Customer Reviews

Strangewood

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is one of those books that must be read to be explained, it's that good. Part Horror, part Dark Fantasy Strangewood is the story of a writer's creation come to disturbing, very real life. When Thomas Randall's son falls prey to an inexplicable coma he finds that his son has been taken (well, in spirit, I guess) to the "fictional" world of Strangewood. A world that is supposed to be a figment of Thomas Randall's imagination. But Strangewood is real. Strangewood is at war. Strangewood is dying. And only Randall can save this world from collapse. Only Randall can save his son from a fate worse than death.

The idea of a writer having to face the very reality of his/her creation has been done before, but in Strangewood the story is so expertly crafted, the characters so startling in their vibrancy that you forget the idea that the plot has been done before. Because in this case it hasn't. The world of Strangewood (and its inhabitants) would itself make a very entertaining fantasy series (and in case you haven't heard of Harry Potter there is a market for this). Christopher Golden's talent is excruciatingly apparent in this novel and while I read this I kept thinking to myself "man, this is a fun read" which it was. Probably one of the most memorable and enjoyable reads of 1999 and a book I can't recommend enough. For fans of Horror or Dark Fantasy this is a book for you!

I would nitpick and say this book was more dark fantasy than horror. However, a visit to the world of Strangewood is fascinating and worth the time spent reading it.

The characters of Strangewood are well drawn and quickly became more vivid to me than the "real life" characters. I found the romance in the book (Joe and Emily) to be jarring, less interesting and eventually tiresome. Perhaps I just hated spending time on the romance when I was so fascinated with what was happening in Strangewood. I also enjoyed discovering the relationships between the Strangewood residents and the "real life" folks who were able to visit them. The characters in the story struggled against things they could not control and against their own weaknesses while in a world of suprises and mysteries.

The story is engrossing and Golden is a writer I will look forward to further books from.

An incredible book, one which will stay with you for a long time after you put it down! Strangewood has one of the most imaginative premises ever conceived of in any genre, but particularly in the horror-fantasy arena where so many new books are just hackneyed rewrites of old novels. Christopher Golden has an amazing gift for creating not only a roller-coaster ride of a plot, but characters to whom you are instantly drawn and about whom you care from word one. The climax of the book will leave you drop-jawed with disbelief. I can't wait for Mr. Golden's next book to come out!

The serious battle of good vs. evil has never been so much fun. In this book, some very real humans interact with some very twisted storybook characters. The result pleasantly recalls childhood memories, and slyly releases thoughts of what might have been. The tale includes some personal truths that are thought-provoking without being too "preachy."

The author has an expert handling of genre blending that makes the reader appreciate the real talent on display here. Elements of fantasy, horror, and good old-fashioned human drama all contribute to some pretty impressive suspense. The page-turning plot cleverly built to a logical conclusion, but still left enough room for guesswork. All of characters created for the land of Strangewood are lovable in their own way. You'll become attached to all of them just as easily as you'll relate to the central family whose emotional drama constitute the story's backbone.

Simply put, Strangewood is a grand tale that is a great pleasure to read. It is escapist fiction at its best.

It took me a while to get into this book about a child's fantasy land gone bad, and I never did develop much fondness for the real life characters. Thomas Randall's `divorced father angst' was reiterated until it got tiresome, and Emily's sexual neediness seemed over-emphasized and out of place, which had the effect of making her mind-numbingly boring. The fantasy land characters were far more interesting and better delineated. Some of the conflict at times became comic book-like, which may please you or not, depending on whether you like your action fast and snappy or descriptive and complex. The plot is imaginative and the story does eventually redeem itself and overcomes some of the weak points. Given the poor quality of the horror genre at the moment, this is one of the better books of its type that I've read recently, and it's nice to see an author trying for creativity rather than another `formula' story.

Christopher Golden's Strangewood is a book that stays with you. At times lyrical, funny, tragic, thrilling, the novel touches the reader on a number of levels. The characters are well-drawn and I'm especially happy with what has to be one of the best written descriptions of a divorced couple that I have ever read. My only real complaint is that I really wish the book had been longer. At times the jumps between scenes happen so rapid-fire I couldn't help but think how much more time I wanted to spend with these characters. Overall, though, a really wonderful book.

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I trust her opinion. I ordered it the same day she told me about it, and read it the same day I received it. It's unique, excellent, and well crafted. Christopher Golden is a rare talent. He has the ability to put you into a situation in such a way that you almost feel you are THERE, walking with his characters. And sometimes that can be scary. Although there were a few moments where a note fell flat (the truth of the Peanut Butter General....and his ultimate ULTIMATE fate being the biggest), this book was still one of the best I'd read in years. It's a keeper, which I'll reread several times in the future.

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book quite so much, mainly because of the original nature of the story. It's just plain fun. Much like the author's vampire books-- Saints and Shadows etc-- excellent work. Nitpicking-- I could do without the distracting and irrelevant "love" story between the ex and the prof. Found it damned depressing actually , and it prevented me from caring much about the ex-wife character. Also, I thought there was a pretty big hole in the set-up: The protagonist knows that Strangewood is "real", used to "go" there as a boy, and then he somehow forgot about this? Even after he starts "hallucinating" he fails to recall that this stuff was real? How, exactly, does something like this slip your mind? Something's not quite right there, but nonetheless the book is great fun.

Golden has surpassed himself with "Strangewood". It is an all-too-realistic tale of human drama, perfectly mixed with a fantasy plot that speaks of incredible yet conceivable imagination. It has the most innovative plot that I've ever read, beautifully, naturally and flowingly written by a great author. If you've read "The Shadow Saga", and thought that was good, you'd fall to your knees before Golden when you read "Strangewood". The decision to focus more on character than on plot was a great one. With "The Shadow Saga", you're intrigued by the way of life of the shadows, but you never can put yourself in their shoes. Here, you find yourself feeling for the Randalls, and even the Strangewood characters, sympathising them, empathising with them, knowing how they feel... Golden has outdone himself this time, and I eagerly await his next novel, "Straight On Til Morning", especially since it is to be written in the same style that "Strangewood" was written in.

Thomas Randall is the creator of Strangewood, a hugely popular children's series with echoes of Frank L. Baum's Oz, C. S. Lewis' Narnia, and A. A. Milne's Hundred Acre Wood. Randall has considerable wealth and fame, but his personal life is steadily disintegrating; his wife has left him and his son, reacting to the trauma of his parents' failed marriage, has become distant. Randall's problems have also left him with an acute case of writer's block, a condition that threatens him both financially and emotionally.

The author's life is further complicated when his son disappears into Strangewood, kidnapped by the characters that populate Randall's books. The kidnapping is a cry for help from those creatures, a desperate plea for attention from their friend Thomas, whom they have known since he was a boy. Strangewood, you see, existed before the coming of Thomas Randall, but now can't exist without him.

Always adept at handling action and suspense, Golden adds another dimension to his work in Strangewood, manipulating readers' heartstrings in addition to their anxieties. Strangewood is at turns amusing and sobering, a moving, unsettling, sometimes nightmarish book about fathers and sons, responsibility, writing, and the power of imagination. Golden has delivered the rarest of commodities: a genuine good read, a book which manages to shock and move, illuminate and mystify. Don't miss it.