Great novella! Wilson's beginning does draw the reader in and, as others have observed, is evocative of the old Twilight Zone pilot episode. So it was, for me, sweetly nostalgic in a way. Other reviewers have also offered up the opinion that THE QUIET stalled about 3/4 of the way in but I disagree. I would counter that it does not stall but leaves the reader wanting more. When the conflict was resolved, the end came about quickly and was very open to further possibilities. I found myself wondering what the protagonist was going to do next.I wonder if this wasn't written specifically to be expanded upon at some later time. I wonder if we may see this again one day as the first part of a larger novel bearing the same name. Robert S. Wilson, if you're listening, that would be me dropping you a request / suggestion. I would've probably actually gone with a 3.5 out of 5 if given the opportunity.I did enjoy the story. It started out with a little bit of the feel of King's Langoliers, but as it progressed, the author certainly made it his own. I like how he jumped right into the action with the main character waking up in a changed world (and I like that it took him a little bit to figure out that things had changed, something the reader suspects from page one), and while many might complain at the lack of an in-depth explanation, I was okay with this. Like zombie stories (although this isn't a zombie story) The Quiet is definitely more about James' survival in this new world, not necessarily how the world came to be this way. And after all, this is a novella. And for the brevity of the piece, I believe the author handled the material well.
What do You think about The Quiet (2011)?
I want more of this story. Make this novella a novel and then make it a trilogy. Thank you.
—dejadee
Quick read. Smooth simple writing. Creepy story. Welcome to the end of the world.
—candicemarie
Poorly written, and the story was not engaging at all. Don't waste your time.
—queenofbunnies
