Carrion Comfort

Rating:
Summary: Big action packed epic horror
Review: This is an epic horror novel. A rare genre that has some of my favorite books in it: Stephen King's The Stand, Clive Barker's Imajica, and Robert R. McCammon's Swan Song. This book deserves a place right along side of them. It has everything you'd expect from the genre: lots and lots of great characters (Melanie Fuller is as successful a study of the sociopathic mind as Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, only Carrion Comfort is a million times better story). Non-stop action from Nina's dizzying pursuit of Melanie at the beginning to Natalie and Melanie's final explosive confrontation at the end(The kid with the scalpel blades on the ends of his fingers, jeez!) and everything in between: the showdowns in Germantown and Dolman Island, holy cow! The book takes the reader from the Nazi concentration camps to the American south, Hollywood, Washington D.C., the inner-city slums of Philidelphia, Isreal, and many other places. Its truly a sprawling novel with more thrills and chills than the latest Hollywood blockbuster. I strongly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a comfort
Review: I consider Carrion Comfort to be one of Simmon's best. The idea of psychic vampires, who can control others with a thought. A splendid mix of characters from a ex-nazi concentration camp commadant. A former Jewish concentration camp survivor that dedicates his life to finding and brining this man to justice as well as discovering the power the man holds on others. A seedy, somewhat swarthy porn producer who's power is to make any woman move and act to his slightest desire. A long but enthralling book, but worth the time to read. I had a hard time putting the novel down.

Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest horror novels of all time
Review: Dan Simmon's Carrion Comfort is definitely the finest horror novel I have read to this date. The diction and syntax of the novel is highly provocative and eloquent. Simmon's use of flashbacks and jumps from one character's view of things to the next is absolutely spellbinding... I could not bring myself to put this novel down. Even though many will complain of it's length, I found it to be very fast-paced and stimulating. The characters are extremely well written and completely three dimensional if not four dimensional! The twists and turns of the plot were completely unpredictable even for an avid reader like myself. If there is one novel I could recommend to kill a weekend with one of those all-out-cannot-put-it-down reads then Dan Simmon's Carrion Comfort is it. If you like such authors as Stephen King and Thomas Harris you will thoroughly enjoy this fine work of fiction... Have a most suspenseful and enticing read!

Rating:
Summary: Simmons sets a new standard - again
Review: The first Simmons I read set me on his trail from page one. "Carrion Comfort" is a monumental piece of fiction and one of the very best books I ever read. It's alternatively a work of horror, then action-thriller filled with a tantalizing mix of psychology, forbidden history and secret power-structures. Although it's an intense read, not in the last because of its almost 1000-page volume, I went back to read it a few times afterwards. I consider this one of Simmons' very best, and composed with the same vision that made his "Hyperion"-books so grand. Don't miss this one!

Rating:
Summary: A bit too long
Review: This was a good book that could have been great if it had been about two or three-hundred pages shorter. I agree that there was a bit too much detail, which is something I usually enjoy, but in this book, a lot of the details were unnecessary and only slowed down the story. There were times when I was totally engrossed in the story, like when it was told from Melanie Fuller's point of view. She was one of the most loathsome characters I've ever read about, but that made her interesting. But then other times I found myself wondering if I was ever going to finish this thing. It's a good read, but make sure you have lots of free time to read it, or you'll never get through it.

Rating:
Summary: Ignore the naysayers - CARRION COMFORT is amazing.
Review: I am amazed to find that there is such a schism regarding CARRION COMFORT. It seems to be a real love/hate book. Which surprises me because it's one of the most compulsively readable novels I've ever read. I would prefer not to give away anything to the first time reader (other reviewers have not been so considerate) but I will say that Simmons takes a fabulous premise and works it until your eyes pop. I really can't see how anyone decided that this story was boring -- unless they simply didn't have the patience for a long novel. But if you're waffling on reading it as a result of these mixed reviews I strongly encourage you to pick it up.

Rating:
Summary: frighteningly believable
Review: i really enoyed carrion comfort. it makes the reader think, that there possibly could be people like melanie, willi, nina, arnold barent, tony harod, and james sutter. that they really could exist. those particular people kept their mind control powers a secret except in their own group.i like the way the theme of human dominance was displayed.a group of fictional characters in carrion comfort ,that had this power were in high powered positions. they worked for the white house ,which makes us wonder, if senators and politicians really have this power.i enjoyed the conflict on dollman island ,in the last part of the novel. i also enjoyed the character ,melanie fuller. an alternate title of this book should be" don't mess with melanie"

Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: It's a tossup between this novel and Silence of the Lambs as my favorite novel of all time. It's huge, over 900 pages, and dates back from Nazi Germany to present day. In a nutshell, it's about a small group of people with the ability to completely control the actions of people using telekinesis. For those who have read the novel, this little tidbit will interest you: I saw an interview with Dan Simmons...the inspiration for this story came from a dream he had of an old woman in a nightgown being pursued through a forest by a helicopter. I can't recommend this highly enough. Read it!

Rating:
Summary: Originality but lacks Hyperion Series Greatness
Review: This book has a great premise, which I do not want to spoil. The story builds well, and the action is emotionally engaging. However, the book does lack the brilliance of Simmons' other works in terms of depth. I did not feel as strong a connection with the characters as in his other books. Great for a change of pace for Simmons fans!

Rating:
Summary: Easily Simmons' best
Review: An ambitious, amazing read. It appears readers either love it or hate it. A work worthy of its length (unlike some of the works from other popular horror-meisters, who refuse the services of editors). A shame Simmons doesn't do more in the horror genre.