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From the Corner of His Eye

From the Corner of His Eye

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: HOW TO RUIN A GOOD BOOK
Review: This book held my interest until the last hundred pages. I did suspect it was getting a little wacko when the kid walked in the rain and didn't get wet. Well, it got worse. This was the first book I read by Koontz and won't go for another. Is there an error on page 603? Thought it should say "vow of poverty" not "vow of property."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing
Review: I picked up this book knowing that it wasn't going to be as bloody as some of Koontz books, but as I realized, that wasn't the only thing that had changed, this book was like no other I have read by Koontz. I could not put it down until the end, and it now rivals the Green Mile for my favorite book. Koontz has nocked the ball out of the park with this one, and I would not be angry if he wrote more that were this breath taking, I haven't had this much joy out of a Koontz book since I first read one of his books, Intensity. Nuy this book, and you won't be disapointed.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: An Arrogant and Self-Indulgent Mess
Review: I cannot remember when I have been so disappointed in a book. I read my first Koontz book over sixteen years ago and, for many years, have had enormous admiration for his large body of work.

"From the Corner of His Eye" had such great promise. The first 150 pages were terrific. And, then, it was as if Koontz forgot the basics of writing, lost his focus or just lost interest.

The contract between a "horror" or "supernatural" writer and the reader has some basic rules. Ask the readers to suspend their disbelief one time. It can be a really, really big suspension of disbelief, but it can only happen once. The theme of quantum mechanics was a marvelous one. The premise was intriguing and the lead-in promising. But, then, over and over again, Koontz introduced more and more demands for the suspension of disbelief. He had multiple prodigies, coincidences that were ridiculous and so many characters that I had trouble trying to decide who I was supposed to care about.

Had this book gone to a publisher without Koontz' name, it would never have made it past an editor. I have to believe that the editor for this book was an awed and anxious beginner fearful of offending the master.

The worst part was that there were still great moments of humor and insight interwoven with preachy, obvious ploys to capture sentiment. The good stuff kept me going when I should have given the whole thing up. The final insult was, after finally slogging my way to page 600, to find that Koontz clearly had lost interest in the project altogether. The final 20 pages rushes through the years 1968 to 1986 in a tying up of loose ends that felt both self-indulgent and arrogant on the author's part. ....

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a true jewell
Review: It's his best. You will never hear the song "Someone To Watch Over Me" and not think about the rich mix of characters Koontz has concocted for our enjoyment and wonderment. Good fiction is not dead.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A fairly good Dean Kontz Novel
Review: Dean Kontz seems rushed and hurried though-out his writing of this book. The multiple plots blend and blur in places leaving the reader confused and at times bored. Many of the plot turns and twist are predictable, which is unusual for a Kontz book.

Most of the novel is set in the past and many details of present day creep into the story further confusing the reader as to the actual time frame that the events happen.

The ending is almost as rushed, but not quite as rushed, as Phantoms, leaving you feeling a little cheated.

If you are a died in the wool Dean Kontz fan this is a must read. If you are new to Kontz you might want to start on other better examples of his fine work.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Nice Surprise
Review: Years ago, I read and read and read Dean Koontz.."Watchers" is still my favorite...Although I hadn't read anything from Mr. Koontz in a while, the write-up for this one intrigued me. "Junior Cain" is THE most "enjoyable" psychopath I have read in ages. His self-delusions alone are worth the price of the book. The weaving of faith, good vs. evil, God, quantum physics..interesting ponderances for us all. The book jacket is disappointing, as it does NOT adequately represent the book--oddly so..basically, the plot: a madman, priest turned cop (with his faith intact, thank you Mr. Koontz), two seemingly unrelated families, some child prodigies, and just enough "magic" to reassure you that you ARE reading Dean Koontz..and not Patricia Cornwell. I don't know if I'll go back and pick up reading Koontz where I left off years ago...but maybe I'll look twice at the next one ;-)....all in all..an enjoyable read....

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: From The Corner Of His Eye
Review: Forget the night light, pulling the blankets over your head, and foregoing sleep; Koontz has surpassed all of those tired old cliches with his adroit ability to lure the reader in and genuinely disturb them. And his latest thriller - FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE - is no exception. Anytime, anywhere, 24-7, Koontz is gonna getcha, and he's gonna scare the hell right out of you...Gary S.Potter Author/Poet

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of Koont's best
Review: Along a scenic route in the Oregon coastal forests, Junior and Naomi Cain step out for lunch together at an observation booth where the married couple enjoys the view. They love one another, which makes it more shocking when Junior pushes Naomi over a weakened section of the safety railing. Although one police officer feels Junior killed his wife, the State remits Junior for his loss to the tune of three million dollars.

At about the same time, Joey and Aggie Campion drive to the hospital because she is in the second stage of labor. An accident leads to Joey's death, but not before he asks Aggie to name their child Bartholomew. At three years old, Bartholomew, a precocious prodigy, loses his eyes to cancer.

Awakening from a nightmare, Junior believes he must kill Bartholomew or suffer the fate of the damned, but has no idea who his target is. Junior learns that an underage girl he raped died giving birth to his child. He concludes that child must be his victim, but he does not know the infant, Angel, is female and was adopted by the victim's sister.

All these individuals seemingly living separate lives appear linked in some form of Divine Justice that will prove either the damnation or salvation of each of them. Using that theme, Dean Koontz has written one of the best novels in his illustrious career. This outstanding thriller contains paranormal elements interwoven into the tapestry of a precious and realistic tale. Barty is special as his life is filled with mundane and metaphysical events. Oxymoronic as it might sound, Junior is the perfect sociopath, easy for the reader to loathe. Angel and her biological and adopted mothers play key roles in this Koontzian drama that is a triumph for his myriad of readers.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not the best but....
Review: This is not his best work, but I must say that while the bulk of the book was mostly spent on character development, the characters are very compelling and interesting. I was a little disappointed that the final confrontation was so quick (I was getting suspicious when there weren't very many pages left!) and kind of anti-climatic, but it was a very good book and proves that Dean Koontz can really persuede you to care about the characters. They felt like my family at the end. Enjoy this one!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Refreshment for a weary soul!
Review: From the Corner of His Eye was a Christmas gift from a very dear friend. I bless the day I met him. I'm sure he sent it to me because, knowing my situation, he felt it would touch me. He simply didn't know how much!

The plot of the book revolves around a miscreant by the name of Junior Cain (no plot spoiler there, it's in the review from the publisher). Junior commits a heinous act and, in the commission of that act, he sets in motion a chain of events.

Of course Junior isn't right in the brain, plus he's a devout follower of a bent pop psychologist who must have earned his degree from ICTY (I'm crazier than you) University. A saner person wouldn't have been looking for signs and portents in everything that happened to them. However Junior isn't sane.

Junior commits the heinous act that sets everything in motion before the story itself actually begins. The first violent act the reader is a witness to is his pushing his lovely bride, Naomi, off a fire tower.

From there poor Junior is hospitalized with emesis, or projectile vomiting. Seems he has a conscience after all. But where did it come from? He definitely doesn't admit to having one. At any rate, he is visited in the hospital by Detective Tom Vanadium who appears not to believe Junior's grieving husband pose. This distresses Junior mightily, since in his mind he hasn't done anything wrong.

While the wrung-out (from all that vomiting) Junior is somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, he murmurs the name Bartholomew. The name strikes terror in his heart for some reason. In his depraved mind all he knows is that Bartholomew must be destroyed. He is his mortal enemy. Of course he doesn't figure out why until toward the end of the book.

Miles away in Bright Beach, CA and San Francisco, two women are giving birth. One is Agnes Lampion, mother to Barty. The other is Seraphim White, mother of Angel. They come from disparate backgrounds. They have nothing in common except both births were preceeded by great tragedy. Yet, before this wondrous tale ends, they are interconnected in ways no other human beings have ever been!

From the Corner of His Eye had all the elements I love in a good book: suspense, lots of action, science (quantum physics), alternative universes. Wonderfully moving characters that drew emotions out of me and even a few tears. And yes, laughter. Agnes Lampion's brothers, Jacob and Edom were so endearing in spite of their dark takes on the world. And I love it when a woman fights back. You'll enjoy it when Celestina White does just that with Junior Cain. I was cheering her on!

A very satisfying experience. Mr. Koontz, you've surprised me yet again!


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