Book Review : Fear Nothing, by Dean Koontz.

A Review

It has been rather challenging to keep up with my reading amidst everything else that catches my fancy, especially penning poetry and stories. I do seriously hope to achieve at least the minimum standard of 60 books that I always manage to read every year.

I figured it maybe a good idea to share my reading with you amazing folks, not only because it would fuel my inspiration to read more than I do, but also because I hope to inspire you guys to read more too. 

I've decided to post mini-reviews of all the interesting books I read this year. I call them mini reviews because I will touch upon only those points that I find riveting and leave out the parts that I do not find interesting.

My reviews are based solely my own views and opinions. Further, I shall post excerpts that I found most compelling in the books I read.

Readers and book lovers may hope to glean some insight into the books from my reviews, that serve more as blurbs than reviews per se.

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 Book 1 of 2018 : Fear Nothing.

Author: Dean Koontz.

This was Book 1 of the year 2018, that I read in January.

I finished reading the first book of the year & emptied the first bottle of wine, in the first week of the new year.

Jacob's creek was the perfect accompaniment to the roller coaster thrill-ride that this novel is. Books and booze, an unbeatable combo.

As for the book, trust Dean Koontz to give you some good heebie-jeebies​, even as he urges you to 'Fear nothing'. The book is impossible to put down, even as you wanna do just that, to give yourself a break from all the chills that run up and down your spine.

What I find most compelling about a Koontz novel, however is his prose. The descriptions of every element, be it nature, darkness, feelings or just plain characters is at a different plane. 

Koontz is truly the king of similes and metaphors. His elucidation is so complete that the reader can visualize the scene with utmost clarity and live the feeling of each character.

The protagonist Christopher Snow, endears himself to you from the word Go. One cannot help but feel his pain at being the victim of a disorder such as XP. It is hard to put yourself in his shoes and imagine a life without light, especially sunlight. 

And yet, his positivism towards his hardships and his life, almost borders on psychosis. His wry humor is infectious and living the darkness of the night world through his eyes is a revelation. 

As for his dog, Orsen, you would have to be really hard-hearted to not fall in love with this hyper-intelligent adorable canine.

If you are a thriller-lover as I am, this book won't disappoint you. The suspense moves at break-neck speed and you would be chagrined to realize that you've turned so many pages that have spanned only a few hours of a single night. Nail-biting sequences inter spaced with heart-wrenching scenes, laced with dry humorous wit in just the right places, this book is worth every minute you spend on it.

***

 Here are some tidbits from the novel, that I found interesting. Do lemme know if you find them enticing too. 

The first big hurdle is believing you can actually do it. Putting aside your doubt, your cynicism, all your preconceived notions about what's possible and what isn't. Most of all, hardest of all, you have to stop worrying about looking foolish, 'cause fear of being humiliated really limits you. .

Knowledge seldom brings peace. A hundred years ago, we didn't know about atomic structure or DNA or black holes - but are we any happier or more fulfilled now than people were then?

Truth is sweet but dangerous. People could not go on living if they faced every cold truth about themselves.

You ever feel this emptiness? An emptiness so bad you've got to fill it or you'll die, but you don't know where the emptiness is or what in the name of God you're supposed to fill it with?

*****

Photo : Chethana Ramesh