Last Things

I love this book, but I can understand how others might not like it. I am re-reading it for about the 5th time right now and I am still not really sure what is going on in a lot of the book. A good reason to read it again! If you are more into books that set a mood, you will like this. If you need something to actually happen, you may be disappointed. It is very subtle and beautiful.

If you like horror books and have an open mind I think you will enjoy this book. I liked it very much, it is different from anything else I've ever read. I'm not easily scared but I was terrified at the imagery presented in this book. The author did a fantastic job evoking moods, images, feelings. Things always leave a bigger impression when they aren't spelled out completely- let the reader fill in the blanks. It was very satisfying and unusual read.

I loved it. But you really need the time to concentrate. It is easy to get lost in the rambling sentences and who is saying what dialog. If you like Dick and Jane and Spot type reading, you won't like this. If you like to think a little you will. The ending did leave me with a "What?" But I believe the unseen and undescribed is more scary than a full on description, esp. if you have a vivid imagination. He also left out the obligatory sex etc. If it is needed fine but this novel delves into the characters minds and how they interpret the things going on.

The author artfully draws us in with glimpses of gruesome, creepy images--but doesn't let us look too closely, nicely reflecting the mysteries of our world. Whatever we think we know, there's so much more that we can't access or discover. When the changes begin which signal the end of our world, will we recognize and understand them?The chills this book provides are not of the rollercoaster sort, but are instead deliberately slow-moving, sneaking up on us while hiding in plain sight all around us. What's most frightening are the things we can't quite see. The careful, thoughtful reader will be rewarded with beautiful prose, interesting characters, and chilling images which linger at the edges of the mind long afterwards.

Gilmore, Texas residents are becoming concerned with the weird events including the abnormal weather that seems to have engulfed the town. Scarecrows containing the rotted animals have begun to appear. When a child vanishes, the townsfolk become divided. Many believe the end of times has begun as her disappearance marks the start of the Rapture. Other feel someone more mundane and mortal is behind the events.Loner Luther Hazlitt believes that what ever is going on has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. A bit shook from an incident that leaves him mumbling "oh sh*t" as his nirvana, Luther, accompanied by his dog Yurang, obtains the help of Agnes Peeler. They plan to catch the culprit behind the weirdness. Deputy Sheriff Willis Beagle joins the team, but none of them know what they plan to trap.The concept underlying the story line is brilliant and most horror fans will find refreshing. The heroic quartet are as far removed as one can get from being heroes yet are believable, making them fun charcaters. The townsfolk add depth and feel that the audience has entered a remote section of Texas. With all that going for it LAST THINGS should have been great. However, the problem is that sentences and paragraphs go on forever in a mimic of The Old Man and the Sea. Other than this quibble this is a great book.Harriet Klausner