Customer Reviews

Sliver

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

 

 

I read this book several years ago (before the movie), and it still sticks in my mind as one of the worst books I've ever read. The entire story line is unlikely at best, and parts (notably the end) are so conveniently contrived, it becomes silly and pathetically comical. Rent the movie if you're curious. It was universally panned, but it couldn't be any worse than the book.

For Levin and Levin fans this is a disappointing novel. The story line is long, drawn out and not very exciting. The reader is hoping constantly that the next chapter will bring an actual event but each page only brings disappointment. The climax at the end of the novel passes uneventfully and you should be careful that you don't miss it. A poor effort for Levin who has written a number of very good and imaginative stories that you can't put down. Better luck next time Ira. For prospective readers - see the movie instead

There's a lot to like here: The plot moves fast and suspensefully, making it hard to put this one down. The female protagonist is interesting, educated, down-to-earth yet urbane and sexy. The male protagonist is evil enough not to make excuses for, yet the book challenges you to at least consider his point of view.

Most excitingly, this book gives an incisive observation of maybe the most important social phenomenon of the TV age: voyeurism. Written before the Internet craze, this book has become only more relevant since! It describes aptly the temptation of wanting to play god in the form of an all-knwoing observer, as well as the dangers of such hubris: addiction, the seduction into doing something the perpetrator would intellectually/morally violently disagree with yet feels strangely compelled to perpetuate. Ultimately, the book discusses the consequences of such behavior as the perpetrator resorts to criminal behavior to continue his game.

Granted, there are a few flies in the ointment: the premise may not be considered terribly plausible. Yet, I believe it stacks up well against the suspense of disbelief required in most novels. The ending, however, while symbolically quite interesting (the voyeur becomes blinded, tying also into the Oedipal theme which is one thread in the book) is ultimately fairly contrived. Even more so, the final climactic scene, including the blinding, is just too far over the top to not teeter on the verge of the absolutely ridiculous! Mr. Levin could have definitely done a lot better there!

Despite these flaws, I still rate this one highly. If not taken all too seriously, this one's one satisfying ride!

An enjoyable read. This book had its thrilling moments and made more sense than the film did. The voyeurism is an interesting issue. I much preferred this book to some of Ira Levins other novels. The ending may have beeen a bit far fetched but it was certainly better than the end of the film (where test audiences hated the original ending so much it was changed and the identity of the killer was changed too) Both the male and female protagonists are interesting charactors. The novel is suspenseful and worth a read.

The best thriller novel I've read since Craig Furnas's THE SHAPE. It's a shame Ira Levin doesn't write more, because I love his books.

This book was a bit disappointing. It was better to see the movie, and the storyline was a bit boring. I've seen better work from Ira

Ignore the movie. Read this great book by Ira Levin. Smart dialogue, a sexy protagonist, and some biting commentary on the state of literature today, Sliver is an effective thriller that far surpasses the movie. The book reads like a movie script (which was done purposefully), but the makers of the movie unwisely deviated from the effective and thrilling plot here

Not one of Ira Levin's best, but still heads and shoulders above what most horror writers out there are cranking out. (And Mr. Levin's best [Rosemary's Baby, Stepford Wives, Boys from Brazil] are the defining classics of the horror genre.) I don't understand how the people below can recommend the movie, as it bore no resemblance to the book whatsoever.

A taunt, exciting thriller that had me up late to finish it. Levin's forte is psychological horror, and here he deals with an ancient psychological terror and thrill, voyeurism, and gives it a very modern spin, while retaining mythical elements.

If they had stuck to the plot, they could have made a great movie out of this.

This has got to be one of THE worst books I have ever read. Anal sex, abrupt endings, and horrible diagolue do not a great novel make

A successful single business women living by herself in a high rise...and some one is watching her. The walls have eyes... He knows her every move...