Rating: 
Summary: Floating but dragging
Review: Let me preface this by saying that I have read almost everything that Peter Straub has written and loved almost all of it. However, in this book, as well as The Talisman (written with Stephen King) Straub indulges most of his worst tendencies; he takes a great premise and extremely well written characters and then just goes over the top with them. You cannot be scared by what you cannot relate to, and by the end of Floating Dragon we have lost the ability to relate to what is happening: it is too incredible even for a tale of the supernatural. Part of the problem is that Straub cannot seem to decide what his villian is: is it a supernatural force, a fantastical monster, a metaphor for toxic waste, actual toxic waste, or all of the above? Moreover, the prose goes into far too much detail about aspects of the story that do nothing to advance or even contribute to the plot. Ghost Story had similar problems but was redeemed by the fact that the main plot was an absolute classic. This is not.That is not to say that this book should not be read. Fans of Straub and the genre will find it an engaging read, particularly because the main characters are so well written that the reader feels genuine grief when bad things happen to them. However, the best ghost stories (and other thrillers) by authors such as Henry James, J.S. LeFanu, and Straub in works such as Julia, The Throat and Shadowlands teach us lessons about ourselves in addition to scaring us. The only lesson I could learn from Floating Dragon is this: if a quasi-supernatural, quasi-toxic chemical, quasi-fantastical monster starts killing people on your block, get out of town.
Rating: 
Summary: His later works are better
Review: not very good. Rambling and disjointed. Read Koko, The Throat and the Hellfire club, in that order.
Rating: 
Summary: Floating Plotline
Review: Peter Straub has never written a bad book, only better and worse ones. This is probably his worst, but it's still readable and has a few things going for it. The plot is confused. The "Floating Dragon" is - perhaps - partly supernatural, though primarily it is explained as a leaked Department of Defense gas, that drives people insane and eventually liquefies their bodies. While losing their minds, the unfortunate victims hallucinate - hence, the possibility that what is being perceived as a recurring supernatural evil is all in the mind of the beholder. I really disliked this book when I first read it, but I decided it required a re-read in later years after overcoming my initial disappointment. It was much better than I remembered it, but its flaws still gravely weaken it. Really, it's all quite good until the last seventy-five pages or so, when the action becomes completely hallucinogenic and virtually impossible to follow, and the ending is terribly trite to the point of being laughable. Straub's worst trait is a tendency to go way over-the-top, and that is at its worst here. But his characters, as usual, are quite memorable, and his writing in every other regard in typically splendid form. If you're a Straub fan, this one may or may not put you off him. If this is your first exposure to the author, pick a different title, something like Ghost Story or If You Could See Me Now, to get a better feel for Straub closer to the top of his game.
Rating:
Summary: A decent, but flawed novel from Peter Straub.
Review: The problem with Straub's novel is its level of ambiguity, brought on by the convergence of too many similar plot threads. The idyllic upper-class Connecticut town of Hampstead is suffering under the yoke of two encroaching evils: a cyclical force that has been feeding off the townspeople every thirty years since the first settlers arrived, and a cloud of toxic bio-warfare gas accidentally released from a nearby military plant. The gas is a real wild card, causing "skin lesions, hallucinations, outright madness, flu, fugue state and telepathic ability," is the novel's greatest creation, and its biggest downfall, because all of these symptoms coincide with the cyclical force that's already been plaguing the town. So at times, it's impossible to tell what is causing the changes in some of the townspeople, who, as time goes by, gradually go insane. In addition, Straub never really gets around to deciding what this cyclical force is: they refer to it as "the Dragon," but is it some kind of magical serpent, a demon, a psychic vampire, or something altogether? The lack of answers, especially after 500+ pages, is somewhat maddening, as are the four protagonists: their latent psychic powers effectively elevate them past the level of "normal people" for whom we are supposed to identify with, and their all-around victim status and geniality (the battered wife, the abused kid, the kindly old writer, the ex-TV star who just wants to build houses) make them seem almost one-dimensional. As the novel progresses, it becomes harder and harder to determine the cause of its many events, and the characterization (made all the more disappointing by the deftness with which Straub paints some his lesser characters) makes one care less and less. On a better note, bonus points to Straub for one of the most revolting bodily afflictions ever: the toxic cloud causes some of its victims' skins to slowly become liquid, requiring them to bandage themselves like the Invisible Man, lest their bodies ooze off their bones. You listening, Robin Cook?
Rating:
Summary: Plot really *does* matter in fiction
Review: There's not much I can say that others haven't already said. Straub is an accomplished prose stylist and incredible at engaging, believable characters--and when that's hitched to a great plot (as in Ghost Story) or even a great plot that loses it at the end (as in Shadowland) the results are impressive. But the trend that started in Shadowland grows to tremendous proportions here, and that is the needless urge to make the horror too literally supernatural, especially in a stereotyped way. Here, the hallucinogenic toxic cloud really becomes a non-issue after the set up, which is too bad. It could've taken center stage, especially since one of its possible effects--even mentioned in the book's start--is perhaps to enhance psi abilities. Straub could have made CENTRAL use of that, especially since his main characters are supposed to be psychic; it would have explained why the antagonist was so unusually powerful this time around. Of course, that would mean making sure ALL the bizarre occurances were either ambiguous (i.e. could be hallucinations caused by the gas) or the result of the protagonists psi being turned against them and/or latent psi in someone else being harnessed. Ironically, if any Hollywood insiders are listening, making such a fix could still salvage this novel as fodder for a pretty good movie. (Then again, I'm still waiting for Hollywood to wise up and remake a Ghost Story adaptation that true to, and thus as good as, the novel.)
Rating:
Summary: Plot really *does* matter in fiction
Review: There's not much I can say that others haven't already said. Straub is an accomplished prose stylist and incredible at engaging, believable characters--and when that's hitched to a great plot (as in Ghost Story) or even a great plot that loses it at the end (as in Shadowland) the results are impressive. But the trend that started in Shadowland grows to tremendous proportions here, and that is the needless urge to make the horror too literally supernatural, especially in a stereotyped way. Here, the hallucinogenic toxic cloud really becomes a non-issue after the set up, which is too bad. It could've taken center stage, especially since one of its possible effects--even mentioned in the book's start--is perhaps to enhance psi abilities. Straub could have made CENTRAL use of that, especially since his main characters are supposed to be psychic; it would have explained why the antagonist was so unusually powerful this time around. Of course, that would mean making sure ALL the bizarre occurances were either ambiguous (i.e. could be hallucinations caused by the gas) or the result of the protagonists psi being turned against them and/or latent psi in someone else being harnessed. Ironically, if any Hollywood insiders are listening, making such a fix could still salvage this novel as fodder for a pretty good movie. (Then again, I'm still waiting for Hollywood to wise up and remake a Ghost Story adaptation that true to, and thus as good as, the novel.)
Rating: 
Summary: Straub is Fantastic!
Review: This is my first book of Peter Straub's book and I couldn't put it down. This story is like S.K.'s "Mist",somekind of Armagedon(end of the world) stuff but I like it!
Rating:
Summary: Could have been better
Review: This part of the review is intended for people who like to read fast entertaining books. I first read this book in 1986, I thought it was a little confusing, but being as young as I was (14) I finished it. I figured it must be my immaturity, that I didn't follow the story well. So jump ahead to 2000, I just happen to come across my dusty Hard cover that I had and decided to give it a retry. Now I am almost 30 and I feel I have some comprehention of things so I read it over. Well I was right, the premis of the book is great, it's just that Straub was having a hard time putting it into words. The book was too long and wordy with too many unimportant charactors we didn't need to hear about. I found the main charactors very 3 dimensional, as well as the description of the town, but the story runs along at a bumpy pace. It's not a lite read at all. You'll need to put your thinking caps on for this one. But Straub is not a King or Koontz more like Henry James. Now on a positive note; mind you Floating Dragon is not a great book, but Straub is a great author. Straub to me is a literary Horror writer, he doesn't write fast books with happy endings. His books make you think and contemplate. He is in a genre of his own. On a personal note in 95 I was in Manhattan at the Pennsylvania Hotel. While in the elevator traveling down to the lobby a man was standing in front of me. Turns out this was Peter Straub. He was plugging his new book Hell Fire Club. He turned out to be a very nice guy. So I felt a personal bond while I was reading his book if you can believe that.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect...Classic...
Review: This was only my second Straub read. I can see now how he and King could blend so flawlessly for the Talisman and The Black House. They both seem to share my feeling that nothing is more frightening than what the human mind can do to itself. The ability of the evil doer to pick from our heroes' minds the situations which will most torment them is the perfect torture.
I've heard that this isn't even Straub's best book!! I can't wait read more!!
Rating:
Summary: GLORY DAYS OF HORROR FICTION
Review: THIS WILL REMIND YOU WHY STRAUB USED TO BE MENTIONED ALONG WITH STEPHEN KING ALL THE TIME. READ AND ENJOY A FORGOTTEN JEWEL.
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