Dean Koontz: The Taking
Pop Matters, in their review of Odd Thomas, writes:
He’s a spokesman for Christian values in the New Age, giving Koontz a vehicle to constantly reiterate his plan for living the perfect life — have faith in fate and persevere, ’cause you never know when your time may be up. And, if you refrain from swearing or sex while you’re at it, the Pearly Gates will be far more welcoming.
In The Taking, a perfect, intelligent, and loving couple is surrounded by an “alien” infestation, a long silver rain that blankets the globe in inhuman seed that spawns fungus, plants that are half animal, and demon-creatures who steal souls and replace them with shells. For Molly and Neil Sloan, the couple, their goal is to survive, have faith in their own ability, and help those around them who need to be saved from the menace–namely the children, an inept metaphor for the future generation.
In the book, Molly, Neil, and the world are presented with a demonic war-chant as the taker-of-souls strips mankind:
Yimaman see noygel, see refacull, see nod a bah, see naytoss, retee fo sellos.
All this turns out to be is:
My name is legion, is Lucifer, is Abbadon, is Satan, eater of souls.
So, if you can stand a tense thriller that ultimately is just too weird, too moralistic, and too straightforward, it’s a fast decently exciting read, but well below the level we would call “masterwork.” Here are some other reviews:
- www.silverberry.org/Reviews/archives/2005/07/the_taking.php
- logtar.com/cielo/blog/?p=10
- effectivesentences.blogspot.com/2005/07/taking.html
This entry was posted on Monday, July 18th, 2005 at 8:36 pm and is tagged with faith in fate, dean koontz, asteroid collisions, war chant, tense thriller, alien infestation, pop matters, silver rain, pearly gates, eater of souls, odd thomas, long silver, org reviews, reviews archives, loving couple, world pop, perfect life, future generation, christian values, lucifer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback.
on August 20th, 2005 at 12:01 am
I agree dear boy; not one of Koontz’s best.
Dad
on August 22nd, 2005 at 1:20 pm
I read this book on a 4 hour plane ride after an impulse airport purchase. It was interesting although I feel like the ending was a complete sellout. I’ll admit that he was pretty convincing in describing the alien lifeforms, an area which other books/movies typically fail hilariously.
on December 19th, 2005 at 6:44 pm
What was wrong with the ending?
on May 29th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
Definately not Koontz’s best, but I really enjoyed the ending metaphors.
on July 8th, 2006 at 8:40 pm
I really enjoyed the story, and definitely was surprised by the ending, starting with the visual of the organic “leviathan,” right through Molly’s beachfront translation of the alien mantra. I should point out that I actually “heard” the story; in the audio cassette format. (I commute a total of 110 miles daily by car, and books on tape keep me sane.) The narration was skillfully handled by actress Ari Meyers, who imparted a wide range of vocal nuances to the characters.
on July 21st, 2006 at 12:04 am
Logan, You Are A Fag, the book was phenominal
on August 17th, 2006 at 2:48 am
Which should you be more proud of…
The fact that you write a snide 250 word book review that manages to blow a unique and suspenseful element of the novel?
Or that fact that you let your petty opinions of Christianity blind you to a phenomenal book. Koontz raises the intelligent counterpoint to a well-known concept: to a primitive society, alien technology would look like the supernatual. Given. But Koontz posits: to a society without faith, an act of the supernatural would be attributed to alien technology.
Think about it.
on October 2nd, 2006 at 1:50 am
This book creeped me out so much that I had to take a break from reading it. (And I am an avid horror reader.) I really enjoyed it. I was happy with the ending.
on December 8th, 2006 at 1:52 am
I love how Koontz brings two, in society’s terms, opposing perceptions: religion and extraterrestrial life. How could we begin to fathom the mysteries behind our universe. If not God, then who? An Alien .. or are they one in the same? It is complete ignorance to assume anything.
on May 14th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Did you guys even get the concept of the meaning of the story? or why Molly and Niel were chosen to rescue the children, they were chesen because of theyre way of life. they were not selfish and no matter what they would risk theyre lives for any one of those children. The aliens “clense” the earth of what was bad, and left the children because they are still young and can be influened easily by the Molly, and Niels Way of life. the only think i thought that was a little bit of a thorn in this rose was that it talks about how the aliens say “My name is legion, is Lucifer, is Abbadon, is Satan, eater of souls” yet they help the earth and all of the life on it by clensing it. send some feedback on this blog if you hav any other things to say about this book that i overlooked
on September 4th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
I thought this book was one of Koontz’s best. I was held hostage by the imagery and the plot. I was creeped out sufficiently, and the ending was superb.
on December 20th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
The book did what it set out to do, which is to entertain and to make people think. The only problem I had with the book is that the main characters were so perfect, they were extremely bland..i.e. Molly has no doubts about what they should do, and her husband, well, did he actually have a personality..other then follow along with everything Molly had to say? We don’t even know until the very end what his past vocation was, which would have added layers to his character and the story.
I thought the morality of the whole thing was rather simplistic also. It was like, Molly and the bland defenders of children (and the children themselves) were the ALL GOOD, and the rest of the world was BAD. I don’t want to give the story away (even though it has already been spoiled above) but why did some characters, such as the coach, etc, deserve the fate they got, when they seemed like nice people and were essentially trying to do the same thing Molly was doing. I mean EVERYONE in that little mountain town was BAD enough to deserve that fate (that must have been some crazy ass town.) Children being potrayed as complete innocents was kind of schmaltzy too, I mean, the kids who were being raised by the white trash couple that Molly saves act like they were being raised by Mike and Carol Brady..they did everything but call her M’am.
The book was a page turner…I just wish Koontz would have taken the time to develop the characters like King would and how he does in his Odd Thomas boosk.
on January 28th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Tamoxifen….
Tamoxifen. Tamoxifen side effects. Tamoxifen liquid. Tamoxifen pms….
on March 15th, 2008 at 12:58 am
i really like the story…….amazing!
on March 15th, 2008 at 1:01 am
hello mr. dean koontz…….hope that you will send me free books because i really reading your works………i came from philppines.. this is my address
lacson calinan davao city, philippines
on June 7th, 2008 at 1:00 am
yep! to all that did not liked the book, you are all fags!!!
you shud stick to what you read best, male magazines.
and if anybody here disagree, then your the fagest fag of them all.