Koontzland - Dean Koontz discussion

Since Dean published so many books there are ones bound to disappoint us, don't live up to our expectations etc.
Here we can post our opinions (of course spoiler free). I think it's a nice counterpart to the favourites topic.

My hits (of course extremely controversial):

Watchers - proclaimed his best work I found it very dull, with unlikable and unbelieveable characters and no suspense. The dog was so over the top that it became funny, but seriously I don't know why it's considered his best work since he has many more in the same vein that are executed much better.
EDIT" After finishing TDEOTY, I changed my rating of the book to three stars. It still has the flaws mentioned but is at least a genuine novel.
EDIT2: What was I thinking. It's still a 2 star at best.

Odd Thomas - I remember buying this one and "Cell" by Stephen King, and reading them back to back. Cell went first, and I really liked it; I had such high expectations for Odd Thomas because of all those good reviews it has been getting. Was I wrong...the flowery writing, cardboard characters and very typical plot. Seriously, the book reads like a sophomore slump and is just plain average at best. The other two parts that I've read are no better. And the A.Christie spoiler is outrageous.

The Eyes of Darkness - this just sucks, It's one of the few times that I felt cheated after reading a novel. The Deus Ex Machina ending is so bad that even the apologetic afterword didn't help - if it was rewritten the ending should have been changed because it destroys the whole premise.

The Darkest Evening of the Year - One word: WHY ?

I'm not keen on the "high-concept" thrillers he's been putting out, like The Husband, Velocity and The Good Guy. It's clear that they won't put Harlan Coben out of the game so why bother ?

How about you ?

What are some of your favorite Harlan Coben titles? i've never read any; could you suggest one as a starting point?

I've read three Coben books: Tell No One, Just One Look and No Second Chance, also a colecton of stories by various authors which was promoted by him. I can recommend you the two first mentioned. I've read both in a single sitting, totally captivating and gripping thrillers, with enough twists for several novels. No Second Chance was ok, but didn't top those two.

I was disappointed with both Breathless and The Door to December. I have been disappointed with the endings of several others also (e.g., One Door away from Heaven, The Taking, Relentless, etc.), though the rest of each of those books made up for that disappointment, such that I still rated some of them a 5 (by rounding up from a four-point-something).

Shawnee wrote: "I enjoy Koontz books more than any other author I've read. While I liked Winter Moon, I found it wasn't quite as thrilling and easy to keep reading as the others I've read. It lacked something th..."

Wow, I'm surprised to hear that. I really enjoyed Winter Moon and found it to be one of his most thrilling books of all, though I do admit the first half was a bit slow. I love the opening line: "Death was driving an emerald-green Lexus." How can anyone not want to read a book with an opener like that? However, I do respect your opinion and am just offering one of my own for balance. :-)

My Biggest Disappointments
#1 YOUR HEART BELONGS TO ME (2008) - you can read my review for more information :-)
#2 THE PAPER DOORWAY: FUNNY VERSE AND NOTHING WORSE - Dean has nothing on Shel Silverstein!

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/29...

This is gonna make Lori angry :-) but last summer I created this list where you can vote for The Worst of Dean Koontz :-) Check it out if you're interested. It's a fun way to show your frustration & let your voice be heard.

Please vote on the list because right now Brother Odd is listed as #1 and I don't think he deserves that :-( , as you know Brother Odd is my favorite of the Odd Thomas series. And in all honesty, I did create the list before I met Lori :-) and Lori, perhaps we could come to an agreement and I could re-title the list - I'm open to suggestions maybe I can use the word "disappointment" like this thread has or perhaps Lori's choice of words: "just not my cup of tea". :-)

I haven't read Winter Moon. I've requested it from my library and they've ordered it - so I'm just waiting to find out for myself :-)

Now, to be fair - you can also vote on the listopia votes for Dean Koontz Greatest Hits and The Best Dean Koontz. Watchers and Odd Thomas top those lists - to find them just do a search from the listopia lists page :-) The Worst Dean Koontz list is just the one that I created.

Dustin wrote: "http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/29...

This is gonna make Lori angry :-) but last summer I created this list where you can vote for The Worst of Dean Koontz :-) Check it..."

Sorry, but I don't feel it would be appropriate for me to vote, as I have only read two of those books and I have a feeling that Your Heart Belongs to Me is probably the worst, considering everything I have heard about it (as well as Darkest Evening of the Year). I was tempted to vote for Breathless though. ;-) By the way, I don't think the list title would bother Lori, because she only dislikes it when people call the books bad or insult them, not when they say they dislike a book or a book is their least favorite, or just didn't appeal to them. And I can understand her feelings on that matter, though such an opinion could certainly be countered.

I'm thinking she's not gonna like the word "worst"? We'll see.
You can add titles to the list at the top right corner of the list page - there's a search box. So you could add The Door to December if you wanted :-)

Of course some people like different titles than others. I was very disappointed by two books which are considered his best almost universally. It's not like you have to enjoy them all :)
Actually Koontz is a very hit & miss writer for me; I really enjoyed some of his novels and was really disappointed with others. I find his "new" writing extremely iritating at times; I virtually can see how the page was reworked over 50 times. The words are seemingly so perfectly shaped that they sound completely unnatural and false.

Maciek wrote: "...I find his "new" writing extremely iritating at times; I virtually can see how the page was reworked over 50 times. The words are seemingly so perfectly shaped that they sound completely unnatural and false."

Maybe it's just my OCD, but that is appealing to me and I admire the hard work he puts into perfecting his writing. I do understand what you're saying though. I admit he can go a bit overboard with his descriptions.

I too admire it, but it just doesn't work for me. I don't know why he won't "go with the flow" and write for example 5 or 10 pages at one go.

Maciek wrote: "I too admire it, but it just doesn't work for me. I don't know why he won't "go with the flow" and write for example 5 or 10 pages at one go."

I guess that just is not his style. One mustn't fault him for that though. On the contrary, one should appreciate and respect it, even if one may not like it personally. I don't think it should be viewed as a flaw in technique.

I don't wiev it as a flaw - it's a choice of the writer. However I still think it fails in some cases, most notably in the Odd Thomas book.

Maciek wrote: "I don't wiev it as a flaw - it's a choice of the writer. However I still think it fails in some cases, most notably in the Odd Thomas book."

You certainly have a right to that opinion. Such an opinion will indubitably vary, based on a person's disposition/personality.

Jason "
You certainly have a right to that opinion. Such an opinion will indubitably vary, based on a person's disposition/personality. "

Of course. That's why the elders of the internet made such places as this so we can share them :)

Maciek wrote: "Of course. That's why the elders of the internet made such places as this so we can share them :)"

Ah, I like your subtle "ascerbicity" there. ;-)

Dustin, Dustin, Dustin! What were you thinking when you made such a list? Your a little sly one aren't you? Don't change the name for me, as you pointed out you did that before we became friends. But if anyone adds Watchers to that list I think my head will explode! I haven't read Breathless, Your Heart Belongs To Me or The Paper Doorway, but The Husband I really liked. To be honest I like all of them to one degree or another. And wasn't it you Dustin who reminded me that DK doesn't write bad books, just not everyone's cup of tea at times. I couldn't get upset with you for to long anyway.

Because you got to have friends!
I get high with a little help from my friends!
That's what friends are for!
You've got a friend!
Thank you for being a friend!

Right Dustin, Jason, Matt R., and Maciek ?

Lori wrote: "...Right Dustin, Jason, Matt R., and Maciek ?"

Right!

**** :0) ****

Lori, reminds me of the Golden Girls Theme Song:
"If you threw a party, invited everyone you knew, you would see the biggest gift would be from me, and the card attached would say 'Thank You For Being A Friend'!"

Thanks for not being (or at least not staying) upset about that list. I thought it fit into this discussion which is why I dug the old list out of the Goodreads Listopia file cabinet :-) Now that Koontzland group members are aware of it - we might get a more accurate list.

I just clicked on the list - doesn't look like anybody new has voted

Crazy over the rainbow I am crazy
Bars in the window
There must have been a door there in the wall
When I came in
Crazy over the rainbow he is crazy

Tear down the wall

Lori wrote: "Crazy over the rainbow I am crazy
Bars in the window
There must have been a door there in the wall
When I came in
Crazy over the rainbow he is crazy
Tear down the wall
"

?

I did not like The Face. I was very disappointed with the book and wrote a short review after reading it.

Jason I was having a Pink Floyd moment!

Lori wrote: " Jason I was having a Pink Floyd moment!"

Oh, okay. That explains why I didn't get the reference.

Jason do you not know Pink Floyd?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd
All young men should know Pink Floyd!

Lori wrote: " Jason do you not know Pink Floyd?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd
All young men should know Pink Floyd!"

I know of them, of course, I am just not very familiar with their music. From what music of theirs I have heard, I am not a fan.

OMG **^#*&^%^&* Take the arrow out of my heart!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_bvT-...
Go and listen again see if it's not better.

Lori wrote: " OMG **^#*&^%^&* Take the arrow out of my heart!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_bvT-...
Go and listen again see if it's not better."

Sorry, it's just not my cup of tea, as you like to say. ;-) I listened to a bit of it at least.

Pink Floyd is the only band of the "classic rock" genre (I Mean Led Zeppelin and such) that I enjoy listening to. All the others I just can't enjoy.

Get the hell out of here! Maciek likes Floyd! I'm totally fing speechless! ;-)

Lori wrote: " Get the hell out of here! Maciek likes Floyd! I'm totally fing speechless! ;-)"

I am not surprised in the least. :-)

He usually only likes music with no words, so yeah i'm dumbfounded. Oh i'm very pleased about it, but still just stunned. ;o)

Lori wrote: "He usually only likes music with no words..."

How do you know that about him?

Jason "plasborgma" wrote: "Lori wrote: "He usually only likes music with no words..."

How do you know that about him?"

Dun Dun DUNNNNNNN!!!!

Becky wrote: "Dun Dun DUNNNNNNN!!!!"

:-P

I would say my least favorite (so far) would be Servants of Twilight. Maybe because I'm a mom, and it really upset me what the boy was going through....even though you were still left wondering about him.

Kathy wrote: "I would say my least favorite (so far) would be Servants of Twilight...."

That seems to be pretty common.

No way, I was looking forward to Servants of Twilight. The premise is wonderful, and I've read several pages on Amazon and it seemed like great book.

If it's seriously that bad, I must reconsider buying it...

Jason "plasborgma" wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I would say my least favorite (so far) would be Servants of Twilight...."

That seems to be pretty common."

Yeah? Then I don't feel so bad. Though, I can't say anything horrible about it....least favorite sounds so bad. lol

I haven't read Servants of Twilight, but I know the movie based on the book was awful - I started watching it and couldn't finish.

I really like Koontz, and I'm sorry we have this thread. I must say that I have been disappointed in the last 3 books I've read, Breathless, Darkest Evening of the Year, and Your Heart Belongs to Me. (You can read my reviews in my list if you care to.) The only one of the three that I really, really, really dislike was/is Your Heart Belongs to Me. After the hype and knowing what Mr. Koontz is capable of it (I'm sorry) it stunk. The characters were sooooo weak, the ending was very bad, it's just not what he can do. These books seemed (as I said elsewhere) as if some of Koontz's stock characters got together and decided to do some books on their own.

Mike wrote: "I really like Koontz, and I'm sorry we have this thread. I must say that I have been disappointed in the last 3 books I've read, Breathless, Darkest Evening of the Year, and Your Heart Belongs to M..."

Have you read Relentless yet, Mike? He published it last summer, before publishing Breathless in November. I think that Relentless easily makes up for any of the lower quality books you just mentioned (Darkest Evening and Your Heart are very low priorites for me, given what I have heard from so many people about them) and it goes to show that he still has the touch, even if it is not as apparent in much of his other most recent works.

Relentless souns rather camp to me. A writer chased by a crazy book critic ?
The general opinion on it seems to be good though. But hey, everybody loves Watchers too.

Maciek wrote: "Relentless souns rather camp for me. A writer chased by a crazy book critic ?..."

I thought the same thing when I read the synopsis (which is why I waited 6 months to read it), but it is handeled well. You should know by now that, with Koontz, things and characters are often more than what they first appear to be. You will likely find some of the characters and situations to be a bit too good to be true, like with Watchers, but I hope you can put that aside and enjoy the story.