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Peter Straub, one of the great masters of the horror genre, here writes his first thriller—and in so doing sets a new standard for suspense.
In the simmering green jungle around the Vietnamese village of Ia Thue everything is as still as a tiger in the grass, and Lieutenant Harry Beevers' platoon is nothing but nerves attached to trigger fingers.
Later that same day Beevers will emerge from a cave in the village to be greeted by a pack of cameramen running from their helicopters, ready to scoop his haggard face and jittery eyes for the front covers of Time and Newsweek.
Even now, despite all the publicity, only a few people know what actually happened in the cave at la Thue. Peter Straub's Koko opens fifteen years later at a Vietnam reunion, when four vets from the platoon meet again, Beevers among them. The group might have been larger but Spitalny is absent, Dengler is dead. Tim Underhill, a moderately successful crime novelist, was last heard of going to seed somewhere in Singapore.
The four men have been brought together by a series of grisly murders being committed throughout Asia. The killer's signature—a regimental playing card with the name Koko scrawled across it—carries an awesome significance for them: they realize, with a horrible certainty, another member of their platoon, a friend to them all, must be the killer. So they agree to head for Asia, not to catch him but to save him.
No description can do full justice to the brilliance, complexity, pace, and acute characterization of this book. From the fields of Vietnam to the neon bars and brothels of Singapore and Bangkok and a terrifying dénouement in New York's Chinatown, Peter Straub's novel grips with the adrenalin-pumping power of a first-rate thriller.
In the simmering green jungle around the Vietnamese village of Ia Thue everything is as still as a tiger in the grass, and Lieutenant Harry Beevers' platoon is nothing but nerves attached to trigger fingers.
Later that same day Beevers will emerge from a cave in the village to be greeted by a pack of cameramen running from their helicopters, ready to scoop his haggard face and jittery eyes for the front covers of Time and Newsweek.
Even now, despite all the publicity, only a few people know what actually happened in the cave at la Thue. Peter Straub's Koko opens fifteen years later at a Vietnam reunion, when four vets from the platoon meet again, Beevers among them. The group might have been larger but Spitalny is absent, Dengler is dead. Tim Underhill, a moderately successful crime novelist, was last heard of going to seed somewhere in Singapore.
The four men have been brought together by a series of grisly murders being committed throughout Asia. The killer's signature—a regimental playing card with the name Koko scrawled across it—carries an awesome significance for them: they realize, with a horrible certainty, another member of their platoon, a friend to them all, must be the killer. So they agree to head for Asia, not to catch him but to save him.
No description can do full justice to the brilliance, complexity, pace, and acute characterization of this book. From the fields of Vietnam to the neon bars and brothels of Singapore and Bangkok and a terrifying dénouement in New York's Chinatown, Peter Straub's novel grips with the adrenalin-pumping power of a first-rate thriller.
562 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
543 people are currently reading
12063 people want to read
About the author
Peter Straub
260 books4,194 followersPeter Straub was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Gordon Anthony Straub and Elvena (Nilsestuen) Straub.
Straub read voraciously from an early age, but his literary interests did not please his parents; his father hoped that he would grow up to be a professional athlete, while his mother wanted him to be a Lutheran minister. He attended Milwaukee Country Day School on a scholarship, and, during his time there, began writing.
Straub earned an honors BA in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1965, and an MA at Columbia University a year later. He briefly taught English at Milwaukee Country Day, then moved to Dublin, Ireland, in 1969 to work on a PhD, and to start writing professionally
After mixed success with two attempts at literary mainstream novels in the mid-1970s ("Marriages" and "Under Venus"), Straub dabbled in the supernatural for the first time with "Julia" (1975). He then wrote "If You Could See Me Now" (1977), and came to widespread public attention with his fifth novel, "Ghost Story" (1979), which was a critical success and was later adapted into a 1981 film. Several horror novels followed, with growing success, including "The Talisman" and "Black House", two fantasy-horror collaborations with Straub's long-time friend and fellow author Stephen King.
In addition to his many novels, he published several works of poetry during his lifetime.
In 1966, Straub married Susan Bitker.They had two children; their daughter, Emma Straub, is also a novelist. The family lived in Dublin from 1969 to 1972, in London from 1972 to 1979, and in the New York City area from 1979 onwards.
Straub died on September 4, 2022, aged 79, from complications of a broken hip. At the time of his death, he and his wife lived in Brooklyn (New York City).
Straub read voraciously from an early age, but his literary interests did not please his parents; his father hoped that he would grow up to be a professional athlete, while his mother wanted him to be a Lutheran minister. He attended Milwaukee Country Day School on a scholarship, and, during his time there, began writing.
Straub earned an honors BA in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1965, and an MA at Columbia University a year later. He briefly taught English at Milwaukee Country Day, then moved to Dublin, Ireland, in 1969 to work on a PhD, and to start writing professionally
After mixed success with two attempts at literary mainstream novels in the mid-1970s ("Marriages" and "Under Venus"), Straub dabbled in the supernatural for the first time with "Julia" (1975). He then wrote "If You Could See Me Now" (1977), and came to widespread public attention with his fifth novel, "Ghost Story" (1979), which was a critical success and was later adapted into a 1981 film. Several horror novels followed, with growing success, including "The Talisman" and "Black House", two fantasy-horror collaborations with Straub's long-time friend and fellow author Stephen King.
In addition to his many novels, he published several works of poetry during his lifetime.
In 1966, Straub married Susan Bitker.They had two children; their daughter, Emma Straub, is also a novelist. The family lived in Dublin from 1969 to 1972, in London from 1972 to 1979, and in the New York City area from 1979 onwards.
Straub died on September 4, 2022, aged 79, from complications of a broken hip. At the time of his death, he and his wife lived in Brooklyn (New York City).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 486 reviews
December 27, 2010
Koko is a lenghty tome. My paperback copy spans 640 pages and promises great things - a haunting nightmare of four Vietnam veterans, reunited 15 years after the war, thrust back into the horrors of the war when they learn about a chain of murders comitted in Southeast Asia - the murderer always leaves a playing card with the word "Koko" scribbled on it. The word has eerie connotations for the four men - they believe that a former member of their platoon is behind the murders.
After Floating Dragon and The Talisman, Peter Straub wanted to try his strenghts in a different field. He worked four years on Koko, and in many interviews names it as his strongest work. He fooled those who were expecting a supernatural tale like his two previous novels; there is little (if any) of supernatural in Koko, but there's plenty of ghosts. The scariest thing is that they are all alive.
Koko is a long, complex novel where the travel is most important, not the resolution; it's most definitely not an easy thriller or a simple mystery. It's a tale of a group of men who travelled to hell and returned with their own personal devils. And when their past calls them back, they decide to take action, and pursue the killer: through Signapore and Taipei to Milwaukee and New York City. Peter Straub in one of the interviews said that Koko was his best writing experience, where he entered a flow state in which he was with his characters and discovered that he wrote whole pages without thinking about writing them. It shows; Koko presents a world so complex and real that the reader feels like he was living in it. It does tend to wander from time to time, but doesn't life? Koko is full of real emotions, poignancy, sadness and ambiguity. Pumo, Spitalny, Beevers, Linklater, Underhill are all real people who will stay with you, and Koko is the ghost that haunts them all. These are some of the most realistic and memorable character I've ever encountered in fiction. The narrative is rich, long, detailed, satysfying and haunting, and will stay with the reader for a long time. It stayed with me.
Peter Straub has achieved something extraordinary in Koko; when he says that this is his strongest work, a favorite, he has his reasons. A long, complex journey to the heart of darkness that is not really about who - it's about why. A rare gem, worth multiple readings.
After Floating Dragon and The Talisman, Peter Straub wanted to try his strenghts in a different field. He worked four years on Koko, and in many interviews names it as his strongest work. He fooled those who were expecting a supernatural tale like his two previous novels; there is little (if any) of supernatural in Koko, but there's plenty of ghosts. The scariest thing is that they are all alive.
Koko is a long, complex novel where the travel is most important, not the resolution; it's most definitely not an easy thriller or a simple mystery. It's a tale of a group of men who travelled to hell and returned with their own personal devils. And when their past calls them back, they decide to take action, and pursue the killer: through Signapore and Taipei to Milwaukee and New York City. Peter Straub in one of the interviews said that Koko was his best writing experience, where he entered a flow state in which he was with his characters and discovered that he wrote whole pages without thinking about writing them. It shows; Koko presents a world so complex and real that the reader feels like he was living in it. It does tend to wander from time to time, but doesn't life? Koko is full of real emotions, poignancy, sadness and ambiguity. Pumo, Spitalny, Beevers, Linklater, Underhill are all real people who will stay with you, and Koko is the ghost that haunts them all. These are some of the most realistic and memorable character I've ever encountered in fiction. The narrative is rich, long, detailed, satysfying and haunting, and will stay with the reader for a long time. It stayed with me.
Peter Straub has achieved something extraordinary in Koko; when he says that this is his strongest work, a favorite, he has his reasons. A long, complex journey to the heart of darkness that is not really about who - it's about why. A rare gem, worth multiple readings.
September 21, 2021
"Yeah, some folks inherit star-spangled eyes
They send you down to war
And when you ask 'em, "How much should we give?"
They only answer, "More, more, more"
Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Thanks again to Corey Woodcock for another stellar recommendation with Peter Straub's Koko. My second foray into this authors collection and I continue to be blown away by the quality of his writing. So I've let the cat out the bag there by letting you know early that this is going to be a positive review. But let me say that this author isn't for everyone. Question is...is he the author for you?
"Life doesn't make sense, he thought, the world doesn't make sense, everything is only a terrible joke. Death was the great secret at the bottom of the joke, and demons watched the world and capered and laughed."
Looking at the reviews on here the main criticism of Straub is that he's too long winded, that he meanders about and that his books aren't action packed enough. If you're looking for a goretastic, fast paced thrill-ride you're not going to get it. His books are psychological, with a great deal of craft invested in building tension and dread with subtle technique. But if you have the patience then you reap the rewards and what you're getting is a very literary experience that is sadly lacking in the horror genre.
The story itself centres around four men, Vietnam vets who served together, who are meeting at the unveiling of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. We have Michael Poole, Tina Pumo, Conor Linklater and Harry Beevers, who was their lieutenant in the war. It seems that there is a recent string of murders that may be related to their time in Vietnam, that are connected by the calling card, a playing card placed in the victims' mouths with the word KOKO scrawled on it.
"Again Poole knew that no matter what he might hear in this room, he was alone with Koko, and the rest of the world was on the opposite side of a river no man could cross alive."
The set up is excellent and sees our central characters set out on an international Search to uncover the truth behind the murders and takes them to some very dark places. The writing is sometimes intense and visceral, sometimes surreal and dreamlike, as Straub places clues as to the identity of the killer while leaving things unclear and creating an unsettling feeling of doubt in the reader. It's a story that really gets inside your head and challenges you as a reader. I'm personally someone who loves that kind of challenge.
Straub's character work in this one is also straight out the top draw. All are fleshed out and fully rendered, haunted by their experiences in Vietnam yet still keeping themselves together. We see these events in flashbacks which form some of the most intense and enjoyable parts of the book. Brilliantly written with fantastic description and detail as we get a real feel for what fighting in that climate was really like. It's reminiscent of Stephen King's Billy Summers in the way the narrative transitions between the past and present in such an excellent fashion.
"Ordinary people thought you could see violence. They thought you could avoid it by not looking at it. But violence was not action. Above all violence was a feeling. It was the icy envelope around all the business of blows and knives and guns."
The only criticism I could find is that you could argue the book is somewhat overwritten. It's six hundred pages plus. It's the reason I was contemplating giving this one a 4.5. But when you enjoy the writing as much as I do, it's not a massive issue. So this is a very personal five star as it's my type of book, but it might not be for everyone.
So, if you've not experienced Straub I'd definitely give him a try. Koko would be an excellent place to start but my personal favourite still has to be Ghost Story. That one is simply amazing. But two down and two big hits from the man who gets nowhere near enough coverage in the horror/thriller category. Will this review change that. Definitely not. But if it can persuade one person to take the dip, that's enough for me. Peace!
Peter Straub
March 5, 2015
It has been at least a decade since I last tried to read this book, which I had attempted before on two previous occasions. And I knew how far I had gotten each time, if not by some whiff of remembering; then at least by the markers I had placed where I had stopped each time. It was the pure principal of the thing that fuelled my surpassing both those afore laid markers, not the prose or the characters or the story. If memory serves me correctly I bought this book based solely on my experience of reading The Talisman. Having never read another Straub book I was none the less persuaded to give him, independent of King, a try. It is a hard cover first edition that graces my shelves.
And I hate putting down a book before having turned the last page. Having done so twice before did not make it any more palatable I can assure you. So why then?
Here we go:
The prose felt fractured. I had a difficult time following it and understanding the meaning behind the words. It is not like I need the author to hold my hand or explain every little thing, in fact that usually puts me off. No this was more like a giant jigsaw puzzle put together wrong, even though the pieces still seemed to fit as though the edges were malleable. I found myself going back and rereading passages and not for pleasure, just trying to find a path.
The characters, okay I am just going to say it. They all felt alike to me. Sure, there were four different Vietnam vets that reunited in Washington but to me they all read like different versions of the same man, each individually cloaked or tricked out in some other fashion, they all seemed like revenants of a common host.
The story held great potential. I thought I could see quite clearly how it might all play out. Who knows maybe I did. But in the end, at least my end if not Straub’s; I was not prepared to invest in another 400 plus pages to find out.
Straub is a prolific writer, whom my comfort food King, chose to co-author two books with. This is most likely my failure and not the authors.
And I hate putting down a book before having turned the last page. Having done so twice before did not make it any more palatable I can assure you. So why then?
Here we go:
The prose felt fractured. I had a difficult time following it and understanding the meaning behind the words. It is not like I need the author to hold my hand or explain every little thing, in fact that usually puts me off. No this was more like a giant jigsaw puzzle put together wrong, even though the pieces still seemed to fit as though the edges were malleable. I found myself going back and rereading passages and not for pleasure, just trying to find a path.
The characters, okay I am just going to say it. They all felt alike to me. Sure, there were four different Vietnam vets that reunited in Washington but to me they all read like different versions of the same man, each individually cloaked or tricked out in some other fashion, they all seemed like revenants of a common host.
The story held great potential. I thought I could see quite clearly how it might all play out. Who knows maybe I did. But in the end, at least my end if not Straub’s; I was not prepared to invest in another 400 plus pages to find out.
Straub is a prolific writer, whom my comfort food King, chose to co-author two books with. This is most likely my failure and not the authors.
April 17, 2017
If you’ve thought about reading Koko, then Be Like Mike and Just Do It. Stephen King fans may appreciate this book, and know about the connection with his friend, Peter Straub. These two guys are like bookends in the horror genre. At times, they even have a similar way of writing. But Koko is its own thing. It’s not like Straub’s earlier book Ghost Story (saw the movie – have yet to read the book). To me, that was horror. Koko has horrific acts – psychopathic killer, atrocities committed in war. But mostly Koko is a mystery, a character study, and a weird psychedelic trip inside a killer’s mind.
Straub’s plotting continuously alternates between the straightforward and the confusing. I’d like to think this is deliberate and that Straub is toying with the reader. Otherwise, how could he manage to keep us interested and guessing throughout one 550 page book, let alone three? Oh and if you didn’t know (like me), Koko is the first of three books in the Blue Rose trilogy.
So just let me say that I liked it. If there’s a problem, it’s how the story meandered. At times I became a little vexed. Who are you Koko?! Four American veterans of the Vietnam War believe they know who he is and just where to find him. Yeah, not so easy guys. I realized at some point that I was the cat in this cat-and-mouse game with Straub continually pull the rug out from under me. But I continued to guess. That’s half the fun of reading, so I’m more than willing to be the cat when the story is a decent one.
A thanks to my EC buddies. This one took us awhile, but as always the group read experience makes for a better read.
Straub’s plotting continuously alternates between the straightforward and the confusing. I’d like to think this is deliberate and that Straub is toying with the reader. Otherwise, how could he manage to keep us interested and guessing throughout one 550 page book, let alone three? Oh and if you didn’t know (like me), Koko is the first of three books in the Blue Rose trilogy.
So just let me say that I liked it. If there’s a problem, it’s how the story meandered. At times I became a little vexed. Who are you Koko?! Four American veterans of the Vietnam War believe they know who he is and just where to find him. Yeah, not so easy guys. I realized at some point that I was the cat in this cat-and-mouse game with Straub continually pull the rug out from under me. But I continued to guess. That’s half the fun of reading, so I’m more than willing to be the cat when the story is a decent one.
A thanks to my EC buddies. This one took us awhile, but as always the group read experience makes for a better read.
July 12, 2018
the atmosphere of degradation, regret, self-loathing, and impending doom was pervasive and absorbing. the author shows a sure hand with characterization and a steady one with narrative. the identity of the killer was unsurprising but well-conceived. and either as an extended metaphor for What We Did Wrong in Vietnam or as an ominous tract on the depths that some men can sink in their hunger for self-destruction, Koko certainly succeeds.
March 12, 2013
Tricksy Review
Where to start? An uneasy read, this.
There is real madness to be found here. A brooding, heady insanity.
Koko, the novel, is a disjointed, psychological, somewhat confusing affair. Why then is it such a good read? Well, because that is also the best way to describe half the characters in this piece of work. There is certainly method to the madness here. And Koko himself? He's certainly a disturbed man… and it rubs off.
This book is not a quick read, it's everything but, and when I finished the last page I felt a bit drained. The 'horror' element in this book is almost exclusively psychological, and it wasn’t quite as visceral an experience as I had imagined it would be, considering the subject matter. Approaching Koko correctly is fundamental in enjoying it, I would think. The book obviously contains some violence, the two main contributing factors being: (1) the actions of the serial killer (Koko) and (2) flashbacks to events that occurred during the Vietnam War. The story, however, concerns itself with a mystery: who is Koko really and why is he doing what he is doing?
There is an underlying, pervading menace in this novel and perhaps that's why it was so hard to put down. In an interview with Peter Straub, posted on Youtube, he states that Koko was his best writing experience. It shows. Only an author writing with great confidence could have pulled this one off. It's a really creepy work on many, many different levels. Four stars.
Straub is sometimes so difficult to categorise it boggles the mind, but if something like psychological-horror-thriller-mystery-cult-novel rings your bell, go for it!
Koko is the first in a trilogy of loosely connected novels, followed by Mystery and The Throat.
Where to start? An uneasy read, this.
There is real madness to be found here. A brooding, heady insanity.
Koko, the novel, is a disjointed, psychological, somewhat confusing affair. Why then is it such a good read? Well, because that is also the best way to describe half the characters in this piece of work. There is certainly method to the madness here. And Koko himself? He's certainly a disturbed man… and it rubs off.
This book is not a quick read, it's everything but, and when I finished the last page I felt a bit drained. The 'horror' element in this book is almost exclusively psychological, and it wasn’t quite as visceral an experience as I had imagined it would be, considering the subject matter. Approaching Koko correctly is fundamental in enjoying it, I would think. The book obviously contains some violence, the two main contributing factors being: (1) the actions of the serial killer (Koko) and (2) flashbacks to events that occurred during the Vietnam War. The story, however, concerns itself with a mystery: who is Koko really and why is he doing what he is doing?
There is an underlying, pervading menace in this novel and perhaps that's why it was so hard to put down. In an interview with Peter Straub, posted on Youtube, he states that Koko was his best writing experience. It shows. Only an author writing with great confidence could have pulled this one off. It's a really creepy work on many, many different levels. Four stars.
Straub is sometimes so difficult to categorise it boggles the mind, but if something like psychological-horror-thriller-mystery-cult-novel rings your bell, go for it!
Koko is the first in a trilogy of loosely connected novels, followed by Mystery and The Throat.
August 25, 2021
This will likely be a long review, so I apologize in advance-there is so much to touch on here though, and I will keep it spoiler free as this really is something to be experienced, and experienced as cold as possible. There’s so much to be said about Peter Straub-his writing style, his characters, his thematic approach and most importantly, the psychology of his books, both of and in; (plot is often nearly irrelevant) but trying to arrange them into something with any coherence, by someone without an English degree and considerably less intelligence than Peter (like myself), is a titanic task. This guy came right out of the gate in 1973 writing seriously heavy duty books, and this one could be his most complex. Many or most of the “Straubian” techniques that some readers find frustrating are here—deliberate ambiguity, seemingly important plot points mentioned in an offhand way, twists and turns that keep your imagination working overtime and plenty more. Nonetheless, this book could be the most fascinating of them all.
Now that I got the obligatory “I’m an idiot” introduction out of the way, let’s start at the beginning—the beginning of this book is a masterclass in setting up a novel, and is relatively straightforward. The introduction of these characters is perfectly executed-I cannot say that enough. In the first few chapters, Straub manages to seamlessly introduce us to the four main characters; four Vietnam vets, and he shows us their camaraderie and history together, gives us an idea of how the war has affected all of them differently, all while planting the seeds of the central mystery of the book and setting up the themes that run through not only this book, but the rest of the series. And, it all starts at the dedication ceremony of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC and proceeds to take us all around the world.
”…this isn’t just hell, this is worse than hell—in hell you’re dead and in this hell we still have to wait for other people to kill us…”
The descriptions of attempting to fight a war in the jungle are brutal-physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. Straub addresses all of this, from describing feeling the leeches attach themselves to your thighs, blowing mosquitos out of your nose, etc., to the mind games of fighting a guerrilla war as a teenager. The central mystery of this novel revolves around something that happened in Vietnam when the main characters were serving together, so making their experience believable is important. It’s dark, brutal and upsetting-but despite that, it is up to the reader to decide how many things really went down.
“He had never left Vietnam. Everything since had been only a nineteen-year-old's wishful dream.”
One heavy theme here is duality; we explore multiple sides of the characters in this book, and are therefore nudged to examine this in our own lives. Who were these characters in Vietnam, and are they the same people today? How did this traumatic experience they all went through together affect the rest of their lives? Or more precisely—deep down, everything that has happened to a person never stops happening. These questions can be looked at individually with the characters as well, and you may find different answers and how they all lead us back to Koko.
”Same name…but oh, so different…”
This is the novel Straub claims to have achieved the goal of every writer; becoming so immersed in the world you’ve created while writing, that you’ve entered a flow state; and can basically look around and see what you’re writing. He says he wasn’t sure he believed in such a thing before writing this book, and is happy to have experienced it once.
It shows.
Straub put a lot into this book, and I think there’s a lot to be taken from it. The prose is some of his best, which is really saying something. The terrifying dream-like imagery is as disturbing as anything in his horror novels, and the plot itself is only the surface of what is here. This book is so many things, and is likely to be very different for different people; it is the real raw taste of introspective fiction. It’s a journey into the Heart of Darkness to root out a psychopath, whether it’s the sweltering and overwhelming circus-scape encountered in Singapore and Bangkok, the concrete jungles and freak shows of New York City, or the frigid, almost Arctic nightmare winter-scape of Wisconsin. Not everyone will like it, but I believe it to be completely worth your time. 5/5
Now that I got the obligatory “I’m an idiot” introduction out of the way, let’s start at the beginning—the beginning of this book is a masterclass in setting up a novel, and is relatively straightforward. The introduction of these characters is perfectly executed-I cannot say that enough. In the first few chapters, Straub manages to seamlessly introduce us to the four main characters; four Vietnam vets, and he shows us their camaraderie and history together, gives us an idea of how the war has affected all of them differently, all while planting the seeds of the central mystery of the book and setting up the themes that run through not only this book, but the rest of the series. And, it all starts at the dedication ceremony of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC and proceeds to take us all around the world.
”…this isn’t just hell, this is worse than hell—in hell you’re dead and in this hell we still have to wait for other people to kill us…”
The descriptions of attempting to fight a war in the jungle are brutal-physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. Straub addresses all of this, from describing feeling the leeches attach themselves to your thighs, blowing mosquitos out of your nose, etc., to the mind games of fighting a guerrilla war as a teenager. The central mystery of this novel revolves around something that happened in Vietnam when the main characters were serving together, so making their experience believable is important. It’s dark, brutal and upsetting-but despite that, it is up to the reader to decide how many things really went down.
“He had never left Vietnam. Everything since had been only a nineteen-year-old's wishful dream.”
One heavy theme here is duality; we explore multiple sides of the characters in this book, and are therefore nudged to examine this in our own lives. Who were these characters in Vietnam, and are they the same people today? How did this traumatic experience they all went through together affect the rest of their lives? Or more precisely—deep down, everything that has happened to a person never stops happening. These questions can be looked at individually with the characters as well, and you may find different answers and how they all lead us back to Koko.
”Same name…but oh, so different…”
This is the novel Straub claims to have achieved the goal of every writer; becoming so immersed in the world you’ve created while writing, that you’ve entered a flow state; and can basically look around and see what you’re writing. He says he wasn’t sure he believed in such a thing before writing this book, and is happy to have experienced it once.
It shows.
Straub put a lot into this book, and I think there’s a lot to be taken from it. The prose is some of his best, which is really saying something. The terrifying dream-like imagery is as disturbing as anything in his horror novels, and the plot itself is only the surface of what is here. This book is so many things, and is likely to be very different for different people; it is the real raw taste of introspective fiction. It’s a journey into the Heart of Darkness to root out a psychopath, whether it’s the sweltering and overwhelming circus-scape encountered in Singapore and Bangkok, the concrete jungles and freak shows of New York City, or the frigid, almost Arctic nightmare winter-scape of Wisconsin. Not everyone will like it, but I believe it to be completely worth your time. 5/5
May 11, 2018
This is the epitome of mystery/thriller writing, penned by a master of literary fiction at the height of his powers.
Four men, bonded by the horrors of war, reunite to hunt one of their own, when a series of brutal killings a world away leads them back into their shared pasts, to face the specter that haunts them all.....KOKO.
A dense, complex book that showcases all of Straub's impressive skills as a wordsmith, disassembling and recreating the world around the reader, word by word, sentence by sentence, drawing you into a time and place that becomes your new reality, populated by characters that earn your empathy and apathy simply by being purely, imperfectly human.
The first book in the epic Blue Rose trilogy, whether you choose to continue the journey or not, this is a must-read for anyone who loves thought provoking, immersive fiction that lingers in your memory for the rest of your life.
Highest possible recommendation
Four men, bonded by the horrors of war, reunite to hunt one of their own, when a series of brutal killings a world away leads them back into their shared pasts, to face the specter that haunts them all.....KOKO.
A dense, complex book that showcases all of Straub's impressive skills as a wordsmith, disassembling and recreating the world around the reader, word by word, sentence by sentence, drawing you into a time and place that becomes your new reality, populated by characters that earn your empathy and apathy simply by being purely, imperfectly human.
The first book in the epic Blue Rose trilogy, whether you choose to continue the journey or not, this is a must-read for anyone who loves thought provoking, immersive fiction that lingers in your memory for the rest of your life.
Highest possible recommendation
December 1, 2022
Koko has all the things I really like with Straub, but also all things that never made his work 'must reads' for me. Often billed as a horror novel, this is a straight up mystery thriller that delves deep into the wounded psych of traumatized vets from Vietnam, and the reason for their trauma. It starts with several members from a platoon gathering in D.C. on Veterans Day to see the Vietnam Memorial, along with thousands of others. Our lead, Michael Poole, is now a 'baby doctor' in NYC, and the other surviving members are now a lawyer, a carpenter, and a restaurant owner. Once they are all there, the former lieutenant Beevers informs them that several people have been killed in Asia recently, leaving the victims with a 'tell tale' that goes back to the war days, and suspects that another member of the old platoon is doing the killings. Beevers wants to go back to Asia and find the guy, and manages to convince most of the group to follow along...
I really do not want to go into the plot as this is a mystery thriller after all, so I will just post my reflections here on the novel. Straub had a gift for deep characterization to be sure, and that quality is shown here in spades. All of the vets have some sort of PTSD, resulting in failed/failing marriages and troubled relationships. Straub carefully builds via orts and scraps the events in a small village that lead to a court marshal of the lieutenant (think Mai Lai), and although he was acquitted, he loved the limelight and wants it again. Trying to find meaning in life after their experiences haunts the text, as they all struggle in their current lives.
Straub, however, also has a tendency to try to make his works 'epic' or perhaps literary would be the best word here, and that has always rubbed me a bit wrong. Here, the existential musings on life and trying to find meaning after their collective and individual trauma really constitute the heart of this novel and I found it overblown. That is not to say I have no sympathy for the characters, but Straub goes to extremes here. Most are from either broken homes or at least unpleasant ones, and their childhood trauma is only exacerbated by their experiences in Vietnam. I you like this stuff, you will love this, but Straub foregoes subtly here and being hit over the head over and over gets unpleasant after a while.
Finally, while this is a mystery thriller, the mystery is pretty shallow, and the thriller aspect comes largely from the extreme flesh pots in Asia. I respect Straub, and can see why people really love the guy, but I often find reading his work is more of a chore than anything else. YMMV! 3 limp stars.
I really do not want to go into the plot as this is a mystery thriller after all, so I will just post my reflections here on the novel. Straub had a gift for deep characterization to be sure, and that quality is shown here in spades. All of the vets have some sort of PTSD, resulting in failed/failing marriages and troubled relationships. Straub carefully builds via orts and scraps the events in a small village that lead to a court marshal of the lieutenant (think Mai Lai), and although he was acquitted, he loved the limelight and wants it again. Trying to find meaning in life after their experiences haunts the text, as they all struggle in their current lives.
Straub, however, also has a tendency to try to make his works 'epic' or perhaps literary would be the best word here, and that has always rubbed me a bit wrong. Here, the existential musings on life and trying to find meaning after their collective and individual trauma really constitute the heart of this novel and I found it overblown. That is not to say I have no sympathy for the characters, but Straub goes to extremes here. Most are from either broken homes or at least unpleasant ones, and their childhood trauma is only exacerbated by their experiences in Vietnam. I you like this stuff, you will love this, but Straub foregoes subtly here and being hit over the head over and over gets unpleasant after a while.
Finally, while this is a mystery thriller, the mystery is pretty shallow, and the thriller aspect comes largely from the extreme flesh pots in Asia. I respect Straub, and can see why people really love the guy, but I often find reading his work is more of a chore than anything else. YMMV! 3 limp stars.
October 4, 2021
I may put this on my horror bookshelf, but in point of fact, it's a straight thriller in the mid-eighties extra page-count kind of way that lets us delve deep into the tortured psyches of a band of men, Vietnam vets, who get embroiled in the machinations of a serial killer -- or indeed, one of their own.
Straub has a great grasp on characterizations and the meandering plot has a lot in common with all of the epic horror novels of the '80s that always came in big thick books. That being said, you must either love these guys or the book might be a slog.
In my case, I had a great time revisiting the horrors of the past, the drunken PTSD of the present, the thrill of the hunt, and plenty of twists and turns to always keep me guessing. From setting up kill boxes to plain ole investigation to taking trips down memory lane to pry some of those cold dead clues from your own experiences, it always kept me interested.
If I were to compare this to modern thriller-type novels, I'd first point out that the newer kinds would have cut this novel in half. But to me, I think it's doing the tale a disservice. I MISS epic long horrors and thrillers that lead us gently into caring for our cast before serving them up on a bloody platter.
That being said, I feel kinda bad that I never went on to read any of Straub's other works other than the collaboration he did with Stephen King. BUT, I can definitely see why the two of them were able to pull off the collaboration. There is a great deal of respect and there are a lot of similarities between the two.
For anyone on the fence about this, I do want to say it's a really good novel, but it is rather dependent on whether you click with the characters. I got lucky, and I had a great time, but mileage might vary.
Straub has a great grasp on characterizations and the meandering plot has a lot in common with all of the epic horror novels of the '80s that always came in big thick books. That being said, you must either love these guys or the book might be a slog.
In my case, I had a great time revisiting the horrors of the past, the drunken PTSD of the present, the thrill of the hunt, and plenty of twists and turns to always keep me guessing. From setting up kill boxes to plain ole investigation to taking trips down memory lane to pry some of those cold dead clues from your own experiences, it always kept me interested.
If I were to compare this to modern thriller-type novels, I'd first point out that the newer kinds would have cut this novel in half. But to me, I think it's doing the tale a disservice. I MISS epic long horrors and thrillers that lead us gently into caring for our cast before serving them up on a bloody platter.
That being said, I feel kinda bad that I never went on to read any of Straub's other works other than the collaboration he did with Stephen King. BUT, I can definitely see why the two of them were able to pull off the collaboration. There is a great deal of respect and there are a lot of similarities between the two.
For anyone on the fence about this, I do want to say it's a really good novel, but it is rather dependent on whether you click with the characters. I got lucky, and I had a great time, but mileage might vary.
October 4, 2021
This started out so strong but then kind of meandered until it peetered out in the end (see what I did there? *wiggles eyebrows*).
A couple of Vietnam vets are meeting up for a memorial - and to discuss some murders that have been making the news. Because they think they know who the killer is: a former member of their unit. However, while they were serving in Vietnam, something happened. Something dark that they can't talk about and that makes them not go to the cops but go in search of the mysterious Koko themselves.
Koko is what the killer is writing on special game cards he leaves behind at each murder scene after taking out the eyes and cutting off the ears of his victims (the cards are placed in the victims' mouths).
And thus the hunt begins.
While they are gathering information and traveling around the globe, we get drunken stories, flashbacks and nightmares from the time these men have served. One might be a pedeatrician, one a lawyer, one a handyman and one a restaurant owner but the past has never really let them go (or they have never been able to let go of the past) which is why their private lives are pretty messed up.
Though not as messed up as the mind of the killer, obviously.
I liked getting to know these men and their problems with family members or businesses. However, there are only so many times I can read about them getting so drunk they black out and then waking with a fright for fear of some gay or trans prostitutes "having taken advantage". The same goes for their frankly sick relationships at home.
What I did enjoy was the parallels the author created for the PTSD and how he managed to address the terrible things that have happened during the Vietnam war. I'm pretty sure Straub is not-so-covertly talking about the Mỹ Lai massacre in this book.
However, this is meant to be a thriller. And sure, the beginning had this ominous atmosphere with all the foreboding coming from second-hand-knowledge and the mysterious hints that something must have happened especially to these soldiers when they served. Unfortunately, that wore off pretty quickly. In the end, the author managed to channel the feeling again when we see quite some action / confrontation, but it was too little too late for me. Especially since !
In between, I did like following clues and differentiating between actually helpful information and red herrings but again, that wore off quickly due to too many repetitions. So while I didn't immediately figure out the whodunnit 100% correctly, hunting the killer wasn't as fun as I had hoped and the book should have been quite a bit shorter if you ask me.
Too bad because the author has proven to have a very good writing style - if only he woulnd't have gotten lost in the jungle too many times (ok, enough with the cringeworthy puns and analogies).
A couple of Vietnam vets are meeting up for a memorial - and to discuss some murders that have been making the news. Because they think they know who the killer is: a former member of their unit. However, while they were serving in Vietnam, something happened. Something dark that they can't talk about and that makes them not go to the cops but go in search of the mysterious Koko themselves.
Koko is what the killer is writing on special game cards he leaves behind at each murder scene after taking out the eyes and cutting off the ears of his victims (the cards are placed in the victims' mouths).
And thus the hunt begins.
While they are gathering information and traveling around the globe, we get drunken stories, flashbacks and nightmares from the time these men have served. One might be a pedeatrician, one a lawyer, one a handyman and one a restaurant owner but the past has never really let them go (or they have never been able to let go of the past) which is why their private lives are pretty messed up.
Though not as messed up as the mind of the killer, obviously.
I liked getting to know these men and their problems with family members or businesses. However, there are only so many times I can read about them getting so drunk they black out and then waking with a fright for fear of some gay or trans prostitutes "having taken advantage". The same goes for their frankly sick relationships at home.
What I did enjoy was the parallels the author created for the PTSD and how he managed to address the terrible things that have happened during the Vietnam war. I'm pretty sure Straub is not-so-covertly talking about the Mỹ Lai massacre in this book.
However, this is meant to be a thriller. And sure, the beginning had this ominous atmosphere with all the foreboding coming from second-hand-knowledge and the mysterious hints that something must have happened especially to these soldiers when they served. Unfortunately, that wore off pretty quickly. In the end, the author managed to channel the feeling again when we see quite some action / confrontation, but it was too little too late for me. Especially since !
In between, I did like following clues and differentiating between actually helpful information and red herrings but again, that wore off quickly due to too many repetitions. So while I didn't immediately figure out the whodunnit 100% correctly, hunting the killer wasn't as fun as I had hoped and the book should have been quite a bit shorter if you ask me.
Too bad because the author has proven to have a very good writing style - if only he woulnd't have gotten lost in the jungle too many times (ok, enough with the cringeworthy puns and analogies).
March 15, 2018
As is the case when I finish other Peter Straub novels, I closed Koko last night, speechless, aware that I had been, at least on a tiny level, transformed. As per usual with Straub, this book is an experience: light beach reading it is not.
Straub deals in and with psychology, tethering it to literary elements; like human psychology, his narratives and characters are puzzles that are not so easy to complete. It is best for one to take his or her time when reading Straub, and to not get overwhelmed: his output is not immediately personable, or friendly. It requires work.
Because this novel is in part about PTSD, long stretches feel fantastical; many times I was not sure if what I was reading was actually happening to the character, or not. It is in this cloudy mania Straub dwells, and thrives. Though not quite a horror novel (this could be labeled a thriller, if anything), it does certainly contain horrific elements . . . if in mood and style, and not so much subject matter. Like the best of this author’s work, this long novel repelled and intrigued me; it is enjoyable because of the challenges the narrative poses. I am glad I finally marked this off my TBR.
Straub deals in and with psychology, tethering it to literary elements; like human psychology, his narratives and characters are puzzles that are not so easy to complete. It is best for one to take his or her time when reading Straub, and to not get overwhelmed: his output is not immediately personable, or friendly. It requires work.
Because this novel is in part about PTSD, long stretches feel fantastical; many times I was not sure if what I was reading was actually happening to the character, or not. It is in this cloudy mania Straub dwells, and thrives. Though not quite a horror novel (this could be labeled a thriller, if anything), it does certainly contain horrific elements . . . if in mood and style, and not so much subject matter. Like the best of this author’s work, this long novel repelled and intrigued me; it is enjoyable because of the challenges the narrative poses. I am glad I finally marked this off my TBR.
May 12, 2024
This has got to be one of the best thrillers I've ever read. That might sound like a backhanded compliment, especially if you happen to know that I don't read a lot of thrillers, but I don't mean it to be. I'm even tempted to call it the Moby-Dick of thrillers; it's long after all, tempestuous, a little dreamlike, it sometimes meanders, and it's about four men in the same boat (even if not a literal one), chasing a dangerous and elusive figure from the past who may be a symbol of something, or just a man.
Koko begins in Washington, D.C. in late 1982, where four Vietnam vets from the same regiment- it seems like a stretch to call them friends- have met up to see the Memorial for the first time. It was within the first ten pages or so that I started to get the sense that this novel might be much better than I'd expected, and when I started to make mental comparisons The Deer Hunter, another Vietnam story that takes the time to meander and allow us to experience the characters' lives with them. The main character, Mike Poole, walks around near the Monument before the others have arrived, just thinking:
Here was what was left of the war...For Poole, the actual country of Vietnam was now just another place...many thousands of miles distant, with an embattled history and an idiosyncratic and inaccessible culture. Its history and culture had briefly, disastrously intersected ours. But the actual country of Vietnam was not Vietnam...Straub empathetically captures Poole's alienation, his feeling even more than ten years later that he's returned to a country that's never really understood what he's experienced, and in fact doesn't want to understand- and that this has forever altered his sense of belonging to that country. At any time he can mentally slip into a different country, not Vietnam but Vietnam, a place that only his fellow veterans have been. Somehow, neither post-war mythologizing nor congratulations from the Coca-Cola company in his hotel lobby seem to offer much in the way of comfort or edification. Was this what he'd spent so much time wanting to get back to?
During his first surreal eighteen months back from Vietnam, Poole had been able to tell if a man had been in Vietnam just by the way he held his body. His instinct...had faded since then, but he knew he could not be mistaken about this group.The aspect of the story that might sound more reminiscent of a 90s cable miniseries is that the four of them have also come together to discuss a string of killings in southeast Asia; the killer has been leaving their regiment's distinctive playing cards as his signature, and it would follow that he is someone they know, or knew. No, more than that; like it or not, they share an intimacy with him. I have a feeling that the ingenious serial killer with the occult signature is more common in fiction than in reality; but soon enough I was nodding along, won over by the uniquely foreboding and uncanny atmosphere, the sharp and economical dialogue, the story's understanding that violence inevitably echoes over the course of years, as well as the feeling that Straub had genuinely managed to channel these characters from his unconscious, getting their voices on paper and then carefully arranging them in a labyrinthine plot that always seems to be on the verge of splintering apart or capsizing like a lifeboat in a maelstrom.
'Hello, sir', said a clarion voice at his elbow.
Poole looked down at a beaming young woman with a fanatical face...she held a tray of glasses filled with black liquid.
'Might I inquire, sir, if you are a veteran of the Vietnam conflict?'
'I was in Vietnam', Poole said.
'The Coca-Cola company joins the rest of America in thanking you personally for your efforts during the Vietnam conflict. We wish to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to you, and to introduce you to our newest product, Diet Coke, in the hope that you will enjoy it and share your pleasure with your friends and fellow veterans.'
Poole looked upward and saw that a long, brilliantly red banner...had been suspended far above the lobby. White lettering said: The Coca-Cola Corporation and Diet Coke Salute the Veterans of Vietnam! He looked back down at the girl.
'I guess I'll pass.'
As long as I'm making out-of-left-field associations, here's another one. I re-watched Vertigo last week, and it struck me that the atmosphere and the images- especially that shadow in the bell tower at the very end, that moment of silence before the audience (not to mention Kim Novak) understands who or what it is- are so powerful that they almost nullify the fact that there's a plausible explanation for everything that's taken place. Koko has some of that same tension. Yes, everything that happens in the novel can be explained more or less rationally, but the uncanny atmosphere that Straub conjures is somehow more convincing. Throughout the first couple of hundred pages, you sense that something terrible is going to happen.
...Or not exactly. Rather, something terrible has happened, and is continuing to happen; and so the dreamlike atmosphere of Koko is not arbitrary at all, but a reflection of the fact that the novel is really about trauma- the way it distorts time and space, and becomes more real in the mind than anything experienced before or after. In his hotel in DC, still early on in the novel, Poole falls asleep, or half-asleep, trying to read The Dead Zone by Stephen King, which was published in 1979:
Before Michael could turn off his light, he was dripping with sweat, carrying his copy of The Dead Zone through an army base many times larger than Camp Crandall. All around the camp, twenty or thirty kilometers beyond the barbed-wire perimeter, stood hills once thickly covered by trees, now so perfectly bombed and burned and defoliated that only charred sticks protruded upwards from powdery brown earth. He walked past a row of tents and at last heard the silence of the camp- he was alone...He trudged past the deserted building into a stretch of empty land and smelled burning shit. The camp had been abandoned, and he had been left behind...then he knew that this was no dream, he really was in Vietnam- the rest of his life was the dream...
Wait a second, he thought, if this is reality it's no later than 1969. He opened The Dead Zone to the page of publishing information. Deep in his chest, his heart deflated...the copyright date was 1965. He had never left Vietnam. Everything since had been only a nineteen year-old's wishful dream.
December 12, 2011
No one could say that Peter Straub can't write a beautiful sentence or that his description of people and places isn't excellent. I love his usage of language. This is 562 pages long. But, what I have found with horror writers, they seem to have a need to prove that they are better writers, which is ridiculous, and begin to picture themselves as great literary figures. And that is what I feel happened in this book. After forty pages, I had no idea who the main character really is; I have bits and pieces of a problem but with no suspense or connection to his life; I read pages and pages of obsessive compulsive useless details until I was skipping whole paragraphs to find something interesting to read; and eventually I was so bored that it will be returned to the library.
Now I am not being competitive. He has a great deal to teach me, but I believe in the Shakespearean setup of a story, by presenting the crisis and working it through in a modern style of not taking ten pages that can be expressed in two or three.
Bruce Castle
Now I am not being competitive. He has a great deal to teach me, but I believe in the Shakespearean setup of a story, by presenting the crisis and working it through in a modern style of not taking ten pages that can be expressed in two or three.
Bruce Castle
April 5, 2017
Finally finished it :) Buddy Read with the awesome The Eclectic Club It was fun ride but it had some bumps along the way :)
November 13, 2021
One of my favorites..
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March 18, 2015
Koko is absolutely brilliant! This book reads like a recollected nightmare and the twists and turns will leave you dizzy.
March 7, 2020
A frustratingly complex examination of the nature of evil that is hampered by the author's peculiar style.
Koko is a lot of things all at once. It is a serial killer thriller that dwells on the damaging effects of the Vietnam War on the men that fought it. It is an examination of the roots of violence, where it comes from and how it affects different kinds of persons. It is also, as Laird Barron puts it, an “astonishing account of a descent into lunacy and depravity” (“Koko: Stalking Through the Jungles of the Night”)
It is also a needlessly complex and frustrating novel about the nature of evil.
Koko is about four Vietnam veterans (Michael Poole, Tina Pumo, Harry Beevers, and Conor Linklater) who search for a serial killer who is murdering foreign journalists all across Asia. The killer in question has a peculiar post-mortem signature: the stuffing of the victim’s mouth with a playing card inscribed with the word “Koko”. Beevers, their former C. O. in Vietnam, believes that the killer used to be a member of their platoon. They suspect the killings to be the work of their former friend Tim Underhill, who is now a reportedly unhinged writer/novelist living in Southeast Asia. Unassuming and mysterious, Underhill is the perfect candidate to be this serial killer, not to mention the fact that he uses the tortured pasts of his former friends as inspiration for the characters in his novels. Underhill is a man who knows a lot about them, yet they cannot even begin to fathom how he ended up like that. But even if their suspicions are true, is Underhill really the primary cause of the killings? Is what transpired in Vietnam more than a decade ago in their lives the true catalyst for this current murder spree? Beevers and company try to search for these answers, and in the process, confront the darkness they have kept in their souls for too long.
Koko, at first glance, can be mistaken as a straight horror thriller; a military-themed version of Stephen King’s It. Reading the synopsis at the back of most editions, the plot seems to allude to some ancient Vietnamese demon unearthed by some American soldiers in a cave and somehow this demon is back. Readers expecting this to be the actual plot would have crash landed into a planet of extreme genre disappointment. But this does not bother me at all. Having read Straub’s In the Night Room (2004) earlier, I knew that he would not resort to such outlandish tactics that have characterized the majority of the horror novels during the genre’s boom in the ’80s. What Straub is interested in is deceptively intricate plotting, metafiction, and the blurring of lines between reality and fiction.
For the right stories, this style is actually scintillating and well suited (read In the Night Room), but for a sprawling “journey into the heart of darkness” thriller like Koko, it fails and derails what could have been a better paced-yet still profound- book. For all its ideas about the nature of violence and the thin line between state-sponsored killings and personal bloodlust, its narrative suffers from many unnecessary details and useless tangents that add nothing to these themes. I am aware that some of these details are necessary later in the unfolding of the plot but the majority of them are downright annoying and are begging to be edited out. As a result of such style, there is no immediacy to the proceedings at hand. There might be a highly skilled and dangerous serial killer on the loose with the capability to liquidate our main characters and their loved ones and friends, but we don’t feel that they care at all. If the characters act and feel that this relatively extreme situation is normal, why should we even care? I have seen more genuine concern in characters from Bizarro Novels.
Despite these criticisms, Koko is still a well-written book. Straub’s prose writing is excellent, being poetic and self-aware at the same time. With this style, Straub is able to describe realistic and mundane situations, switch back to describing the horrors of war and let us in on the deranged mind of Koko. It may bog down the narrative, but it is a writing feat nonetheless.
I have mentioned above the themes found in Koko and there have been many reviews and appreciative essays discussing those. But I would like to point out Grady Hendrix’s excellent piece found in the “Forgotten Bestsellers” section of his review page. Hendrix mentions that one of Straub’s themes in Koko is about “how America is a factory that manufactures violence against women, immigrants, outsiders, and children”. This is true when you consider the events that transpired that led to the creation of the killer in Koko, but it does not explain the extreme cruelty and apathy that the American characters encounter in Southeast Asia during their hunt. The perpetrators in the infamous underground garage scene are definitely not American, and it just goes to prove that the nature and origin of evil and violence cannot be localized anywhere; it is disturbingly universal.
Overall, I did not enjoy this book like a typical horror novel but it was certainly very interesting and could have used a little more judicious editing. For all my criticism, nobody can take away Straub’s literary prowess and the clout that his name brings. That being said, with Straub’s name on the cover, I was expecting to like it a little bit more.
Koko is a lot of things all at once. It is a serial killer thriller that dwells on the damaging effects of the Vietnam War on the men that fought it. It is an examination of the roots of violence, where it comes from and how it affects different kinds of persons. It is also, as Laird Barron puts it, an “astonishing account of a descent into lunacy and depravity” (“Koko: Stalking Through the Jungles of the Night”)
It is also a needlessly complex and frustrating novel about the nature of evil.
Koko is about four Vietnam veterans (Michael Poole, Tina Pumo, Harry Beevers, and Conor Linklater) who search for a serial killer who is murdering foreign journalists all across Asia. The killer in question has a peculiar post-mortem signature: the stuffing of the victim’s mouth with a playing card inscribed with the word “Koko”. Beevers, their former C. O. in Vietnam, believes that the killer used to be a member of their platoon. They suspect the killings to be the work of their former friend Tim Underhill, who is now a reportedly unhinged writer/novelist living in Southeast Asia. Unassuming and mysterious, Underhill is the perfect candidate to be this serial killer, not to mention the fact that he uses the tortured pasts of his former friends as inspiration for the characters in his novels. Underhill is a man who knows a lot about them, yet they cannot even begin to fathom how he ended up like that. But even if their suspicions are true, is Underhill really the primary cause of the killings? Is what transpired in Vietnam more than a decade ago in their lives the true catalyst for this current murder spree? Beevers and company try to search for these answers, and in the process, confront the darkness they have kept in their souls for too long.
Koko, at first glance, can be mistaken as a straight horror thriller; a military-themed version of Stephen King’s It. Reading the synopsis at the back of most editions, the plot seems to allude to some ancient Vietnamese demon unearthed by some American soldiers in a cave and somehow this demon is back. Readers expecting this to be the actual plot would have crash landed into a planet of extreme genre disappointment. But this does not bother me at all. Having read Straub’s In the Night Room (2004) earlier, I knew that he would not resort to such outlandish tactics that have characterized the majority of the horror novels during the genre’s boom in the ’80s. What Straub is interested in is deceptively intricate plotting, metafiction, and the blurring of lines between reality and fiction.
For the right stories, this style is actually scintillating and well suited (read In the Night Room), but for a sprawling “journey into the heart of darkness” thriller like Koko, it fails and derails what could have been a better paced-yet still profound- book. For all its ideas about the nature of violence and the thin line between state-sponsored killings and personal bloodlust, its narrative suffers from many unnecessary details and useless tangents that add nothing to these themes. I am aware that some of these details are necessary later in the unfolding of the plot but the majority of them are downright annoying and are begging to be edited out. As a result of such style, there is no immediacy to the proceedings at hand. There might be a highly skilled and dangerous serial killer on the loose with the capability to liquidate our main characters and their loved ones and friends, but we don’t feel that they care at all. If the characters act and feel that this relatively extreme situation is normal, why should we even care? I have seen more genuine concern in characters from Bizarro Novels.
Despite these criticisms, Koko is still a well-written book. Straub’s prose writing is excellent, being poetic and self-aware at the same time. With this style, Straub is able to describe realistic and mundane situations, switch back to describing the horrors of war and let us in on the deranged mind of Koko. It may bog down the narrative, but it is a writing feat nonetheless.
I have mentioned above the themes found in Koko and there have been many reviews and appreciative essays discussing those. But I would like to point out Grady Hendrix’s excellent piece found in the “Forgotten Bestsellers” section of his review page. Hendrix mentions that one of Straub’s themes in Koko is about “how America is a factory that manufactures violence against women, immigrants, outsiders, and children”. This is true when you consider the events that transpired that led to the creation of the killer in Koko, but it does not explain the extreme cruelty and apathy that the American characters encounter in Southeast Asia during their hunt. The perpetrators in the infamous underground garage scene are definitely not American, and it just goes to prove that the nature and origin of evil and violence cannot be localized anywhere; it is disturbingly universal.
Overall, I did not enjoy this book like a typical horror novel but it was certainly very interesting and could have used a little more judicious editing. For all my criticism, nobody can take away Straub’s literary prowess and the clout that his name brings. That being said, with Straub’s name on the cover, I was expecting to like it a little bit more.
August 18, 2017
This book is a chaotic story about the post Vietnam syndrome that has plagued so many of those who fought there. It does show that prolonged exposure of you men to situations of extreme violence and stress due to the constant promise of violence, does alter anybody his psyche.
I once spoke with somebody who served a year in Afghanistan under constant pressure and he admitted that he had a hard time conforming to the "normal"situations after returning to his home. He did recognize his own paranoia and was always ready and when he felt it was needed far over the top violent response. He scared the people who loved him and it took him a long time to return to a "normalcy".
The Vietnam was a very violent conflict that was far from regular warfare but a new brand fought as guerrilla warriors, which has altered the face of warfare ever since.
The main characters in this novel are the surviving members of an unit that fought in Vietnam and were involved in some situation for which they were investigated as a possible war crime. Which we find out gradually which is one of the underlying tensions in the book because while you want to know what happened you really do not because you expect something horrific.
This is about men who share with each other because they recognize that only those who have been there can really feel the pain and grief. As the reunion goes underway their former commanding officer does show them something that really spooks them. One of their own is killing people in the Orient and leaving a calling card they all recognize : Koko.
Their reunion evolves in a trip back to Orient to find their former comrade and bring him home and get him help. They all have their reasons to go and not go, put their lives on hold, as if they where not to begin with. Their trip back to their youth does indeed give them clarity and insight in what they really might be doing. Littel do they know that as they travel East Koko is coming West finally wanting to end his search for clarity and peace.
The story is very well written and you really live with the characters, some less sympathetic than others. And the parts where we look into Koko are really terrifying and sad. It is a real tour-de-force by the excellent writer Peter Straub.
This book is a real good tale about post Vietnam syndrome as felt by the people that were there. The book is about searching themselves when they seemingly have lost themselves over there.
Like the first time I read this book I was really in awe and this doorstop of a book never overstays it welcome. It is a novel that is a thriller, horror, biography of a certain generation and so well written that it is hard to lay down even if it is necessary to take a breather from this novel now and then.
This is a must-read book when you like the subject and far different from the Deerhunter even if that book/movie carries some of the same themes.
You do yourself a favor in reading this brilliant book.
I once spoke with somebody who served a year in Afghanistan under constant pressure and he admitted that he had a hard time conforming to the "normal"situations after returning to his home. He did recognize his own paranoia and was always ready and when he felt it was needed far over the top violent response. He scared the people who loved him and it took him a long time to return to a "normalcy".
The Vietnam was a very violent conflict that was far from regular warfare but a new brand fought as guerrilla warriors, which has altered the face of warfare ever since.
The main characters in this novel are the surviving members of an unit that fought in Vietnam and were involved in some situation for which they were investigated as a possible war crime. Which we find out gradually which is one of the underlying tensions in the book because while you want to know what happened you really do not because you expect something horrific.
This is about men who share with each other because they recognize that only those who have been there can really feel the pain and grief. As the reunion goes underway their former commanding officer does show them something that really spooks them. One of their own is killing people in the Orient and leaving a calling card they all recognize : Koko.
Their reunion evolves in a trip back to Orient to find their former comrade and bring him home and get him help. They all have their reasons to go and not go, put their lives on hold, as if they where not to begin with. Their trip back to their youth does indeed give them clarity and insight in what they really might be doing. Littel do they know that as they travel East Koko is coming West finally wanting to end his search for clarity and peace.
The story is very well written and you really live with the characters, some less sympathetic than others. And the parts where we look into Koko are really terrifying and sad. It is a real tour-de-force by the excellent writer Peter Straub.
This book is a real good tale about post Vietnam syndrome as felt by the people that were there. The book is about searching themselves when they seemingly have lost themselves over there.
Like the first time I read this book I was really in awe and this doorstop of a book never overstays it welcome. It is a novel that is a thriller, horror, biography of a certain generation and so well written that it is hard to lay down even if it is necessary to take a breather from this novel now and then.
This is a must-read book when you like the subject and far different from the Deerhunter even if that book/movie carries some of the same themes.
You do yourself a favor in reading this brilliant book.
March 20, 2012
Found this novel staring at me from the shelf of a used book store about a year ago. I picked it up, saw it was a first edition, and decided I had nothing to lose at the discounted price of $2.50. As I walked it to the counter, a single playing card fell out of the middle of the book, where, I assume, someone had marked a page. Only later did I come to discover how disturbing an omen this was.
My only exposure to Peter Straub (excellent Slate interview here) before this book was through his collaborations with Stephen King in the Talisman saga. I feel a little sad that I’ve found him only now. It’s been too long since I’ve fallen in love with a book. And I’m smitten with this one.
Koko is my favorite kind of story–a quest that brings together mismatched characters who would never befriend each other under normal circumstances. It’s a tale about adults coming together to face a demon they thought they left behind years ago. In this way, it reminds a bit of King’s IT, another great story that sticks with you. Three Vietnam veterans (a lawyer, a doctor and carpenter) reunite to track down a serial killer who they believe was part of their platoon during the war. This killer has been going around offing people connected to their unit and leaving a souvenir in their mouths–a regimental playing card with the word “Koko” written on it.
Like the best novels written in the 80′s and 90′s, it’s a big friggin book, clocking in at 560 pages. Long enough to get lost in the story of these men and their hunt for a killer.
Straub’s writing is wonderful. Through scenes of mundane human existence he explores universal themes of redemption, grace, the nature of evil and forgiveness. In this way, his narrative–often revolving around cooking and writing–reminded me of John Irving more than King. But he also understands suspense and horror like King. I have to say I’m also humbled by the recognition of the research Straub must have done for this book–half of which is set in Saigon and Bangkok and Vietnam–especially when I consider this was done in a world before the Internet.
In the end, Straub’s alter-ego reflects on listening to good jazz in a tent in Vietnam. “We heard fear dissolved by mastery,” he thinks. The book is about applying this thought to life. And it’s something I intend to do as much as I can.
My only exposure to Peter Straub (excellent Slate interview here) before this book was through his collaborations with Stephen King in the Talisman saga. I feel a little sad that I’ve found him only now. It’s been too long since I’ve fallen in love with a book. And I’m smitten with this one.
Koko is my favorite kind of story–a quest that brings together mismatched characters who would never befriend each other under normal circumstances. It’s a tale about adults coming together to face a demon they thought they left behind years ago. In this way, it reminds a bit of King’s IT, another great story that sticks with you. Three Vietnam veterans (a lawyer, a doctor and carpenter) reunite to track down a serial killer who they believe was part of their platoon during the war. This killer has been going around offing people connected to their unit and leaving a souvenir in their mouths–a regimental playing card with the word “Koko” written on it.
Like the best novels written in the 80′s and 90′s, it’s a big friggin book, clocking in at 560 pages. Long enough to get lost in the story of these men and their hunt for a killer.
Straub’s writing is wonderful. Through scenes of mundane human existence he explores universal themes of redemption, grace, the nature of evil and forgiveness. In this way, his narrative–often revolving around cooking and writing–reminded me of John Irving more than King. But he also understands suspense and horror like King. I have to say I’m also humbled by the recognition of the research Straub must have done for this book–half of which is set in Saigon and Bangkok and Vietnam–especially when I consider this was done in a world before the Internet.
In the end, Straub’s alter-ego reflects on listening to good jazz in a tent in Vietnam. “We heard fear dissolved by mastery,” he thinks. The book is about applying this thought to life. And it’s something I intend to do as much as I can.
April 19, 2017
This is the start of a trilogy. In this one, members of a Vietnam unit come together in search of one of their own. They believe that the person they are looking for is committing murders and leaving a card with the word "Koko" written on it. They also believe this ties in within an incident that happened in Vietnam during the war.
I would classify this book as a mystery book within a psychological thriller. It is also one of the darkest books I have read. It delves into child abuse, killing of innocents, and the sex trade industry. The main theme though is how war has affected these men's lives and the trauma still is an ongoing issue. I really liked how the author used this issue and how it affected these different men in different ways. At first I believed that this book was going to be about that. Next thing you know it turns out to be a mystery where I am trying to figure out who "Koko" is. It was like reading two books into one and I was captivated by this. The reason I gave four stars rather five is the author seems to go off on a tangent every now and then. Don't get me wrong. This author has a wonderful way with words but he is also the master of the "slow burn". It does take awhile to get totally engrossed in this novel.
If you are looking for a lighthearted book you should not try this book. If you are looking for a serious book that delves into many issues and a mystery that will totally captivate you, this is that book. This was a terrific read and I am looking forward to the second novel.
I would classify this book as a mystery book within a psychological thriller. It is also one of the darkest books I have read. It delves into child abuse, killing of innocents, and the sex trade industry. The main theme though is how war has affected these men's lives and the trauma still is an ongoing issue. I really liked how the author used this issue and how it affected these different men in different ways. At first I believed that this book was going to be about that. Next thing you know it turns out to be a mystery where I am trying to figure out who "Koko" is. It was like reading two books into one and I was captivated by this. The reason I gave four stars rather five is the author seems to go off on a tangent every now and then. Don't get me wrong. This author has a wonderful way with words but he is also the master of the "slow burn". It does take awhile to get totally engrossed in this novel.
If you are looking for a lighthearted book you should not try this book. If you are looking for a serious book that delves into many issues and a mystery that will totally captivate you, this is that book. This was a terrific read and I am looking forward to the second novel.
April 16, 2023
With all of the preposterous globehopping, this novel really shouldn't work as well as it does. Four Vietnam Vets are trying to uncover a series of murders from a figure known as Koko that are eerily similar to an unspoken battle they remember from years ago. Straub writes with an aloof formalism (what Christopher Lehman-Haput, a notorious anti-genre snob, once mistakenly called "overwriting") that is clearly influenced by Henry James (and THE AMBASSADORS actually figures into this novel's plot!), but what makes this prose style so fascinating is the way that the vaguely Old World approach congeals with blunt blue-collar realism for a narrative momentum that SHOULD not work, but does. Well, mostly. Of the four characters, one bites the dust (I won't spoil who it is) and unfortunately this is the character with the most interesting personality. And this is the point where the novel significantly flags and becomes more formulaic. Which is a pity. Because the macabre FEEL of this novel, even with its shaky command of Singapore, Bangkok, and Taipei, truly reveals the patina of depravity just beneath human existence. I also felt that Maggie was too thin and generic of a character. Straub definitely had talent (one image of a dude with necklace letters that are the size of his teeth particularly stood out for me), but you get the sense that he resented the very genre that he excelled in. Because those last 150 pages, it's almost as if he gave up. Even so, Straub is not a novelist to be discounted. And i do hope that the next two books in the Blue Rose trilogy prove to be of more consistent and impassioned quality than this one.
January 11, 2019
When Straub is on his game there are few writers that can pen a story like he can.
Koko, while meandering in several places with a few dead-end story lines, still manages to be a skillfully written and engaging thriller.
The boys are getting back together to go after one of their own who has slid off the rails and gone on a killing spree. They need to find him and get him some help. Well…cash in on the story of how they caught him is more like it. Either way, he is one of their own and they need to take care of it.
They’ll just need to find him first.
Ping pong ball puddy party, the wisdom of the elephant, butcher shop preaching, sniping Elvis, the devil’s arsehole and the one that got away.
“Now the Drac goes back to church.”
Koko, while meandering in several places with a few dead-end story lines, still manages to be a skillfully written and engaging thriller.
The boys are getting back together to go after one of their own who has slid off the rails and gone on a killing spree. They need to find him and get him some help. Well…cash in on the story of how they caught him is more like it. Either way, he is one of their own and they need to take care of it.
They’ll just need to find him first.
Ping pong ball puddy party, the wisdom of the elephant, butcher shop preaching, sniping Elvis, the devil’s arsehole and the one that got away.
“Now the Drac goes back to church.”
August 27, 2023
What starts as a reunion for soldiers who fought Vietnam, turns into a murder mystery that started during the war and continues on to the late 80’s when the story takes place. We fallow a members of a platoon who suspect one of their members to be the murderer. We get a deep dive into all the characters life during, and after the war.
A grate start to a grate trilogy! This book really highlights the best of Peter Straub’s writing style. (But like most of his work, I think it could have been 100 pages or so shorter)
The mystery takes priority over the horror, but horror moments are gruesome and well done. The mystery will keep you hooked and keep you guessing. It makes you wonder how innocent the other members of the platoon really are. This is a big book, and it well worth the time.
A grate start to a grate trilogy! This book really highlights the best of Peter Straub’s writing style. (But like most of his work, I think it could have been 100 pages or so shorter)
The mystery takes priority over the horror, but horror moments are gruesome and well done. The mystery will keep you hooked and keep you guessing. It makes you wonder how innocent the other members of the platoon really are. This is a big book, and it well worth the time.
August 14, 2014
Peter Straub is considered one of the greatest thriller writers of our time; second only perhaps to the master Stephen King. Yet, somehow I missed never reading anything by Straub. When Anchor Books re-released Koko, the first book in the “Blue Rose Trilogy,” I jumped at the chance to review it.
The Washington Post claimed that the 1988 work was “brilliantly written…an inspired thriller…(Straub’s) finest work.” I was ready, eager, anxious, and waiting when the almost six-hundred-page paperback landed on my doorstep.
I cancelled my evening plans and curled on the couch, ready to be scared out of my wits. The story opens with four Vietnam vets returning to Washington, D.C, for the dedication of Vietnam Memorial. The four hadn’t seen each other since they left the service in 1968. Shadowing the emotional events of the dedication, the men---now a doctor, a lawyer, a blue-collar worker, and a restaurateur---are drawn together with the resurgence of a serial killer.
The killer, Koko, could be either the writer Tim Underhill or M.O. Dengler or a Victor Spitlaney, from their old unit. But the four men are sure they are the only ones left alive. They decide to go back to Singapore and Bangkok, in search of their old Army buddies and to get to the bottom of the new murders, all seemingly unrelated.
That’s a great scenario, but fifteen days later, I’m still reading Koko. The story plodded along in agonizing detail. I read and read and read and read and read until my eyes burned. I wasn’t scared once nor did I find this “masterpiece” a page turner. When I finally did reach the last chapter, I have never been so disappointed in my life. Straub changed narration and basically ended the story with an “what happened? Nothing happened.” I know that is a set up for book two in the trilogy, but I don’t care enough to even bother learning what the other two titles are.
Review originally appeared on www.armchairinterviews.com
The Washington Post claimed that the 1988 work was “brilliantly written…an inspired thriller…(Straub’s) finest work.” I was ready, eager, anxious, and waiting when the almost six-hundred-page paperback landed on my doorstep.
I cancelled my evening plans and curled on the couch, ready to be scared out of my wits. The story opens with four Vietnam vets returning to Washington, D.C, for the dedication of Vietnam Memorial. The four hadn’t seen each other since they left the service in 1968. Shadowing the emotional events of the dedication, the men---now a doctor, a lawyer, a blue-collar worker, and a restaurateur---are drawn together with the resurgence of a serial killer.
The killer, Koko, could be either the writer Tim Underhill or M.O. Dengler or a Victor Spitlaney, from their old unit. But the four men are sure they are the only ones left alive. They decide to go back to Singapore and Bangkok, in search of their old Army buddies and to get to the bottom of the new murders, all seemingly unrelated.
That’s a great scenario, but fifteen days later, I’m still reading Koko. The story plodded along in agonizing detail. I read and read and read and read and read until my eyes burned. I wasn’t scared once nor did I find this “masterpiece” a page turner. When I finally did reach the last chapter, I have never been so disappointed in my life. Straub changed narration and basically ended the story with an “what happened? Nothing happened.” I know that is a set up for book two in the trilogy, but I don’t care enough to even bother learning what the other two titles are.
Review originally appeared on www.armchairinterviews.com
February 23, 2013
I presume the only reason this book made the best seller lists was due to the public's fascination with psychotic Vietnam war vets. Not only is it boring, the character actions are completely stupid ("Here's a great idea, the killer is isolated in a basement completely unaware that several precints worth of police are blanketing his neighborhood looking for him. No, lets not notify the police, lets openly enter the basement unarmed in order to reason with him. Oh no! He escaped using us as hostages! How could that have happened?"--I dropped the book in disgust after that scene).
Factually:
1. 20 year olds do not become officers in the 1968 US Army, much less graduate from college and any attached ROTC programs.
2. Vietnam fell in 1975, not 1971.
3. If you are 18 in 1968, you would be 35 years old in 1983--not 43.
At first I thought that Straub needed a History lesson, it appears he needs a basic arithemitic course as well.
Factually:
1. 20 year olds do not become officers in the 1968 US Army, much less graduate from college and any attached ROTC programs.
2. Vietnam fell in 1975, not 1971.
3. If you are 18 in 1968, you would be 35 years old in 1983--not 43.
At first I thought that Straub needed a History lesson, it appears he needs a basic arithemitic course as well.
did-not-finish
May 28, 2015DNF @ Pg 121: I'm having such a hard time focusing on this book when I'm reading it. I find Straub's writing,on his own, really dry. *Sighs* I also really like the anthologies he has edited/complied. *feels like a loser with an unpopular opinion*
I feel really bad, but I will read 20 pages and space out, re-read them, and nothing registers that much. This rarely happens to me. I did really try, but I just feel like I'm just draaaaaging this one along.
I hope other people really like it though. I do.
This is the second book of his I've DNFed....Maybe his writing, on his own, isn't for me. I wanted it to be. :(
I feel really bad, but I will read 20 pages and space out, re-read them, and nothing registers that much. This rarely happens to me. I did really try, but I just feel like I'm just draaaaaging this one along.
I hope other people really like it though. I do.
This is the second book of his I've DNFed....Maybe his writing, on his own, isn't for me. I wanted it to be. :(
September 20, 2022
Although incredibly irritated by this huge books ambiguously open-ended final chapter I have to give it at least 4 stars as the tale was pretty fantastic up till then. Deeply layered and incredibly spooky when it wanted to be, I think I have little choice but to pick up the next book in this (I just learned) trilogy....
Damn.
4 Conflicted Stars
Damn.
4 Conflicted Stars
March 30, 2016
In Koko, Straub surely succeeded in both depicting monsters and keeping tension without any supernatural parts at all. This is on my to-read list in original language, because I did feel the translation was lacking in parts.
April 9, 2017
Will put my thoughts together at a later date when I have more time. This was another group read that took a long time to get through, but that's not a reflection on the quality of the book - life just got in the way a lot!
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