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The Missing Boatman
Miracles are happening.
Pray to God they stop.
In the dead of winter, on a highway in Quebec, a man crashes his car and survives. In New York, a homeless person is run over by a bus and lives. In Tokyo, a teenager jumps off a high rise building and fails in taking her own life. All over the world, miracles like these transpire, and people breathe a sigh of relief.
But for the next week, some people will begin to suspect a terrible truth. A handful will even search for it. One man will find it.
And in seven days, all hell will break loose.
(A tale of horror. Graphic violence and language.)
Pray to God they stop.
In the dead of winter, on a highway in Quebec, a man crashes his car and survives. In New York, a homeless person is run over by a bus and lives. In Tokyo, a teenager jumps off a high rise building and fails in taking her own life. All over the world, miracles like these transpire, and people breathe a sigh of relief.
But for the next week, some people will begin to suspect a terrible truth. A handful will even search for it. One man will find it.
And in seven days, all hell will break loose.
(A tale of horror. Graphic violence and language.)
396 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2010
88 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
Keith C. Blackmore
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 7, 2023
Captivating!! 💀💀💀💀💀
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
The Missing Boatman: A Supernatural Thriller by Keith C. Blackmore is, in my opinion, a good book.
I loved the plot. I loved all the supernatural entities, even the villains. And I found the battle at the end captivating!
I highly recommend it!
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
The Missing Boatman: A Supernatural Thriller by Keith C. Blackmore is, in my opinion, a good book.
I loved the plot. I loved all the supernatural entities, even the villains. And I found the battle at the end captivating!
I highly recommend it!
February 12, 2015
**Actual rating 4.5**
This just missed being a five star book for me, I really enjoyed it and Keith Blackmore is definitely one of my favorite new horror authors.
The premise of the book is this: people stop dying. At first glance that might seem like a good thing but not if you tried to commit suicide by leaping off of a tall building or were in a ship that capsized and you are being eaten by sharks, then not dying is actually a pretty bad thing! This book was like a Cannonball Run comprised of murderers, thieves, strip club bouncers and various deities as they set off across Canada on a quest for Death. There is some quirky humor in this book and the humanization of Death was kind of funny but this is definitely not light reading in any sense of the term!
This is worth mentioning: the violence in this book is ultra graphic and there is a play by play of a car accident that is unbelievably disturbing. One of the most violent things I have ever read and I enjoyed reading it aloud to my wife who was disgusted and horrified at the same time. (At the scene in the book, not me.)
Highly recommended for fans of fast paced horror!
This just missed being a five star book for me, I really enjoyed it and Keith Blackmore is definitely one of my favorite new horror authors.
The premise of the book is this: people stop dying. At first glance that might seem like a good thing but not if you tried to commit suicide by leaping off of a tall building or were in a ship that capsized and you are being eaten by sharks, then not dying is actually a pretty bad thing! This book was like a Cannonball Run comprised of murderers, thieves, strip club bouncers and various deities as they set off across Canada on a quest for Death. There is some quirky humor in this book and the humanization of Death was kind of funny but this is definitely not light reading in any sense of the term!
This is worth mentioning: the violence in this book is ultra graphic and there is a play by play of a car accident that is unbelievably disturbing. One of the most violent things I have ever read and I enjoyed reading it aloud to my wife who was disgusted and horrified at the same time. (At the scene in the book, not me.)
Highly recommended for fans of fast paced horror!
July 12, 2022
Blood, gore, lot's of graphic violence, cursing, some humor... it's what I was expecting from Blackmore after reading his Mountain Man series when I started this book and I sure got it!
The Missing Boatman is a very original story about Death aka The Grim Reaper (aka Frank as he is called in this book LOL).
This book could have been a 5-star with more editing, not only to weed out the faults but also to make the story tighter cause it was a bit lengthy at some points.
The Missing Boatman is a very original story about Death aka The Grim Reaper (aka Frank as he is called in this book LOL).
This book could have been a 5-star with more editing, not only to weed out the faults but also to make the story tighter cause it was a bit lengthy at some points.
January 24, 2013
I enjoy reading Keith Blackmore's work. He has a distinct style that often makes me chuckle. The Missing Boatman is one of the most original books I have read, although I do feel it could have been slightly condensed.
All around the world, people are defying death. Somehow surviving terrible accidents, people are failing to die. What the world doesn't know is that Death himself has given humans the proverbial finger and decided to go AWOL. To prevent the end of the world, Tony has been chosen to persuade death to return to his duties, along the way discovering how the world really works. A great battle ensues among the personified entities of Fear, Time, Death, as Pain seeks to keep the world as his little play toy. Tony learns that Death is not the bad guy here, Death is the one who saves people from Pain. This is all Death wants-an acknowledgement of his role, and to stop being demonized.
When I first started reading this book, the Entities reminded me of those pasty bald guys on the show "Fringe". As I continued reading though, the likeable characters began to take their own independent shape. Who knew Death was such an alcoholic?! I absolutely love the idea behind it all, and Keith Blackmore always does such a great job of bringing humor in, just when it's needed.
Filled with lots of action, unique ideas, and amusing banter, The Missing Boatman is a great addition to your Horror shelf. Plus, there's zombies ;)
All around the world, people are defying death. Somehow surviving terrible accidents, people are failing to die. What the world doesn't know is that Death himself has given humans the proverbial finger and decided to go AWOL. To prevent the end of the world, Tony has been chosen to persuade death to return to his duties, along the way discovering how the world really works. A great battle ensues among the personified entities of Fear, Time, Death, as Pain seeks to keep the world as his little play toy. Tony learns that Death is not the bad guy here, Death is the one who saves people from Pain. This is all Death wants-an acknowledgement of his role, and to stop being demonized.
When I first started reading this book, the Entities reminded me of those pasty bald guys on the show "Fringe". As I continued reading though, the likeable characters began to take their own independent shape. Who knew Death was such an alcoholic?! I absolutely love the idea behind it all, and Keith Blackmore always does such a great job of bringing humor in, just when it's needed.
Filled with lots of action, unique ideas, and amusing banter, The Missing Boatman is a great addition to your Horror shelf. Plus, there's zombies ;)
November 16, 2012
I got about 70% through this book (thanks kindle, for keeping track), and I was quite into it... And then, BAM! I was smacked with so much idiocy that I could not continue.
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
I loved the premise, it was different and creepy. The beginning of this book does a great job drawing you in, and it keeps you reading with it's quick pace, interesting characters; it creates a genuine desire to know what's going on & why, and what will be the result. It's good enough that you can overlook some things (such as why a crime boss and his bodyguards would be unarmed & susceptible to a manual assault by one man in their own place of business). But then you find out the reason that people have stopped dying is that Death (aka Frank) is PERTURBED! He has job dissatisfaction because he's not appreciated. He doesn't want to be hated & feared anymore so he has basically hone on strike and is found playing golf. I'm not kidding. Death took some time off to play a few rounds, and he happens to suck at golf & drink like a fish. Really?! This is where thato awesome premise & promisingvfirst half got us?
Then the book spins off in a whole new direction with Death/Frank being kidnapped by some evil forces who want to bring about Armageddon, and whay does our protagonist do? Consult the other supernatural beings that he was just getting drunk with? No! Jumps in a cab to go after death & destruction all on his own! I have reached my limit. I used to hate not finishing books, but in this case I just don't care what happens anymore. There are too many good books out there for me to press through something I'm not enjoying. Hence this book goes in my "Nevermind" shelf with only 2 stars.
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
I loved the premise, it was different and creepy. The beginning of this book does a great job drawing you in, and it keeps you reading with it's quick pace, interesting characters; it creates a genuine desire to know what's going on & why, and what will be the result. It's good enough that you can overlook some things (such as why a crime boss and his bodyguards would be unarmed & susceptible to a manual assault by one man in their own place of business). But then you find out the reason that people have stopped dying is that Death (aka Frank) is PERTURBED! He has job dissatisfaction because he's not appreciated. He doesn't want to be hated & feared anymore so he has basically hone on strike and is found playing golf. I'm not kidding. Death took some time off to play a few rounds, and he happens to suck at golf & drink like a fish. Really?! This is where thato awesome premise & promisingvfirst half got us?
Then the book spins off in a whole new direction with Death/Frank being kidnapped by some evil forces who want to bring about Armageddon, and whay does our protagonist do? Consult the other supernatural beings that he was just getting drunk with? No! Jumps in a cab to go after death & destruction all on his own! I have reached my limit. I used to hate not finishing books, but in this case I just don't care what happens anymore. There are too many good books out there for me to press through something I'm not enjoying. Hence this book goes in my "Nevermind" shelf with only 2 stars.
October 10, 2022
This was another recommendation by my husband to listen to (audiobook version). Needless to say, I really liked it. I’m not too surprised since I loved Keith Blackmore’s series “Mountain Man.” I was surprised to learn that this was one of his first books though given how intricate it is. My favorite type of story involves multiple main characters doing their own thing and knowing in the end that the characters will eventually come together.
There were so many great characters that I’m not sure which one I liked the most. In the beginning, I didn’t like the Stick Man because of his actions toward Boomer and Ty (even though I knew they were bad guys, but they didn’t seem to stand a chance against him). Yet, after learning more about his character, he started to become a favorite; plus, I loved the Newfinland accent! I loved Death, his assy attitude, just wanting to quit his job because no one likes him, but coming around in the end… He was an interesting character.
I thought the narrator did a great job. It was easy to tell who was who without getting confused. I’d listened to him again.
Questions/Comments:
Near the beginning, Boomer is in the club keeping watch over everyone, everything. He knows that the Stick Man is up to no good. When the other bouncers (the “jerker”) goes to the bathroom, the Stick Man ends up following after waiting one minute. Yet, within a four-minute time period, the Stick Man is able to knock unconscious the other bouncer in the bathroom and beat the crap out of Ty before Boomer even notices he’s missing. I just found that questionable given Boomer had previously been starring the Stick Man down.
Pain ends up surprising the “Pain Girl” (forgot her name) in her bathroom. Yet, nothing more was said about their interactions. Why???
After Frank/Death breaks his legs/is paralyzed, Tony carries him over his shoulder. There’s one point when Tony gets upset and “punches Death in the balls.” How? I can’t imagine Death’s legs were spread at all given the shoulder doesn’t have much room.
There were so many great characters that I’m not sure which one I liked the most. In the beginning, I didn’t like the Stick Man because of his actions toward Boomer and Ty (even though I knew they were bad guys, but they didn’t seem to stand a chance against him). Yet, after learning more about his character, he started to become a favorite; plus, I loved the Newfinland accent! I loved Death, his assy attitude, just wanting to quit his job because no one likes him, but coming around in the end… He was an interesting character.
I thought the narrator did a great job. It was easy to tell who was who without getting confused. I’d listened to him again.
Questions/Comments:
Near the beginning, Boomer is in the club keeping watch over everyone, everything. He knows that the Stick Man is up to no good. When the other bouncers (the “jerker”) goes to the bathroom, the Stick Man ends up following after waiting one minute. Yet, within a four-minute time period, the Stick Man is able to knock unconscious the other bouncer in the bathroom and beat the crap out of Ty before Boomer even notices he’s missing. I just found that questionable given Boomer had previously been starring the Stick Man down.
Pain ends up surprising the “Pain Girl” (forgot her name) in her bathroom. Yet, nothing more was said about their interactions. Why???
After Frank/Death breaks his legs/is paralyzed, Tony carries him over his shoulder. There’s one point when Tony gets upset and “punches Death in the balls.” How? I can’t imagine Death’s legs were spread at all given the shoulder doesn’t have much room.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2017
Lord tunderin jesus b'y. One hell of a ride. Gruesome and detailed battle royales that would make Rocky Balboa go cry to his mama, interesting and fun characters (including a newf, yay) and what I believe to be a unique story line. Came close to giving this one 5 stars but just couldn't, a better job at editing would of been wonderful.
In a nutshell, there's this fellow that works very hard, he's misunderstood and his feelings get hurt because people hate him. Now this overworked fellow is quite essential to the smooth running of things, and the whole world almost literally goes to hell when he decides to go AWOL to take in some sun, golfing and booze.
Some of his coworkers need help in finding him and convincing him to get back to work so that everything can return to normal. Others want him to stay missing because he's been cramping their style. A tough guy is hired to find this misunderstood fellow, and this leads to an insane road trip with a lot of foul language, funny and memorable moments, and enough gore to satisfy any true sadist.
This novel was pretty foul but a lot fun, with a lot of "ah-ha, now I get it" moments, and if you get past the grammar issues, you should find this to be a very entertaining novel.
In a nutshell, there's this fellow that works very hard, he's misunderstood and his feelings get hurt because people hate him. Now this overworked fellow is quite essential to the smooth running of things, and the whole world almost literally goes to hell when he decides to go AWOL to take in some sun, golfing and booze.
Some of his coworkers need help in finding him and convincing him to get back to work so that everything can return to normal. Others want him to stay missing because he's been cramping their style. A tough guy is hired to find this misunderstood fellow, and this leads to an insane road trip with a lot of foul language, funny and memorable moments, and enough gore to satisfy any true sadist.
This novel was pretty foul but a lot fun, with a lot of "ah-ha, now I get it" moments, and if you get past the grammar issues, you should find this to be a very entertaining novel.
October 12, 2022
I’ve been following Mr. Blackmore’s work since I completed his Mountain Man and Breeds books. I have to say that this book was just as well written and engaging as his other books.
I loved the take on Death and the other entities present throughout the story. This was a deeply introspective book that had me examining what I understand about the nature of life. Looking at how different the concepts of death and pain are, and what the actual nature of death really amounts to, I found myself deep in thought at many points throughout the story.
This book really has quite a bit to keep the reader hooked. There is action, gruesome pain, different perspectives about situations involving suffering, suicide, and murder, and as mentioned above, scenes that really make you think. The ending really threw a curve ball at me and it was quite a twist.
The characters are really well developed, and I actually found myself with some pretty strong feelings towards them. Stickman and his devotion, the bouncers, Lucy, Freddy, Frank, and Tim, all of them were fun to get into.
I gladly recommend this book and once you read or listen to it (I used Audible and PJ Ochlan did a wonderful job with narration), you will find yourself rooting for death just as I was.
I loved the take on Death and the other entities present throughout the story. This was a deeply introspective book that had me examining what I understand about the nature of life. Looking at how different the concepts of death and pain are, and what the actual nature of death really amounts to, I found myself deep in thought at many points throughout the story.
This book really has quite a bit to keep the reader hooked. There is action, gruesome pain, different perspectives about situations involving suffering, suicide, and murder, and as mentioned above, scenes that really make you think. The ending really threw a curve ball at me and it was quite a twist.
The characters are really well developed, and I actually found myself with some pretty strong feelings towards them. Stickman and his devotion, the bouncers, Lucy, Freddy, Frank, and Tim, all of them were fun to get into.
I gladly recommend this book and once you read or listen to it (I used Audible and PJ Ochlan did a wonderful job with narration), you will find yourself rooting for death just as I was.
February 15, 2019
Excellent book! I love a book that can keep me on the edge of my seat with the drama, but then also make me think about huge concepts like life and death and everything involved in between and outside of it. Kinda wanted to know what the results were at the end, though, but overall, a thoroughly great read!
October 25, 2020
Kick ass!!! Better than American Gods. I laughed more and longer belly laughs than any book in years. Great strong language. Wonderful narration. Would be a great hard R movie or short TV series. Not just action. I cried and deeply pondered. My favorite of the year. Keith C. Blackmore fans highly recommend. Smart, fun, gory, deep, funny, silly and great read.
20 hours, 34 minutes
20 hours, 34 minutes
March 31, 2012
Initially I was a little shocked at what seemed like gratuitous super violence, but this book had me hooked and I really enjoyed it. I'll have to take a look At what else mr. Blackmore might have to offer.
August 21, 2019
It might be good but I’m not sure bc I’m distracted by the horrible narrator. If you want to enjoy this book purchase the actual book...DO NOT get it on Audible....you’ll be horribly disappointed.
December 3, 2019
The Missing Boatman by Keith C. Blackmore is kind of like is American Gods, or something Terry Pratchett might have dreamt, as re imagined as the journey of a stripper loving, sailor-mouthed, testicle and beer obsessed, Canadian club bouncer douche bag.
My initial journey with the book was a dark comedy delight about a Canadian club bouncer and sometimes thug in a town where something is going slightly, supernaturally wrong. There is an excellent action scene and some gory happenings and a curious level in insight into strip club social dynamics.
But then everything changes in the second half in which it becomes a road story. This is Where the American Gods comparison kicks in. Apparently Death is embodied as a living some of demi god person, just like Luck and Pain, who become his mysterious travelling companions.
They seek out Death, because he's sick of helping people and shit and having some kind of personal crisis. The third act goes into a lot of straight comedy in which the hero and the various gods bicker about dicks, beer, and people killing each other.
I was fairly unsatisfied after listening to the long audio book, as it's quite a bit longer than you think it would be. The dialogue grew beyond redundant pretty quickly.
The whole second half just didn't really work for me. But after some thought, it had tried something different. It went for some kind of weird road story and the action writing was pretty decent. The prolonged hand to hand fights are pretty cool, if perhaps a bit comical in their excess.
There's some kind of Canadian metalhead appeal to it. A grungey macho dude bro ethos that wears sunglasses and gestures at his dick. Kind of like a horror comedy written by Kevin Smith during some sort of inexplicable phase of boxing obsession.
My initial journey with the book was a dark comedy delight about a Canadian club bouncer and sometimes thug in a town where something is going slightly, supernaturally wrong. There is an excellent action scene and some gory happenings and a curious level in insight into strip club social dynamics.
But then everything changes in the second half in which it becomes a road story. This is Where the American Gods comparison kicks in. Apparently Death is embodied as a living some of demi god person, just like Luck and Pain, who become his mysterious travelling companions.
They seek out Death, because he's sick of helping people and shit and having some kind of personal crisis. The third act goes into a lot of straight comedy in which the hero and the various gods bicker about dicks, beer, and people killing each other.
I was fairly unsatisfied after listening to the long audio book, as it's quite a bit longer than you think it would be. The dialogue grew beyond redundant pretty quickly.
The whole second half just didn't really work for me. But after some thought, it had tried something different. It went for some kind of weird road story and the action writing was pretty decent. The prolonged hand to hand fights are pretty cool, if perhaps a bit comical in their excess.
There's some kind of Canadian metalhead appeal to it. A grungey macho dude bro ethos that wears sunglasses and gestures at his dick. Kind of like a horror comedy written by Kevin Smith during some sort of inexplicable phase of boxing obsession.
November 2, 2018
Anyone else feel like Keith May have gotten some inspiration from the Family Guy Episode “Death is a Bitch”? I mean, Frank even had a football shaped head. And when the Japanese girl jumps from the roof of the building, I kept seeing the scene from the aforementioned episode when Peter jumps from the roof of the tall building to both prove he couldn’t die, and win a bet with Cleveland and Quagmire.
Anyway, all that aside, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Mr. Blackmore has definitely honed his writing skills since writing this book. Like many have already stated, I was thoroughly intrigued by the premise, but I feel he ultimately fell short. My real rating would be a 2.5 out of 5, but because that’s not possible on Goodreads, and because I’m not willing to go to 3, I settled on a 2 rating.
Perhaps I’ll expand my review when I’m not writing it on an iPhone.
Anyway, all that aside, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Mr. Blackmore has definitely honed his writing skills since writing this book. Like many have already stated, I was thoroughly intrigued by the premise, but I feel he ultimately fell short. My real rating would be a 2.5 out of 5, but because that’s not possible on Goodreads, and because I’m not willing to go to 3, I settled on a 2 rating.
Perhaps I’ll expand my review when I’m not writing it on an iPhone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2025
I enjoyed the narration very much. And I had high hopes for this story because it started out so well. But I came to find Tony to be brutish and stupid. There is never really much that seems to be going on inside his head, and the things that do manage to make it out of his mouth are hardly worth heeding. He too often repeats questions, and his vocabulary is so diminutive that half the words in most of his sentences are just profanity. This title is way too long to endure such a dullard. The humor is on the level of being juvenile, and because of the profanity, I am reluctant to think that juveniles are the target audience. Or maybe they are. Now that I consider it, Tony does seem like an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, and slightly retarded 11-year-old boy.
February 22, 2023
Very similar to Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" and "American Gods". I liked "The Sandman" graphic novels when I was a teenager but do not care for them anymore. Unfortunately, I ended up feeling the same detachment throughout this book. The writing is fantastic, and the characters were pretty good but I just felt put off by the story, the premise, the raunchiness of the language and the personalities depicted. I loved the Mountain Man series, which is the only reason I read this. This work pales in comparison.
March 20, 2025
Story was okay. Narration was alright. Voice acting was excellent!
Had some interesting concepts and a good ending. Just kinda felt really drawn out. I've like most of the stuff that I've listened to by Keith C Blackmore, but not a huge fan of this one. This book was labeled as horror/thriller, but definitely is not a horror book.
As for the narrator, since I listened to the audio, he's a little stiff when narrating scenes and thoughts, but when it comes to dialogue he did incredibly well! If he's not already into voice acting for cartoons, he should be.
Had some interesting concepts and a good ending. Just kinda felt really drawn out. I've like most of the stuff that I've listened to by Keith C Blackmore, but not a huge fan of this one. This book was labeled as horror/thriller, but definitely is not a horror book.
As for the narrator, since I listened to the audio, he's a little stiff when narrating scenes and thoughts, but when it comes to dialogue he did incredibly well! If he's not already into voice acting for cartoons, he should be.
October 10, 2018
The Missing Boatman By: Keith C. Blackmore
Do not miss this one! The storyline is unique, loaded w/terror and violence, repulsive, suspenseful, and action packed. Characters are compelling and like it or not, relatable. This book grabs you and does not let go! Blackmore is wildly talented, if you haven’t read his Mountain Man Series yet, do so NOW! 5 Stars, I highly recommend!!!
Do not miss this one! The storyline is unique, loaded w/terror and violence, repulsive, suspenseful, and action packed. Characters are compelling and like it or not, relatable. This book grabs you and does not let go! Blackmore is wildly talented, if you haven’t read his Mountain Man Series yet, do so NOW! 5 Stars, I highly recommend!!!
August 7, 2021
I would give this 4.5 stars. It reminded me of a combination of The Stand and Bad Omens. I was thoroughly entertained and wished this particular storyline was a series. I definitely want to read more from this author.
December 3, 2025
DNF. OMG it's so damn boring. Made much worse with terrible narration, I have it at 1.75x speed and it feels like I'm listening on half the speed, it's so slow and monotone that feels like it's computer generated but even a computer can't be that boring.
Read
October 10, 2019A book about scenic Canada in winter.
February 19, 2021
Bit slow to begin with… but picks up…
Ended being a great read. Reminded me of American Gods, in terms of the mythology that he was exploring. Might read another one of his books..l
Ended being a great read. Reminded me of American Gods, in terms of the mythology that he was exploring. Might read another one of his books..l
May 10, 2023
This book was good overall. There are some homophobic jokes that fell flat and came off juvenile, but storywise it was well done.
October 30, 2024
This is an outstanding book, story, and concept.
December 7, 2024
I thought this novel was an amazing combination of dark humor and horror. Some pretty graphic violence sometimes, but also seem to remember laughing out loud at times.
January 14, 2025
Just not for me.
April 13, 2024
Keith never disappoints. Kickass, funny, sad, and strangely awesome!
February 7, 2022
Я убью тебя, Лодочник!
Автор, судя по всему, умудрился заключить контракт на книгу, по которому ему платили за количество знаков. Иначе никак не могу объяснить тот факт, что автор затягивает буквально каждую сцену, каждый диалог. Герои переливают из пустого в порожнее, появляются односценные персонажи (все эти самоубийцы) и ненужные подробности. Например- Тони едет куда-то в машине, а слушатель 5 минут слушает радио викторину пока Тони едет. И слушатель узнаёт очень много нужной и полезной информации, такой, как имена дозвонившихся на радио, какие призы в викторине, какой дозвонившийся предпочитает какой приз. Как это всё относится к сюжету???
А автор ещё и глумится с слушателей, вставляя в сцене драки в баре(естественно, тоже затянутой) такой кусочек: "They fought toe to toe for only seconds. But ask anyone in a fight about how a few seconds weight like years on a combatant..."
Обычно у меня аллергия на такое, но автор сразу начинает рассказывать историю. К Тони приходят какие-то непонятные личности и просят его найти какого-то человека. И Тони срывается в поездку. "Окей,"-думал я- " хоть всё и затянуто, но, возможно, это будет неплохая roadstory с приключениями, погонями и всякими ситуациями". Но к средине книги роудстори закончилась, лодочника нашли, и мой интерес к книге мгновенно снизился. Настолько, что я чуть не выключил книгу, когда дело дошло до тупой средины с базарами про жопы официанток, блевоту и бухло.
А ещё автор, похоже, совсем недавно узнал что такое ругательные слова. В книге он восторженно, как ребёнок, вставляет трёхэтажные, многострочные и глупые ругательные выражения устами своих героев. И они, герои, их повторяют и повторяют по несколько раз, добавляя букв в книгу и центов в копилочку автора, однофамильца Ричарда.
В целом, вместо затянутых диалогов и подробностей можно было бы рассказать читателям больше про сущностей, про причину их вражды друг с другом, про их отношения. А также лучше продумать историю в некоторых местах.
Общая концепция напомнила мне книгу Jonathan Maberry "Ghost road blues", которую я не дослушал. Тоже огромная затянутая хрень, тоже приквел к зомби апокалипсису. Однако, если у Маберри в заглавии книги был тэг #1, и читатель понимал, что сия опупея затянется непонятно на сколько, то в Лодочнике никаких тэгов я не вижу. Автор не планирует продолжение? Тогда вдвойне не понятно почему автор решил не раскрывать сущность сущностей, так сказать. До конца не продумал концепцию?
Если у кого-то из читателей возникнет мысль кто же такой этот лодочник, вынесенный в название книги, то Лодочник, (или Смерть), скорее всего, это Харон.
UPD. Но не могу не отметить, что книга запомнилась, не смотря на сырость всей истории. Пол года спустя после прослушивания я листаю список своих книг в категории Read, и ловлю себя на мысли, что помню далеко не все книги, прослушанные после лодочника. А вот лодочника помню.
Автор, судя по всему, умудрился заключить контракт на книгу, по которому ему платили за количество знаков. Иначе никак не могу объяснить тот факт, что автор затягивает буквально каждую сцену, каждый диалог. Герои переливают из пустого в порожнее, появляются односценные персонажи (все эти самоубийцы) и ненужные подробности. Например- Тони едет куда-то в машине, а слушатель 5 минут слушает радио викторину пока Тони едет. И слушатель узнаёт очень много нужной и полезной информации, такой, как имена дозвонившихся на радио, какие призы в викторине, какой дозвонившийся предпочитает какой приз. Как это всё относится к сюжету???
А автор ещё и глумится с слушателей, вставляя в сцене драки в баре(естественно, тоже затянутой) такой кусочек: "They fought toe to toe for only seconds. But ask anyone in a fight about how a few seconds weight like years on a combatant..."
Обычно у меня аллергия на такое, но автор сразу начинает рассказывать историю. К Тони приходят какие-то непонятные личности и просят его найти какого-то человека. И Тони срывается в поездку. "Окей,"-думал я- " хоть всё и затянуто, но, возможно, это будет неплохая roadstory с приключениями, погонями и всякими ситуациями". Но к средине книги роудстори закончилась, лодочника нашли, и мой интерес к книге мгновенно снизился. Настолько, что я чуть не выключил книгу, когда дело дошло до тупой средины с базарами про жопы официанток, блевоту и бухло.
А ещё автор, похоже, совсем недавно узнал что такое ругательные слова. В книге он восторженно, как ребёнок, вставляет трёхэтажные, многострочные и глупые ругательные выражения устами своих героев. И они, герои, их повторяют и повторяют по несколько раз, добавляя букв в книгу и центов в копилочку автора, однофамильца Ричарда.
В целом, вместо затянутых диалогов и подробностей можно было бы рассказать читателям больше про сущностей, про причину их вражды друг с другом, про их отношения. А также лучше продумать историю в некоторых местах.
Общая концепция напомнила мне книгу Jonathan Maberry "Ghost road blues", которую я не дослушал. Тоже огромная затянутая хрень, тоже приквел к зомби апокалипсису. Однако, если у Маберри в заглавии книги был тэг #1, и читатель понимал, что сия опупея затянется непонятно на сколько, то в Лодочнике никаких тэгов я не вижу. Автор не планирует продолжение? Тогда вдвойне не понятно почему автор решил не раскрывать сущность сущностей, так сказать. До конца не продумал концепцию?
Если у кого-то из читателей возникнет мысль кто же такой этот лодочник, вынесенный в название книги, то Лодочник, (или Смерть), скорее всего, это Харон.
UPD. Но не могу не отметить, что книга запомнилась, не смотря на сырость всей истории. Пол года спустя после прослушивания я листаю список своих книг в категории Read, и ловлю себя на мысли, что помню далеко не все книги, прослушанные после лодочника. А вот лодочника помню.
February 28, 2017
Cry havoc!
What happens when Death abandons his post? Great tale about those from the world behind the world come to life, walking among us, pulling the strings to get him back on duty. It's a rawer, grittier American Gods. Another reviewer likened it to early Stephen King, before he started phoning it in -- agreed. Great characters. Great tension. Great dialogue. Great action. A LOT of blood is shed, in vivid detail...but it doesn't detract from the many charms of the players -- human and otherwise -- and the paths they're set on. Flaws so minor I can't even bear to point them out, this book is so much fun. And it's pretty hefty: a big seven hours' worth of intense thrill ride. What a great read. Thanks, Mr. Blackmore!
What happens when Death abandons his post? Great tale about those from the world behind the world come to life, walking among us, pulling the strings to get him back on duty. It's a rawer, grittier American Gods. Another reviewer likened it to early Stephen King, before he started phoning it in -- agreed. Great characters. Great tension. Great dialogue. Great action. A LOT of blood is shed, in vivid detail...but it doesn't detract from the many charms of the players -- human and otherwise -- and the paths they're set on. Flaws so minor I can't even bear to point them out, this book is so much fun. And it's pretty hefty: a big seven hours' worth of intense thrill ride. What a great read. Thanks, Mr. Blackmore!
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