I really enjoy Stephen White's psychological thrillers--though this particular book wasn't so much a thriller as some of his others have been. He also usually starts out slow, building the plot, and then has a fast, startling ending, but not so much this time. It seemed that White was trying out some new writing techniques, perhaps to shake up his normal pattern. He switched between two points of view--the main character, Dr. Alan Gregory, and his best friend, detective Sam Purdy. We basically had two stories side by side with each point of view. First we have Alan Gregory's concerns both with an exacerbation of his wife's multiple sclerosis and a potentially disastrous problem with his clinical psychology practice. Then we have Sam Purdy dealing with a heart attack, self-esteem issues, and marital problems. It is almost as if the attempt to catch a serial murderer is peripheral to the real issues of the book. I also figured out the mystery angle without too much trouble this time; usually White's plots are more convoluted. Perhaps he was spending more of his creative energies on the personal issues of Alan and Sam. There were more clinical psychology aspects in this book, which I have always been intrigued with--delving into psychology, the relationship of truth and lies, the lies we keep from each other and ourselves. And there was a lot of discussion about marriage and love and what makes it work. White really does know how to create a complex, believable character. Blinded is a better book than many on the market but not his best and not really a psychological suspense thriller this time. Oh, the story was set at Thanksgiving time, and they talked about Thanksgiving feasts, deep frying turkeys, and cooking a turduken. I was tickled since I read this novel during the Thanksgiving holiday and those cooking treats were discussed in our family conversations.
I thought the plot in ‘Blinded’ by Stephen White was good and complex—most parts in a good way. But the downside was far too many characters. And their coming and going as the story progressed, did thicken the plot, but at the cost of creating confusion. That was the downside. The author’s first person POV for two of his main characters—the shrink Alan Gregory, and the detective Sam Purdy—didn’t confuse though. And I was left wondering why. The answer, I thought, was in the fact that the second first person POV (Sam’s) began after about 200 pages, but which time the reader had oriented to the other guy (Alan) well. Second reason could be good delineation. Not just the two of them had different chapters; the chapters began with their names written on the top. That was smart, don’t you think? Stephen White believes in detailing. That makes him more of ‘show, don’t tell’, kind. Perhaps it stems from the fact that he is a practicing clinical psychologist in his day job. Shrinks see more. It’s their work. Sometimes they see through what people tell them. What people inform, what they imply, where their focus leads etc. So, his writing fits. Overall, good but not unputdownable. The narrative is slow and at 499 pages it is far too long. 300 pages would have worked better.
What do You think about Blinded (2005)?
Blinded by . . .beauty? sex? Blind-sided. Sam has a heart-attack. Sam's marriage is done. How stable is Alan's. Alan's office is bugged? A lot of weirdness happens in this novel. And it is a good one.
—Nancy Behrendt
It's a week before Thanksgiving in Boulder. Psychologist Alan Gregory is juggling his responsibilities as a father, a husband and a doctor. Alan Gregory struggles with a strict agreement, Alan walks a thin ethical line by revealing just the right amount of information to interest Sam Purdy, his friend the detective and to start a search for the missing husband of Gibbs Storey. The search still continues to seek out Sterling Storey. I would only recommend this book to people who enjoy reading mysteries.
—Allison
Not one of White's best but worthwhile to read. The plot jumps back and forth between Alan Gregory and his good friend Detective Sam Purdy. The biggest problem with the plot is that I figured out what the "big surprise" was going to be early in the story. There are a couple of interesting sub-plots involving both main characters and their families. Alan also gets to deal with his "confidentiality issues" again. One of these days, I am going to tire of his constant struggles with the issue and stop reading the books. It did take me longer than usual to finish this book. Perhaps the series doesn't grab me like it once did. Still, I'll give the series another chance.
—Ed
