Set This House on Fire
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Part brilliant, mostly tedious
  • complicated but worth it
  • A Trip to Italy (Three Stars)
  • For the Acquired Styron Taste..
  • The evil that men do
Set This House on Fire
William Styron
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Styron, WilliamStyron, William | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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  5. Sophie's Choice Sophie's Choice

ASIN: 0679736743
Release Date: 1993-01-04

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Part brilliant, mostly tedious.......2007-08-04

This novel has tremendous potential at being great until about half way through the story loses it's momentum and things turn into overextended psychological rants by Cass Kinsolving. This one was hard to get through, and the ending is anticlimactic. I started to wonder how much more superflous and prosiac the descriptions could be to convey a simple concept, and how many more times do they have to be repeated? Definitely not a good starting point for a Styron neophyte. It's as if the purpose of the sex and violence in the story is to keep you awake.

5 out of 5 stars complicated but worth it.......2007-01-07

This book is long dance, tortured, and brilliant. Descriptions of Italy, specifically Sambuco, make you feel is if you are there They sweep and enfold you into Italy's "warm and fragrant being." It is a complicated tale told between two different time periods. Until the last pages you don't really know what happened or "who did it," or how it happens. Characterization and writing are so clear and precise you know you are in the hands of a genius.
Some of my favorite lines;
"Cass rose to his feet, fever swept by the sun, storm hunted, amid the flood of ancient groaning seas."
"A love affair, like some prodigy of plastic surgery, is flesh laid onto living to flesh and to break it up is to tear off great hunks and parts of yourself."
"You know, if you could turn into tiny bits of--of feathers, every word said by all men, in just one year, to all women when the men were thinking of something else; when they were trying to be smooth and polite but when their minds are fixed on the single all compelling goal, you have enough hypocrisy to plug up the entire known universe with feathers."
"I don't know, every time she gets the rag she gets positively moon-struck. It's the worst thing about women--that really screwed up plumbing of theirs. A big jumbo sewer flowing through the Garden of Eden."

1 out of 5 stars A Trip to Italy (Three Stars).......2006-11-08

Some readers may be interested to know that the setting of this novel -"Sambuco" - is actually Ravello, on the Amalfi Coast, until recently the home of Gore Vidal. The movie being filmed in the village was Beat the Devil, directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart. (In the book Bogie is the obnoxious drunk Burnsie.) Cass Kinsovling's household seems to be in the ground floor of the old Caruso Belvedere. The atmosphere of this book is not unlike the film version of The Talented Mr. Ripley, another tale of Americans in Italy in the 1950's. For all of Styron's fine writing, this is something of a period piece. The moral crisis that is at the heart of the book - the "fantastic going to pot" of Americans in the post-war period - is not of much concern to anyone today. Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice are Styron's masterpieces. May he rest in peace.

3 out of 5 stars For the Acquired Styron Taste.........2006-07-29

I love William Styron, I have read all his books, yet I would not recommend picking up "Set This House on Fire" unless you've read some of his other works first. It's lengthy-in certain cases, such as the voluminous number of pages devoted to Cass Kingsolving's abysmal drunkenness, to the point of excess-and at times seems aimless. The story is told from the point of view of a character who is relatively uninvolved in the rape, death, and depression that ensue. Some of the most interesting passages are those which give us glimpses into the main characters' pasts. Taken separately, many of these sections make for wonderful, lucid parts of a story. But, when interspersed with lengthy, often difficult, descriptions of dark emotion and personal despair, they can be a bit drowned out.
On the up side, there are many passages that are delightful to read, and Styron's elegant prose doesn't fail to shine through. Definitely worth reading if you've read and enjoyed "Sophie's Choice" or "Lie Down in Darkness." Otherwise, you'll probably be overwhelmed by the density (both lengthwise and in terms of content) of this novel.

5 out of 5 stars The evil that men do.......2006-07-22

Much like Sophie's Choice, this novel will no doubt haunt the reader for years to come. Styron has an uncanny ability to render unlikeable characters in a human way that makes one nearly sympathize with them. I take issue with the reviewers who criticize the digressions and flashbacks that buttress the story. The two critical characters of Cass Kinsolving and Mason Flagg are fleshed-out by virtue of the digressions, making their extraordinary actions understandable and realistic. The characters ultimately behave as they should, but not in an entirely predicatable fashion either. What I appreciate about this novel is the way Styron intertwines the root mystery with a novel of ideas. He meditates quite gracefully on suffering, evil, art, and existence without overwhelming the reader. It's a page-turner, gorgeously written, yet demanding. Highly recommended to those who enjoy the southern noir of Flannery O'Conner or the late-fifties malaise of Richard Yates.
Esta Casa En Llamas/Set This House on Fire
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Esta Casa En Llamas/Set This House on Fire
    William Styron
    Manufacturer: Grijalbo Mondadori Sa
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    Styron, WilliamStyron, William | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    SpanishSpanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    ( S )( S ) | Autores, A-Z | Literatura y ficción | Libros en español | Formats | Books | Saint-Exupery, Antoine de | Salinger, J.D. | Saramago, Jose | Shakespeare, William | Sheldon, Sidney | Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft | Steinbeck, John | Stendhal | Stevenson, Robert Louis | Stoker, Bram
    ASIN: 8425316472
    Set This House On Fire
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Set This House On Fire
      William STYRON
      Manufacturer: Signet Books
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Mass Market Paperback
      ASIN: B0000CKWLI
      Set This House on Fire
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Set This House on Fire
        William Styron
        Manufacturer: New American Library
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        Styron, WilliamStyron, William | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
        ASIN: B000J2X9X4

        Product Description

        A powerful novel of an American artist in the grip of a degrading tyranny. By the author of The Confessions of Nat Turner.
        SET THIS HOUSE ON FIRE
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          SET THIS HOUSE ON FIRE
          William Styron
          Manufacturer: New American Library / Signet
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Mass Market Paperback
          ASIN: B000OGX106
          Set This House on Fire
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Set This House on Fire
            William Styron
            Manufacturer: Bantam Books
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback
            ASIN: B000NVM216
            Set This House on Fire
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Set This House on Fire
              William STYRON
              Manufacturer: Random House
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover
              ASIN: B000OPDY3Q
              Set This House on Fire
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Set This House on Fire
                William Styron
                Manufacturer: New American Library
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback
                ASIN: B000RVZWBO
                Set This House on Fire
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Set This House on Fire
                  William Styron
                  Manufacturer: Signet / NAL
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Mass Market Paperback
                  ASIN: B000S37CIW
                  Set This House on Fire
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Set This House on Fire
                    William Styron
                    Manufacturer: Bantam Books
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover
                    ASIN: B000SBV76M

                    Throne of Jade (Temeraire, Book 2)
                    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                    • Intrigue and treachery and new ideas in Throne of Jade
                    • Wow again...
                    • Throne of Jade
                    • muddled and meandering
                    • Befuddling But Still Worth The Read
                    Throne of Jade (Temeraire, Book 2)
                    Naomi Novik
                    Manufacturer: Del Rey
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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                    ASIN: 0345481291
                    Release Date: 2006-04-25

                    Book Description

                    When Britain intercepted a French ship and its precious cargo–an unhatched dragon’s egg–Capt. Will Laurence of HMS Reliant unexpectedly became master and commander of the noble dragon he named Temeraire. As new recruits in Britain’s Aerial Corps, man and dragon soon proved their mettle in daring combat against Bonaparte’s invading forces.

                    Now China has discovered that its rare gift, intended for Napoleon, has fallen into British hands–and an angry Chinese delegation vows to reclaim the remarkable beast. But Laurence refuses to cooperate. Facing the gallows for his defiance, Laurence has no choice but to accompany Temeraire back to the Far East–a long voyage fraught with peril, intrigue, and the untold terrors of the deep. Yet once the pair reaches the court of the Chinese emperor, even more shocking discoveries and darker dangers await.

                    Customer Reviews:

                    4 out of 5 stars Intrigue and treachery and new ideas in Throne of Jade.......2007-09-06

                    When I had first heard of Naomi Novik's novels about dragons in alternate world of the Napoleonic wars, I was pretty skeptical. It sounded pretty over the top, and I had my doubts as to whether or not it would work. I shouldn't have worried. After I had finished His Majesty's Dragon, I was hooked.

                    The second book in the series, Throne of Jade has Will Laurence and Temeraire in a rather difficult situation. Temeraire had originally been intended for Napoleon, as a gift from the Chinese Emperor, but the ship had been captured by Captain Laurence, and the hatchling dragon decided that Laurence was going to his companion and no other. So began a new way of life for Captain Laurence, one that is turning his notion of what is an officer completely upside down.

                    Now an embassy from the Chinese have come to England, and are demanding that Temeraire be returned, preferably, without Laurence. Temeraire, as a Celestial dragon, is certainly not to be with such a low-born person as Laurence, and sending the rare dragon into combat -- well, the fury over that one is scarcely to be contained. Laurence is facing a possible courts-martial and possibly hanging as a traitor -- and coping with threats from his superiors in the Admiralty who can't fathom the unique relationship between a dragon and his human companion.

                    Eventually, some sort of compromise is reached, and Laurence, Temeraire and their crew are embarking for China on board a transport specially designed for dragons. Along the way there are attacks, a gigantic sea serpent, and political manuvering from the Chinese, led by Prince Yongxing, who seems to have his own reasons for wanting Temeraire to come to China -- and stay. And if Laurence or any of the other British are killed, well, that's just too bad.

                    Most second novels falter when it comes to keeping up the pace and excitment of a first novel. This one certainly doesn't. I was enthralled from the first chapter and on, very curious to see just how Laurence and Temeraire were going to be able to handle the quandary that they were in. While this one does lack a lot of the freshness and battle scenes of the first novel, it doesn't lack for adventure -- the journey that they take around the Cape of Good Hope and through the Indian Ocean is fraught with plenty of natural perils.

                    Novik isn't shy either about weaving in the actual history of Europe here either. There are glimpses of the ghastly slave trade, the dreadful news of Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz, and the struggles that the British and other Europeans had in getting trade started in the lucrative Chinese markets. How all of this is handled is one of the reasons why I'm starting to like this series so much -- Novik knows just how much to show us, but never overwhelms the reader with too many of the details.

                    Finally, and what tends to draw me in the most, are the depictions of how humanity would live with dragons. These are dragons with intelligence and smarts, and not a low level of cunning either. They have personalities, charm and not at all shy about speaking their minds. It's a truly alien and still familiar world. Too, the constrasts between the Chinese and European worlds are vividly drawn, and I liked how the author kept the attitudes of this time in period true to form -- Laurence thinks and acts like an Englishman of the time in his views towards women, combat and the like.

                    Novik's writing is clear, well-paced and full of insights. She manages to keep the anachronisms out of the way, and manages to give the story plenty of punch and fire. If you're a fan of the seafaring novels of Patrick O'Brian or C.S. Forrester, this new series are a treat. In short, I suspect that Novik has created a series that is going to be around for a while, and for anyone who wants something new and thrilling, this is a series to take in.

                    This paperback edition has an excerpt from the third novel in the series, Black Powder War, and a little addendum about dragons, written from the perspective of a researcher of the time.

                    Four and a half stars.

                    Happily Recommended.

                    5 out of 5 stars Wow again... .......2007-07-08

                    Lawrence and Temeraire go to China... oh boy.

                    This series is brilliant, well written and researched, yet still fantasy - seeing politics and 17th century morality through the eyes of a dragon is an amazing way to view the world. Lawrence, who has never questioned his country or his belief system, is becoming unsettled in his unquestioning loyalties by Temeraire's constant search for understanding; Temeraire is as young and impatient as ever, technically brilliant but completely incapable of understanding the finer points of human society, politics or deviousness. And they're chucked together into an isolationist China, with Temeraire the center of some truly cut-throat political machinations.

                    5 out of 5 stars Throne of Jade.......2007-07-07

                    It was a great book with dragons in it. This is the first series with dragons that I really liked. I have read the whole series and they are all good.

                    2 out of 5 stars muddled and meandering.......2007-06-29

                    After the joyful exuberance of His Majesty's Dragon, this sequel was disappointingly full of preachy political arguments that quickly turned into an interminable bore. In addition, it was sad to watch Laurence and Temeraire's relationship sour. Lastly, don't think the final book in the trilogy will tie everything up or resolve anything -- it's just a series of depressing and weary battles that go on and on and on. If the first book hadn't left me so invested in what happens to Temeraire, I would have give both this second book as well as the third one a single star.

                    3 out of 5 stars Befuddling But Still Worth The Read.......2007-06-29

                    I devoured His Majesty's Dragon with out regret but Throne of Jade simply did not leave me quite as satiated. I didn't despise the book but in the end I was left with more questions about what had just occurred then a feeling of warm-fuzzy-good-book-afterglow that I had with HMD. The plot wasn't super strong to begin with and as many others have pointed out the boat voyage was needlessly lengthy. It seemed to focus more on the perils of ocean traversing then the adventure of a dragon.
                    I also felt like the characters of Laurence and Temeraire sort of devolved in that Temeraire seemed more petulant and Laurence more wooden. In the first novel there was a great journey of personal development for Laurence from a strict one minded Navy man into a more empathetic dragon Captain. But all through out TOJ he seemed more concerned with what was best for England then Temeraire. Also I found Temeraire's character to be presented as more impetuous and fool hearty. His romance with another dragon was strange because even though at first Temeraire seems completely twitterpated (so much so he allows great danger to befall Laurence) he just as swiftly decides to return to England to amend dragon's rights. That again I found confusing, the correlation between human slavery and Western dragons was sort of a stretch. The sudden spirit of needed change in the treatment of war dragons was an unnecessary plot branch for me. The love and partnership of HMD also seemed to be missing from this sequel.
                    Once the characters reached China I was spellbound by the beautiful description and incredible relationship of Chinese dragons and people. But it felt like just a sip of the setting when I wanted a gallon. The Celestial dragons were touted for they're fabulous wisdom and skill. They seemed to study a lot but their intelligence wasn't really fleshed out. None of the creatures said anything particularly astute and there was talk of their poetry and some sorts of examinations were mentioned but this was never explained leaving me feeling shorted.
                    But I think in the end that like others have said more eloquently Throne of Jade is simply a stepping stone to Black Powder War and it definitely at times feels that way. It's not a bad book and if you love His Majesty's Dragon you will surely like Throne of Jade and it is worth a swift read. But if you're like me and desire a more solid story of human and dragon interaction then you may not love TOJ in the same way as it's magnificent prequel.
                    Temeraire: Throne of Jade
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      Temeraire: Throne of Jade
                      Naomi Novik
                      Manufacturer: Voyager
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Hardcover

                      FantasyFantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Alternate History | Anthologies | Arthurian | Contemporary | Epic | General | Historical | History & Criticism | Magic & Wizards | Series
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                      ASIN: 0007219121
                      Throne of Jade: Temeraire, Book 2
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Throne of Jade: Temeraire, Book 2
                        Naomi Novik
                        Manufacturer: audible.com
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Audio Download

                        NapoleonNapoleon | Napoleonic Wars | Military | History | Subjects | Books
                        ASIN: B000O78JHU
                        Throne of Jade unabridged
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          Throne of Jade unabridged
                          Naomi Novik
                          Manufacturer: Books on Tape
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Audio CD
                          ASIN: B000V8Z6IC

                          Product Description

                          unabridged on 10 CDs in library edition. Fantasy of a French ship and its precious cargo (an unhatched dragon's egg) that is intercepted by a Brithis ship. The Brithis captain and dragon soon prove their mettle in daring combat against Bonaparte's invading forces. A fun listen.

                          From a Buick 8
                          Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
                          • This Novel is a Chore to Read
                          • A Gripping Read; King Devotee or Not
                          • A Future Classic King Novel
                          • Enjoyable but not a real King
                          • King, familiar but new
                          From a Buick 8
                          Stephen King
                          Manufacturer: Pocket
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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                          ASIN: 0743417682
                          Release Date: 2003-11-25

                          Amazon.com

                          Stephen King, an evil car, and a teenage boy coming to terms with the fragility and randomness of life.... Wait, haven't we read this before? Diehard King fans, worry not. Aside from the titular car playing a main role in the story, From a Buick 8 could not be less like King's 1983 masterpiece, Christine. If anything, this story resembles King's serial novel The Green Mile, with reminiscing police characters flashing back on bizarre events that took place decades earlier.

                          The book's intriguing plot revolves around the troopers of Pennsylvania State Patrol Troop D, who come into possession of what at first appears to be a vintage automobile. Closer inspection and experimentation conducted by the troopers reveal that this car's doors (and trunk) sometimes open to another dimension populated by gross-out creatures straight out of ... well, a Stephen King novel. As the plot progresses, the veteran troopers' tales of these visits from interdimensional nasties, and the occasional "lightquakes" put on by the car, are passed on to the son of a fallen comrade whose fascination with the car bordered on dangerous obsession.

                          Unlike earlier King works, there is no active threat here; no monster is stalking the heroes of the story, unless you count the characters' own curiosity. In past books, King has terrorized readers with vampires, werewolves, a killer clown, ghosts, and aliens, but this time around, the bogeyman is a more passive, cerebral threat, and one for which they don't make a ready-to-wear Halloween costume--man's fascination with and fear of the unknown. While some readers may find this tale less exciting than the horror master's earlier works, From a Buick 8 is a wonderful example of how much King's plotting skills and literary finesse have matured over his long career. And, most of all, it's a darn creepy book. --Benjamin Reese

                          Book Description

                          WANT TO GO FOR A RIDE...?

                          In a secret shed behind the barracks of the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop D, there's a cherry Buick Roadmaster no one has touched in years -- because there's more power under the hood than anyone can handle....

                          Customer Reviews:

                          2 out of 5 stars This Novel is a Chore to Read.......2007-09-24

                          I'm a big fan of Stephen King, but FROM A BUICK 8 is one of the weakest King novels I've ever read.

                          The plot of this book involves a Buick that serves as a portal to another universe or dimension. This Buick is in a shed behind a police station in Pennsylvania, and monsters keep coming out of the trunk. For whatever reason, the cops decide to hold onto the Buick and keep everything secret, as opposed to sharing this news with the world.

                          The plot of FROM A BUICK 8 is quite limp and has very little momentum. A monster comes out of the Buick's trunk and the cops excitedly take a look at it. Then King repeats this same scene over and over again. Only the description of the monster changes. Needless to say, this novel gets repetitive and boring after the first hundred pages or so.

                          The characterization in this book is better, but King keeps on shifting perspectives, which means there is no central protagonist in this book to identify with. As a result, I never found this book particularly engaging. King does do a decent job of describing the realities of police station life, however.

                          FROM A BUICK 8 could have been a decent short story or novella, but it's a pretty bloated and uninspiring 500-page novel. My advice is to skip this book, which is far from King's best.

                          4 out of 5 stars A Gripping Read; King Devotee or Not.......2007-09-12

                          Let me preface this review by saying I am not a die-hard Stephen King fan. I have read less than ten of his books and enjoyed all of those, but I cannot be called more than simply familiar with his works. I began "From a Buick 8" not expecting anything extraordinary and was pleasantly surprised to find an intriguing plot, rich, likable characters, an interesting backdrop of a small-town police station, and a true mystery. In a story only King could pull off, a mysterious Buick arrives at a police bungalow and begins to affect the lives of the troopers stationed there. It becomes evident that it is not of this world and begins to alter their conventional knowledge of time, space, and reality. What makes the story remarkable, though, is the progression of characters as the story spans the near lifetime of the protagonist. The small-town folk who work the remote station each reveal complex and interesting lives and the story revolves as much around their everyday trials as it does around science-fiction. I would say that you do not have to be a big King fan to enjoy this book.

                          5 out of 5 stars A Future Classic King Novel.......2007-07-01

                          I love this story. Oh, how I love this story.
                          This is probably up there in my favorite King books, right there with The Shining and Dreamcatcher.
                          Only time will prove this books worthiness as a classic, but it head such grand detail, a great desire to tell a truthful story that it caught me up in the pages, so much I couldn't read this book just once, nor twice, but a few more times.
                          King's reputation is worldly known for his horror, his suspense, but what is not often emphasized is his unparallel ability to capture such heart-driven characters in real life situation, such as Ned Wilcox (character in the novel).
                          If you have not read this book yet, if you do not own a copy yet, then go out to your bookseller and grab up a copy. Order it online for all I care, but get one.
                          I can promise you that it will not be a disappointment!.


                          --Joseph McGee, author of In the Wake of the Night, Phil's Place and Darkness Won't Rest: Phils Place II

                          3 out of 5 stars Enjoyable but not a real King.......2007-06-17

                          This is not a very long novel, but it took me a while to get through it. I wasn't hooked by the story like with most of King's novels. The story is weird and seems endless, although the main idea is quite interesting.

                          I must admit that the characters are great and the book is well written although it is very different from the rest of King's work. The problem is some parts of the story seem to be heading nowhere.

                          Not the worst, not the best. An average King.

                          4 out of 5 stars King, familiar but new.......2007-05-29

                          I thoroughly enjoyed "From a Buick 8". King has not lost his touch. Let me begin by saying that my favourite King books are The Stand, Desperation, and Insomnia. I thoroughly enjoyed Carrie, Cujo, Pet Semetary, and Four Past Midnight. I was not a huge fan of Cell or Tommyknockers. I note this because I find it difficult to gauge where many of the reviewers on amazon are coming from. Back to the novel at hand, it works on many levels and fails on a few. The story is repetitive, and really stops moving froward after a certain point. However, one of the novels themes is the idea of resolution and the quest for clairty, and how often those things allude us. King is smart enough to give us multiple perspectives on the primary narrative thus giving the text some variety, and it's nice to see King is still not afraid to try new approaches to narrative.
                          Utlimately, there are better King books one can read, but what makes him a great writer is the fluidity of his writing and the macabre wit and humour with which he narrates his books. Both are present in this novel and King's familar presence left this reader satisifed. While I did not particularly like Cell, From A Buick 8 left me satisfied as an entry into the King collection. I mention this because some reviewers seem to lament "the king of old", but the fact is his writing has been consistently interesting with a few hits and misses along the way. King still has it and should be applauded for continuing to challenge both himself and his audience in new and interesting ways.
                          From a Buick 8
                          Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                          • A Thriller with a Scientific Approach
                          From a Buick 8
                          Stephen King
                          Manufacturer: Pocket
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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                          3. Cell: A Novel Cell: A Novel
                          4. Desperation Desperation
                          5. The Regulators The Regulators

                          ASIN: 1416524312

                          Customer Reviews:

                          4 out of 5 stars A Thriller with a Scientific Approach.......2006-09-12

                          Lately I have read each new Stephen King book with apprehension, not knowing what each will bring. My apprehension was unfounded with this intriguing thriller that combines the threads of human lives with the investigation of a mysterious phenomenon.

                          We meet teenage Ned Wilcox at the very beginning of the story. His father was the late Curtis Wilcox, a state highway trooper with Troop D of the Pennsylvania State Patrol. Ned helps around the barracks; cleaning, sweeping, and talking with the troopers. We immediately identify with Ned, seeing his activities at the barracks as one way of connecting with his lost father, killed in the line of duty. Ned becomes so much a part of the troop that the troop lets him in on a secret they have kept for 20 years; a mysterious, chilling secret.

                          One day, a long time ago, a man in an overcoat stopped at a gas station and asked the attendant to fill the car with gas. The man disappeared around the corner of the gas station to where the restrooms are. A long time after filling the car the attendant realized the man had not come back from the restroom, and went looking for him. The man was no where to be found and the attendant called the highway patrol.

                          One of the two troopers responding to the call was rookie Curtis Wilcox. Their investigation of the car was anything but routine. The car's engine had many of the correct components, but they were not connected to each other. The configuration of the engine was such that there was no way the car could ever have run. The state highway patrol decides to impound the car. During the initial investigation of the car, Curtis's partner disappears, further compounding the mystery of the car.

                          Curtis Wilcox becomes obsessed with investigating the mysterious car. Soon strange things begin happening; mysterious brilliant flashing lights that accompany electronic disturbances; things come from the trunk; things left in the car disappear from their cage. There is something very wrong with this car.

                          Stephen King has written many horror novels where the villain is a werewolf, a vampire, a spirit, or even Satan. In this novel we never meet the real villain and we are forced to try to understand the nature of that villain from the artifact that the villain created. The car itself is not evil, but what it does is evil, and perhaps where it comes from we might perceive as evil. The troopers treat the car scientifically, investigating the car as methodically as they can. They form theories and test their theories. They record their observations as would any scientist. They are also careful and cautious with their discovery, because they have found that bad things can happen to the unwary.

                          The story of the investigation of the car is told from multiple viewpoints, in the past and the present; an extended story told to Ned Wilcox about the passion his father had for investigating the car, a passion that Ned was unaware of even as he neared adulthood. The story telling can be a bit confusing if you lose focus on the story, but keeping track of the multiple main characters and their perspective is rewarding to the reader.

                          I liken the story-telling style of this novel to "Rendezvous with Rama" by Arthur C. Clarke. In that novel Clarke tells the story of humans investigating an alien ship that has entered our solar system. There is speculation as to why the ship is there, where it is going, and the nature of the ship's creators. The story is told in a scientific way that in many respects is boring because there is no "Alien" hiding around the corner; but the story is still intriguing because these investigators are in a totally unique situation and they deal with it as best they can.

                          King's approach to this story is similar as he centers the story on a place that most of us would consider an unlikely location for a suspense, thriller or horror novel, a highway patrol barracks. Yet, we find the scientific approach of these officers to be plausible.

                          The story has its slow moments, but I remained intrigued once King intimated the nature of the car. By the last 50 pages I found myself glued to the book to see what was going to happen. This book will not please Stephen King fans expecting a ghost story or something with fangs. For fans with eclectic tastes that run to science fiction, particularly if you enjoyed Arthur C. Clarke's "Rama" books, this novel is a good read. Fans expecting a scaly claw grabbing a victim by the throat and pulling the victim into the car will be disappointed.
                          FROM A BUICK 8.
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            FROM A BUICK 8.
                            Stephen. King
                            Manufacturer: Scribner,
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Hardcover
                            ASIN: B000NYJ9OQ
                            10 Book Collection of Stephen King: The Talisman, The Tommyknockers, the Stand, Needful Things, Dolores Claiborne, Black House, From a Buick 8, The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah, The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, and Cell
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              10 Book Collection of Stephen King: The Talisman, The Tommyknockers, the Stand, Needful Things, Dolores Claiborne, Black House, From a Buick 8, The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah, The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, and Cell
                              Stephen King
                              Manufacturer: Viking
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Hardcover
                              ASIN: B000PNN8AG

                              Product Description

                              The Talisman: Copyright 1984; The Tommyknockers, Copyright 1987; The Stand: 1990; Needful Things, Copyright 1991; Dolores Claiborne, Copyright 1993; Black House: Copyright 2001; From a Buick 8, Copyright 2002; The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah, Copyright 2004; The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower: Copyright 2004; Cell: Copyright 2006
                              3 HBs by Stephen King: From a Buick 8, Cell, Dreamcatcher
                              Average customer rating: Not rated
                                3 HBs by Stephen King: From a Buick 8, Cell, Dreamcatcher
                                Stephen King
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Hardcover
                                ASIN: B000VC7JU6

                                Product Description

                                Hardbacks
                                Buick 8, Un Coche Perverso/ From a Buick Eight (Best Seller)
                                Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                                • Just bought for the cover variation.
                                Buick 8, Un Coche Perverso/ From a Buick Eight (Best Seller)
                                Stephen King
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Paperback

                                GeneralGeneral | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                                GeneralGeneral | King, Stephen | ( K ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                                PaperbackPaperback | King, Stephen | ( K ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                                SpanishSpanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                                GeneralGeneral | King, Stephen | ( K ) | Autores, A-Z | Horror | Género Ficción | Literatura y ficción | Libros en español | Formats | Books
                                Pasta BlandaPasta Blanda | King, Stephen | ( K ) | Autores, A-Z | Horror | Género Ficción | Literatura y ficción | Libros en español | Formats | Books
                                GeneralGeneral | Horror | Género Ficción | Literatura y ficción | Libros en español | Formats | Books
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                                ASIN: 8497930843

                                Customer Reviews:

                                5 out of 5 stars Just bought for the cover variation........2007-01-04

                                Book is a good read, but I dont' read spanish, bought this for the art.
                                From a Buick 8
                                Average customer rating: Not rated
                                  From a Buick 8
                                  Stephen King
                                  Manufacturer: Tandem Library
                                  ProductGroup: Book
                                  Binding: School & Library Binding

                                  GeneralGeneral | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                                  GeneralGeneral | King, Stephen | ( K ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                                  ASIN: 0613707397
                                  From a Buick 8
                                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                                    From a Buick 8
                                    Stephen King
                                    Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
                                    ProductGroup: Book
                                    Binding: Hardcover

                                    GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
                                    GeneralGeneral | King, Stephen | ( K ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                                    HardcoverHardcover | King, Stephen | ( K ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                                    ASIN: 0340770694
                                    From a Buick 8
                                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                                      From a Buick 8
                                      Stephen King
                                      Manufacturer: Scribner
                                      ProductGroup: Book
                                      Binding: Hardcover
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                                      3. Blaze: A Novel Blaze: A Novel

                                      ASIN: B000PN8SGU
                                      From a Buick 8
                                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                                        From a Buick 8
                                        Stephen King
                                        Manufacturer: POCKET BOOKS @
                                        ProductGroup: Book
                                        Binding: Mass Market Paperback
                                        ASIN: B000Q19QIA

                                        The Hebrew Letters: Channels of Creative Consciousness (The Teachings of Kabbalah Series)
                                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                                          The Hebrew Letters: Channels of Creative Consciousness (The Teachings of Kabbalah Series)
                                          Yitzchak Ginsburgh
                                          Manufacturer: Gal Einai Publications
                                          ProductGroup: Book
                                          Binding: Hardcover

                                          GeneralGeneral | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                                          KabbalahKabbalah | Sacred Writings | Judaism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                                          NumerologyNumerology | Divination | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                                          MysticismMysticism | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
                                          Similar Items:
                                          1. Living in Divine Space: Kabbalah and Meditation (The Teachings in Kabbalah Series) Living in Divine Space: Kabbalah and Meditation (The Teachings in Kabbalah Series)
                                          2. The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet (Artscroll (Mesorah Series)) The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet (Artscroll (Mesorah Series))
                                          3. Body, Mind and Soul: Kabbalah on Human Physiology, Disease and Healing Body, Mind and Soul: Kabbalah on Human Physiology, Disease and Healing
                                          4. Inner Meaning of the Hebrew Letters Inner Meaning of the Hebrew Letters
                                          5. Transforming Darkness into Light (The Teachings of Kabbalah Series) Transforming Darkness into Light (The Teachings of Kabbalah Series)

                                          ASIN: 9657146070
                                          The Hebrew Letters Channels of Creative Consciousness
                                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                                            The Hebrew Letters Channels of Creative Consciousness
                                            Ginsburgh Yitzchak
                                            Manufacturer: Gal Einai
                                            ProductGroup: Book
                                            Binding: Hardcover
                                            ASIN: B000LZNI4E

                                            Books:

                                            1. Seven Indicators That Move Markets: Forecasting Future Market Movements for Profitable Investments
                                            2. Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine: A Novel
                                            3. Steelhead River Journal: Skagit-Sauk (WA) (Steelhead River Journal)
                                            4. Tarzan The Terrible
                                            5. The Ambidextrist
                                            6. The Apprentice Lover: A Novel
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                                            8. The Artemisia Files: Artemisia Gentileschi for Feminists and Other Thinking People
                                            9. The Autumn of the Patriarch (P.S.)
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