Book Review

[firebyrd]

I just finished reading The Darkest Evening of the Year, my first Dean Koontz novel. For some reason, I've always had an aversion to reading him and this book, started in desperation for something to do at my mom's, hasn't changed my feelings.

The main character is a woman who rescues golden retrievers. The book drips with animal rights movement propaganda and beats the reader over the head with guilt. Nevermind that the situation for homeless animals in the U.S. is getting better and better all the time. There are no shelters around here, for example, that kill an animal if it hasn't found a home in three days or whatever. Just a quick glance at the Pet Harbor website where the Ogden Animal Shelter lists all of their animals shows that they've had a number of dogs there for almost a month. Clearly they're just killing animals willy-nilly. Of course I push spaying and neutering. Of course I discourage so-called "backyard breeding" of animals with no genetic screening. And of course animal mills are disgusting, though I do not for one second believe they are nearly as prevalent as this book would have you believe.

It is gripping, but mostly because it's dang confusing. There are several viewpoint characters, some of whom are clearly insane and whose chapters make no sense. You have to keep reading just so you can figure out what the hell these psychopaths have to do with anything. It comes together in the end in a somewhat interesting way, but then ends with one of the lamest deus ex machinas ever. *SPOILER* Both of the good guys are mortally injured on one page, and then the next, they were healed by the dog, who afterwards was just a dog. So, what was the point of even hurting said characters, then?

Thumbs down. While it did the job of entertaining me, it was stupid, especially the end. I am not inclined to pick up anything else of his.

Comments

[mcherzog.livejournal.com]

Oh, Dean Koontz. Him and the dogs.

I enjoyed The Watchers, but other than that? I avoid Dean Koontz.

[mcherzog.livejournal.com]

PS: Apparently no one gave DK the memo that dogs are not hugely used in laboratory research either.

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, he's clearly bought the animal rights movement's crap hook, line, and sinker, so I'm not surprised he got that wrong.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

If he'd bought the animal rights movement so thoroughly, he'd be espousing not keeping them as pets at all. Pets are slaves, according to the PETA people, and should all be set free to live "natural" lives.

He just likes dogs, far as I can tell, and is using the whole experiment/abuse/whatever crap to try and set up the kind of mushy, heart-wrenching stuff he wants to happen.

Not that I've read this book, but I've read others by him. *shrugs* He doesn't exactly shoot for realism in his situations, settings, or characters.

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

I suppose I should clarify-the public face animal rights groups such as the SPCA and HSUS put forth. :)

This one didn't need any of the AR preaching, it had nothing to do with the plot. The character had sufficient background to explain why she rescued dogs without making it sound like 99% of dogs come from puppy mills and that most "rescue" situations involve abuse or whatnot when it's actually owner surrenders or getting them from shelters, which also are not as bad as he would have you believe. Maybe they are some places, but it's actually the law in California, where the whole thing took place and he lives, that animals have to be held at least a week before euthanizing them.

The effort to get people to spay/neuter is working and the so-called pet overpopulation problem had decreased dramatically. Aside from the sort of things the local /kill/ shelters do these days, I can tell you that the classifieds in the local paper don't have many animals up at all these days. I think some of it is due to a local news website having free classifieds, but not everyone would know about it. There simply aren't as many accidents happening these days.

[miladygrey.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you. I like golden retrievers as much as the next animal lover, but this book would have you believe that they're all furry little saints. *eyeroll* Plus, all the human characters were very cardboard, and that was the worst deus ex machina ever.

If you ever feel brave enough to try a Koontz book again, pick up Lightning. It was written sometime around 1990, before he went a bit crazy. There's time travel, true love, and a really cool heroine.

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

No kidding. Golden retrievers are actually kind of a problem breed in this country because they've gotten so popular and so many people own dogs that shouldn't. So no training and they just assume they're going to be good with the kids and so the dog ends up out of control.

I'll try to remember that if I am ever struck by the crazy idea to try him again. ;) Why is it that so many popular authors go crazy (or at least make their craziness known, ala Anne Rice)?

[angelberries.livejournal.com]

Ugh.... I can't read Koontz. Its just so..... complicated and boring! Not my type of read at all.

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

And apparently full of deus ex machinas! The whole bad writing package!

[tiassa]

Never tried Dean Koontz, glad I never have. :P

Also, I refuse to feel guilty about animals when there are more animal shelters in the US than women's shelters.

[tagabundok.livejournal.com]

Are there more ownerless animals in the US than battered Women?

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

Almost certainly not.

[tagabundok.livejournal.com]

Almost certainly? Quite frankly the comment makes me wonder what the actual statistics really are? I honestly don't know whether women in need of shelters are in majority to aninmals in shelters, but getting the facts would be enlightening to be sure.

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

Richard, there are no actual statistics, not accurate ones. Most women who are being abused and need help /don't tell anyone/. Even how many animals are euthanized per year isn't a number that's really accurate, and such numbers would always include the animals shelters put down for being aggressive, terminally ill, from hoarders, and the wrong breed (various cities around the country put down certain breeds of dogs automatically).

Let's just assume that Koontz's figure of four million animals put down per year has some basis in reality (he no doubt got that from the HSUS, whose website estimate 3-4 million). There are 300 million humans in this country and slightly over half are female, but we'll just say 150 million just to make it easy. If a very small 5% of those women are abused, there are 7.5 million women and girls being abused. That's not even including male children. So, about twice as many people needing the help of battered women's shelters in a given time frame as there are animals that are homeless. And that 5%? Waaaaay too low. According to www.endabuse.org, 31% of women say that they have been abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. That doesn't include fathers. That doesn't include those who don't admit they've been abused or don't realize it.

Even if there were more homeless pets and as much as I personally care for them and prefer them, taking care of our brothers and sisters is more important. The overcrowding of women's shelters is such a prominent, frequently mentioned item that as rarely as I watch the news, I've seen stuff about it a number of times.

[tagabundok.livejournal.com]

but a shelter for a person ought to be a temporary fix so even if we are talking about five percent or 31 they don't always need a shelter and if they are lucky they only need it for a couple months of their entire life.

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

1. Why are you even arguing about this? 2. What part of animal shelters do you not understand? The part where they try to find homes for homeless animals or the part where many end up euthanizing some? How is that not temporary also?

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

Oh, and next time you're curious about statistics for things? There's this really useful website. Just type http://www.google.com into your browser and then you can search for answers for any question you have. It's simply amazing!

[tagabundok.livejournal.com]

no need to be snide

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

I wish I never had! The choice in the books I dug up easily at my mom's was between this and some chick lit crap, most likely Mormon chick lit. My mother has no taste.