Koontzland - Dean Koontz discussion
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The Bad Place
Stand Alone Novels 1986-1990
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The Bad Place (Group Read - May 2010)
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Kelsey
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May 24, 2010 02:35PM
Right now I'm almost done with Darkfall and then I'll be moving on to Darkest Rivers of The Heart, which I have heard a lot about so I'm excited!
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Okay sorry it's going to drive me crazy if I don't fix this... DARK Rivers of The Heart... ahhh so much better.
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In case you don't know, you can always edit your comments :-) There is a little "edit" link at the bottom right corner of each of your comments. You can't edit other people's comments though :-)
I haven't read Darkfall yet and I don't remember much from Dark Rivers of the Heart - I listened to it on audio 4 years ago.
Oh, Thats good to know:) Thank you. I've haven't had a GR Profile very long so I still have no idea what I'm doing, but thanks!
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The Bad Place is one of Dean's books that I have read so many times I can practically recite it.....one of my all time favs!!!
Barbara, does that mean you will be rereading with us again this month?
Karen......I will always enjoy reading The Bad Place so I certainly will read with you guys!!
Barbara wrote: "Karen......I will always enjoy reading The Bad Place so I certainly will read with you guys!!"Excellent
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So is anyone reading The Bad Place and ready to discuss it?
Karen B. wrote: "So is anyone reading The Bad Place and ready to discuss it?"Yes. Spoiler (Its like 3 separate stories told in no logical sequential order. Slowly you get tid bits of the relavence of them and these will all join together).
I've never read a book written in a disjointed style like this one seems to be. I had to get used to it but you know it's all taking you somewhere. It's more exciting because you do not have a clue where that somewhere is.
I agree Diane. I love the story. The Bad Place was written at the height of his style of taking random real world human behavior and turning it slightly supernatural.....one of my favorites !!
Barbara wrote: "I agree Diane. I love the story. The Bad Place was written at the height of his style of taking random real world human behavior and turning it slightly supernatural.....one of my favorites !!"Very well explained. Karen B what do you think of this random style?
Diane wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I agree Diane. I love the story. The Bad Place was written at the height of his style of taking random real world human behavior and turning it slightly supernatural.....one o..."I didn't notice it that much because other books, especially thrillers are sometimes written that way, going from the what is happening, to what the killer is doing or thinking. I think the swirling from one to the other fit with the swirling into another dimension. I loved Koontz's imagery of fireflies in a storm to describe what that transfer was like. I liked Thomas's point of view because he was so honest. Although he couldn't express himself well to other people he expressed his feelings well to the reader. Actually reading this the first time gave me a better understanding of what autistic children must go through (even though he was Down's Syndrome and not Autistic). The idea of being "full" when he had to much to think about.
As for real world human behavior and twisting it slightly I agree. Candy was confused, had a loyalty to his mother, and took his promise to look after his sisters seriously even though he didn't like them. The sisters I couldn't see as human at all. I mean I didn't like Candy at all. In fact, the first time I read this he terrified me but Koontz gave us something to understand. The sisters not at all. Koontz showed us each of the other characters well, that is they were fleshed out so that we knew what motivated them.
Karen B. wrote: "As for real world human behavior and twisting it slightly I agree. Candy was confused, had a loyalty to his mother, and took his promise to look after his sisters seriously even though he didn't li..."Actually I see the sisters very clearly. Ultimate narcissism in twin form. They do not leave the house along with how they are literally one with their cat litter. Crazy cat ladies to the extreme. They are more mentally ill versions of Candy. I do not know what Candy is but the list of mental illness is extensive.
I guess yes, the mental illness and the narcissism. I was thinking of how they are so close to each other and their hinted at sexual relationship with each other. I guess I don't like them because they are so narcissistic. They do at least care about the one cat who was killed. And believe it or not I understand the consuming of that cat and the consuming of their mother to make them one and to keep them alive through the others. It reminds me a little of Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. I still can't stand them though.
Of course the mother was the sickest. But then considering what was done to her and why she was a hermaphrodite adds to it.
Karen B. wrote: "I guess yes, the mental illness and the narcissism. I was thinking of how they are so close to each other and their hinted at sexual relationship with each other. I guess I don't like them because..."Their are few severely mentally ill people that are likable. They are disgustingly close. Physically intertwined and grooming each other. They are their whole world however. This is the extent of their social skills.
The "powers" are perplexing.
At least the girls didn't have the rage but if I read correctly Candy had excess testosterone.
Karen B. wrote: "At least the girls didn't have the rage but if I read correctly Candy had excess testosterone."The girls seem to be very different from Candy. They are timid and get the same thrills Candy gets vicariously from beings they put themselves in. They need that same rush at the grab and kill but do not do the physical part like Candy does. Emotionally they have the same needs. I'm not ready to agree about Candy's increased testosterone. As far as I can tell he is impotent and discussed by his own manhood. He can't even touch his own penis for any reason. The twins mental abilities are much stronger than Candy's which puts them on level ground as far as satisfying their "vampire" type needs.
I'll have to re-read the section but I thought that the doctor told them he was impotent but had the testosterone that could not get released.
Karen B. wrote: "I'll have to re-read the section but I thought that the doctor told them he was impotent but had the testosterone that could not get released."Ah. My confusion probably. Will check it out myself
The supernatural twist.....their powers.....coming from the real world horror of incest. The random awful behavior of humans and DK's ability to take these behaviors and tie in a supernatural element.....love it
Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Kelsey wrote: "Okay sorry it's going to drive me crazy if I don't fix this... DARK Rivers of The Heart... ahhh so much better."In case you don't know, you can always edit your comments :-) There ..." Okay, that is one of Mr. Koontz's scariest works. You could just about see it happening.
Charissa wrote: "Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Kelsey wrote: "Okay sorry it's going to drive me crazy if I don't fix this... DARK Rivers of The Heart... ahhh so much better."In case you don't know, you ca..."
Dark Rivers of the Heart is one on Koontz's scariest?! I nominate it for September!
Barbara wrote: "The supernatural twist.....their powers.....coming from the real world horror of incest. The random awful behavior of humans and DK's ability to take these behaviors and tie in a supernatural e..."
Agree and it's done so well here.
oh darn. I wish I remembered Dark Rivers of the Heart! I am taking medicine now to improve my memory so maybe I will start remembering the books better. I do know I didn't like The Taking but I couldn't remember the name of the book until someone here said it. Also there was one where two sisters return home and it is all snowy and I remember not caring for that one as much as some of the others. And then Koontz confuses me when he puts something similar in titles. Like "door"
Karen B. wrote: "oh darn. I wish I remembered Dark Rivers of the Heart! I am taking medicine now to improve my memory so maybe I will start remembering the books better. I do know I didn't like The Taking but I c..."The one with the sisters is "Phantoms." That was a good one as well.
Karen B. wrote: "oh darn. I wish I remembered Dark Rivers of the Heart! I am taking medicine now to improve my memory so maybe I will start remembering the books better. I do know I didn't like The Taking but I c..."It's not you. I have no idea the titles of the books I've read. I have the few stand outs but overall I have no idea. You have a good memory with the weather so you are 1 up on me. I still can't remember my first D.K. book. I clearly loved it because that was my start. That is driving me crazy.
My first was Strangers and my second was Watchers and then Lightning. Three of my favorites in a row and I was hooked. I have found that I didn't care as much for books he published under his pseudonyms. I had read somewhere that originally he had published them under different names because he was thinking of different types of books similar to Nora Roberts.
Karen B. wrote: "My first was Strangers and my second was Watchers and then Lightning. Three of my favorites in a row and I was hooked. I have found that I didn't care as much for books he published under his pse..."That is a good memory!
I remembered having liked the Bad Place before we discussed it. I remembered Thomas and Candy but didn't remember a lot of the other things. And I walked away thinking Candy was the hermaphrodite, not his mother. so weird. Don't remember having read anything about his sisters before. Just his relationship with Thomas and I was scared for Thomas when I read it the first time.
Strangers, Lightening and Watchers were my first 3 DK books too! I do remember my next one was Twilight and then Servants of Twilight. That was 25 years ago and I remember but I couldn't tell you the name of the book I read 2 weeks ago!
Well it sounds like it's not just me!
Karen B. wrote: "Well it sounds like it's not just me!"Absolutely not!
I've been thinking, I wonder if it's just coincidence that two of Koontz's characters are named Thomas. This Thomas, like Odd Thomas, was very endearing to me. I liked his perception of things so simplistic and yet so deeply real. He seemed to know that "being sociable" was more of a putting on an act kind of thing. Even without his psychic ability, I would have loved him. That undying pure love and concern for his family was just so touching and again so real.
Karen B. wrote: "Of course the mother was the sickest. But then considering what was done to her and why she was a hermaphrodite adds to it."A functioning hermaphrodie that actually reproduced. A sexual.
Karen B. wrote: "I've been thinking, I wonder if it's just coincidence that two of Koontz's characters are named Thomas. This Thomas, like Odd Thomas, was very endearing to me. I liked his perception of things so s..."In the afterward Dean Koontz said Thomas was his favorite character to write.
Diane wrote: "Karen B. wrote: "I'll have to re-read the section but I thought that the doctor told them he was impotent but had the testosterone that could not get released."Ah. My confusion probably. Will che..."
Forgot about this thread. U r correct about the testosterone. So many freak thinks come out at that point.
Dusty, I have rrad.both and never made the connection. I might need to read again. For me, reading Koontz books is in the moment. Lots of people mention things that I forgot or didn't notice. Maybe that.is why I enjoy reading them several times.I have never.figured.out the ending of Your Heart Belongs to Me. I think a d think and.just.cannot figure out why she is in story. If she was donor, she would be dead--all other scenarios make no sense either.
sorry zip went so off track.
Mary if it is any consolation reading Koontz books is for me "in the moment" also. I kept chalking it up to having a memory problem and old age. I find I need to reread whatever book we are going to discuss. I can't even address anything you mentioned about "Your Heart Belongs to Me" except I can remember the cover. I always need this group to refresh my memory. I just accept that that is the way I am with books. I was feeling very ashamed of it but not anymore. I just accept that I can't remember.
You are all so kind...I don't feel so dumb now...maybe there should be a thread for forgetful people and people who confidently remember charters but have them in the wrong book
Mary and Karen......I too am in the moment with his books.....my favorites I have read over and over so I remember lots from those books and less from others. It's fun to be reminded of things here !!
I think sometimes we get forgetful of a Koontz book we read awhile ago because Koontz has a similarity running through his work; not something I can definitely pick out. Maybe too we need to be a little more easy on ourselves about what we forget. There were books I used to teach and had to re-read every year because I didn't always remember them from before. I had a few books that I had to use a rubber band to hold the pages together because I had notes written inside them and lines highlighted, etc.
It's impossible for me to remember the title of books I've read. I am still trying to remember the first Koontz book I read. Their are stand out things you always remember. This group is great because it helps put pieces together. When people discuss books with me they sound so familiar but I can't put the title and author to books.
Koontzland - Dean Koontz
Books mentioned in this topic
Carrie (other topics)House of Reckoning (other topics)
The Kult (other topics)
The Bad Place (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Shel Silverstein (other topics)Dean Koontz (other topics)
