dragonfire88's Full Review: Dean Koontz - Life Expectancy
For the last few years, there have been two new books by Dean Koontz released each year. A new Koontz book has been released every year in December since I started reading his books in 1999. Life Expectancy was released in early December of 2004 instead of later in the month like I was use to. I knew it was coming out earlier in the month, but I thought it was due out a week later than it was. December was a bit of a busy month for me, so I didn’t get the book as soon as I usually do when a new Koontz book is released.
Life Expectancy is one of the few books that Koontz has written in first person point of view. It was written from the point of view of Jimmy, the main character. Jimmy couldn’t have possibly known first hand everything that happened the night he was born, but he did relate what happened. Jimmy was born on the same stormy night that his grandfather Josef died. Josef had suffered a stroke and hadn’t spoken for several days. Rudy was going from the waiting room for fathers to the ICU to check on his father and wife. Another man, Konrad Beezo, a clown, was also in the waiting room. He was ranting about his wife’s family while he paced. Konrad also shared that his baby would be a boy that he would train to be the greatest clown in the world. Rudy felt uncomfortable around Konrad, so he went back to the ICU. Shortly before Jimmy was born, Josef sat up in bed and started making predictions about Jimmy. Josef also gave Rudy a list of five dates that would be terrible days for his grandson. Josef said a few other things that didn’t make sense to Rudy before he died. Rudy returned to the waiting room to find that Konrad had gone on a killing spree after his wife died before taking off with his new born son.
Jimmy grew up knowing about the predictions his grandfather had made. Jimmy grew up in a happy, loving home with his parents and grandmother. They all did their best to prepare for the first day even though they had no idea what would happen. Jimmy met his future wife on the first of the terrible days when she was dragged into what was going on. Jimmy and even Lorrie ended up in some very dangerous situations on that first day and on future terrible days. Each of the days had something different for Jimmy to deal with.
Life Expectancy was told from Jimmy’s point of view. Early in the book, he said he was writing his autobiography. His thoughts about what he and his family went through were shared. That did give more insight into Jimmy and make him more developed. He had unique thoughts at times. He managed to keep a sense of humor even through some of the dangerous situations he found himself in. He was a pastry chef like his father and grandfather. Jimmy did use some baking terms when describing some things. Some people might be bothered by that, but I wasn’t. It fit with the character. Lorrie also had a unique sense of humor. She didn’t panic when she ended up in a very dangerous situation with a stranger. Some of the conversations that Jimmy and Lorrie had were amusing. They helped to lighten the mood more than once. She was interesting, though there wasn’t enough development for her. Jimmy’s parents and grandmother were around for most of the book. They were interesting characters, but they weren’t developed too much. That didn’t bother me because they were supporting characters.
Jimmy and Lorrie met during extreme circumstances. Jimmy explained how they met when he was discussing what happened during that day. Jimmy shared the thoughts he had when he first saw her. He said how Lorrie reacted to him and the different things that were going on. It was clear that he was interested in her right away, but it wasn’t as clear how she felt since her thoughts and feelings weren’t being shared like Jimmy’s were. Jimmy related other things that happened in their relationship. As the book progressed, it was clear that he and Lorrie had a happy and loving relationship. There were no sex scenes in the book. The main focus of the book was on the five terrible days that Jimmy had to get through. Lorrie became important to Jimmy after they met. Their relationship didn’t detract from the main focus of the book.
Jimmy was a normal man that had to deal with some extreme circumstances. Some of what happened was unbelievable, but that didn’t bother me. I don’t mind that type of thing in books or movies. I thought that the book was very entertaining. It grabbed my attention right from the start and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. I didn’t think that the book was predictable. I wasn’t bored by anything in the book. It is normal for there to be unbelievable things going on in a Dean Koontz book. Life Expectancy didn’t have as many unbelievable or strange things going on throughout it as some other Koontz books have. It was more normal than many of his books, but there were still a few bizarre things going on. I think that people need to have an open mind to fully enjoy a Koontz book. Many of his books have dark things going on, and there were dark things in this book as well. People that really liked some of his more strange books might be a little disappointed with this one since it is one of his more normal books.
Life Expectancy isn’t one of Koontz’s longest books, but it is a decent length. He has written some books that are very long. Most of his books are longer. Some of them might be too long for some people. He has written a few books that are rather short. I’ve always thought that Koontz was a descriptive writer. He is usually very descriptive about certain things in his books. Some people may find his books too descriptive, but I don’t feel that way. I enjoy the descriptions. I’ve read a few of his books that weren’t that descriptive and I missed his more descriptive writing. Life Expectancy was descriptive, but not as much as a few of his other books. I didn’t fell like I was missing anything in this one like I have in a few others. His descriptive writing makes the characters and settings come to life for me. The book mostly dealt with a few important days in Jimmy’s life. Sometimes many years passed between one day and the next.
CHARACTERS
Jimmy Tock - He was a pastry chef. He had to live through five terrible days. He did his best to prepare for the days ahead of time even though he didn’t know what he would have to deal with. He was a kind and loving man. He did what he had to do to keep his family safe. He had a unique sense of humor.
Lorrie - Woman that became Jimmy’s wife. They met on the first horrible day he had to deal with. She was able to stay calm in dangerous situations. She taught dancing and later became a web site designer. She was a kind, loving woman, that was very protective of people she loved. She also had a unique sense of humor.
Rudy and Madeline Tock - Jimmy’s parents. Rudy was a pastry chef like his son and father. Madeline was an artist. They did their best to prepare their son for what was coming in his future.
Rowena - Jimmy’s grandmother. She was Madeline’s mother. She lived with her daughter’s family. Rowena had gotten to an age where she did what she wanted and didn’t care what other people thought. She said some interesting things at times. She did a lot of needlepoint.
Life Expectancy was released on December 7, 2004 as a hardback. It is also available as an audio book. I have the hardback.
I really enjoyed Life Expectancy. It was more normal than many of Koontz’s book, but I still enjoyed it. I did like it better than his last book, The Taking. People who like Dean Koontz books may also enjoy this one.
With his bestselling blend of nail-biting intensity, daring artistry, and storytelling magic, Koontz returns with an emotional rollercoaster tale of f...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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