Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Heart-Shaped Box
Book Review: "I was in the chess club in junior high ... but I used severed fingers for pieces."
Summary: 4 Stars
I couldn't wait to get my hands on Joe Hill's first novel Heart-Shaped Box after reading his short-story collection 20th Century Ghosts. As I've said in my review of that work, his short fiction draws you into a world of slow terror like no one else I've read for some time, and I couldn't wait to see what he could do within the length of a novel. The book's first pages had me salivating with the promise of macabre happenings: an aging death metal rocker who collects morbid artifacts has the chance to purchase a dead man's coat and the ghost that haunts it. What better set-up can you ask for from a modern-day horror storywriter?
The novel's promise is enticing, but it's the delivery that follows which shows Joe Hill to be a promising new novelist who puts a lot of meaty ingredients in his first full-course literary meal. In relating the plight of Judas Coyne, his girlfriend Georgia and his two dogs Bon and Angus in staving off the coat's vengeful spirit, he combines several weighty themes, such as religion, trust and suicide, as well as dark family secrets, into the narrative without dragging down the pacing or wandering into cliché. As the story unfolds, you find out a lot about the characters' histories, evoking sympathy and concern for their welfare. Even the dogs come across as honest depictions and loveable characters in their own right. Heart-Shaped Box contains elements of mystery combined with the ghost story promised from the beginning, as well as being part road trip story too. Very well done, but not everything I had hoped for.
What I hoped to unearth was more of the frisson that came out of the weird, wild stories in 20th Century Ghosts. Heart-Shaped Box worked well but it didn't have enough of the roller-coaster-ride sudden stops and drops of the in his short stories. You might say I was looking for more rough trade. Perhaps it's harder to keep up such a risqué tone throughout an entire book, or maybe Hill wanted to play it safe in his first novel, but I felt that Heart-Shaped Box could have been a bit darker, wilder, weirder. It's a great novel, and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work, but in my heart, I crave for Joe Hill to pull out all the stops in his next book.
Book Review: ...uh, who am I rooting for?
Summary: 2 Stars
I think the success of this book, and Joe Hill as an author, may have more to do with Stephen King being his father than the merits of the work itself. The writing is professional, it's the content that lacks in my opinion. The first problem I had with HSB was that the main characters are unlikable, sometimes even loathsome. They are angry, morose individuals that the reader is forced to spend time with. The protagonist, Jude, is uncaring, jaded, and a collector of filth. His collection includes a snuff film and a painting by a serial killer. I couldn't relate to this in the least, but read on hoping to find some connection and reason to stay with Jude for 360 plus pages. Sadly, Jude remained boring and unappealing, and the only reason I finished the work was because of its connection to Stephen King.
Reading about an aged rock-star with base desires and interests, came across (to me at least) as forced and formulaic, something a writer might do when trying too hard to concoct a character that's "cool" and "edgy"; it would have been better if the author had instead spent more time making the characters entertaining and three dimensional.
This book suffers from an ailment common in weaker fiction, hollow characters. After fifty or so pages I was rooting for the ghost that haunted Jude and wondered if that was what the author intended. I thought this was an interesting twist but after reading further, I could see that it wasn't the case.
The characters surrounding the main players are often more interesting and more sympathetic, but in most cases, they don't stay with the reader long; it's a liability to the book, and one that made HSB a bit of a chore to finish. A horror novel in which the reader doesn't care for the main characters doesn't work so well.
Also, I'm not sure If Joe Hill was attacked by a conservative when he was young but his left leaning political opinions (that are inserted heavily throughout) may be likened to confetti, at first it's either fun or annoying, but regardless of who you are it's tough to take when doused repeatedly. I personally prefer authors that don't stand on soap-boxes when they approach the typewriter, no matter which side of the isle they stand on. There's enough name-calling and condescension in the real world, I'd rather it not be in my fiction. It's pretty black and white in HSB though, the bad guys are conservative, the good guys are not, and talk radio serves as a kind of silly soundtrack whenever evil is near. (Literally.) It becomes predictable and eventually comical.
All in all, the work is professional, and I'm sure there are many books in Joe Hill's future, though right now I recommend trying-out or sticking-with other authors like Koontz and King.
Book Review: A Dissapointment
Summary: 1 Stars
I was very excited to read Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill - between the advertising, summary and title it sounded downright cool.
I bought and finished the book, and personally I was quite dissapointed.
The characters were shallow - they didn't seem real, I felt no connection to them or liking for them.
The story was ridiculously farfetched (I know it was a ghost story, but still - it doesn't have that creppy edge that lets you imagine for just a moment that its real. It's too ridiculous to be scary, moving or even enjoyable.)
There were some scenes of ridiculous violence that came off as a lame attempts to seem dark and goth-y, sort of like a cheap shiny vinyl trench coat from Hot Topic.
Book Review: A Horror Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
What a masterpiece! It was a real page turner. Joe Hill takes after his father, Stephen King, in writing a great horror story. I couldn't put it down. Anyone who appreciates a good Stephen King book will definitely want to check this out. The characters are vivid. The book is a spine-chilling masterpiece. A must have for horror fans.Book Review: A Natural Talent, Witty and Perverse
Summary: 3 Stars
What catches the attention of a reader these days? That is a question that many authors are asking these days. And the attempt to attract that crowd sometimes begins with a simple title. "Heart-Shaped Box" was a video by Nirvana before the tragic death of Kurt Cobain. And how brilliant of author, Joe Hill to take such a title, and write a ghost story for this generation! And to boot, the main person is an aging rock star past his time. That only begins to shape the talent that Joe Hill brings to the table. The son of legend, Stephen King, is ready to be a legend in his own time. Does he succeed?
You have to think about this for a minute. Metal-head, Judas Coyne likes to collect strange things. And some of the things are freaking weird! But nothing prepares him for the e-bay auction that offers a dead man's suit, ghost included. What the heck? You have the money for these kind of things, you splurge a little! But money can't buy him and his girlfriend out of the mess that this purchase turns into. And it gets chaotic! Jude is armed with a woman who cares, a mustang, and two dogs, so what more could you ask for? Let the ghost games begin. You want a wild ride? You got it, baby!
The New York Times describes this as "Perversely witty." Yeah, I guess so, although I'd say sometimes more perverted than witty. But Joe Hill is a natural talent, and he tells his story with ease. The ending is practically down to perfection, and then that final curtain closes.
I never got into the work of Stephen King. This was an interesting read, but it will be the last I read of Joe Hill. It was a type of story I could get into, yet not stay into. Joe Hill will no doubt be a talent for years to come. But I choose to close the lid on his Heart-Shaped Box. Great talent!