Carrion Comfort
by Dan Simmons
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Book Reviews of Carrion Comfort
Book Review: Wow/Yawn
Summary: 3 Stars
I'd never heard of Dan Simmons until about four weeks ago. Based on what was said, I tried his first novel, Song of Kali, and was big time disappointed. But I figured there had to be SOMETHING good about him, so I picked up Carrion Comfort to give him another try. I didn't know it was his second novel, it was just the only book my bookstore had in stock. The first half of the book is a Wow!, exciting, scary, original. The second half is more exhausting than entertaining. While it is inventive and well written, Simmons escalates the story to the point it seems like a 1960s Bond film, with the super secret high tech lair on an island and enough plot reversals to fill another couple of books. Put me in the camp that thinks the book would have been greatly improved with a 100-200 pages knocked out. And despite its great length, there are a number of issues that are set up and then never dealt with. Still and all, it's worth reading and I'll definitely pick up more of his work. (And ignore those comparisons to The Stand on the cover; the books are nothing alike.)Book Review: 1990 Bram Stoker Award Winner
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a very ambitious undertaking, with a very
original premise. Taking the lore of the vampire a step
further, into the mental stage. This book centers on people
that can control others, like a puppet, through their minds,
becoming "rejuvenated" through Using another person, partic-
ularly for murder. The storyline revolves around three main
"vampires", and a man that has set out to stop them. There
is a vaguely "X-files" touch to this, as many of the upper
level members of the government are also "Users". Very
entertaining book, although, some people may be daunted by
it's size (a little less than 900 pages), it is a fast
read, and the last 100 pages are in the "I-can't-put-this-
down" category. Well worth the money spent, I recommend
this book wholeheartedly to any and all fans of horror/
thrillers. In fact, I recommend just about anything written
by Dan Simmons, he is a well kept secret in today's better
authors.Book Review: Painfully dull
Summary: 2 Stars
I ADORE long horror books. The longer, the better. So, after seeing the size, and hearing so many kudos for Carrion Comfort, I snatched it right up and couldn't WAIT to begin reading. Ugh. I tried 3 times to get past the 100 page point, and couldn't do it. Slow. Dull. Boring. I've heard this book called an epic. I disagree vehemently. An epic should illicit strong emotions from the reader. An epic should be an incredible testimony of some sort, whether it be GOOD versus EVIL, or whatever. You want to read an epic in the horror genre? King's "The Stand." A masterpiece. It's incredibly readable. The characters are fascinating. It's exciting. It's ACCESSIBLE. Same goes for McCammon's "Swan Song." THOSE are epics. In my opinion, this doesn't come anywhere close. Epic BOREDOM, more like it. Maybe I'll pick it up some day and try again. But as long as I keep finding other, more interesting horror novels, I don't see the need.Book Review: If this is what horror fiction is then I pass
Summary: 2 Stars
I read Simmons other work of Horror "Song of Kali" and thought that it was ok. So I tried another one of his works. Carrion Comfort was supposed to be a magnum opus and at over 800 pages it was certainly an opus. Unfortunately the book, while having a great premise devolves into predictable and repeated acts involving knives, guns, and body parts to the point of nausia. The first use of each of these devices is clever and interesting however repeated use dulls the effect and drags the story out too long. This would have been a superior 300 page book if only the author and the editor could control themselves. While not the Heavens Gate of books, a very weak, predictable ending and too much racist overtones -- yes racist -- makes this book one to pass on. I am finished reading Simmons, now and for a long time. If this is what passes for the genre, then you can keep it. Sorry to be harsh but I would not waste your time here.
Book Review: I put down 5 stars only because that's as far as they let me
Summary: 5 Stars
I was appalled to hear that there was even a single person out there who did not enjoy this book to the fullest. I first read this book in 1995. It blew me away. Ever since then I have not found a single book, past or present, that reached Carrion Comfort's level. I beleive all those people out there who claim it was boring, are the same people who think that Rambo is the best movie and that Titanic "sucks". Carrion Comfort took the right elements of Horror and Science Fiction and blended them flawlessly to create a believable epic tale. It frightened me when I read it. ANd it's not the kind of fright that makes one afraid to sleep with the lights off. More of a grander fright. It's realism made one afraid that Dan Simmons knows more about what's truly going on out there than we'd like to think. In conclusion, I'll say that whoever thought Carrion Comfort was boring, didn't understand the story.