nex3 reviewed Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
None
5 stars
I listened to this while cleaning a dark house all alone and got legitimately spooked
Paperback, 510 pages
English language
Published Sept. 7, 2007 by HarperLuxe.
Heart-shaped box
by Joe Hill
Joe Hill: Heart-shaped box (2007, HarperLuxe)
- ISBN:
- 978-0-06-123324-1
- OCLC Number:
- 123555889
Copied ISBN!
4 stars
(62 reviews)
Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals . . . a used hangman's noose . . . a snuff film. An aging death-metal rock god, his taste for the unnatural is as widely known to his legions of fans as the notorious excesses of his youth. But nothing he possesses is as unlikely or as dreadful as his latest discovery, an item for sale on the Internet, a thing so terribly strange, Jude can't help but reach for his wallet.I will "sell" my stepfather's ghost to the highest bidder. . . .For a thousand dollars, Jude will become the proud owner of a dead man's suit, said to be haunted by a restless spirit. He isn't afraid. He has spent a lifetime coping with ghosts—of an abusive father, of the lovers he callously abandoned, of the bandmates he betrayed. What's one more?But what UPS delivers …
Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals . . . a used hangman's noose . . . a snuff film. An aging death-metal rock god, his taste for the unnatural is as widely known to his legions of fans as the notorious excesses of his youth. But nothing he possesses is as unlikely or as dreadful as his latest discovery, an item for sale on the Internet, a thing so terribly strange, Jude can't help but reach for his wallet.I will "sell" my stepfather's ghost to the highest bidder. . . .For a thousand dollars, Jude will become the proud owner of a dead man's suit, said to be haunted by a restless spirit. He isn't afraid. He has spent a lifetime coping with ghosts—of an abusive father, of the lovers he callously abandoned, of the bandmates he betrayed. What's one more?But what UPS delivers to his door in a black heart-shaped box is no imaginary or metaphorical ghost, no benign conversation piece. It's the real thing.And suddenly the suit's previous owner is everywhere: behind the bedroom door . . . seated in Jude's restored vintage Mustang . . . standing outside his window . . . staring out from his widescreen TV. Waiting—with a gleaming razor blade on a chain dangling from one bony hand. . . .A multiple-award winner for his short fiction, author Joe Hill immediately vaults into the top echelon of dark fantasists with a blood-chilling roller-coaster ride of a novel, a masterwork brimming with relentless thrills and acid terror.This special edition includes an excerpt from Joe Hill's newest novel, Horns, and a letter from the author.
Robin Marx reviewed Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Review of 'Heart-Shaped Box' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This extremely entertaining ghost story involves an aging heavy metal musician (I basically pictured him as Danzig with a beard) haunted by the ghost of a dead groupie's stepfather. Simple yet effective, this initial premise develops additional layers over the course of the story.
This was my first Joe Hill book, and I was curious to see how his work compares to that of Stephen King, his father. Their styles are decidedly similar. Most of the story takes place in the kind of rural locales favored by King, but Hill emphasizes the South as opposed to Maine. Hill also excels at characterization, one of his father's strengths. But he also avoids some of King's weaknesses. Stephen King characters often tend to have a catchphrase or tic that inevitably wears out its welcome, but that's not present here. Hill also sticks the landing, and ending the story is something that his …
This extremely entertaining ghost story involves an aging heavy metal musician (I basically pictured him as Danzig with a beard) haunted by the ghost of a dead groupie's stepfather. Simple yet effective, this initial premise develops additional layers over the course of the story.
This was my first Joe Hill book, and I was curious to see how his work compares to that of Stephen King, his father. Their styles are decidedly similar. Most of the story takes place in the kind of rural locales favored by King, but Hill emphasizes the South as opposed to Maine. Hill also excels at characterization, one of his father's strengths. But he also avoids some of King's weaknesses. Stephen King characters often tend to have a catchphrase or tic that inevitably wears out its welcome, but that's not present here. Hill also sticks the landing, and ending the story is something that his father has struggled with. While it'd be doing Hill a disservice to compare him to his father too much—especially since he's carved out his own successful career without relying on the King name—if you like King's work you'll probably like Hill's.
I was especially impressed by the characterization and the pacing of this book. Hill starts off with some fairly stock characters in a rockstar and associated hangers-on, but all of them are humanized and made real as the story progresses. The pace is also breakneck. Events in the story built at such a speed that it seemed like I was reaching the climax at only the one-third point. I had to check and make sure this book wasn't a collection of novellas instead of a full novel.
This was an very satisfying read and something I can wholeheartedly recommend to horror fans.
ghostchaser reviewed Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Review of 'Heart-Shaped Box' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Is it wrong? That I was Rooting for the ghost.
Marsha Woerner reviewed Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Review of 'Heart-Shaped Box' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This book definitely did not give me the creeps the way I expect a "horror" book to do. I suppose that it had its moments, but overall, it really wasn't that horrifying. And the solutions in the end were less than satisfying. I tried to give it just 2 stars, but somehow my hand would not let me do that; I guess the book must of had its pluses…
MaddestMax reviewed Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Review of 'Heart-Shaped Box' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. After reading his short stories, I wasn't impressed. It's not that they weren't well written. They just weren't for me. This though, was very well done. There were a few surprises, some tears, some anger and a nice ride. With the exception of the very very end, I really enjoyed it. Without spoilers, my issue with the end is my issue. My guess is that readers will be split evenly over it and very few would not read more of his work because of it. I know I'm looking forward to the next one.
Daniel Andrlik reviewed Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Review of 'Heart-Shaped Box' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This book had it's moments, but it wasn't particularly scary after the first act. Its funny, the first time I tried to read this book, I was so put off by the retired metal rocker protagonist, I stopped before any of the good stuff. I recently picked it up again on the recommendation of a friend, and once it picks up it keeps things going with steady momentum. I even stayed up late to finish it last night.
I do have to say that I found the hypnotist angle a little flimsy so despite a competent performance otherwise I had a hard time truly going along for the ride. Yes, it already has a ghost and spirit dogs but for some reason it was the hypnotism that threw me.
It was a good read, but not a terrifying book, which is what I was in the mood for at the …
This book had it's moments, but it wasn't particularly scary after the first act. Its funny, the first time I tried to read this book, I was so put off by the retired metal rocker protagonist, I stopped before any of the good stuff. I recently picked it up again on the recommendation of a friend, and once it picks up it keeps things going with steady momentum. I even stayed up late to finish it last night.
I do have to say that I found the hypnotist angle a little flimsy so despite a competent performance otherwise I had a hard time truly going along for the ride. Yes, it already has a ghost and spirit dogs but for some reason it was the hypnotism that threw me.
It was a good read, but not a terrifying book, which is what I was in the mood for at the time.
scifijack reviewed Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Review of 'Heart-Shaped Box' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Gives you the clear vibe of having started out as a what if? premise and the story sort of blurped out from there, without regard to the original what if?. But the story, blurped thereby, is engrossing enough, and while you are never quite rooting for anybody but the dogs to make it, the characters are realistic enough, and do interesting things.
Brandan E. Lloyd reviewed Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Review of 'Heart-Shaped Box' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This was a little to "happy ending" for me but interesting to read. The character development was well done, I really disliked the main character at the beginning but as usual you start to root for him and even like him. It was a bit trite.
Thomas Gaffney reviewed Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Review of 'Heart-Shaped Box' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Great 1st book! I would highly recommend this to anyone who reads Stephen King or Dean Koontz. Fast-paced, gripping, and scary! What more can you ask for in a horror novel.
Subjects
- Ghosts -- Fiction.
- Rock musicians -- Fiction.
- Large type books.