Rating: 
Summary: One huge disappointment
Review: Anyone who has read Summer of Night will no doubt expect a superb follow-up with its semi-sequel, A Winter Haunting. However, this is not the case. Where the former was truly frightening and a page-turner, it was a struggle to read more than the first 20 pages of the latter. I found A Winter Haunting to be dull and uneventful, more a story about Dale's life and the problems of a small town than about anything scary. For the most part, a big disappointment!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Bother
Review: Dan Simmons early works of horror and sci fi are incredible. Everything he has written in these gendres in the last 4 or 5 years have be below par, slow, boring, and not worth bothering with. I keep trying however because how much I used to love him.This story, a continuation of Summer of Night, like another he did with one of the characters, from the same book, is bland, not very exciting, and confusing mixxed with unenjoyable. The reason for the latter is that the author is obviously a aethist. I have no problem with that but when you are writing a supernatural horror story and trying to preach a his aethist beliefs (ones I largely share) then it takes away from the story, its plausiblity, and its ghosts (one, Duane, who doesn't even believe in his existence along with the main character who is almost killed by one). Lets face it, when writing a fantasy the author needs to pretend the fantasy is real even when he knows it isn't. Besides this the story still stinks and it makes me sad the Dan may have lost what was once a powerful voice in fiction. I give it two stars, instead of one, more out of respect for what he once was than for the quality of the story.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing but still good
Review: This was a pretty decent book but not quite what you'd expect if you've read Summer of Night. This was more like a suspense novel where Summer of Night was a true horror novel. Don't get me wrong i think Dan Simmons does suspense very well, but i think that if you're coming into this thinking its going to be like the first book, forget it. The ideas were good and it was interesting to see what had happened to the characters, it seemed as if whatever it was, death or evil caught up with just about all of them somehow. Also the interludes about Clare were unnecessary. it was just another way of trying to convince you that yes, maybe Dale is crazy and that none of the previous events happened,but it was not needed. I also thought that Duane being a part of the story was ridiculous. There was potential for a great story here but it was merely only a good story.
Rating:
Summary: Lukewarm is the term I would use...
Review: I loved Summer of Night - it is rare to find a book so well written and believable on "supernatural" subjects that it gives you nightmares as this one did for me. Needless to say, I was expecting or at the very least, hoping for, more of the same with A Winter Haunting. Seeing what became of the kids was one thing and continuing the Egyptian theme was a good tie-in; but having read and re-read Summer of Night, there are several things that don't add up in the sequel. Plus, it just wasn't as interesting. Capable writing, but certainly not inspired or groundbreaking.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent storytelling. . . Nice sequel.
Review: I've been reading Dan Simmons since I was a teenager and Summer of Night was one of my favorites. I'm always happy when one of that book's characters pops up in another novel (Children of the Night, Darwin's Blade) and now here we have a sequel. Well, kind of a sequel. I'm glad Simmons has gotten back to the type of writing I enjoy from him the most. Lately I've been thrown off by some of his work. I put down Crook Factory after 200 pages and also bailed out on Hardcase. I think it's great that he is able to transcend different genres, everything just isn't for everybody I guess. A winter haunting, however, is a pure ghost story, spooky and nail-biting. Luckily, I didn't start the book expecting it to be as good or as scary as Summer of Night which saved me some disappointment. Actually it's not as much a sequel as a new idea spun off an old story, so it doesn't rehash or tread on familiar ground. I did find the passages concerning Dale's love affair to be a bit long-winded and non-essential to the plot. Also, the story itself could have been a little meatier. I enjoyed it, though, because even with these minor shortcomings, it is the first book in a long time I've read that was truly unsettling.
I would recommend anyone who hasn't read Summer of Night to pick it up right away and enjoy A Winter Haunting as a nice companion piece.
Rating:
Summary: Good Story, questionable writing
Review: It took me several days to determine if I liked this book after I read it. I was looking for a good Haunted House Book. The story is very good, but Dan Simmons failed to pull me into the story. At times it read like a screenplay. All though visually descriptive, it was not frightening. I found the jumping back and forth to past and present tedious at times. I also thought some of the content was more "filler" than a smooth continuation of the story.
The story was a wonderful glimpse into the life of a severely depressed person and his journey to find a reason for life. The ending was a surprise, and I enjoyed it. This is not a wonderful book, but it is a quick read and had lots of interesting ghosts, it is worth picking up .
Rating:
Summary: On the edge of your seat
Review: I think this book is an on the edge of your seat kind of book. You are not sure what is going to happen next. Those are the kind of books I like it is not predictable like some I have read. I like a book that keeps my interest, a book I can't seem to put down, and I think this is that kind of book. Of course this is just my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: What Is Reality?
Review: Being inside the head of Dale Stewart is not a happy place to be. He is holding on to his sanity by his fingernails, if that much. When Dale's world starts to unravel due to a rather pedestrian failed adulterous relationship, enough inertia is imparted on the character to push him in the direction of his boyhood home. Once there, old nightmares come to haunt and new dangers threaten his existence. But the question Dan Simmons poses is: Are the dangers real or do they only exist in Dale's head? Simmons doesn't force a standard ending down the readers throat, which may leave some feeling unsatisfied. But, I enjoyed the lose strings and unanswered questions (especially the one about the receipt for the Christmas ham). Are we going to be allowed to find out what happens next? Only time and Simmons' muse will tell.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Original
Review: I happened upon A Winter Haunting at my local library. I decided it looked decent and checked it out. I had no idea that it is actually a sequel to a previous book. However, it stands well on it's own. A Winter Haunting is one the most original pieces of horror I've ever read. This novel has more than one narrator giving the story a fresh spin. The plot itself is fascinating. As I read further and further into the book I found myself asking who *is* this author? I was so very impressed with his style of writing as I have never read anything quite like it. A Winter Haunting centers around Dale Stewart. Dale Stewart is a university professor that needs to get his life together. In order to do so, Dale decides to return to his old home town. Dale feels drawn back to where he grew up. He ends up staying in the home of Duane, a friend that was killed tragically when he and Dale were both young boys. Shortly after moving into Duane's house strange things begin to occur. Dale is forced to question his own sanity and face the fact that things are not always at all what they appear.
Rating:
Summary: spooky, emjoyable read
Review: I bagan reading this novel and finished it in 2 days. One of the creepiest books I've read since "The Shining" and "Salem's Lot". A spooky, fun read........try it even if you're not a horror fan. Simmons is right up there with Koontz and King.
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