A review by fandom4ever
A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson

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! 
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