Nobody true - James Herbert > Reviews

Advantages: It has James Herbert's name on the cover
Disadvantages: Repetition, ponderous prose, obstructive footnotes

...trepidation that I picked up Nobody True. And the opening line: "I wasn't there when I died." followed by the paragraph: "Really. I wasn't. And finding my body dead came as a shock. Hell, I was horrified, lost, couldn't understand what the fuck had happened." did little to inspire me. Still, I was without a novel to read, so I got on with the job at hand and have to say I struggled. Whilst I might not have enjoyed James Herbert's more recent works, ... Read review

Advantages: Well written, back to the old form
Disadvantages: Some may find it a bit taxing

Take a big dollop of Fluke, a spoonful of Others, a pinch of The Dark and the tiniest drop of The Jonah, stir it up and you may well have James Herbert's new book 'Nobody True'. Or perhaps I'm being a little unfair on the whole thing, lets take a peek. Nobody True, (don't make the same mistake as I did calling it Nobody's True, sounds easier) is the newest output of Britain's greatest horror writer James Herbert. Although I'm sure that I'd call ... Read review

Advantages: Another Exciting Novel From An Excellent British Writer
Disadvantages: I Couldn't Put It Down!

Nobody True is James Herbert’s 21st novel and amazingly for somebody that has written so many best sellers Herbert has remained original and fresh. I have been reading James Herbert’s novels for about 12 years now and still eagerly await any new releases. This novel is truly original – at least I have never read or heard of any other books written about the concept in Nobody True. My intention with this review is to whet your appetite for ... Read review

Advantages: Thought provoking
Disadvantages: Bit hard going

Nobody True written by James Herbert. James True - a pretty average person,five-eleven tall,slimmish,good mid-brown hair,blue eyes, not bad looking. Average - quite ordinary really. Except he has O.B.E.'s (out of body experiences) The first time was due to a rather hot boiled potato that he over eagerly tried to eat whole. In order to save his mother any embarassment by making a scene, whilst burning his mouth, he tried to swallow the offending ... Read review

Advantages: Unusual story, Good Characters
Disadvantages: Can't think of any

...trepidation that I began reading Nobody True only to find I could not put it down. It is the story of Jim True who discovers he can leave his body at will. Returning after one of these Out of Body experiences he returns to find he has been murdered in a rather gruesome manner (Not recommended for those with a delicate stomach.), and so he becomes a witness to the investigation into his own murder and now free of his body embarks on a quest to find ... Read review

Advantages: Unusual body / soul possessions etc
Disadvantages: Quite slow and boring at the beginning

This is a Shaun Hutson type gruesome horror. It starts off quite slow and boring... like a crime novel - trying to solve the mystery behind a murder. The unusual thing is that the detective is the murdered victim! Half-way through, the book it gets really twisted and has a very original storyline - involving possesion of dead bodies! It is a bit like watching a horror movie. You follow the main character, deceased, who sees people getting ... Read review

Advantages: James Herbert
Disadvantages: Not on form

J.H. makes an homage within the book to the movie Ghost, but it was far too similar for me to give it the praise that I see has been awarded by my fellow reviewers. This book for me was/is a good holiday book. I read it on the beach in Spain. I read it in 2 days, it was an easy read and it flowed. The story was typical Herbert in that it was subtle and easy going, almost light one minute then as a reader I was taken to a dark, malign, evil place. The ... Read review

Advantages: Credible characters, believable story of the fantastic.
Disadvantages: Couldn't put it down!

Some books just grab your attention straight from the start, and this is one of them. This book went everywhere with me until it was finished. I know another reviewer has already quoted the first line as his title, but you have to read the next couple of lines: I wasn't there when I died. Really I wasn't. And finding my body dead came as a shock. Hell, I was horrified, lost, couldn't understand what the f*** had happened. Because I'd ... Read review

Advantages: Herbert really makes death come alive
Disadvantages: opening chapters and background are a little overdone

As ever, Herbert comes up with some interesting and unexpected angles. Just when you reckon you know whodunnit, you discover...oops, wrong! The OBEs (out of body experiences) which give links to the past and the background to the story are overdone a bit in my humble view. I felt that Herbert tended to be repetative often - especially during the first 10 or so chapters. Briefly, the story considers the trauma (can you feel trauma when you're ... Read review

Advantages: Lots of detail and an immense story line.
Disadvantages: It ends.

Nobody True is definately Herberts best book to date. The star character is called James True (Notice the title) and the book goes through a detailed study of his life as if it was written by the character. James True starts to experience OBE's, (Out of body experiences) and at first he is worried by the fact. Then however, he learns to control his OBE's and finds that he can detatch his mind from his body. Then, one night while experincing an OBE, ... Read review

Advantages: Guaranteed to give sleepless nights.
Disadvantages: Vivid imaginations go into overdrive.

Nobody True should carry a warning: Not to be read by those of a spiritual disposition. The first quarter of the book lulls the reader into a false sense of comfortable readability until the gruesome death of our hero. As the reader progresses, it becomes clear Nobody True is hardly a novel for the coffee table, although reading the latter chapters in the company of friends will give courage to ‘enter’ the following chapters. This compulsive ... Read review

Advantages: a well written book by the best british horror writer
Disadvantages: none

this rates as his finest story since the rats. a good plot , excellent story and great characters. the book tells the story of one mans death and his obsession to find his own murderer and exact his own unusual form of justice. he brings the out of body experience to a new and horrifying level. imagine you meditate, find yourself out of your body and then find your body is dead when you try to return leaving you to wander the earth as a spirit ... Read review