Rating: 
Summary: Another "the-devil-made-me-do-it" book
Review: The Conways are a family brimming with secrets. Ted Conway, father, is a drunk; he's wasted much of his life in a bottle, feeling sorry for himself while blaming others for his misfortune. Underneath, the Conways have a deeper secret that culminates in the home that has housed generations of Conways. Ted's aunt Cora dies, leaving the St. Albans home to Ted and his family. Looking for a fresh start, Ted moves his wife Janet, his teen twins, Jared and Kim, and toddler Molly to the small town filled with secrets. There he makes a deal that damns his soul. What ensues is a classic good vs. evil tale.
John Saul is an incredible writer. I was captivated by THE BLACKSTONE CHRONICLES. However, RIGHT HAND failed to maintain my interest for the majority of the book. The characters are cliched, the small town is unsurprisingly suspicious and close-minded, and the evil that lurks in the basement has been written, in various forms, too many times to list. Saul fairly accurately depicts what it's like to live with an alcoholic; I think the emotional tension between the family members is the best element of the novel. I kept reading expecting something to happen; there were several build-ups that simply went nowhere. The climax is quick, almost an afterthought. Saul's mastery of words is evident throughout this novel; he has a great talent for beautifully written scenes. But, unfortunately, RIGHT HAND does not deliver the punch I expected; it could be renamed Right Hand of Some Kinda Bad Stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: JOHN SAUL IS HORRIBLE!
Review: I hated this book. Slow, boring and annoying. I was so happy to finish it. There were so many dreams, that you didn't know if they were talking about reality or the past. No more Saul for me! Try Dean Koontz, that's a real horror novelist!
Rating: 
Summary: right hand of evil
Review: One of Saul's best written books. This tale twists around generations of believable characters like an evil vine.
Rating:
Summary: the right hand of evil
Review: this was only the second book of his i have read and it was good , close to the end got a little slow
Rating: 
Summary: Review for Right Hand of Evil and John Saul
Review: When I was younger, I found COMES THE BLIND FURY in a desk drawer. The cover intrigued me - and I picked it up and read it. I never put it down until I was done. I went right out to the book store and bought 3 more John Saul books. I then started to read them in the order he wrote them. I bought paperback, hardcover, joined a book club and ordered them in sets... I did everything I could to find all of the books he had written. In the meantime, every year I waited patiently for a new book to come out...It would hit the shelves, I would buy it, read it, file it away on my special John Saul book shelf and then have to wait another year for the next book to come out. The Right Hand of Evil was a great book. I am looking forward to NightShade, as I do like his early books best. Thank you for reading this - John Saul is and will be my favorite author - I hope he never stops writing books.
Rating:
Summary: Far from his best
Review: I only kept reading this after the first third because I'd bought it to get me through a long train ride. It was a "page-turner" only in the sense that I wanted it to be over as soon as possible. Multiple cliches, no psychological insight, gratuitous pet mutilation, weak and unpleasant characters, no attempt to bring any degree of depth to the proceedings, and a conclusion that is in no way satisfying combine to make this perhaps the least of this authors efforts of the half dozen of his novels that I have read. Very disappointing. Not recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: It seems that this book is for first time John Saul readers only. It was the first of his that I had read and I must admit to becoming completely obsessed by it. I couldn't put it down until I had reached the last page. The good news is that it will probably bring in a lot of new readers to his older books(including me), but it seems that his previous fans aren't enjoying it very much. That's great news for me though, knowing that when I read his other novels it will only get better and better!
Rating:
Summary: When Bad Books Happen to Great Writers
Review: I'm a huge John Saul fan, and I've never been disappointed with one of his books until now. The Right Hand of Evil was riddled with cliches, an ending that's been done thousands of times, and unnecessary animal mutilations. Try another one of his books instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Not his best work
Review: This is a good read unless you are an old John Saul fan and started out reading SUFFER THE CHILDREN, by far and away his best work. This storyline is no where near its equal, but still a page-turning thriller.
Rating:
Summary: The Right Hand of Repitition
Review: Well, I cannot compare this book to many of Saul's previous works since I have only read one, "The Homing", and was very impressed. A few days ago I found I had nothing to read and decided to chance my money on another Saul book. The money would have been better spent on a doorstop. From what seems a somewhat intriguing beginning spawns a story that turns into a series of scenes repeated over and over again, and with the same predictable conclusions at that. The Conway family is on the verge of disaster. Ted Conway has developed a drinking problem and it is ruining his life, as well as the lives of his wife and children. When they come to inherit an old house and the trust that accompanies it things seem to take a turn for the better. Of course, that only lasts until Saul pulls all of the haunted house tricks previous authors have used. We have the twins, possibly a nice touch except that he runs off in the same direction with the relationship between sister and posessed brother. The family tension surrounding their recent problems is diluted by his ability to use a wide vocabularly and yet fail to make the sentences flow. And don't expect the one dimensional characters of the town to add to the story very much, not to mention don't be looking for too many surprises. Recycled is not the right word, its too loose. This is not recycled, its been dug up from a grave and re-animated. I am truly disappointed and am not sure whether or not I will buy another Saul book. After the first fifty pages the story simply seems to fade away and what your left with are mere ashes of what could have been a worthy read if only it had been given more thought, a lot more thought.
|
