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Life Expectancy
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Of all bestselling authors, Koontz may be the most underestimated by the literary establishment. Book after book, year after year, this author climbs to the top of the charts. Why? His readers know: because he is a master storyteller and a daring writer, and because, in his novels, he gives readers bright hope in a dark world. His new book is an examplar of his extraordinary work. Suspense is difficult to sustain; suspense that's buoyed steadily by humor, even as it deals with the most desperate of circumstances, is nearly impossible—yet Koontz manages it here. As in last year's brilliant Odd Thomas, Koontz writes again in the first person, employing a cleaner, more instantly accessible line than in some of his other work (e.g., this year's The Taking). His narrator is Jimmy Tock, a pastry chef in a Colorado resort town. On the day he was born, Jimmy's dying grandfather predicted five future dates that would be terrible for Jimmy; he might have mentioned, but didn't, the birth day itself, which sees a mass slaying by a bitter, deranged circus clown in the hospital where Jimmy is born. The bulk of the narrative concerns the first terrible day, about 20 years later, when the vengeful son of that clown takes Jimmy and a lovely young woman, Lorrie Hicks, hostage in the local library, with an eye toward destroying the town; Jimmy and the woman live to marry, but will they and their family survive the four subsequent terrible days? Like most of Koontz's novels, this one pits good versus evil and carries a persuasive spiritual message, about the power of love and family and the miracle of existence. As such it deals with serious, perennial themes, yet with its steady drizzle of jokes and witty repartee, it does so with a lightness of touch that few other authors can match. Koontz is a true original and this novel, one of his most unusual yet, will leave readers aglow and be a major bestseller. If the literary establishment would only catch on to him, it might be an award-winner too.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Bookmarks Magazine
Critics found Life Expectancy somewhat, well, unexpected. From the master of horror, suspense, and SF comes a novel about love, family, and good versus evil, all wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy package. Sure, Koontz’s newest novel contains variations of the horror elements that define his previous works (The Taking, The Face), but his characters are so endearing that it’s hard to see how anything bad could happen to them. In fact, despite his grandfather’s prediction, Tommy’s five bad days turn out to be both a curse and a blessing. Reviewers found Koontz a great storyteller, despite a few overwritten parts, false cliffhangers, and hackneyed humor. Kudos to Koontz for taking risks in this bizarre, clever story.
Starred Review. Of all bestselling authors, Koontz may be the most underestimated by the literary establishment. Book after book, year after year, this author climbs to the top of the charts. Why? His readers know: because he is a master storyteller and a daring writer, and because, in his novels, he gives readers bright hope in a dark world. His new book is an examplar of his extraordinary work. Suspense is difficult to sustain; suspense that's buoyed steadily by humor, even as it deals with the most desperate of circumstances, is nearly impossible—yet Koontz manages it here. As in last year's brilliant Odd Thomas, Koontz writes again in the first person, employing a cleaner, more instantly accessible line than in some of his other work (e.g., this year's The Taking). His narrator is Jimmy Tock, a pastry chef in a Colorado resort town. On the day he was born, Jimmy's dying grandfather predicted five future dates that would be terrible for Jimmy; he might have mentioned, but didn't, the birth day itself, which sees a mass slaying by a bitter, deranged circus clown in the hospital where Jimmy is born. The bulk of the narrative concerns the first terrible day, about 20 years later, when the vengeful son of that clown takes Jimmy and a lovely young woman, Lorrie Hicks, hostage in the local library, with an eye toward destroying the town; Jimmy and the woman live to marry, but will they and their family survive the four subsequent terrible days? Like most of Koontz's novels, this one pits good versus evil and carries a persuasive spiritual message, about the power of love and family and the miracle of existence. As such it deals with serious, perennial themes, yet with its steady drizzle of jokes and witty repartee, it does so with a lightness of touch that few other authors can match. Koontz is a true original and this novel, one of his most unusual yet, will leave readers aglow and be a major bestseller. If the literary establishment would only catch on to him, it might be an award-winner too.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Bookmarks Magazine
Critics found Life Expectancy somewhat, well, unexpected. From the master of horror, suspense, and SF comes a novel about love, family, and good versus evil, all wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy package. Sure, Koontz’s newest novel contains variations of the horror elements that define his previous works (The Taking, The Face), but his characters are so endearing that it’s hard to see how anything bad could happen to them. In fact, despite his grandfather’s prediction, Tommy’s five bad days turn out to be both a curse and a blessing. Reviewers found Koontz a great storyteller, despite a few overwritten parts, false cliffhangers, and hackneyed humor. Kudos to Koontz for taking risks in this bizarre, clever story.
Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
See all Editorial Reviews
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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snow village, nameless maniac, five terrible days, cameo pendant, birthing bed Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Konrad Beezo, Hawksbill Road, Virgilio Vivacemente, Rudy Tock, Grandma Rowena, Porter Carson, Huey Foster, Grandpa Josef, Lorrie Lynn Hicks, Mello Melodeon, Jimmy Tock, Charlene Coleman, Nedra Lamm, Lionel Davis, Punchinello Beezo, Little Ned, Center Square Park, Snow Mansion, Natalie Beezo, Nurse Walters, Captain Fluffy, Harry Ramirez, Explorer Lorrie, Snow County Hospital, The Beagle Boys Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Surprise Me!
snow village, nameless maniac, five terrible days, cameo pendant, birthing bed Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Konrad Beezo, Hawksbill Road, Virgilio Vivacemente, Rudy Tock, Grandma Rowena, Porter Carson, Huey Foster, Grandpa Josef, Lorrie Lynn Hicks, Mello Melodeon, Jimmy Tock, Charlene Coleman, Nedra Lamm, Lionel Davis, Punchinello Beezo, Little Ned, Center Square Park, Snow Mansion, Natalie Beezo, Nurse Walters, Captain Fluffy, Harry Ramirez, Explorer Lorrie, Snow County Hospital, The Beagle Boys Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
2
books
cite this book:
- Prodigal Son (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, Book 1) by Dean Koontz in Front Matter (1), Front Matter (2), and Front Matter (3)
- XML For Dummies by Lucinda Dykes on page 280, and page 283
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Beta (What's this?)Life Expectancy
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Book. -TheDr
Created on Nov 26, 2005, last edited on Nov 26, 2005.
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