Darkness

Rating:
Summary: A good story . . .
Review: . . . but not one of Saul's best. He does create a plot that is interesting and thoughtful, but the ending just all of a sudden pops out of nowhere. There is no build up. His characters are not as well drawn as some of his other books (Guardian), but if you are a horror fan, or a Saul fan, this book should suit you fine

Rating:
Summary: Not Very Scary
Review: All my life I really nevered liked to read. I liked some books but not all filled me with interest, until one day I found a book with a interesting title.
It was a sunday morning and I went to a garage sale and I found the book Darkness, by John Saul. It sounded interesting so I bought it. It was just 1 dollar. I never heard of the author so I wanted to try it out and see if it was a good book.
Once I began reading the first page, my eyes glued to the book. The metaphors, description, and the horror, made the book so interesting and great.I never let go of the book. Its a shock because this is the only book that I actually enjoyed. This is my second time reading the book. I RECCOMEND EVERYONE TO READ THE BOOK. YOU'LL REALLY GET ADDICTED TO THE BOOK!

Rating:
Summary: Darkness just came
Review: All my life I really nevered liked to read. I liked some books but not all filled me with interest, until one day I found a book with a interesting title.
It was a sunday morning and I went to a garage sale and I found the book Darkness, by John Saul. It sounded interesting so I bought it. It was just 1 dollar. I never heard of the author so I wanted to try it out and see if it was a good book.
Once I began reading the first page, my eyes glued to the book. The metaphors, description, and the horror, made the book so interesting and great.I never let go of the book. Its a shock because this is the only book that I actually enjoyed. This is my second time reading the book. I RECCOMEND EVERYONE TO READ THE BOOK. YOU'LL REALLY GET ADDICTED TO THE BOOK!

Rating:
Summary: Not Very Scary
Review: Although Saul is not a great author, his books can often be suspenseful and entertaining. This book, however, is neither suspenseful or entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Too predictable to be compelling
Review: Although the underlying premise of this novel is rather ridiculous when you think about it, Saul manages to make the story work. It's not terribly thrilling or suspenseful, however. There is no surprise to be found in the conclusion because the clues to what mysteries this tale contains are glaringly obvious early on. Darkness is Saul's take on the old eternal life theme. While the Dark Man is rather creepy and mysterious early on, his true identity, purposes, and methods are revealed halfway through the book, leaving the reader with a long sprint toward a finish line of foregone conclusions. The medical and scientific aspects here are rather laughable, really, and a little inconsistent (not to mention somewhat disgusting) in the end.

The setting of the novel both helps and hurts it. Most of the action takes place in the Florida swamps, a setting I myself find quite unappealing (although Saul has tourists lining up to explore the dangerous, disgusting swamps, small children and babies in tow). It's certainly creepy, what with all the strange sounds and movements taking place in the dark shadows, not to mention alligators, crocodiles, water moccasins, and other deadly beasts roiling and slithering their way through all of the actions. I got a little tired of one individual after another getting lost and trying to find his/her way home in this ruthless environment, though. As soon as one person turned up, another ran out and got lost, starting the whole swamp search ordeal over again.

I can't voice my criticisms of the story without giving too much away. I will just say that this novel is much less believable than most of Saul's fiction. For that reason it didn't strike too strong of a chord in me personally; the fact that the main plot twists and ultimate conclusion were so obvious also left the novel incapable of truly grasping my complete attention and fascination. In less talented hands, this story could easily fail miserably because of its flimsy relationship with reality, but, as I said, John Saul makes it work. I was in no great hurry to reach the conclusion, but I also never felt compelled to toss the book aside without finishing it. If you've never read Saul before, I wouldn't recommend letting Darkness be your introduction to his work-it is not quite up to his normally high standards.

Rating:
Summary: Too predictable to be compelling
Review: Although the underlying premise of this novel is rather ridiculous when you think about it, Saul manages to make the story work. It's not terribly thrilling or suspenseful, however. There is no surprise to be found in the conclusion because the clues to what mysteries this tale contains are glaringly obvious early on. Darkness is Saul's take on the old eternal life theme. While the Dark Man is rather creepy and mysterious early on, his true identity, purposes, and methods are revealed halfway through the book, leaving the reader with a long sprint toward a finish line of foregone conclusions. The medical and scientific aspects here are rather laughable, really, and a little inconsistent (not to mention somewhat disgusting) in the end.

The setting of the novel both helps and hurts it. Most of the action takes place in the Florida swamps, a setting I myself find quite unappealing (although Saul has tourists lining up to explore the dangerous, disgusting swamps, small children and babies in tow). It's certainly creepy, what with all the strange sounds and movements taking place in the dark shadows, not to mention alligators, crocodiles, water moccasins, and other deadly beasts roiling and slithering their way through all of the actions. I got a little tired of one individual after another getting lost and trying to find his/her way home in this ruthless environment, though. As soon as one person turned up, another ran out and got lost, starting the whole swamp search ordeal over again.

I can't voice my criticisms of the story without giving too much away. I will just say that this novel is much less believable than most of Saul's fiction. For that reason it didn't strike too strong of a chord in me personally; the fact that the main plot twists and ultimate conclusion were so obvious also left the novel incapable of truly grasping my complete attention and fascination. In less talented hands, this story could easily fail miserably because of its flimsy relationship with reality, but, as I said, John Saul makes it work. I was in no great hurry to reach the conclusion, but I also never felt compelled to toss the book aside without finishing it. If you've never read Saul before, I wouldn't recommend letting Darkness be your introduction to his work-it is not quite up to his normally high standards.

Rating:
Summary: One great book from a top author!
Review: Darkness is a magnificient story, and Saul's choice of the Florida swamps as a setting for this strange tale is perfect. The only minus would be the abruptness of the ending, but he wrote such a captivating story that any ending would have been anti-climactic. Sensational book, kept me up all night. Any other Saul addicts, feel free to e-mail me!

Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: Darkness was so good that It was the first book I ever read that John Saul wrote. I was so hooked that I started reading more of his books. Now I can't wait until he has another out

Rating:
Summary: I finished it in two days cause I couldnt put it down!
Review: Darkness was the first Saul book I ever read and ever since I've been hooked. I loved the setting and the storyline was so imagintive. It makes you wonder what really goes on the those swamps when you're not looking. I would definetly recommended it!

Rating:
Summary: Very good book, but I wouldn't call it horror
Review: I bought this book because I heard that John Saul was a great horror novelist. I wouldn't call this book a horror. It is a great story and a great book, but I wouldn't call it horror. The book didn't scare me like I was expecting. Instead I found myself wondering who was who and who was good and bad (kind of like a mystery novel). I'm not saying that this book is bad, I just don't know why it was in the horror section of the book store. I would totally recommend this book. I think that it is very gripping and there is lots of suspence. If you are up for a suspenceful read, this is a great book to turn to.