| And we're off... Dean Koontz has never
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| | left to fade away from neglect.
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| been a consistent writer. Sometimes his
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| | Characters that are given the mark of
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| prose is good. Sometimes it leaves a
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| | great importance, such as Angel, seem
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| great deal to be desired. Sometimes I get
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| | somehow, remarkably, absent from
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| so involved in his intricately woven
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| | necessity, as if they could have been
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| plots that I forget the world I'm
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| | left out completely, without real damage
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| supposed to be living in. Sometimes I get
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| | to the storyline. That is a mark of a
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| so hung up on his repetitions (think:
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| | carelessly told story.Carelessly toldYes,
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| "sodium vapor lights"), that I am time
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| | in the end, "From the Corner of His Eye"
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| and again prematurely expelled from his
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| | is a carelessly told story. Koontz does
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| creation. But usually, writing style
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| | just fine -- wonderful, in fact -- until
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| aside, Dean Koontz is a master of
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| | it's time to wrap it up. Until about page
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| suspense, building tension to the
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| | 480, I was holding my breath, waiting for
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| breaking point, and then dropping the
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| | that breathtaking climax that just had to
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| bombshell.With this in mind, I had high
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| | be coming. It just had to.Well, my
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| hopes for "From the Corner of His Eye".
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| | friends, it never materialized.Koontz
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| At over five hundred pages, it was a tome
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| | weaves and weaves until his story is so
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| that I was sure I could sink my teeth
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| | complex that you can't help but wonder
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| into. And surely, no matter the style,
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| | what marvelous ending he has in store,
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| once I got into it, I knew I'd just be
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| | and in this, he falls so far short that
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| holding my breath through to the
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| | the story goes from sixty to zero in a
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| conclusion....and I was.And who are these
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| | matter of seconds.When the hero and the
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| characters you've set upon your stage?
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| | villain meet -- and this time it is for
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| "From the Corner of His Eye" is an
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| | the first and last time -- there should
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| ambitious work, even by Koontz standards.
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| | be fireworks. There should be earthquakes
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| He brings a multitude of characters to
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| | (a la the twin uncles) and meteor strikes
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| the page, both likable and heinous,
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| | and heaven and earth colliding.Instead,
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| breathing life into them and then setting
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| | there is nothing...nothing, but an ending
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| them on their way.Characters in a Koontz
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| | so anticlimactic that I wanted to take
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| novel are always interesting. Very rarely
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| | the book and drop it into a hole in the
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| does he fall into the death trap of
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| | earth."From the Corner of His Eye" is
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| stereotypes, and "From the Corner of His
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| | nothing but self-indulgent mumbo jumbo.
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| Eye" doesn't disappoint in this.
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| | Koontz took a wonderful concept (with
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| Bartholomew and his nemesis, Junior,
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| | some interesting forays into advanced
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| though easily defined as "good" and,
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| | theoretical physics), built it up to
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| accordingly, "evil," are both interesting
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| | critical mass, and then dumped an ocean
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| characters, with likes, dislikes,
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| | full of water on it.There is no climax to
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| emotions, and idiosyncrasies that set
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| | this novel. It goes straight from
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| them apart.In fact, one of the highlights
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| | building suspension to denouement.Koontz
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| of "From the Corner of His Eye" is the
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| | may have wanted to indulge in a happy
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| running commentary from Bartholomew's
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| | ending for once, and that's fine, but it
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| disaster-fearing twin uncles. From train
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| | seemed entirely too much effort for
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| wrecks to tornadoes, from fires to firing
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| | naught.When I read a five hundred page
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| squads, the twins have a horror story for
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| | novel, I'm investing a great deal of
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| all occasions. There was a satisfying
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| | time, energy, and emotional attachment
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| cohesiveness to the thread the twins
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| | into it. I don't like to be disappointed,
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| brought to the story, and they even
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| | and "From the Corner of His Eye" was a
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| brought much-needed comic relief.Oh what
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| | monumental disappointment on all levels.
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| a tangled web... The trouble -- oh, and
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| | If I knew at page 1 what I knew at page
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| there is trouble -- starts with the
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| | 500, I never would have given this novel
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| plotline. Inevitably, when an author's
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| | the time of day.If you're a sucker for a
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| plotlines get complex, they are going to
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| | happy ending, then maybe that's enough to
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| get tangled. I can live with that. But
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| | make up for the Swiss cheese-like plot
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| when ends are left loose, stories unravel
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| | holes, but beware: the ending may be
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| accordingly, and such is the case with
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| | happy, but it's so sappy happy that you'd
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| "From the Corner of His Eye". Characters
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| | better not forget your bucket.Lisa is an
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| who seem somehow potentially relevant are
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| | author on which is a site for Poetry.
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