Breathless
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Read an extract from the the first chapter of Breathless, now available in paperback. |
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Review
Praise for Dean Koontz:
‘Odd Thomas is certainly a page-turner – this is a read-at-a-sitting novel – with a terrific final twist’ Observer
‘A terrific pursuit story … clever, up-to-the-minute, and riveting’ Guardian
‘There’s surprise after surprise, including a killer finale … a read-in-one-go novel’ Independent on Sunday
‘Velocity hits its pace from the first page and races through to a suitably climactic ending’ Sydney Sunday Telegraph
‘Dean Koontz is not just a master of our darkest dreams, but also a literary juggler’ The Times
‘Psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying’ The New York Times
Review
Praise for Dean Koontz: 'Odd Thomas is certainly a page-turner -- this is a read-at-a-sitting novel -- with a terrific final twist' Observer 'A terrific pursuit story ! clever, up-to-the-minute, and riveting' Guardian 'There's surprise after surprise, including a killer finale ! a read-in-one-go novel' Independent on Sunday 'Velocity hits its pace from the first page and races through to a suitably climactic ending' Sydney Sunday Telegraph 'Dean Koontz is not just a master of our darkest dreams, but also a literary juggler' The Times 'Psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying' The New York Times
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Having been reading and collecting Dean Koontz books for the last 15 years or so I very nearly didn't buy this latest book from Koontz, his recent novels have ranged from being pretty mediocre to very poor. Additionally having read the reviews on the US Amazon website, a large number of which are very negative, I was dreading that this was going to be on the same level as Koontz recent very poor efforts, namely 'Your Heart Belongs to Me' and 'The Darkest Evening of the Year'. In my opinion Breathless is not quite as bad as those two novels, however it is yet another below average Koontz book.
Firstly I found this to be a very strange novel, not the story, but the way it has been written. Early in the book three separate plot lines are introduced, there is the main plot, a guy and his lady friend who find two strange fluffy creatures in the woods, they are typical Koontz characters, both are incredibly nice people with tragic pasts. They also have a very nice dog. A second plot line involves a psychotic killer, and a third involves some guy out gambling in casinos. Halfway through the book another couple of sub plots are introduced, involving an alcoholic hermit / tramp and another psychotic killer. Now you would assume that all of these different story lines are somehow going to gradually link into each other as the story progresses, some of them do eventually, although in a very limited way, and some literally don't link in at all. My only assumption is that most of these side plots were put in as padding by Koontz who didn't have enough material for the main plot. Having said that without the sub plots there would be no menace or nastiness to the book at all, it would simply be a story of fluffy cute animals running around.
This is not a completely terrible book though, I found the varying plot lines to be quite intriguing and kept my interest as I read through the story, accordingly the first half of the book, as the separate stories develop is pretty good stuff. However it's pretty much downhill in the second half. If you've read a few of Koontz more recent novels you'll start to sink as you progress through the book, with no discernible link developing between the varying characters, you will realise that Koontz is going to suddenly clean-up all the plot lines, with a naff explanation and no real substance, in the last twenty pages or so, a characteristic of many of Koontz recent novels.
If your new to Koontz read his earlier stuff e.g. Watchers, Phantoms, Midnight, which are all brilliant. In my view Intensity was the last really great book Koontz did, which is probably going back ten years or more now.
Firstly I found this to be a very strange novel, not the story, but the way it has been written. Early in the book three separate plot lines are introduced, there is the main plot, a guy and his lady friend who find two strange fluffy creatures in the woods, they are typical Koontz characters, both are incredibly nice people with tragic pasts. They also have a very nice dog. A second plot line involves a psychotic killer, and a third involves some guy out gambling in casinos. Halfway through the book another couple of sub plots are introduced, involving an alcoholic hermit / tramp and another psychotic killer. Now you would assume that all of these different story lines are somehow going to gradually link into each other as the story progresses, some of them do eventually, although in a very limited way, and some literally don't link in at all. My only assumption is that most of these side plots were put in as padding by Koontz who didn't have enough material for the main plot. Having said that without the sub plots there would be no menace or nastiness to the book at all, it would simply be a story of fluffy cute animals running around.
This is not a completely terrible book though, I found the varying plot lines to be quite intriguing and kept my interest as I read through the story, accordingly the first half of the book, as the separate stories develop is pretty good stuff. However it's pretty much downhill in the second half. If you've read a few of Koontz more recent novels you'll start to sink as you progress through the book, with no discernible link developing between the varying characters, you will realise that Koontz is going to suddenly clean-up all the plot lines, with a naff explanation and no real substance, in the last twenty pages or so, a characteristic of many of Koontz recent novels.
If your new to Koontz read his earlier stuff e.g. Watchers, Phantoms, Midnight, which are all brilliant. In my view Intensity was the last really great book Koontz did, which is probably going back ten years or more now.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I suspect that the media critics and I have been reading different books. Surely their comments cannot refer to a book of such little intellectual substance. I was seriously disappointed with this book, for quite a few reasons. The story line is thin, and Koontz introduces a couple of sub-plots which seem interesting at first but then it becomes apparent that they are purely for padding to expand the actual thickness of the book. I suspect that they were both drafts of ideas for different novels, but as he has become lost for ideas in Breathless he has clumsily tacked these into the plot. At the conclusion of the book neither of these sub-plots are fully linked into the conclusion of the main story-line. The main characters are two fluffy beings (which are first seen in the wild and then appear in a garden, rather ET-esque), which develop from being mischievous puppies to walking, talking Oracles and saviours of the 21st Century in a time-span of about 12 hours. And it isn't even a gradual transition; one minute they are drinking water from a bowl and the next they are making pseudo-profound statements.
There is another aspect to this book which is annoying and is a clear attempt to deceive the buyer. Upon picking the novel off the shelf one gets the impression of weight and substance; something which could keep you entertained for a good while. However, in addition to the padding of the story-line there is the physical padding of the book. The sentences are double spaced, the paper used is quite thick and needless paragraphs are given the status of chapters, allowing quite a bit of paper to remain blank. Although I am not pedantic enough to go and check, I suspect that these ploys have made the book one third to one half thicker than it actually needs to be. Given the numbers published this is not an ecologically sound practice, but it is also an insult to (and a deception of) the reader, who is persuaded to part with cash for a substandard item.
There is another aspect to this book which is annoying and is a clear attempt to deceive the buyer. Upon picking the novel off the shelf one gets the impression of weight and substance; something which could keep you entertained for a good while. However, in addition to the padding of the story-line there is the physical padding of the book. The sentences are double spaced, the paper used is quite thick and needless paragraphs are given the status of chapters, allowing quite a bit of paper to remain blank. Although I am not pedantic enough to go and check, I suspect that these ploys have made the book one third to one half thicker than it actually needs to be. Given the numbers published this is not an ecologically sound practice, but it is also an insult to (and a deception of) the reader, who is persuaded to part with cash for a substandard item.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the first (my mother bought this for me on my birthday, not really sure why) and last Kontz book I have and will ever read. I agree with most of the other reviews. The book is padded out with pointless detail. How many times did he describe the hand made desk with copper inlay? Or what after shave and shoes a character is wearing. The book jacket hints at a thriller, involving a chase between the protagonist and a USA government agency: "Homeland Security has quarantined the wilderness around them and sent in assorted scientists to track down and 'neutralize' the threat to the known world. Grady and Cammy aren't sticking around to be mere witnesses to this atrocity - determined to prevent it, they go on the run" This part of the story takes up about 3 pages at the very end of the book. Sorry Mr Koontz but never again....
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Dissapointing
I found this book a bit confusing as I started reading it, jumping from one character to another unrelated character regularly but once I started getting interested in the... Read more
Published 22 days ago by clb
Koontz doesn't take the readers breath away
I would like to say this book takes the readers breath away, but it doesn't. It's ambitious, but, the plot holes are a major issue. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Marcus Walker
Excellent
This book had me enthralled.It was the first book I had ever read by this author and I couldn't put it down. Read more
Published 3 months ago by suru
NOT UP TO SNUFF...
This book gets off to a good start. There are some interesting, though somewhat formulaic plotlines woven throughout, and some of the characters start off as intriguing. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lawyeraau
...... a sorry sorry read
I've never read any of Dean Koontz previous work and was very optimistic that this book (which I picked up for a £1) would be a bargain introduction to a very well known author. Read more
Published 4 months ago by P. F. Yardley
First time Koontz reader
I got bought this book from a family member; previously having never heard of Dean Koontz or any of his work. Read more
Published 9 months ago by JK
A bit off the wall but interesting
This is the first Dean Koontz book I have read and I did not know what to expect. After reading the blurb and the first three chapters I thought what a load of nonsense and put it... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Andrew Dalby
Intriguing, Interconnected stories. Loved It!
I put off reading this book due to the reviews it had gotten, I am really pleased i did not put it off completely though. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Sarah
Another awful Koontz novel
I'd almost give it 2 stars because I enjoyed some of the characters but they were recycled from other stories and the book seemed pointless and unfinished. Read more
Published 10 months ago by RMartin
Disappointed
This novel would be okay if Dean Koontz hadn't written it. He hasn't been at his best lately and here is another proof of it. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Pam
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