Rating: 
Summary: A classic horror tale returns and it stands the test of time
Review: 5 Turning fifteen, New Yorker Gillian Bellaver possesses a rare talent. She can convert psychic energy into a powerful, destructive force that she struggles to restrain. Teenager Robin Sandaz also contains the same power. The Feds, several foreign governments, and other wealthy interests share in common the desire to control Gillian, Robin, and similar talents for purposes of exploiting their respective powers mostly as weapons. Robin's father, Peter is one of the US government's most dangerous and successful assassins, but feels it is time to retire. The sanguinary Middle East has been his most frequent playground, but a recent personal incident has returned him to America. Peter worries that he may be too late to save his son from the brain washing happening to Robin back in the States. Peter plans to attempt to free Robin and the other "student"-prisoners from their captivity before they become inhuman pawns deadlier than any known terrorist in the world today. Failure means death while success means being on the lam perhaps forever. It has been twenty-five years since John Farris released THE FURY, but the book is being re-released in anticipation of Mr. Farris' sequel. I feel like the star of Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen" that I read so long ago and just reread yesterday. The original retains all the freshness that made it a best seller as the look inside the unused segments of the mind seems even more relevant in this age of rapid medical achievements. This reviewer strongly recommends reading the novel followed by the De Palma's movie because both are excellent. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A classic horror tale returns and it stands the test of time
Review: 5 Turning fifteen, New Yorker Gillian Bellaver possesses a rare talent. She can convert psychic energy into a powerful, destructive force that she struggles to restrain. Teenager Robin Sandaz also contains the same power. The Feds, several foreign governments, and other wealthy interests share in common the desire to control Gillian, Robin, and similar talents for purposes of exploiting their respective powers mostly as weapons. Robin's father, Peter is one of the US government's most dangerous and successful assassins, but feels it is time to retire. The sanguinary Middle East has been his most frequent playground, but a recent personal incident has returned him to America. Peter worries that he may be too late to save his son from the brain washing happening to Robin back in the States. Peter plans to attempt to free Robin and the other "student"-prisoners from their captivity before they become inhuman pawns deadlier than any known terrorist in the world today. Failure means death while success means being on the lam perhaps forever. It has been twenty-five years since John Farris released THE FURY, but the book is being re-released in anticipation of Mr. Farris' sequel. I feel like the star of Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen" that I read so long ago and just reread yesterday. The original retains all the freshness that made it a best seller as the look inside the unused segments of the mind seems even more relevant in this age of rapid medical achievements. This reviewer strongly recommends reading the novel followed by the De Palma's movie because both are excellent. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: An excellent novel
Review: After first seeing the De Palma film adaption, which I loved, I found the book in a used bookstore after endless searching through libraries to no avail. I finally sat down to read it, and became totally immersed in the stories of Robin and Gillian. The story, by the way, is much different to the film version. The movie lacks the depth and complexities that carry the novel along and what make it so exciting and readable. I will definitely be picking up the two sequels, as I am anxious to finish the saga. The Fury is superb storytelling, with complex characters and situations that is sure to entertain anyone who loves to read.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent novel
Review: After first seeing the De Palma film adaption, which I loved, I found the book in a used bookstore after endless searching through libraries to no avail. I finally sat down to read it, and became totally immersed in the stories of Robin and Gillian. The story, by the way, is much different to the film version. The movie lacks the depth and complexities that carry the novel along and what make it so exciting and readable. I will definitely be picking up the two sequels, as I am anxious to finish the saga. The Fury is superb storytelling, with complex characters and situations that is sure to entertain anyone who loves to read.
Rating:
Summary: Complex and frightening thriller.
Review: John Farris hasn't gotten much recognition as a horror writer. This is the only book of his I've read, but if the rest are nearly as good as this one then he's one of the least recognized writers out there. There are quite a few things that set this book apart from the conventional horror novel, and these are the things that make this book truly horrifying. It is an extremely dense book and seems longer than its 400 page length, although it never drags. Its chock-full of intertwining characters and plot elements with lots of shocking twists. Farris isn't afraid to make us care about his characters and then subject them to horrible fates. The author's treatment of the book's main character, Peter Sandza, is especially chilling. So are the unwilling results of Gillian's special ability. The depiction of the government officials and the character Childress are quite menacing. The true relationship between Gillian and Sandza'a son is at once beautiful and unsettling. The watchable Brian De Palma film starring Kirk Douglas only scratches the surface of this solid thriller which accomplishes what few horror novels ever do: leave the reader both horrified and satisfied. If you can find this book anywhere read it at once!
Rating:
Summary: Complex and frightening thriller.
Review: John Farris hasn't gotten much recognition as a horror writer. This is the only book of his I've read, but if the rest are nearly as good as this one then he's one of the least recognized writers out there. There are quite a few things that set this book apart from the conventional horror novel, and these are the things that make this book truly horrifying. It is an extremely dense book and seems longer than its 400 page length, although it never drags. Its chock-full of intertwining characters and plot elements with lots of shocking twists. Farris isn't afraid to make us care about his characters and then subject them to horrible fates. The author's treatment of the book's main character, Peter Sandza, is especially chilling. So are the unwilling results of Gillian's special ability. The depiction of the government officials and the character Childress are quite menacing. The true relationship between Gillian and Sandza'a son is at once beautiful and unsettling. The watchable Brian De Palma film starring Kirk Douglas only scratches the surface of this solid thriller which accomplishes what few horror novels ever do: leave the reader both horrified and satisfied. If you can find this book anywhere read it at once!
Rating:
Summary: Furious Phenomena
Review: John Farris' breakthrough bestseller holds up well, after all these years. It spawned a minor cottage industry in the film business, especially, with the "evil government psychic projects" plot. Scanners and Firestarter, and their numerous clones and offspring, were inspired by this piece. It was ahead of its time in discussing then-unknown true-life psychic spying programs, which have since been written about in quite some detail - though discussing nothing quite like what happens in this book. Robin and Gillian are twins separated at pre-birth, reincarnated souls meant to grow up together who instead are growing up separately. Robin is the more powerful of the two, and comes to the attention of MORG, a nefarious super-secret government agency that attempts to murder Robin's CIA assassin father in order to more fully take Robin under their wing. Robin's father is mighty ticked-off about all this, and wages a private little mini-war with MORG head Childermass to get his son back. In the meantime, promising newcomer Gillian has also come to MORG's attention - and Robin's father's, as well, who wants to use her to locate his sequestered son. Definitely one of Farris' best. Even though Farris also wrote the screenplay to the stylish Brian DePalma movie, the film is weak compared to its original source material.
Rating:
Summary: Furious Phenomena
Review: John Farris' breakthrough bestseller holds up well, after all these years. It spawned a minor cottage industry in the film business, especially, with the "evil government psychic projects" plot. Scanners and Firestarter, and their numerous clones and offspring, were inspired by this piece. It was ahead of its time in discussing then-unknown true-life psychic spying programs, which have since been written about in quite some detail - though discussing nothing quite like what happens in this book. Robin and Gillian are twins separated at pre-birth, reincarnated souls meant to grow up together who instead are growing up separately. Robin is the more powerful of the two, and comes to the attention of MORG, a nefarious super-secret government agency that attempts to murder Robin's CIA assassin father in order to more fully take Robin under their wing. Robin's father is mighty ticked-off about all this, and wages a private little mini-war with MORG head Childermass to get his son back. In the meantime, promising newcomer Gillian has also come to MORG's attention - and Robin's father's, as well, who wants to use her to locate his sequestered son. Definitely one of Farris' best. Even though Farris also wrote the screenplay to the stylish Brian DePalma movie, the film is weak compared to its original source material.
Rating:
Summary: One of the first and still one of the best of this genre
Review: This 1976 novel by John Farris was not only the basis for the Brian de Palma film but is also quite clearly the main inspiration for Stephen King's novel "Firestarter." I mention this because it was King's choice words of high praise that caught my eye and made me pick this book up off the shelf at the library, which makes an implicit comparison between the two works pretty much impossible. The important thing is that Farris' novel holds up twenty-five years later. Of course the entire idea of a secret government organization with vast man power and resources, answerable only to the egomaniac in charge--in this case the Multiphasic Operations Research Group (MORG) run by the one-armed Childermass--has been done to death over the years, but they are a necessary evil to tell this particular tale. The main players in "The Fury" are Gillian Bellaver, daughter of a very rich family, and Robin Sandza, being raised by a religious couple while is father is away in the Navy. What we quickly learn is that Gillian and Robin are psychic twins, physically separated right before birth because of chance mishap. While Robin has been enjoying his newfound powers, Gillian is only becoming aware of how much harm she can do to other people. The other twist of fate is that Robin's father, Peter, is in fact a skilled assassin who wants to get his son away from MORG. The chief success of this novel is that with everything that everybody is trying to do you end up having no idea how this will all play out in the end, which is a roundabout way of saying Farris manages to sustain a high level of suspense right up until the end of the novel, which is certainly no mean feat in this genre. Farris mixes his science with mythology to provide a reasonable rationale for why these kids are able to do the things they do, certainly enough to constitute the willing suspension of disbelief without getting into a debate on practical realities. You also have to admire his sense of realism regarding bodily fluids and such, which add unsettling touches of authenticity to the tale. I hear tell this book was reissued because a sequel is forthcoming; I am not waiting 25 years to read the next one.
Rating:
Summary: One of the first and still one of the best of this genre
Review: This 1976 novel by John Farris was not only the basis for the Brian de Palma film but is also quite clearly the main inspiration for Stephen King's novel "Firestarter." I mention this because it was King's choice words of high praise that caught my eye and made me pick this book up off the shelf at the library, which makes an implicit comparison between the two works pretty much impossible. The important thing is that Farris' novel holds up twenty-five years later. Of course the entire idea of a secret government organization with vast man power and resources, answerable only to the egomaniac in charge--in this case the Multiphasic Operations Research Group (MORG) run by the one-armed Childermass--has been done to death over the years, but they are a necessary evil to tell this particular tale. The main players in "The Fury" are Gillian Bellaver, daughter of a very rich family, and Robin Sandza, being raised by a religious couple while is father is away in the Navy. What we quickly learn is that Gillian and Robin are psychic twins, physically separated right before birth because of chance mishap. While Robin has been enjoying his newfound powers, Gillian is only becoming aware of how much harm she can do to other people. The other twist of fate is that Robin's father, Peter, is in fact a skilled assassin who wants to get his son away from MORG. The chief success of this novel is that with everything that everybody is trying to do you end up having no idea how this will all play out in the end, which is a roundabout way of saying Farris manages to sustain a high level of suspense right up until the end of the novel, which is certainly no mean feat in this genre. Farris mixes his science with mythology to provide a reasonable rationale for why these kids are able to do the things they do, certainly enough to constitute the willing suspension of disbelief without getting into a debate on practical realities. You also have to admire his sense of realism regarding bodily fluids and such, which add unsettling touches of authenticity to the tale. I hear tell this book was reissued because a sequel is forthcoming; I am not waiting 25 years to read the next one.
| 
