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The Monk
This is the softcover stated AVON FIRST Edition from NOVEMBER 1983. Both the c-o-o-l embossed cover and the book are in excellent condition. There are no rips, tears, markings, etc.---and the pages and binding are tight (see photo). ** All books listed as FIRST EDITIONS are stated by the publisher in words or number lines--or--only stated editions that include only the publisher and publication date. Check my feedback to see that I sell exactly as I describe. So bid now for this magnificent, impossible-to-find THRILLER COLLECTIBLE.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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86 people want to read
About the author
William H. Hallahan
19 books24 followersWilliam Henry Hallahan was an American writer, best known for his two occult novels, The Search for Joseph Tully and The Keeper of the Children.
Mr. Hallahan started in the advertising business and stayed in the business for most of his adult life, but in 1971 with the publication of his first novel, The Dead of Winter, he began a second career as a writer. Over the next seventeen years he would write eight novels. In the 1990's he switched from fiction to non-fiction.
Mr. Hallahan served in the United States Navy as a radio operator during World War II He is survived by his daughter and a brother. He passed away at the age of 92.
Mr. Hallahan started in the advertising business and stayed in the business for most of his adult life, but in 1971 with the publication of his first novel, The Dead of Winter, he began a second career as a writer. Over the next seventeen years he would write eight novels. In the 1990's he switched from fiction to non-fiction.
Mr. Hallahan served in the United States Navy as a radio operator during World War II He is survived by his daughter and a brother. He passed away at the age of 92.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 14, 2012
This was one of my very favorite supernatural thrillers in the 1980s, a time during which I read a lot of 'em, and its plot has remained with me. When I saw a copy come available on my library website I decided to reread it to see if my memory held up - it so often doesn't, you know? I'm happy to report that this was a fast-moving, well-plotted thriller with very good characters, and a bit of philosophizing, all in the right proportions, and I enjoyed it very much all over again.
Based upon the "War in Heaven" scenario, the major premise here is that Timothy, one of the fallen angels who repented and came back to God, has been sentenced for his disloyalty to roam the earth until he finds a human with a purple aura, a sign of true benevolence, and is forgiven for his sins by this person. He will then be able to return to Heaven, and Satan's Hell will no longer exist. Timothy wanders the earth as a Magus in the guise of a mendicant monk, with his large white mastiff, looking for a baby born with a purple aura, but so does Satan's minion, The Hawk. Sharp-eyed, she senses when such a child is to be born, and so far, after eons of time, she has always won - the babies are killed, often horribly. But Timothy keeps on searching, keeps on trying, even though the hawk keeps on winning.
A baby is finally born in extraordinary circumstances and manages to stay shielded from the hawk's gaze until his early twenties, when he is sent from the only life he's known into a kind of wilderness - a monastery in far northern New York state, for safekeeping. Forced to leave the family he loves and the young woman he'd hoped to marry, he is entirely unwilling to comply, but as his dreams and portents become more and more frightening, he realizes he must hide from the hawk and find Timothy. The last chapters recount his finally coming to terms with his legacy and gifts, and his fighting a demon sent to kill him.
The premise has been worked-over many times since this was written in the early 1980s, but The Monk is still one of the better versions. Fast paced, with very likable characters, and not too much heavy philosophising, it's still a fun, fast read.
Based upon the "War in Heaven" scenario, the major premise here is that Timothy, one of the fallen angels who repented and came back to God, has been sentenced for his disloyalty to roam the earth until he finds a human with a purple aura, a sign of true benevolence, and is forgiven for his sins by this person. He will then be able to return to Heaven, and Satan's Hell will no longer exist. Timothy wanders the earth as a Magus in the guise of a mendicant monk, with his large white mastiff, looking for a baby born with a purple aura, but so does Satan's minion, The Hawk. Sharp-eyed, she senses when such a child is to be born, and so far, after eons of time, she has always won - the babies are killed, often horribly. But Timothy keeps on searching, keeps on trying, even though the hawk keeps on winning.
A baby is finally born in extraordinary circumstances and manages to stay shielded from the hawk's gaze until his early twenties, when he is sent from the only life he's known into a kind of wilderness - a monastery in far northern New York state, for safekeeping. Forced to leave the family he loves and the young woman he'd hoped to marry, he is entirely unwilling to comply, but as his dreams and portents become more and more frightening, he realizes he must hide from the hawk and find Timothy. The last chapters recount his finally coming to terms with his legacy and gifts, and his fighting a demon sent to kill him.
The premise has been worked-over many times since this was written in the early 1980s, but The Monk is still one of the better versions. Fast paced, with very likable characters, and not too much heavy philosophising, it's still a fun, fast read.
November 9, 2011
This is another of my all-time favorite books. I read this over 20 years ago and then again a few years ago. I feel sad that there isn't any cover picture on file on Goodreads. I believe that you can probably find this book on eBay, but not anywhere else. If you can find it, get it and read it. The Delicate Dependency is another book I read around the same time and loved that book, too.
Not the same type of book, but also excellent, is The Alienist by Caleb Carr.
I really wish that readers would recommend similar books that they like, in their reviews.
Not the same type of book, but also excellent, is The Alienist by Caleb Carr.
I really wish that readers would recommend similar books that they like, in their reviews.
April 2, 2019
This is an excellent bit of escapism! A frightening tale that starts literally at the beginning of time. I found the fighting for supremacy among the angels in heaven and the story of what happened to Satan, Beelzebub, and all the fallen angels a great read. Not forgetting the eternal destiny of Timothy, for whom I felt a lot of compassion.
Once the story turns to the present time and the struggle for the life and the very soul of Brendan Davitt the journey is fast paced and exciting, Brendan is a very special young man but is his specialness a blessing or a curse for him and his loved ones. If only Brendan can meet with Timothy then their destiny will be fulfilled but it is going to be a rough ride and a long walk for Timothy and the hawk is ever present!
There are all sorts of creatures in this story from old legends and tales like the banshee to headless riders. This is a great fun read.
Thank you Anne my goodreads friend for the recommendation!
Once the story turns to the present time and the struggle for the life and the very soul of Brendan Davitt the journey is fast paced and exciting, Brendan is a very special young man but is his specialness a blessing or a curse for him and his loved ones. If only Brendan can meet with Timothy then their destiny will be fulfilled but it is going to be a rough ride and a long walk for Timothy and the hawk is ever present!
There are all sorts of creatures in this story from old legends and tales like the banshee to headless riders. This is a great fun read.
Thank you Anne my goodreads friend for the recommendation!
October 26, 2017
I read this at least twice while in school and loved it. I've been wanting to re-read it for ages and was lucky enough to find an electronic copy recently.
If the occult and fallen angles interest you, this is one of the better ones to read. There are no intricate angle love triangles :) but enough scary scenes to stay with you.
If the occult and fallen angles interest you, this is one of the better ones to read. There are no intricate angle love triangles :) but enough scary scenes to stay with you.
July 21, 2023
Though a little long winded at times with a weak ending, this was still a fun story.
October 11, 2012
Back in the day, I read this at least twice. The books that were good enough to be forever keepers are still in my bookcase, and this is among them. Sadly it's been too long for me to give a proper review, only that it was worth rereading.
For those following me on Goodreads, you'll see a lot of fives. That is not because I love everything I read. It's because I read a lot in my earlier years, long before the internet, and kept the fivers permanently. Anything that did not rate, I did not keep, and the memory is lost in history.
I've been going through my bookcase and for those that still stand out in my memory, I rate on Goodreads for you :-)
For those following me on Goodreads, you'll see a lot of fives. That is not because I love everything I read. It's because I read a lot in my earlier years, long before the internet, and kept the fivers permanently. Anything that did not rate, I did not keep, and the memory is lost in history.
I've been going through my bookcase and for those that still stand out in my memory, I rate on Goodreads for you :-)
March 11, 2018
Why this book does not have cult status, I will never know. The preface and epilogue alone is enough to make this memorable 20 years after I've read it. Unable to find it in local bookstores, I considered stealing it from the library, but someone beat me to it. Luckily, Amazon exists.
August 29, 2020
Read in 1983. Paranormal thriller of heaven and hell.
January 25, 2022
An entertaining read that was doomed to fall at the end.
March 18, 2023
I enjoyed this story of Heaven and Hell, good vs evil. It was a very quick read for me, very easy read. My favorite quote from one of the monks was “You can’t defer life by trying to live in the future. Today’s the day you have to live. It’s the nowness of life you have to accept.” Love that!
January 2, 2023
"- Widzicie przed sobą potęgę nienawiści - powiedział. I wyruszył sam do Edenu. Rozpoczął się bój między niebem a piekłem."
"Mnich" to opowieść o wiecznej tułaczce i walce aniołów z demonami. Anioł Tytmoteusz musi tułać się po świecie dopóki rasa ludzka mu nie wybaczy. Jednak jednostek zdolnych do takiego wybaczania rodzi się niewiele, w dodatku sokolica Szatana zawsze jest szybsza od anioła i zabija wszystkie dzieci z purpurową aurą zanim jeszcze zaczną mówić...
Nie do końca tego spodziewałam się po książce, ale finalny efekt wzbudził moją sympatię. Na wstępie przypomnę, że motyw aniołów i demonów jest jednym z moich ulubionych, nic więc dziwnego, że książka mnie wciągnęła 😅
Bardzo spodobało mi się specyficzne przedstawienie Szatana - historia jaka go spotkała pokazuje go jako tego najbardziej pokrzywdzonego przez Boga i anioły. To on jest tym zdradzonym i to jemu chcemy kibicować przez większość książki. Przerażający, aczkolwiek kapitalny zabieg rzucający nowe światło na nauki kościoła.
Przedłużeniem tej sztuczki jest nasze nastawienie do Tymoteusza. Ja na początku książki bardzo go nie lubiłam. Stopniowo jednak zyskiwał w moich oczach i pod koniec zaczęłam mu nawet kibicować. Bardzo lubię takie zmiany i ewolucję uczuć w książkach.
Było jednak parę rzeczy, które mnie irytowały. Na przykład przeskoki w czasie, które były nagłe i ciężko było się zorientować co się zmieniło i ile główny bohater ma teraz lat. Poza tym stanowczo brakowało tu horroru. Było to mroczne fantasy, ale zdecydowanie nie czułam tu grozy. A szkoda.
Zakończenie mnie zaskoczyło - było dziwne i niekonwencjonalne, pozostało otwarte, przez co można jedynie snuć domysły, co się wydarzyło i co będzie działo się dalej. Nie uważam tego jednak za minus - wszystko, co w książkach oryginalne zyskuje moje poparcie 😁
Ogólnie rzecz biorąc polecam książkę fanom tego motywu oraz gatunku. Jeśli szukacie grozy, próżno szukać 🙈 Ale jak chcecie poczytać o potyczkach Nieba i Piekła - zachęcam do lektury!
"Mnich" to opowieść o wiecznej tułaczce i walce aniołów z demonami. Anioł Tytmoteusz musi tułać się po świecie dopóki rasa ludzka mu nie wybaczy. Jednak jednostek zdolnych do takiego wybaczania rodzi się niewiele, w dodatku sokolica Szatana zawsze jest szybsza od anioła i zabija wszystkie dzieci z purpurową aurą zanim jeszcze zaczną mówić...
Nie do końca tego spodziewałam się po książce, ale finalny efekt wzbudził moją sympatię. Na wstępie przypomnę, że motyw aniołów i demonów jest jednym z moich ulubionych, nic więc dziwnego, że książka mnie wciągnęła 😅
Bardzo spodobało mi się specyficzne przedstawienie Szatana - historia jaka go spotkała pokazuje go jako tego najbardziej pokrzywdzonego przez Boga i anioły. To on jest tym zdradzonym i to jemu chcemy kibicować przez większość książki. Przerażający, aczkolwiek kapitalny zabieg rzucający nowe światło na nauki kościoła.
Przedłużeniem tej sztuczki jest nasze nastawienie do Tymoteusza. Ja na początku książki bardzo go nie lubiłam. Stopniowo jednak zyskiwał w moich oczach i pod koniec zaczęłam mu nawet kibicować. Bardzo lubię takie zmiany i ewolucję uczuć w książkach.
Było jednak parę rzeczy, które mnie irytowały. Na przykład przeskoki w czasie, które były nagłe i ciężko było się zorientować co się zmieniło i ile główny bohater ma teraz lat. Poza tym stanowczo brakowało tu horroru. Było to mroczne fantasy, ale zdecydowanie nie czułam tu grozy. A szkoda.
Zakończenie mnie zaskoczyło - było dziwne i niekonwencjonalne, pozostało otwarte, przez co można jedynie snuć domysły, co się wydarzyło i co będzie działo się dalej. Nie uważam tego jednak za minus - wszystko, co w książkach oryginalne zyskuje moje poparcie 😁
Ogólnie rzecz biorąc polecam książkę fanom tego motywu oraz gatunku. Jeśli szukacie grozy, próżno szukać 🙈 Ale jak chcecie poczytać o potyczkach Nieba i Piekła - zachęcam do lektury!
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August 13, 2017Postupně vytahuju knížky, které jsem před lety četl v polštině a tehdy si je nechal si. Něco je pořád dobré, u něčeho nedokážu pochopit, co se mi na tom tehdy mohlo líbit. Mnich patří do té druhé skupiny.
Tahle věc je inzerovaná jako horor, ale je to spíš krotký thriller, hra na schovávanou mezi andělem a satanem... přičemž Satan má k dispozici jednoho jediného pátracího sokola. Aby satan přežil, musí zabíjet děti, co mají purpurovou auru, čímž ho proklel Bůh. Fakt skvělé prokletí, myslím, že tenhle Bůh si na mimina moc nepotrpí. Asi hodně cestoval letadly a autobusy. Jinak se hrdina tak nějak pinoží, utíká před Satanem o kterém se mu maximálně zdá a nic se neděje. Satan ho tak nějak různě hledá a spíš je jako soukromé očko, než bad motherfucker... no, nebýt toho, že mniši, na které hrdina narazí, v rámci náboženských rozepří vyvolají zkušebně démona (což nemá absolutně žádnou spojitost s hlavním dějem), tak se v knize ani neobjeví nic hrozivého. Do toho ještě sledujeme hrdinovu dívku, která ho od patnácti let vroucně miluje (a on od ní utíká, protože je, ach tak prokletý), jak si jí namlouvá sympatický pracháč. Aha, říká si čtenář, ten pracháč bude Satan! Ne, je to obyčejný chlápek, kterému dá holka po nějaké čtvrt knize popisů namlouvání košem a vrátí se k hrdinovi.
Je to čitelné, to zase jo... a konflikt nebe a pekla je docela zajímavý - jenže z toho nic moc není, jen celkem laciná pointa. A to, že je v podstatě satan outsider. Je to jako by byl další díl Pátku 13, ve kterém by byl Jasoon Vorhees vozíčkář.
Tahle věc je inzerovaná jako horor, ale je to spíš krotký thriller, hra na schovávanou mezi andělem a satanem... přičemž Satan má k dispozici jednoho jediného pátracího sokola. Aby satan přežil, musí zabíjet děti, co mají purpurovou auru, čímž ho proklel Bůh. Fakt skvělé prokletí, myslím, že tenhle Bůh si na mimina moc nepotrpí. Asi hodně cestoval letadly a autobusy. Jinak se hrdina tak nějak pinoží, utíká před Satanem o kterém se mu maximálně zdá a nic se neděje. Satan ho tak nějak různě hledá a spíš je jako soukromé očko, než bad motherfucker... no, nebýt toho, že mniši, na které hrdina narazí, v rámci náboženských rozepří vyvolají zkušebně démona (což nemá absolutně žádnou spojitost s hlavním dějem), tak se v knize ani neobjeví nic hrozivého. Do toho ještě sledujeme hrdinovu dívku, která ho od patnácti let vroucně miluje (a on od ní utíká, protože je, ach tak prokletý), jak si jí namlouvá sympatický pracháč. Aha, říká si čtenář, ten pracháč bude Satan! Ne, je to obyčejný chlápek, kterému dá holka po nějaké čtvrt knize popisů namlouvání košem a vrátí se k hrdinovi.
Je to čitelné, to zase jo... a konflikt nebe a pekla je docela zajímavý - jenže z toho nic moc není, jen celkem laciná pointa. A to, že je v podstatě satan outsider. Je to jako by byl další díl Pátku 13, ve kterém by byl Jasoon Vorhees vozíčkář.
December 18, 2019
I read this at least three times when I was a teenager. I recall being absolutely terrified. To this day, I still have images from this book stuck in my head when I am alone at night.
I recently purchased this book again, and am intending to reread it soon. I hope that it is everything I remember it was!
I recently purchased this book again, and am intending to reread it soon. I hope that it is everything I remember it was!
June 3, 2020
I can't believe more people haven't read this book. I found it in my high school library at the recommendation of a friend. It's a different take on the age old heaven versus hell battle, and the ending is surprisingly profound.
July 9, 2014
Believe it or not, this book convinced me to be an author. I read it back in 1983 and I was REALLY hooked on the story, but I HATED the ending! My uncle had given it to me to read and afterwards we discussed it. I told him I LOVED the book but HATED the ending and he told me to write my own book...
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews