4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
first impressions, November 25, 1999
this is the first john saul book i read. yeah i know everyone in the review said it but its true, although i dont know why.anyway, i found it gripping, creative and somewhat simple. unlike those other huge novels, this one had limited characters, maybe due to the fact this is based on a secluded town. i wouldnt say this is really much of a horror book, but i could say its a soft-sided b rated movie type of thing. it has great description about the swamp setting and it has an interesting twist about the dark man. which i wont say.speaking of the dark man, he is an interesting person, if not a weird one. the story i think is basically about how the influence of the dark man takes toll on the town, and the price a person would pay for eternal life.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Too predictable to be compelling, November 3, 2002
Although the underlying premise of this novel is rather ridiculous when you think about it, Saul manages to make the story work. It's not terribly thrilling or suspenseful, however. There is no surprise to be found in the conclusion because the clues to what mysteries this tale contains are glaringly obvious early on. Darkness is Saul's take on the old eternal life theme. While the Dark Man is rather creepy and mysterious early on, his true identity, purposes, and methods are revealed halfway through the book, leaving the reader with a long sprint toward a finish line of foregone conclusions. The medical and scientific aspects here are rather laughable, really, and a little inconsistent (not to mention somewhat disgusting) in the end.
The setting of the novel both helps and hurts it. Most of the action takes place in the Florida swamps, a setting I myself find quite unappealing (although Saul has tourists lining up to explore the dangerous, disgusting swamps, small children and babies in tow). It's certainly creepy, what with all the strange sounds and movements taking place in the dark shadows, not to mention alligators, crocodiles, water moccasins, and other deadly beasts roiling and slithering their way through all of the actions. I got a little tired of one individual after another getting lost and trying to find his/her way home in this ruthless environment, though. As soon as one person turned up, another ran out and got lost, starting the whole swamp search ordeal over again.
I can't voice my criticisms of the story without giving too much away. I will just say that this novel is much less believable than most of Saul's fiction. For that reason it didn't strike too strong of a chord in me personally; the fact that the main plot twists and ultimate conclusion were so obvious also left the novel incapable of truly grasping my complete attention and fascination. In less talented hands, this story could easily fail miserably because of its flimsy relationship with reality, but, as I said, John Saul makes it work. I was in no great hurry to reach the conclusion, but I also never felt compelled to toss the book aside without finishing it. If you've never read Saul before, I wouldn't recommend letting Darkness be your introduction to his work-it is not quite up to his normally high standards.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I finished it in two days cause I couldnt put it down!, March 31, 1999
By A Customer
Darkness was the first Saul book I ever read and ever since I've been hooked. I loved the setting and the storyline was so imagintive. It makes you wonder what really goes on the those swamps when you're not looking. I would definetly recommended it!
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