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Odd Thomas
November 2014
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Odd Thomas
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Ellen
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Oct 29, 2014 05:04AM
Our discussion will begin on November 17th with Becky as our leader. Happy reading!
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Hello everyone,Here we are on a snowy Monday, best time to be inside with a good book. :-)
To start off the discussion of Odd Thomas, I wanted to share a description and some questions I found on a Random House website for teachers.
From the website: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/te...
In Odd Thomas, acclaimed writer Dean Koontz presents us with a modern, provocative tale that explores the beauty and power of humility, the conquering charm of innocence, and the necessity of hope. Koontz also puts a unique and contemporary spin on the classic “good versus evil” story found in literature throughout the ages.
Below are a few questions that we could discuss. Feel free to chime in with any observation or comment related or not.
1. Odd’s first words to the reader are, “My name is Odd Thomas, though in this age when fame is the altar at which most people worship, I am not sure why you should care who I am or that I exist.” What does he mean by this statement? What does Odd mean when he says, “fame is the altar at which most people worship”? (1)
2. Odd warns us that he is an “unreliable narrator.” What do you think this means? How will this affect the way the novel reads? (4)
3. Stormy says, “Maybe it’s not a gift. Maybe it’s a curse.” What does she mean by this statement? (71)
I've read "Odd Thomas" before. I reread it to refresh my memory. I forgot how much gore there is in the book. I'm sorry if it seemed overwhelming.
I truly found the book a study in humility and hope as stated in the description above. Thus I was able to "skip" over the more violent sections.
I've read all the Odd books by Koontz. They are similar I would warn everyone, but Koontz is such a masterful weaver of stories that he draws the reader in almost immediately and throughout the text.
This was my first Dean Koontz book and I liked it. I enjoyed the first half or so more than the last half. I think I was hoping for something a little more...I don't know...mystical, maybe, or more Gaiman-ish. It seemed to start out that way and then morphed into a routine murder mystery. I did like the characters, especially Odd and his relationship with Stormy. Love the names too. Lori
Perhaps that proves the "unreliable narrator"?. :-)
I have to say in all the books he does tease with the mystical. Doesn't fully explain what is going on.
Lori, I agree. I used to read a lot of Dean Koontz years ago, and I always found that they started out great, grabbed you as a reader, and then at some point, I always felt a bit let down and that overall, the book didn't meet my expectations at the outset. Like he almost hit the mark, but not quite. But this had more character development than the others I read, which were much more based on the action.
This was just not my genre. I sort of liked the humor, but was too creeped out by the evil in the story. I could not get through it, though I gave it over 100 pages.I'm stranded at home and it's snowing again -- yuck!
Time for a more upbeat book then. :-)Looks like another day home for me tomorrow too.
I had a crazy month and never got started on this book. I read one book by him a few years ago and I recall being riveted and horrified at the same time. I'll try again next month. Hope everyone is warm and safe!
This was also my first Koontz book, and I LOVED it! I'd always avoided his books because I thought they were along the same horror lines as Stephen King, and I just can't do those.
I really liked Odd and his relationships with his friends and with Stormy. He was kind of the poster child for the idea of the family you make rather than the family you're born with.
I kind of liked that this was a mystery/thriller with a bit of the supernatural in it. I thought it was a good mashup of the genres, showing that a story doesn't have to be all of one or the other.
I was caught off guard by the ending, but not in a bad way. More in the "Oh, gods, I should have seen that coming" sort of way.
I really liked Odd and his relationships with his friends and with Stormy. He was kind of the poster child for the idea of the family you make rather than the family you're born with.
I kind of liked that this was a mystery/thriller with a bit of the supernatural in it. I thought it was a good mashup of the genres, showing that a story doesn't have to be all of one or the other.
I was caught off guard by the ending, but not in a bad way. More in the "Oh, gods, I should have seen that coming" sort of way.
They are a bit addictive. I really don't like the "evil" parts either. I usually skim through that. I listened to it this time. I have to say I enjoyed their choices for the different voices of the characters. It made them more real and enjoyable.
There are many of these, following his progression. No full answers though.
There is even a new one coming out in January.
Mod
Hope all are warm and safe!
I'd like to read more Odd books, now that I'm more familiar with Koontz' style. I have to admit I'm a Stephen King fan. Growing up in a house where the Friday Night Fright Night movie was a weekly event, I think that genre is ingrained in me. :-)
