Customer Reviews

The Face (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(57)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

From the start, the stage is set for this unusual and original tale with the rain, pouring down incessantly over the city of angels. In fact, the grey, gloomy skies and rain are major characters in the book. (Koontz refers to them constantly, and to great effect) We have all the ingredients for the standard thriller genre: troubled and sensitive cops, a dazzling Hollywood star, an exceedingly intelligent and evil antagonist and the constant threat of doom, hanging over the reader like the sword of Pericles, ready to drop at any moment. But ~The Face~ gives us something more than the prototype: stereotypes are brilliantly combined with the paranormal. Throughout the reading, my rational mind continued to search for logical explanations for the many strange events that happen to the main characters. To my frustration, however, no rational answers came forth because, in most cases, there weren't any. This novel makes excellent reading because what you see in not always what you expect or get...

The strongest aspect about the writing itself is the author's skill for characterization. Even the apparent insignificant characters in the novel have certain depth, which invokes the feeling one gets when meeting someone casually for the first time. He devotes each chapter of the tale from the perspective of each major player, and we easily enter their minds, feel their thoughts and emotions. Particularly the ten year old boy, Fric, with his pubescent humor and loneliness...and, of course, the terrifying literature professor and his Deconstructive, post modern stance on the written word. As a ruthless anarchist, he could have no better or appropriate philosophy concerning literature. This guy is truly bad without being outlandishly comic-bookish, similar to many other serial killer types in the thriller market place. Corky Laputa is just plain wicked.

If you're expecting the stock-standard thriller with all the tired stereotypes, you'll be disappointed with this novel. Then again, it has all the successful ingrediants one might expect, but Koontz throws in an interesting wrench into the work, which makes the book refreshing and highly enjoyable.

This book is one of Koontz' best. The beginning was a little slow to take off, but I was hooked around page 50 or so, and could barely keep from flipping to the end to see how it all ended. What impressed me most about this book was the outstanding ending, with more than one of those twists that many authors try to put into a book, but here they are all successful.

Channing Mannheim is the highest paid actor in the world. Handsome to the point where he is called "The Face," he lives a life style that none of us can imagine. Surrounded constantly by bodyguards, servants, and various hangers-on, he is the epitome of the rich and famous. While Channing is mentioned frequently throughout the book, we meet this world-famous man personally but once. However, we lack not for principal characters. The most important are Aelfric (who likes to be called Fric) Mannheim, Channing's 10-year-old and somewhat normal son, Ethan Truman, a former police officer, now head of Channing's security and married to the late Hannah Truman, Corky Laputa, anarchist extraordinaire, and Dunny Whistler, once (and perhaps always) Ethan's best friend, though turned to a life of crime before he died.

While these four characters are the focus of the multiple chapters, Koontz does his very best to complicate the story by introducing a host of secondary characters. The characters are described in sufficient depth to enhance your understanding of the personalities of the principal characters, and while the complexity of the story challenges the ability to keep track of who's who, in general I was able to stay on top of what was happening in the story.

With all these characters running about, there must be an interesting story here, and there is. To describe the happenings in detail would give away too much, so I offer a flavor. The reader quickly finds out that Corky has a good acquaintance by the name of Rolf Reynard. Rolf is supposed to be leaving mysterious packages at the estate of Channing Mannheim, but he makes a big mistake and Mannheim's security spots him on camera. Let the weirdness begin.

We are quickly lured into a world inhabited by some of the strangest, and often some of the most chilling, people and events of any Koontz book. A man walks from a mirror. Anarchists plot to sow disorder on the world by killing and trying to cause racial unrest and unrest in general. Any opportunity to increase anger by one neighbor toward another is taken. We also discover that these anarchists have an evil in them that may be more responsible for their enjoyment of chaos than a dislike for order. Dead men may walk. A central character is killed, or is he? We come face to face with unspeakable evil. We meet ultimate good. Koontz has managed to cram a lot into 600 pages of reading pleasure.

Koontz has a history of unsatisfying endings. This book is proof that when Koontz comes up with a good ending, it can be a great ending. While I had predicted portions of the ending, much of it, including most of the key aspects, was a total surprise. Portions of the last part of the book were worthy of James Bond. I suspect that this book would make an excellent movie. I plan to go see it, as it inevitably will become a movie.

Koontz has written all types of books, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, thrillers, and just plain weird books. This book is a supernatural horror story, and a very good one. While the action is steady and paced versus a roller coaster ride, it is like the long, long climb to the top of a single steep hill. While the wait can seem endless, the drop at the end is worth it. Fans of Koontz will find this to be one of Koontz' best. Fans of horror novels will enjoy the novel ending. Excellent reading here!

In order for a book to be good, one thing it absolutely must have is interesting characters. This one does. From the ex-cop turned security chief, to the little boy in peril, these are characters I'd like to see more of, and that's always a good sign. If you read a book and at the end you wish you could know more about the people in the book, then you've found a pretty good read. But this one doesn't stop there. It also has a beautifully crafted story that builds slowly, gaining steam gradually, so you can savor the taste of it as you read along. It's eerie, not ghastly, and the ending made me weep. Give it a look, you probably won't be disappointed.

The story centers around two key characters. The first is an ex-cop named Ethan Truman. He is now the chief of security for one of the most famous actors in the world today Charles "The Face" Manhiem. As of late, The Face has been receiving packages that point towards his death, filled with strange and unusual items. Ethan takes it upon himself to catch the person responsible. However, Ethan's life gets even more complicated when he begins to see an old friend walking around that is supposed to be dead, and the fact that his friend's body dissapeared from the morgue makes things even stranger. Now Ethan must solve two mysteries - the identity of the person who wants The Face dead, and if his friend is really alive or not. The other main character of the story is The Face's son Aelfric Manhiem. Ten year old Fric begins to receive strange phone calls on his private line telling him that he needs to find a place to hide because something evil is coming. At first, Fric things that it is a prank. However, as time goes on, the mysterious caller begins to describe what has Fric has done during the day, what different rooms of the house look like, etc.. As Fric begins to prepare for this mysterious evil force, Ethan becomes wrapped up in his own problems which puts both Ethan and Fric in danger of being victims of events that are somehow connected.

This book seriously impressed me. I have been a fan of Dean Koontz for many years, and I have read the majority of his books. That is why I had my doubts about this one. When an author produces so many fantastic books, you begin to wonder if it is only a matter of time before they run out of ideas, and The Face is one of Koontz's latest novels. As soon as I began reading this book, my doubts were put to rest. The book is extremely well written, and very suspenseful. It combines aspects of a mystery novel, with those of a chase novel. This makes the book very interesting, and will keep you glued to the pages. The story is somewhat complex though, because it is told from three different points of view - what's going on with Ethan, what's going on with Fric, and the killer who is behind the attack on The Face. However, Koontz's character development is so great in this book, that you will become equally captivated reading about each character. The personalities of Ethan, Fric, and the killer are very well established which makes you appreciate them all.

Overall, The Face is one of the best Dean Koontz books I have ever read. The book offers likeable and well developed characters, the perfect combination of a mystery and chase novel, and an unpredictable and satisfying ending. If you are a fan of Dean Koontz you should definately check this book out.

Rather than write a plot synopsis in my review (which can be gleaned elsewhere), I will simply say that I consider "The Face" to be one of Dean Koontz' finest works. And that is saying a lot. I considered "One Door Away From Heaven" to be perhaps his best work a couple of years ago, and this is fully the equal of that. The prose is beautiful, the characters are sharply drawn and likable, there is enough humor and suspense to make the book marvellously entertaining, and the ending is superb. This is truly another masterpiece from Koontz, and I will go so far as to say that I think that Mr. Koontz, a hundred years or so from now, will be recognized as one of the great novelists of the late 20th and early to mid 21st century. Forget Stephen King -- compared to Koontz, he's a hack. VERY highly recommended!

I started reading Dean Koontz about halfway through his career. Since then, I have read everything he has written. It is amazing to see how much his craft has grown over the years. His characters are now fully developed and he no longer can be seen as an exclusively "horror" writer.
That being said, "The Face" is by far the best book I have read in a long time. Koontz took his time developing the characters and made the reader really connect with them. I liked how "Ghost Dad" was a "Ghost" Character whose presence was undeniable but who never actually "appeared" in the book.
Koontz did not feed answers to his readers and the result was that there were times that I wasn't sure what was going on but because his characters had me so engaged I was more than willing to wait and find out how it all worked out. The reader's confusion echoed the character's confusion so I believe it was completely appropriate.
The ending of the novel was spiritual without being cheesy. Truly moving.
One of the best books I have read in a long time.

After almost giving up on modern fiction, I decided to give it one more try, this time by way of a Koontz's The Face. From very early on this book becomes extremely intriguing, never letting you lose interest. I never was much for the over used term, page turner, but this one really does fit the description. In almost every chapter something would happen that would suck you in, dying to find out what is going on. The worst thing about reading this is that I would end up staying up much later then usual because I would lose track of the time. And unlike other books of this style, Koontz gives great detailed descriptions of every person, place and thing. There is also an absence of the typical stock characters that seem to find there way into a lot of today's books, movies and tv shows. There is no tough chick with the bad attitude, no side character with the inexplicable desire to see the hero fail, etc. The only thing that may turn off some readers is the supernatural aspects to the book. It is not your typical crime story in that some of it is a bit otherworldly. But that is one of the reasons that the book is so good.

This book is one of Koontz' best. The beginning was a little slow, but I was hooked around page 50 or so and could barely keep from flipping to the end to see how it all ended. What impressed me most about this book was the outstanding ending, with more than one of those twists that many authors try to put into a book, but here they are all successful.

Channing Mannheim is the highest paid actor in the world. Handsome to the point where he is called "The Face," he lives a life style that none of us can imagine. Surrounded constantly by bodyguards, servants, and various hangers-on, he is the epitome of the rich and famous. While Channing is mentioned frequently throughout the book, we meet this world-famous man personally but once. However, we lack not for principal characters. The most important are Aelfric (who likes to be called Fric) Mannheim, Channing's 10-year-old and somewhat normal son, Ethan Truman, a former police officer, now head of Channing's security and married to the late Hannah Truman, Corky Laputa, anarchist extraordinaire, and Dunny Whistler, once (and perhaps always) Ethan's best friend, though turned to a life of crime before he died.

While these four characters are the focus of the multiple chapters, Koontz does his very best to complicate the story by introducing a host of secondary characters. The characters are described in sufficient depth to enhance your understanding of the personalities of the principal characters, and while the complexity of the story challenged my ability to keep track of who's who, in general I was able to stay on top of what was happening in the story.

With all these characters running about there must be an interesting story here, and there is. To describe the happenings in detail would give away too much, so I offer a flavor. The reader quickly finds out that Corky has a good acquaintance by the name of Rolf Reynard. Rolf is supposed to be leaving mysterious packages at the estate of Channing Mannheim, but he makes a big mistake and Mannheim's security spots him on camera. Let the weirdness begin.

We are quickly lured into a world inhabited by some of the strangest, and often some of the most chilling, people and events of any Koontz book. A man walks from a mirror. Anarchists plot to sow disorder on the world by killing and trying to cause racial unrest and unrest in general. Any opportunity to increase anger by one neighbor toward another is taken. We also discover that these anarchists have an evil in them that may be more responsible for their enjoyment of chaos than a dislike for order. Dead men may walk. A central character is killed, or is he? We come face to face with unspeakable evil. We meet ultimate good. Koontz has managed to cram a lot into nearly 700 pages of reading pleasure.

Koontz has a history of unsatisfying endings. This book is proof that when Koontz comes up with a good ending, it can be a great ending. While I had predicted portions of the ending, much of it, including most of the key aspects, was a total surprise. Portions of the last part of the book were worthy of James Bond. I suspect that this book would make an excellent movie. I plan to go see it if it should become one.

Koontz has written all types of books, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, thrillers, and just plain weird books. This book is a supernatural horror story, and a very good one. While the action is steady and paced versus a roller coaster ride, it is like the long, long climb to the top of a single steep hill. While the wait can seem endless, the drop at the end is worth it. Fans of Koontz will find this to be one of Koontz's best. Fans of horror novels will enjoy the clever ending. Excellent reading here!

Although I wasn't crazy over his last effort, By the LIght of the Moon, I still enjoyed it enough to recommend it to friends. The last few years though, I have been longing for the old Koontz. The Koontz of "Watchers", "Intensity", and "Lightning". I am happy to say that I am more pleased with this Koontz book than any I have read in the last five or six years. His characters are detailed and intriguing, and no one creates visual imagery quite like Koontz. It is a shame that the earlier reviewer could not make it past the first 200 pages. By then, I was completely enthralled. Not since I read "The Shining" have I had the chills crawl up my back while reading a book. Unlike his last several books, I'm not sure that this can be classified as a spiritual thriller. To me, this is closer to a King-type horror novel. Koontz fans should not be disappointed. I sure wasn't.

Take a man with an affliction. Develop a plot and a subplot or two. Throw in some bad guys and innocent victims. Twist it up with a little of the macabre. Try to hurry and meet the editor's deadline. Voila! You have a crummy Dean Koontz novel.

On the other hand, take a man with an affliction/power who is perplexed. Develop an intricate plot with lots of dynamic movement. Keep the victim and bad guys. Don't hurry too much for the editor and you have a good Dean Koontz novel.

Then again, take a man with an affliction/power/curse/blessing who is troubled and perplexed. Develop a plot which envelopes the reader. Make the reader love the victim(s) and hate the bad guys. Reach out to your reader. Take your time. The editor can wait. THEN, MY FRIENDS, YOU HAVE A GREAT DEAN KOONTZ NOVEL !!!

"The Face", a pseudonym for a famously wealthy actor, is an outstanding Koontz novel. Former Detective and, now, security director for The Face, Ethan Truman, seems to have the affliction of precognition. He also sees dead people....or thinks he does. Reaching out for help from the unlikliest of places, Truman pursues a killer to mete out his own kind of justice. In the meantime, he has to wrestle with what is real and what is illusion.

"The Face" is classic Koontz. Without a doubt, one of his best.

If you are a Koontz fan, this is a MUST read!

Densel Myers
Yukon, Oklahoma