The Taking (Mass Market Paperback)

by Dean Koontz (Author)
Key Phrases: janitorial closet, Black Lake, Harry Corrigan, Michael Render (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In 1975, the now defunct Laser Books issued Invasion by Aaron Wolfe, aka Koontz (who later expanded that novel into Winter Moon, 1994), a breakneck tale of alien invasion centered on an isolated farm. Koontz's new novel also concerns alien invasion, and a comparison of the two books offers insight into the evolution of this megaselling author's work. Invasion was mostly speed and suspense—a brilliant if superficial exercise in terror. The new novel also features abundant suspense, as a couple in an isolated California home endure a phosphorescent rain and learn that, around the world, something is attacking humans and laying waste to communications. It's only when they drive to a nearby town that they learn of a global alien invasion; the tension ratchets as a weird fog descends and the aliens not only manifest physically but animate the dead. For years, however, Koontz has aimed at more than just thrills; today he is a novelist of metaphysics and moral reflection. His aliens are inherently evil as well as scary; standing against them are the human capacity for hope and the forces of goodness and innocence (here, as elsewhere, embodied in dogs), and near novel's end Koontz puts an overtly religious spin on his tale. Koontz's language has changed over the years, too, and not always for the better. While his care with words engenders admiration, his love of metaphor and alliteration can slow down the reading ("the luminous nature of the torrents that tinseled the forest and silvered the ground"). Also missing here is the wonderful humor that elevated his last novel, Odd Thomas, and some other recent work. Koontz remains one of the most fascinating of contemporary popular novelists, and this stands as an important effort, but not his best, though its sincerity and passion can't be denied.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* A glowing rain begins falling at one a.m. in the San Bernardino Mountains of California, where productive but hardly best-selling novelist Molly Sloan and her ex-priest husband, Neil, live outside a small town. Besides being luminous, the downpour smells like rancid semen, Molly thinks, and it brings with it a feeling of oppression. Animals cower from it, as Molly grasps when she sees a pack of coyotes huddling on the porch. The little wolves seem to be appealing to her for help, and when she walks out to them, they seem to expect her to lead them. She goes to wake Neil, rescuing him from a nightmare, and to wash--no, scour--her hands where the rain hit them. The torrent continues, taking out the power, but then appliances come on spontaneously, and the hands of clocks run wildly in opposite directions. The Sloans conclude they must leave after an interior mirror reflects the house as invaded by ghastly vegetation--but doesn't reflect them at all. Opening sequences come no creepier than this one, and the rest of Koontz's version of the extraterrestrial attack scenario so well lives up to it that the revelation, painstakingly apprehended by Molly, of who the aliens really are comes as no surprise. Nor do Koontz's authorial insertions about modernity and social degeneracy seem anything but explanatory in the context of this gripping, blood-curdling, thought-provoking parable. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (April 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553584502
• ISBN-13: 978-0553584509
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (518 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #58,842 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Prepare to lose sleep, May 25, 2004

By	Brian Reaves (Anniston, AL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Taking (Hardcover)

I have been anxiously awaiting this book since first reading about it months ago. When I got it yesterday, I devoured it. The first 100 pages give you no let up at all. You can literally feel the end of the world approaching as an evil, foul-smelling rain descends on Molly and Neil's house. What awaits her on the porch and in the garage gives you more of a sense of dread than if actual razor-toothed gremlins were staring up at her. The peace and calm exhibited from everything in this scene of destruction makes it that much more powerful. For the first half of the book, you have several possible answers thrown at you. An emergency broadcast from the space station will give you literal chills.

The only thing I didn't enjoy was the ending. As the culprits of this destruction are unveiled, it loses some momentum. While the answer makes sense, you start to lose that sense of "something's out there waiting for me". Instead, you sort of keep watching from a sense of macabre interest--sort of like driving by a car wreck slowly. Don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of surprises and suspense thrown in, but I think the book would have been much more powerful if we'd been left in the dark just a little longer. The feeling of defeat and utter hopelessness doesn't let up, but the overall fear and dread die away as the revelations come in.

All in all, I'm very satisfied with this story though. Highly recommended.

78 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Goes from good to bad, May 30, 2004

By	Eileen Rieback (Coral Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Taking (Hardcover)

When Molly Sloan awakens one night to the drumming of an oddly scented luminescent rain, she senses that something is off-kilter. The coyotes huddle frightened on her porch. She feels a disturbing presence moving past in the sky. When her husband Neil awakens with nightmares, the two of them watch news broadcasts about bizarre supernatural occurrences, shocking violence, and public panic that arise around the globe. It starts to look as if an alien invasion has begun. Then the power goes out. Molly and Neil join up with some of their neighbors, trying to identify what is happening and how to deal with the increasingly evil and omnipotent entity that appears to be taking over the planet. The townspeople splinter into factions, each with its own opinion on how to handle the crisis.

The story starts off with powerful mood-building imagery and with echoes of Koontz's "Strangers" and Stephen King's "The Stand" and "The Mist." Koontz then cranks up the suspense and horror as alien vegetation begins to invade the town, the residents are dispatched in gruesome and mysterious ways, and the dead come to life. Now the story segues into a Twilight Zone screenplay, as the supernatural and otherworldly occurrences increase. By the halfway point, Molly and Neil are now on a crusade to save the children at any cost, even though they wonder how anyone, adult or child, could survive this hellish new world order. When there are only 50 pages left to go in the story, I am wondering how Koontz could ever resolve the plot instead of leaving the reader hanging until a sequel. Then comes a disappointing ending that plays strongly on Koontz's increasing trend to use religion and hope in his books. Dogs feature prominently in this story, as they do in many of Koontz's books. However, the author's trademark sense of humor is conspicuously absent here.

To be fair, I give the first half of the book a five star rating for an excellent portrayal of a horrific and inexplicable entity gaining absolute control over the earth. I give the middle a three star rating as Molly assumes absurdly heroic proportions in the midst of Armageddon. The ending deserves one star as a cop-out and a disappointment. So how can I sum the book up? If you are a Koontz fan like me, you will want to read the book. The first half is a powerhouse of creepiness and it has a story line build-up that showcases the best of Koontz's storytelling abilities. But the second half will likely let you down, unless your favorite theme in Koontz's books is the transcendence of horror by uplifting spirituality.

Eileen Rieback

32 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars "Left Behind", the horror version., May 7, 2005

By	esanta "esanta" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Taking (Hardcover)

What happened to the Dean Koontz who wrote such captivating thrillers as Watchers, The Bad Place, Whispers? If like me you used to pick up his latest novel expecting to spend a good time with an exciting book, be warned: this novel is completely at odds from his former work.

His books used to be built around a solid, captivating story, and although they all contained some bits of what could be identified as right-wing rhetoric, one could easily pick them out and still thoroughly enjoy the book.

Koontz's favorite themes are still there: one must own a gun to be able to defend oneself, helpless children, supernaturally-gifted dogs, science has run amok by insisting on disregarding faith, the world is packed with evil criminals who get away with murder thanks to the inanity of our justice system and the stupidity of our lenient leaders.

But he's no longer pulling his punches and he's finally calling things the way he sees them (not a pretty sight). I was fascinated to find out his position about global warming (he claims most scientists think it's bogus, which will probably surprise "most scientists"), his love for guns and the overall right-wing, ultra-religious, intolerant tone of the novel.

And the story? Unfortunately, there's not much of that. Essentially, it's a horror version of "Left Behind". If you're looking for an original, gripping tale like Koontz used to write, don't bother. If you like moralistic, preachy doomsday stories and think Pat Robertson is a bleeding heart liberal, chances are you'll enjoy this book immensely.

Me, this dreck has cured me of buying Koontz's books on his name alone. Next time I'll read the reviews before I get suckered by this false advertising. Mr. Koontz, please do a favor to your old fans: if you plan on writing more books like these, use a cover similar to those of the "Left Behind" series. No hard feelings.