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The Strain (Hardcover)

by Guillermo del Toro (Author), Chuck Hogan (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 416 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (2 Jun 2009)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007310250
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007310258
  • Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16 x 4.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 49,779 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review

`The cross fertilsation between myth, science and fantasy makes The Strain a rattling piece of escapism....Suck it and see.'
--The Times

Review

Best known as an innovative film director, Mexican Guillermo Del Toro makes his first foray into literature alongside thriller writer Chuck Hogan with this entertaining mix of action blockbuster and vampire myth. With an obvious nod to bram stoker's Dracula, The Strain follows the story of a plane that lands in New York with nearly all passangers dead and a mysterious, earth filled coffin in the hold.
Whether it's the curious dual authorship or just a desire to set the scene accurately, the beginning of the story is a disappointingly sluggish mass of technical description. Thankfully, once The Strain is unleashed and a host of half-zombie, half-vampire creatures start laying waste to New York, the book shifts up a few gears, with Del Toro's talent for creating fantastical, macarbre characters shining through. As part of an intended triology, The Strain ends on a hesitant note but it's still an exciting page turner, perfect for those with a taste for the gruesome.

'The Strain takes a horror staple and gives it a modern patina'
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Customer Reviews

84 Reviews
5 star:
 (29)
4 star:
 (31)
3 star:
 (15)
2 star:
 (6)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (84 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Leech Is Here, 4 Jun 2009
By Ursula K. Raphael "Eclectic Homeschool Mom" (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
First released as Nocturna (La Trilogia De La Nocturna), The Strain begins with a grandmother telling her grandson a boogey-man type of story, in order to make him eat more. A decade later, they are fleeing from the Nazis, and something much worse than a boogey-man. A great start, not only because the grandmother's tale was interesting, but I was eager to find out how Abraham Setrakian (the boy from the beginning) fits into the story.

I have never read a more intense build-up in all my years. The different reactions of the characters when the Regis 777 blacks out on the taxiway, the bizarre details of what they find inside the plane -- all of it just sucked me in. I was surprised that a book with so little action in the first half could have me on the edge of my nerves.

The organization of the book in general, as well as the transitions between POVs, was incredibly well-done. Abraham's recollections, the explanation of "occultation" rather than "solar eclipse," and the off-handed zombie remarks brought me to the precipice of an apocalyptic nightmare descending upon the characters and the world as they know it:

(from The Strain) "His lower jaw descended and out wriggled something pink and fleshy that was not his tongue. It was longer, more muscular and complex...and squirming."

This is not another vampire tale; this is not a blood and gore trail of zombies. This is a horror story -- the first of a trilogy -- the way horror should be: mind-numbingly frightening. Pay attention, horror fans and authors, because Guillermo Del Toro (The Devouring) and Chuck Hogan (The Standoff) have just raised the standards for the genre.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Robert Langdon versus the vampires, 26 Nov 2009
By Wp Harris "chessboy" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Others have said it better so I'll reiterate. Hogan is a thriller writer and this reads more like a bog-standard thriller than a horror novel. It toddles along at a reasonable pace, but it's clumsy stuff. The core idea is riddled with inconsistencies, while the characters are bland. It's not quite as bad as Dan Brown; it's just not very good.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A corking read !, 5 Jun 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
When's the next in the series coming out ? I can't wait ! This was a brilliantly exciting read, very tense, even when it seemed not much was happening. There was a real sense of foreboding for the first 50-60 pages, but as other reviewers have noted, it's fairly easy to guess what's behind the mysterious deaths.
I'm not a big horror fan, but this was easy to read, and not too many gruesome bits. It felt more like a thriller than a ghost or horror story, and much like the best sorts of thrillers, I didn't want to put the book down - I managed to read it in two days.
The only downside about it was knowing that it's the first in a trilogy, and that the story wasn't going to be wrapped up neatly by the last page. However, the pacing was really good, the story didn't feel rushed or indeed, too drawn-out.
But remind me - vampires ARE supposed to die in direct sunlight, right ? Hmm...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Is this a worthwhile read?
The StrainWhether or not this is a worthwhile read depends on what you mean by worthwhile. If you are buying it for a scare then it won't and for a good read then it isn't. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Ms. H. Vangurp

3.0 out of 5 stars Coming soon to a cinema near you?
There's a very cinematic feel to this novel, which has its good and its bad aspects. On the plus side, the descriptions of place and event are rather vivid, and there's real... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Ray Blake

3.0 out of 5 stars A slight strain
The start of the story was really excellent and gripping, truely a can't put down read, unfortunately the quality of the story then dissolved a little with the nature of the... Read more
Published 19 days ago by Gassucker

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good vampire story
This is a good vampire story, that mixes some more traditional stuff encountered in this genre with some more imaginative elements, like the contamination being a virus. Read more
Published 1 month ago by TheMightyAlgernon

5.0 out of 5 stars Top class vampire fiction
I have been collecting vampire fiction and lore books for almost 30 years. To date this is one of the best I have read. The plot is carefully unfolded with great suspense. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Tracy

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining but disappointing vampire tale
First off, I have to say this is more a 2 and a half star book rather than a straight 3 star. It's not bad as in Dan Brown bad by any means, but nor is it anywhere near as good as... Read more
Published 2 months ago by seun

3.0 out of 5 stars Engaging but too flawed to be gripping
The Strain before you even crack the cover has a lot to live up to coming from the pen of Guillermo Del Toro who is better known for his intense action and horror films such as... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Scriber_scouse

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Vampire Script
When I first picked up this book I saw the big print of "Guillermo del Toro" all over it. Without denying the fact the Guillermo is a brilliant director. Read more
Published 2 months ago by R. Patel

5.0 out of 5 stars Scary Stuff!
Just finished this book the other day and oh boy did I enjoy it. Very good story, a sort of different take on the classic vampire story. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sky's the limit!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
Loved it! After seeing something on the internet about this book I did a bit of digging and immediately I knew this book was for me. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lucius D

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