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It's the summer of 1960 in Elm Haven, Illinois, and five 12-year old boys are forming the bonds that a lifetime of changes will never erase. But then a dark cloud threatens the bright promise of summer vacation: on the last day of school, their classmate Tubby Cooke vanishes. Soon, the group discovers stories of other children who once disappeared from Elm Haven. And there are other strange things happening in town: unexplained holes in the ground, a stranger dressed as a World War I soldier, and a rendering-plant truck that seems to be following the five boys. The friends realize that there is a terrible evil lurking in Elm Haven...and they must be the ones to stop it.
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OLD CENTRAL SCHOOL still stood upright, holding its secrets and silences firmly within. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
OLD CENTRAL SCHOOL still stood upright, holding its secrets and silences firmly within. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Dan Simmons is at it again - 'Summer of Night' is a great piece of horror fiction. It concerns a group of school-boys living in a small American town in the 1960's. During the summer vacation they uncover mystery & horror, an embark upon an adventure to rid the town of the evil that pervades it.
The book is extremely well-written, although readers of Stephen King's 'It' may see some similarities. This is a much better book however - it is about half the length of King's epic and much faster-paced.
Simmons' ability to build up the tension remains unbeatable - he is by far more masterful at this than King, Koontz, Herbert, or Hutson. There is a real sense of dread that makes your heart beat that little bit faster.
This is a truly creepy book, with moments of humour, sadness, nostalgia and horror. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! Buy it now!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having read the other reviews i was expecting a skillfull account of adolescence, much like Stephen King's The Body (later filmed as Stand By Me), what i got however was an adults account of adolescence which did not quite ring true. The innocence and rucks these boys got into was not as deftly written as it could have been and much of the evocation of such a period in any one's life did not seem realistic. The characters in the first chapter were however described well and gave a good sense of what the break up of summer term would feel like.
This is my second Simmons book and probably my last as the writer annoyingly spends far too long in tedious, over-long descriptions of what will happen and then further describes the action as it happens. Simmons's book needs an editor to make the action tighter. If you want an excellent book in the same vein as Kings The Body and just as well written, I implore you to read Robert McCammon's Boys Life.
This is my second Simmons book and probably my last as the writer annoyingly spends far too long in tedious, over-long descriptions of what will happen and then further describes the action as it happens. Simmons's book needs an editor to make the action tighter. If you want an excellent book in the same vein as Kings The Body and just as well written, I implore you to read Robert McCammon's Boys Life.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
When one of their classmates suddenly disappears into thin air, the lives of a group of twelve-year-old boys in the small town of Elm Haven, Illinois are about to change dramatically.
During the summer holiday, Mike, Dale, Lawrence, Kevin, Jim Harlen and Duane set out investigating Tubby Cooke's mysterious disappearance and are plunged into an adventure they never bargained for.
During the summer holiday, Mike, Dale, Lawrence, Kevin, Jim Harlen and Duane set out investigating Tubby Cooke's mysterious disappearance and are plunged into an adventure they never bargained for.
Sure, the plot of the story has Stephen King written all over it. Still it is a very thrilling, well-written book, although I could not help wondering if the average eleven-year-old boy is as clever and daring as Mike and his friends are. I mean, would you drive your father's four-ton milk truck straight into your old school and shoot at your former principal with your grandma’s squirrel gun, even if he turns out to be an instrument of Evil?
The book's actual strength though is not its plot, but the way the principal characters are portrayed and the vivid descriptions of rural life in a small American town in the 1960's. The book almost reads like a film. You can easily picture yourself riding your bike along with the boys, hiding in one of their secret Camps or playing ball in the park.
Not that many writers share Simmons' rare talent for character portrayal, especially in the field of horror and SF.
If you are curious to know what became of some of the heroes in "Summer of Night" you might like to read "Children of the Night" (Mike O'Rourke) and "A Winter Haunting" (Dale Stewart).
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Simmons at his best
I loved this book. I am a Dan Simmons fan, and have read most of his novels. His ability to switch between genres yet maintain his trademark page-turning suspense is remarkable,... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Richard A
Is it safe to look under the bed yet?
Just finished this today & thought it deserved a review straight away. Really, really enjoyed it. From the back cover you could easily think it was a rip-off of Stephen King's... Read more
Published 20 months ago by herdy1
Highly recommended - Unputdownable !
An amazingly well written book that actually makes you care about the characters. Im a big fan of Stephen King and to my mind this Dan Simmons effort is as good if not better than... Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2009 by T. Guise
Simply the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
First time I came across Summer of Night was back in 1999. Since then I've read it three times! There is nothing I can say negative about this book. Read more
Published on 20 Oct 2005 by "sadiaarfin"
Absolutely brilliant read
When I first read the synopsis of this novel I thought to myself not another one of those child horror novels because to my way of thinking you want horror you read Stephen... Read more
Published on 14 July 2003 by Doria Yoyo
The hairs on the back of my neck are still standing on end!
This book is fantastic - I would recommend anyone to read it - particularly if you are an avid reader of horror - including Stephen King and James Herbert. Read more
Published on 21 Feb 2000 by janerumbold@wkc.ac.uk
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