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Title: A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson ISBN: 0-8125-7212-2 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 15 August, 1999 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.81 (37 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Pure Matheson
Comment: 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!
Rating: 2
Summary: Book betrayed by movie
Comment: 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.
Rating: 2
Summary: Stir of Nothing
Comment: This book has accomplished something that few 200 some odd page do - make it feel like a 500 page book. The main problem I have is that for most of the book is that hardly anything happens. This book neither captivates you with a plot, develops any characters, or immerses you in a setting.
Basically, a man gets hypnotized and starts reading peoples minds and predicting the future. He sees a ghost, reads a neighbor's mind, has an encounter with a baby sitter, and fights with his wife. That's the first ninety percent of the book. Matheson probably realized that nothing happened, so he threw in some hackneyed plot twist to add some excitement. Needless to say, it doesn't work.
Another problem I had with this book is the flow and language structure. He likes throwing brief tidbits of conversation, which annoyed me to death. Many times I had to re-read paragraphs due to the fact that he omitted context and who said it.
Ignore all those people who say that this delves into great psychological terror. Nope, it deals with a boring man with a boring gift living a boring place. Silence of the Lambs this ain't. What makes a good book? Not being able to put it down. What makes a bad book? Not being able to pick it up. This book is boring and tedious - the only reason why I finished it is because I actually spent my hard earned money on it.
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Title: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson ISBN: 031286504X Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 15 September, 1997 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Hell House by Richard Matheson ISBN: 0312868855 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 13 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Somewhere In Time by Richard Matheson ISBN: 0312868863 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: What Dreams May Come : A Novel by Richard Matheson ISBN: 0812570944 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 15 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Nightmare At 20,000 Feet : Horror Stories by Richard Matheson, Stephen King ISBN: 0312878273 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 05 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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