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The Uncanny

The Uncanny

List Price: $6.99
Your Price: $6.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not a real "ghost story" -- and not that wonderful
Review: I read this based on the other reviews of readers posted on this site, and am disappointed. It was okay, but not as special as I expected. It's well written, but goes on much too long, and I found myself bored and skipping paragraphs and pages near the end (like I did when I used to read Stephen King books.)

It's harmless, but a waste of time. Guess I'll reread Dorothy MacArdle's "The Uninvited", or Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" again.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not horror-story scary, but interesting nonetheless
Review: I too bought this book based on the positive reviews posted. I was looking for a good scare and a good story. ...Well, the story was pretty good -- there were interesting characters and events, but nothing in the book "scared" me. The book was entertaining enough that I don't feel as if I wasted my money, but it is by far not the best nor the scarriest book I've ever read -- keeping in mind, this is only MY opinion. Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, but I'd suggest they get it from the library.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Boring
Review: I'd like to preface this by saying that this is the first of anything that I've read by Andrew Klavan; thus, I'm not burdened by Klavan's other novels. Hey, "True Crime" may be a masterpiece, and "Animal Hour" could be fantastic, I don't know. I did read this novel, "The Uncanny", however, and I was very pleased with it.

I profess a weakness (like Storm in the novel) for English ghost stories, so perhaps the novel spoke to me more so than my fellow reviewers here. Overall, I found the book to be well-written and very interesting. It wasn't scary, as some of the others have pointed out, but I don't think Klavan was trying to upstage King here. What he's written is an interesting and entertaining thriller, filled with some clever supernatural / occult additives, and the result is entirely pleasing.

Recommended.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better than its reputation here....
Review: I'd like to preface this by saying that this is the first of anything that I've read by Andrew Klavan; thus, I'm not burdened by Klavan's other novels. Hey, "True Crime" may be a masterpiece, and "Animal Hour" could be fantastic, I don't know. I did read this novel, "The Uncanny", however, and I was very pleased with it.

I profess a weakness (like Storm in the novel) for English ghost stories, so perhaps the novel spoke to me more so than my fellow reviewers here. Overall, I found the book to be well-written and very interesting. It wasn't scary, as some of the others have pointed out, but I don't think Klavan was trying to upstage King here. What he's written is an interesting and entertaining thriller, filled with some clever supernatural / occult additives, and the result is entirely pleasing.

Recommended.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Klavan - The Uncanny
Review: I'll cut to the chase - I was looking for a cheap supernatural thriller. What I got was more intricately plotted yet yielded fewer thrills. I was disappointed.

I've never read anything by Klavan and The Uncanny doesn't exactly inspire confidence. The premise is uninspired - American movie producer who's got some health problems (to say the least) ends up hunting down the answers to an old ghost story in England. It also becomes - of course - a somewhat sappy boy-meets-girl story.

I think what truly bothered me most about the novel was the portrayal of the main character. He lived up to every stereotype of the typical American movie producer. Worse, he adopted these qualities only after the first quarter of the book had passed. As an American (and I acknowledge that many of these traits can be somewhat accurate, but are rarely seen in one single individual) I was put off by the portrayal. The whole John Wayne, movie producer, father-was-a-movie-star-cowboy, protect-the-women, suffer-in-silence hero thing was just a little too over-the-top. And while this character is overdeveloped, the others are quite poorly developed.

I don't think Klavan did himself or his readers any favors by making this more of a "literary thriller". It was just slower and more weighed down.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Klavan - The Uncanny
Review: I'll cut to the chase - I was looking for a cheap supernatural thriller. What I got was more intricately plotted yet yielded fewer thrills. I was disappointed.

I've never read anything by Klavan and The Uncanny doesn't exactly inspire confidence. The premise is uninspired - American movie producer who's got some health problems (to say the least) ends up hunting down the answers to an old ghost story in England. It also becomes - of course - a somewhat sappy boy-meets-girl story.

I think what truly bothered me most about the novel was the portrayal of the main character. He lived up to every stereotype of the typical American movie producer. Worse, he adopted these qualities only after the first quarter of the book had passed. As an American (and I acknowledge that many of these traits can be somewhat accurate, but are rarely seen in one single individual) I was put off by the portrayal. The whole John Wayne, movie producer, father-was-a-movie-star-cowboy, protect-the-women, suffer-in-silence hero thing was just a little too over-the-top. And while this character is overdeveloped, the others are quite poorly developed.

I don't think Klavan did himself or his readers any favors by making this more of a "literary thriller". It was just slower and more weighed down.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I loved it!
Review: I've read the other reviews here. If a book is called " The Uncanny" I guarantee it's of the horror genre. Why everyone expected a "True Crime-ish" novel is beyond me.

Richard Storm, a horror movie producer,leaves Hollywood on a quest to London to see if any of the old ghost stories bare any truth. Is there really life after death? When Richard falls in love with Sophia Endering,an art dealer, he finds more then he was looking for. It's a rollercoaster ride through nazi art theft, ghost stories and "The Devil himself". To much said will give away the surprising twists in the story.

This was a great horror novel!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I loved it!
Review: I've read the other reviews here. If a book is called " The Uncanny" I guarantee it's of the horror genre. Why everyone expected a "True Crime-ish" novel is beyond me.

Richard Storm, a horror movie producer,leaves Hollywood on a quest to London to see if any of the old ghost stories bare any truth. Is there really life after death? When Richard falls in love with Sophia Endering,an art dealer, he finds more then he was looking for. It's a rollercoaster ride through nazi art theft, ghost stories and "The Devil himself". To much said will give away the surprising twists in the story.

This was a great horror novel!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: a spoof ?
Review: Impossible to take seriously as a ghost/horror story, Klavan must be poking fun at the genre with this one. The characters are stereotypes, the love story sappy and the underlying premise way over the top. I was reminded of that episode of The X-Flies (the last of one their seasons) where it made great fun of itself.

It's written well enough to be readable and might have been enjoyable if it hadn't dragged on for so long.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A DELICIOUS FEAST FOR THE MIND
Review: It's been a long time since I delved into a novel where all my senses are satisfied. I felt like I was there in England, witnessing all the drama, the horror and the endless discoveries.

I never realized I had a fetish for a good ol' fashion creepy on the moors, ruined abbey, moon illuminating story, but after reading THE UNCANNY I can't wait for the next installment! Andy, are you listening? Can we get a sequel. I know you can pull it off!

This is my first Klavan book. I went out and bought two previous releases I enjoyed this book so much.


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