Customer Reviews

The Gates

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4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If Neil Gaiman and Christopher Moore were to collaborate on a 21st-century version of "The Phantom Tollbooth," they MIGHT come up with something as brilliant, hilarious and purely enchanting as Connolly's first novel for young people. Out for an early Halloween walk one night, young Samuel Johnson and his dachshund, Boswell, see the neighbors conducting a ritual that accidentally opens the gates of Hell -- just a little, enough for the Large Hadron Collider to start sending energy across the multiverse in a way that can't be good for human beings. I found myself reading passages aloud to my dog, just because I wanted someone else to hear them.

Deep beneath a mountain in Switzerland scientists accelerate a couple particles to about the speed of light, colliding them in the 17 mile long Large Hadron Collider, but unknown to the scientists far, far away in America Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy and a couple new friends are playing around in their basement with a pentagram and some other things that may or may not have been so innocent. When those particles collide as the Abernathy's are calling forth they know what, without realizing a small boy and his dog are secretly watching, something happens and the gates of Hell are opened. Not far, just a bit.

But something wants them opened all the way and that something is Satan himself. He wants out, can you blame him? There's other things in there that want out as well, but you won't want out of this horribly entertaining story. I've never laughed so hard even as spiky chills zinged up my spine. If you like a good read, literary or not, you'll be more than pleased with this book. And you will just love Young Samuel Johnson and his dachshund, Boswell.

Yes they did and out came one of the nastiest demons ever to walk the earth. Samuel and his dog Boswell were peeking through the basement window of the Abernathy's house while they and 2 friends were summoning the great evil one and got more that they desired. Of course, this has a little bit to do with the particle accelerator charging up in another country but a bit flung off the accelerator and ended up in the Abernathy's basement. Now that the gates of Hell are open it will eventually fall to poor little Samuel and his little dog Boswell to save the world. Samuel is a great little kid, bright, somewhat nerdy, compassionate and caring. Boswell is pretty neat too and oh yes, there is also a demon lord named Nurd who is pretty darn neat himself, once you get to know him.
All in all this is a very well written si-fi, fantasy, mystery that will keep you well entertained while you read it and give you a sense of delight that will stay with you for a while.

There are several things worth noting about John Connolly's The Gates.


The first is that it's brilliantly written. Connolly's style is crisp and concise, like church bells on a cold winter morning. His wit is sharp but doesn't slice as this is a book written for young people and it's clear that Connolly has nothing but respect and compassion for his audience. In fact, his opinion of his reader is so high that rather than talking down to them he speaks to them in such a way that they feel like a trusted friend or confidant.

The story centers around young Samuel and his dog, a precocious and intrepid daschund named Boswell. We encounter the pair two days before Halloween, when Samuel, believing in the power of his own initiative, decides to go Trick or Treating early in the hopes of drumming up a little holiday spirit. But the first house he tries, 666 Crowley, bears little fruit when the houses' occupant, self help author Mr. Abernathy, who is married to the horrible Mrs. Abernathy, refuses to play along in the spirit of the holiday.

It is from here that things begin to heat up as Samuel, bored and slightly depressed at his failure to score any early returns, decides to eavesdrop on a seance of sorts happening in the Abernathy's basement and witnesses a most terrifying and spectacular event:

The opening of a door between our world and Hell itself.

Before I continue, I must first say something about Connolly's writing style, because, for me, style is as important to the telling of a great story as the story itself. Even the most boring story can sound riveting if it is told in just the right way, and the most interesting story can be a regular snoozefest in the mouth of the wrong teller. And it is the downfall of many a writer that their grasp often extends their reach; they try to write about things they only barely understand and they make up for their lack by inventing realities to fill in the blanks.

That can be risky, as any science fiction/fantasy/horror writer can tell you. Because if your reality isn't easily shared with others, if your ability to express your thoughts doesn't capture the attention of your intended audience, then you will always wonder why no one's buying your books.

Connolly manages to express himself in a way that is, to me, at least, so intriguing and intelligent and without condescension or convolution that I instantly want to dive into his mind and see the world through his eyes.

That is the mark of good writing folks. Get people excited about where you want to take them and then make the trip worth of the price of admission.

Connolly does this effortlessly in the Gates. You see, quantum theory is all about the impossible; black holes that lead to other worlds and parallel universes existing simultaneously with our own is something that has always intrigued and fascinated me. And the fact that there is an entire field of legitimate study by serious, multi-degreed men who spend their lives trying to prove the existence of these other worlds gives little old me, who struggles with basic math and tends to get confused about who goes first at a four way traffic stop, and who believes in the existence of such worlds and in demons themselves (I can both see them and smell them) a great deal of hope and validation.

That he combines the science of Stephen Hawking and other such esteemed minds with the supernatural in a way that is easily understood by children is something of a miracle, not to mention just damn good writing.

The second thing one notices about this book is how genuinely funny it is. Only three--and now four-- authors have ever made me burst into genuine laughter with their words--Douglas Adams, Carrie Fischer (yes, Princess Leah can write), Dave Barry* and now John Connelly.

There is something very "Douglas Adams meets Piers Anthony" in Connolly's wit and story telling that is immediately endearing and engaging and quite funny; the scene between Samuel and Mr. Abernathy on page 7 is pure genius in its straightforward, honest depiction of how adults and children relate, as is the later conversation between Samuel and his Mum when he tries, to no avail, to convince her that the Abernathy's have unleashed Hell on earth and time is running out.

And then there are the peripheral characters; a hapless demon named Nurd who annoyed five minor demons (did you know there is a demon of stale crackers?) and was banished to the Wastelands with his companion Wormwood, who had done nothing wrong at all but got banished anyway because there is no such thing as fair in Hell) And there are also copious footnotes that you want to be sure not to miss as well as many terrific observations about human nature in general.

Despite the subject matter, this book is not in the least scary and in fact, it makes the subject of Hell, one which terrified me as a child because I was convinced I would end up there for all my childish misdeeds, completely without sting.

But, don't let the hilarity fool you. This book contains a very serious subplot about what it means to be a child from a broken home facing the very real and terrifying reality of divorce.

Samuel's parents have recently separated and we learn that Samuel struggles with the same emotions as anyone going through such a trial-guilt, anger, sadness and fear; and to boot he's the only one who knows that Satan is coming to destroy the world and no one will listen to him because no one listens to little boys.

Not only did this book make me laugh, it made me cry too.

My children don't come from a broken home, but they come from a home with a Dad who is absent much of the time due to work and I knew instantly that they could relate to Samuel's fears and doubts,

I know they could relate because I did.

I used the book as a platform to talk to the boys to discuss the differences and similarities between our lives and Samuel's. After all, I recently saw Hell (the real one, not the one in Connolly's book, and trust me, the real Hell is much scarier than anything dreamed up by man. The real Hell is nothing more than complete and eternal oblivion without hope of escape.).

My children also live with the reality of frequent separations from their father and it was a relief to show them that our lives are much better than poor Samuel's in a way that was both funny and gentle.

My children's father always comes home and I, unlike Samuel's mum, am well aware of the existence of Hell and the demons and I will never make my children battle evil on their own.

Connolly has managed something so amazing and brilliant that the Hand of God surely played a part. The wisdom contained within the pages of The Gates is downright supernatural and its as clear as glass that Connolly understands his subjects and considering just how many subjects the book contains, I freely admit I remain in humble awe.

So, do yourself a favor, do your children a favor. Buy and read this book.

The Gates: A Novel by John Connolly was adorable, hilarious, charming, intelligent, witty, and certainly enjoyable to read. A great book! I couldn't really tell that it was young adult, I found the humorous writing style to be similar, although less vulgar (perhaps because this is a YA book), than more adult-oriented authors such as Christopher Moore and Tom Holt.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys science, religion, evil bitch Hell gods, humor, and logical conclusions. All of the characters were entertaining and it made the book a very quick read.

The prose, despite being written for young adults, flows well as you read. The humor and storyline make the simplistic writing less obvious, allowing you to pay more attention to the story as it develops rather than the writing itself. This is a book that children and adults alike can enjoy. Darker themes, such as divorce and death, are prevalent in the book, but are dealt with in a way that is acceptable for a wide range of readers.

The Gates was full of some great stuff and is written in a light hearted manner than makes everything funny, even when Connolly is conveying complicated scientific processes.

Connolly himself describes The Gates as a "adult's novel written for children," but I have to say that I enjoyed the book every bit as much as any kid I know would, if not more. Much lighter in tone than Connolly's previous YA foray, The Book of Lost Things: A Novel, The Gates revolves around a young boy named Samuel Johnson who spies his neighbors undergoing a ritual to open the gates of Hell...and succeeding. Despite the horror novel feel of the plot, The Gates is definitely a kids book, with a tone that feels inspired by Adams or Pratchett, but a story that feels somewhere between Gaiman and Barker's The Thief of Always: A Fable. As always with a Connolly book, one of the best aspects of the book is the writing, and while the simpler prose eliminates some of Connolly's poetic asides, the sheer inventiveness of it all - from the namedropped demons of bad punctuation to the overwhelming menagerie of creatures from horrific to pathetic - is a complete joy. What's more, it's clear that Connolly is having a blast with this, and the joy is infectious; I laughed out loud several times, and just loved every page of it. Dabbling in everything from quantum theory to theology, all while telling a great story, The Gates is a great read, and definitely not just for kids.

I ADORED Connolly's The Book Of Lost Things. It was one of the most absorbing, imaginitive works of literature I had read in a long time. So, I was very excited to dive into The Gates, with hopes of being whisked away into another fantastical tale. That wasn't the case with The Gates.

The Gates didn't really work for me. I found the mixture of demononlogy and science overwhelming...and this is targeted at kids! The chapters that involved the scientists were tedious and as boring as can be. I found myself flicking through those pages, desperate to get to a chapter involving Samuel and his dog, or his posessed neighbors.

I enjoyed the parts with Nurd the demon, but everything else fell flat for me. Especially since I had such amazingly high hopes after The Book Of Lost Things. This was just not a winner to me.

I would pass on this one.

Unlike John Connolly's Charlie Parker novels, THE GATES is arguably a book for young adults. But that shouldn't deter any "old" adults from picking it up, as they almost certainly will enjoy it as much as his other works. The hero of the piece is, indeed, a youngster on the cusp of adolescence. Samuel Johnston lives with his mother in the town of Biddlecombe, England. His dad has recently moved out of the house and traded up, so to speak, on female companions, demonstrating that he is on the cusp of adolescence as well. His mom, understandably, is a bit preoccupied and upset about this state of affairs, leaving young Samuel and his dog, a dachshund named Boswell, on their own.

Two simultaneous events --- one occurring locally, the other far away --- change things for Samuel and Boswell. In Europe, a group of scientists are futzing around with a particle accelerator in the hopes of discovering something that is often referred to as the "God particle." At the same time, the Abernathys and the Renfields, two couples in Samuel's neighborhood, are fooling around with a nasty little book that Mrs. Abernathy found in a local bookstore. Neither the scientists nor Samuel's neighbors really know what they're doing, and as a result of their tomfoolery, they unleash demons into our world. Only Samuel, two of his friends, and the valiant Boswell know what is going on. Initially, they can't get anyone to believe them, though that certainly changes once a couple of flying skulls, a reluctant demon named Nurd, and a horrible bishop who has been dead for several hundred years all get into the act. There is, of course, a nasty battle between good and evil, as often happens with such things, but the conclusion to said battle might not be the conclusion you were expecting.

Speaking of the unexpected, there were a few things that I personally didn't expect from THE GATES. One is that parts of it are funny --- really funny. Though one might not know it from his Parker novels, Connolly is possessed of great humor, and he lets it shine through here. I'm talking laugh-out-loud humor that is doled out in a ration of every page or so. I also did not expect THE GATES to be frightening. It is, in places, similar to the way the original version of Darby O'Gill and the Little People remains frightening no matter how many times you've seen the banshee come flying onto the screen in its carriage. It stays with you and chills you to the bone.

But THE GATES is more than your garden-variety literary entertainment. Connolly explains some basic principles of physics very well here, especially for those whose ready knowledge of such things begin and end with apples dropping (hand raised here). He also pulls off a major coup by making his footnotes --- which are quite frequent --- so entertaining that they don't interfere with the flow of the narrative. You actually come to miss them when they are absent for more than a few pages. It's amazing. However, what is really impressive --- and frightening --- is Connolly's timing. I am given to understand that Connolly had been working on this novel for some eight years, and its publication corresponds eerily with a failed collider experiment, the latest in a series of such. On almost the same day as the book's release, some scientists theorized, quite seriously, that the otherwise inexplicable failures may be occasioned by an "outside" source as a warning. THE GATES leaves open the possibility that somewhere a young man stands athwart space and time, yelling "Halt!"

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Picture Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) writing his own version of Army of Darkness. You end up with a tale about the dark forces invading the world, but in this case made up of misfit demons like "Nurd, Scourge of the Five Deities".

The full title of the book is, "The Gates of Hell Are About to Open. Want to Peek?". Or in some locales, the title is "The Gates of Hell Are About to Open. Mind the Gap." Either title is clever enough to catch my attention and make me pick it up right away.

So who is this book for? Well, I read it and loved it, and then passed it to my 11 year old son to read. I know he'll love it too.

Connolly's writing is supurb. He tells the story well and his writing style is delightful. It's fun to try to follow his train of thought, because he indulges in so many tangents through footnotes that sometimes take up more than half of the page. If you're not willing to go with the flow, then I can see how that might bug you. But if you're that kind of reader, then this whimsical story probably isn't for you anyway.

It's interesting to me how timely this story is, with one of the main "characters" standing out in the news this week. How can the CERN Particle Accelerator be a character? You'll have to read and find out.

I'll admit I'm a sucker for Irish authors. I don't consider myself an Anglophile, but I'm amused by their turns of phrase. I also love stories where the kids are smarter than the adults. I just wish the father in this story wasn't such a horrible man.

If you're in the mood to be taken away by sci-fi fantasy comic fiction, then put the kettle on, grab a plate of digestive biscuits, and settle in for a good read.

Three days before Halloween in Biddlecombe, England, eleven year old Samuel Johnson of 501 Crowley Rd. accompanied by Boswell the Dachshund goes trick or treating to get a head start against the competition. At 666 Crowley Rd. Samuel debates Mr. Abernathy as to who or what or why they are trick or treating three days early than the official date.

Inside 666, using subatomic physics kicked, punted or booted (not being a scientist not sure which is the vernacular) inside a particle accelerator, Abernathy and three's company create two giant gates that prove to be a portal between earth and Hades. All hell has broken out on the planet as the first time since the original dot 13.7 billion years or so ago exploded into the Big Bang, demons cross over in what seems to be the beginning of the small crunch. Samuel the warrior kid fights the horde but fails to persuade adults including his parents that a demonic invasion has begun.

This lighthearted fantasy is an amusing tale of good vs. evil in a world of cynical disbelievers. Samuel and Boswell battle the adversary almost alone as ironically their only ally is a low life Nurd the incompetent sub-demon. Targeting young adults with puns, hyperbole, and Abbot-Costello slapstick starting with John Connolly's version of who's on first, older readers who enjoy jocularity in their quantum physics will appreciate the tweener and the canine save the world; although some might wonder why bother.

Harriet Klausner