Strangers (Group Read - March 2015)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Here is a brand new thread for discussing our March 2015 Group Read, Strangers! There is an older thread from when this title was previously featured and the older thread is also available to view in the Current Group Read Discussion Folder until the end of March.

Please use Spoiler Alerts where you feel necessary, so as to not ruin the story for others while discussing. Thank you for your participation & Happy Reading!

[Holly]

Excited for this one! :D

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I will probably start Strangers this weekend. I think I have only read it twice.

[Ashley]

Now that I am done with Saint Odd I don't know how soon I will be able to start another Koontz book. However since I have not read this one yet and I own it I want to read it!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Ashley wrote: "Now that I am done with Saint Odd I don't know how soon I will be able to start another Koontz book. However since I have not read this one yet and I own it I want to read it!"

Okay, You can take a break from Koontz until next month :-) AKA Next Week.

Strangers is quite interesting. I'm looking forward to re-reading the book. I remember liking the overall message of the novel.

[Mike]

I know that it isn't March yet. However, I already started reading this book because of the length. Even though I'm a Dean Koontz fan, I haven't read this book before. So far, I'm loving it. I don't want to put it down. If I could forego sleep, I would in order to read this book!

[Karen B.]

Oh Mike, that's how I felt when I first read this book. Being a teacher, with piles of papers to grade, I didn't get much time to read before bedtime. Finally on the last day of reading it I stayed up till 2:00 am to finish it.

[Vanessa]

Ok after i fonish eyes of darkness

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

This is one of Dean's lengthier novels :-)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I am currently re-reading Odd Interlude and then I will start Strangers. Glad to see so many people interested in the March Book.

[Vanessa]

awesome then let's read what the night knows

[Karen B.]

Vanessa maybe we can do a mini group read with What the Night Knows. Let's see if we can get some more interested in it.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Vanessa wrote: "awesome then let's read what the night knows"

I didn't like the book, but I am willing to give it another try. Can we do a start date of Mid March?

[Karen B.]

Do you want to do a mini-group read then. That's good for me.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

What the Night Knows is on :-) I'll update the book & discussion thread soon for a mid-march start date. Anyone is welcome to join in reading or reading that title.

[Rachel]

I've been meaning to read Strangers for a long time- ordered it from the bookstore-can't wait!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Rachel wrote: "I've been meaning to read Strangers for a long time- ordered it from the bookstore-can't wait!"

Awesome! :-)

[Karen B.]

It's always fun to re-read a Koontz book!

[Vanessa]

Thanks this group is awesome

[Karen B.]

I don't know how many times I have read Strangers but when I started yesterday, it was like the first time, it was that exciting. (Maybe part of it is that being a "senior" my brain forgets) That's okay because THIS is the style of Koontz I love and much better than some of his more recent non-Odd books.

First thing I noticed ... Laguna Beach ... isn't that where one of the Odd books is set? Also realizing I had read this when it first came out in 1986 I felt so old when there is mention of the word processor display writer.

Warning for Dustin ... Beware susurration awaits you.

[David]

I'm almost done. I can't wait to see how it all ends. This is definitely one of the best Koontz books I've ever read.

[Karen B.]

David I feel the same way. I wanted to stretch it out over several days but because I am having difficulty walking today I have a feeling I'll be finished today.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

David wrote: "I'm almost done. I can't wait to see how it all ends. This is definitely one of the best Koontz books I've ever read."

Hell Yeah!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Karen, ever since you mentioned the word "susurration" back in the day, I have noticed the word in nearly every Dean Koontz book I have read since. I had never noticed it before you mentioned it :-) It is so funny how just the mention of the word "susurration" makes me notice it.

[Karen B.]

Wow this was a great read ... again! I know Watchers is my favorite but this has to be my second favorite.

[PF]

I will start tonight, it is lengthy!

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Karen, ever since you mentioned the word "susurration" back in the day, I have noticed the word in nearly every Dean Koontz book I have read since. I had never noticed it before you mentioned it :-..."

so now i have to look up "susurration" because i have no idea what it means lol- it's been too long since i've read a dean book-he always helps me expand my vocabulary :D

[Betsy]

Susurration : a soft murmur or whisper.

[Rachel]

Betsy wrote: "Susurration : a soft murmur or whisper."

Thanks Betsy! :D

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Karen B. wrote: "Wow this was a great read ... again! I know Watchers is my favorite but this has to be my second favorite."

Done Already?

[Tracy]

Rachel wrote: "Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Karen, ever since you mentioned the word "susurration" back in the day, I have noticed the word in nearly every Dean Koontz book I have read since. I had never..."

He does that for me as well Rachel.

[Tracy]

This is one of the many I have not yet read. I hope to do that this month.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Reading Strangers brings back recollections of reading The Key to Midnight and The House of Thunder, but perhaps these are just false memories.

[Holly]

How's everyone coming along with this? I'm on page 268.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Holly wrote: "How's everyone coming along with this? I'm on page 268."

Which edition are your reading?

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Holly wrote: "How's everyone coming along with this? I'm on page 268."

I am also on page 268 of this large paperback edition:

[Holly]

I have the smaller paperback edition.

[Tracy]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Holly wrote: "How's everyone coming along with this? I'm on page 268."

I am also on page 268 of this large paperback edition:
"

You aren't listening to it Dustin? Dick Hill narrates is and I really like him. He narrates in a lot of the mysteries I listen to.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Yes, I am listening but I like to follow along in printed form - easier to help me keep track and update my progress :-)

I have listened to Dick Hill before because he narrates many of the Stephen White books which are set here in Boulder. I was thinking that the voice he used for Ginger changed from the beginning - to me it sounded different - almost the same as the female child voice he is using for Stacie. I have noticed before that sometimes narrators get mixed up the character voices. This is just something I pick up on and with a large cast of characters such as this, it can happen.

[Tracy]

Yeah, he does Stuart Woods Stone Barrington series. I really like his voice.

[Mike]

Just finished! Overall, I loved the book. I just wanted a little more at the end.

[Tracy]

I've started this but not to in it yet. Work is killing me.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Mike wrote: "Just finished! Overall, I loved the book. I just wanted a little more at the end."

It has been over 7 years since I last read this book. There is much background given on specific characters in this novel. I am hoping for a good payoff in the end. I remember enjoying the ending last time and I hope that happens again :-)

[Tracy]

This is my first go round with Strangers. There is a lot of intro though.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Yes. A Lot!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

What are your thoughts on government conspiracies? Does the government cover up things? Strangers was written before The X-Files. In the X-Files we learn who shot JFK and that it was a cover-up. (view spoiler)[ It was the Cigarette Smoking Man who shot JFK. (hide spoiler)]

Just curious if we have any conspiracy theorists among us :-)

[Tracy]

Haha yeah Dustin. Even if they don't I will always think they do. And I LOVED the X Files.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I have wondered if The X-Files got some ideas from Dean Koontz and then you see Dean Koontz mentioning The X-Files quite a bit in his novels that were written in the 90's - early 2000's.

I'm looking forward to the third X-Files Movie :-)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Tracy wrote: "This is my first go round with Strangers. There is a lot of intro though."

Have you read The House of Thunder or The Key to Midnight?

[Tracy]

No Dustin, I haven't. Are they XFile'ish? Or do they have conspiracy theories in them?