What do you think?
Rate this book
The Real
Note from the New updated and reedited version of The Real coming soon. TBA.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2010
33 people are currently reading
462 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 5, 2011
This book touched me in a deep place inside in a way that is a little hard to communicate, so much so that I am writing this review, even though I am the type that NEVER participates in any type of public forum. I am stepping out of character for this particular title because I don't want to deprive readers who might otherwise not choose to read THE REAL because of a lack of input from others like me.
I did not choose this book based on the other, mostly positive reviews on goodreads.com, though I have since read through all the other readers' comments. I have to admit I was a little taken aback at some of the scattered negative comments on this page. Of course, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and not everyone will connect with every book in a positive fashion though I suspect that some of the esp. negative comments originate from this book's ability to lay bare the nerves of our deepest emotional responses. All that aside, THE REAL is a landmark work that is a testament to the creativity and genius that, in my opinion, belongs in the higher echelons of the ongoing tradition of great American literature.
Peace and Love to all...
I did not choose this book based on the other, mostly positive reviews on goodreads.com, though I have since read through all the other readers' comments. I have to admit I was a little taken aback at some of the scattered negative comments on this page. Of course, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and not everyone will connect with every book in a positive fashion though I suspect that some of the esp. negative comments originate from this book's ability to lay bare the nerves of our deepest emotional responses. All that aside, THE REAL is a landmark work that is a testament to the creativity and genius that, in my opinion, belongs in the higher echelons of the ongoing tradition of great American literature.
Peace and Love to all...
March 16, 2011
I absolutely loved THE REAL. The author writes with a style I would describe as thoughtful, intelligent, and descriptive. The plot is complex in that it has several storylines whose relationships are not at all obvious until the revealing at the highly climatic ending. If you like to be challenged by the storyteller to decipher the mysteries through clues that are not always obvious, you'll probably like this book. If you'd rather be spoon-fed the clues that point toward the ending,you'd best look elsewhere for your reading material. Great book for all the AVID mystery novel readers!
February 5, 2011
Definitely a book written from the male perspective. Jeremy (the main character) is a genuine human being with faults, esp. in respect to his vulnerability to a beautiful but bad-to-the-bone woman. Female readers may not be endeared to him at first because of his indiscretions but they will gain a rare glimpse into the thought processes that allow men to get caught in the "seduction trap".
Insightful, thought-provoking, well-written, will recommend to friends.
Insightful, thought-provoking, well-written, will recommend to friends.
October 7, 2014
The Real is a supernatural mystery with quite a few clichés. The tragedy in the woods. The mysterious deaths that have occurred in the same woods since then. The mysterious older man who seems to know what’s going on but of course talks in riddles. The curious young man who can’t resist digging into things he’s warned to stay away from.
I detested Jeremy, the aforementioned curious young man who was the main character in the story. I think he was supposed to be a likeable, sympathetic character, but he pretty much met all of my criteria for “scum of the earth”. He was dishonest. He cheated on his girlfriend. He put his own needs above the needs and even the safety of the people he supposedly cared about. He would piously think to himself that he didn’t want to get people in trouble or put them in danger, but then he consistently did just that for no higher purpose than to satisfy his own whims. He repeatedly failed to meet his responsibilities. He tried a drug he knew nothing about that was given to him by a girl he knew nothing about. He drove while under the influence of this drug. I couldn’t muster the slightest bit of sympathy for him. The other characters didn’t offer anything special. There were a couple who seemed interesting, but we didn’t get to see much of them. The entire book was written from Jeremy’s perspective, so the reader is stuck in his obnoxious mind all the way through.
The first half of the book was a very slow build-up to the main action. Had I liked the character, I probably would have enjoyed the extra time taken to let the reader get to know Jeremy and see his interactions with the people involved in the story. I don't normally complain about a lack of action in books but, since I didn’t like the main character, I started to wonder if we were ever going to move on and see some action.
The only thing that saved this book from a lower rating was that the story did start to get interesting somewhere in the second half. The story took some interesting turns and the mystery aspect held my interest as I tried to figure out the answers to the questions that were raised. I figured out some aspects well in advance, but there were others I didn’t figure out until shortly before Jeremy did. The ending was pretty open-ended. It wrapped up most of the open questions, but it left some very major threads hanging.
If I could give half stars, I would give this two and a half stars for the sake of the latter half of the story. But this book just had too many problems for me to rate it higher – a horrible main character, a very slow first half, and an unsatisfying ending.
I detested Jeremy, the aforementioned curious young man who was the main character in the story. I think he was supposed to be a likeable, sympathetic character, but he pretty much met all of my criteria for “scum of the earth”. He was dishonest. He cheated on his girlfriend. He put his own needs above the needs and even the safety of the people he supposedly cared about. He would piously think to himself that he didn’t want to get people in trouble or put them in danger, but then he consistently did just that for no higher purpose than to satisfy his own whims. He repeatedly failed to meet his responsibilities. He tried a drug he knew nothing about that was given to him by a girl he knew nothing about. He drove while under the influence of this drug. I couldn’t muster the slightest bit of sympathy for him. The other characters didn’t offer anything special. There were a couple who seemed interesting, but we didn’t get to see much of them. The entire book was written from Jeremy’s perspective, so the reader is stuck in his obnoxious mind all the way through.
The first half of the book was a very slow build-up to the main action. Had I liked the character, I probably would have enjoyed the extra time taken to let the reader get to know Jeremy and see his interactions with the people involved in the story. I don't normally complain about a lack of action in books but, since I didn’t like the main character, I started to wonder if we were ever going to move on and see some action.
The only thing that saved this book from a lower rating was that the story did start to get interesting somewhere in the second half. The story took some interesting turns and the mystery aspect held my interest as I tried to figure out the answers to the questions that were raised. I figured out some aspects well in advance, but there were others I didn’t figure out until shortly before Jeremy did. The ending was pretty open-ended. It wrapped up most of the open questions, but it left some very major threads hanging.
If I could give half stars, I would give this two and a half stars for the sake of the latter half of the story. But this book just had too many problems for me to rate it higher – a horrible main character, a very slow first half, and an unsatisfying ending.
June 29, 2011
Not your typical mystery! I have become a voracious reader since my retirement last year, mostly in the Thriller/Mystery genres. Most of these have become predictable and non-thought prevoking. THE REAL does not fall into this trap. It keeps you on the edge of your seat with twists and turns that keeps you guessing until the end and beyond with a perfect setup for the sequel. I can't wait!
I met the author at a book signing in Southaven,MS and was intrigued by his sincerity and unassuming personality. He really wants honest reviews.
Keep up the good work, James Cole.
I met the author at a book signing in Southaven,MS and was intrigued by his sincerity and unassuming personality. He really wants honest reviews.
Keep up the good work, James Cole.
January 24, 2012
I never would have finished this if I weren't stubborn and hadn't borrowed it for free on my Kindle. From the stilted language to the unbelievable dialogue to the laborious exposition, I cannot recommend it.
January 13, 2012
I could have given this book a 3.5 . I liked it although at times it was boring and highly unlikely but I liked the story line and wish I could find the real the way they did.
September 1, 2019
OK
Other than the usual bad grammar,and the usual bad spelling plus assorted typos this is not
too bad a book, but could have been better.
Other than the usual bad grammar,and the usual bad spelling plus assorted typos this is not
too bad a book, but could have been better.
May 1, 2011
Absolutely fantastic, but perhaps best appreciated by more the more attentive and attuned readers.
Deep, intelligent and mind-bending, but you better pay attention because there is no filler in this novel. Even the descriptive portions in the early going, the parts about Sticks River Road and the break in the road, and the cryptic musings of the Grady character, some of which one might be tempted to skim over should not be overlooked. Every detail has meaning, there must be 1000 subtle clues that, taken alone, might never allude to anything. The reader who has a good eye for detail and a good mind for assimilation of all the almost between-the-lines clues will glean a great deal of satisfaction after having read this masterpiece.
This book, "The Real" might be likened to the experience different people might have at a musical symphony: Those who are the most learned and understand best the nuances that make a symphony extraordinary are the ones who are best able to actually realize it. Everyone else likes it, but they simply might not have the capacity to appreciate on the same level.
It you don't catch it all the first read through, slow down and read it again. I don't understand how, given sufficient reflection, that this novel deserve its due.
Deep, intelligent and mind-bending, but you better pay attention because there is no filler in this novel. Even the descriptive portions in the early going, the parts about Sticks River Road and the break in the road, and the cryptic musings of the Grady character, some of which one might be tempted to skim over should not be overlooked. Every detail has meaning, there must be 1000 subtle clues that, taken alone, might never allude to anything. The reader who has a good eye for detail and a good mind for assimilation of all the almost between-the-lines clues will glean a great deal of satisfaction after having read this masterpiece.
This book, "The Real" might be likened to the experience different people might have at a musical symphony: Those who are the most learned and understand best the nuances that make a symphony extraordinary are the ones who are best able to actually realize it. Everyone else likes it, but they simply might not have the capacity to appreciate on the same level.
It you don't catch it all the first read through, slow down and read it again. I don't understand how, given sufficient reflection, that this novel deserve its due.
March 18, 2012
This book was slow getting to the point. I couldn't finish it. I did give it my 100 page try. When seven hippies burned to death 39 years ago in a tragic fire, a ghost story was spawned. The legend, passed down by students at the local University, centers on Claire Wales, also know as the Hippie Queen. Graduate student Jeremy Spires thinks nothing of the tale until he stops on a deserted road to help a stranded motorist, an odd man named Grady, who retells the ghost story as if it and the Hippie Queen are real. Despite Grady's warnings to stay away, Jeremy and his devoted girlfriend, Jinni Malone, plan a camping trip to the very place - Reefers Woods - where the hippies died in 1969. After a near-death experience, an ultra-vivid dream and bizarre visions of children roaming about, Jeremy wonders if there could be some extraordinary power manifested in Reefers Woods. Can Jeremy, in his role as a cynical scientist, dare to believe in the supernatural? Can he discern what is real and what is not?
June 30, 2012
This is a thriller with supernatural and science fiction aspects to it. The story centers around a graduate student who starts to investigate a local legend of the Hippie Queen and the resulting deaths in the forest. The story keeps a nice pace throughout providing a lot of suspense and paths for guesswork as to who is really involved and how it was all going to turn out. This story totally dragged me in and instead of putting the book away for the night I sacrificed some sleep time to finish it. I enjoyed the moral aspects of the story as the student struggles with temptation, falls and the ultimately overcomes it. This is certainly an author I am going to keep my eye on and it looks like this book could also be expanded upon in a sequel.
October 21, 2014
The Real was a suspenseful read that left me wanting to read more. This book exposed the human mind of curiosity that caused the main character to be sucked into a world that he never knew. Several poor decisions made by the character that illustrated the flawed mindset of humanity. Curiosity caused him to lose grip of all that he worked for and all that he wanted most, beyond the physical urges that his body betrayed him with.
The story line was well written and it led the reader to be consumed in curiosity and intrigued by the mere thoughts of "The Real".
I rate this book with 5 Stars.
This book led me to a world of suspenseful human behaviors and hallucinations that took you into a world beyond the realm of reality. This is a fantastic read!
The story line was well written and it led the reader to be consumed in curiosity and intrigued by the mere thoughts of "The Real".
I rate this book with 5 Stars.
This book led me to a world of suspenseful human behaviors and hallucinations that took you into a world beyond the realm of reality. This is a fantastic read!
March 21, 2014
This book is terrible and I regret the time that it took me to read it. The characters are ridiculous. As post graduate students they waiver between junvile and stupid - something a post graduate student is not having reached that level of academic study. Their motivations are puerile and do not hang well. The writing was often repetitive and simple dreadful. The reason this is one of the worse books I've ever read is because I did actually want to know what was going on despite having to read a terribly written book with bad characterisation, despite having picked the 'inside' man. It was NOT worth finding out. Do yourself a favor and read anything else.
July 11, 2016
2.5 stars Interesting premise although not that well written. It was choppy, never sure of the primary story, none of the characters were likable, the bio chem details were confusing and some of the tangential stories did not add to the flow.
The ending was not all that predictable (which is good) but somewhat staid. It was not a fast read as some parts required re-reading to comprehend what was going on.
I rcvd kindle book as free download a while ago and it had been sitting on my device for a while.
The ending was not all that predictable (which is good) but somewhat staid. It was not a fast read as some parts required re-reading to comprehend what was going on.
I rcvd kindle book as free download a while ago and it had been sitting on my device for a while.
June 22, 2011
I think that The Real by James Cole is one of the best books I have ever read!!! It is a very hard to lay the book down and walk away from it to go to work and other daily tasks we have to do. I love the action and murder and learning about the Hippy Queen. I will buy any other book that this author has to offer. I recieved my copy of The Real as a gift and what a great gift it turned out to be!!! Anyone who likes mystery, action, adventure, good charater's you have to read this book.
March 28, 2012
I really wanted to give the book a higher rating, although I do like it-there are some issues with it. The storyline jumped to much from one thing to another. I love background filler in books, as long as its relevant. There are too many developing characters; very confusing in first half. The concept behind the book is great but it takes way too long to get to the point. A good read for when you are waiting for your fav authors next book but not quite strong enough to be on my favorites list.
August 27, 2012
Story is just captivating enough to keep interest just enough to finish the book. I got the impression the author was trying way too hard to write an exciting story and it just didn't work. A big flop. Story was very slow to get started; I almost gave up on it early on. Not worth wasting time over. I suppose it was free for a reason....
October 8, 2012
My review would have been higher except the ending completely fell off! We don't know what happens with the police, we don't know where Jeremy and Jinni end up going, if they ever again run into Monika....After such an interesting and detailed book, it was like James Cole got tired and just ended it.
June 27, 2013
Quick thoughts: didn't like the rapid wrap-up of the ending. The reason the victim was murdered was a bit much, as the reader doesn't get too much insight into the murderer. "Inexplicity" is different (and not even a word). "Inexplicably" is what the writer was looking for. There were a lot of holes, and a general rushed feel to it.
May 9, 2014
This book, The Real, was not a bad read. But for me I felt like the book dragged on. So much is happening while the story progresses but it isn't too confusing. The way the story came together was well written and well thought out. I enjoyed the characters. Over all this book is a good read. I give this book 3 1/2 stars.
November 11, 2014
I used to finish every book I started. Now that I'm on the other side of middle age, I've decided that life's just too short. I could not get into this book. I didn't care about the characters and the plot seemed thin and fairly predictable. Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance but it just didn't seem worth the time.
February 25, 2012
Loved this book. Very different from what I usually read. Its interesting and intriguing at the same time. Could'nt read fast enough to get to the end. Would recommend it to everyone who loves a good story that keeps you involved. Will be watching for more books from Mr. Cole.
January 23, 2012
This sounded like such a cool and interesting book, but it fell flat. I figured out who the "bad guy" was early on and there was really very little mystery to solve. I also got a distinctly Christian feel which wouldn't bother me so much if it actually came out and said that was what it was.
October 19, 2012
Very interesting mystery plot with elements of the supernatural. I thought the twist at the end was very well written; I didn't see what was coming at all! Thoroughly enjoyable book, although you will have to focus carefully to catch all of the nuances of the possibly too-complex plot.
April 15, 2016
Not the ghost story I thought but a different read that takes you back and forth from the 1960's to present day.
I had some of it figured out before the end BUT I didn't see the ending coming the way it did. There are still unanswered questions so I'm hoping for a sequel.
I had some of it figured out before the end BUT I didn't see the ending coming the way it did. There are still unanswered questions so I'm hoping for a sequel.
October 18, 2010
Stopped reading. Horrible writing, derivative plot, tragic use of cliches. The literary (and I use the word loosely) equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard. How did this get published?
October 22, 2010
I read a review saying this was like a life changing mystery book, so I had big expectations. It definitely didn't live up. Somewhat interesting premise, but very predictable and unbelievable.
January 24, 2011
Like the plot....liked the characters....hated the fact that it took SO long for this science grad student to figure it out!!!!
May 23, 2011
Super cool! Awesome read :)
December 24, 2011
This was an alright book. The plot was good, and the characters were good too, but there was a little too much inner dialogue with the main character.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews