I first want to thank my pal Dustin for recommending this novel (brick of a book is more like it) to me - I think it was exactly what he said it would be. Thanks again bub!Carrion ComfortThis was a complex time traveling, time bending, vamperific, violent sludge of a read; thank god I listened to the audio version. This is a first of Dan Simmons for me and after all is said and done, I think I would pick up more of his stuff. He is VERY well read and it seems like he really goes into detail with his stories. This book was proof.Simmons dives deep into the waters of different, unique characters that the reader will love, and others, the reader will simply detest. First and probably the most important of all are Saul and Natalie; Saul - a psychiatrist who survived the holocaust in world war 2 and is now trying to get on with his life; Natalie - a photographer whose father was murdered, and who now wants to seek revenge.These two are the tried and true dream team in this novel who work together to get the answers to the questions that have been causing them so much mental and physical harm.Now let's hop over to the other side of the tracks, the side where "The Ability" is being used. We're introduced to Melanie Fuller and Nina Drayton, they are two of the meanest bitches you're going to find. They and another, Willi Borden, aka Wilhelm Von Borchert, a Nazi who later acts like a Hollywood producer and also has this "ability". These three are unstoppable. The ability that they hold is a psychic one that not only lets them read your thoughts and helps them control you, but they use this ability to suck the life out of you as they do it. One might call them, "Mind Vampires"Now, let's leave those three and give you an opportunity to meet, "The Island Club". The club has quite a few members, whom also have 'The Ability', and these folks are almost as bad as the previous three:First - C. Arnold Barent, an extremely rich individual who owns islands and holds top tier on his use of the ability. He is NOT one to be messed with, his power is close to that of Mr. Borchert. Second - Colbern and Keplar - these guys are FBI agents, also with the ability, they play some key roles in this chaos. Third and forth - are Trask, a senior aide to the senator of Maine; and of course we can't forget good 'ol Reverend Jimmy Wayne Sutter - a televangelist who uses the ability to get rich beyond his wildest etc...There you have it, The Island Club, some mean and powerful people who will not let anyone get in their way. But wait, I forgot someone...Have you ever met that one character in a book that you loathe? The character that you just wish would already die a terrible and obscene death? I'll put it this way - the character in a reality-money-based television show that keeps on staying on the cast, until FINALLY they're brought up to the chopping block, and only then the viewers are filled with an immense since of catharsis because this fucker finally went away? That my literary friends is - Tony Harrod. He is lower than low, he's the scum on the bottom of all our shoes. Tony also has the ability, but (it's a big but)he can only control women. Hmmm. So, you can imagine what this sicko-perv does with his candidates. Tony is a film producer in Hollywood and according to what television and cinema has taught us, Tony only knows a couple of ways for a lady to "get the part". Throughout the novel the reader will want to do very bad things to this guy, but don't get too angry just yet - wait until the end, you won't be disappointed. Can anyone say schadenfreude?Okay but seriously, back to it, with all the mind vampires and controlling of drones that will do peoples bidding.So, if you're into a horror novel that has constant blood, guts, and gore this is not for you. Not to say that it didn't have bloody parts, or scenes that make you want to wretch (in all the senses), it just wasn't typical. I think that is probably why I enjoyed it so much. Simmons can be very descriptive when he wants to be, he can also delve into historical description too. So much to the point where you may want to grab a German to English dictionary before reading this. There was lots of character growth in Carrion Comfort, mainly with Saul and Natalie. Natalie befriends a Sheriff Gentry from the same town that Melanie Fuller is from, he then gets a bit smitten with our protagonist pal and it leads to.... well, I won't spoil it for you. Saul on the other hand is my absolute favourite, his character development alone is worth reading this. He's that quiet and tame person whom you would never think of as being bad ass (or stock to gills with every high grade weaponry that even the military would say, "maybe we should leave him alone"). He is a simple teacher who's been pushed too far by his oppressors.Lastly, I want to comment on the mind control aspect of this story. I think that this is the one part that freaked me out the most - the "mind controlling". Borchert is that sick weirdo from back then Nazi Germany who is filled with pure poison. He is no good, he can make you do things, awful things, and on a few occasions in the novel there are times where he literally uses people as chess pieces in his live action chess game. It's sick, it's twisted - it's intriguing...I don't know if I have done this book justice here, what I do know is that listening to this audio book was a fantastic time (even though it was a little on the long side, and there are times where the reader losses track of what time period they are in). I would recommend this to those of you who enjoy vampire tales, because this one is not like the rest.
Carrion Comfort is a rather sprawling novel about creatures of the night ... no, not those creatures of the night! PSA: This is not a vampire book. Yes, the main antagonists are called "mind-vampires," but not in the sense that they drink your bloooooood and have fangs or (even as in more recent, uncanonical interpretations) sparkle. Anyway, the basic premise is that a select few are born as aberrations who have what they call "the Ability" to enter other people's minds and "Use" them, not only for control, but also in the sense that they "Feed" off of the life-essence of their victims and can thus prolong their lives (although, as we learn, they are definitely not immortal). These creatures, it is hinted, are behind history's worst atrocities. One of the central story lines focuses on Saul Laski, survivor of not only the Chelmno extermination camp, but also multiple encounters with a mind-vampire he calls the Oberst, aka Willi Borden. As it turns out, Willi met up with two Southern socialites at the beginning of the 20th century. Nina and Melanie also both had the Ability, and the three of them formed a sort of club, where every year they'd get together and compete to have the most creative Uses and Feedings. Melanie, unlike the others, has chosen to forgo trying to remain young, and instead spends all of her time in a mouldering Charleston mansion with her catspaw, Mr. Thorne. She's the Miss Havisham of the group. However, their Reunion ends up rather disastrously for everyone, and Melanie's violent reaction to the collapse of her fragile world bring together the characters who end up taking on the mind-vampires: Rob Gentry, Charleston Sheriff, Saul Laski, and Natalie Preston, daughter of a victim of Melanie's rampage. ALSO (yes, Simmons is juggling a lot here, yet it pretty much all works out, although, as other readers have pointed out, he definitely could have used an editor!!!), another group of very rich and powerful men with the Ability are busy Controlling the World from California, when Willi Borden disrupts their way of life. They dispatch their various minions, among them Tony Harod, a Hollywood producer with a minor Ability, which he only uses on women to rape them (nice guy). Minions do minon-y stuff.The story runs from Charleston to Philadelphia to Israel to Germany to Charleston to an island and out to southern California. I racked up so many frequent flier miles here ... thank goodness for Saul and his single-minded quest to kill the Oberst, which helps keep the reader focused and grounded. The end of the book was slightly too tidy, but acceptable.I certainly can't say this was a five star book. It was enjoyable and some parts were very creepy, but I came away feeling slightly unfulfilled--especially for the amount of pages I covered! The descriptions of sexytimes/rape were pretty over-the-top and gratuitous (and I seem to remember Simmons doing this in another book and I was just like gross! Stop it! Gross!). Yes, I get it, Tony Harod is a vile excuse for a human being. Let's move on, shall we? Do you really need to describe every rape crime he commits? Also, a lot of the plot in the second half is driven mostly by coincidence and the best luck ever (seriously, these characters should have taken a side trip to Vegas). A lot of important plot points and narrative pit stops are left unexplained and simply sprung on the reader: for instance, Saul conditions himself to create alternate personae when he dreams (long story; I didn't really understand it), but Simmons never explains this fully. Saul and Natalie also become super experts with guns, explosives, and other deadly items in a span of a few months. Evidently, when you live in Israel and your family is all in the Mossad, this ... happens? Doubtful. Sometimes Saul is described as weak and frail, yet other times he runs marathon distances, hauls people around, runs naked through a forest during an Atlantic gale (also a long story) ... I mean, wow. There were also some weird typos, like Jean Paton for Jean Patou, Marie Cassat for Mary Cassatt, as well as apostrophe abuse when it comes to possessive names. Muphry's Law. I accept the consequences.If you really want to read a horror story that's apocalyptic and could double as a deadly weapon, I would go with The Stand instead. King is a master of that sweeping, epic scope.
What do You think about Carrion Comfort (1990)?
this is a briskly-paced supernatural thriller about mind control and controlling the world around us. it is also about as one-dimensional as they come, despite the potential of the multi-leveled subject matter and the breadth of the narrative (from World War 2 Germany to present-day Hollywood, and dozens of locales in between). the novel and several of the characters are obsessed with chess, which makes for some intriguing action. although it includes several wonderfully creepy set-pieces, overall this is far more action-oriented than horror. this is Simmons' second book, which must be the explanation for the occasionally stilted writing and the clear need of an editor. the single first-person strand amongst all the third-person narratives is from one of the villainous 'mind vampires', which allows for some enjoyably tricky twists of perspective during various loaded scenes. and it certainly helps to create a devious and punchy ending. besides being an intriguing tool for the narrative, i think that this character is the novel's chief strength: a very ironic portrait of a vicious, racist, murderous, insanely self-absorbed, semi-senile southern belle - but one who also manages to be somewhat sympathetic and surprisingly funny. particularly when detailing her prudish and judgmental view of modern society. what a bitch! but not just any bitch - a mind-controlling bitch who will get you and all of your loved ones if you stand in her way! just imagine if prudish, semi-senile southern belles were in control of your mind and body...shudder. the things they'd do!
—mark monday
Dan Simmons has the ability to construct a great novel! This I know for sure after diving into this read. There is so much depth and richness to this tale of evil. One of the things that I loved the most was the mystery/suspense aspect of the book. I am a huge mystery fan, and Simmons certainly sated that need as far as I am concerned. He has written and created the worst evil ever seen when he wrote this novel. I found myself cheering on those who aimed to rid the world of evil. I felt as though I struggled with them, and tried to give them hope. I was so very consumed by it.The descriptions of characters and their lives coupled with the ‘extreme’ moments, really added to the surrealism of the novel. You knew everything there was to know about each character. Also I love how involved all the characters are in the novel. And then just when you settle down after an extreme moment, Simmons brings the source of that climax back into the limelight and you get all worked up again. He brilliantly used each one of his characters. We start out with Saul who not only went through the concentration camps, but he survived them. His strength and ability to survive derived from 3 little words. I will live! His character is defined so brilliantly, that it makes you feel that he really did survive the holocaust. That his name, Saul Laski, should be written into the history books.As the story unfolded I loved how so much more of Saul’s history is revealed. I think that was great addition to the book and allowed me to get to know him so much better. It lets us see into his journey and better explains why he is the way he is. One question in the book is "Is he here for justice or revenge?" As I further read, they seemed to be one and the same.Natalie, is another of my favorite characters. She felt so natural, real, yet not real, because it is hard to find people with purpose aimed towards finding good in others. I loved her “non judgment” of others. She accepted them for who they were, and she loved them the same way. I also loved how she had a mission and she was so determined to complete that mission! She is someone you want on your side.Gentry was another of my favorites. You could feel "the good ole boy" in him. And he will do what it takes to protect those he loves, no matter what the consequences may be. And you feel it as you read about him.We meet so many different people, good and evil, those we will love to hate and those that we love period. I found myself looking for some redeeming qualities in these monsters. Yet none really surfaced. Let bad guys be bad guys. All the characters are unique and are constructed beautifully. They all fit their roles perfectly. Simmons also seemed to give his characters equal time in the lime light, and I really like a book that is not dependent on one single “main” character. I think it gives so much more flavor to the story.There was one thing that kinda bothered me, and that was the switching between times. It is a good thing that the chapters were dated, it helped a lot. Otherwise you could easily get lost and confused in some areas leaving you think "What the heck just happened?"In conclusion of this review, I want to stress that this is a very riveting tale, sure to keep you hooked on the intensity alone. And it is a definite “must read”. Simmons brings a whole new reign of terror to the spotlight with this novel. It gets a 4.5 star rating from me.
—Janie Johnson
The Characters were great. The action was brilliant. The story itself was good. The concept of “mind vampires” who “feed” by taking over other people’s minds and forcing them to violence was brilliant.So why then was I constantly glancing at the percentage bar at the bottom of the kindle? Because it felt too long. Why? Was it the page count? I like long books. After a little pondering all I can go on is how I felt. This book felt “the same” most of the way through.The action near the beginning where we have an intense and extended running battle was excellent. The lead up was fantastic with lots of misdirection, and the fight itself was breathtaking. I’m hooked. The subsequent “hunt” to kill these animals is exciting – but it just keeps going, and going, and going. There’s plenty of action on the way but I didn’t feel any of the action advanced significantly towards any sort of resolution. The problem I feel is in the structure of the story itself. For a book this size I think it should have been broken up better into more definable sub stories with mini resolutions to reward the reader as we move towards the end. Simmons does it well with his later books. Hyperion, for example, is broken into 6 separate story arcs that one can say “I liked the priest’s story” or I liked “the soldier’s story.” And later in his first Endymion book the story is structured (perhaps too much) into the different worlds between the farcasters. In Carrion Comfort, however, I felt the rewards are too far and few between. The end was good, but by then I found myself just wanting it to be over. It was still a good ending.The book was broken up a bit by Mellanie Fuller’s story, which is the only arc told in the first person. I found her to be the most interesting character and her associated side story of control, paranoia, self obsession and insanity more satisfying than the main story involving the Holocaust survivor hunting down his Nazi, mind controlling nemesis. At least I felt her story advanced quite well and did go some way to mixing things up, and some of the most intense moments happen where the two arcs intersect.To sum up, Simmons can put together some of the most intense action sequences you’ll read anywhere. But I felt this, being one of his early books, was not structured appropriately for the length. 3 stars
—David Sven
