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17th out of 34 books
—
107 voters
The Mask
by
Dean Koontz
A beautiful young girl appears out of nowhere. A teenager with no past, no family--no memories. Carol and Paul were drawn to her. She was the child they'd never had. Most mothers would die for such a darling little angel. And that's what frightened Carol most of all...
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
August 15th 1990
by Berkley
(first published 1981)
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This was an interesting story. At first, I was confused how the prologue fit into the main story, but that soon became clear. My only complaint is that Dean would have spent more time on the ending. If you like stories with bad kitties like we saw in The Bad Place, for example, you'll love this book!
I found this amusing (chapter 3):
Every thirty seconds or so, a bleached blonde with a shrill voice repeated the same words of amazement: "I can't believe nobody got killed in all that! I can't believ...more
I found this amusing (chapter 3):
Every thirty seconds or so, a bleached blonde with a shrill voice repeated the same words of amazement: "I can't believe nobody got killed in all that! I can't believ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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2 likes · like · see review
Finished. I thought it was a nice solid supernatural thriller. It's not Koontz best book to me but it doesn't deserve a bad review either like a few I've read elsewhere. It did seem like there was a bit of a hurry about the book and toward the last 50 pages I was wondering how he was going to tie all the loose ends together in so few pages. He simply cut to the chase and didn't waste any time did he?
That cat! Ew. Aristophanes had qualities about him that expressed my hidden fears about those cr...more
That cat! Ew. Aristophanes had qualities about him that expressed my hidden fears about those cr...more
read this twice like so many of his other stories...i don't recall being blown away nor was i bored to tears. as i recall this is an earlier story...though it made the grade...say like he has 20-40 stories under pen names that aren't likely to published again under his name....i think this one was published under a pen name too, but obviously it now wears his real name.
reading his early stories is a plus...for anyone interested in the art of making fiction...all you need then is a decade or so o...more
reading his early stories is a plus...for anyone interested in the art of making fiction...all you need then is a decade or so o...more
A beautiful young girl appears out of nowhere. A teenager with no past, no family--no memories. Carol and Paul were drawn to her. She was the child they'd never had. Most mothers would die for such a darling little angel. And that's what frightened Carol most of all...
About the AuthorDean Koontz was born in Everett, Pennsylvania, and grew up in nearby Bedford. He won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition when he was twenty and has been writing ever since. Mr. Koontz's books are published in
...more
I am not a fan of supernatural but I do like Dean Koontz's tight style of writing, he is also a master of page-turning suspense. I first read The Good Guy, then The Husband and Velocity, all excellent stories and not as I recall with any supernatural content, just good crisp fast paced story telling. Always set in the USA and usually the action is over a very short time span you will either like his style or not. The Mask is one of his earlier novels published in 1982 under the pseudonym of Owen...more
I don't believe in Ghosts. Being a Hindu, I must believe in reincarnation - But I don't. Even if I believed in reincarnation and transmigration, I, as a Hindu, must believe that these chances are given to souls to improve upon themselves and not to wreck havoc by channeling all their accumulated Karma towards misplaced revenge.
Having stated my beliefs I must also admit that I enjoyed reading The Mask by Dean Koontz very much. He has managed to weave the unbelievables into a beautiful novel which...more
Having stated my beliefs I must also admit that I enjoyed reading The Mask by Dean Koontz very much. He has managed to weave the unbelievables into a beautiful novel which...more
this was my first Dean Koontz's work. i found it very well written, with a lot of suspense, action and elements of horror, and honestly, i couldn't stop reading :). but i expected more of the story itself - the subject on which the story was based on was too simplified and a explained in a bit "cliche" way. all that with the abrupt and somehow incomplete ending, and i was left a bit disappointed after i finished, but i enjoyed reading it so much that i decided i could tolerate it ;). that's why...more
This book was published in 1981, so it is a little dated but still stands up as a very creepy story. As with a lot of Dean Koontz books, there is a bit too much telling for my tastes but The Mask redeems itself by being fairly short (only 7 audio cds) and also for the creepiness factor. There is a lot of supernatural elements in the book to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, demonic cats, ghostly incidents, strange dreams and a past mystery to tie everything up. I thought Koontz di...more
With its eerie undertone, The Mask is not a book to be read alone at night. It was chilling, suspenseful, and intense. The plot was well-thought out, as was the foreshadowing. All in all, a great work of literature. I am lucky to have stumbled upon it in a thrift store.
Because there's no summary for this book on goodreads, I'll post what the back covers says:
"Hello, I'm nobody."
She appeared out of nowhere, in the middle of traffic, on a busy day. A teenager with no past, no family - no memories....more
Because there's no summary for this book on goodreads, I'll post what the back covers says:
"Hello, I'm nobody."
She appeared out of nowhere, in the middle of traffic, on a busy day. A teenager with no past, no family - no memories....more
This was an interesting Dean Koontz novel. I gave it only 3 stars for two reasons. First, I was not pleased that a Siamese cat was a villain or that it had to be killed. BOOOOO! That is terrible. Second, the ending was terrible. It was so jarring and incomplete. It felt very unfinished.
However, if you like Dean Koontz, I believe this is still an enjoyable, easy read. There is a lot of paranormal cool stuff and a bit a mystery to keep the reader engaged.
However, if you like Dean Koontz, I believe this is still an enjoyable, easy read. There is a lot of paranormal cool stuff and a bit a mystery to keep the reader engaged.
I was so into the story and enjoying every minute of it every chance I got. The suspense of the end was building, and I was anticipating such a huge satisfaction. Hmm, not quite what I had hoped for. In this case, although the story was terrific, the ending was lacking. It was too abrupt, not enough interaction between the characters for me. Still Koontz fan and would still recommend the book, just be aware that it may not satisfy at the end.
3 likes · like · see review
As I was heavily skimming through this novel, I thought to myself, "I remember Dean Koontz being better than this."
Then about halfway through, I paused. What exactly do I remember about reading Dean Koontz?
Hmm.
....
There was...
And then that....
Darkness. Someone was afraid of darkness. And there was a hermaphrodite that one time.
Yeah, apparently I don't remember novels from childhood like I thought I did.
Dean Koontz sucks. How did I forget that?
Then about halfway through, I paused. What exactly do I remember about reading Dean Koontz?
Hmm.
....
There was...
And then that....
Darkness. Someone was afraid of darkness. And there was a hermaphrodite that one time.
Yeah, apparently I don't remember novels from childhood like I thought I did.
Dean Koontz sucks. How did I forget that?
1 like · like · see review
The Mask is a reprint of a horror novel originally published under Koontz's Owen West pseudonym. It's essentially a weird tale of a loving couple trying to adopt a child, only to discover themselves caught up in otherworldly danger. It's a fast read, with some great characters. Not as funny as Koontz's later works, though there are a few laugh out loud exchanges. A fun fright story.
I really liked this book. It was fast paced and the characters were likable. It was a shorter novel than I'm used to, so the character development was not in depth. The most disappointing thing was the ending, it simply didn't. It leaves you to assume it all turned out well and happy without anything specific. I think it needs another chapter to clean up the loose ends.
I remember this being "okay" without being in danger of stepping into "fantastic". I'm always confused by Koontz's married characters who feel they need to save stray strangers by bringing them into their homes, only to be confounded by the fact that wierd things start to happen, and seem to center around their newest arrival.
Well, duh - the girl is a mess, she doesn't know who she is, much less anything about her past, but sure! Let's go ahead and bring her home with us and give her fluffy, sof...more
Well, duh - the girl is a mess, she doesn't know who she is, much less anything about her past, but sure! Let's go ahead and bring her home with us and give her fluffy, sof...more
"The Mask" has its twists, but builds up a simple plot of interconnected characters, leading to a revelation about past lives being a lead to motive and character. I must say, this one didn't have its drowzy moments, instead it had lots of nuances as the characters are developed. Rather tame for the horror genre, although the dream scenes are well done!
I'm generally a big fan of Dean Koontz. I absolutely love the Odd Thomas books, and have enjoyed several of his stand-alone books as well. This just didn't work for me. The premise wasn't bad, but the story took a long time to develop, and the ending was very, very abrupt and unsatisfying. I listened to the book on CD, and honestly, if the recording hadn't ended with "we hope you have enjoyed this audio presentation..." I would have thought I was missing the last CD.
Although I generally like his earlier books, this wasn't one of my favorites. The ending especially wasn't up to par for me and seemed a little weak. I normally keep all his books to re-read, but not this one. I didn't hate it, but it just wasn't one of my favorites unlike The Face, Odd thomas, Lightning, Watchers and sooooooooooo many more
I gotta say for Dean Koontz, I'm a little disappointed. I do believe this is one of his earlier titles though.
It starts off kind of slow. You know something is happening but it's just taking so long to develop. Then when it happens, its great for about 30 pages or so, then it just drops off again. I felt like the book just ended so abruptly without really pulling everything together. I mean you know what happens and the climax is over, but there isn't really any closure. A fine read if you are a...more
It starts off kind of slow. You know something is happening but it's just taking so long to develop. Then when it happens, its great for about 30 pages or so, then it just drops off again. I felt like the book just ended so abruptly without really pulling everything together. I mean you know what happens and the climax is over, but there isn't really any closure. A fine read if you are a...more
Dean Koontz has his good days and bad days and this just so happens to be a very BAD day for him.
Its ridiculous the plot has not depth what so ever, not to mention the ending being incredibly rushed, pointless and odd in the sense it had nothing to do with anything if you catch my drift.
DO NOT READ THIS.
Its ridiculous the plot has not depth what so ever, not to mention the ending being incredibly rushed, pointless and odd in the sense it had nothing to do with anything if you catch my drift.
DO NOT READ THIS.
A nice horror novel, with, as usual, great characters. Some parts are a bit fantastical, but that's part of the horror genre I guess. The end of the novel felt somehow... less than the earlier parts, as if it were some mediocre Goosebumps story, rather than the Koontz I expected.
This is the first adult book I ever read! I loved this book so much and have read it more times than I can count. I would say this isn't a typical sci-fiction book, more along the lines of ghost eerie kind of book. To this day it remains my favorite Dean Koontz book!
A predictable, though still spine-tingling, tale of terror. Definitely not as gripping as some of Koontz other books, but well worth a look for a quick read. The storyline is a little weak, but the characters are believable and likable...making for a decent read.
Enjoyed from start to finish. Kept me on the edge of my seat the while time. If you like suspense, I highly recommend this book. Only disappointment was the ending, could have had more to it. Felt that it left me hanging. Otherwise it was great!
It was a good and thrilling book right up until the final chapter. The ending, was by far the worst ending I have ever read in a book. I expect more from Koontz.
However, what made this book three stars was Koontz's amazing and thrilling story telling.
However, what made this book three stars was Koontz's amazing and thrilling story telling.
This is the very first book I read by Dean Koontz, and I couldn't stop reading until I finished it. I couldn't sleep all night, yes, I read it in one night, I got so scared, I never knew a person with several personalities, could be so downright scary!
This book was so scary, it was full of creepy paranormal ghost scenes. The story summed up so well. That it's impossible not to have respect for Dean. A very well written book. And I can recommend it to anyone who likes suspense/ paranormal/ ghost stories! Definitely read it :-)
Feb 21, 2011
Melly
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Dean Koontz or Anyone really.
Recommended to Melly by:
Second Cousin
This was a really amazing book. I was impressed with how everything turned out. Did not at all expect ending or the reincarnation part of the story. If I say any more about the book, all this review will be is me going on about how good it was. Another wonderful book by Dean Koontz.
My biggest problem with books and movies is the endings never seems to be quite right. This book was great. I was actually scared, at the beginning, to turn the light off and go to bed. But like most movies and books the ending left more to be desired. Still it was a good book to keep my mond off things.
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| Koontzland - Dean...: The Mask | 40 | 37 | Feb 15, 2011 10:14pm |
Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.
Dean R. Koontz has also published under the na...more
More about Dean Koontz...
Dean R. Koontz has also published under the na...more
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Feb 14, 2011 03:54am