bigbookgeek's review against another edition
4.0
I nearly gave up on this book because it moved extremely slow at first. I am glad I stuck it out because it sure did pay off after the halfway point. This is the story of a group of "mind vampires", people who are able to control others mentally, and who play violent chess like war games using humans as the pieces. Some of the most heinous acts of violence committed by human beings is actually at the hands of those with the "Ability". Enter Dr Saul Laski, a psychiatrist who survived the Nazi Holocaust and who had been a victim of one of the worst with the Ability the world has ever seen. Laski has made it his life's mission to get revenge for the atrocities he witnessed. We end up with a large cast of characters, including some very high ranking officials. The action picked up considerably after that halfway point, and the story just engrossed me. Again, I'm so glad I stuck it out to the end, and what an ending it was!
natakat's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.25
Way too long. Nothing specifically wrong with the story line, some very horrifying characters, but could have been shorter. I kept losing interest, so it took over a year to finish the audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Rape
jackeatsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
For those looking for a straightforward horror novel, keep on looking, because Dan Simmons' Carrion Comfort is a beast of a book that employs qualities of not only horror, but action, adventure, historical fiction, and possibly other genres. I should have known that there would be a ton of genre crossover– it's Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion. I wasn't expecting as much super extreme movie-like action as there was (there is a helicopter/car chase for goodness' sake), and those parts often bogged me down with how detailed and convoluted they could get, but other than that, this was a great read with a fascinating original concept.
"Mind vampires" take control of people's bodies to carry out heinous acts and in turn, become younger and healthier by using them. It was cool that Simmons placed these vampires in the real world and made them responsible for the seemingly inexplicable evils that have befallen mankind, including concentration camps, the Iranian Hostage Crisis, and the murder of certain public figures such as John Lennon. Even better that these events didn't make up the whole story (that might've been a bit contrived), but rather they served as historical context for the real plot, which is essentially individuals who have been affected by the Mind Vampires, hunting them down and trying to rid the world of their evil.
PROS:
- a totally original take on the vampire (if you even want to call them that)
- really scary
- ties in the real world in several interesting ways
CONS:
- action sequences can drag and get a bit convoluted
- maybe too long overall (~800 pages)
3.5 stars.
"Mind vampires" take control of people's bodies to carry out heinous acts and in turn, become younger and healthier by using them. It was cool that Simmons placed these vampires in the real world and made them responsible for the seemingly inexplicable evils that have befallen mankind, including concentration camps, the Iranian Hostage Crisis, and the murder of certain public figures such as John Lennon. Even better that these events didn't make up the whole story (that might've been a bit contrived), but rather they served as historical context for the real plot, which is essentially individuals who have been affected by the Mind Vampires, hunting them down and trying to rid the world of their evil.
PROS:
- a totally original take on the vampire (if you even want to call them that)
- really scary
- ties in the real world in several interesting ways
CONS:
- action sequences can drag and get a bit convoluted
- maybe too long overall (~800 pages)
3.5 stars.
ramonnogueras's review against another edition
5.0
Monumental obra, y no sólo por la extensión. Un clásico a la altura de It, de Stephen King. No os lo perdáis
haunted_atoms's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Once you really take time to consider just what is going on in this story it is quite terrifying. It is a good read, but not an easy one - not in regards to content, but in terms of depth and length. I don't recommend reading this when you're tired or distracted as I think not giving it the attention it requires may cause you to not invest properly and the story may start to drag in return.
brians_books13's review against another edition
4.0
Very good book. Creepy from beginning, to middle, to end game....but can be a chore to get through. Still recommend highly though.
twitchiermocha5's review against another edition
3.0
High 3 - 3.7/3.8
An excellent take on the vampire novel, but the length of the book didn't really match up to the story it was telling.
An excellent take on the vampire novel, but the length of the book didn't really match up to the story it was telling.
eggp's review against another edition
2.0
Psychic vamps play games
nazis never change their spots
rapers gonna rape.
nazis never change their spots
rapers gonna rape.
ejdonovanreads's review against another edition
4.0
In Carrion Comfort, Dan Simmons introduces us to the so-called “Mind Vampires” - human beings with an incredibly powerful telekinetic ability. These vampires can use their Ability to control other people both physically and mentally. Utilizing their Ability, these vampires infiltrate the government, commit mass genocide, and feed off of the fear and death of others. When a group of three elderly Mind Vampires betray one another, they unintentionally expose their own existence.
Carrion Comfort follows Natalie and Saul, two people who not only know that “vampires” are real, but who have also suffered terrible losses at the hands of these monsters. This story is their journey as they work together to get revenge, justice, and to rid the world of the Mind Vamps.
I tried my best to paraphrase the synopsis but my attempt fails to cover all the multiple side stories and themes present in this novel. This is a long book with a ridiculous amount of characters, settings, and details, so obviously that means I loved it. Carrion Comfort has all the aspects of a great horror novel - great characters, strong character development, monsters, gore, and lots of death. Our two main characters couldn’t be more different (Natalie, a Black, twenty-something photographer, and Saul, a Jewish, sixty-something Holocaust survivor), and this detail makes witnessing their friendship develop really special. There are a lot of triggers in the book, however, and these particular scenes are uncomfortably graphic.
My main criticism of this book is the length and pace. It’s mostly fine but there were a few moments in the story that we don’t necessarily need. Otherwise, I really loved Carrion Comfort. It was powerful, emotional, political, and philosophical, and I highly recommend it for all horror fans!
- TRIGGER WARNINGS - r*pe, s*xual assault, m*rder, racism, genocide, gore
Carrion Comfort follows Natalie and Saul, two people who not only know that “vampires” are real, but who have also suffered terrible losses at the hands of these monsters. This story is their journey as they work together to get revenge, justice, and to rid the world of the Mind Vamps.
I tried my best to paraphrase the synopsis but my attempt fails to cover all the multiple side stories and themes present in this novel. This is a long book with a ridiculous amount of characters, settings, and details, so obviously that means I loved it. Carrion Comfort has all the aspects of a great horror novel - great characters, strong character development, monsters, gore, and lots of death. Our two main characters couldn’t be more different (Natalie, a Black, twenty-something photographer, and Saul, a Jewish, sixty-something Holocaust survivor), and this detail makes witnessing their friendship develop really special. There are a lot of triggers in the book, however, and these particular scenes are uncomfortably graphic.
My main criticism of this book is the length and pace. It’s mostly fine but there were a few moments in the story that we don’t necessarily need. Otherwise, I really loved Carrion Comfort. It was powerful, emotional, political, and philosophical, and I highly recommend it for all horror fans!
- TRIGGER WARNINGS - r*pe, s*xual assault, m*rder, racism, genocide, gore