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The Funhouse

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Once there was a girl who ran away and joined a traveling carnival. She married a man she grew to hate — and gave birth to a child she could never love. A child so monstrous that she killed it with her own hands... Twenty-five years later, Ellen Harper has a new life, a new husband, and two normal children — Joey loves monster movies, and Amy is about to graduate from high school. But their mother drowns her secret guilt in alcohol and prayer. The time has come for Amy and Joey to pay for her sins…

Because Amy is pregnant.

And the carnival is coming back to town.

333 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

547 people are currently reading
8456 people want to read

About the author

Dean Koontz

988 books39.4k followers
Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 903 reviews
Profile Image for Dan.
3,409 reviews567 followers
July 18, 2023
From Ellen to Amy to Joey, no one is safe from the vengeance.

Creepy and ominous throughout. Scary and tightly-written.

Excellent pacing. Reveals flow out well.

Very messed up.

Sometimes the past does catch up with you. But you also choose to break the cycle.

Strong work.
Profile Image for Alejandro.
1,276 reviews3,765 followers
January 17, 2018
Creepy fun, in the right way!


GIVE A CHANCE TO THE BOOK

I had so much "fun" with this book (pun intended).

But it was a creepy fun indeed!

This novel was written by Dean Koontz but when it was originally published it was under the pseudonym of "Owen West".

The decision to do it under other name I think it was because it was the novelization of a movie and so Dean Koontz wasn't too eager to be related with it if it happens to be bad.

Well, the movie was bad BUT the book was good, real...

...GOOD!!!

You will notice that almost all people refer negative to the film, however there is a lot of praise to the book version.

So, it wasn't any surprise that when they decided to re-publish the novel, they did then with Dean Koontz name real clear and big on the cover.


BLOODY GOOD EDITION

I was lucky to get the book in its first paperback edition (I don't know if there was any hardcover with this art), since the letters on the cover were with protusive effect and even there was an inner art right behind the page of the cover covering two pages on prestige paper full color with a beautiful painting and in there, the legend...

In funhouses, people are supposed to scream.

Ooooooooh! SOLD!!!

That phrase sold me the book totally.

Anyway, the presentation was so gorgeous that I knew that I want to buy that book.

Also, until that moment, I was reading novels of Dean Koontz but in Spanish-translated editions, so this was my first novel by him on its original English language format.


FUNHOUSES & SCREAMS

It's a book really quick to read.

I quite remember that without using much time, I read it in a week (back then in 1994), but investing just like an hour per day (I couldn't use more time at that moment) so I'm sure that even quick readers can cover it in a night without much trouble.

It's a wonderful page-turner.

The characters are very well designed and you will find the scenes really frightening.

I won't say that it's a masterpiece of horror but I think that if you give it a chance, you will have a delicious creepy time with the book.

And...

...watch out the next time that you go into a funhouse!

Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!!


Profile Image for Elle_bow  🩷.
126 reviews36 followers
June 18, 2024
I’m going through my bookshelf right now so I’m adding all my previous reads one by one. I don’t remember when I read this but I do remember liking this book but just kinda being disappointed by the end.
Profile Image for Char.
1,932 reviews1,856 followers
April 1, 2025
Boy, did I ever hate this book!

It was originally released decades ago under a pen name. When the audio came up for free, I jumped on the chance, because I loved Dean Koontz back in the day. I thought that because I enjoyed his older books like The Watchers, that I would enjoy this one. I was wrong.

There were so many cliches in this book, it became sad. The characters were predictable and (surprise!) cliche. There was potential here but nothing original came out of this story.

The narrator was okay, but the voice of the character of Liz almost drove me insane. If there were ever a character targeted for death in a novel, it was her. I just don't know why we had to listen to her whine so much-just kill her already.

I would have been pissed if I had paid money for this audio book.

I'm sorry, but I can't recommend it for anyone-least of all fans of horror.
Profile Image for Eloy Cryptkeeper.
296 reviews225 followers
October 1, 2021
"la había dejado crecer orgánicamente hasta convertirla en la mejor atracción de su tipo sobre la Tierra y estaba orgulloso de su creación(...)
Detrás de cada silla, a lo largo de la pared, un gran cartel colorido explicaba la cosa extraña e increíble que estaba mirando el cliente. Con una sola excepción, todas esas cosas extrañas eran monstruos humanos vivos, mentes y espíritus normales atrapados en cuerpos torcidos: la mujer más gorda del mundo, el hombre cocodrilo de tres ojos, el hombre con tres brazos y tres piernas, la dama barbuda y más, mucho más de lo que puede imaginar la mente humana"

Esta obra tiene varias particularidades en su concepción: Cuando Koontz todavía no gozaba de tanto éxito y prestigio, a pesar de que había escrito mas de 10 novelas, decidió realizar esta novelización sobre el guion de la película de Tobe Hooper. Con la intención de darle mas profundidad a la historia y trasfondo. Por motivos de problemas en la producción de la película termino estrenándose posteriormente. Mientras que el libro tenía cierto excito en ventas ,cuando salio la película, de tan mala que es, terminó derrumbando al libro consigo.

Es una obra que emana los 80's por los poros. Que recuerda mucho las películas slashers de la época. Principalmente The Hills Have Eyes(Las colinas tienen ojos), o Texas chainsaw massacre(la Masacre de Texas). De hecho Tobe Hooper fue el director de la Masacre de Texas. Y también se asemeja a las peliculas de Rob Zombie, ya mas acá en el tiempo.
Como siempre Koontz cumple en cuanto al entretenimiento, la fluidez de las historias, la acción, la justa medida y calidad de descripciones.
En esta oportunidad resaltan los acontecimientos que suceden en el propio parque de diversiones y los perversos antagonistas
Sin embargo, tiene algunos defectos en la forma que esta estructurada la historia.
y algunos momentos, que en lo personal, me parecieron muy poco sutiles, y me causaron bastante gracia. Principalmente en el prólogo y alguna que otra situación ... No voy a desvelar mucho, pero no podía quitarme de la mente la película de los Goonies y la portada del disco de Black Sabbath 'Born Again"
En definitiva... dicho por el propio autor:
"No está al mismo nivel que algunas de mis mejores novelas, pero es tan buena como muchas otras y mejor que algunas"
Profile Image for Gianfranco Mancini.
2,327 reviews1,061 followers
April 30, 2021


Il Tunnel dell'Orrore (The Funhouse, ma noto anche come Carnival of Terror) è un film slasher/horror del 1981 diretto da Tobe Hooper, regista del cult movie Non aprite quella porta (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre -1974).



Avevo appena visto il film, un classico slasher/horror con tutti gli elementi tipici del genere (ragazzetti arrapati, omicidi sanguinolenti ed una final girl che sopravvive alla fine), quando pochi giorni dopo, incredibile ma vero, trovo a 2 euro in un negozietto di libri e fumetti questa novelization basata sulla sceneggiatura della Universal Pictures, che era intenzionata a produrre un film horror per adolescenti visto l'enorme successo ottenuto all'epoca da Venerdì 13 della Paramount, scritta da un giovane Dean Koontz sotto lo pseudonimo Owen West.



Lo scrittore si é divertito parecchio ad aggiungere caratterizzazioni dei personaggi e parecchi retroscena, tanto che alla fine gli eventi del film sono stati totalmente stravolti e relegati all'ultimo quinto del libro, uscito prima della pellicola a causa di alcuni ritardi nella sua lavorazione dovuti ad incidenti (Hooper rimase quasi ucciso a causa di un ingranaggio volante e fu addirittura morso da un ragno velenoso durante le riprese) e reshooting vari (alcuni rulli cinematografici andarono perduti a causa di una guerra tra autotrasportatori locali).



Il libro di Koontz uscì quindi parecchio tempo prima del film ed ottenne un grande successo venendo ristampato ben otto volte e vendendo oltre un milione di copie: un risultato incredibile per un romanzo pubblicato direttamente in edizione tascabile.



Quando finalmente uscì il film, fu un mezzo flop e le vendite del libro precipitarono.



Io da buon cinefilo mi permetto di andare controcorrente e vi dico che il film, con la sua splendida sequenza di apertura che omaggia Psycho di Alfred Hitchcock ( 1960) ed Halloween – La notte delle streghe di John Carpenter (1978), filmata ed aggiunta dopo che le riprese principali del film erano ormai state completate, é un gran bel cult-movie, secondo me molto meglio del libro, il quale non é assolutamente all'altezza di altre opere successive dell'autore, ma che tuttavia risulta essere una lettura da brividi e divertente.
Profile Image for Karl Marberger.
275 reviews73 followers
March 29, 2019
Pretty cringey. Poorly written. A swing and a miss.
Profile Image for Martin Rondina.
127 reviews443 followers
December 6, 2017
Video Reseña: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&...

Una novela que nos remonta al horror de los años 80. Tiene un inicio espeluznante y aterrador que me enganchó desde las primeras páginas. Es una novela corta, que va generando una atmósfera de suspenso e intriga a medida que pasan las páginas, los protagonistas principales son interesantes, pero el mayor logro se lo llevan los antagonistas, que sin dudas, para mi, fueron lo mejor del libro. La feria ambulante es aterradora, y todos los que la integran aún más. Me fascinan las obras con esta temática, y este cumplió mis expectativas. No podía dejar de encontrar similitudes del libro con las películas slasher de los años 80, y esto tiene una explicación. Funhouse es la novelización de la película de Tobe Hooper, llamada del mismo nombre. Pero el dato curioso es que debido a diversos problemas durante el rodaje del film, se terminó retrasando y el libro se publicó antes. Es de las primeras obras de Koontz, de hecho originalmente se publicó bajo el pseudónimo de Owen West, para luego ser reeditado con el nombre verdadero del autor. Muy buen libro, de lectura rápida y atrapante, no hay relleno y la historia se desarrolla a buen ritmo. Quien quiera leer una obra de terror con estas características nombradas va a disfrutarlo bastante.
Profile Image for Richard K. Wilson.
727 reviews129 followers
August 28, 2021
Do you rememer the year this movie came out? Do you remember the tag line from the Tobe Hooper classic movie poster? I do.... "Pay To Get In, PRAY To Get Out!" Well, the book that was written AFTER the film, yes, the book was based on a screenplay and was written by Owen West, which was the pseudonym of Dean Koontz! Get ready for a 5 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪 carnival ride of blood soaked HORROR that you will never escape, unless you are lucky!

17 year old Amy is the eldest daughter of Ellen, and the older sister of 10 year old Joey.....and she is the seed that was planted the day she was born of the Ultimate EVIL revenge story ever!! Her mother is a Religious fanatic and drunk, her father a lawyer. She works part time at The Dive the local Ohio hang out in the small town she lives in; and her best friend is the trampy, but very beautiful and blond haired Liz who will do anything for 'a big ol Salami!' yes, she is a tramp. After Amy discovers she is pregnant with an older boys baby, she tells Liz she HAS to get an abortion....but where is she to get the money? Liz talks her into telling her Mother that she is sinner, and she is dirty in the eyes of their lord and god, and she has to get rid of 'this evil inside of her!' Little does she know, HOW really true that comment is.......for Amy is the daughter of a Mother who has many terrible and EVIL secrets.....secrets that were started in 'The Funhouse!'

This book takes that terrifying movie directed by Horror maven Tobe Hooper; director of the 70's classics' "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "Eaten Alive" and "The Last House On The Left" and throws you right into a creature feature tale that one was soon to never forget! Now, back to this book......the book is so much more scary and realistic in the fact that it makes us realize that we all have secrets, and we all have done things we were not proud of and that we never let anyone know about; not even our Family. But have you ever thought about what happens when those things and secrets start to blossom, and reveal themselves in the most horrifying and gruesome ways? Then what?

10 year old Joey is the Horror freak of freaks!! He LOVES making his Universal Monsters models and displaying them on the shelves in his bedroom, and he LOVES to scare the shit out of Amy his sister! Whether it is creeping up on her in the bathroom with a rubber mask on, or throwing a huge spider in her bed, that is what life is all about. Then the traveling summer carnival comes to town, and this year it is boasting the "Worlds LARGEST and longest with a 12 minute ride, and the most Terrifying Funhouse Ever!" Joey tells himself....." I HAVE to go thru that Funhouse!' In fact he gets the crazy idea that he wants to run away from his home where he feels that if is wasn't for his sister Amy's love she has for him, he would go completely unnoticed at home. Yes, he is going to join the carnival and be a Carnie!

What starts out as a night of drinking and getting high with a new boy Liz introduces Amy to, and Liz and her muscle man 'boyfriend of the Week' ends in a night of screams, blood, and beheadings and disemboweling that no one will ever forget!!! That is IF they get out of "The Funhouse"

Read It!! Watch the movie AFTER you read this classic, and what I think is the best of the best when it comes to carnival themed Horror Classics!!

5 🔪🩸👹🧟‍♂️🧛‍♀️ all the way!
Profile Image for Велислав Върбанов.
885 reviews152 followers
August 11, 2025
„Панаирът“ се оказа доста мрачен, но и увлекателен роман! В него се преплитат драматични и хорър елементи в страховита карнавална атмосфера. Сюжетът напрегнато проследява опасните премеждия на Ейми и Джоуи при посещението на пътуващ панаир...
Profile Image for Tara.
454 reviews10 followers
September 8, 2023
This had a little bit too much backstory, but overall it was a really entertaining page-turner of a horror novel! Gunther forever <3

Profile Image for John.
1,630 reviews130 followers
November 29, 2021
A good horror read. The character development was a bit odd. Ellen is introduced early on and then becomes a secondary character. Amy the daughter is one mixed up kid and like her mother her early choices in men is not good.

The carnival backdrop and descriptions are evocative. Conrad is quite obviously insane and his second son is a chip off the old block. The story reads like a film script and I would love to see the movie. In the afterword Koontz talks about the story development and it becoming a movie.

I liked the plot and the style was easy to read. A scary monster, revenge, horror and religious zealotry.
Profile Image for Mike.
22 reviews
August 19, 2009
The book itself probably be no more than 4 stars, but because the idea of the book and the purpose it served for me I'll give it 5. I stole it from my mom's bookshelf in 8th grade and I remember it being the first definitive adult novel I ever read. I devoured it within days, it was such an easy read. From what I remember, the writing just flowed from one page to the next, making it simple for a relatively inexperienced reader like myself to follow along. I don't remember the sequence of events,or even what it was about, but I do recall one awkward moment. I was in homeroom and had just finished a gruesome rape scene when my homeroom teacher walked by and in passing said "Oh, I've read that". I was mortified at the thought of my teacher reading having read the same rape scene as I did, and I don't think I brought it to school after that.

Thank you Mr. Koontz for showing me what was out there.
Profile Image for Coos Burton.
904 reviews1,545 followers
August 5, 2024
Partamos por algo que me parece muy importante mencionar: en esta reseña la comparación entre el libro y la película será recurrente por un motivo obvio, y es que le pidieron a Dean Koontz que haga la versión novelizada de la película homónima que se estaba por estrenar. Por algunos temas ajenos al escritor, el libro, que se “inspiró” en el guión, terminó viendo la luz antes que la película. La película es sin duda alguna de mis favoritas de la época, y del director. El libro es el primero que leo del autor, y no me llevé la mejor impresión. En el caso de la película, el foco está en el parque de diversiones, específicamente en el laberinto del terror que claramente encierra un turbio secreto. En tanto a la novela, la trama gira en torno a una cuestión más vinculada a una venganza que se va gestando de manera lenta sobre los protagonistas. La feria en este último caso pasa bastante a segundo plano, y siento que pierde por completo la gracia.

Tras terminar la novela y leer el epílogo entendí un poco más qué intenciones tenía Dean: poco más de la primera mitad del libro es casi invento exclusivo del autor, poco y nada tenía que ver con la historia de la película. No estoy en contra de la libertad creativa en cuanto a retellings, adaptaciones y cosas vinculadas a historias previamente creadas, porque creo que la gracia de pasar una historia de un formato a otro es probar una idea en varios ámbitos, y darle la posibilidad de desarrollarse de una manera aproximada, en algún punto apegada, pero con la impronta de los encargados de dichas adaptaciones. El tema es que sentí que el libro a duras penas tiene relación con la película, entonces no sentí tanto el vínculo que se supone que deberían tener. No esperaba una copia exacta, porque para eso sería más sencillo leer el guión y listo. Pero creo que se podría haber hecho algo un poco mejor, más leal a la película, sin tanta cosa rara.

Independientemente de que no se parezca casi nada a la película, la historia por sí sola me pareció bastante mediocre. Empezó con gran potencial: sentía que elaborar un poco a grandes rasgos el trasfondo de la feria, sus encargados y colaboradores, iba a ser interesante porque por lo menos podría llegar a explicar un poco lo que pasa en la atracción en sí (aunque en la película se explica perfectamente). El problema es que todo se fue desvirtuando al punto de tornarse uno de esos panfletos de antes donde se la pasaban pegándole a los adolescentes por cualquier tontería que hicieran. Incluso sentí que hubo un par de bajadas de línea en términos religiosos que no me gustaron nada (sobre todo en el final). Realmente no andaba buscando lecciones morales en el libro, ni tampoco me resultó interesante o mínimamente curioso cómo se aborda todo el conflicto sexual/reproductivo en la historia. Todo ese tramo se sintió bastante denso. La construcción de los personajes no me desagradó, sin embargo, no puedo evitar pensar en lo mucho que me irritaron cada uno de ellos. De todas formas, cómo me caigan los personajes no influye mucho en mi percepción sobre el libro en sí. Más bien, se trata de una cuestión de que carecen de credibilidad en muchas oportunidades, no se los siente muy realistas, sino parodias de perfiles grotescos y dantescos.
Profile Image for Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*.
2,916 reviews1,187 followers
January 27, 2016
The carnival is always a unique, exciting setting for any horror novel. Amidst all the freaks, gloomy funhouses, maniacally grinning clowns, and … well, candy, there’s a man with a mission. To seek out and destroy his ex-wife’s children, the ex-wife who had taken away his own mutated son. Besides this juicy tidbit, there’s also a misled creature that delights in killing innocent men and raping/shredding apart women in each town it visits.

One thing that really made The Funhouse work was the characterization. Their lives were so rich, so deep, I truly cared and believed. Each one had their own internal struggle going on. Each one with their own personal demons to slay, their unique hurdles to stumble over, and their ultimate prices to pay.

The characters are the meat behind The Funhouse.

The atmosphere is a bit hard to explain. Below everything there is a seemingly endless sense of desperation, a struggle to sniff out what is right and what is wrong. To overcome the miserable lives led and make things better for themselves.

In short, the atmosphere is bleak, dark, and at times depressing -- but in the end uplifting and hopeful.

Amy is a strong heroine to latch on to. A typical teenage girl in a chaotic household, she longs for acceptance, excitement, change…but is also afraid of all those things, for she has secrets fears that her mother may be right - she really may be evil. Little Joey is adorable and I felt incredibly bad for him at several moments in the story. He’s a realistic little kid and I loved seeing through his young, impressionable eyes. The mother, Ellen, was just as enjoyable to read through, but unlike some of the others, not quite “fun”. Being in her mind was like walking on a psychological tight rope. Conrad is a unique enough villain of a man, but I would have enjoyed finding out a bit more on him. He was driven purely by hate and the lust for revenge, and that’s all Koontz really allowed him to show.

The pace is heady with it’s strength; just the beginning alone may get you high off the fumes of desperation and depression. It plunges into the abyss of despair immediately, does a few bumps and curves along the way, but never raises high enough so that you can feel the sun shining full force on your face.

Koontz’s style changes a bit from some books; here he writes well, enhances his characters to an amazing degree, describes things with fine detail but not overly so to where it becomes repetitive, and take care to allow terror to shine through when it should.

The Funhouse beams with an incredible array of colors. The ending is a bit of a let down, but that can be overlooked when it‘s all added together. When the last door of the carnival is locked, every last mark has gone home and is now safely snug in their beds, The Funhouse gets the rating of an event akin to sitting on an intense roller coaster that delivers all it originally promised.

Profile Image for Lucy'sLilLibrary.
579 reviews
February 1, 2024
This one isn’t for the faint hearted, but you’ll know that if you’ve read anything from Dean Koontz. I read this as a 13-14yr old (10 yrs ago) and re-read more recently. I don’t know if I would let at 13-14yr old read this.

It is a strange one and the story line is bizarre and quite sick! There is some good writing in this book but mostly it is a bit cringe and made me wince a few times. I can’t possible give it less than 3 stars though as this is what started my love for horror and Stephen King (sorry Dean).

If you do want a good Dean Koontz book I would 100% recommend Life Expectancy. A brilliant read and interesting and more original plot I don’t feel this book does Koontz any justice.
Profile Image for Hunter Shea.
Author 63 books1,002 followers
January 4, 2020
If you're a fan of the movie The Funhouse, this interpretation of the screenplay that Koontz wrote before it came out is an interesting companion piece.
Profile Image for Kristie.
1,025 reviews421 followers
October 11, 2018
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Goodreads Horror Week 2018

I thought this was an ok book. It became very good vs evil, God vs. satan. The end was a bit to quick and easy for my taste. There was a great buildup, then....that's it? Ah well, still a decent read worthy of 3 stars.
Profile Image for Craig.
6,186 reviews168 followers
May 8, 2023
The Funhouse is a novelization Dean Koontz wrote of a film script that was written by Lawrence Block of a teen-slasher movie directed by Tobe Hooper. Curiously, it was published six months or so prior to the release of the film. It was published under Koontz's pseudonym Owen West, and I'm amused by the top of the back cover of the Jove paperback which proclaims: "First, Stephen King, John Saul and Peter Straub. Now Owen West the new master of terror." I believe that it was the only adaptation of another author's work that Koontz wrote, but he did a quite competent job of presenting the story, as well adding quite a bit of background for the characters to flesh it out. Basically, it's a final-girl story of teens stalked at a carnival by a crazed baddie, so it lacks the depth or subtlety of what expects from a Koontz story, but it does what it's supposed to do quite well.
Profile Image for Corey.
517 reviews122 followers
August 1, 2015
I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book, since it was one of Koontz older books, and also written under a pseudonym. But surprisingly, I liked it, I had read that a lot of people hated this one but I thought it was pretty good. The storyline is intriguing and the plot is very easy to follow.

Barely seems to drag at all, and I liked the carnival setting. A fun and easy read.
Profile Image for Kate Victoria RescueandReading.
1,793 reviews125 followers
March 30, 2025
Ehh I lost interest in this story at about the 3/4 mark. It’s dreadfully dated, has not aged well at all. I enjoyed the freaky/revenge carnie parts, but nothing else was that well crafted. Following Joey & Amy’s sections were boring. Really didn’t like any of the characters either, especially Ellen and her family. Hated Liz.
Profile Image for Chris.
162 reviews17 followers
September 2, 2025
Demon baby tries to kill its mother right from the opening pages. Sold.

Offbeat Koontz novel from earlier in his career. This is not something I would immediately recommend for a new Koontz reader, as it’s different from what you expect from his Classic Period of 1985-1995. This is a tight and straightforward horror tale, lean and mean with barely a wasted word, and a higher gore score than you normally get from Koontz.

The pacing is masterful and it’s just long enough to not over stay its welcome.

This is a revenge plot where a carny is in search of the woman who wronged him after swearing his vengeance. Every plot beat is necessary to the story so talking too much about the plot would inevitably spoil it.

The book reads like a late 70s / early 80s slasher horror story, and it should since it’s based on a screenplay from one of those flicks. Koontz says he made a bundle on this crazy little book at a time when he really needed a payday.

I really liked this and it’s well worth the read if you like the horror novel style of that time.
Profile Image for Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl.
1,423 reviews174 followers
September 11, 2016
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you can not do."
-Anna Roosevelt

This book is definitely creepy.

The Funhouse is one of the last in-print Koontz books for me to read. I think the only other one I haven't read is Night Chills. The Funhouse recently became available in audiobook format for the first time in 2015, which is why I finally got around to reading it. I use the audiobook to help me & follow along in the book.

Reading The Funhouse, the Koontz fan will see connections to both Twilight Eyes and Hideaway, which Dean would later write.

My favorite things about the story:


Overall, I really enjoyed The Funhouse - even better the second time around. I would be interested in seeing the movie that was connected to this novel.

Some Passages:
Tall oaks, maples, and birches swayed in the dark grove where the trailer was parked. Leaves rustled like the starched, black skirts of witches.
______

"Sick," she said again, looking at the Halloween mask in her hand. "Sick and twisted."
______

Standing there in the harshly lighted comfort station, acutely uncomfortable in the stink of mildew and urine and rotting hope, Amy felt as if she were waiting in the anteroom of Hell.
Profile Image for Marilu.
86 reviews17 followers
May 16, 2023
My first Dean Koontz read and I'm sorry to say I did not enjoy it.
Many things in the story where left unexplained and some others where just there, with no reason why.
I know slashers are not supposed to be very meaningful narratives but nonetheless I was expecting more.
Anyways, it's not gonna be the last book I read from the author, I'm sure there will be other novels I'll enjoy quite more!
Profile Image for Mark.
Author 67 books172 followers
June 20, 2025
Tonight Amy and her friends are spending the night at the carnival. And whilst they enjoy all the fun of the fair they will visit the funhouse, a place for gondola rides, gory delights and midnight terror. But there is an unspeakable Evil waiting for Amy in the dark labyrinths of the funhouse, a secret Evil that began twenty-five years ago, when a lonely woman destroyed her monstrous offspring, and a violently disturbed man vowed to exact his terrible revenge. Now it's Amy's turn to keep her date with horror as she enters the funhouse for - A CARNIVAL OF TERROR!
I picked up the 1981 Sphere edition because I love horror stories set in carnivals and it’s that era I love and I had no idea until later it was written by Dean R Koontz (who I don’t think I’ve ever read before, simply because none of his novels ever appealed). He apparently accepted the job to novelise this, then realised the screenplay wouldn’t fill a book, so he wrote two-thirds or more then slotted the “film” in at the end (I’ve never seen the film either, though it briefly appeared on the Video Nasties list).
It’s 1980 and Amy Harper lives with her dad, brother and religious fanatic mother Ellen who, in the 1955-set prologue, killed a mutant baby she’d delivered. Amy is browbeaten and finds herself accidentally pregnant while, at the same time, Conrad Straker (who works for the carnival, was the father of the afore-mentioned mutant baby and has since sworn vengeance), is checking out likely candidates and disposing of them in the Fun House of the title (where another mutant, called Gunther, has his wicked way with them).
All in all, it was good fun. With the back story Koontz added, we care about the characters and there’s some nice interplay between Amy and her friends, to get them into the Fun House, where everything goes mad. There are a few suspense sequences, a couple of bursts of well realised gore and a nice tone to the whole thing, which made it all the more enjoyable. I liked this a lot, though the ending does wrap up much too quickly - I’d have enjoyed more of a stand-off at the end.
Profile Image for Поли Андреева.
88 reviews7 followers
July 31, 2025
„Панаирът “ е зловещ и атмосферичен роман, който първоначално е замислен като сценарий за филм, но излиза като книга преди екранизацията. Историята се развива около пътуващ панаир, който носи със себе си не само уродливи създания и свръхестествени явления, но и нещо много по-зловещо - огледало на човешките страхове, травми и жажда за мъст.

https://knigojiva.blogspot.com/2025/0...

Кунц използва елементи от американската субкултура на т. нар. „фрийкове“ или карнавални изроди, за да изгради свят, в който чудовищата не винаги са само тези с деформирани тела. Истинският ужас се крие в това, което хората са способни да направят, когато са водени от болка, омраза и желание за възмездие, лишени от човешкото в себе си и от най-естествени емоции като емпатия и любов.

Романът е кървав, напрегнат и психологически натоварен, но именно в това се крие силата му. „Панаирът“ кара читателя да се замисли какво е да бъдеш човек в свят, в който чудовищата са навсякъде, включително и вътре в нас.
Profile Image for Nate Dawg.
126 reviews9 followers
March 19, 2025
I’ve only read a few books by Dean Koontz and The Funhouse is definitely one of my favorites. It’s a novelization of the Tobe Hooper film of the same name. I love Tobe Hooper and think he is a pioneering director in the horror genre but The Funhouse was lacking. Dean Koontz or should I say Owen West takes an okay story and gives it depth. He created backstory for the characters and developed a new and improved plot. Carnivals and horror go so well together and Koontz makes the best of it. The story is full of blood, gore, sex and a little satanic worship. The Funhouse is a lot of fun…🤡🤡🤡🤡
Profile Image for ♡Kelly♡.
58 reviews1 follower
September 2, 2017
this is the first dean koontz book I've read after a lot of people recommended him to be a great author ~ I can confirm I loved this book 😊 it was gripping right from the beginning I didn't want to put the book down I am impressed and I will be reading more books by dean koontz!!
Profile Image for Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*.
2,916 reviews1,187 followers
March 29, 2015
The carnival is always a unique, exciting setting for any horror novel. Amidst all the freaks, gloomy funhouses, maniacally grinning clowns, and … well, candy, there’s a man with a mission. To seek out and destroy his ex-wife’s children, the ex-wife who had taken away his own mutated son. Besides this juicy tidbit, there’s also a misled creature that delights in killing innocent men and raping/shredding apart women in each town it visits.

One thing that really made The Funhouse work was the characterization. Their lives were so rich, so deep, I truly cared and believed. Each one had their own internal struggle going on. Each one with their own personal demons to slay, their unique hurdles to stumble over, and their ultimate prices to pay.

The characters are the meat behind The Funhouse.

The atmosphere is a bit hard to explain. Below everything there is a seemingly endless sense of desperation, a struggle to sniff out what is right and what is wrong. To overcome the miserable lives led and make things better for themselves.

In short, the atmosphere is bleak, dark, and at times depressing -- but in the end uplifting and hopeful.

Amy is a strong heroine to latch on to. A typical teenage girl in a chaotic household, she longs for acceptance, excitement, change…but is also afraid of all those things, for she has secrets fears that her mother may be right - she really may be evil. Little Joey is adorable and I felt incredibly bad for him at several moments in the story. He’s a realistic little kid and I loved seeing through his young, impressionable eyes. The mother, Ellen, was just as enjoyable to read through, but unlike some of the others, not quite “fun”. Being in her mind was like walking on a psychological tight rope. Conrad is a unique enough villain of a man, but I would have enjoyed finding out a bit more on him. He was driven purely by hate and the lust for revenge, and that’s all Koontz really allowed him to show.

The pace is heady with it’s strength; just the beginning alone may get you high off the fumes of desperation and depression. It plunges into the abyss of despair immediately, does a few bumps and curves along the way, but never raises high enough so that you can feel the sun shining full force on your face.

Koontz’s style changes a bit from some books; here he writes well, enhances his characters to an amazing degree, describes things with fine detail but not overly so to where it becomes repetitive, and take care to allow terror to shine through when it should.

The Funhouse beams with an incredible array of colors. The ending is a bit of a let down, but that can be overlooked when it‘s all added together. When the last door of the carnival is locked, every last mark has gone home and is now safely snug in their beds, The Funhouse gets the rating of an event akin to sitting on an intense roller coaster that delivers all it originally promised.
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