Reviews

A Dark Matter by Peter Straub

maggotqueen666's review against another edition

challenging mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

lizella's review against another edition

2.0

This book was a slow-paced mystical mystery. A group of high school and college kids are lead to conduct a dark magic rite by a college professor. Some live and some die, but they are all changed by the experience. The husband of one of the participants that was not involved starts on a journey to learn more about what happened that day decades later. He reconnects with those still around to learn what they experienced and how it has changed the course of their lives. The repercussions of the event are deep and changes his understanding about many relationships and events over the years.

I found the book to be a bit slow, but interesting from the perspective that the event had time to fully reveal its devastation and significance over a lifetime as opposed to looking at the event in the immediate aftermath.

* Audiobook Version
Unabridged / 14 hrs 33 min
Narrator: Robertson Dean
Publisher: Books on Tape
Release: 02-09-10

msbups's review against another edition

1.0

I honestly had to force myself to finish this book, always hoping it would get better. I wasted 2 afternoons of my life.

I loved Floating Dragon by Straub. I also really enjoyed The Talisman (although, I suspect it was more SK's writing I liked).

This book was awful, senseless drivel. The married couple have the same 1st names - weird, but it has no meaning. None of it had meaning. The long drawn out climax was anticlimactic. It was like Straub had several great storylines but once he put them together, he didn't have much, and instead of stopping he just went ahead and published it - unfinished, making no sense.

Such a let down.

clairereviews's review against another edition

4.0

Difficult to get into, and hard to get back into once put down, but worth persevering as got much better in the the second half, then i couldn't put it down!!

wasuretta_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

4.25

ttrican's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.5

I usually like Straub's work. This book though was a complete miss. 

ktxx22's review against another edition

2.0

Hooked by the back cover. Disappointed by the contents within!

alwroteabook's review against another edition

DNFed at 25%. Bored out of my tree.

misterintensity's review against another edition

4.0

In the 1960's four teenage friends entranced by a guru participated in a ceremony that changed their lives forever. In the present, the husband of one of the four investigates what happened that day many years ago. The strength of this book lies in the characters and how the shifting point of views add to the overall mystery. Straub is successful at slowly revealing what went on that night and how that night changed the individuals involved. What starts off as fragmented pieces of a puzzle makes sense in the end as the fate of each character is tied to aspects of that character's personality and background. While this is classified as a "horror" novel, it reads more like psychological suspense than howl inducing horror. The events of that night is horrific once fully revealed but Straub's focus is more on how that night affected the individuals involved than on the events of that night. Straub's biggest success is his ability to make the personal bond between these characters feel real.

twilight12's review against another edition

2.0

The subject matter (haha) was great but it was just so droll.

I really wanted to know what happened in the field but the climax wasn't what I was expecting.

I'm going to give Straub another chance because I've heard good things about him and this was the first book I've read from him. So, I think I just picked up a dud.

I will be giving this book away though.