Carrion Comfort

Rating:
Summary: It's a meaty book
Review: Normally when people see a book this size, they think to themselves, "Wow what a great paperweight" but that shouldn't be the case here. Dan Simmons continues to prove that horror fiction is just as much his plaything as science fiction, crafting a big, ambitious novel that succeeds in just about every aspect. It's scary, it's intimidating, it's complex, it's funny, it's full of characters that you're going to either or love but will be unable to ignore. Simmons takes the basic concept of vampires and goes in a slightly different direction here, instead of the typical bloodsucking stuff, here we've got psychic vampires who can infilrate the mind and do many unpleasant things. For the most part the vampires are utterly amoral, using and abusing people with no other impulse other than instant gratification. Until some people try to get revenge. Here we've got Saul, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust who makes it a near obsession to find the monster that invaded his mind in a concentration camp during World War II. Or Natalie, who is motivated by a tragedy touches her personal life by way of vampires who see people as only pawns in a game. And then there's Sheriff Rob Gentry, trying to solve a mystery involving a bunch of dead people who apparently went crazy for no apparent reason, murders that seem to be part of a subtle, but disturbing pattern. These are the building blocks that make up the foundation of the rest of the epic . . . needless to say there are more than enough other characters, and subplots and surprises and intrigue and even horror to keep the reader occupied for many an hour. To even add to the excitement, a bunch of sections are told from the point of view of one of the vampires and her utterly amoral useage of the people she encounters all the while justifying it with no problem for her own twisted pleasure has to be one of the most horrific aspects to the book, the gap between the reality she perceives and the reality that exists is frightening indeed. Not that the book is perfect, it probably is a little too long, if you read it in small chunks you're okay but Simmons is very meticulous in his detail, something long time readers are probably used to. Some things aren't really explained either, one of the vampires is apparently ridiculously more powerful than the others but no one ever says why (but I guess that's horror for you, plus no one really gets the time sit down and discuss it), the concept of "Feeding" he never really goes into even though everyone talks about it, but those are minor complaints indeed. Where it's supposed to work it does, the action is thrilling, the emotional payoffs are staggering, the truimphs are earned even as the defeats will keep you on the edge of the chair. If you've got anything more than a passing interest in Dan Simmons or horror, you owe it to yourself to set a week aside and devour this book. You'll be glad you did.

Rating:
Summary: exercise your brain!
Review: The only reason you should ever read a book that is more than 800 pages long is to exercise your brain. This book is a grand endeavor that I gladly indulged in for weeks.

It's hard to wrap your mind around this book, but Simmons paints wonderful settings, complex characters and a great plot that weaves in supernatural theories on violence and control.

Another reason the book stands out among other hulking, 800+ page novels is Simmons' narrative style, which switches between the first-person observations of Melanie Fuller, a key player in the book, to a dozen third-person perspectives from equally interesting characters.

The book is exceptional because Melanie Fuller is a classic naiive narrator. That is, she is so self-deluded that her perspective cannot be taken at face value. Rather, they must be interpreted by the reader with analysis and reading on to see how the third-person accounts decode those same events.

In short, this book is wonderfully imaginative. In dusting off this book, you'll also be dusting some cobwebs out of your head and getting those rusty cogs turning again.

Rating:
Summary: Big Disappointment.
Review: I ordered this book specifically because there were so many glowing reviews and because it was so well-compared to so many books that I like (i.e., The Stand). Simmons is also a writer about whom I've heard good things.

I'm inclined to give Simmons the benefit of the doubt and try another one of his books, but if this were my only basis for judgement, I'd be extremely dubious.

First of all, I didn't care about the characters. And this despite Simmons using every emotional trick in the book to get me to care about them. We had a holocaust survivor, a determined young victim of racism who lost her father, a poor but honest local cop. It was almost ridiculous how many hackneyed tricks he pulled out the hat to try to get the readers to care about these people.

Second, the sense of timing in the book is very poor. Deaths occur at times that you can't care about them, there are long meandering plot sequences that are absolutely irrelevant. This might have been improved with some judicious cutting (this book certainly did not need to be 900 pages).

There *are* certainly some good elements in the book. I like how he played with your expectations about the villains. It's impressive that he managed to finish it at all given how sprawling the plot is.

Anyhow, like I said, I'll give Simmons another chance. But if I had to do it over again, I'd give this book a miss.

Rating:
Summary: Simmons: A Master of Character
Review: I am truly stunned by an earlier reviewer calling Carrion Comfort "very, very boring," and stating that he "couldn't care less if all the characters died..."

Carrion Comfort is very probably my favorite book. Simmons does an amzaing job of putting you inside the various characters' heads. As my brother put it after finishing the book, "All of the other books I read now -- the characters seem so flat." Simmons provides the 1st person disjointedness of a character undergoing a mental breakdown, the fear and loathing a concentration camp survivor has towards his SS nemesis, and the horror and disbelief "normal" people have towards the atrocities and seemingly supernatural phenomina around them with equal deftness.

And beyond the intriguing characters themselves, Simmons produces that "Maybe this IS possible..." sort of feeling by weaving factual and fictional history together within the framework of the story. JFK, WWII, Ayatollah Khomeni, John Lennon -- scores of the biggest news stories that involve death or murder are fair game to be included in Simmons' story line. And they all fit.

The book describes a chess match, both literal and figurative, between people and powers, both supernatural and politcal. It has twists and turns like the best mystery novels, and shear horror with the best of the macabre. It is no wonder that Simmons won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Horror Novel with Carrion Comfort.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: What an excellent book. This is a brilliant concept and story line, kind of a smart man's horror read. What if the outrages that have happened in this world, (i.e. war, Hitler, murders, etc.) have been a direct result of mind vampires? People with super powers who can manipulate others to do their bidding. What if these people get into their own war with each other? This is the basis for this book. I was so impressed with the depth of this book, the complex characters and the vivid descriptions. Simmons writing reminds me of Stephen King, only better. Highly recommend this book for an interesting, exciting read!

Rating:
Summary: I put down 5 stars only because that's as far as they let me
Review: I was appalled to hear that there was even a single person out there who did not enjoy this book to the fullest. I first read this book in 1995. It blew me away. Ever since then I have not found a single book, past or present, that reached Carrion Comfort's level. I beleive all those people out there who claim it was boring, are the same people who think that Rambo is the best movie and that Titanic "sucks". Carrion Comfort took the right elements of Horror and Science Fiction and blended them flawlessly to create a believable epic tale. It frightened me when I read it. ANd it's not the kind of fright that makes one afraid to sleep with the lights off. More of a grander fright. It's realism made one afraid that Dan Simmons knows more about what's truly going on out there than we'd like to think. In conclusion, I'll say that whoever thought Carrion Comfort was boring, didn't understand the story.

Rating:
Summary: Simmons is a world above most authors
Review: Simmons is one of the literary world's great treasures. He moves with ease between numerous genres, completely at home in each. "Carrion Comfort" was the first book I read by this author. I enjoyed it immensely. Because of it, I read "Hyperion", which is something, because I despise Science Fiction, by and by.

Simmons is different. His "Hyperion" series is much more than typical space opera, with phaser guns and funny aliens. He creates stories of immense depth and feeling. He started that for me in "Carrion Comfort", and continues to this day. I look forward to reading "Ilium" with great anticipation.

"Carrion Comfort" is the story of psychic vampires, people who can control others with their minds. Years of this power has bored them to the point where they do it for sport. This started as a novella in one of Simmons's collections and he realized it fully in this novel.

Cover blurb compares it to "The Stand" by King. It is only like "The Stand" in length and scope. The stories couldn't be more different. Read McCammon's "Swan Song" if you want "The Stand". "Carrion Comfort" is something completely different by one of America's most brilliant writers. Bravo.

Rating:
Summary: Well written but a disapointing story.
Review: Okay, the biggest problem I had with this novel has nothing to do with Dan Simmons and everything to do with the person who decided to include the SF Chronicle blurb on the front which says "in the tradition of King's "The Stand." That is why I bought the book. Turned out that it wasn't ANYTHING like "The Stand," not even close. I think Simmons is a great writer, but I was terribly disapointed with this book. Maybe if I hadn't known anything about I might not have had expectations I might have enjoyed it more. Or perhaps if someone had edited out about 100 pages I might have enjoyed it more. That said, I am still quite impressed with Simmons' writing and will continue to read other novels he has written. Unless, of course, someon lies on the cover of the paperback...

Rating:
Summary: My eighth and last DS book. I give up. -20
Review: Mind vampires who instead of actual blood feed on violence and death, they even compete (how sporting). Sheeeez! What a go no where idea. An old used up idea. I got as far as the 2nd chap. and took it back to the library, along with Song of Kali and Summer of Night, both stinkers. DS wrote one good book, Children of the Night. Everything else he has written, that I've read, should of been edited by half and rewritten by 3/4.

DS writes likes he's in a manic state.
Just words on paper, that's all his books are -- no depth, no believable plots/characters/feeling and zero magic. Dead writing.

I kept trying DSs books because of all the positive reviews but geez I don't see what's to like.

Rating:
Summary: CARRION ME AWAY
Review: It's a tribute to the writing skills of Dan Simmons that "Carrion Comfort" manages to hold your interest in spite of its almost 900 pages, and it's wandering development. The concept of "mind vampires" is quite unique, and the shifting points of view, along with the first person narrative of Melanie Fuller, combine to make an almost perfect horror novel. There are some marvelous characters including the sheriff, Rob Gentry; the heroine, Natalie Preston; and even the over-used Saul Latski. I say overused only because Simmons employs a little too much reminiscing and self-pity in dealing with Saul. Indeed, most of the flashbacks incurred by the characters, tends to slow the pace down, making you want the author to get back to what's going on now. For instance, the first human chess games is novel and tense; when we go to the climaxing chess game, it seems very repetitive, tedious, and not as gripping as I imagine Simmons wanted it to be. There are tons of villains, and at times, it's hard to keep up with them. The main villain, the Oberest, Willie Borden, is such a shadow figure that when we finally meet him again, he doesn't truly live up to the expectations you have of him. The character of Tony Harod, the movie producer, is so despicable that you want him out of the book long before he gets his just desserts.
But, if you stick with it, persevere with the immensity of the book itself, it is a rather major accomplishment. The ending is sort of a surprise, and it's open-endedness smelled of a sequel, which I don't think Simmons ever gave us?
Anyway, plan to spend a few days with this book.
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