Watchers (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Dean Koontz (Author) "ON HIS THIRTY-SIXTH birthday, May 18, Travis Cornell rose at five o'clock in the morning..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Outsider, Van Dyne, Santa Barbara (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cross Lassie with E.T., add a touch of The Wolfen and a dash of The Godfather, and you get a sense of some of the ingredients in this supernatural thriller, which should move Koontz ( Strangers a notch closer to Stephen King's high-rent district. When Travis Cornell, Koontz's appealing hero, encounters a stray dog while hiking, he quickly realizes that the animal is most unusual and that something terrifying is stalking them both. The encounter with the dog is the beginning of a tightly woven plot involving genetic manipulation that has created two extraordinary animals; one is the dog, named Einstein, the other is a murderous hybrid called "The Outsider." Hunted down by both the government and a professional killer who has learned the secret of the animals, Travis, Einstein and Nora Devon, a lonely woman befriended by man and canine, attempt to escape their pursuers all the while knowing that a confrontation with The Outsider is inevitable. Though the climax packs a little less wallop than it deserves, this is the sort of thoroughly frightening and entertaining tale that has its readers listening for noises in the night. 100,000 first printing; 100,000 ad/promo; Liteary Guild main selection.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA A book that incorporates elements of both the horror tale and the action thriller, and the result is an intriguing and enjoyable novel. Watchers is a retelling of the Frankenstein theme with a twist: two creatures, quite different from each other, roam the land. Two animals who are unlike any other animals as a result of DNA research escape from a top-secret laboratory. One is divinely inspiring, engendering love and caring. The other is a hellish nightmare that leaves unspeakable slaughter in its wake. The two creatures and a supporting cast of charactersa government agent, a hired killer, a decent recluse, and a lonely womanare inevitably brought together in a climactic and satisfying showdown. While the plot developments occasionally seem a bit forcedthis is one book that could actually have profited by some extra lengththe shortcomings are minor. Watchers is a satisfying example of good storytelling. Karl Penny, Houston Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (April 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425107469
• ISBN-13: 978-0425107461
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (470 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #390,972 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dangerous! May Be Addictive!, September 13, 2002

By	sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is Dean Koontz at his finest. The man is first and foremost a storyteller par excellence, and "Watchers" reels you in just-like-that---zip! All of his favorite elements are in play: the hulking government-sponsored lab, the super dog, the pathetic monster, the burnt out protagonist and redemption. It may be a formula, but then so is the chef's masterpiece. When it's done right, it's a work of art. The dialogue is Koontzian stiff (the dog has the best lines), but with such strong characterizations, it is but of small moment.

Travis Connell is a man in bleak despair. He has lost everyone who meant anything to him and is convinced he is a jinx. With great serendipity he meets an extraordinary golden retriever and one of life's misfits, Nora Devon. The dog and Travis meet and mutually support one another in a wilderness area where something unknown is threatening them. They in turn meet the sheltered, totally repressed Nora and save her from a sexual predator who is insinuating himself into her life. The three are inexorably drawn to one another and each almost miraculously strengthens the others.

The story shifts among the trio, a workaholic NSA agent, and a particularly repellent professional hit man with a God complex. The hit man Vince is wonderfully rendered and, unfortunately for the reader, we understand all too well his skewed logic. Lemuel Johnson, the NSA agent, has too much personal baggage and sometimes retards the story. The golden retriever, subsequently named Einstein, is a perfect realization of a dog that has been genetically engineered for high intelligence. He thinks, he reasons, he communicates (no, he can't talk, thank God!), but he remains very much a dog with all the traits we human dog lovers treasure. Somehow the author keeps him from ever being cute or a circus wonder; he has dignity and gravitas.

This is a great, fast read that will leave you with something to think about and makes the reader face some moral ambiguities. Mr. Koontz flawlessly pushes all our buttons in this, possibly his best, novel.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best You Can Get, January 19, 2000

By	Donald Brickeen (Memphis) - See all my reviews

This is the first novel I ever read written by Koontz, and to this day I must confess that it is still my favorite. Indeed, it may very well be my favorite book of all time.

The strength of the story, of course, lies with "Einstein", and his interaction with the other characters in the story. I'm not a dog lover by any stretch of the imagination, but I fell for this dog deeply. Koontz does a brilliant job of describing Einstein's feelings (read the book and this statment will make more sense, I assure you), so as you begin to view the dog as a human. It happens so gradually through the novel that you don't even realize it till it's too late.

The main theme of this book is LOYALTY. Not just with Einstein and the other characters, but more so with the humans he comes into contact with. I'm not sure if Koontz is a dog lover or not, but he sure made one out of me!

I have read this book more times than I care to mention, and each time I am still filled with the same emotions at the same incerpts on the same pages...This novel is indeed THAT powerful. Regardless of whether you enjoy pets or not, do yourself a favor, and read this novel.

41 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Koontz, September 10, 2001

By	Brandon Massey (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

In WATCHERS, Dean Koontz weaves some of his most powerful, recurring themes into a story so compelling it demands to be read again--and again! Dangerous government experiments run amok; characters tortured by terrible childhoods and fears of losing those they love most; and the redemptive power of love and hope. These themes serve to give this novel an emotional punch that few thrillers can match these days.

Perhaps Koontz's greatest accomplishment with this novel is that the story succeeds on so many levels. Readers who appreciate finely-tuned phrases and scalpel-clean, lyrical prose can delight in the prowess of a master wordsmith. Other readers, seeking only a story that delivers an entertaining plot, will be riveted by the twists and turns and "Oh, My God" moments that this story delivers. Lastly, those readers who have followed Koontz's career for many years can read WATCHERS simply to appreciate the spectacular progression of this author's skill.

I've read WATCHERS many times, and every time, I pick up a technique that I can apply to my own suspense novels. Needless to say, this book has gained the "must read, then re-read" status on my personal reading list!