"The Resurrectionist" is a wild ride into a territory where nothing is as it appears. Part classic noir thriller, part fabulist fable, it is the st...
read full description
reviews
Jul 25, 2008
Jason
rated it: 
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)
As some of you already know, I have been a twenty-year fan and student now of the related 20th-century art movements Dadaism and Surrealism, ever since first getting exposed to them as an undergraduate in the '80s, and in fact is the closest I arguably come to being legitimately "scho More...
As some of you already know, I have been a twenty-year fan and student now of the related 20th-century art movements Dadaism and Surrealism, ever since first getting exposed to them as an undergraduate in the '80s, and in fact is the closest I arguably come to being legitimately "scho More...
3 comments
like
(9 people liked it)
Apr 16, 2008
Jessica
rated it: 
This is a lovely hybrid book in which some very serious and fascinating matters are discussed in a very ludicrous and pulpy manner. The interlocking parallel plot lines, (one rooted in reality, the other a comic book land of fiction within a fiction) are elegantly sculpted and carefully plotted.
The myriad of archetypal characters (the hand-wringing father, the psychotic biker, the naughty nurse, the mad scientist) are tossed into situations unique enough to really shake the dust off More...
The myriad of archetypal characters (the hand-wringing father, the psychotic biker, the naughty nurse, the mad scientist) are tossed into situations unique enough to really shake the dust off More...
0 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Apr 20, 2008
Joey
rated it:
I can describe this story succinctly; a shambles. If there was an plotline, it might have benefitted the reader if the author had actually provided it.
Some might argue the style is surreal and the reader has to suspend belief. Dream sequences and comic book realities are fine tools to use in storytelling, but they must be hung on something if they are to be bought by the reader.
Characters are built up only to never be heard from again, a bit of foreshadowing is cast onl More...
Some might argue the style is surreal and the reader has to suspend belief. Dream sequences and comic book realities are fine tools to use in storytelling, but they must be hung on something if they are to be bought by the reader.
Characters are built up only to never be heard from again, a bit of foreshadowing is cast onl More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Apr 28, 2008
Emily
rated it: 
well, i am not really sure what the hell this was about. I think it was a very strange story,... it involves a lot of suspension of disbelief, there are a lot of characters that seem important that never flesh out, there's a few hairy instances that turn into nothing. I don't think i got it. I would have given it a two-star review but there was enough good writing and creativity in it to merit a three-star review, but i will not be recommending this book to anyone ever...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
May 16, 2008
Braine
rated it:
Every parent's worst nightmare. Literally, figuratively, and everything in between.
Not badly told (and I got used to the reader on the audio CD fairly quickly -- he handled a lot of voices well), but for what purpose? I've read The Magus, the Shining, and, more recently, The Keep, and they covered similar ground (the nature of consciousness and reality, gothic and/or classical horror, Dads running around yelling "Danny!") but with a bit more payoff. Early on I asked an More...
Not badly told (and I got used to the reader on the audio CD fairly quickly -- he handled a lot of voices well), but for what purpose? I've read The Magus, the Shining, and, more recently, The Keep, and they covered similar ground (the nature of consciousness and reality, gothic and/or classical horror, Dads running around yelling "Danny!") but with a bit more payoff. Early on I asked an More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jan 21, 2011
Barbara
rated it:
I've liked Jack O'Connell's books since Box Nine (c2000) presented us with the bleak and ruined industrial community of Quinsigamond. O'Connell defined it as part of an "industrial rust belt." He also said: "God tends to fall asleep in Quinsigamond. And sometimes His dreams are perverse." This fictional city has rotted from the center outward. Its once "normal" constituency and lifestyle has engendered the likes of Bangkok Square, home to all things degenerate and d
More...
Aug 09, 2010
Katy
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 01, 2009
M.d.
rated it: 
The Resurrectionist is the story of Sweeny, a father who desperately wants to find a way to re-awaken his comatose son, Danny. To that end, he arrives at the "Peck," a private clinic renown for its care of patients in a coma.
Interwoven into Sweeny's journey is the comic book story of Limbo, the journey of a troupe of "freaks" in search of a place in the world.
This book is strangely fascinating in a Kafkaesque way, and although I found it plodding at ti More...
Interwoven into Sweeny's journey is the comic book story of Limbo, the journey of a troupe of "freaks" in search of a place in the world.
This book is strangely fascinating in a Kafkaesque way, and although I found it plodding at ti More...
Jun 18, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 24, 2011
Tina
rated it:
This book reminded me of a Stephen King novel, not because it was scary, but because the ending was SO weak. Just like King, this guy wrote an absorbing novel with interesting characters, an intriguing mystery, but a super crap ending. It seemed like he just didn't know how to end it, which really sucked, because I couldn't put it down for the most part. There were other problems that seemed to crop up around page 225 now that I think about it: the use of the serum by the (stereotypical) bikers
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 02, 2011
Nicole
rated it:
Maybe the ultimate in that broad/vague genre called “speculative” fiction--a speculation on the nature of consciousness itself. Up till now, O’Connell has been known as a mystery writer, and his plotting skills are on elaborate display here, as three distinct worlds are brought into collision. At the center is the character of Sweeney, a completely isolated, guilt-ridden and anger-driven insomniac father/widower, navigating a nightmarish reality of a new job as pharmacist at the Peck, a clinic t
More...
Feb 05, 2009
Although it has its strengths, The Resurrectionist is not for everyone. The novel slips imperfectly between grim reality and dark fantasy, and for some critics, the intense drama, imaginative scenery, and significant themes did not overcome frustrating structural difficulties. O'Connell has embedded a touching father-son story within the work; however, to reach this dramatic core, the reader must be patient and willing to overlook the novel's difficult framework. Still, critics praised many of t
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 11, 2008
Megan
rated it:
I've got to mull this one over some more. Very weird premise of a father trying to connect to his comatose son through the fantasy world of his favorite comic. I wanted to love it, and I did enjoy the noir/fantasy mash-up aspects, but there were places were it didn't seem as fully realized a concept as it could have been. Still, pretty cool.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 08, 2009
Gerard
rated it: 
When I was little I used to enjoy swimming far out in lake michigan, letting some air out of my lungs and then floating to the bottom. It was dark, quiet and loud at the same time, but completely enveloping (I could make a plug here for Henry James but I won't). But it was also a delicious thrill to think about if the lifeguard or my mom was getting nervous.
This book was more like riding a water slide when you're supposedly too old and the parents you pass on the way up think they smell be More...
This book was more like riding a water slide when you're supposedly too old and the parents you pass on the way up think they smell be More...
Jun 26, 2008
Rachel
rated it:
I am a big fan of Jack O'Connell, and I usually love his books. I liked this one, but didn't love it, probably because its emotional center is a father/son relationship. That said, I still think O'Connell has one of the best twisted imaginations out there right now.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 15, 2008
Jesse
rated it:
It started out good and weird - and I'm a sucker for circus freaks. About 3/4 of the way through it got really trippy, and I was like "Circus freaks rule! Bikers rule!" And then the last page transformed every ounce of weirdness into saccharine treacle.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 21, 2010
Russ
rated it:
If you are not equally intrigued by what seem like separate, unrelated plots in this story, you will not enjoy it and will probably not finish it. There is a lot of mystery surrounding Dr. Peck's methods of trying to revive comatose patients, and half of the novel takes place in a fantastic, dark, comic book parallel universe. Like any story with mystery and parallel worlds, it requires a suspension of disbelief. Read a straight-forward crime novel if that's a problem.
One problem More...
One problem More...
Mar 26, 2009
James
rated it:
Interesting concept that features a comic book world that functions as a parallel universe to ours, and some people that can interact between the two worlds. I'm drastically oversimplifying, but you get the point.
My complaint with the book is the meandering way in which the story lopes along, remaining interesting, but not really drawing me in. The characters are, for the most part, well drawn, but still lack the depth to make me feel for them.
All in all this book feels like a good f More...
My complaint with the book is the meandering way in which the story lopes along, remaining interesting, but not really drawing me in. The characters are, for the most part, well drawn, but still lack the depth to make me feel for them.
All in all this book feels like a good f More...
May 29, 2008
Claire
rated it:
it was ok. nothing too special. an interesting way to tell a story though. a mix of fanatsy/comic book fiction and real life.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 22, 2009
Todd
rated it:
What is consciousness and where does the mind reside? These are two of the questions this surreal novel poses to the reader. The ancient Greeks believed that the mind resided near the area of the stomach. There are a lot of obese people for whom that may be true. Naturally, they could be said to be living unconsciously. Personally, I think “mind”, whatever it is, resides somewhere lower because it has a tendency to slip down my pant leg and into my shoes.
If you like weird comic book More...
If you like weird comic book More...
Dec 06, 2008
Jennifer
rated it:
This is another book that I didn't finish. I chose this book because I found it on amazon's list of best SF/fantasy books of the year. The book is about a man whose six year old son is in a coma. The son was obsessed with this comic book series about a group of freaks. I only made it half way through the book, but the comic book characters are such a clear parallel to the life of the father and son that it seems too obvious where the story is going. The book reminded me a lot of Iain Banks'
More...
Aug 11, 2009
Bob
rated it:
Holy Crap!!
I'm sorry that I forget who recommended this book to me, but, whoever did...Thank You!!
Now this is where I'm supposed to say: "This book is a combination of [Author A} & [Author B:]" but I won't.
This book is about forgiveness of yourself, comas, a comic written by the The Love Child of Warren Ellis & Alan Moore (Oh shit! I just mentioned an Author A & an Author B! Fuckin' sue me.).
I found myself waking up an hour or two bef More...
I'm sorry that I forget who recommended this book to me, but, whoever did...Thank You!!
Now this is where I'm supposed to say: "This book is a combination of [Author A} & [Author B:]" but I won't.
This book is about forgiveness of yourself, comas, a comic written by the The Love Child of Warren Ellis & Alan Moore (Oh shit! I just mentioned an Author A & an Author B! Fuckin' sue me.).
I found myself waking up an hour or two bef More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Nov 21, 2009
Jacob
rated it:
I don't normally give books reviews this low, but this one demanded special derision. Horrible characters (were any of them real, oh, nevermind, I don't care), the use of journey as a plotline, even though no one went anywhere, attempts to draw weird parallels between real and imaginary characters, then saying both were real, but not really.
There is a special kind of frustration reserved for those who have suffered through this book to the bitter end. To my comrades, I salute you More...
There is a special kind of frustration reserved for those who have suffered through this book to the bitter end. To my comrades, I salute you More...
Jun 28, 2011
David
rated it:
A really beautifully written book in the way that was not able to put it down read it in 1day.
But I also found the story really weak I feel there was a lot more could have been done with the characters. It is classed as a Gothic novel I was expecting something much more darker......
And also the last part of the book was very weak and there was not enough depth in the part if story,and I felt cheated.
But again John O'Connell writes wonderfully but the strength in the character More...
But I also found the story really weak I feel there was a lot more could have been done with the characters. It is classed as a Gothic novel I was expecting something much more darker......
And also the last part of the book was very weak and there was not enough depth in the part if story,and I felt cheated.
But again John O'Connell writes wonderfully but the strength in the character More...
Jan 25, 2010
Lori
rated it:
reviewers copy
In The Resurrectionist, we meet Sweeney - our main character, if I were to pick ONE and label him as such. I see him as the wheel around which this novel turns. Sweeney's son Danny has been in a coma for over a year, and they have just relocated to The Clinic - where Dr. Peck has successfully aroused 2 comatose patients.
O'Connell withholds information from us - the reader - information we desire to know. Which, quite frankly, kept me glued to this book. Ther More...
In The Resurrectionist, we meet Sweeney - our main character, if I were to pick ONE and label him as such. I see him as the wheel around which this novel turns. Sweeney's son Danny has been in a coma for over a year, and they have just relocated to The Clinic - where Dr. Peck has successfully aroused 2 comatose patients.
O'Connell withholds information from us - the reader - information we desire to know. Which, quite frankly, kept me glued to this book. Ther More...
Oct 27, 2008
Beth
rated it:
Ha! I just found my own review on the TC Goodreads. I originally picked this up because I was lucky enough to work with Jack O'Connell, who is a sweetheart.
Really it's a pretty amazing book. A pharmacist and his comatose son move to a new town with a supposedly top notch facility for coma patients. The town is more than a bit peculiar and unwelcoming. The pharmacist takes a job at the clinic where his son resides to keep a close careful watch over him, and always reads to him his fa More...
Really it's a pretty amazing book. A pharmacist and his comatose son move to a new town with a supposedly top notch facility for coma patients. The town is more than a bit peculiar and unwelcoming. The pharmacist takes a job at the clinic where his son resides to keep a close careful watch over him, and always reads to him his fa More...
Feb 25, 2009
Brendan
rated it:
The Resurrectionist oscillates unexpectedly, keeping its reader off balance. Among the stories told are those of Sweeney, a pharmacist whose son is in a long-term coma, a group of freaks at the center of a wildly popular comic book empire, a doctor bent on performing bleeding edge experiments on the patients in his care, and a psychotic group of bikers who're half Hell's Angels, half support group.
O'Connell writes in a crisp voice, with great pacing and descriptions. Especially e More...
O'Connell writes in a crisp voice, with great pacing and descriptions. Especially e More...
Sep 23, 2008
Ultimately this book has been engineered to be a good, quick read and little more: there is no there there. I found it gripping and yet a great disappointment. So many plot elements are left unresolved, story threads abandoned and characters undeveloped (including the fate of the title character).[return][return]The story of Sweeney, a pushed-to-the-edge pharmacist and his comatose son Danny and their journey to The Peck Clinic for better care and the possibility of an awakening is woven in with
More...
Aug 09, 2008
fo
rated it:
A jagged joyride to the limit of compassion, and a chilling intimation of the realities hiding in our subconscious minds, the incredibly readable Jack O'Connell does it again. By "it" I mean (seemingly) effortlessly dashing off another poetical noir masterpiece set in his Quinsigamond universe, a place uncomfortably close to our daily reality, yet somehow sung in a clearer, and still darker melotony, and in the end leaving his audience aching for more. You may pick up anything he has w
More...
