sdeeim's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
fandom4ever's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“We’re absolute masters of technique, and conversely, absolute fumblers at self-knowledge.”
Having watched the 1999 film Stir of Echoes starring Kevin Bacon, I learned it was based on a book by Richard Matheson. I really enjoyed the movie; I thought its mystery and reveals were superb so I couldn’t wait to check out the book.
A Stir of Echoes is written in first person as it’s a story told by the main character, Tom, after the fact. So he has comments about ‘how he never realized at the time’ or ‘this is where it all began’ while also showing exactly what happened at the time. I thought that was a really cool idea and it made me think of The Woman in Black, which is also told after the event.
The premise is fascinating, the idea that a hypnotism session could leave you with the ability to sense things at more supernatural levels: see ghosts, feel the truth behind people’s words, sense events from far away. The story was good at starting at the positives of such a reality before showing the eventual horror of seeing behind everyone’s careful exterior, to their most guarded thoughts, especially when you have no way to control it.
The book did great at setting up the plot until events were happening one after another as Tom’s grip on this ‘power’ shifted time and again. It was very well-done. And what an ending, both twisted and heartbreaking, and one you won’t see coming! If you’re looking for a good mystery thriller, then A Stir of Echoes will certainly fit the bill. The audiobook was excellent. Its narrator is Scott Brick, reader of many a Michael Crichton audiobook.
I feel after happening on this several times now, that if I see a movie and discover it was based on a novel and then read the book, I find that I like them both equally. And that has happened here. While the movie changes many things that happen in the book, I still like it and would recommend them both!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Murder, and Gun violence
Minor: Miscarriage
elizabethpero's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
traceyh's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kreglow's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
It's ok. The ending is a bit rushed.
abbybovenzii's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
erin_oriordan_is_reading_again's review against another edition
4.0
(Mild spoilers, not of major plot points.) Interesting mid-century artifact. The narrator, Tom, is mildly paternalistic and condescending to every woman in his life, including his pregnant wife Anne. That gets annoying, but it's somewhat alleviated by the facts that a) he genuinely loves her and the children and b) nothing horrible happens to her in the furtherance of the plot.
The supernatural element of the story is less of the monster variety that went into the writing of [b:I Am Legend|40940649|I Am Legend|Richard Matheson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532484265s/40940649.jpg|19273256] and subsequently inspired George Romero to make [b:Night of the Living Dead|93568|Night of the Living Dead|John A. Russo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1171256962s/93568.jpg|90209]. It's more of the atmospheric/eerie/parapsychology type.
And it's nothing like the 1999 movie that starred Kevin Bacon. The movie took out the casual misogyny and replaced with sexual violence; there isn't a hint of sexual violence in the book. Reading the book does, however, make certain points in the movie make a lot more sense. They're orphaned elements from the novel without the through line.
This book came out in 1958. The Diagnostic and Statistics Manual (DSM) I, modern psychology's text for diagnosing mental illnesses, first appeared in 1952, and psychology was a bit of a "trend" in the '50s. In 1954, [b:The Bad Seed|467032|The Bad Seed|William March|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348354741s/467032.jpg|1152540] explored psychopathy, and the word "psycho" was cemented in the public mind by 1959 when Robert Bloch released [b:Psycho|156427|Psycho (Psycho #1)|Robert Bloch|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393286878s/156427.jpg|3279468].
A Stir of Echoes touches on abnormal psychology with one character, but it's more of a fanciful "what if our minds have hidden psychic powers?" novel. It's less muddled and more clear-cut than in the movie, especially when it comes to Tom and Anne's 4-year-old, Richard. What's happening to Richard in the movie doesn't really resemble his little bit of involvement in the book.
Bottom line: Someone should write an updated script based on the book, without the implication that femaleness itself is a mild mental illness.
I borrowed this audiobook from my local library using the Libby app and was not obligated in any way to review it. Richard Matheson doesn't care because he died in 2013. I got the idea to borrow it from listening to Podcast Like It's 1999.
The supernatural element of the story is less of the monster variety that went into the writing of [b:I Am Legend|40940649|I Am Legend|Richard Matheson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532484265s/40940649.jpg|19273256] and subsequently inspired George Romero to make [b:Night of the Living Dead|93568|Night of the Living Dead|John A. Russo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1171256962s/93568.jpg|90209]. It's more of the atmospheric/eerie/parapsychology type.
And it's nothing like the 1999 movie that starred Kevin Bacon. The movie took out the casual misogyny and replaced with sexual violence; there isn't a hint of sexual violence in the book. Reading the book does, however, make certain points in the movie make a lot more sense. They're orphaned elements from the novel without the through line.
This book came out in 1958. The Diagnostic and Statistics Manual (DSM) I, modern psychology's text for diagnosing mental illnesses, first appeared in 1952, and psychology was a bit of a "trend" in the '50s. In 1954, [b:The Bad Seed|467032|The Bad Seed|William March|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348354741s/467032.jpg|1152540] explored psychopathy, and the word "psycho" was cemented in the public mind by 1959 when Robert Bloch released [b:Psycho|156427|Psycho (Psycho #1)|Robert Bloch|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393286878s/156427.jpg|3279468].
A Stir of Echoes touches on abnormal psychology with one character, but it's more of a fanciful "what if our minds have hidden psychic powers?" novel. It's less muddled and more clear-cut than in the movie, especially when it comes to Tom and Anne's 4-year-old, Richard. What's happening to Richard in the movie doesn't really resemble his little bit of involvement in the book.
Bottom line: Someone should write an updated script based on the book, without the implication that femaleness itself is a mild mental illness.
I borrowed this audiobook from my local library using the Libby app and was not obligated in any way to review it. Richard Matheson doesn't care because he died in 2013. I got the idea to borrow it from listening to Podcast Like It's 1999.
ediefitz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0