Rating: 
Summary: A living and dying house
Review: This book is standard Orson Scott Card fare -- people with very concrete, contemporary problems, people with mysterious pasts, a protagonist a little too good, and a little bit of folk magic thrown in. I wasn't surprised to find that the "house come alive" (a horror subgenre, perhaps born of authors building homes and realizing the way these things suck up time, money, and spirit) wasn't exactly malevolent, but it wasn't benevolent either. Above all, there's a consistent atmosphere of haunting throughout this book - Don Lark, the main character, is haunted by the death of his daughter in a car accident caused by his ex-wife, haunted by a situation which he had tried everything he legally could and yet still unable to prevent. The trio of elderly neighbors next door (one unseen upstairs, consuming an unbelievable amount of food) are haunted by the house, trying to get Don to at the very least let the house decay instead of renovating it. The harking on the past of the house, repeatedly back to the Bellamy's - the original builders and happy owners of this now seemingly ominous decaying hulk, back to the impotent choices or horrible compulsions of various characters - made me feel like this was a ghost story without an actual ghost. I found I was wrong. However, when the ghost did finally show, it was barely a surprise; this house =had= to have a ghost. An interesting characteristic of all Card novels is that he does give peeks of truly evil people, but he never exposes the reader to them for long. That's a good idea on his part, for when an oily, insinuating character appears, my blood pressure shoots up as I wish to throttle the nonexistent person. Card prefers to linger on those who are essentially good, but who have gone through extremely harrowing trials and who are left in mental and emotional confusion in the wake of evil results. So, no, this isn't a horror novel, and not exactly a fantasy book, for all the animistic forces at work in this novel. It's a story of people trying to escape their pasts, but unable to for many years, and then coming together to, as a group, conquer the spirits holding them prisoners. It's a quick read (I finished it in one evening) and it has a satisfying ending. I would recommend this book for a rainy summer Sunday, a book for one of those days in which one would otherwise be living in one's own mind.
Rating: 
Summary: This story would make a great B movie
Review: Card starts with a interesting premise as a foundation and on it builds a factory made formula novel. Knowing the caliber of work of which he is capable, this book felt like it was cranked out in one weekend to make an editor's deadline. The story had some surprising twists, an intriguing background, the characters were likeable if not complex, but the details and delivery lacked depth. It reads just like a haunted house movie and demands about as much imagination.
Rating: 
Summary: This novel held my attention
Review: If you're a sucker for a well-written ghost story with a couple of plot surprises thrown in for good measure, then you'll enjoy this novel. It's the story of a lonely guy who has pretty much given up on the world since his daughter's senseless death in an auto accident, and about him reclaiming his humanity thanks in large part to a homeless woman who refuses to leave the big old house he just bought. It's just a well-written story with enough twists and turns to keep you interested. I recommend this book to any and all.
Rating:
Summary: A good "haunted house" yarn, but not typical Card
Review: In "Homebody," we find Don Lark, running from the pain of his lost family. Don finds a wreck of a house and begins restoring it - only to find that there is a power within its walls that will alternately terrify and tempt him. Haunted houses are old hat, but Card adds a new twist that makes the story fresh and interesting. The story zags in directions you weren't expecting, and the characters are all quite vivid. A good read from a great talent. This book will appeal to fans of Stephen King, John Saul and Dean Koontz, but, oddly enough, I'm willing to bet that Card fans won't like it much at all. I've read a few other novels by Card from his Fantasy and Science Fiction works, and I find that he does very well at those, and didn't quite do as well on this in comparison. Objectively, however, I managed to ignore who had written the book and enjoyed it as a new twist on Haunted Houses in its own right. Dedicated Orson Scott Card fans should give this a pass, but people who'd like a new take on ghostly tales will definately enjoy this one.
Rating:
Summary: The "Wrong" Orson Scott Card
Review: This book was written by the Orson Scott Card who wrote Saints, not the one who wrote the Ender Wiggins series or the one who introduced us to the Maker. If you love the ruthless logic of Bean (in Card's latest winner, Ender's Shadow), or the wit of Lovelock, or the compelling alternate universe inhabited by Alvin, you will surely be disappointed with Homebody. Homebody was written by an author well outside his lyrical or logical core. The characters are well-considered and true to their natures, but none of them are people you'd want to have a conversation with, much less live with for the length of a book. The characters are deliciously flawed, but Card seems unable to find the hook needed to make us care. Card's obsession with loss and the grieving process led to a couple of extraordinary works (like Xenocide) and a couple of literary duds (like Lost Boys). This definitely falls into the latter category. In the process, he's trying to write into genres where his style and abilities are ill matched. He's successfully equaled or exceeded the masters like Clark and Heinlein in future-fiction that captures the imagination. He's done a good turn matching Lewis and Zelazny by creating Alvin's magical reality. But, when it comes to a good ghost story or a contemporary supernatural tale, Card should leave it to King or Koontz. If you want a ghost, pass on Card; if you want Card, one of the country's best living authors, try a different title.
Rating:
Summary: Was TOO good for me
Review: I like Clive Barker and et. al., and I love Card's other books, so I thought I'd probably enjoy this. I did, but the problem was that I was really uncomfortable reading it, because I identified TOO closely with the character. With Barker's stuff, it is easy to read, because you are always detached from the characters, but this book pulls you in so quickly, that you really feel for this guy, and so when he hurts, I hurt too. I like my "horror" books to be light, and this definately wasn't. I realize I'm praising by faint criticism, so judge for yourself how you like your horror.
Rating: 
Summary: A great read
Review: Card is able to pull the reader into a suspensful tale of the supernatural, without going over the top with shock value in the way that S. King too often does. The characters were believable, the story engrossing. It was the first time in years that I've stayed up to the wee hours to finish a book, but this one was worth it. A much stronger novel than Treasure Box.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: It's a good thing that there are so many different tastes among readers. Otherwise, a lot fewer people could make a living as authors. As is the case with most novels, this one evoked a broad spectrum of response. Add me to the list of rave reviews. I was sucked in from the very beginning and could hardly read fast enough to find out how it all turned out. If you liked Lost Boys like I did, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one too. If not, skip it.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, engrossing, and yet...
Review: I just finished this novel, which took about a day for me to read. From me, that in itself is high praise because I seem to have become more and more impatient with poorly written novels, tossing them aside after a chapter or two. When I stick with one to the end, it's good. When I finish it in less than a few days, it's better than good. I'm not a fan of thrillers or suspense novels but I knew from previously reading his sci-fi work that Orson Scott Card is an excellent author. So I thought I'd give "Homebody" a try. Card is a master of drawing you into a character's life, and no exception is made in this book. In my opinion, the novel is more human interest than a thriller, the supernatural serving more as way of examining the deep, hidden emotions of the characters than as a story in itself. I'm not a good judge of suspense and thrillers, obviously, but I was pleased and surprised with the discovery of the body in the tunnel, and the poetic justice of a "body for a body" ending. Picky as I am, I naturally found things to complain about--none of which would prevent me from recommending this book. I found it a bit unbelievable that a determined loner like Don Lark, so hurt by his wife, would fall for two different women in such a short period of time. I was a little disturbed by the change in his regard for Sylvie. In the beginning regarding her as something like a daughter, then changing to a romantic love. I found myself hoping that he would continue to think of her as a daughter, allowing her to help fill the void left by his own dead child, then eventually end up with Cindy. The novel could have ended the same way, with Don helping to set Sylvie free. I also felt somewhat bereft with the loss of the house, it being almost a symbol of the love between the original owners. Beautifully and solidly built only to become something dangerous and ugly that must be destroyed. Don and Sylvie had their redemption, why not the house as well? But then again, I'm a real happy endings sort of person. If this is the only novel you read by Card--and for some reason you are not happy with it--you really owe it to yourself to try some of his other work.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as his typical stuff
Review: OSC is my favorite author and I love most of his books. However, I am also willing to admit when he produces a sub-par work. While Homebody was interesting enough to read (and better than most of the mainstream garbage turned out today), it did not measure up to Card's typical standards. At the end of the book, it just felt that something was missing. Part of that feeling was that the character of Cindy Claybourne, who was rather integral to the first part of the book, was left high and dry in the conclusion (as other reviewers have mentioned). So if you're a big OSC fan, then of course buy this book. But if you're looking for an introduction to OSC's work, start elsewhere.
|
