Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I had heard so much about this book that I was probably expecting a little too much from it. After all, when does anything ever live up to its hype? However, even if I had picked this book off a shelf without ever having heard of it before, I would have been sorely disappointed, especially when the last Koontz novel I read was the excellent "False Memory".The characters in this book, particularly Agnes Lampion, are not remotely believable. Even with my voluminous imagination, I could not envision a pie-baking, all-forgiving paragon of virtue such as this woman. The protagonaist of the story, her son Barty, reminds me of every precocious child actor I've ever seen and I dread to think of who would play him were a film to be made of the book. Sisters Celestina and Seraphim White also seem to come from the "too good to be true" stable, as do their parents. However, the most ludicrous and at times laughable character in the book has to be the ridiculously named Enoch Cain. The book is already far too heavy handed on the morality lesson without adding this glaringly obvious biblical reference. The book opens with Cain thinking about how much he loves his wife and then inexplicably throwing her off a fire tower. His justification of his rape of Seraphim White is breathtakingly baffling, as Koontz no doubt meant it to be, however, his constant paranoia just becomes irritating and detracts further from an already less than mediocre story. Definitely the worst Koontz novel I have ever had the misfortune to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Dean Koontz is so close to Stephen King...
Review: I am 12 indeed and have been reading this one for about three days. Im half-way done, but I couldn't help sharing my enthusiasm! At the begining is seems like Koontz is straining himself and doesn't know what he's doing when he starts two tales in the same book. Yet once you set off in the hundreads, more of the rope frays. Yet slowly, ever so slowly, you begin to see a pattern, and the frayed rope braids itself together. I love Stephen King to death, but Dean Koontz has turned me in his direction with this one.
Rating: 
Summary: In my opinion...
Review: I was actually a little weary about reading the book after all the bad reviews on the ending, but in my opinion, the ending was really good. It brought a tear to my eye, and his books have never done that to me before.
Rating: 
Summary: slow-moving tale that drags on and on...
Review: Slow, plodding, overwrought, lacking in suspense...Geez, am I really reviewing a Dean Koontz novel here? The same litterary master who gave me hours upon upon hours of enjoyment with classic dark thrillers such as phantoms and watchers? I didn't want to believe reviewers who claimed that Koontz's writing has become soft and self-indulgent. But this novel, my first post-2000 Koontz read, has confirmed what I feared. In most 750+page novels that I've read, the authors painted a huge canvas and created works of epic proportions that justified such immense length(see The Stand, Swan Swong, Wizard's First Rule, etc.) What we get here is a slow run-of-the-mill thriller of 768 pages that easily could have been condensed into 400. We also get sickly sweet characters that seemed to come right out of a Danielle Steele or Nora Roberts novel, and a pathetic sociopath of a villain ... For god's sake, the final confrontation between the good guys and the villain is only 10 pages long. That's pretty anti-climactic for a book of 768 pages if you ask me. This is the first time that I've ever been dissappointed by Koontz. It seems that in the midst of his never-ending quest to prove that "I'm not a horror writer", he has veered away from the winning formula of his past work. I'm hoping this book was an abberation rather than an indication of what the future holds for us Dean Koontz fans.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome read
Review: Three things happened on one momentous day. Enoch Cain killed his wife for fourteen months. Bartholomew Lampion is born in California with amazing eyes. Angel White is born in San Francisco, born from a violent rape. All three of them lost a relative on that same day. The man, the boy, and the girl, were all connected through a force larger than life. Enoch was a brilliant for a madman. He believed himself to be God's gift to women and the smarted man alive. But he had a few obsessions. A detective did not believe his wife's death to have been an accident and was constantly around, even if not seen by Enoch. Enoch also found himself murmuring the name "Bartholomew" in his sleep. Believing Bartholomew to be a threat he made his life's mission to find Bartholomew and kill him! Bart was an amazing child prodigy! Before age three he was reading adult books, Robert A. Heinlein being his favorite! His mother also found out her son was special in another way. Her son "knew" of parallel worlds. He could "walk where it is not raining" and remain dry while others get soaked in a down pour. At three, he was found to have retinoblastoma and he became blind. This in no way stopped him though. Angel was adopted by her aunt on the day she was born. Her mother had been black. Her biological father had been white. Celestina, the aunt, was sure that if the father ever found out about Angel, he would hunt her down to kill her. So it was kept quiet. But Angel had an awareness that others did not. She was one of the few like Bart, though they did not know each other. Fate was about to change all their lives! ***** Dean Koontz is a master of scaring readers from his tales. This one is not as chilling as some of his previous works, but still an awesome read! Highly recommended! *****
Rating:
Summary: From the Corner of His Eye
Review: On an unseasonably warm January day in 1965, Junior Cain and Naomi, his beautiful wife of fourteen months, strike out on a hike through the forests of the Oregon coast. Their destination is a 150-foot fire tower with commanding views of the surrounding woods. Junior and Naomi climb to the top of the decrepit tower to enjoy the scenery, whereupon Junior shoves Naomi through rotted railings to her death. At the same time, in Bright Beach, California, Bartholomew Lampion is born. On the way to the hospital for his delivery, Barty's parents are involved in an automobile accident that tragically claims the life of Barty's father. Concurrently, in San Francisco, the victim of a brutal rape dies while giving birth to a precious daughter, Angel. The destinies of the stone cold killer and the two babies are linked inextricably and ultimately coalesce in a climax that is astonishing and deeply moving. The author's name alone, of course, will sell this book, but my oh my, this might be Koontz's best effort yet. The large cast of characters, particularly the fully developed main players, is richly imagined. The plot is suspenseful and complex. Informing the novel throughout is a fascinating theory that involves quantum mechanics, faith, and human relationships. In short, From the Corner of His Eye is a page-turner with soul. Teen Koontz fans will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Dean Koontz--From the Corner of His Eye (2000)
Review: Dean Koontz's first novel of the new century is of epic proportions, far longer and more beautifully crafted than any novel he has previously written. "From the Corner of His Eye" has certainly received both acclaim for its incredible story, yet also heard criticism due to its hefty near 800-page length; however, the overall product that Koontz presents to his audience is an utterly spectacular piece of literary art, no matter how long it should or should not be. The story focuses on a blinded young child whose life will alter all those who come into contact with, only if he has the opportunity to survive an evil terror that haunts his existance. The characters in this novel are perhaps Koontz's most lovable and despisable at the same time. The protagonists have great strength and virtue, while the demond-seeded antagonist reeks of pure hatred. Bartholomew Lampion was born on a horrific day in which his father died; however, he grew up with his mother Agnes in a loving environment that would harness great values and care. In another hospital, a rape victim gives birth to a beautiful girl Angel, only to cause the mother to die right after the operation. On the very day of Bartholomew's birth, Junior Cain murders his wife and begins a ruthless quest to find a certain Barty Lampion and destroy him at all costs. With a sly detective on his tail, the demonic Junior Cain torments all that cross his path to the Lampion child. As the blinded Barty and Angel are united through fate, they are staged together in a battle against true evil, only to use their faith in love and salvation as their guides. This story of triumph, courage, and adventure incorporates its characters extremely well, plotting their emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and fears as if we have known them all our lives. "From the Corner of His Eye" is piece of work that not all wish cherish; some will become bored through the first third of the story, but for those who stick with the novel and read it through, its message will have the power to transcend. While this Koontz book is certainly not as terrifying or hair-raising as most of his other projects, this may be his defining touch. Koontz has put a lot of himself into "From the Corner of His Eye", leaving his audience to believe that we not only get a piece of his sight, but also a large portion of his soul. Mystical, superb, enlightening, and sincere.
Rating:
Summary: The King of letdown endings
Review: As always, Mr. Koontz spins a fascinating tale that keeps you glued to the pages until the very anticlimatic ending when you close the book and say; "Did I really just read 600+ pages for THAT?" My advice, as with any Dean Koontz novel, is to enjoy the story, but stop just before the ending, and use your own imagination to decide how it turns out.
Rating:
Summary: Probably my least favorite Koontz
Review: I've been reading Dean Koontz for nearly twenty years, and I hate to say that this is definitely my least favorite of his novels. I just couldn't relate to the goodiness of the characters. It's like they're not even human. It just feels like there's nothing to connect to here. Koontz has written believable characters with good intentions in the past, but it just feels like he lost all sense of what makes a character sympathetic and likable--it has much more to do with the flaws than the perfection. I'll keep reading, though, in hope that Koontz will get it right again soon.
Rating:
Summary: Truely Great Book
Review: Dean Koontz is my favorite author. This book was well writen and a thinker. The characters were so loveable, you even like the villan. The story was written with such depth that I felt like the events were happening around me. I have yet to read one of Dean Koontz's books that I didn't like. A word of warning to those who don't like long readers or a lot of character build, this book has many characters and is a thinker, and takes awhile to read. But well worth the effort. It's a wonderful story and truely a book to read over and over.
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