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Looking for horror in False Memory, I can see it in Susan’s agoraphobic condition. Imagine a well-adjusted, happy estate agent suddenly too frightened to leave her home. Her life comes to a standstill; she can’t do her job or even look out of her windows in the daylight without ... Read review
Not a continuation of the "Moonlight Bay" series (Seize the Night and Fear Nothing) as ... more
many fans were expecting, False Memory is nonetheless just as powerful and compulsive as anything he has written before.Martie Rhodes is a successful young computer ...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
Not a continuation of the "Moonlight Bay" series (Seize the Night and Fear Nothing) as ... more
many fans were expecting, False Memory is nonetheless just as powerful and compulsive as anything he has written before.Martie Rhodes is a successful young computer ...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
Not a continuation of the "Moonlight Bay" series (Seize the Night and Fear Nothing) as ... more
many fans were expecting, False Memory is nonetheless just as powerful and compulsive as anything he has written before.Martie Rhodes is a successful young computer ...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
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Looking for horror in False Memory, I can see it in Susan’s agoraphobic condition. Imagine a well-adjusted, happy estate agent suddenly too frightened to leave her home. Her life comes to a standstill; she can’t do her job or even look out of her windows in the daylight without fear. Then after months of anguish the mysterious rapist cruelly adds more layers of fear. She fears that it has happened - she fears it happening again. Although ... ...believed because she can’t remember it happening or explain how the rapist gets into her secure home.
The horror for Martie is that she fears for her friend’s well being and with the sudden onset of her own phobia another layer is added. How can she cope with looking after her friend if she fears harming her and what if her phobia is as long lasting as Susan’s? Another great fear is that she will harm the man that ... more
When everything changed Martie Rhodes was taking Valet her golden retriever for his daily walk. Suddenly she became frightened of the shadows and by the time she reached home her panic developed into a fear of herself and what harm she might do to others. Familiar items around her became weapons that she might use to harm those she loved. She could picture herself using them and the damage they were capable of doing and even her car keys became a potentially lethal weapon in her thoughts.
When the panic in Martie died down to a niggling fear, she went to pick up her agoraphobic friend Susan Jagger to take her to see her psychiatrist Dr Mark Ahriman. The twice weekly visits were an ordeal for both of the women. Susan had to overcome her fear of leaving the safety of her home and Martie had to cajole, reason and argue with her friend to make sure that she got the help that she needed. Afterwards as normal Martie felt physically and mentally drained. It was hard seeing her friend who 18 months earlier had lived a normal life going through such terror, but this time she had the added edge of her own fears beginning to envelope her.
When she reached home Martie received a call from Susan who told her that she thought she was being raped regularly. Susan would wake up sore, sometimes bruised and would find sperm in her panties and the smell of a man on her body. She had no recollection of sex or being visited by any man including her ex husband Eric who Susan blamed without any real reason. The doors and windows were always locked securely and her ex husband didn’t have a key. She would put chairs under the door handles every night and they were always in place the next day even after the visits. She would still be wearing her panties and what rapist would dress her again and be able to leave the house exactly as it had been. Susan had thought of an entity like an incubus, but no it had to be Eric.
Martie told her that she would think about what Susan was claiming and ring her back, but really she had more urgent things on her mind like ridding the house of potential weapons. Knives, forks, scissors, bottles, anything that could be used to hurt anybody was being thrown into the garbage bin in a frenzy.
While all of this had been happening to Martie, her husband Dusty was dealing with his own crisis. His drug crazed half brother Skeet had climbed onto the roof of the house that they were contracted to paint and was threatening to jump off. Dusty carefully tried to talk him around but Skeet still jumped. Dusty went over with him as he directed Skeet towards the mattresses quickly laid out on the ground by Dusty’s employees. They survived the fall and Dusty booked his brother into the New Life clinic, the same rehabilitation clinic that he had attended previously.
Dusty picked up some clothes from Skeet’s apartment and searched for some clues to the cocktail of drugs that had been taken. All he found that was strange were sheets of paper with the name Dr. Yen Lo written on them. Back at the clinic he asked his brother what the name meant and Skeet said “I’m listening” while falling into a trancelike state. Under Dusty’s confused questioning Skeet quoted a Haiku and Dusty felt that the 17 syllable Japanese poem had some significance in Skeet’s strange state but what?
When Dusty left Skeet at the clinic he went home to find his house in chaos and his wife in a frightening state. The day after Dr. Mark Ahriman diagnosed Martie’s condition as a rare phobia called autophobia, possibly brought on by being close to somebody else with a phobia, her friend Susan.
Although Dusty was a mere housepainter according to Martie’s mother, he was extremely intelligent and started to question why so many people close to him and his wife were suffering huge problems. Could it all be coincidence, or could there be a human or inhuman influence?
Just a small portion of the storyline to whet your appetite but unfortunately I found this part of the novel the beginning very difficult to get into. Normally when I read anything by this author I’m immediately drawn in and don’t want to put the books down. This time I read the first hundred or so pages over several days and unusual for me considered stopping reading it because I was bored. Perhaps because their was too much description of the surroundings. Or perhaps because there were so many complex characters with complex problems in this 818 page epic for Koontz to explain while setting the stage for the murder, mystery and mayhem to come that it was difficult to make it more interesting.
My perseverance was rewarded. Once the stage was set and the clues started to unravel the excellent Dean Koontz enthralled me once more with the twists and turns of his intriguingly clever but easy to understand plot. I read as much as I could at each sitting until my eyes ached, yet I still didn’t want to put the book down.
Throughout I argued with myself over whether this novel should have been classed as horror or as a psychological thriller. There was nothing supernatural or unreal about it and indeed the events detailed could happen without stretching the imagination too much, but I would hope not to such extremes. Maybe the horror comes from within the characters; there was certainly at least one unsavoury, megalomaniac beast.
Looking for horror in False Memory, I can see it in Susan’s agoraphobic condition. Imagine a well-adjusted, happy estate agent suddenly too frightened to leave her home. Her life comes to a standstill; she can’t do her job or even look out of her windows in the daylight without fear. Then after months of anguish the mysterious rapist cruelly adds more layers of fear. She fears that it has happened - she fears it happening again. Although there is physical proof of sex, she fears not being believed because she can’t remember it happening or explain how the rapist gets into her secure home.
The horror for Martie is that she fears for her friend’s well being and with the sudden onset of her own phobia another layer is added. How can she cope with looking after her friend if she fears harming her and what if her phobia is as long lasting as Susan’s? Another great fear is that she will harm the man that she loves who has his own horrors to deal with.
Dusty loves his half brother and understands why the likable young man is such a mess. Regularly subdued with medication by his own father from an early age the same treatment continued for Skeet when their mother married her fourth medical intellectual. It was an easy step for Skeet to start using hard drugs and Dusty’s ongoing fear is that his brother will harm himself further. Suddenly fear for his wife is added, it’s horrific for him to see his wife in the grip of one of her phobic attacks and his biggest fear is that he will lose her forever if they can’t sort out what is happening to them. Despite those fears and more horrific events revealed I still think that this novel doesn’t truly belong in the horror section of the bookstores.
Unlike some authors with pending deadlines Koontz never seems to lose his skill to intrigue and interest me. Once I’d got through the first part of this novel I appreciated how he had built up the characters and their problems and given readers the opportunity to build up empathy with some of them at least. It was even fun in places. The dog Valet and his antics made me smile and I feared for him when in one part he was in danger of being shot. It would reveal too much of the storyline if I explained how a blue bag of Valet’s poop ended up on the desk of the eminent psychiatrist, but the thought of it in a symbolic kind of way makes me smile. I have the feeling that the author enjoyed writing this novel just as much as I enjoyed reading it.
As with all good things the story had to end and I don’t think that anybody could have found a better way to complete the twists and turns and tie up the loose ends with a superbly strong ending. Every time I read one of Dean Koontz’s novels he becomes my favourite author all over again. The same happened this time despite the shaky start.
The paperback is for sale on Amazon for £6.39 and is categorised in crime, thrillers and mystery and not as a horror book as the sticker on the cover states and this category heading implies. Maybe horror stories are expected of him but you don’t always get what you expect with Dean Koontz and that is one of the reasons why I like his style.
If it hadn't have been for the slow start I would have given this book 5 stars.
Martie Rhodes, once a strong independant woman, who designs video games for a living is reduced to a quivering wreck, afraid of her own shadow. Susan Jagger, Martie`s best friend, is agoraphobic, and seems to be getting worse every time Martie sees her. Dusty, Martie`s husband is a house painter, and while on a job he has to stop his half-brother Skeet from jumping off a roof after taking a cocktail of pills.
What these people have in common, is ... ...her friend Susan for therapy sessions, Martie suddenly develops a severe case of autophobia, but calms down once she`s settled in Dr Ahriman`s office. His office also has the same effect on Susan. What is the secret behind Dr Ahriman`s ability to calm people down?
After Skeet is admitted into a rehabilitation clinic, Dusty goes to his apartment to get him some stuff. While there, he finds the name of a doctor he hasn`t heard of written down on a ...
sue26 10.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of False Memory - Dean Koontz
Advantages: Brilliantly captivating story, wonderful characters, hard to put down! Disadvantages: None
This has to be one of the 'fattest' books I have read. The only reason I bought it, as oppose to a 'normal' sized book, is because of its author, Dean Koontz. I have read quite a few of his books now and find his writing style fantastic. In fact I find the style easier and more enjoyable to read than Stephen King who at times goes on far too much for my liking. I can deal with a little desciption but not pages at a time. Anyway back to reviewing ... ...put you off. Don't think that you don't have the time to read such a massive book and therefore should opt for something else. You will surprised at how fast you will get through it! It hardly took me any time - the story is truly captivating.
The story mainly centres around a couple, Martie and Dusty Rhodes. Martie has a friend, Susan, who suffers from agoraphobia and being the kind and caring person that Martie is she encourages her friend to ...
Deenie 14.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of False Memory - Dean Koontz
Advantages: Keeps you turning the pages faster and faster Disadvantages: Usual lengthy unnessary descriptions
...before he had that obviously false hair piece in his jacket pictures, I was sceptical about this latest offering. For me, his writing was becoming too predictable. What a fool I was! Having read everything he has ever written, this has got to be his best.
Ok, it still has some of his trademark over descriptive bits, like how dark the night is and the sort of houses and their decor - but if like me, you skip these pithy sections, the pace is quite ... ...starts with Martie (Martine) Rhodes, a video games designer who is happily married to Dusty (Sherwood) Rhodes, a house painter in southern California. Upon taking their faithful mutt (are they anything else in Koontz's books?) for his morning walkies, Martie suffers what she believes is some sort of panic attack. As a firemans daughter, brought up to be strong and independent, she shakes off this foolishness and goes to visit her best friend Susan ...
Sushi 27.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of False Memory - Dean Koontz
Advantages: A genuinely compelling novel, even though you know what's going to happen Disadvantages: A bit long?
A book which delves into the less pleasant aspects of the human psyche, it could easily descend into cliché and be a dismal failure. Instead, the book succeeds brilliantly.
The central character is Dr Mark Ahriman, a genius psychologist whose gift is put to the pursuit of power in self-centred games involving human pawns whose minds he controls with use of characters from a novel and Japanese haikus.
It's a bit creepy really, the way in which mental ... ...real life? Does it already? Best not think about that.
The good guys being toyed around with are Martie and Dusty Rhodes, whose love affair is deep and touching, and somehow permeates every part of the book. And of course, they win, though not without the odd mishap on the way. That they would was always going to happen, of course, but I greatly enjoyed seeing just how they managed it.
There's no great twist in the tale at the end, (though the ...
AndrewDalton 09.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of False Memory - Dean Koontz
Advantages: Extremely gripping story Disadvantages: Hard to put down
As a rule I am usually an avid Stephen King fan. However, when a friend of mine suggested that I borrow her Dean Koontz book called "False Memory" which she thought I would enjoy, I thought what the hell and gave it a try.
From the moment that I read the first page I was hooked, as like most people, you can usually tell if you are going to like a book by the end of the first page.
The story of "False Memory" is about a woman called Susan Jagger ... ...week with the support and help of her best friend Martie. However, Susan doesn't seem to be getting any better. Then one morning Martie experiences a briefly, irrational but disquieting fear of her own shadow, and she is diagnosed with autophobia.
In the meantime Martie's husband Dusty who is a painter and decorater is having the task of trying to stop his step-brother "Skeet" from jumping off the roof of one of clients homes.
Dusty also has the ...
tazzy232 05.08.2002
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Advantages: Will appeal to any Koontz fan Disadvantages: Very long
and the reader will undergo a variety of emotions as they read about their adventures.
Koontz starts with numerous plot strands that he eventually weaves seamlessly together to link the whole plot. This is done with skill and it shows that Koontz is once again at the top of his craft. The book is long, but it does not drag and unlike his previous novel, ‘FalseMemory’, the plot moves along very quickly.
DeanKoontz is normally known for his masterpieces of ‘Watchers’, ‘Lightning’ and to a lesser extent, the Moonlight Bay novels. However, with ‘From The Corner Of His Eye’, he has excelled himself. The novel is excellent and may well be his best to date. If he can continue to produce novels of this calibre, he will be riding the best-seller charts for years to come. His fans will adore it and no ...
Advantages: Light, fast-paced, twists in the plot... Disadvantages: Slighty too light for my taste - read in a day..
sand... (god I need a holiday!)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* OTHER STUFF *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Publisher: Harper Collins2005 ~ www.harpercollins.co.uk
ISBN: 0 00 719695
PAPERBACK
<><><><><><><><><> MORE BY DEANKOONTZ <><><><><><><><><>
<> ODD THOMAS <> THE TAKING <> THE FACE <> FALSEMEMORY <>
<> MR MURDER <> LIGHTENING <> ICEBOUND <> THE VISION <>
<> THE EYES OF DARKNESS <> SHATTERED <> INTENSITY <> STRANGERS <>
<> STRANGE HIGHWAYS <> WATCHERS <> THE BAD PLACE <> TICKTOCK <>
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE ........ ;)
Hope this is helpful, thanks for reading! Kes :) ...
