Dark Hollow by Brian Keene Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Dark Hollow
Book Review: Another solid effort from Keene
Summary: 4 Stars
I initially wasn't interested in this book too much. The reason I ended up buying it and reading it was because the preface to Ghostwalk says you really should start with this book. So, I picked it up and I am glad that I did. This book does more to shore-up my opinion of Brian Keene as a deeply talented story teller. Here he takes the myth of the satyr complete with the Pipes of Pan and all and turns it into a modern horror tale. For those none too eager to delve into the story of Keene's "goat-man" as he has been so often described, you may indeed find yourself opening up to the new ideas and horrors unleashed by the mind of Brian Keene. Since The Rising and City of the Dead most people want more zombie tales. Don't get me wrong, those are two of my all-time favorite books in the genre. Just allow Keene to take your imagination elsewhere. Four stars.Book Review: BRIAN KEENE STRIKES AGAIN!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you have read any of this author's work before then you are probably like me...ZOMBIE OBSESSED! I never even liked zombies before I read "The Rising" and "City of the Dead". I am sure that Mr. Keene is sick and tired of only being known for those two books, (Blah, blah, blah Mr. Keene. Get over it and admit that they were top-notch!).
Anyhow, I have to confess that Keene flabbergasted me with this one. As I started reading, I immediately pictured Keene as the main character. The entire story drew me in and held me in a state of nail biting suspense. When I was a child, I lived in the remote wilderness of Pennsylvania for a period of time. I had recently planned on taking a drive there to reminisce about my youth, but now I can't. As much as I love the state of Pennsylvania, I seriously do not think I am going to visit it for a while. Hey, if a book can creep you out so badly that you avoid a state because of what you've read...well, then you have to know it's good. IT'S REALLY GOOD!!!
Book Review: Best Keene So Far
Summary: 5 Stars
4 AND 1/2 STARS
For me, although this wasn't the most frightening novel Brian Keene has written, this was his most enjoyable. I could tell he had fun writing it, slipping in parts from his other writings as well as details from his own life. The premise, however ridiculous, seemed to work mainly because the characters were so sympathetic and had such serious convictions about what was actually going on. While the constant arousal of the town males bordered on outright comedy, Keene kept things grounded with some nice moments of suspense and deep emotions. The only glaring problem I had was the group's decision not to carjack the first vehicle they came into contact with after visiting the LeHorn house - especially since the lives of their spouses were in question. It felt very awkward. That being said, I had a great time with this book and it should be a welcome addition to any horror fan's library. Keene held nothing back in this very adult tale and I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel sometime in the future.
Book Review: Could have been much better.
Summary: 3 Stars
In Dark Hollow, an author named Adam Senft (which, while I'm sure is a perfectly good name wherever Mr. Keene is from, sounds like a sneeze and was a bit distracting) has marital problems and a dog. A satyr invades the woods near his house and throws the town into upheaval.
I've oversimplified the plot, of course, to keep from spoiling anything. All of that you get in the first chapter, and it unfolds from there.
I enjoyed the plot. The scenes were perfectly serviceable for the story (while not terribly outstanding), and the ending ties in very well to the core of the story. It was one of the high points for me. Endings can be tough to make satisfying (Dean Koontz comes to mind, he has some awful endings), so this made the read almost worth it.
Well, I enjoyed the plot, I liked the ending, and I thought the story worked from beginning to end. So why only three stars? (I was going to give it 2 stars, but the last couple of paragraphs bumped up my rating a star, that's how good the ending is.)
My problem with the book is, quite simply, the writing. This is Mr. Keene's fourth (or fifth) book. I have not read any others so I don't know if this is just his style, but I suspect it is not. (I have read other reviews on here, and they seem to reflect that.) But after five books, there is really no excuse for the lack of characterization, the sophomoric descriptions (especially from a character who is supposed to be a writer), and the stilted and (sometimes) silly dialogue. The characters felt manipulated, not by the situation in the book, but by the needs of the author: i.e. This character needs to be standing there so the other character can make a certain remark, OK, he walks there for no reason. (That is a simplistic example that may or may not reflect an actual occurrence in the book, but that was the 'feeling' I got from the text.) I guess I'm saying it felt forced, not natural or organic.
This is not a bad story, just a bad example of writing. When literary snobs point to the lack of talent in this genre, if they point to it at all, this book would do nothing to change their minds, and that is my main problem with it. To be fair, I read a lot of books and there are many that are well written but the stories are awful. I'd rather read a "Dark Hollow"-esq book instead of each of those bad stories.
I can't recommend this book to anyone looking for "thoughtful" horror or dark fantasy, but I would to a casual reader who just wants to shut off for however long it takes them to read this. (It took me 2 days of intermittent reading.)
Book Review: Dark Hollow by Brian Keene
Summary: 3 Stars
A fun read. A very well paced and entertaining story. An interesting take on the Satyr myth.