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The Five
The Five tells the story of an eponymous rock band struggling to survive on the margins of the music business. As they move through the American Southwest on what might be their final tour together, the band members come to the attention of a damaged Iraq war veteran, and their lives are changed forever.
The narrative that follows is a riveting account of violence, terror, and pursuit set against a credible, immensely detailed rock and roll backdrop. It is also a moving meditation on loyalty and friendship, on the nature and importance of families—those we are born into and those we create for ourselves—and on the redemptive power of the creative spirit. Written with wit, elegance, and passionate conviction, The Five lays claim to new imaginative territory, and reaffirms McCammon’s position as one of the finest, most unpredictable storytellers of our time.
The narrative that follows is a riveting account of violence, terror, and pursuit set against a credible, immensely detailed rock and roll backdrop. It is also a moving meditation on loyalty and friendship, on the nature and importance of families—those we are born into and those we create for ourselves—and on the redemptive power of the creative spirit. Written with wit, elegance, and passionate conviction, The Five lays claim to new imaginative territory, and reaffirms McCammon’s position as one of the finest, most unpredictable storytellers of our time.
518 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2011
214 people are currently reading
2901 people want to read
About the author
Robert McCammon
167 books5,737 followersPseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 377 reviews
September 5, 2022
"How long did you give your life to the dream, before it took your life?"
Initial Thoughts
The Great Robert McCammon Read-through continues and the end is in sight with two more novels to go after I bought tickets for his rock and roll blockbuster...The Five. If you don't know by now, I'm a huge fan of his after reading some sensational stories. I'm talking about Swan Song,Boys Life and the Matthew Corbett series among others. He's a very close second to Stephen King as my favourite author. So reading all his remaining books in publication order seemed like the natural thing to do. To be honest, it's been a brilliant experience and it's not even finished.
I'd already heard a lot about THE FIVE from two friends who really enjoyed it. But after reading the synopsis I wasn't overly enthusiastic. Following a band on tour didn't excite me as much, on the face of it, as some of his other titles. I'm much more of a post apocalypse or horror type of guy if you want to know the truth. But this is McCammon we're talking about and he could literally write a shopping list and make it entertaining. Plus I was a huge fan of rock bands like Metallica, AC/DC and Guns and Roses back in the day. So I wasn't getting worried...much.
The Story
The story was inspired by the song Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve when the author heard it in a diner and contemplated on the power of music. McCammon's own words. It kicks off with a moderately successful rock band called, you guessed it, The Five on their summer tour. Although they're struggling to make a name for themselves, they've just released a new video and are following this up with a few gigs in some high-profile spots. Its make or break time as some of the members are already contemplating leaving the band and moving on.
It looked like this novel was just going to be about the band’s journey, and I was a bit unsure whether I was going to get hooked, but events took a drastic turn and The Five were catapulted into stardom for all the wrong reasons. A few anti-war sentiments in their latest video catch the attention of Iraq war veteran Jeremy Pett. Suffering from PTSD, among other mental health issues, he perceives the video as a personal attack and decides to put his crack sniper skills to good use, hunting down each of the band's members.
There's nothing like a few murdered rock stars to bring some media attention and The Five start the rise to stardom that they've always dreamed about. But is the price of fame worth paying in blood?
The Writing
Although McCammon has built his reputation in the horror genre, this is a story that's very grounded in reality, with only a hint of the supernatural. Listening to an interview with the man himself, he still considers this a horror novel. In my opinion it's more of a thriller with some horror elements thrown in.
Regardless of what genre you want to place this one in, the writing is sensational. I was a bit daunted when I started, with the narrative being so focused on the band, but the skill that this author writes with just drew me in and held me.
Their are some stunning set pieces, some violent, some terribly moving. McCammon spoke to me on so many levels. At times the action was tense enough to put me on the edge of cardiac arrest and then he would throw in some well timed humour before hitting me with emotion that brought me close to tears. But I didn't actually cry, just to make that clear.
There's one scene where the group travel to see a fabled electronic piano, called Lady Frankenstein, that one of the members is obsessed with. On the surface, this should be a fairly mundane experience. But the way McCammon writes it is out of this world. It's hard to explain how he does it, but the emotion and feeling he pours into it is simply incredible. At times you just forget where you are as you're so absorbed in the narrative. I'm just in awe of what this man can do.
I can't finish without drawing attention to the time that McCammon must have devoted to the history of rock, the love of music and the music industry itself. You would think that he must have experienced this life for himself. The grind of being on tour is hard and fast, and Bobby Mac paints this lifestyle in such vivid colours and with a real sense of authenticity that it felt almost biographical at times. Honestly, if you love music then this is going to speak to you in so many ways.
"For a sniper, the hunt was everything. It was what you had trained so hard for. What you lived, ate, and breathed for. What you dreamed about, when you slept. And when you had known what it was like to hunt a man, and had lived through it and been victorious as many times as Jeremy had, there was nothing better. Not even peace."
The Characters
If you've read any of my reviews you know I'm a very character focused reader. For me personally, they make or break a novel. You can have an average story elevated by the great personalities that inhabit it. The Five is a very character focused novel and contains some of McCammon's best work in this aspect.
The members of the band are unique, colourful and above all realistic. We have the lead singer Nomad, Mike on bass, Terry doing his thing on keyboard, Ariel on guitar and back-in vocals, and finally tough as nails Berke smashing those drums, with their manager, George, in the background. None were initially likeable. But as I spent some time with them and got to know them, I started to see the real person behind the Rock and Roll persona. Super Mac (how many nicknames can I come up with for this author?) really delves into their past and lives, but did it in such a natural way that it never detracted from the story. It only enhanced it. The characters really grow on you, even the bloody bad guy for god's sake, and I started to care about all their inner turmoil and found myself loving them despite being turned off at the beginning. That's rock stars for you. Take a bow Bobby Mac, this is a masterclass in character development.
"Nomad had always thought that people carried worlds within them. Whatever they had experienced, whatever they saw or felt, whatever joys or sorrows, those things could never be exactly duplicated by anyone else, so everybody carried their own world."
Final Thoughts
Surprise, surprise! I loved this novel. Why do I ever doubt you Bobby Mac? Or indeed my trusted friends who recommended it. I'm now going to be recommending this one to a lot of people myself.
McCammon continues to be one of the best authors alive and not just in the horror genre. This man can literally write in any genre he sets his mind to. He's just that damn good! A literary Jesus, who walks on water. He's so close to being my favourite author and knocking Stephen King off top spot. In fact, what the hell, Robert McCammon you are right now, at this point in time, my favourite author.
The Five really made me want to get back into watching live music and listening to heavy metal. If you love that type of music and rock bands in general, then this novel is for you. I'm just about to stick `Highway to Hell' by AC/DC on the stereo and bask in the glory of this fantastic book.
Although it does not quite reach the heights of Swan Song or Boy's Life it is still a fantastic read. Do yourself a favour and pick it up today. You don't need to thank me for it. Just thank Robert McCammon.
And thanks for reading...cheers!
May 10, 2012
I just finished reading The Five over the weekend. I'm not ashamed to say that there were tears in my eyes as I did so.
I really loved this book. Anyone who has ever felt like a song was actually written for them or is speaking to them personally would like this book.
I am not going to get into the plot line as everyone else already has. Suffice it to say that by the 3rd or 4th chapter I was completely engaged with these well developed characters and I truly cared about what would happen to them. To me, that is the sign of a great writer. The characters also grew and developed throughout the entire book-a few of them were completely different people by the end. No cardboard characters here.
As with "Swan Song" these characters will be with me for a long time and "they will be heard".
I really loved this book. Anyone who has ever felt like a song was actually written for them or is speaking to them personally would like this book.
I am not going to get into the plot line as everyone else already has. Suffice it to say that by the 3rd or 4th chapter I was completely engaged with these well developed characters and I truly cared about what would happen to them. To me, that is the sign of a great writer. The characters also grew and developed throughout the entire book-a few of them were completely different people by the end. No cardboard characters here.
As with "Swan Song" these characters will be with me for a long time and "they will be heard".
September 24, 2012
The song track 'Highway to Hell' by AC/DC comes to mind and as I am singing this chorus I think of the band featured in this novel The Five and their very rocky journey in a kind of hellish circumstances. This is an excellent rock and roller story that is fully of high quality storytelling that should be absorbed in small doses. Within you will find characters that have some good old rock and roll demeanour with some darkness. Writing with a quality of excellence that really makes you forget time and feel that you want the story to be even more longer.
The five are about to be catapulted to stardom due to unconventional occurrences, that they could never fathom to occur. They find that hits of their YouTube views and other media outlets rise due to a death toll rise.
This story does cover a lot to do with rock and roll and all that comes with it and also you will find the story covers a journey of resolution and discovery. The author Robert hits the cords right and strings out a melody that touchs the heart with themes of pain, loss and survival.
He really is an masterful writer and communicates here about the horrors of war, the delight of human struggle and the love of music.
This novel would definitely appeal even more to fans of music bands, artists and also veterans of war.
Without giving too much away there is an element to this story, that Robert is known for, involving that which the human eye cannot see.
Due to the length of the novel and a band being the main feature of the story, at first I was wondering how he was going to make it an interesting read. Once I started and embarked upon this journey of The Five I was really in praise of awesomeness!
Definitely one to remember, that lurks behind in the mind for a time.
Review also featured here.
Visit my webpage to read the interview during March 2012 >>>>http://more2read.com/review/interview-with-robert-r-mccammon/
The five are about to be catapulted to stardom due to unconventional occurrences, that they could never fathom to occur. They find that hits of their YouTube views and other media outlets rise due to a death toll rise.
This story does cover a lot to do with rock and roll and all that comes with it and also you will find the story covers a journey of resolution and discovery. The author Robert hits the cords right and strings out a melody that touchs the heart with themes of pain, loss and survival.
He really is an masterful writer and communicates here about the horrors of war, the delight of human struggle and the love of music.
This novel would definitely appeal even more to fans of music bands, artists and also veterans of war.
Without giving too much away there is an element to this story, that Robert is known for, involving that which the human eye cannot see.
Due to the length of the novel and a band being the main feature of the story, at first I was wondering how he was going to make it an interesting read. Once I started and embarked upon this journey of The Five I was really in praise of awesomeness!
Definitely one to remember, that lurks behind in the mind for a time.
"He is proficient with his rifle, but a pistol is a different animal. You have to be close. You can easily miss with a pistol, unless you're really close. He has always thought of a pistol as a defensive weapon, a rifle as offensive."
"Business was booming among this demographic. He saw blue,red and purple flames tattooed on bald heads. He saw faces transformed into Escher artwork. He saw the calligraphy of a hundred hues written across shoulders and chest and breasts and stomachs, each man and woman their own Book of Life. Here, dancing and capering, was a bearded figure whose original colt of birthflesh had disappeared beneath the new skin f blue ink and black proclamations; there whirling 'round and 'round was a topless female with red pigtails and an intricate painting of a multicoloured dragon clinging to her back, its arms extending down across her shoulders and the black tails of its claws circling her nipples. Technicolor serpents coiled around throats, arms, thighs and calves. Flowers grew from navels and foreheads were crowned by shooting stars and pentagrams. Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Alice Cooper and Hitler pushed their faces forth from sweat-glistening meat. And there in the crowd...and there...and over there....stood in this blur of constant motion the few motionless figures who stood staring at the performers on the stage with eyes in a visage no longer recognisable as being earthly; they were creations from another realm, a strange and frightening beauty of human matter craved upon and recoloured by needles both the insane and awesome. The was a face made of layered scales like the gray hide of a desert lizard; there was a face created from a dozen interlocking other faces like a grotesque human jigsaw puzzle; and there was the face that was none at all, but rather a pair of eyes, nostrils and a mouth suspended against a bruised-coloured, crackled parchment of indecipherable markings. It seemed to Nomad to be a document of rage."
Review also featured here.
Visit my webpage to read the interview during March 2012 >>>>http://more2read.com/review/interview-with-robert-r-mccammon/
June 4, 2025
Never thought I would read a McCammon book that serves as a shoutout for live rock and roll, but jeez did he do a great job with it. The title refers to the indie band The Five, who start the novel touring the Southwest (they are based in Austin). They have made a good go of it for about three years now, have a few CDs out, but get most of their income from selling swag at shows. McCammon takes his time setting this one up, developing the characters of The Five plus their road manager, the 'Little Genius', as they drive around in the Scumbucket, an aging Econoline van which tows a UHaul of their swag and gear.
Shortly after the novel starts, the manager tells 'Nomad', the lead singer (and de facto boss of the band), that he took another job in Chicago and this would be his last tour. A bit after that, the keyboardist Terry drops his own bombshell, telling the band that he also is leaving after the tour; he wants to start a company that restores vintage keyboards. On that sour note, they head to their next stop to do a brief interview with a guy that owns numerous Toyota dealerships and also hosts a evening night show on cable.
Meanwhile, a marine veteran sharpshooter gets ready to kill himself down in Texas. He was honorably discharged after two tours in Iraq, but he is a broken man. He sees the promo spot by the Toyota guy on TV, which was edited to make The Five look like they call soldiers baby killers and decides on a new mission in life-- taking them out! So, he grabs his sniper rifle and a .45 handgun and sets out to do the deed. While the band and the killer drive the plot, the real charm of the novel consists of the deep speculations into the nature of family, loyalty and friendship all set against a credible rock and roll background.
It took me a few chapters to really get into this one, but it hooked me line and sinker. McCammon does toss in some supernatural elements (of course!) they compliment rather than star in the story. Also, some great reflections on the nature of the music industry and how it essentially subjugates artists. One telling example was of another band who The Five admired, who had some success. Their third album consisted of a rock opera that The Five thought was amazing; the 'suits'? Not so much ('there is not a single cut under 4 minutes!'). If you dig music and like McCammon, you will probably love this one. 4.5 rock'in stars, rounding down for a bit too much cheese at the end.
Shortly after the novel starts, the manager tells 'Nomad', the lead singer (and de facto boss of the band), that he took another job in Chicago and this would be his last tour. A bit after that, the keyboardist Terry drops his own bombshell, telling the band that he also is leaving after the tour; he wants to start a company that restores vintage keyboards. On that sour note, they head to their next stop to do a brief interview with a guy that owns numerous Toyota dealerships and also hosts a evening night show on cable.
Meanwhile, a marine veteran sharpshooter gets ready to kill himself down in Texas. He was honorably discharged after two tours in Iraq, but he is a broken man. He sees the promo spot by the Toyota guy on TV, which was edited to make The Five look like they call soldiers baby killers and decides on a new mission in life-- taking them out! So, he grabs his sniper rifle and a .45 handgun and sets out to do the deed. While the band and the killer drive the plot, the real charm of the novel consists of the deep speculations into the nature of family, loyalty and friendship all set against a credible rock and roll background.
It took me a few chapters to really get into this one, but it hooked me line and sinker. McCammon does toss in some supernatural elements (of course!) they compliment rather than star in the story. Also, some great reflections on the nature of the music industry and how it essentially subjugates artists. One telling example was of another band who The Five admired, who had some success. Their third album consisted of a rock opera that The Five thought was amazing; the 'suits'? Not so much ('there is not a single cut under 4 minutes!'). If you dig music and like McCammon, you will probably love this one. 4.5 rock'in stars, rounding down for a bit too much cheese at the end.
July 6, 2011
I'm inclined to strongly disagree with Mr. S. King of Bangor. The Five is definitely not Mr. McCammon's best book. It's nowhere even close to that. The Five is not "putdownable," not "full of rock and roll energy" not a book I'll "beg my friends to read" as suggested by Stephen King on the back dust-jacket blurbs. It almost pains me to say this in light of McCammon's other fine novels, but The Five is really not very good at all.
The story of the musicians Ariel, Nomad, Mike, Terry and Berke (The Five of the book's title) and the terribly damaged Iraq War veteran who changes their lives forever is simply not embued with scenes and characters that are worthy of twenty minutes of memory following the last sentence. In fact, there's nothing in the book that's memorable beyond what you might see in an average made-for-TV movie, or in any hyped-up big screen movie for which you've paid a king's ransom of a ticket price. You go in expecting the big bang of a box of TNT and you come out with a frown and "m'eh" worthy of a single pull-string popper.
Yes, The Five is a meditation on loyalty and friendship. Yes, it's about families and strength in the face of great adversity. Yes, it's about love and the noblest spirit of art. Too bad the characters who are supposed to embody all those fine aspects of humanity are about as interesting as a bag of rocks.
Subterranean Press did their usual fine job with the design of the book. That I liked. But that's about it.
Robert McCammon is a very good writer, better in some ways than King, Koontz, Barker, Rice, and a half-dozen other writers the average person can name. He's written some damn good stuff, some novels and short stories that I'll definitely read again before my lights go out forever. But The Five...eh, no.
The story of the musicians Ariel, Nomad, Mike, Terry and Berke (The Five of the book's title) and the terribly damaged Iraq War veteran who changes their lives forever is simply not embued with scenes and characters that are worthy of twenty minutes of memory following the last sentence. In fact, there's nothing in the book that's memorable beyond what you might see in an average made-for-TV movie, or in any hyped-up big screen movie for which you've paid a king's ransom of a ticket price. You go in expecting the big bang of a box of TNT and you come out with a frown and "m'eh" worthy of a single pull-string popper.
Yes, The Five is a meditation on loyalty and friendship. Yes, it's about families and strength in the face of great adversity. Yes, it's about love and the noblest spirit of art. Too bad the characters who are supposed to embody all those fine aspects of humanity are about as interesting as a bag of rocks.
Subterranean Press did their usual fine job with the design of the book. That I liked. But that's about it.
Robert McCammon is a very good writer, better in some ways than King, Koontz, Barker, Rice, and a half-dozen other writers the average person can name. He's written some damn good stuff, some novels and short stories that I'll definitely read again before my lights go out forever. But The Five...eh, no.
December 10, 2017
The Five has been on my radar for at least four years, and I’ve finally read it. After also working through Boy’s Life, They Thirst, and Gone South this year, one thing is for sure: Robert McCammon is now tied with Stephen King as my favorite author. Really!
This tome follows The Five — an independent rock band — on the road during the final weeks. They are unsuccessful and financially strained; two members are taking flight and the future is uncertain. A chance interview leads to the band being stalked. Horror (and success) soon unfolds.
I liked this book, though admittedly not as much as I thought I would. Mister McCammon has said he feels this is his best book, and I just respectfully disagree. The ‘villain’ feels a little too 2-D for my tastes, and the supernatural elements are a bit haphazard, shoehorned in. And I do feel the story has a little too much junk in the trunk; I found myself skimming some, especially on toward the end.
That said, I did like the core cast of characters — especially Nomad and Ariel. They are some of McCammon’s finest creations. His character developmental skills are on full display in this hefty book. I could have spent more time with them, even.
McCammon can’t write a bad book. Though this one does have faults, I did enjoy the ride. Being the music lover I am, The Five hit a lot of the right notes. You can’t ask for much more than that.
This tome follows The Five — an independent rock band — on the road during the final weeks. They are unsuccessful and financially strained; two members are taking flight and the future is uncertain. A chance interview leads to the band being stalked. Horror (and success) soon unfolds.
I liked this book, though admittedly not as much as I thought I would. Mister McCammon has said he feels this is his best book, and I just respectfully disagree. The ‘villain’ feels a little too 2-D for my tastes, and the supernatural elements are a bit haphazard, shoehorned in. And I do feel the story has a little too much junk in the trunk; I found myself skimming some, especially on toward the end.
That said, I did like the core cast of characters — especially Nomad and Ariel. They are some of McCammon’s finest creations. His character developmental skills are on full display in this hefty book. I could have spent more time with them, even.
McCammon can’t write a bad book. Though this one does have faults, I did enjoy the ride. Being the music lover I am, The Five hit a lot of the right notes. You can’t ask for much more than that.
June 28, 2011
THE FIVE is Robert McCammon’s messiest, strangest work of fiction.
That may not sound like a good thing.
You’d be wrong.
See, this is a novel about the last days of a hardscrabble indie rock band — the titular “The Five” — and the horror they endure at the hands of a schizo sniper, a horror that ultimately brings them together before properly setting them apart. Contained within the story is this ghostly vein of the supernatural, a delicate component of good versus evil that never shows its full face, that always remains hidden in the margins of shadow that McCammon paints.
So, when I say “messy” and “strange,” I mean it in the truest rock-and-roll sense. Think if you will of the The White Stripes. Or The Doors. Or Jimi Hendrix. Or late Beatles. Or Sleater-Kinney. Or any garage band playing music that isn’t about perfection but about what lies beyond and within each note — the messy thump of a bass drum, the fuzz of a grinding guitar, the trippy vertigo strains of an organ. We’re not talking the measured bleeps and blips of pop music: we’re talking about the unkempt margins of rock-and-motherfucking-roll, son.
I don’t know how McCammon does it, but both the story and the execution of that story mimic that kind of garage band rock. It’s loose and messy, it deviates from expected courses, it escalates just when you think it’s going to ease off and eases off just when you think it’s going to escalate, it’s trippy and slippery. Above all else, it offers a kind of genius from a storyteller who has in my mind achieved a mode of transcendence — here, then, is McCammon as storytelling Bodhisattva, staying around this crass publishing arena to show the rest of his what it’s like to write from the heart and make it count.
Another way of thinking about it is by talking about James Joyce. Weird, I know, but bear with me: if you read Joyce’s work, his fiction doesn’t become more buttoned-up — it gets bigger, broader, more personal, and certainly weirder. Even comparing PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN with ULYSSES is a fascinating exercise: the first fairly lean, the second similar but with a far greater storyworld. ULYSSES shows Joyce beyond the top of his game — he’s climbed the ladder, gotten to the top, and kicked it down behind him — and reveals an ultimate expression of the novel. He’s not afraid to deviate, either. He wanders down alleys you didn’t even know where there, with Leopold Bloom as our vehicle through the mundane chaos, the heroic normalcy of an everyman’s day.
(Let’s not talk about FINNEGAN’S WAKE right now.)
THE FIVE is McCammon’s ULYSSES.
That’s a wacky statement. I know. But I think it’s true. This tale of “The Five” — Nomad, Ariel, Mike, Terry, and Berke — takes those same trips down dark alleys, concerning itself less with a mechanical thriller-slash-horror plot and more with the nature of these characters and the power and madness of rock-n’-roll in this day and age. This is actually marketed as a horror novel, and… it is, I guess, but only barely. That’s not to say it’s not scary. It’s rough stuff at times. But again the supernatural component, while present, is barely there — a stroke of subtlety rather than overt paranormality.
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure about the book for the first… 20, 30 pages. But then you slip into the vibe of it and it reveals itself. Soon your heart’s thumping like a kick-drum.
If I had one complaint it’s that early on McCammon seemed more interested in describing the technical beats of the music as it played — problematic for a guy like me who has the musical inclination of a cantaloupe. (Confession: I once played the drums. Second confession: I probably wasn’t very good.) But eventually he moves away from that and describes the music in cleaner, more poetic beats — paving the way to let you know how the music’s supposed to feel rather than the rote mechanics of how it’s played. It conjures to mind that this is a novel with the potential for transmedia extensions, if only in the form of us getting to hear the music of “The Five.”
Anyway. Point being, I recommend it. Two drumsticks thrust up and twirling. It’s a powerful, profound, trippy novel that’s troubling and unsettling throughout. This isn’t like anything else McCammon has ever done — again, it’s far fuzzier at the margins. But Stephen King was right to call it “full of rock and roll energy.” It isn’t McCammon’s easiest read. But, ULYSSES isn’t an easy read, either. Even still, both novels are some of the best of the form.
The caveat applies here that McCammon is easily my foremost “totem spirit” in terms of writers who influenced me. The guy’s one of my literary heroes and it’s nice to see him not just working, but at the top of his game. I’m looking cuh-razy forward to THE PROVIDENCE RIDER and whatever horror novel he’s got after that. (I still need to see if I can get my hands on his new WOLF’S HOUR stories, though. Dangit.)
All right, cats and kittens.
Your turn.
Recommend a book.
And go read THE FIVE while you’re at it.
That may not sound like a good thing.
You’d be wrong.
See, this is a novel about the last days of a hardscrabble indie rock band — the titular “The Five” — and the horror they endure at the hands of a schizo sniper, a horror that ultimately brings them together before properly setting them apart. Contained within the story is this ghostly vein of the supernatural, a delicate component of good versus evil that never shows its full face, that always remains hidden in the margins of shadow that McCammon paints.
So, when I say “messy” and “strange,” I mean it in the truest rock-and-roll sense. Think if you will of the The White Stripes. Or The Doors. Or Jimi Hendrix. Or late Beatles. Or Sleater-Kinney. Or any garage band playing music that isn’t about perfection but about what lies beyond and within each note — the messy thump of a bass drum, the fuzz of a grinding guitar, the trippy vertigo strains of an organ. We’re not talking the measured bleeps and blips of pop music: we’re talking about the unkempt margins of rock-and-motherfucking-roll, son.
I don’t know how McCammon does it, but both the story and the execution of that story mimic that kind of garage band rock. It’s loose and messy, it deviates from expected courses, it escalates just when you think it’s going to ease off and eases off just when you think it’s going to escalate, it’s trippy and slippery. Above all else, it offers a kind of genius from a storyteller who has in my mind achieved a mode of transcendence — here, then, is McCammon as storytelling Bodhisattva, staying around this crass publishing arena to show the rest of his what it’s like to write from the heart and make it count.
Another way of thinking about it is by talking about James Joyce. Weird, I know, but bear with me: if you read Joyce’s work, his fiction doesn’t become more buttoned-up — it gets bigger, broader, more personal, and certainly weirder. Even comparing PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN with ULYSSES is a fascinating exercise: the first fairly lean, the second similar but with a far greater storyworld. ULYSSES shows Joyce beyond the top of his game — he’s climbed the ladder, gotten to the top, and kicked it down behind him — and reveals an ultimate expression of the novel. He’s not afraid to deviate, either. He wanders down alleys you didn’t even know where there, with Leopold Bloom as our vehicle through the mundane chaos, the heroic normalcy of an everyman’s day.
(Let’s not talk about FINNEGAN’S WAKE right now.)
THE FIVE is McCammon’s ULYSSES.
That’s a wacky statement. I know. But I think it’s true. This tale of “The Five” — Nomad, Ariel, Mike, Terry, and Berke — takes those same trips down dark alleys, concerning itself less with a mechanical thriller-slash-horror plot and more with the nature of these characters and the power and madness of rock-n’-roll in this day and age. This is actually marketed as a horror novel, and… it is, I guess, but only barely. That’s not to say it’s not scary. It’s rough stuff at times. But again the supernatural component, while present, is barely there — a stroke of subtlety rather than overt paranormality.
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure about the book for the first… 20, 30 pages. But then you slip into the vibe of it and it reveals itself. Soon your heart’s thumping like a kick-drum.
If I had one complaint it’s that early on McCammon seemed more interested in describing the technical beats of the music as it played — problematic for a guy like me who has the musical inclination of a cantaloupe. (Confession: I once played the drums. Second confession: I probably wasn’t very good.) But eventually he moves away from that and describes the music in cleaner, more poetic beats — paving the way to let you know how the music’s supposed to feel rather than the rote mechanics of how it’s played. It conjures to mind that this is a novel with the potential for transmedia extensions, if only in the form of us getting to hear the music of “The Five.”
Anyway. Point being, I recommend it. Two drumsticks thrust up and twirling. It’s a powerful, profound, trippy novel that’s troubling and unsettling throughout. This isn’t like anything else McCammon has ever done — again, it’s far fuzzier at the margins. But Stephen King was right to call it “full of rock and roll energy.” It isn’t McCammon’s easiest read. But, ULYSSES isn’t an easy read, either. Even still, both novels are some of the best of the form.
The caveat applies here that McCammon is easily my foremost “totem spirit” in terms of writers who influenced me. The guy’s one of my literary heroes and it’s nice to see him not just working, but at the top of his game. I’m looking cuh-razy forward to THE PROVIDENCE RIDER and whatever horror novel he’s got after that. (I still need to see if I can get my hands on his new WOLF’S HOUR stories, though. Dangit.)
All right, cats and kittens.
Your turn.
Recommend a book.
And go read THE FIVE while you’re at it.
May 14, 2012
I was prepared to argue with King's cover-blurbage claiming that THE FIVE was McCammon's best novel because I really, really liked SWAN SONG and BOY'S LIFE and a few others, but I can't do it... this one blew me away, it's definitely the best novel I've read this year. It's a big sprawling thing with the same pacing and format as a high-fantasy quest novel, set in the gritty, very much contemporary, indie music scene. One of the things I especially liked was that the band member characters are interacting together most of the time, but occasionally step out on their own, just as musicians at a concert step up to showcase their skills with solo performances from time to time. Each character has a role in the band, and in the family that they've created with and for each other in the broader sense. There's a supernatural good versus evil theme that's left somewhat in the background and never really explained completely... which is good, because it fits with the ambiguous nature of rock music at its best. THE FIVE is an excellent novel with great characters and a captivating story, as well as a wonderful testament to the power of rock and roll.
June 19, 2016
There is a reason Robert McCammon is one of the best storytellers in the business. His work makes you feel like you are right there in the mix with the characters. There is depth, vivid imagery and true emotion. Dude has skills.
I am not a musician and don’t know anything about the biz, but it doesn’t matter because Mr. McCammon takes care of all the backstage details with a realism that rings true, even for a music outsider like myself.
This may be the last tour for The Five. There’s time for only one more song. It’s a song of death. A song of redemption. A song of faith. A song that will forever change the lives of the band and those who are touched by them. Fire up the cowbell and have a shot or two in the green room. The show is about to begin.
I am not a musician and don’t know anything about the biz, but it doesn’t matter because Mr. McCammon takes care of all the backstage details with a realism that rings true, even for a music outsider like myself.
This may be the last tour for The Five. There’s time for only one more song. It’s a song of death. A song of redemption. A song of faith. A song that will forever change the lives of the band and those who are touched by them. Fire up the cowbell and have a shot or two in the green room. The show is about to begin.
May 30, 2011
In "The Five," Robert McCammon takes his time telling the whole story, and I am so glad that I gave him my own time to take it all in. The story gently builds around the members of the eponymous band and a few individuals closely tied to it. Each band member has a history, and McCammon introduces each of these in their own time throughout the tale, revealing just enough to realize personalities and motivations while leaving other parts in the shadows, where their palpable presences pulsate with mystery and the potential for bigger happenings. Dark tones and plots arise and spread forth, and just as McCammon settles events into a recognizable passage, he pounces with a brutality that changes up the story and throws previous assumptions into questions. The greater conflict of the story, once introduced, looms somewhere on the edges, born on "black wings" that beat with dreadful patience. I could almost imagine a storyteller behind the prose saying, "Wait, wait. Wait and see where this all goes."
I appreciate the care that McCammon (must have) put into this novel. The members of the Five are full characters that invite interest and empathy and further reading. Each is experiencing something significant in the story, and each reacts to these forces in different--and sometimes unpredictable--ways. McCammon does tread across waters that sound and feel familiar (one member of the band is the "lone wolf," another is the "young hippie girl"); still, he gives this material the same genuine, earnest tone that he does to everything else in the story. Reading this novel made me glad that I am not completely cynical, and that I can still hear music that moves and overcomes me. I also very much like how McCammon suggests supernatural happenings with just enough emphasis to tantalize, but not enough to spell out another iteration of the "magic in the real world" trope.
"The Five" is a full, thoughtful, and satisfying read. I can't say that I have read anything like it in the past, and I will be surprised if I ever find anything like it in the future. For its size, it is not so much a story of epic proportions as much as it is a quiet tome that meditates upon the emotions, histories, creations, and desires of a group of individuals who are compelled to make music and play it for others to hear--an act that is itself epic, heroic, and also magical.
I appreciate the care that McCammon (must have) put into this novel. The members of the Five are full characters that invite interest and empathy and further reading. Each is experiencing something significant in the story, and each reacts to these forces in different--and sometimes unpredictable--ways. McCammon does tread across waters that sound and feel familiar (one member of the band is the "lone wolf," another is the "young hippie girl"); still, he gives this material the same genuine, earnest tone that he does to everything else in the story. Reading this novel made me glad that I am not completely cynical, and that I can still hear music that moves and overcomes me. I also very much like how McCammon suggests supernatural happenings with just enough emphasis to tantalize, but not enough to spell out another iteration of the "magic in the real world" trope.
"The Five" is a full, thoughtful, and satisfying read. I can't say that I have read anything like it in the past, and I will be surprised if I ever find anything like it in the future. For its size, it is not so much a story of epic proportions as much as it is a quiet tome that meditates upon the emotions, histories, creations, and desires of a group of individuals who are compelled to make music and play it for others to hear--an act that is itself epic, heroic, and also magical.
January 22, 2022
Gritty, grungey, a little gory, and surprisingly beautiful. This is a full impact rock n roll novel, a pulsing blues organ thrum of a master craftsman plying his trade, a full throated caterwaul into the cosmos about the nature of art and the struggle against the suits.
Ok, I’m being a little hyperbolic. Because it is a little long and boggy in parts. There are times when it feels like a Rick Wakeman solo that doesn’t know when to end. But this is a book that pretty much ends a hundred pages early and then settles in for a lengthy post script that makes everything worth while.
It’s a book about garage rock itself. It’s about art and commerce, and expression and violence, guilt and retribution. It’s about the family that forms when a handful of lost souls drift together, and the terrible appeal and weight of the Faustian bargain of fame earned in the blood of your brothers. It surges with a passion for expression that’s spiritually invigorating. I knew nothing about this book going in, including the decade when it was written, and was surprised by the interesting plot and meaningful messages. It takes a little bit of work to get though but is always engaging and has a goes out on a high note.
Ok, I’m being a little hyperbolic. Because it is a little long and boggy in parts. There are times when it feels like a Rick Wakeman solo that doesn’t know when to end. But this is a book that pretty much ends a hundred pages early and then settles in for a lengthy post script that makes everything worth while.
It’s a book about garage rock itself. It’s about art and commerce, and expression and violence, guilt and retribution. It’s about the family that forms when a handful of lost souls drift together, and the terrible appeal and weight of the Faustian bargain of fame earned in the blood of your brothers. It surges with a passion for expression that’s spiritually invigorating. I knew nothing about this book going in, including the decade when it was written, and was surprised by the interesting plot and meaningful messages. It takes a little bit of work to get though but is always engaging and has a goes out on a high note.
January 28, 2014
How do you review a book that effects you on so many different levels? I've long been a fan of McCammon's work, and I have to say that this novel had so much depth to it that it was extremely hard to tear myself away from. The scenes and characters work on you so subtly that you don't even realize how absorbed in the story you've become until you are forced to stop temporarily. This was an incredibly rich, revealing novel that really brings home the impact that music has in our lives and our world.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
August 20, 2016
Stephen King says: "The Five isn't just Robert McCammon's best novel in years; it's his best novel ever. Terrifying, suspenseful, unputdownable, and full of rock and roll energy. It's also uplifting, a book you'll finish feeling better about your world, your friends, and your music. Here's one you'll beg friends to read."
He also said this: "One of the finest horror-suspense writers of the late ’70s and ’80s returns with a riveting novel of a rock band (the Five) pursued by a mentally unstable Army vet who’s offended by one of their videos. It’s scary; it’s also a soaring anthem to the redemptive power of rock & roll. You probably won’t find it in your bookstore, so go to your (hopefully nonmalevolent) computer and click on subterraneanpress.com."
8/6/12 - Loved this book. McCammon is such an amazing writer. I was first introduce to McCammon when I read Swan Song and claimed it to be as great as King's The Stand. I've followed McCammon ever since and have never been disappointed. The Five is a must for music lovers of all ages; great characters, steady suspense, some supernatural elements to mess with your head a bit. I didn't want to put it down!
He also said this: "One of the finest horror-suspense writers of the late ’70s and ’80s returns with a riveting novel of a rock band (the Five) pursued by a mentally unstable Army vet who’s offended by one of their videos. It’s scary; it’s also a soaring anthem to the redemptive power of rock & roll. You probably won’t find it in your bookstore, so go to your (hopefully nonmalevolent) computer and click on subterraneanpress.com."
8/6/12 - Loved this book. McCammon is such an amazing writer. I was first introduce to McCammon when I read Swan Song and claimed it to be as great as King's The Stand. I've followed McCammon ever since and have never been disappointed. The Five is a must for music lovers of all ages; great characters, steady suspense, some supernatural elements to mess with your head a bit. I didn't want to put it down!
January 28, 2014
Robert McCammon has long been one of my favorite horror authors ever since I picked up Swan Song way back in the late 80's, and have utterly been a fan since. When he veered off straight-out horror into thriller territory with novels like Mine and Going South, he continued to enthrall his loyal readers with his immense talent. Then years later came his first in the Matthew Corbett novels, which blend the supernatural thriller with early American history, and followed by several more in the series. What else can he do? The Five. Well-crafted, dark and brooding, brutally unrelenting but full of heart, the novel follows a rock and roll band of less than moderate success, suddenly thrust into the limelight after being stalked by a damaged war veteran. (Some spoilers ahead!) Still reeling after the sniper death of a fellow bandmate, followed by the near death of their manager, the band nearly breaks up...but is convinced by an FBI agent to continue their tour, so that they can lure the assassin into a trap. But can they survive to see the killer stopped before he executes another band member? Can The Five survive each other?
Tinges of the supernatural are at work in this masterful work, those angels and demons, but in a subtle way, and McCammon poses some intriguing moral questions without being preachy or political. The Five rocks it hard, and highly recommended!
Tinges of the supernatural are at work in this masterful work, those angels and demons, but in a subtle way, and McCammon poses some intriguing moral questions without being preachy or political. The Five rocks it hard, and highly recommended!
July 18, 2011
I can't really agree with the hype that this is McCammon's all-time best or even second-best after BOY'S LIFE. But it's McCammon, so it's awesome.
June 27, 2011
Rambling, shallow, tedious, frustrating, and boring. I kept waiting for enlightenment on why characters held certain opinions one way or the other on war and the military, but it never came. Or I hoped perhaps they could open each other's eyes to another point of view? Also, I LOVE music, but it strains credulity that a band would continue a tour despite a death, 2 attempted murders, and an attempted rape. Lastly, the mystical, magical song that they co-wrote (that the dark forces tried to stop) brought to mind the song in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure that brought world peace ;-)
April 14, 2022
Extremely well researched with regards to music, the music business, and the dynamics of being in a rock band.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, it was overkill. Too much information and details about keyboard types, sounds, guitars, stage equipment etc took away from the story. It bored me.
I didn't feel much for any of the characters especially Nomad and Ariel who should have been the deepest felt.
The story is abut a rock band who is on a tour and two members are planning on leaving afterwards. The keyboardist and their manager.
After an interview that was badly edited, making it look like they are against soldiers, an ex Marine starts his mission of taking out the band members one by one.
It was ok. Just ok.
The ending was horrible and I think McCammon was smoking something when he finished it.
If you can get if free, I'd say, take a chance, but he has much better books than this.
Content concerns:
Unfortunately, in my opinion, it was overkill. Too much information and details about keyboard types, sounds, guitars, stage equipment etc took away from the story. It bored me.
I didn't feel much for any of the characters especially Nomad and Ariel who should have been the deepest felt.
The story is abut a rock band who is on a tour and two members are planning on leaving afterwards. The keyboardist and their manager.
After an interview that was badly edited, making it look like they are against soldiers, an ex Marine starts his mission of taking out the band members one by one.
It was ok. Just ok.
The ending was horrible and I think McCammon was smoking something when he finished it.
If you can get if free, I'd say, take a chance, but he has much better books than this.
Content concerns:
April 2, 2014
The Five is the story of a rock band consisting of five people. They're called The Five. They embark on their final tour, first touring through the hell of knowing that the band's career is doomed, then soon realizing that their lives are doomed too. Ultimately it's a story about music's role in the eternal struggle between light and dark, life and death, good and evil. In that spirit, here's the good and the bad:
The Good:
The music: McCammon clearly has a passion for rock and roll. Not just the music itself, but the culture of it, the life of a musician, the meaning behind it all. That shines through on every page. From the dozens of fake band names to the cheesy lyrics of entirely fictional songs, The Five will make you love music even more.
The subtlety. Those expecting a balls-out supernatural horror novel will be disappointed. The supernatural is there, but barely; like a whispered background vocal that only comes through when all the other instruments momentarily fade. It comes dangerously close to religious mumbo jumbo at times, but never quite crosses that line enough to ruin it.
The ending. It just hits all the right emotional notes.
The Bad:
The omniscience: Maybe only because it's so uncommon these days, but I find omniscient narration jarring. One paragraph it's inside one character's head, the next paragraph it's onto another character's thoughts, not so much as a scene break between them. I thought the purpose may have been to emphasize that the whole band was the main character, all so deeply interconnected that the story was told from their collective perspective (there's a band name, Collective Perspective). Except then the point of view changes to a random character standing in the background, so, not so much.
The length: If The Five were an album, it would be half filler songs. The self-indulgent ballads that had to be there to get the album up to twelve songs despite only having six good ones. Except it's a book, so there's no hitting fast forward when you get to a whole page describing a minor side character's living room furniture.
When it ends, The Five is, like the song that apparently inspired it, a bitter sweet symphony. It's ultimately satisfying, but there's a lot of boring making ends meet and being a slave to money before getting to the fun dying part.
[Originally posted on Phronk.com]
The Good:
The music: McCammon clearly has a passion for rock and roll. Not just the music itself, but the culture of it, the life of a musician, the meaning behind it all. That shines through on every page. From the dozens of fake band names to the cheesy lyrics of entirely fictional songs, The Five will make you love music even more.
The subtlety. Those expecting a balls-out supernatural horror novel will be disappointed. The supernatural is there, but barely; like a whispered background vocal that only comes through when all the other instruments momentarily fade. It comes dangerously close to religious mumbo jumbo at times, but never quite crosses that line enough to ruin it.
The ending. It just hits all the right emotional notes.
The Bad:
The omniscience: Maybe only because it's so uncommon these days, but I find omniscient narration jarring. One paragraph it's inside one character's head, the next paragraph it's onto another character's thoughts, not so much as a scene break between them. I thought the purpose may have been to emphasize that the whole band was the main character, all so deeply interconnected that the story was told from their collective perspective (there's a band name, Collective Perspective). Except then the point of view changes to a random character standing in the background, so, not so much.
The length: If The Five were an album, it would be half filler songs. The self-indulgent ballads that had to be there to get the album up to twelve songs despite only having six good ones. Except it's a book, so there's no hitting fast forward when you get to a whole page describing a minor side character's living room furniture.
When it ends, The Five is, like the song that apparently inspired it, a bitter sweet symphony. It's ultimately satisfying, but there's a lot of boring making ends meet and being a slave to money before getting to the fun dying part.
[Originally posted on Phronk.com]
February 22, 2021
4.25/5 stars
Like any touring rock band worth its salt, this book earned its stars ... song by song, gig by gig, page by page, chapter by chapter, winning me over slowly but surely with workmanlike precision.
I have yet to read a better book on the topic of music: how it unites us, heals us, inspires us, and enriches our lives in such a special and unparalleled way. The story here is almost secondary. This book is great because of the wonderful characters (each band member has unique personalities, goals, motivations and perspective on life ... they are all very fleshed-out and realistic). The love they have for each other and their music is palpable. And the day-to-day grind of their lives on the road, traveling from music hall to music hall, is drawn incredibly well. I could practically hear The Five tuning up at soundcheck before each gig, smell the stench of cheap stale beer, feel the heat coming off the crowd. If I could use one word to describe this book: immersive.
Positive aspects aside, I did have issues with the story itself at times. Certain aspects of the plot were kept vague (unclear if this was done unintentionally or by design). What was the significance of the little girl at the well? Why did she make such a lasting impression on the band? What exactly was the force driving the villain? Why was it so important to stop the band from making their final song? These things were all a bit murky to me, and I wanted them to be clarified more than they were.
Overall, though, this was a damn fine read. McCammon really went for something different here, and for the most part he succeeded admirably. The Five is beautifully written. Long live the music!
Like any touring rock band worth its salt, this book earned its stars ... song by song, gig by gig, page by page, chapter by chapter, winning me over slowly but surely with workmanlike precision.
I have yet to read a better book on the topic of music: how it unites us, heals us, inspires us, and enriches our lives in such a special and unparalleled way. The story here is almost secondary. This book is great because of the wonderful characters (each band member has unique personalities, goals, motivations and perspective on life ... they are all very fleshed-out and realistic). The love they have for each other and their music is palpable. And the day-to-day grind of their lives on the road, traveling from music hall to music hall, is drawn incredibly well. I could practically hear The Five tuning up at soundcheck before each gig, smell the stench of cheap stale beer, feel the heat coming off the crowd. If I could use one word to describe this book: immersive.
Positive aspects aside, I did have issues with the story itself at times. Certain aspects of the plot were kept vague (unclear if this was done unintentionally or by design). What was the significance of the little girl at the well? Why did she make such a lasting impression on the band? What exactly was the force driving the villain? Why was it so important to stop the band from making their final song? These things were all a bit murky to me, and I wanted them to be clarified more than they were.
Overall, though, this was a damn fine read. McCammon really went for something different here, and for the most part he succeeded admirably. The Five is beautifully written. Long live the music!
November 12, 2017
5 Stars
*sigh*
Think of your favorite band. Now.....write them a letter. a love letter. That is what this story is. A love letter, a bloody one and a violent one, but a love letter nonetheless. No more violent than the lead singer who is addicted to ______ (fill in the blank), or the drummer who likes them young, or the guitarist with a sordid history. This is a story of a band with its own demons, being stalked by someone who's demons have taken over.
This was sad and at times, lonely book to read. Each character feeling left to sort it out on their own. You felt each tragedy with them, and prayed for an end, however violent or heart-wrenching. You just wanted the madness to end.
This was also a mystical, magical, and thrilling journey. A journey from the bottom up. They survived it as much as they could. Will you continue with them?? Will you go on?? I will; here, come with me.
*sigh*
Think of your favorite band. Now.....write them a letter. a love letter. That is what this story is. A love letter, a bloody one and a violent one, but a love letter nonetheless. No more violent than the lead singer who is addicted to ______ (fill in the blank), or the drummer who likes them young, or the guitarist with a sordid history. This is a story of a band with its own demons, being stalked by someone who's demons have taken over.
This was sad and at times, lonely book to read. Each character feeling left to sort it out on their own. You felt each tragedy with them, and prayed for an end, however violent or heart-wrenching. You just wanted the madness to end.
This was also a mystical, magical, and thrilling journey. A journey from the bottom up. They survived it as much as they could. Will you continue with them?? Will you go on?? I will; here, come with me.
March 3, 2016
This book took me some getting into. But I'm extremely glad that I persevered. But it really made my heart hurt. I think what tipped me over the edge was McCammon's dedication to music at the end. He really put into words about how I feel about music, and for me, the same can be said about books and their authors too.
This is such a good book, it needs to be read. Absolute top marks.
This is such a good book, it needs to be read. Absolute top marks.
December 7, 2011
The Five is a story of good versus evil, light versus dark, family, sacrifice, and the power of music. Great read.
January 2, 2012
This book rocked me to my core and made me so emotional that I cried about it afterwards while listening to the Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.”
The book begins with a quote from the song “Bittersweet Symphony” and Robert McCammon mentions it was what inspired him to write this book. At one point in the book, Nomad, the leader of the band The Five, says “I believe a song can speak to a person.” I believe that too. I also believe that books can speak to a person too. This book spoke to me.
I have never had a book touch me and effect me in this way before. This book was so deep and heavy hearted making you think so much about your own life and its purpose. There is no way I can write a review that truly captures the emotional toll it left on me and do it justice. All I can say is that Robert McCammon is a genius. How he can write such a profound book like this is beyond me. It just makes me think of what he wrote in The Five. This is a quote from Floyd Fisk to his stepdaughter Berke: “If you ever doubt what your place is in your profession, or if you ever doubt what changes for the better music can make in this world, open these boxes and start reading. I believe that at its best music exists to give a voice to people who sometimes can’t speak on their own. I believe it helps weak people find their strength, and frightened people find their courage. I believe it helps people understand with their hearts what their minds can’t comprehend. I think it may be the truest link to a higher power. Never ever doubt that you have an important place in this world.”
This book was about a rock band The Five that had struggled to make it for years but suddenly become famous overnight when one of their band members gets killed by an Iraq war Marine sniper. The Marine was in the midst of committing suicide when he heard their song on the tv. He was angry at the lyric’s the band member Ariel sang about the soldiers killing children in Iraq. This book follows the band on their tour with an FBI agent pretending to be their manager to try to catch the sniper. This book brings in a lot of music history knowledge that I know very little of but appreciate. It also gave the reader a backstage view of what it is like to be in a rock band. Nomad asked himself “How long did you give your life to the dream, before it took your life?”
So much of this book was about people’s roles and if they were good enough. Felix Gogo’s advice to the band’s leader Nomad was “know your role”. In the beginning of the book Nomad didn’t believe people had to know their role. He was so full of anger he acted on impulse ignoring the confines of any “role”. Nomad had thought that the middle-aged Denny’s waitress that served him was “all too happy in her role so she must be dense”. Nomad was used to being angry and unhappy because it was the familiar feeling he had always felt as a kid. Anyone that was happy, especially an older woman that was just a waitress, “must be a little dense to be truly happy or oblivious enough to think you were.” Nomad became scared when they became successful because lost his role in the band. He was the angry one. But he started to lose his anger and thus his role and questioned whether he was good enough. Ariel told him “No one’s good enough! Everybody has to push, and push, and try to break through some kind of wall. I know I’m not good enough. But I hope-I plan- on being better tomorrow. You start from where you are.” Berke’s stepfather said she told him at a concert that she could do better than the drummer and that is what inspired her to become a musician.
This book had a lot of spirituality and faith in it. Nomad was questioning whether or not he believed in soul mates like his friend Thor did wondering why God would make it so hard to find one. Thor told Nomad, “God is not a nice guy. He’s a hard teacher. He’s tough, nothing soft about Him. Oh yeah, He can show mercy. He’s all about mercy. But He’s all about teaching, too. He’s the hardest fucking teacher you could ever have. Sometimes you don’t want to hear it, so you turn your back. Sometimes the lessons are pushed right in your face, you can’t turn away. What we call cruel, maybe He calls….necessary, in some way we can’t wrap our minds around because we only know the right here, right now.”
The Marine sniper that was trying to kill The Five was humanized by the FBI agent who was also a former Marine. He tried to explain to Nomad how the Marine no longer knew his role. “So he’s the best of the best, doing what he’s been trained to do, and then something terrible happens to him there (he kills a kid) and at home (his wife and son are killed in a car accident) and the spirit drains out of him and leaves him basically a broken shell. But he has no serious and long-lasting physical injuries, and maybe he can cover up his psychological wounds because he’s been trained to be tough and to deny pain, and his own father has taught him a lot of that (through abuse). The VA hospitals are understaffed and overworked, so solid tough guys like Jeremy Pitt are given a certificate that says how much the Marine Corps appreciates their service. Maybe their awarded a medal too, like Pitt was, so they can remember what sets them apart from men like you and remember that you were somebody. Then this broken young veteran who’s been trained to kill people at over 800 yards goes out into the world looking for work. And there’s so much competition for jobs and you take what you can get. And maybe, if you were Jeremy Pitt you’d had plans set out for your entire life, but you know plans don’t work out. After you keep hitting a wall and you realize you live in a world that can’t ever measure up to what you once knew…you start trying to find a new enemy, because only a battlefield makes you feel worth living.”
The FBI agent said that none of the band members couldn’t relate to the sniper because none of them had really fought for anything worth dying for but Nomad said they have. He said that as musicians they are fighting to be heard. At the end when the sniper is nearing his death he was confessing to Ariel that “’I am not a good guy. But the other soldiers weren’t like him at all. We didn’t go over there to kill children. We went to do our job. They weren’t all like me. Do you hear?’ Only she knew what he needed. She thought to herself it was so simple, yet so important that the lack of it could crush a soul. She told him ‘I hear you’.”
There was a lot said of the music industry too. After it was all over the band’s agent was mad that they were breaking up and refused to do a reality tv show because they were sick of making money off a tragedy. He told them, “All I can say is that we’re talking about the age-old war between business and art. Correct? Friend, business won that war a long time ago. And if you don’t already know that to be the truth then… Welcome to the world.”
The band’s last song was a tribute song to their dead band members that they all wrote together and it was about “just when you think there’s nothing new in this old world” restoring their faith in their profession and their roles. Their song “was about acceptance. Accepting who you are, within the limitations of a hard old world. It was realizing that sometimes things in the tough old world squeezed you, and crushed you, and drove you down into the dirt. But to survive, to keep going, you had to lighten yourself. To cast off things that no longer mattered, things that wore you down or weighed heavy on you. You needed courage to keep going, and sometimes you found it in yourself and sometimes in others. And it might seem hopeless, it might seem a fool’s path, and it was never safe travel even though an angel might wish it were so for you, and some things never changed, they never would, but nothing ever changed unless you believed they could. And it was still the same old world as it had been yesterday. It was still a hard old world, a tough old world. It would always remain so. But it was a world that could not be described in just four minutes (the length of their song), with all its universe of good and evil, strong and weak, light and dark. It was the world, as it would ever be. People lived and people died, and the lives of people were precious; their time to create and exist, live and love, was also precious. The song said, keep trying, keep living in the fullness of life, keep growing and creating, because no one gets out alive. It was not a cry of fear; it was a declaration. You are here today, said the song. One tomorrow, you will not be. The song asked: Between those days, what will you do? Who will you become? Could it be a new world, in this old one? It could be. Might it be a new world, in this old world? That was for each person to decide. Travelling there was an inward journey, across an often fearsome land. The world within each person, the private world help deep within. That was where the change happened, where a world could be made in the midst of the old. And that journey took all the courage you had.”
At the end of the book, Jenn, an anorexic girl whose mom was the Denny’s waitress was starving herself because she wanted to feel closer to her dead father who could barely eat anything in his final days suffering from cancer, listened as the final song of the five spoke to her, “I’m sitting here like a candle on the darkest night”. She thought of her father in his final days telling her he didn’t want her getting sick. “Do you hear me? You have a life ahead of you. Hear me? I want you to be somebody’s candle, Jenn. I want you to show somebody your light. I think with your talent and your heart, that’s what you’re gonna do. But you can’t get sick. You can’t follow me. Do you understand that?” Unfortunately Jenn did understand but her anorexia was out of her control at that point. But after hearing their song and remembering what her father told her, she thought, her father had found a way to get through. “The song had spoken to her in a way she thought it could speak to no other person in the audience. But she thought she could do better. She wanted to give a voice to people who had none. She wanted to speak clearly, and to clearly be heard. And to do that, you also had to clearly hear.” She decided she wanted to “enthrall and delight, to dance to a beat, to have fun, to laugh and help people shrug off the worries of the world for a little while. To help them find their strength when the crows came flying.” So Jenn finally started to eat the breakfast her mother made every morning for her before she left to go to work at Denny’s and thought about that song more, “Some things don’t change, they never do. Some things do change, they change with you.”
I was left speechless with a lump in my throat. So I turned on “Bittersweet Symphony” and cried. I had been spoken to.
The book begins with a quote from the song “Bittersweet Symphony” and Robert McCammon mentions it was what inspired him to write this book. At one point in the book, Nomad, the leader of the band The Five, says “I believe a song can speak to a person.” I believe that too. I also believe that books can speak to a person too. This book spoke to me.
I have never had a book touch me and effect me in this way before. This book was so deep and heavy hearted making you think so much about your own life and its purpose. There is no way I can write a review that truly captures the emotional toll it left on me and do it justice. All I can say is that Robert McCammon is a genius. How he can write such a profound book like this is beyond me. It just makes me think of what he wrote in The Five. This is a quote from Floyd Fisk to his stepdaughter Berke: “If you ever doubt what your place is in your profession, or if you ever doubt what changes for the better music can make in this world, open these boxes and start reading. I believe that at its best music exists to give a voice to people who sometimes can’t speak on their own. I believe it helps weak people find their strength, and frightened people find their courage. I believe it helps people understand with their hearts what their minds can’t comprehend. I think it may be the truest link to a higher power. Never ever doubt that you have an important place in this world.”
This book was about a rock band The Five that had struggled to make it for years but suddenly become famous overnight when one of their band members gets killed by an Iraq war Marine sniper. The Marine was in the midst of committing suicide when he heard their song on the tv. He was angry at the lyric’s the band member Ariel sang about the soldiers killing children in Iraq. This book follows the band on their tour with an FBI agent pretending to be their manager to try to catch the sniper. This book brings in a lot of music history knowledge that I know very little of but appreciate. It also gave the reader a backstage view of what it is like to be in a rock band. Nomad asked himself “How long did you give your life to the dream, before it took your life?”
So much of this book was about people’s roles and if they were good enough. Felix Gogo’s advice to the band’s leader Nomad was “know your role”. In the beginning of the book Nomad didn’t believe people had to know their role. He was so full of anger he acted on impulse ignoring the confines of any “role”. Nomad had thought that the middle-aged Denny’s waitress that served him was “all too happy in her role so she must be dense”. Nomad was used to being angry and unhappy because it was the familiar feeling he had always felt as a kid. Anyone that was happy, especially an older woman that was just a waitress, “must be a little dense to be truly happy or oblivious enough to think you were.” Nomad became scared when they became successful because lost his role in the band. He was the angry one. But he started to lose his anger and thus his role and questioned whether he was good enough. Ariel told him “No one’s good enough! Everybody has to push, and push, and try to break through some kind of wall. I know I’m not good enough. But I hope-I plan- on being better tomorrow. You start from where you are.” Berke’s stepfather said she told him at a concert that she could do better than the drummer and that is what inspired her to become a musician.
This book had a lot of spirituality and faith in it. Nomad was questioning whether or not he believed in soul mates like his friend Thor did wondering why God would make it so hard to find one. Thor told Nomad, “God is not a nice guy. He’s a hard teacher. He’s tough, nothing soft about Him. Oh yeah, He can show mercy. He’s all about mercy. But He’s all about teaching, too. He’s the hardest fucking teacher you could ever have. Sometimes you don’t want to hear it, so you turn your back. Sometimes the lessons are pushed right in your face, you can’t turn away. What we call cruel, maybe He calls….necessary, in some way we can’t wrap our minds around because we only know the right here, right now.”
The Marine sniper that was trying to kill The Five was humanized by the FBI agent who was also a former Marine. He tried to explain to Nomad how the Marine no longer knew his role. “So he’s the best of the best, doing what he’s been trained to do, and then something terrible happens to him there (he kills a kid) and at home (his wife and son are killed in a car accident) and the spirit drains out of him and leaves him basically a broken shell. But he has no serious and long-lasting physical injuries, and maybe he can cover up his psychological wounds because he’s been trained to be tough and to deny pain, and his own father has taught him a lot of that (through abuse). The VA hospitals are understaffed and overworked, so solid tough guys like Jeremy Pitt are given a certificate that says how much the Marine Corps appreciates their service. Maybe their awarded a medal too, like Pitt was, so they can remember what sets them apart from men like you and remember that you were somebody. Then this broken young veteran who’s been trained to kill people at over 800 yards goes out into the world looking for work. And there’s so much competition for jobs and you take what you can get. And maybe, if you were Jeremy Pitt you’d had plans set out for your entire life, but you know plans don’t work out. After you keep hitting a wall and you realize you live in a world that can’t ever measure up to what you once knew…you start trying to find a new enemy, because only a battlefield makes you feel worth living.”
The FBI agent said that none of the band members couldn’t relate to the sniper because none of them had really fought for anything worth dying for but Nomad said they have. He said that as musicians they are fighting to be heard. At the end when the sniper is nearing his death he was confessing to Ariel that “’I am not a good guy. But the other soldiers weren’t like him at all. We didn’t go over there to kill children. We went to do our job. They weren’t all like me. Do you hear?’ Only she knew what he needed. She thought to herself it was so simple, yet so important that the lack of it could crush a soul. She told him ‘I hear you’.”
There was a lot said of the music industry too. After it was all over the band’s agent was mad that they were breaking up and refused to do a reality tv show because they were sick of making money off a tragedy. He told them, “All I can say is that we’re talking about the age-old war between business and art. Correct? Friend, business won that war a long time ago. And if you don’t already know that to be the truth then… Welcome to the world.”
The band’s last song was a tribute song to their dead band members that they all wrote together and it was about “just when you think there’s nothing new in this old world” restoring their faith in their profession and their roles. Their song “was about acceptance. Accepting who you are, within the limitations of a hard old world. It was realizing that sometimes things in the tough old world squeezed you, and crushed you, and drove you down into the dirt. But to survive, to keep going, you had to lighten yourself. To cast off things that no longer mattered, things that wore you down or weighed heavy on you. You needed courage to keep going, and sometimes you found it in yourself and sometimes in others. And it might seem hopeless, it might seem a fool’s path, and it was never safe travel even though an angel might wish it were so for you, and some things never changed, they never would, but nothing ever changed unless you believed they could. And it was still the same old world as it had been yesterday. It was still a hard old world, a tough old world. It would always remain so. But it was a world that could not be described in just four minutes (the length of their song), with all its universe of good and evil, strong and weak, light and dark. It was the world, as it would ever be. People lived and people died, and the lives of people were precious; their time to create and exist, live and love, was also precious. The song said, keep trying, keep living in the fullness of life, keep growing and creating, because no one gets out alive. It was not a cry of fear; it was a declaration. You are here today, said the song. One tomorrow, you will not be. The song asked: Between those days, what will you do? Who will you become? Could it be a new world, in this old one? It could be. Might it be a new world, in this old world? That was for each person to decide. Travelling there was an inward journey, across an often fearsome land. The world within each person, the private world help deep within. That was where the change happened, where a world could be made in the midst of the old. And that journey took all the courage you had.”
At the end of the book, Jenn, an anorexic girl whose mom was the Denny’s waitress was starving herself because she wanted to feel closer to her dead father who could barely eat anything in his final days suffering from cancer, listened as the final song of the five spoke to her, “I’m sitting here like a candle on the darkest night”. She thought of her father in his final days telling her he didn’t want her getting sick. “Do you hear me? You have a life ahead of you. Hear me? I want you to be somebody’s candle, Jenn. I want you to show somebody your light. I think with your talent and your heart, that’s what you’re gonna do. But you can’t get sick. You can’t follow me. Do you understand that?” Unfortunately Jenn did understand but her anorexia was out of her control at that point. But after hearing their song and remembering what her father told her, she thought, her father had found a way to get through. “The song had spoken to her in a way she thought it could speak to no other person in the audience. But she thought she could do better. She wanted to give a voice to people who had none. She wanted to speak clearly, and to clearly be heard. And to do that, you also had to clearly hear.” She decided she wanted to “enthrall and delight, to dance to a beat, to have fun, to laugh and help people shrug off the worries of the world for a little while. To help them find their strength when the crows came flying.” So Jenn finally started to eat the breakfast her mother made every morning for her before she left to go to work at Denny’s and thought about that song more, “Some things don’t change, they never do. Some things do change, they change with you.”
I was left speechless with a lump in my throat. So I turned on “Bittersweet Symphony” and cried. I had been spoken to.
April 13, 2021
The Five follows the titled band on their tour across America, on what might become their final tour as they draw the attention of a Iraq war vet, a deeply damaged man.
I didn’t know what to expect from The Five, other than the synopsis made it feel different than any McCammon book I’ve read so far. A book about a rock band travelling and being hunted across America seemed like a strange premise, and I just really wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m so glad I went for it though, because this is one of my favourite McCammon books to date.
This was a beautiful book. The friendship and family built between the band members was brilliant, and each member of the band is a well developed individual, that you get to see grow and change through their journey. None of them are perfect, none of them is a hero, but each one is relatable and lovely, and together they make a group of people any one would want to be friends with.
The Five also deals heavily with PTSD, and while I am no expert, I think it was handled really well. Despite being a book about a group of people being hunted across America, there was no villain in this story, at least not a human one. Well it handles PTSD in a very dramatic way, showing a worst case scenario of where it can lead, I never found it to be poking fun or looking down on the subject. While this is a hard subject to tackle, I thought The Five did it well, but I am very open to being told I am wrong.
I also have to give credit to the audio book for this one. I am that person who skips songs in books, which seems silly in a book about a band. Of course there were songs. And I absolutely would have skipped them if I had read them. The audiobook forced me to listen to the lyrics, and I think they were pretty great and suiting to the story. Poignant lyrics about war, and the government, and honestly so catchy I still have them stuck in my head occasionally.
I loved everything about this book, so I just kind of want to scream from the rooftops to encourage everyone to read it. While this isn’t the same level of love I felt for Boys Life, or the same epic story that Swan Song is, this deserves the same attention those two get.
I didn’t know what to expect from The Five, other than the synopsis made it feel different than any McCammon book I’ve read so far. A book about a rock band travelling and being hunted across America seemed like a strange premise, and I just really wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m so glad I went for it though, because this is one of my favourite McCammon books to date.
This was a beautiful book. The friendship and family built between the band members was brilliant, and each member of the band is a well developed individual, that you get to see grow and change through their journey. None of them are perfect, none of them is a hero, but each one is relatable and lovely, and together they make a group of people any one would want to be friends with.
The Five also deals heavily with PTSD, and while I am no expert, I think it was handled really well. Despite being a book about a group of people being hunted across America, there was no villain in this story, at least not a human one. Well it handles PTSD in a very dramatic way, showing a worst case scenario of where it can lead, I never found it to be poking fun or looking down on the subject. While this is a hard subject to tackle, I thought The Five did it well, but I am very open to being told I am wrong.
I also have to give credit to the audio book for this one. I am that person who skips songs in books, which seems silly in a book about a band. Of course there were songs. And I absolutely would have skipped them if I had read them. The audiobook forced me to listen to the lyrics, and I think they were pretty great and suiting to the story. Poignant lyrics about war, and the government, and honestly so catchy I still have them stuck in my head occasionally.
I loved everything about this book, so I just kind of want to scream from the rooftops to encourage everyone to read it. While this isn’t the same level of love I felt for Boys Life, or the same epic story that Swan Song is, this deserves the same attention those two get.
October 9, 2011
I have not read a new McCammon novel since the late 80s. A couple years ago, I reread The Wolf's Hour which reamains my favorite McCammon's novel. Yet, while NcCammon cam be an involving writer he tends to rehash old plots and is not the best author for three dimensional characters. The fact that he has written very little in these past decades also didn't bode well for this book.
So here I am, with the newest McCammon novel sporting a enthusiastic blurb by Stephen King. Another ominous sign. Yet, this time King may be right. The Five may very well be McCammon's best book. While I still love the genre mashing and espionage melodrama of The Wolf's Hour, The Five is a more mature work. The author has learned to flesh out characters and makes them protagonist with real histories.
The novel is about a struggling rock band that is about to break up. Their last attempt at a video and single comes to the attention of a troubled war veteran who stalks the band. This is not a horror novel despite the publisher's hype and there is only the mere hint of any supernatural element. What you get is and intriguing character study of five musicians who have established a bond despite themselves. Oddly the "villain" of the book is a bit thin in interest. Yet McCammon has managed an excellent look at the meaning of commitment and belonging. Both the rock band scenes and action segments work well. The ending is a bit anti-climatic and seems to go on about five chapters too many. But overall this is an eye-opener in regard to McCammon's ability to create new ideas rather than rehash old plots. Highly recommended.
So here I am, with the newest McCammon novel sporting a enthusiastic blurb by Stephen King. Another ominous sign. Yet, this time King may be right. The Five may very well be McCammon's best book. While I still love the genre mashing and espionage melodrama of The Wolf's Hour, The Five is a more mature work. The author has learned to flesh out characters and makes them protagonist with real histories.
The novel is about a struggling rock band that is about to break up. Their last attempt at a video and single comes to the attention of a troubled war veteran who stalks the band. This is not a horror novel despite the publisher's hype and there is only the mere hint of any supernatural element. What you get is and intriguing character study of five musicians who have established a bond despite themselves. Oddly the "villain" of the book is a bit thin in interest. Yet McCammon has managed an excellent look at the meaning of commitment and belonging. Both the rock band scenes and action segments work well. The ending is a bit anti-climatic and seems to go on about five chapters too many. But overall this is an eye-opener in regard to McCammon's ability to create new ideas rather than rehash old plots. Highly recommended.
July 5, 2011
Once again, a novel by McCammon that convinces me I'll never be able to write something as clear and as beautiful and as true as this. And, even though he may not have meant it, the portrayal of the music industry vibes with that of the publishing industry also...
November 3, 2024
Pretty disappointing; DNFed at 70% or so
This book had a lot of things I didn't really like about it but one major thing, which is that it's clearly inspired by the murder of Dimebag Darrell and doesn't really treat the subject with the respect it deserves. Maybe I have just been inundated with stories about Dimebag for most of my life and so seeing a story where a band is being systematically murdered by a discharged sniper who is hearing voices and having everyone around the band just like casually let them go on touring is ridiculous to me.
I understand this book was released before the Bataclan and Las Vegas shootings, but the reactions to those combined with the Dimebag murder just makes every interaction in this book feel incredibly false to me once the band is in danger. Beyond that, the music industry stuff felt very phony, the chemistry between the band members never felt real to me, and there is a bunch of "awh shucks but the shooter was super cool in the military so he can't be all bad" rhetoric that I think is tone deaf and ill advised.
Finally, I decided to DNF when there is a random rape scene thrown into the book for seemingly no reason besides "woman in danger, this is the only viable way for this scene to go" and it was just one cliched, ill advised decision too far.
Really strange that this book came during McCammon's return to writing with Matthew Corbett, I think the writing and plotting is worse than any of the other books I've read by him.
This book had a lot of things I didn't really like about it but one major thing, which is that it's clearly inspired by the murder of Dimebag Darrell and doesn't really treat the subject with the respect it deserves. Maybe I have just been inundated with stories about Dimebag for most of my life and so seeing a story where a band is being systematically murdered by a discharged sniper who is hearing voices and having everyone around the band just like casually let them go on touring is ridiculous to me.
I understand this book was released before the Bataclan and Las Vegas shootings, but the reactions to those combined with the Dimebag murder just makes every interaction in this book feel incredibly false to me once the band is in danger. Beyond that, the music industry stuff felt very phony, the chemistry between the band members never felt real to me, and there is a bunch of "awh shucks but the shooter was super cool in the military so he can't be all bad" rhetoric that I think is tone deaf and ill advised.
Finally, I decided to DNF when there is a random rape scene thrown into the book for seemingly no reason besides "woman in danger, this is the only viable way for this scene to go" and it was just one cliched, ill advised decision too far.
Really strange that this book came during McCammon's return to writing with Matthew Corbett, I think the writing and plotting is worse than any of the other books I've read by him.
May 8, 2025
If you're much of a reader, then you know there are certain authors that just click with you. Robert McCammon is one of those authors for me. Whether he's writing about colonial America in the 1690's or whether, like in this case, he's writing about a rock band in 2008 on the edge of the music industry, I know I'm going to love it before I even read page 1. This one delivered, again.
The Five are starting a small tour though Texas, Arizona, and California, hoping to sell enough merch at their shows to pay for gas, when an Iraqi war veteran changes their lives. It's about so much more than that, but absolutely anything I can think to say seems like a spoiler. It hits every note for me.
The Five are starting a small tour though Texas, Arizona, and California, hoping to sell enough merch at their shows to pay for gas, when an Iraqi war veteran changes their lives. It's about so much more than that, but absolutely anything I can think to say seems like a spoiler. It hits every note for me.
January 7, 2014
January 6, 2014 Book Review, THE FIVE
I was introduced to this novel from the Robert McCammon reading group here on Goodreads. This is an author I enjoy reading.
This novel is about a traveling rock band. There are 5 musicians, thus the title, The Five. They are working hard and living on the meager income they receive from their gigs, t-shirts and CD sales. It's a hard fast life and McCammon paints a realistic picture of this lifestyle.
Enough about the actual story line. I want to give a non-spoiler review. Once again Robert McCammon (RMcC) has told a tale that starts out with a bang and continues with a plot that twists and turns and kept me wondering what would happened even when I was preparing dinner and making a complicated dressing for my family's dinner (can I blame RMcC because my husband didn't like the dressing??) I just mention that little side story to let you know this is another RMcC book that took me to a place I had never been and wanted to stay there for a while. I love the way he starts out telling an interesting story and then gradually the story becomes more involved and it becomes deeply spiritual and thought provoking. RMcC is a pro at that!
I was impressed with the character development. RMcC moved the main characters in such a way that all the development seemed so natural. I love the way he writes his characters, even the names just seem to fit.
I learned something, actually many things about myself by reading this book. Perhaps it is one of the reasons I gave it a solid 5+, with all the stars filled in brightly! I, too, have been a professional musician since I was in high school. I was involved with a couple of different genres. The first being a musician in the Protestant church (young years), Music Therapist (mid-life), Liturgical Musician for the Divine Liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, where I served as Pastoral Director of Liturgical Music (40 yrs old +). I give this background because I want to compare my experience with the experiences of THE FIVE. They worked hard, like I did. They got paid a meager amount of money, like I did. They wanted to please their fans, OK, I wanted to please Our Lord (hopefully he was a fan!). I identified with this band so much!! The struggles with "The Man" when they wanted to follow "The Spirit"...wow! I cannot even begin to tell you how much this book reached me on a personal level!! It helped me see that the people who told me I was reaching them and helping them through their struggles were sincere and that my life as a musician meant more than just pipe organ repairs and vocal training and priest telling me I should or shouldn’t do this or that and I should retire for the betterment of the church??!!
I don't feel like RMcC wrote this book for me, but I feel there was spiritual intervention that lead me to this book. I thank my good friend on Goodreads for just coming out and saying, "We are reading THE FIVE for our RMcC book this month” You know who you are. I thank all my friends who encouraged me to continue reading by letting me know they were pleased I was reading it. I thank Mr. Robert McCammon for using his God given talents to write in such a way that people can be entertained, but also deeply touched. I realize now how important my work was, not just for the church, but for those individual souls my music touched.
Even though I did see a couple of editing issues, I did not reduce my rating. There were not that many and certainly took nothing away from the story. I gave THE FIVE a solid 5 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I also have learned a respect (I never had before) for traveling rock bands.
I was introduced to this novel from the Robert McCammon reading group here on Goodreads. This is an author I enjoy reading.
This novel is about a traveling rock band. There are 5 musicians, thus the title, The Five. They are working hard and living on the meager income they receive from their gigs, t-shirts and CD sales. It's a hard fast life and McCammon paints a realistic picture of this lifestyle.
Enough about the actual story line. I want to give a non-spoiler review. Once again Robert McCammon (RMcC) has told a tale that starts out with a bang and continues with a plot that twists and turns and kept me wondering what would happened even when I was preparing dinner and making a complicated dressing for my family's dinner (can I blame RMcC because my husband didn't like the dressing??) I just mention that little side story to let you know this is another RMcC book that took me to a place I had never been and wanted to stay there for a while. I love the way he starts out telling an interesting story and then gradually the story becomes more involved and it becomes deeply spiritual and thought provoking. RMcC is a pro at that!
I was impressed with the character development. RMcC moved the main characters in such a way that all the development seemed so natural. I love the way he writes his characters, even the names just seem to fit.
I learned something, actually many things about myself by reading this book. Perhaps it is one of the reasons I gave it a solid 5+, with all the stars filled in brightly! I, too, have been a professional musician since I was in high school. I was involved with a couple of different genres. The first being a musician in the Protestant church (young years), Music Therapist (mid-life), Liturgical Musician for the Divine Liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, where I served as Pastoral Director of Liturgical Music (40 yrs old +). I give this background because I want to compare my experience with the experiences of THE FIVE. They worked hard, like I did. They got paid a meager amount of money, like I did. They wanted to please their fans, OK, I wanted to please Our Lord (hopefully he was a fan!). I identified with this band so much!! The struggles with "The Man" when they wanted to follow "The Spirit"...wow! I cannot even begin to tell you how much this book reached me on a personal level!! It helped me see that the people who told me I was reaching them and helping them through their struggles were sincere and that my life as a musician meant more than just pipe organ repairs and vocal training and priest telling me I should or shouldn’t do this or that and I should retire for the betterment of the church??!!
I don't feel like RMcC wrote this book for me, but I feel there was spiritual intervention that lead me to this book. I thank my good friend on Goodreads for just coming out and saying, "We are reading THE FIVE for our RMcC book this month” You know who you are. I thank all my friends who encouraged me to continue reading by letting me know they were pleased I was reading it. I thank Mr. Robert McCammon for using his God given talents to write in such a way that people can be entertained, but also deeply touched. I realize now how important my work was, not just for the church, but for those individual souls my music touched.
Even though I did see a couple of editing issues, I did not reduce my rating. There were not that many and certainly took nothing away from the story. I gave THE FIVE a solid 5 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I also have learned a respect (I never had before) for traveling rock bands.
May 2, 2011
After a decade of wondering if we would ever see a new novel from Robert McCammon, we were surprised with a very different form of storytelling that in the Matthew Corbett trilogy. Published over 8 years, those stories took us back to the 1700s, treating us first to a witch-trial legal thriller, and then to a pair of serial killer thrillers with some rather interesting psychological twists. Now, 20 years after the publication of Gone South, he has finally returned to the realm of contemporary horror with The Five.
The Five is as much a book that’s about something (the quest for music) as it is one that tells a story (the impending destruction of The Five). It’s a story about making music, about writing songs, and about the power of music. This is a book that’s steeped in musical history, and often written in musical language. Music is what brought Nomad, Ariel, and the others together; it’s what sets Jeremy on their trail; it’s what carries them through their trials; and it's what, ultimately, provides their means of redemption.
A fantastically diverse group of musicians, The Fiveare three men and two women (plus a manager) who we quickly come to care about. McCammon develops all of his characters carefully, balancing their rough edges with just enough sentiment to ensure we're fully invested in their fate, without robbing them of their grittiness. Even the deluded villain of the piece, Jeremy Pett, is a character who elicits our sympathy right from the start, even as he keeps us guessing as to his true motives. Depending on how much supernatural influence you choose to read into that motivation, his tragic fall may be just as important as the band's struggle to survive.
Although there are aspects of the novel that remind me of many of his earlier works, it’s his classic Boy’s Lifethat most often came to mind while reading The Five. Both are rather subtle tales, relying upon anxious tension and ongoing mystery to feed the horror, as opposed to outright gore and terror. The story touches gently upon the supernatural, exploring the same themes of good versus evil that McCammon has so deftly dealt with before, but leaves the interpretation to the reader. Depending upon how one chooses to read it, this can either be a novel about the all-too-human pain within our hearts, or the inhuman fury and deception that haunts the fringes of imagination . . . or both.
This uncertainty lends itself to a very interesting read, leading the reader to question almost every development. Without narrator who makes no effort to either confirm or deny to existence of the supernatural, and with such a wide variance of belief among the members of the band, we’re left to take sides based upon our own beliefs. It’s a brave approach to the story (especially since we're also being asked to weigh the political pros and cons of the war in Iraq), and one that demands the reader do more than just follow along, but it does make for an awkward and slightly unfinished ending.
If your taste in McCammon’s work runs more to Boys Life than Swan Song, then I suspect this is the book you’ve been waiting for. Even if it doesn’t, this is a well-told tale that is definitely worth experiencing. Personally, I quite enjoyed the period detour of the Matthew Corbett trilogy (and would not be at all disappointed to see a return to that world), but it’s still nice to be taken to masterfully back into the present.
The Five is as much a book that’s about something (the quest for music) as it is one that tells a story (the impending destruction of The Five). It’s a story about making music, about writing songs, and about the power of music. This is a book that’s steeped in musical history, and often written in musical language. Music is what brought Nomad, Ariel, and the others together; it’s what sets Jeremy on their trail; it’s what carries them through their trials; and it's what, ultimately, provides their means of redemption.
A fantastically diverse group of musicians, The Fiveare three men and two women (plus a manager) who we quickly come to care about. McCammon develops all of his characters carefully, balancing their rough edges with just enough sentiment to ensure we're fully invested in their fate, without robbing them of their grittiness. Even the deluded villain of the piece, Jeremy Pett, is a character who elicits our sympathy right from the start, even as he keeps us guessing as to his true motives. Depending on how much supernatural influence you choose to read into that motivation, his tragic fall may be just as important as the band's struggle to survive.
Although there are aspects of the novel that remind me of many of his earlier works, it’s his classic Boy’s Lifethat most often came to mind while reading The Five. Both are rather subtle tales, relying upon anxious tension and ongoing mystery to feed the horror, as opposed to outright gore and terror. The story touches gently upon the supernatural, exploring the same themes of good versus evil that McCammon has so deftly dealt with before, but leaves the interpretation to the reader. Depending upon how one chooses to read it, this can either be a novel about the all-too-human pain within our hearts, or the inhuman fury and deception that haunts the fringes of imagination . . . or both.
This uncertainty lends itself to a very interesting read, leading the reader to question almost every development. Without narrator who makes no effort to either confirm or deny to existence of the supernatural, and with such a wide variance of belief among the members of the band, we’re left to take sides based upon our own beliefs. It’s a brave approach to the story (especially since we're also being asked to weigh the political pros and cons of the war in Iraq), and one that demands the reader do more than just follow along, but it does make for an awkward and slightly unfinished ending.
If your taste in McCammon’s work runs more to Boys Life than Swan Song, then I suspect this is the book you’ve been waiting for. Even if it doesn’t, this is a well-told tale that is definitely worth experiencing. Personally, I quite enjoyed the period detour of the Matthew Corbett trilogy (and would not be at all disappointed to see a return to that world), but it’s still nice to be taken to masterfully back into the present.
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