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Saturday, June 28, 2008
title: The Taking
author: Dean Koontz
genre: horror/suspense
pages: 410
first line: A few minutes past one o'clock in the morning, a hard rain fell without warning.
rated: 5 out of 5
'One rainy night, the end of the world began.'
'The Taking' is one of my favorite Dean Koontz novels. The only books I re-read are ones I absolutely love, so I decided to pick this one up again.
Early one morning, in her cozy California home, Molly Sloan wakes up from bed, unable to sleep. Her husband, Eric, is next to her, sleepy soundly. Molly can hear the sound of rain falling outside, and she senses something is not right.
'Nonetheless, as she scanned the night woods, the nape of her neck prickled as though a ghost lover has pressed his ectoplasmic lips againts her skin. A shudder of inexplicable misgiving passed through her.
Rattled by the conviction that something in the forest returned her scrutiny from behind the wet veil of the storm, Molly backed away from the window.'
She winds up going outside and touching the rain drops, and knows for sure there is something dangerous happening. This is not normal rain, it has a strange scent to it, and touching it makes Molly feel dirty.
Soon enough Eric wakes from a nightmare, and he and Molly turn on the TV to see if there are any weather forecasts. The rain is a heavy downpour and blue snow is falling in other parts of the world. They soon find out that this is not normal weather, that something sinister is out there, so they decide to head out in search of others. While in thier car, they hear a radio broadcasting a recording of a team of astronauts who have recently made contact with these other 'beings'. They hear these astronauts being slaughtered by the aliens.
They find a group of townspeople who have taken refuge in the local bar. These other people are divided in what they want to do. Some want to fight, others want to hide and some want to make peace with whatever has landed on Earth. Molly has a premonition that she is meant to save any children that have been abandoned in this 'rainstorm'. She & Eric head out in search of the children.
I enjoyed the plot, the characters are well written and this book takes off from page one. There isn't a dull moment.
'Although she had resisted this knowledge all her life, had lived determinedly in the future, focused there by ambition, she understood at last that this was the real condition of humanity: The dance of life occurred not yesterday or tomorrow, but only here at the still point that was the present. This truth is simple, self-evident, but difficult to accept, for we sentimentalize the past and wallow in it, while we endure the moment and in every waking hour dream of the future.
What Molly had done thus far in her life was the history of her soul, unalterable, ineradicable. What she hoped to do in the future was of no meaning if she failed to do the wise thing, the good thing, moment by moment, here at the still point, here
in the dance of life.'
I also like Molly & Eric's relationship, it is believeable and you wind up caring what happens to these characters. 'The Taking' is a great read, especially if you're in the mood for a good science fiction/horror/end of the world story. At time Koontz writes this novel, almost like poetry. And I enjoy the references to T.S. Eliot throughout.
'They were as different as mice and moonbeams.
Considering their contrasting natures, they shared a love that seemed unlikely. Yet love was the cord that bound them together, the sinewy fiber that gave them strength to weather dissapointment, even tragedy.'
Some of you have already heard this story...but I'm telling it again. *grin*
I liked this book so much, that when I first read it a few years ago, I mailed Dean Koontz a fan letter telling him how much I loved the book and his writing. I included one of my crocheted elephants with the letter. I didn't expect a response, but a few weeks later, I received a package in the mail. It took me a few seconds for my brain to register what this was once I opened the package....lol. He sent me a personalized letter, thanking me for the elephant. And a hardcover copy of 'The Taking', personally autographed for me. Yeah, that was an O-M-G moment for me. I love my personal autographed book and letter, and I show it off to whoever will listen...lol.
this read has been part of the following reading challenges:
100 +
it's the end of the world challenge
TBR
suspense & thriller
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