Simmons book that I have read and by far and away, my favorite. By all means, if you love horror, check out this book.
Rating:
Summary: Summer of Night
Review: Summer of night is a great book. I read it about 10 years ago. The main reason I read it is because the author is from the same small town as I. This book is based on actual characters and town settings, just with the names tweaked a bit. But it was fun as a kid to read the book and go around town looking for the spots he was talking about, trying to reinact the same adventures.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I have ever read
Review: This stephen king type book has to be one of the the best book I have read. I had never read anything from Dan Simmons before Summer of night but now he has me hooked. 600 pages without a boring page. I never wanted to put this book down.
|
