The Taking: Amazon.co.uk: Dean Koontz: Books

Review

‘Dean Koontz straddles the genres, and pretty successfully, too … Odd Thomas is a short-order cook in a restaurant in Pico Mundo, a small town in the Mohave Desert. He also has an instinct for people who are going to cause mayhem. And when one of them turns up and orders breakfast, the novel kicks into gear … Odd Thomas is certainly a page-turner – this is a read-at-a-sitting novel – with a terrific final twist’ The Observer on Odd Thomas

'Dean Koontz is not just a master of our darkest dreams, but also a literary juggler' The Times

'Koontz has near-Dickensian powers of description, and an ability to yank us from one page to the next that few novelists can match' Los Angeles Times

'A modern Swift … a master satirist.' Entertainment Weekly

'If Stephen King is the Rolling Stones of novels, Koontz is the Beatles.' Playboy

'Dean Koontz writes page-turners, middle-of-the-night sneak-up-behind-you suspense thrillers. He touches our hearts and tingles our spines.' Washington Post Book World

'Tumbling, hallucinogenic prose. Serious writers might do well to study his technique.' New York Times Book Review

'Fast-paced and dark … Koontz knows we live in a world where evil delights in justifying itself … Classic literature that deserves a place on the bookshelf beside Orwell's 1984 and Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.' California Literary Review

'Koontz is writing right where popular culture swells into something larger, just as it did for Homer, Shakespeare, and Dickens. He's got the gift.' Australian

'Koontz is a superb plotter and wordsmith. He chronicles the hopes and fears of our time in broad strokes and fine detail, using popular fiction to explore the human condition.' USA Today

'Inspires both chills and serious thought … has the power to scare the daylights out of us.' People

'The poet laureate of paranoid pop fiction.' Denver Post

'Koontz achieves a literary miracle … stunning physical description, unique turns of phrase.' Boston Globe

'Near Dickensian powers of description.' Los Angeles Times

Review

'Dean Koontz straddles the genres, and pretty successfully, too ! Odd Thomas is a short-order cook in a restaurant in Pico Mundo, a small town in the Mohave Desert. He also has an instinct for people who are going to cause mayhem. And when one of them turns up and orders breakfast, the novel kicks into gear ! Odd Thomas is certainly a page-turner -- this is a read-at-a-sitting novel -- with a terrific final twist' The Observer on Odd Thomas 'Dean Koontz is not just a master of our darkest dreams, but also a literary juggler' The Times 'Koontz has near-Dickensian powers of description, and an ability to yank us from one page to the next that few novelists can match' Los Angeles Times 'A modern Swift ! a master satirist.' Entertainment Weekly 'If Stephen King is the Rolling Stones of novels, Koontz is the Beatles.' Playboy 'Dean Koontz writes page-turners, middle-of-the-night sneak-up-behind-you suspense thrillers. He touches our hearts and tingles our spines.' Washington Post Book World 'Tumbling, hallucinogenic prose. Serious writers might do well to study his technique.' New York Times Book Review 'Fast-paced and dark ! Koontz knows we live in a world where evil delights in justifying itself ! Classic literature that deserves a place on the bookshelf beside Orwell's 1984 and Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.' California Literary Review 'Koontz is writing right where popular culture swells into something larger, just as it did for Homer, Shakespeare, and Dickens. He's got the gift.' Australian 'Koontz is a superb plotter and wordsmith. He chronicles the hopes and fears of our time in broad strokes and fine detail, using popular fiction to explore the human condition.' USA Today 'Inspires both chills and serious thought ! has the power to scare the daylights out of us.' People 'The poet laureate of paranoid pop fiction.' Denver Post 'Koontz achieves a literary miracle ! stunning physical description, unique turns of phrase.' Boston Globe 'Near Dickensian powers of description.' Los Angeles Times

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

OK, but read other books by Koontz first 31 July 2005

By Antonia caulfield- kerney

Format:Paperback

This was my 3rd book by Koontz and I have to say, while I did enjoy it, it certainly wasnt up to the same standard as the other books by him that I've read.
It took a long while to get into and even when you did, Koontz wasn't able to hold your attention for very long. If you prefer Sci-Fi to Suspense and Horror this is a good book, otherwise I suggest another of his books, E.G. "By the Light of the Moon" (Great read!).
I wouldn't choose this book as your first Koontz book because it may put you off of a great author and therefore miss out on some great novels!
Happy Reading

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Could have been so much better! 22 July 2008

By S. Williamson

When Koontz is on form his books are well worth the time it takes to read them(Watchers,Intensity)unfortunately he seems to be churning out novels at a fair rate these days and I feel that his quality has slipped.

And in this novel it starts off great,Koontz builds the tension like he use to in his best days but as I read on, the story got more and more boring and as the norm for Koontz now, got preachy near the end,also like a few of his books I found myself thinking that he had run out of ideas and had just finished the story to beat his deadline,just like From The Corner Of His Eye a good start very badly let down by the ending leaving me frustrated as it could of been one of his best.

Brillant but Dead Ending 20 Feb 2006

By "woomfakes"

Yet another masterpiece from Koontz. I just don't know how he does it? The idea in this book i.e. that of aliens taking over the world is brilliant! Don't worry though this is not your typical sci-fi alien book, this is far better. Totally original from the usual theory of alien take overs.

I would have happily given this book 5 stars, in fact I would have given it 6 if I could have, if it wasn't for the ending. Very disappointing ending after such an amazing plot build up. Still worth reading though as the rest of the book more than makes up for a dead ending.

Don't read when thunderstorms are expected!

I picked this up to read in Majorca and had gotten just a few pages in before putting down. That night it poured down - I didn't sleep a wink such was the impression from those... Read more

Published 14 months ago by A Whitaker

Not Koontz at his best

Dean Koontz ranks as one of my all time favourite authors along with James Patterson, Stephen King, John Grisham, Sidney Sheldon and more recently the brilliant R.J. Read more

Published 17 months ago by marjorie narey

worth a read

This book had me gripped from the start, it wasnt his best book but i really think that its worth reading, the ending was a bit of a dead end like one other reviewer said earlier,... Read more

Published 18 months ago by anne

Probably the only Koontz book I'll read

Stories about the end of the world from alien invasion are two a penny, but I doubt that few of them start as well as this one from Dean Koontz, or lose their way and end so badly. Read more

Published 22 months ago by Jl Adcock

A Disappointing Mess

Dean Koontz has written some of my all-time favourite horror novels. I still say that Watchers is one of the best of the genre. Read more

Published on 22 Jun 2009 by Ticked Off

Not Very Good, is it...

There are 62 reviews on the UK site, so it's difficult to say anything new about this title. But what the heck, I'll chime in..... Read more

Published on 10 Jun 2009 by Vaughan

Dean Konntz at his best !

This story is one of my favourite books of all time .
Dean Koontz takes you on a roller - coaster ride as the plots unfolds, with a fantastic and unpredictable ending . Read more

Published on 29 Mar 2009 by Izzy-Whizzy

Not his greatest work

Being a hugh Dean Koontz fan, i am always excited to read any new books of his that i get my hands on, this book showed promise when i first started reading it, and i thought that... Read more

Published on 24 Feb 2009 by mazblondie

Disappointing

I have read A LOT of Dean Koontz books over the years but nothing recently. 'The Taking' marked my return and quite honestly I expected more. Read more

Published on 26 Jan 2009 by Solitary_Woman

The Taking [Paperback]

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