The Key to Midnight (Group Read - November 2013)

[Tracy]

Oh, OK but I didn't notice that because he did a bad job of it.

[Craig]

I'm looking forward to getting some Koontz reading in. He's one of those authors I really like but haven't read a lot of yet.

[Shastina , Koontzland Social Media Moderator]

I know most people usually prefer Koontz or King's style. They are similar, but most people I've talked to usually prefer one or the other. My mother, Craig and myself are different.

We have a very large collection, it's just about diving in. I think it's easier to get a lot of Koontz in if you read some light reading or fantasy or something in between, just so the stories don't start to blur together :)

[Karen B.]

I am having a hard time getting into The Key to Midnight. I like it but so far, I can't feel the "Koontziness". I think I found in the past that books written originally under the names Owen West and Leigh Nichols were not as enjoyable to me as his later books.

[Karen B.]

Shastina Sassy,
I like pretty much all of Koontz books, some more than others. But I have picked up some King books that I put aside. I think my favorite King book is a tie between "The Stand" and "11/22/63".

[Jen]

Thanks for the suggestions, Karen B and Tracy. I do look in used book sales areas (ie, in the library) and stores whenever I come across one...this is how I've found all of the Koontz titles I've collected so far. :)

I'll look into Amazon, too.

And I have heard of Overdrive, Tracy. I forget to check it, though. I'll do that for The Key to Midnight, though. Maybe one of my Seattle libraries has access to an e-copy I can check out via Overdrive.

Good ideas!! Thank you!

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

I don't think The Key to Midnight is one of Koontz's best (and not one of my favorites), but I think it's interesting.

I like Stephen King too. I just prefer Dean Koontz. You're right most people will favor Koontz or King :-) Since I am in the Stephen King Fans group (which is extremely large) I have noticed some Stephen King Fans do on not have very nice things to say about Dean Koontz. Personally, I have nothing against Stephen King. I think he's a great storyteller. I will admit I haven't read many of his books because he tends to write lengthy novels and I do better with the 300-400 page novels that Dean writes. My favorites by Stephen King include Duma Key, Full Dark No Stars and Just After Sunset.

:-) I know I got a bit off topic especially since we do have that new topic on Dean Koontz and Stephen King but oh well, Stephen King was mentioned so I shared my thoughts.

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

None of my other books is in the genre or the style of The Key to Midnight, but lurking in these pages is the Dean Koontz you know.
-Dean Koontz, The Key to Midnight, Afterword

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

After drinking too much champagne one evening on a Caribbean cruise ship, Leigh Nichols was decapitated in a freak limbo accident.
-Dean Koontz, The Key to Midnight, Afterword

[Craig]

I mostly enjoy King for the interconnectedness of his novels. There's always one reference to another story or The Dark Tower. But Koontz does much better for action filled page-turners. And I love the Odd books.

[Karen B.]

I am finally beginning to enjoy the "Koontzness" of the book right around being 50% through. Now I am anxious to find that key. But I am never very good at finding my keys.
I wish we had hypnotists around here with a similar set up to the doc's in Japan. I loved the idea of the tapestry.

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

I am about at that half-way mark too right now. Reminds me of reading The Mask in September because of the hypnotism sessions.

[Karen B.]

I was thinking too a little of Strangers. I am wondering now how many of his books involve hypnotism/brainwashing. I guess that would go under his themes. I guess one of the things I like about Koontz is the "it comes out of nowhere" sense of evil" and the suspense it creates of "What the heck is going on here?" It's not that there isn't suspense. I was a little disappointed that we only get as far as finding the key to midnight and that is suspenseful, wondering what happens when we finally figure out what that key opens.

[Shastina , Koontzland Social Media Moderator]

Is the braibwahing book mentioned in the therapy session an actual book?

I'm very curious about that.

[Shastina , Koontzland Social Media Moderator]

Brainwashing*

I can't seem to spell today.

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

Shastina (Sassy) wrote: "Is the braibwahing book mentioned in the therapy session an actual book?

I'm very curious about that."

The Demolished Man. I was wondering that also. Koontz has created works within his books before such as Cold Fire, From the Corner of His Eye, Lightning, Mr. Murder and of course The Book of Counted Sorrows. But he has also referenced real works such as The Manchurian Candidate in False Memory.

[Karen B.]

Not sure how far you have read so I don't want to spoil it. But think about Joanna's therapy session and what was revealed about what happened to her. (view spoiler)[ During Joanna's "therapy" we learn of her brainwashing. But she was not the only one who was "programmed" (hide spoiler)]

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

20 pages left

[Karen B.]

Well I'm 0 for 2 this month. *LOL* Didn't like either November read that much. Maybe this one a little more as Dean threw in some more complications. Kaia and I are doing a mini read on Dark Rivers of the Heart which will be nice for me since of course I don't remember it and keep me from jumping in to the December read.

[Karen B.]

BTW, I looked it up and The Demolished Man is indeed a real book and is considered a classic in the Sci-Fi genre. It was written in 1953 or 54 and is about a society where there is no crime because the police are all telepathic and the one man who hides his thoughts about committing murder.

[Shastina , Koontzland Social Media Moderator]

I finished it a few nights ago, and had remembered everything but the why and who. I do enjoy this book, but it's definitely not one of my favorites. I may read it again in another ten years once I've forgotten the very last twist.

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

Karen B wrote: "BTW, I looked it up and The Demolished Man is indeed a real book and is considered a classic in the Sci-Fi genre. It was written in 1953 or 54 and is about a society where there is no crime beca..."

Thanks for the info Karen, I was too lazy to look :-)

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

Shastina (Sassy) wrote: "I finished it a few nights ago, and had remembered everything but the why and who. I do enjoy this book, but it's definitely not one of my favorites. I may read it again in another ten years once I..."

:-) Good Idea. I won't wait 10 years, but I also won't be reading it every month like Crazy Al does.