Customer Reviews

False Memory

5 star:		(187)
4 star:		(126)
3 star:		(83)
2 star:		(64)
1 star:		(66)

 

 

To me, Dean Koontz has always been a writer who is either on again or off again. He has written books that are outstanding in the suspense field (Intensity, Dark Rivers of the Heart), and those that are largely a mess (Sole Survivor, Tick Tock). False Memory falls somewhere in between. This novel of mind control and nefarious conspiracies has several scenes of heart-pounding suspense, but often times it plods along as the author drags out situations through several chapters that would have been much more effective if they had been compacted into a shorter space. For example, one of the main characters, Martie Rhodes is mysteriously afflicted with severe autophobia (the fear of one's self), which results in her irrational fear that she will attempt to murder everyone she loves. Unfortunately the reader has to suffer through chapter after chapter after chapter of Martie running madly through the house trying to dispose of every item that might potentially be turned into a weapon, and it gets really boring really fast. This is not to say that the whole book is bad; in fact it's quite good at times. The novel's villain is viciously evil and very well crafted. The author is especially good at honing his characterizations as well as maintaining that almost undefinable trait that only the best writers have--he makes you want to keep reading. Special note: I found it pretty amusing that one of the characters who appears late in the novel is a narcissistic writer who spends a great deal of time writing phony reviews to make his own book seem better than it is, and phony negative reviews of his most serious competitor's book. I assume Koontz doesn't need to do this, because he really is a terrific writer.

Martine "Martie" Rhodes seems to have it all together as she is happily married and a successful video game designer. However, her world begins to collapse. Her brother-in-law jumps off the roof after insisting he has seen and spoken with an angel, who vows the other side is better. Her best friend Susan struggles with a severe case of agoraphobia, leaving Martie to coax her into leaving her home so she can see a psychiatrist. Susan swears that her estranged husband rapes her every night even though her home is locked tight.

The confidant Martie soon begins to fear her own shadow, finding it difficult to even look in a mirror. Already grieving his brother's stunning suicide, Martie's spouse Dustin worries about her sudden descent into a seemingly deep-rooted phobia. He begins to search for common links between his brother, his wife, and their friend, as well as another individual who has sunk into a debilitating fear. Dustin concludes that psychiatrist Dr. Mark Ahriman is deeply involved with the rash of traumatic feelings impacting everyone. Dustin is unaware that his inquiries will trigger a phobia of his own.

FALSE MEMORY is an exciting thriller that is one of Dean Koontz's best novels. The story line centers on personal and societal phobias that the great author makes so frighteningly real that the audience will fear what happens next because it could happen to them. The characters are wonderfully designed so that fans can understand what has occurred. Though a bit wordy at times, Mr. Koontz has written a fabulous tale that will eliminate any fears that his audience might have that the grandmaster of suspense has lost it.

Harriet Klausner

I picked up "False Memory" because it was a Koontz novel, and I have never NOT given this author my full attention since I read "Watchers" many years back. In spite of "Fear Nothing" and "A Bad Place," which were well written but a bit too raw for my senses, Mr. Koontz has not disappointed me. I feel that "False Memory" was just as engaging and intriguing a novel as "Watchers," though very different. The unwitting heroes of the story, Dusty and Martine Rhodes, are extremely likable characters and the reader becomes caught up in their lives because of their goodness, steadiness and faithfulness towards each other and those they love. The antagonist of this book is a surprise I will not give away, although Koontz doesn't make you wait the entire book to find out just what's going on. The dialogue is well done and moves the story beautifully, the characters "stay" in character, and the author shows once again that he is a master story teller. A wonderful read that will definitely keep you coming back for more until that last page is turned!

This is an incredible novel. Dean Koontz has an astounding imagination, a wonderful attention to detail, a terrific talent for suspense and surprises. He also has a sweetly sensitive side.

This book held my attention captive, and caused me to laugh and cry. Mr. Koontz weaves a tale about mind control, psychology, intense love and a demented character. Read this book only if you are sure you don't have a tendency to become paranoid! The author has a knack for bringing new thoughts into your head!

In this novel, Martie and Dusty are fighting for their very minds and eventually their lives! As they struggle through the fog of their minds and the minimal clues they have acquired, you will feel you are working with them to discover the truth and expose the enemy for the evil that he is. Mr. Koontz also has a beautiful way of developing his characters and making you love them and feel their emotions and fears.

This is a fast paced novel with action, suspense, twists, and psychology that will force you to use your brain to figure out what is going on!

The summary on the back cover intrigued me. When I started reading, it was torture to put the book down! I enjoyed this novel very much and highly recommend it. Don't hesitate - purchase it now!

Hello folks. I know that anyone who's actually read this novel won't believe any customer reviews on this site anyway, so I'll try to be brief:) Anyway, the first 200-250 pages are the most gripping Koontz has ever penned. BUT (and this is a big qualifier)the middle section is the SLOWEST writing he's ever done. After the first 250 pages, the pace doesn't really pick up again until page 500 or so. Sorry, dean man, but u spent way to much time in the damn desert. Anyway, the villain of this piece is just damn creepy. He's suave. He's smart. He likes to play games . . . but doesn't always follow his own rules. so be afraid. Alas, the villain is by far the most interesting character...except for maybe Skeet. As for the novel's ending...it is definitely exciting. I only wished the book had been paced better throughout...if it had been, i would have been more energized at the climax. So this is a good Koontz book, featuring his best start and (maybe) his best ending... but don't buy the hard cover. wait for the paper back.

False Memory is a wonderful trip through the lives of ordinary people being manipulated by an unusual, if not disturbed, doctor. Koontz delivers thrill after thrill in this novel. I would rank False Memory as one of Koontz's top 3 novels (and I have read every Koontz novel published). Is False Memory better than Seize the Night? Absolutely. Thank you Mr. Koontz for a great read!

While I am an unabashed fan of Dean Koontz's work, I have always felt that his greatest strength as a storyteller lies in his ability to construct a compelling plot. However, I have also felt that his characters remain a bit underdeveloped, inhibiting my ability to care about them. (This is, conversely, Stephen King's greatest strength). However, in FALSE MEMORY, it all comes together and this book is without a doubt Koontz's best work ever. In Dr. Mark Ahriman, Koontz has created a villian who rivals Hannibal Lecter in his capacity for pure evil. If you're a Koontz fan, you will LOVE this book. And if you're not, give it a read anyway. You cannot help but be spellbound by it.

Dean Koontz has a hell of an imagination, there's no getting around that. False Memory is a foray into mind-control that will leave you worrying about whether it could really happen.

Martie and Dusty Rhodes are a nice young couple living in Southern California. Martie's best friend, Susan, suffers from agoraphobia (fear of open spaces) and Martie helps her by literally forcing Susan out of her apartment and taking her for her therapy sessions. Suddenly Susan reveals that she is being raped at night by her ex-husband, however, even though she locks all doors and windows and even wedges a chair under the door knob he still manages to get in. The clincher is, she has no memory of the attacks and none of the doors or windows have been tampered with. In fact, the chair is still wedged under the door knob. She only knows he's been there from the semen stains he's left behind. From this point strange things begin to happen to Dusty and Martie too.

As I said in my title, I think the plot idea is great. Mr. Koontz once did a short story (whose name escapes me) using the same premise and I remember the story being taut and suspenseful. I was hoping we were headed in the same direction with this story too, but it was not to be.

For one thing, the book suffers from bloat. It's really too long. It could stand some editing, but what seems to be happening today is major authors no longer get edited. That's too bad. Compared to Koontz's previous "Watchers" or "Lightning" the book is lethargic.

Another thing, the villian, though interesting, is almost too over the top. Whenever we're seeing things from the villians point of view it becomes semi-comic which destroys any tension built up from previous scenes. So you never really do get that "This tension is killing me, I can't wait to see what happens" feeling. This book never becomes an "I can't put it down" thriller. Actually, it's quite easy to put down and resume later.

Authorial asides. He's doing this more and more. Those little comments about today's culture he keeps throwing into the book. Most are right on target, some are funny, but none of them belong here. Fiction is a suspension of disbelief, an entrance into the author's created world. And every time he throws us one of these tidbits he reminds us we're really reading a book and he's the author. Each time I read one of these I always have the mental image of Mr. Koontz standing there with a smug, "aren't I just too clever" smile on his face. This is jarring and it drains any tension that has been built up. It's also the kind of thing a beginning writer would not be allowed to get away with.

The ending. ...

Would I recommend this book? I guess so. As I said, the plot idea really is good. Though I did find myself skimming there are some very good scenes in here. The scene where Martie and Dusty are kidnapped by two goons in Santa Fe is really suspenseful and you keep wondering how they're going to get out of this jam. So, there is some good stuff, however, you might want to wait until the paperback comes out so it will cost you less.

I am (still) a big fan of Dean Koontz. However, this book disappointed on several levels. Is it just me, or did any one else notice some rather unskillful metaphors, e.g., ".....she'd turned more heads than a coven of chiropractors." Well, chiropractors don't run in covens--for one thing. Every time Koontz slipped in something like this I found it jarring. Koontz is such a fine writer, wonder if he either got a little lazy with this book or was trying too hard to be "different." Also, I kind of felt it was a little like "bait and switch" when the book was billed as being about a woman with autophobia (and the other with agoraphobia) and it turns out neither woman authentically had these conditions---they were merely implanted.

False Memory had all the elements a good suspense novel must have in order to hold my attention: a riveting plot, characters I care whether they survive till the end or not, and plenty of nail-biting tension. From the beginning I was swept up in the lives of Martie and Dustin Rhodes, two people just trying to be as decent human beings as they possibly can be in a chaotic world. When their world starts to inexplicably crumble around them several clues lead them to Martie's friend Susan's psychiatrist, who Susan thinks is her sole salvation.

Dr. Mark Ahriman made my skin crawl. The explanation for his reprehensible behavior is given in the end, but by that time you simply do not care WHY he became the way he is, you just want the earth to be rid of him! DK goes, deep, deep into the psyche of this character. Too deeply for my particular comfort zone.

The writing is sharply detailed, gloriously descriptive. You see the action through the eyes of the characters. You feel their emotions. False Memory kept my nerves on edge much like Intensity did. DK is a master of 'in-the-moment' narratives. You are definitely in the moment!

So, if your heart can take it, read False Memory. But take an aspirin first...Just in case!