What do You think about A Stir Of Echoes (2004)?
I want you to pretend you're in a theater, an enormous theater. You're sitting near the front....It is completely black inside. the walls are dark velvet, the floors are covered with dark velvet rugs. It's black inside, absolutely black...Except for one thing. In the whooooole pitch-black theater there's only one thing you can see. The letters on the screen. S-L-E-E-P. You're very comfortable. Veeeery comfortable. You are just sitting there and looking at the screen, looking, loooooking at that single word. Sleep...sleep...sleeeeeeep...The story takes place in Hawthorne California in the 1950s. Tom Wallace is living in a rented house with his pregnant wife -Anne- and his son- Richard. Things are going pretty smoothly until the day his brother-in-law -Phil- visits, and the three adults go over to a neighbor's house for a little get together. After a few drinks the topic turns to hypnotism- and after some gentle ribbing- Phil convinces Tom to be his subject. What was supposed to be just party trick- turns dark and frightening when Tom starts to have visions of a strange women in his house- and that is just the beginning...A STIR OF ECHOES is my first experience with a Richard Matheson novel. And all I kept saying to myself was -why I hadn't read him before!!? I would have given this 5-stars if not for one teeny tiny little issue I had with what I will call "The Scooby-Doo" ending- where the killer explains in great length the reason for the murder and the way they went about it...Other than that it was a perfect, creepy, hair-raising read!
—Delee
A Stir of Echoes was the first book by Richard Matheson I have read. Being a fan of the movie, I thought I'd give the book a try, since it fit the criteria of a reading challenge selection I am participating in. While the 1999 movie adaption was very loosely based off of the book, I still found it an immensely enjoyable read. The differences are vast; from location, to the names of characters, to even some secondary plot details, there is a notable difference between the two. Some who have seen the movie may find it dated, especially considering how modernized the film was, but that doesn't detract from the book itself at all. From beginning to end, Matheson's writing is engrossing and easy on the eyes. Stephen King has cited him as his biggest influence, and comparing his early works to even just this book you can see how much of that influence rubbed off on King. A Stir of Echoes is enjoyable, intelligent and yet easily digestible, making a rating of four stars seem unfair, yet five stars seeming too much. This book will not disappoint; that is, of course, unless you are dedicated to the very loose film adaption. Even at that, you'll still enjoy it.
—Dan
Richard Matheson filled A Stir of Echoes with so much potential, but ultimately the book never delivered. There is a lot of creepy and introspective paranormal stuff. And an interesting cast of characters. Where Matheson failed is by focusing on the abnormal happenings surrounding main character Tom, and not going into quite as much detail with the other characters. When everything is said and done, this story really isn't about Tom, but throughout much of the book, we are led to believe it is. Nonetheless, I am still a Matheson fan and plan to continue reading his work. This just wasn't the best. And nothing like the movie, at least as I remember it ;)
—Megan
