Mr Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett - Revision history

Sue at 13:44, 22 February 2018

2018-02-22T13:44:33Z

Sue at 17:10, 18 November 2014

2014-11-18T17:10:03Z

Sue at 15:36, 8 September 2012

2012-09-08T15:36:27Z

Keith at 21:08, 24 November 2010

2010-11-24T21:08:52Z

Keith at 08:31, 7 October 2010

2010-10-07T08:31:15Z

Sue at 10:04, 13 August 2010

2010-08-13T10:04:48Z

Keith at 13:13, 14 March 2010

2010-03-14T13:13:16Z

Keith at 17:56, 27 January 2010

2010-01-27T17:56:24Z

Jill at 15:31, 11 December 2009

2009-12-11T15:31:14Z

Jill at 12:29, 11 December 2009

2009-12-11T12:29:29Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{infobox
+{{infobox1
 |title=Mr Shivers
 |author=Robert Jackson Bennett
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |date=January 2010
 |isbn=1841498572
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1841497908</amazonuk>
+|cover=1841497908
-|amazonus=<amazonus>0316054682</amazonus>
+|aznuk=1841497908
 }}

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 |buy=Yes
 |borrow=Yes
 |pages=336
 |publisher=Orbit
@@ Line 34: / Line 30: @@
 {{toptentext|list=Bookbag's Christmas Gift Recommendations 2010}}
-{{amazontext|amazon=1841497908}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=6712678}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=1841497908}}
 {{commenthead}}
 [[Category:Historical Fiction]]
 [[Category:Thrillers]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:36, 8 September 2012
Line 40:		Line 40:

	[[Category:Historical Fiction]]		[[Category:Historical Fiction]]
		+	[[Category:Thrillers]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:08, 24 November 2010
Line 31:		Line 31:

	If contrition rather than revenge is your thing, you could try [[Brother Odd by Dean Koontz]].		If contrition rather than revenge is your thing, you could try [[Brother Odd by Dean Koontz]].
		+
		+	{{toptentext\|list=Bookbag's Christmas Gift Recommendations 2010}}

	{{amazontext\|amazon=1841497908}} {{waterstonestext\|waterstones=6712678}}		{{amazontext\|amazon=1841497908}} {{waterstonestext\|waterstones=6712678}}

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 |paperback=1841497908
 |audiobook=144500545X
-|ebook=7463612
+|ebook=B0035XOQMM
 |pages=336
 |publisher=Orbit

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 Marcus Connelly, a quiet, reserved and private man, has recently joined the mass of humanity travelling west in search of work. It's the Midwest in the 1930s and the Great Depression is in full swing. The dustbowl is a desperate place and there's none more desperate than Connelly. But Connelly doesn't need a job and he has a wife and a home. Connelly isn't missing prosperity; he's missing his daughter, and he's in search of the man who killed her.
-This man is mysterious but his face is marked by unmistakably horrific scars and as he travels, Connelly finds he is not the only man grieving loved ones. Mr Shivers, it seems, leaves nothing but death in his wake. And so Connelly teams up with others like him and they track the killer right across the states, picking up more and more alarming stories as they go. Mr Shivers is known by more than one name and as the mythologies surrounding him are told, Connelly begins to realise that his quarry may be more than human. How far will Connelly go to pursue his revenge? Will he betray his friends? Will he sell his soul?
+This man is mysterious but his face is marked by unmistakably horrific scars and as he travels, Connelly finds he is not the only man grieving loved ones. Mr Shivers, it seems, leaves nothing but death in his wake. And so Connelly teams up with others like him and they track the killer right across the states, picking up more and more alarming stories as they go. Mr Shivers is known by more than one name and as the mythologies surrounding him unfold, Connelly begins to realise that his quarry may be more than human. How far will Connelly go to pursue his revenge? Will he betray his friends? Will he sell his soul?
 Wow. I ''loved'' this book. I haven't read any horror since forever, so I'm not really up with how the genre is going. ''Mr Shivers'', though, isn't pure horror, and if you're after blood and guts straight from the get go then it probably isn't for you. In fact, Bennett seems to have fused so many genres that he has succeeded rather well in elevating his book above the norm for all of them. The overall feel is of a revenge Western, with poor Connelly's original devastating loss getting overlaid by more and more losses as he closes in on retribution. And we all know what a dreadful cycle that is. But there's also some Steinbeck in the wonderful portrayal of dustbowl and hobo society during the Great Depression and there's a real sense of Americana about it. Then, of course, there's the supernatural thriller-come-horror, which is muted at first and comes almost languorously to the fore - Connelly is not an impulsive or hasty man and the book's pace perfectly matches his very internalised character.

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 This man is mysterious but his face is marked by unmistakably horrific scars and as he travels, Connelly finds he is not the only man grieving loved ones. Mr Shivers, it seems, leaves nothing but death in his wake. And so Connelly teams up with others like him and they track the killer right across the states, picking up more and more alarming stories as they go. Mr Shivers is known by more than one name and as the mythologies surrounding him are told, Connelly begins to realise that his quarry may be more than human. How far will Connelly go to pursue his revenge? Will he betray his friends? Will he sell his soul?
-Wow. I ''loved'' this book. I haven't read any horror since forever, so I'm not really up with how the genre is going. ''Mr Shivers'', though, isn't pure horror, and if you're after blood and guts straight from the get go then it probably isn't for you. In fact, Bennett seems to have fused so many genres that he has succeeded rather well in elevating his book above the norm for all of them. The overall feel is of a revenge Western, with poor Connelly's original devastating loss getting overlaid by more and more losses as he closes in on retribution. And we all know what a dreadful cycle that is. But there's also some Steinbeck in the wonderful portrayal of dustbowl and hobo society during the Great Depression and there's a real sense of Americana about it. Then, of course, there's the horror, which is muted at first and comes almost languorously to the fore - Connelly is not an impulsive or hasty man and the book's pace perfectly matches his very internalised character.
+Wow. I ''loved'' this book. I haven't read any horror since forever, so I'm not really up with how the genre is going. ''Mr Shivers'', though, isn't pure horror, and if you're after blood and guts straight from the get go then it probably isn't for you. In fact, Bennett seems to have fused so many genres that he has succeeded rather well in elevating his book above the norm for all of them. The overall feel is of a revenge Western, with poor Connelly's original devastating loss getting overlaid by more and more losses as he closes in on retribution. And we all know what a dreadful cycle that is. But there's also some Steinbeck in the wonderful portrayal of dustbowl and hobo society during the Great Depression and there's a real sense of Americana about it. Then, of course, there's the supernatural thriller-come-horror, which is muted at first and comes almost languorously to the fore - Connelly is not an impulsive or hasty man and the book's pace perfectly matches his very internalised character.
 In fact, in casting about for something I ''didn't'' like, I'm rather lost for words. I loved the writing, which is stylish and quite understated, although the visual elements become stronger as the supernatural narrative comes to the fore. There are no purple passages. The dialogue is absolutely wonderful with a great deal said in admirably few words - and again, this mirrors the very private central character who is frozen in grief. There's an overwhelming sense of inevitability pervading the entire book and while its denouement is fairly obvious from about halfway in, it does nothing to alleviate the horrible, horrific tragedy of it all. And the whole thing comes in at under 350 pages - a huge thumbs up for tight and focussed storytelling from me.
 I think Orbit have a hit on their hands.
 {{amazontext|amazon=1841498572}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=6712678}}