Velocity by Dean Koontz... as the New York Times put it: 'Psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying...'I have to say the underlying message was powerful but I thought that the stench of death in this novel is a bit too overpowering... I'll just give you the blurb at the back of the book...
On the windowscreen of his SUV, Billy finds the first note:
' If you don't take this note to the police and get them involved, I will kill a lovely blonde schoolteacher somewhere in Napa County. If you do take this note to the police, I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have six hours to decide. The choice is yours.'
Billy thinks the note is a hoax. The schoolteacher dies.
More communications from the killer follow, more hideous choices, with ever tighter decision times, and with each choice Billy is drawn deeper into an accelerating nightmare, which steadily becomes more personal, more confrontational, until he is isolated, with no one to turn to and no one to rely on but himself. Finally he must risk everything to save the intended victims...
The novel concerns with life and death and the ever lingering question of doubts and uncertainties. It is a powerful novel... Although... it is gruesome and rather gory to my standard... because this novel is just an occasional read I thought I have to read it fast or I'm gonna be sick... seriously... Look... I don't really mind the gory stuff but I thought for some reason the whole novel annoys me... I don't know why... but not the questions on life and death though... just the story itself...
I'm just going to say that if you got a pretty good stomach read it because it is very fast pacing and interesting to read... I actually pulled out a couple of quotes that I like from the novel:
"The theater is deception." she said. "No actor plays himself."
Pain is a gift. Humanity, without pain, would know neither fear nor pity. Without fear, there could be no humility, and every man would be a monster. The recognition of pain and fear in others gives rise in us to pity, and in our pity is our humanity, our redemption.
Our myths are rich with enchanters and enchantresses: sea nymphs that sing sailors onto rocks, Circe turning men into swine, pipers playing children to their doom. They are metaphors for the sinister secret urge to self-destruction that has been with us since the first bite of the first apple.
Sometimes the heart makes decisions that the mind cannot, and although we know that the heart is deceitful above all things, we also know that at rare moments of stress and profound loss it can be purged by suffering.
I have to say that Koontz is a somewhat philosopher... This is just some of the many philosophies on life that he had contributed to the novel... I thought it was very intersting seeing it in that perspective... I have to say that the words are very blunt and almost controversional to some extent... but I thought that the bluntness gave away to the often too metaphorical comments on life and death if you know what I mean...
Anyways... I thought it was a very fast-pacing and articulate novel... although a bit gruesome... it is an easy read that will cater to everyone's niche... err... maybe just not all of you who are not into gory type of genre... more into verbally visual description of err... things...
I better go now... I dunno why but my head's killing me and so I am writing this slighty hot headed and dazed... haha dazed... I think I better have some nap I fear that my brain would split into two... #__#
ps. the above cover is not the cover that I purchased of... apparently I googled it but it's not there... mine is probably much graphically and visually more appealing than that but I cannot go far from the typographic charm the above cover seems to embrace upon...
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