Customer Reviews

Constantine

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I followed the John Constantine, Hellblazer comic book series for years. I'd have to say that this novelization of the movie is close to the original. In fact, I now know things about the character that never came out before- things that make sense.

John Constantine is a free-lance occultist and paranormal detective in the series. Here is more of a supernatural enforcer- he enforces the Balance between heaven and hell. It is pointed out that angelic and demonic forces are only permitted to influence mankind through hints and suggestions, for man has free will and must be allowed to stand or fall according to his own decisions. Whenever a spirit crosses the boundary to directly control, or harm, then Constantine sends them back- with extreme prejudice. His tool of preference is a "Holy Shotgun"....

The thing that keeps this from being just another supernatural slasher story is the metaphysical detail. There are some authentic sources and ideals woven into the story. The ideas actually make you think. For instance, it is stated that God had nothing to do with the making of Hell- it was a co-creation of those spirits and human souls that separated themselves from the presence of God by their own actions. Then there is the concept that the Cosmos runs according to "spiritual physics" incorporated into its very fabric, and not arbitrary religious laws or whim. Or the idea that lost spirits seem so stupid because they cannot think once they have lost the physical body and its physical brain (they never learned to act from the heart and not the head.) Oh yeah, and finally it is pointed out that the only suicides that end up in hell are those who died in despair (not those with a good or noble reason for their actions.)

I know that movie novelizations have a reputation for not being that good, but the author of this one has both a Bram Stoker Award and he was coscreenwriter for "The Crow."

It's not too often that i'm actually frightened when reading a story, but the novel Constantine has managed to do just that.

Constantine follows the plot of the movie. John Constantine is dying of lung cancer. He knows that when he dies, he's going to Hell for commiting suicicide earlier in his life. While trying to save himself, he discovers that strange things are going on. Demons are trying to cross over onto Earth, a mysterious and incredibly powerful artifcat is found, and an event is being planned that if pulled off, will mean the end of humanity.

As with most movie to book tie ins, Constantine allows us to get into the heads of the charachters and find out what makes them tick. There are lots of moments that really define the charachters (A paticularly clever one is when Balthazar realizes that he's starting to prefer earth to Hell, quite a funny moment). I was also fascinated with the passages of Henessy (we finally found out what drove him mad, which wasen't covered very well in the movie), and the always interesting bits with the angel Gabriel. There's also a horrific moment where a young Constantine commits suicide, dies, and plunges into Hell. That gave me goosebumps. My favorite moment? When we find out who exactly is giving "The finger" at the climax of the story.

What really makes this book interesting is the authors descriptions of Hell. He let his imagination certianlly run wild when coming up with frightening images for us to ponder over (such as people being used as mortar for bricks, and souls constantly being eaten and digested by demons over and over for all eternity). These passages are horribly realistic, and are the stuff of nightmares (though I was pleased to see the Spanish inquisitors in there). On the upside, we get to see more of Heaven as well (which was glimpsed for only a moment in the movie), and the descriptions are beautifully written.

The only real problem I have with the book is how the stories message (You only need faith to be saved), is not conveyed very well. After analyzing the story, I can't really see how faith is worked into Constantines story. Even at the climax of the book, Constantine acts withought faith. Also, some ideas contradict each other. One constant message throughout the book is that God has a plan for everyone. So does that mean that God plans for certian people to be damned to Hell? (In my own views, where God loves everyone completelyand saves everyone, that is simply not possible).

As some other viewers have noted, and Gabriel herself says, you cannot be saved by acts alone. Yet, one of the major charachters is saved by an act, and not one of faith, which dosent make sense and contradicts what Gabriel says early in the novel.

In other words, the novels message could have been worked and tweaked until it came out better.

The only other thing I would have changed is the apperance of the devil. In the movie, he appears as a gruff looking guy wearing a white suit. In the book, he appears in traditional form with the wings, hooves, etc. I personally prefer the movie Devil, but that's just me.

In the end, I highly recommend this book. It's well written and definitly worth a read.

I watched the movie before buying the book and I must say this book is a good accompaniment to the film. As an unreligious reader, my only intention was to judge it on its entertainment value. The descriptions of Hell, angels, and demons were quite vivid and fascinating in my view. Most of all, I enjoyed the storyline and characterization.

John Constantine is a world-weary, selfish, and even rude antihero. He sees things that no mortal should see. And worst of all, his friends are hunted and murdered for their association with him. But Constantine is also a desperate protagonist that I sympathized with. He committed a mortal sin as a teenager and has tried for years to win back God's grace. Like he said himself, he's pulled demons out of little girls. Constantine is dying of terminal lung cancer and has very little time left to redeem himself of a seemingly unforgivable act.

The dark Constantine isn't someone who cares about what others think... then he runs into LAPD detective, Angela Dodson. The portrayal of the tension, attraction, and reluctance between Constantine and Angela was tasteful and very genuine. Angela is no ordinary person either with strange visions and scarily accurate hunches. She is desperate to seek answers to her sister's apparent suicide. That's when she runs into John Constantine, a cynical man she seemed to have nothing in common with.

But they teamed up and together, they quickly discover several disturbing facts surrounding Isabel's (Angela's twin) apparent suicide. With it comes the dark plot of demons trying to cross over, rumours concerning the Spear of Destiny... and Mammon, the son of Satan, seeking assistance in his evil plans.

As much as Constantine tries to push Angela away, which occurs several times in the book, he is unable to maintain the distance. For a brief moment, the author writes that Constantine felt sorry he hadn't changed his bed sheets before Angela came over. It was mentioned so quickly, just like a passing thought of the character, that a reader might forget it or discard the information. I'm glad the movie and the book didn't go mushy on the plot, but it's always good to see round characters.

The book certainly fleshed things out more and filled in some holes in between scenes and dialogues. I'd recommend it to anyone who is a Constantine fan or just simply looking for an interesting read.

I am about halfway through this book since I picked it up today. This is a great read, the pages turn themselves. The movie itself was a bit mediocre but the novelization really takes a so-so story and makes it really good. John Shirley is an engaging and thoughtful writer. Hell is not such a nice place and not since Dante has it been envisioned in a way that is unsettling, gruesome and harrowing. Constantine's trip through Hell is a nail biter.

I was a big fan of the Hellblazer Series when it debuted and the book is a worthy addition to that series.

The story opens in remote Mexico. Francisco, a homeless man, is told by a friend that there are good pickings in an abandoned church. Oddly, his friend seems afraid of the place and is hanging back letting Francisco do the work. Francisco finds something glittering and pulls an iron spike from the ruins. He kills his way through Mexico go get to LA, where the voices he's started hearing tell him he needs to go. He'll be big in LA, they've promised and Francisco believes.

Exorcist John Constantine is dying of lung cancer. Worse, he's going straight to Hell and this is one death Satan himself is going to be attending personally. No hope for a cure, no hope for redemption it's "go straight to Hell and do not pass go."

LAPD officer Angela picks a serial killer from a crowd and shoots him before he hurts someone else. This is not the first time she's sensed an apparently innocent man is a perp. Her fellow officers are giving her a wide berth. Then, she dreams her twin sister Isabel is dead by suicide and wakes up to learn the dream's come true.

Angela goes to John Constantine for help. She's certain her sister didn't commit suicide. Between the two of them, they uncover a plot that Satan's son Mammon has decided to take over the earth and thus shift the "Balance" that God and Satan have operated under with such care. The key to this is the blood of a psychic (Isabel or Angela) and the spear that pierced Christ's side---which Francisco is carrying.

I read the book in one sitting and would have been happy for more. John Shirley keeps the pace going nonstop. His characters are real, some likeable some scary as well---Hell...

I don't usually like novelizations, but this concept intrigued me and I'm definitely glad I read this book. It's an excellent read for fans of horror and dark sci fi.

NOTE: I read the book before I saw the movie. I think they're both great. There are very few enhancements to the movie from the book and I think every touch has improved the visual impact of the story. I like the movie so much I am planning to see it again and will definitely buy the DVD when it comes out.

As a Methodist Lay Minister, I felt it necessary to correct the above review by "Margaret"... "Constantine" is actually, for the most part, very theologically sound, especially in light of peculiarly Catholic demonology. Sure, it's actually about 75% "dark" Christian theology/demonology and 25% HP Lovecraft occult, but in the end it is certainly *not* Satan who saves the day. The central theme is that of the Reformation itself: You are saved by faith alone, not by works.

I imagine many Christians who see or read "Constantine" will be put off by its images of Hell and the damned (which is a theological reality whether you like it or not) and maybe more so by the occult-ish visitations of the living to Hell, but this is a movie, not reality. It at least keeps the central points of Arminian theology intact, and is therefore, in my opinion, a great film for non-Christians to learn a little about the Gospel from.

No question about it, John Shirley can write. He can take a so so story, and turn it into soemthing quite interesting. Unfamiliar with the comic book series the story is based off of, I was a bit thrown by the strong "magic" elements in the book, which took a little getting used to. I was expecting a bit more action and a dramatic ending that I felt fell a little short. The book is, by far, much better than the movie. If you haven't seen the movie, read the book. If you've seen the movie and you want a better understanding of the story, read the book.

All in all it was a very good read. I didn't give five stars, because that would've meant a great read.

I don't know the comics series that this film is based on. But after seeing the film, this book adds an element of exposition that gives a veneer of understanding to the film. Whilst neither this extremely readable book, nor the film, are what may be called "Art", this book is entertainment ( as the film is), and damn fine entertainment.
The Book tells the same story as the film, and it does so masterfully. If you enjoyed the film, then the fleshing out of the unclear or the unexplained story themes, will give some quality body to the experience of the film. The book is, in my view, definitely something you should read after seeing the film, since the strong , extraordinary, and intense visuals will help when reading the book.
The so called spoilers in another review are, I say, totally wrong; so much so, it left me wondering which book that reviewer had read. Anyway, it's a great buy, and I wish more films had movie tie-ins, but I guess the movie world can do only so many tie-ins; this one has kept me very entertained over the course of a few days ( dipping into the book as I could), and it has been a very rewarding, and ( fittingly) entertaining read.

So many times we read a novelization of a book and it reminds us of why so many people just prefer to watch the movie. In this case, author John Shirley has outdone himself in this novelization of CONSTANTINE, and movie lovers would do well to take a look at it.

We of course have the main characters that we got to know in the movie, but there is an added layer that John adds that brings out not only more excitement but make the scenes even that much more powerful. Earth is in trouble thanks to the deal that has been made around us, and John Constantine is doing his best to not only send those who don't belong away but also ensure that he is able to buy back the soul he sold in killing himself.

Along the way he is introduced to Angela, someone who is dealing not just with the loss of her sister but trying to understand the world around her without including God. That is what makes the pairing with Constantine that much more important in the book. By understanding the truth, Angela not only gets the answers she wants about her sister but comes to realize that there is not only a God that love her but a Devil that is equally willing to destroy her.

Packed with action and scenes that stand out as special to the written work and not included in the movie, Constantine stands as one of the best novelizations I have ever read, and will be one that you enjoy as well.

The plot was adapted wonderfully. If not for all of the flaws in the writing itself, this could have been an excellent novelization. The plot and extra scenes would have made this a must-have for any fan of the comics or movies, if there had only been a competent editor on the other end of the process.

There were scores of misspellings and the punctuation was deplorable - far too many commas, mostly in the wrong places, em dashes placed incorrectly, and a gross overuse of ellipses. I counted six sets of ellipses on a single page, at one point. A large portion of the prose was awkward. There are sentence fragments and run-on sentences running rampant, sentences beginning with 'and' and 'but' that make no sense at all - and I acknowledge that sentences beginning that way often have merit in style. Here, however, they're nonsensical fragments. There were sentences assembled in ways that made no sense. For example, "...and possessor of many very finely tailored suit jackets - including a silver pendant shaped like a scorpion." Seriously? Any mediocre editor should have caught instances like this. There were inconsistencies, such as a bowl in one scene starting out as plastic and ending up as smashed glass. The adaptor seemed to have caught up on a certain phrase and repeated it ad nauseum in multiple instances. Some parts are embellished, while others are barebones summary with nary a pronoun or article in sight. There are quite a few instances of confused pronouns, and places that seem as if they were copied directly from the script, including locations and stage direction. There are divisions within chapters where there is no need, with no change in scene or POV.

The problems in the book made me want to take a red pen to the book myself, they were so distracting. I would give one star for the way it was written, four for the story. Two will have to do as a draw.