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Mr. X

by Peter Straub (Goodreads Author)

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 1,691 ratings · 63 reviews

The award-winning new supernatural thriller from the acclaimed author of Ghost Story, Koko, The Throat and The Talisman.

Every year on his birthday, Ned Dunstan has a paralysing seizure in which he is forced to witness scenes of ruthless slaughter perpetrated by a mysterious figure in black whom he calls Mr X. Now, with his birthday fast approaching, Ned has been drawn back...more

626 pages

Published March 28th 2001 by Harper Collins (first published July 20th 1999)

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Dec 03, 2011 Paul James rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the most difficult books I have read. When reading it I struggled at points to follow it but the last paragraph of the book made perfect sense and I realised that it was possibly the way the book was intended. A few years after reading I am still perplexed by this novel.

How good can a story be if you struggle to read it but then are left unable to stop thinking about it. I have come to the conclusion that Peter Straub is the best writer I have ever read. Ghost story was good with...more

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Jan 08, 2009 Lila rated it 3 of 5 stars

Even though Peter Straub is considered a contemporary horror fiction writer, I would not call Mr. X a typical horror (if there even is such a thing). It is a story told by Ned Dunstan, who on his every birthday experiences seizures during which he witnesses gory murders committed by Mr. X. As Ned's next birthday approaches, his mother dies and his own death is knocking on Ned's door. In a short span of time Ned also finds out there's his doppelganger lurking in shadows. He sets out on a quest to...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Jeremy marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Every year on his birthday, Ned Dunstan is cursed with visions of horror committed by a savage figure he calls "Mr. X." This year, Ned's visions will become flesh and blood.

A dreadful premonition brings Ned home to find his mother on her deathbed. She reveals the never-before-disclosed name of his father and warns him of grave danger. Driven by a desperate sense of need, Ned explores his dark past and the astonishing legacy of his kin. Accused of violent crimes he has not committed and pursue

...more

Every year on his birthday, Ned Dunstan is cursed with visions of horror committed by a savage figure he calls "Mr. X." This year, Ned's visions will become flesh and blood.

Amazon.com Review

Peter Straub's Mr. X is an enthralling, complex tale of a decent young man troubled since childhood by barely understood flashes of precognition and an awareness of a shadowy "other."

Ned Dunstan returns home to Edgerton, Illinois, a raffish and atmospheric Mississippi River city, as his mother, Star Dunstan, lies dying. Impelled to trace his tangled paternal lineage after Star's death, Ned finds himself caught up in a web of murder and other heinous crimes, not only in the present but also in a past that his elderly great aunts Nettie, May, and Joy would prefer remained undisturbed. The aunts, whose remarkable gifts include teleportation and telekinesis, frustrate his search for knowledge, partly to protect their own secrets and also to shield Ned from the mysterious and omnipresent force that seems to dodge his every step. He is aided in his efforts to discover the mysteries of his birth by a doppleganger who may or may not be his twin, and also by a lovely young woman, Laurie Hatch. She is the estranged wife of Stewart Hatch, an Edgerton scion whose own history is inexorably linked with Ned's and with the entire Dunstan family.

The secondary characters, from the elderly aunts to a lawyer named Creech who is the essence of the small-town "fixer," are deftly drawn. --Jane Adams

From Publishers Weekly

Since the publication of Koko in 1988, Straub has specialized in macabre mysteries dense with the details of small-town life and cast with ordinary people who find that the extraordinary crimes they investigate raise doubts about their own moral integrity. In this bravura new outing, he returns to his horror roots, lacing an ingenious whodunit with an intoxicating shot of the supernatural. From childhood, Ned Dunstan has experienced precognitive visions, a recurring dream of being tethered to a shadow and "the sense that something crucially significant, something without which I could never be whole, was missing." Summoned home to Edgerton, Ill., by a premonition of his mother's death on the eve of his 35th birthday, Ned finds himself implicated in a tangle of felonies and murders, all of which point to someone strenuously manipulating events to frame him. Digging into local history, he finds reason to believe that the mysterious father he never knew, or possibly a malignant doppelg?nger, are pulling the strings. Meanwhile, Mr. X, a homicidal misanthrope who reads H.P. Lovecraft's otherworldly horror fiction as gospel, cuts a swath of supernatural destruction across the country, en route to a showdown with his son, the "shadow-self" whom he must annihilate. Discerning readers will recognize this surprise-filled tale of tortuous family relationships as a modern variation on Lovecraft's classic shocker "The Dunwich Horror." But Straub turns his pulp model inside out, transforming its vast cosmic mystery into an ingrown odyssey of self-discovery and a probing study of human nature. His evocative prose, a seamless splice of clipped hard-boiled banter and poetic reflection, contributes to the thick atmosphere of apprehension that makes this one of the most invigorating horror reads of the year. BOMC main selection. (Aug.) FYI: This spring, Subterranean Press published a chapbook, Peter and PTR: Two Discarded Prefaces and an Introduction, that includes framing material that Straub wrote for, and then cut from, Mr. X.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Oct 16, 2008 Sabella Daiabczenko rated it 2 of 5 stars

Although there was some wonderful writing in this book, overall it fell flat for me. Too many characters, too much "hopping" about, too little of the truly interesting Mr X, and much too much of the other, not very intriguing cast members. Also, it took a long time and a ridiculous amount of self-impressed exposition to finally get to the point of the story. The book was about 1/3 longer than it should have been, and frustrating and tedious to read in points because of this.

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Mar 25, 2010 Kevin Murphy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not typically one that gets scared by books. Films tend to scare me more. This book is no exception. It wasn't really "scary" at all.

That said, I really enjoyed the characters. I found this book INCREDIBLY difficult to read. As much as I wanted to get into it, and really enjoy it, I couldn't. The narrative was jumbled, especially Mr. X's chapters. The last 80 pages of the book was akin to the end of a James Bond film, where everything gets explained in dialogue instead of shown to the reade...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Sasha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook

I give this book a 3.5.

It was an enjoyable experience listening to it, but having finished it and looking back it was more than a little convoluted and indulgent. The characters themselves were the highlight, the kooky family, the small town heavies and the seedy underclass of Hatchtown. But the plot itself wasn't quite what it need to be and having the anti-climactic climax happen so long before the end of the book was an odd choice. I may just have not caught on to it enough but the last line...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Sunshine Tentacles rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really, thoroughly enjoyed this book. Rarely do I read a book that doesn't make me want to skim the minutiae, but this is one. My favorite aspect of it, though, is the characters. Even the tiniest bit parts are interesting and colorful and not two dimensional. The ending was thought provoking. I think, if you like Clive Barker, H. P. Lovecraft, and don't insist that every book has to be horrific, you'll like this book.

(it should probably be noted - my mother did find this book gruesome and hor...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Clem rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: timothy

Recommended to Clem by: descriptive item

Shelves: waiting-on-my-desk

....thinking the stuff is heavy to bear and to write down the story still more sucking it is a prelaude to the author to have accomplished his task leaving the readers public the choice between the unknown shadows of the backyard alley or the 'between-the-curtains-eye' by the tiny invisisble 'spot-with-the-little tissue-piece'. Might be both the possiblities open a scenery, the suspense quickly closes them to take us with to the dangers of mr. X'...his life, his weaknesses, his likes....and we e...more

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Aug 12, 2009 Belinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-fiction

I am a big Straub fan to begin with--have enjoyed nearly all of his books--despite his work with Stephen King, I think he is quite different. This book was particularly enjoyable to me as I am a huge Lovecraft fan and this is clearly his love letter to Lovecraft. Great fun for Lovecraft fans in picking out the Lovecraftian imagery, names of books and characters scattered throughout the story---all the while winking wildly at the fans--no attempts at imitation, just sincere flattery and making us...more

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Mar 05, 2008 Cody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Oh man this book is awesome. It's like Peter Straub and Lovecraft had a baby and it was this book.

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Jul 31, 2012 Tamar Love rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-authors

Although I loved the Blue Rose series and The Hellfire Club, my favorite works by Straub are those that focus on paranormal plot lines, like Ghost Story, Shadowland (my favorite!) and Floating Dragon. When I picked up Mr. X, I was delighted to find that Straub had returned to his paranormal past.

The story was fresh and the writing tight and captivating. The plot itself was highly original, and the working in of Lovecraft was brilliant. I hadn't read "The Dunwich Horror," and when I realized how...more Although I loved the Blue Rose series and The Hellfire Club, my favorite works by Straub are those that focus on paranormal plot lines, like Ghost Story, Shadowland (my favorite!) and Floating Dragon. When I picked up Mr. X, I was delighted to find that Straub had returned to his paranormal past.

The story was fresh and the writing tight and captivating. The plot itself was highly original, and the working in of Lovecraft was brilliant. I hadn't read "The Dunwich Horror," and when I realized how integral it was to Mr. X, I set down the book and picked up my Lovecraft anthology. Something a bit spooky happened -- I set down Mr. X at page 89, and "The Dunwich Horror" began on page 89 of the Lovecraft anthology! Of course, this has nothing to do with anything, but I found it amusing nonetheless. I'm glad I read the Lovecraft story, as it gave a great many hints to the inner workings of Mr. X. If you haven't read "The Dunwich Horror," it's advisable to do so before beginning Mr. X.

After reading the other reviews, I wondered if the negative reviewers had read the same book. Straub left no questions unanswered -- perhaps those reviewers just didn't understand what happened? Mr. X was perfectly characterized, and his diary was consistent with his mental state. Ned was my favorite kind of character: flawed, but likeable, as were most of the characters in the book (with the exception, of course, of Mr. X).

My only real criticism is that Straub isn't particularly good at writing women, a flaw that's consistent throughout his writing. His women are either kooky, whore-ish or angelic -- although the "angel" in this story is a little more rounded than the "angels" in his other books. The various female family members were nicely written, though.

Straub didn't write in a single event that wasn't necessary to the story. Every loose end was wrapped up, and every character and scene essential to the plot. The various mystery elements were revealed at exactly the right time and place, and although some things were easy to guess for Lovecraft readers, there were enough surprises to satisfy me, and I'm an extremely critical reader of mysteries and crime fiction.

To sum up my review, if you love Straub, you'll love this book. Happy reading! (less)

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May 04, 2011 Ian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The plot of this novel focuses on Ned Dunstan (born June 25, 1958), who has had precognitive visions since childhood and returns home to Edgerton, Illinois from New York after anticipating that his mother, Star Dunstan, is dying. As Star lays dying in the Intensive Care Unit after suffering a stroke, she reveals the name of the Ned's father, the mysterious Edward Rinehart. Following his mother's death, Ned begins to trace his paternal lineage with the help of his great aunts Nettie, May, and Joy...more The plot of this novel focuses on Ned Dunstan (born June 25, 1958), who has had precognitive visions since childhood and returns home to Edgerton, Illinois from New York after anticipating that his mother, Star Dunstan, is dying. As Star lays dying in the Intensive Care Unit after suffering a stroke, she reveals the name of the Ned's father, the mysterious Edward Rinehart. Following his mother's death, Ned begins to trace his paternal lineage with the help of his great aunts Nettie, May, and Joy, who possess the gifts of teleportation and telekinesis. Also assisting him are Laurie Hatch, the estranged wife of the wealthy Stewart Hatch (who's past comes to play an important role in Ned's journey), and a mysterious figure who may or may not be his twin brother Robert. Not only does Ned's life become an attempt to uncover the identity of his father and his family's secrets, he also gets caught up in a tangled web of disturbing crimes and murder both in the past and present.

This is the first novel by Peter Straub that I have read and I'm now interested in reading some of his other works. Mr. X has a very complex yet entertaining plot that although seemed a bit tedious at times, being 482 pages long, it made me want to read all the way to the end to see if Ned would actually find out the truth about his family's past. The main issues I had with the novel, aside from the length, were that the number of characters were a bit overwhelming and the fact that I often could not remember there relevance to the story and that I had many unanswered questions by the time I was able to finish the novel: Did Ned really have a twin brother named Robert? Who or what exactly is Mr. X? Why do Ned's relatives go through the trouble of trying to hide the past from him? I am seriously considering re-reading the novel at some point, although I'm not sure whether that would actually help me gain the answers to all the questions I have. Despite this, the novel is still worth reading because of the many surprises and secrets revealed in the plot that the reader will uncover by making it through the entire novel.(less)

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Feb 23, 2010 Tim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought "The Throat" was one of the best-written novels ever published, lots of complexity, mysteries within mysteries, satisfying ending, finely drawn characters, all over a fun experience. My impression of "The Talisman" and "Black House," collaborations with Stephen King, was that they were superb. "Shadowlands" was a confusing miasma but had an interesting premise.

(update several days later) To tell you the truth, I went online to see if I could make sense of my confusion regarding "Mr. X...more I thought "The Throat" was one of the best-written novels ever published, lots of complexity, mysteries within mysteries, satisfying ending, finely drawn characters, all over a fun experience. My impression of "The Talisman" and "Black House," collaborations with Stephen King, was that they were superb. "Shadowlands" was a confusing miasma but had an interesting premise.

(update several days later) To tell you the truth, I went online to see if I could make sense of my confusion regarding "Mr. X." . Turns out, after all, I wasn't too far off the mark regarding the major characters and events and underpinnings. OK, more stuff:

"Mr. X" was along the same lines as "Shadowlands," confusing and difficult to read in many spots. However, that said, I must state that this work is peopled with some of the quirkiest characters I've seen in a novel. This is true mostly of the protagonist, Ned Dunstan's, extended family, one wackier than the rest, and some with some parapsychological....well, I'll let you discover that for yourselves. A major minor character who comes along in the second half of the book is a crusty old attorney with great senses and an extremely unflappable nature, who seems to know all about the families and their strange, complex natures, as well as the small town they inhabit. One of my favorites! We all could use someone like that in our corner.

(further update, which I forgot to add earlier. This getting older is REALLY inocnvenient!) Much of the book's basis relates to "The Dunwich Horror," which was written by H. P. Lovecraft in the 20's and relates to a theory that there are "the Old Ones" who are aliens from another planet who influence and are personified in some contemporary people. I saw the movie when it came out in the 70's and enjoyed it, and I have also read some other Lovecraft. It's neat to see Straub have some fun iwth Lovecraft, but unfortunately it doesn't save the work.

Sooooo, even with my misgivings, this one doesn't turn me away from Mr. Straub (after all, I've also read some clunkers by Messrs. Koontz and King and I still come back for more). I believe "Julia" and "The Hellfire Club" have gotten good reviews, so I'll get to them in due time. (less)

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Oct 16, 2012 Andrea Blythe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fic-fantasy, fic-horror, fiction

At heart this dark fantasy novel is about the twisted truths that lie at the heart of one's family history and whether it's better to leave secrets buried or dig them up. Peter Straub does an amazing job of unraveling pieces of information that slowly form into at larger picture. His characters are complex and fascinating, which makes the story absolutely compelling with an ending that kind of blew my mind and makes me want to go back and read it again. Fantastic book.

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Jul 20, 2010 Personhead rated it 5 of 5 stars

Like all of Straub's best, this book simply grabbed me and would not let me go. Straub has a way of writing... I'm not sure how to describe it, but it may put some people off to begin with. But persevere and the rewards are there. The narrative he weaves here is becomes so increasingly layered and complicated it's hard to believe it can ever tie up all it's loose ends. But it does, in this compelling, thrilling and very strange story.

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Oct 18, 2012 J.S. Bailey rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm sorry to say that I did not like this book very much. I had difficulty following the plot and in some places the descriptions got kind of clunky and I found myself glossing over a lot of it. It seemed like there were about 700 characters and I didn't like any of them, the protagonist included. Plus, I kept getting mixed up about who was who. The sections told from "Mr. X's" point of view were the worst of all!

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Dec 15, 2008 Ejl rated it 2 of 5 stars

Straub's "Ghost Story" is a contemporary classic of horror fiction, but this novel doesn't pass muster. It seems too wrapped up in the maliciousness of the title character. And I don't quite get the Lovecraft connection - slight echoes of "The Dunwich Horror" I suppose, but for what purpose? Overlong and lacking any relatable characters for me.

I listened to this book as a book-on-tape.

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Jun 13, 2012 Clait rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not nearly as satisfying as the Lovecraft stories it tries to embody. A cool premise, characters with telekinetic powers, time travel, and an obsession with H.P. Lovecraft cannot save this novel from being nearly indecipherable. I've found this book on several internet lists of "difficult reads" -- that, I believe, is something of an understatement.

This novel is complex, convoluted, fast-moving, and just plain strange. It takes an enormous amount of concentration and analysis to follow the plot...more

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Oct 02, 2010 Derek Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not that big a Straub fan in general. I like oblique horror writers, but he's often a little too oblique. Not here.

The viscerally skewed town he creates, where both the mental and physical geometry expands and collapses like a bad dream, goes to the root of what is unsettling in life. Horror? Yes, but something far better, an unsettling sense that the world could be ... waiting.

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Mar 14, 2011 Risa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Ravenous Horror readers

Shelves: read-in-2011

This is certainly not the best of Mr. Straub's work, but it definitely contains surprises and keeps the reader guessing. It pulled me effortlessly from cover to cover, and the only reason it gets 3 stars vs. 4 is because I was confused and disappointed with particular aspects of the ending. That said, I would, without question, read it again. (and again. and again.)

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Jul 27, 2011 Jane Anne rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Plot didn't hold together for me. But depiction of small-town, middle-aged fuddy duddies rang true. Parts that made whole thing worthwhile for me were the 2 brief sections where protagonist GOES BACK IN TIME in the town he was visiting! Saw hoboes and bar ruffians of the time! YOWZAH!

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May 03, 2013 Val Shepherdson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book very hard to read, but stuck with it and i'm glad i did...the storyline jumps around and i found it difficult to know which character or which time frame i was reading...but once i got through the difficult start it was a totally engaging book and cleverly written.

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Sep 23, 2009 Dundee Library added it

Shelves: horror-psychological

Peter Straub, co-author of two books with King and a Horror author in his own right, should also be mentioned. Like King, he focuses on characters, finds Horror in the everyday, and fills his works with ghost stories and nightmares, as well as psychological undertones.

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Jul 27, 2011 Jane Anne added it

The scenes of main character when he goes back in time were gasp-worthy. Imagine his being on a brick-lane old alley, viewing denizens of a bar in 1880 or so. Or approaching a group of hard-luck hoboes during the Depression. Shivers!

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Aug 22, 2012 Maicie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-fiction, finished-in-2012, horror, killers, mental-illness, mystery-thriller

A difficult book to get through. Lord a mercy, there were a lot of names to keep track of! But lots of twists and an interesting plot made this a good read. And the ending will probably entice me to read the book again.

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Sep 07, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sorry, this book might be good and I'm sure that it is original and imaginitive but I couldn't get passed the gruesome image of the baby with its hands cut off and eyes cut out. More than I can handle!

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Feb 22, 2011 RUSA CODES rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-list-2008

This is a Read-Alike title for Heart-Shaped Box, the Reading List winner in the Horror category for 2008. For the complete list, go to http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/aw...

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Oct 19, 2012 Jimmy T rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rich literary prose, superb characterisation. The plot is full of twists and turns and one of his best. After Pork Pie Hat and Mrs God, my favourite Straub story.

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Aug 30, 2010 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book. I loved the concept. I have seen the author speak and I really like him as well. After 4 days I was only 100 pages in and kept falling asleep while reading.

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Jun 11, 2012 Gapeach rated it 1 of 5 stars

Actually could not finish this, really wanted to because it seemed like a great story. But I felt like I was trying to run underwater, couldn't get into it.

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About Peter Straub

Peter Straub was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 2 March, 1943, the first of three sons of a salesman and a nurse. The salesman wanted him to become an athlete, the nurse thought he would do well as either a doctor or a Lutheran minister, but all he wanted to do was to learn to read.

When kindergarten turned out to be a stupefyingly banal disappointment devoted to cutting animal shapes out of heavy...more Peter Straub was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 2 March, 1943, the first of three sons of a salesman and a nurse. The salesman wanted him to become an athlete, the nurse thought he would do well as either a doctor or a Lutheran minister, but all he wanted to do was to learn to read.

When kindergarten turned out to be a stupefyingly banal disappointment devoted to cutting animal shapes out of heavy colored paper, he took matters into his own hands and taught himself to read by memorizing his comic books and reciting them over and over to other neighborhood children on the front steps until he could recognize the words. Therefore, when he finally got to first grade to find everyone else laboring over the imbecile adventures of Dick, Jane and Spot (“See Spot run. See, see, see,”), he ransacked the library in search of pirates, soldiers, detectives, spies, criminals, and other colorful souls, Soon he had earned a reputation as an ace storyteller, in demand around campfires and in back yards on summer evenings.

This career as the John Buchan to the first grade was interrupted by a collision between himself and an automobile which resulted in a classic near-death experience, many broken bones, surgical operations, a year out of school, a lengthy tenure in a wheelchair, and certain emotional quirks. Once back on his feet, he quickly acquired a severe stutter which plagued him into his twenties and now and then still puts in a nostalgic appearance, usually to the amusement of telephone operators and shop clerks. Because he had learned prematurely that the world was dangerous, he was jumpy, restless, hugely garrulous in spite of his stutter, physically uncomfortable and, at least until he began writing horror three decades later, prone to nightmares. Books took him out of himself, so he read even more than earlier, a youthful habit immeasurably valuable to any writer. And his storytelling, for in spite of everything he was still a sociable child with a lot of friends, took a turn toward the dark and the garish, toward the ghoulish and the violent. He found his first “effect” when he discovered that he could make this kind of thing funny.

As if scripted, the rest of life followed. He went on scholarship to Milwaukee Country Day School and was the darling of his English teachers. He discovered Thomas Wolfe and Jack Kerouac, patron saints of wounded and self-conscious adolescence, and also, blessedly, jazz music, which spoke of utterance beyond any constraint: passion and liberation in the form of speech on the far side of the verbal border. The alto saxophone player Paul Desmond, speaking in the voice of a witty and inspired angel, epitomized ideal expressiveness, Our boy still had no idea why inspired speech spoke best when it spoke in code, the simultaneous terror and ecstasy of his ancient trauma, as well as its lifelong (so far, anyhow) legacy of anger, being so deeply embedded in the self as to be imperceptible, Did he behave badly, now and then? Did he wish to shock, annoy, disturb, and provoke? Are you kidding? Did he also wish to excel, to keep panic and uncertainty at arm's length by good old main force effort? Make a guess. So here we have a pure but unsteady case of denial happily able to maintain itself through merciless effort. Booted along by invisible fears and horrors, this fellow was rewarded by wonderful grades and a vague sense of a mysterious but transcendent wholeness available through expression. He went to the University of Wisconsin and, after opening his eyes to the various joys of Henry James, William Carlos Williams, and the Texas blues-rocker Steve Miller, a great & joyous character who lived across the street, passed through essentially unchanged to emerge in 1965 with an honors degree in English, then an MA at Columbia a year later. He thought actual writing was probably beyond him even though actual writing was probably what he was best at - down crammed he many and many a book, stirred by(less)

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