NOS4A2 by Joe Hill *spoilers*

So I just finished it last night and I thought it was pretty good. There's a number of Stephen King references but I didn't feel that they were overbearing.

I did feel though, that despite the length, that it could have been more 'epic'. I found the whole concept of Christmasland to be interesting but we only really see it at the very end.

I also wasn't sure what to make of the "bonus" chapter hidden at the end. Is he setting up for a sequel?

Overall though Joe Hill's still a fantastic writer. If you like his other stuff be sure to check it out.

I've still got about 100 pages to go, but I'm really impressed. This is my first Joe Hill, but I'm sure there''ll be more to follow.
And yes, the SK references are quite subtle.

sk

Hmmmm Maybe I should give this a go... I've only read "Horns" which was not bad. Maybe I should expand my horizons a bit.

Just finished it. Really, really liked it. I do agree that it could've felt more "epic" as well.

One of my few complaints is the handling of Vic's death in the hand. It's like, "oh yeah, remember so-and-so? They died." It's something that SK does a lot and it doesn't always work for me.

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Originally Posted by CyberGhostface

I also wasn't sure what to make of the "bonus" chapter hidden at the end. Is he setting up for a sequel?

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I don't think sequel, just a fun extra.

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Originally Posted by frik

And yes, the SK references are quite subtle.

sk

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I respectfully disagree. It was fun to a point - like references to the Mid-World lore - though already the bike thing sounded definitely borrowed; but the more of them there are, the more they jar on me. I've just come to "My life for you", and it made me review all the relationships between Manx and Bing - and, alas, find it second-hand. It's not only that something that was one of the high points in a great work of literature can't be just quoted without the quoter sounding pathetically post-modern; it's that it immediately makes the reader compare, and the comparison, in this particular case, is not in favor of the son.

Finished it a few days ago, and was very disappointed.

Yes, it had its moments. As WeDealInLead pointed out, the first chapters were brilliantly written. They sure were, and promised a lot.

Then the thing started collapsing. It grew repetitious and boring. It didn’t develop, it just went on and on and on, holding no surprises, exploring no new ground, telling essentially nothing. There were some occasional sparkles of gold here and there (like, speaking backward, or the names of the children’s games), but way too few and far between.

See, there was no story. Whatever story there was is old as hills, or at least as Andersen’s Ice Queen. Then again, of course, Horns had no story to speak of either – but in Horns, Joe Hill did what he does best, namely, explored what happens inside a human soul. Here he went for the events, and the events, mainly, sucked: their content was predictable, and their description mediocre. Doing this, he totally omitted to make the characters in the least plausible, let alone worth sympathy. The females were annoying like hell, the others walking clichés – with the single exception of the boy, whose evolution is exactly what Hill’s genius is about. Too bad even this was all ruined by the ending.

i finished it last night, and i found it to be a little short about half way through the book i realized what was going to happen to Vic and Maggie

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Originally Posted by Jean

Finished it a few days ago, and was very disappointed.

Yes, it had its moments. As WeDealInLead pointed out, the first chapters were brilliantly written. They sure were, and promised a lot.

Then the thing started collapsing. It grew repetitious and boring. It didn’t develop, it just went on and on and on, holding no surprises, exploring no new ground, telling essentially nothing. There were some occasional sparkles of gold here and there (like, speaking backward, or the names of the children’s games), but way too few and far between.

See, there was no story. Whatever story there was is old as hills, or at least as Andersen’s Ice Queen. Then again, of course, Horns had no story to speak of either – but in Horns, Joe Hill did what he does best, namely, explored what happens inside a human soul. Here he went for the events, and the events, mainly, sucked: their content was predictable, and their description mediocre. Doing this, he totally omitted to make the characters in the least plausible, let alone worth sympathy. The females were annoying like hell, the others walking clichés – with the single exception of the boy, whose evolution is exactly what Hill’s genius is about. Too bad even this was all ruined by the ending.

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I tend to agree. This seemed like exactly the kind of book that I would enjoy. A long horror story. And it started very well. I liked the young Vic character and Bing. After that things began to fall apart. Despite the book's length it never really develops Manx or his motives. That is fatal since he is the driving force for events. Most of the characters then become unlikeable and you start to care less. Cue the endless chase sequences. Then it becomes a bit silly when Lou dates the FBI agent. It's not a horrible book, but it could have been much more enjoyable to fans of the genre. I do like the art work for the special edition and the cover of the UK edition (the US edition not so much). I give it a C+ for effort. btw: anyone know when the special edition will be released? They originally said June, but it's clear that didn't happen.

RichardX, did you read Horns?

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Originally Posted by Jean

RichardX, did you read Horns?

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No, I haven't read that one. The only other Joe Hill book that I have read is The Heart-Shaped Box. It's been a few years, but I recall enjoying that one.

I really really recommend both Horns and the short story collection

I finished reading this last night and, after reading Heart-Shaped Box, my expectations were a bit low. HSB never really got me interested and it took a while to finish it. For me, NOS4A2 was much better, more interesting. Everyone will have a different opinion of it, I found this one a good read.

NOS4A2 is better than THSB, but Horns is in an entirely different league; so is 20th Century Ghosts.

That's good to know, I've not read those two yet so I hope that it just gets better from here.

yes, I wish I had read them in this order! Actually, Horns is not a safe bet - I personally adored it and consider it a masterpiece, but I know many people don't agree with me; as far as 20th Century Ghosts is concerned, it's a collection of gems where everyone seems to be able to find something for themselves.

I just finished it. It had really great parts, and more than a few mediocre parts. I was grabbed immediately within the first few chapters and heavily engrossed until about halfway. Then, it didnt really spark my interest again until the last 100 pages or so. I thought the epilogue was great with the exception of Lou and Tabitha hooking up, which was a terrible idea. (And did Joe model a character after his mother or is the name coincidence?) However, the final transition of Wayne from a child of Christmasland to himself was great. I had forgotten all about the ornament. And the hidden bit in the note on the type was brilliant. I was not too distracted by the ties to King's literature but had not noticed the correlation between Manx/Bing and Flagg/Trashy until Jean brought it up, and now find it glaring. I was not surprised to find references to Midworld and Doors because the whole idea of doors between worlds felt very appropriate for this novel, and to leave out any reference to Dark Tower would have been almost literary larceny. All in all, I enjoyed it, though not as much as Horns, and look forward to reading more from this author.

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Originally Posted by BROWNINGS CHILDE

(And did Joe model a character after his mother or is the name coincidence?)

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oh! I didn't even think of this. The character annoyed me so much I think I blocked it out.

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<...>and look forward to reading more from this author

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Yes!

Oh and Jean, I think I'm afraid to let you read my short story for IMC 2014 after the beating you gave this.

Finished this book a few nights ago. There are many points in the story that are very interesting however almost each and every one of them fell short for me. Not completely short but enough where I felt the book was a little empty on character and plot development. I also found the scenes to be lacking in description. All in all I liked the story but not enough and certainly not enough for a re-read. This could have been really something special but I think he missed the mark by just a hair.

Question: Was there something that I was supposed to get from all the talk regarding "Search Engine"?

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Originally Posted by Ben Staad

Finished this book a few nights ago. There are many points in the story that are very interesting however almost each and every one of them fell short for me. Not completely short but enough where I felt the book was a little empty on character and plot development.

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Precisely.

For me, I think where it kind of missed the mark was with Manx. We're supposed to feel terror when he/his deeds are mentioned/seen (right?) so why doesn't it ever feel that way? His insanity and maniacally happy attitude are frightening, but I didn't think that was enough to really boost him up to the position of a big villain.

I was thinking the same as I was reading it. I thought Bing was creepier.

Yeah, me too!

i also agree about Bing

Agreed. That character was also missing something as well but he was certainly creepier to me. I think this was because there was more "action" with him then Manx.

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Originally Posted by subie09lega

I was thinking the same as I was reading it. I thought Bing was creepier.

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Originally Posted by Ricky

Yeah, me too!

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Originally Posted by fearless-freak

i also agree about Bing

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Originally Posted by BROWNINGS CHILDE

Oh and Jean, I think I'm afraid to let you read my short story for IMC 2014 after the beating you gave this.

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Do you mean, your short story is 1,000 pages long and keeps repeating the same things till they come out of the reader's ears?

(I doubt it somehow...)

Haha, no, but its my first attempt at a short story and I am unsure.

bears are sure they will love it. They adore your poetry, and can't see why the prose shouldn't be awesome.