Rating: 
Summary: A psychic murder mystery with a twist...
Review: If you've seen the movie, forget it. While a good movie, "A Stir of Echoes" by Richard Matheson resembles it only tangentally. Character names are the same, but that's about it. In the book, the protagonist Tom is a white collar businessman, and the story itself unfolds completely differently: who is murdered, why, and by whom is different from the movie version of this book.
I had read the book first, and let me tell you, it's a remarkable read. The psychic abilities of the protagonist are written in a new and fresh perspective. As Tom navigates the mystery of the ghostly figure that is appearing and, apparently, begging him to solve her murder, the story that unfolds is challenging, thrilling, and certainly a fresh take on psychic mysteries.
If you liked "The Dead Zone," by Stephen King, or you've read Beth Amos' "Second Sight," you're in for a great ride with this book. Snap it up, and prepare stay awake at night...
'Nathan
Rating: 
Summary: The dead tell tales...
Review: Imagine being hypnotized and then opening up to a world beyond what you thought existed. That's exactly what happens to Tom when he is hypnotized by his brother in law. He and his wife just moved into their house with their young son, and it is a normal, decent neighborhood...or so they thought.
Then Tom starts seeing an appartion of a young woman. Who is she? And what does she want?
This is the author that inspired Stephen King. The suspense, plus the blend of paranormal is enough to interest any reader. Though this book was written over forty years ago, it is still modern so that people will enjoy it. Classics are good, after all. So pick this book up. You won't regret it.
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Summary: Pure Matheson
Review: It's no small wonder that Stephen King heaps praise upon Matheson and gives Matheson credit for influencing his works. Matheson, without a doubt, is one of our all-time greats, and I have yet to read a bad book or short story by him.
Surprisingly, I read this novel only after seeing the movie starring Kevin Bacon. Let me say what has pretty much become my life's motto: The book is much better than the film. Tom Wallace is your everyday good joe; he works hard, he supports his family, and he is quite happy to live out his life without much excitement. Thanks to some interesting parlor tricks at a party with some close friends, Wallace finds that he can hear people's most private thoughts, and this often thrusts him into some uncomfortable and dangerous situations. Matheson also lets us in on the conflicts arising with Wallace's family and within himself as he struggles to deal with his blessing/curse.
Don't pick this up expecting gruesome, chill-you-to-the-bone horror. This is much more subtle and focuses on the increasing isolation of a man who wants nothing more than to get back his old life. Although the movie twisted this into a thriller, Matheson actually wrote it (at least in my opinion) to be a touching, chilling, and psychological story. This one is a quick read at just over 200 pages, but it packs a punch. If you are new to Matheson, this is a good place to start; then grab HELL HOUSE for something a bit more twisted, bizarre, and creepy!
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Summary: One Creepy Book!
Review: Just Because you have seen the film, doesn't mean you know the book. After seeing the creepy film with Kevin Bacon and Crew, I was curious about the book. It carried the same plotline, but takes you on a different journey through suburban hell. I think it was even a bit more wicked than the film. So buy the excellent DVD (or video if you have too), and pick up this book too, and compare for yourself! Sheeesh you've already clicked your way here, satisfy your curiousity already!PS:Read it by candlelight.
Rating: 
Summary: Very spooky and thought provoking
Review: Kevin Bacon does an excellent job of developing his character and I really feel sorry for him as he slowly starts coming apart because of all the pain that comes from his new psychic abilities. Maybe if people were more accepting of psychic abilities,he wouldn't have some many problems
Rating: 
Summary: Book betrayed by movie
Review: Let me make one thing clear right now...I'm not rating this book in relation to the movie. I think this is a two star book on its own demerits. The book felt very long as I was reading it. Most of the characters are just "there." Sure, things go on with them, but if any one subplot was missing, it would not affect the outcome of the book at all. Also, the end of the book let me down very much. It felt like he reached his limit of pages and just drew it to a close as quickly as he could. The rest of the story was so drawn out and protracted, then in the span of a few pages it's resolved. It's hardly proper payoff for reading through the preceeding 200 pages. This is one of few instances where a movie was better than a book.
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Summary: Genuinely Spooky!!!
Review: Matheson is a true master. This book will give you goosebumps. If the film is half as good it will still be excellent. If you like this also check out "I am Legend."
Rating:
Summary: A hidden gem
Review: Mr Matheson could not write a bad book if he tried. Read this. You will enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: A Matheson Classic
Review: Readers of "A Stir of Echoes" who have seen the movie of the same name will find that as similar as the book is to the movie, it is just as vastly different. The story centers around Tom Wallace who lives in sunny California with his wife and son. At a neighborhood party, he is reluctantly hypnotized by his brother-in-law at which point the story truly begins.
After the hypnosis, a latent psychic power is awoken in Tom that allows him to begin to read the thoughts and feelings of others. While Tom does have an encounter with a strange ghostly woman, the book relies heavily on his coping with his new found psychic abilities as they pertain to his "connections" with other living people. Thoughout the book, Tom must come to terms with his new found "gift" as well as solve the mystery of the who the ghostly woman is and what it is that she wants from him.
Matheson does an excellent job in the creation of his characters. The frustration of Tom in dealing with his "gift" and the desperation felt by his wife are brought to the forefront of the novel and make the reader empathize with them. The supporting cast is fun in that some of their thoughts and feelings cause one to pause and even provide some comic relief.
Finally, the end is twist that one could not see coming a mile away. Just when you think that it is all figured out, Matheson pulls an ending out of his bag of tricks that will leave you satisfied.
Rating:
Summary: combines an amateur sleuth with a fine paranormal story
Review: Returning to his home in Hawthorne from working at the North American Aircraft plant in Inglewood, Tom Wallace sees the car of Philip, his brother-in-law a psych major at Berkley. That night Tom, his pregnant wife Anne and Phil go next door to attend a party. Phil offers to hypnotize any volunteers, but no one steps forward so he informs "brother man" that he is the chosen victim. Phil successfully hypnotizes Tom. That night while unable to sleep, Tom begins hearing voices of people he knows and impressions in his dead culminated with a ghost in his living room. Suddenly, Tom's middle class American dream lifestyle seems meaningless as the hypnosis has aroused psychic abilities that he never knew he had. He hears the intimate most confidential thoughts of those around him and learns secrets that shake his existence, but worse is the visits from the murder victim demanding he help her find her killer. This is a reprint of a 1950s thriller (and a one degree Bacon movie) that combines an amateur sleuth subplot within a fast-paced paranormal story line containing a ghostly element and psychic abilities. Tom is a terrific protagonist as readers observe the contrast between his lifestyle and his new ESP abilities. The support cast adds depth to Tom's travails as he tries to solve a homicide and regain his former existence without "hearing" the thoughts of others. Richard Matheson shows why he is one of the masters of the thriller genre as this "historical" piece ages nicely. Harriet Klausner
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