- Paperback: 324 pages
- Publisher: Pan Books (1999)
- ISBN-10: 0330396455
- ISBN-13: 978-0330396455
- Product Dimensions: 17.4 x 10.8 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 344,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Vintage Shaun Hutson - absolutely hilarious and unputdownably bad, this is like a primer in stinky writing.
We have moments of towering bathos:
""She watched him walk to the door of the bathroom, fascinated and aroused by the ripples of his slim body [...] when he returned to the bedroom he was wearing underpants."
"There was, deep down, a kind of awful logic behind placing a luxury hotel in the middle of a remote part of Derbyshire."
Self-deification via the central character:
"Against all advice and encouragement to the contrary, he had become a surveyor, and he was proud of his achievement for more than just the letters after his name."
Provincialism:
"'Do you reckon he'll make us start again today?' asked Rufus Franklin, a Nigerian whose broad Yorkshire accent was a surprise. He had been born in Halifax and never seen a palm tree in his life."
Inappropriate (or inappropriately extended) metaphors:
"Regan was clenching and unclenching his fists rapidly, like the gills of a fish"
"The rain clawed with slippery fingers at her cloting but could gain no grip on the oily material [oilskin]"
gore pushed that phrase too far
"The impact lifted beech off his feet and sent him crashing through the window. He hung in the air for a second then dropped to the ground, the sword still trhough him. He hit the ground with a wet thud and final fountain of crimson rose, mingled with black pus."
and horrendously nonsensical compounds
"Twice he had to stop when particularly strong, wind-aided blasts shook the Land Rover" (blasts of wind??)
We have moments of towering bathos:
""She watched him walk to the door of the bathroom, fascinated and aroused by the ripples of his slim body [...] when he returned to the bedroom he was wearing underpants."
"There was, deep down, a kind of awful logic behind placing a luxury hotel in the middle of a remote part of Derbyshire."
Self-deification via the central character:
"Against all advice and encouragement to the contrary, he had become a surveyor, and he was proud of his achievement for more than just the letters after his name."
Provincialism:
"'Do you reckon he'll make us start again today?' asked Rufus Franklin, a Nigerian whose broad Yorkshire accent was a surprise. He had been born in Halifax and never seen a palm tree in his life."
Inappropriate (or inappropriately extended) metaphors:
"Regan was clenching and unclenching his fists rapidly, like the gills of a fish"
"The rain clawed with slippery fingers at her cloting but could gain no grip on the oily material [oilskin]"
gore pushed that phrase too far
"The impact lifted beech off his feet and sent him crashing through the window. He hung in the air for a second then dropped to the ground, the sword still trhough him. He hit the ground with a wet thud and final fountain of crimson rose, mingled with black pus."
and horrendously nonsensical compounds
"Twice he had to stop when particularly strong, wind-aided blasts shook the Land Rover" (blasts of wind??)
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Interesting Debut Novel...
24 Nov 2006
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Okay, let's look at the basics. First, this was Hutson's first attempt at horror, so its not gonna be very good. Second, this book was written in '81, when the big horror boom was around and anything that had to do with horror went. Anyway, on to the book. It's short, only 324 pages. And it isn't until page 160 that the action actually picks up. But now we'll discuss the plot. The plot concerns construction worker Nick Reagan who one day while excavating a large crevasse at a construction site he comes across a large, inhuman skull. Well, naturally he decides to take it home like in all horror novels and lives to regret it. When it is later put on display at a museum a security guard cuts his hand on it, and the fun begins. Each day, the skull grows a body part, starting with flesh, then muscles, then bones, and eventually everything. You see, the skull was that of a homunculus, the legendary creatures who were said by alchemists to possess the ability to turn regular metal into gold. But there was a downside; they were ferocious, carnivurous creatures and if uncontrolled, could cause massive havoc. Well, it does, and the usual carnage ensues. While not as gory as his other works, its still a fairly decent read. The reason it has 3 stars is because the action doesn't occur until 2/3 of the way through. But like I said, still a decent read.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Hutson Fan
13 May 2001
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Having been a shaun Hutson fan for many years I have looked everywhere for a copy of this book and found it impossible to get a copy. Having finally read it i thought it was a bit slow and a tad boring but as it was his first atempt at horror i was not dissapointed, if you are a hutson fan i highly reccomend it.
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