Others

Others is the book that lovers of horror fiction dream about, and James Herbert is the author that all Horror writers should strive to be. Without a doubt I have never read a horror novel of this calibur, nor have I read an author with this amount of talent.Herbert himself has a tendancy to take us through some amazing twists and turns in his stories, tugging at our emotions and at our fear, digging up within the reader the thing that terrifies him or her most so that he brings us to the point where we are as terrified as we can become.Others takes this terror one step further, with a story that is based on fact in a way that leaves the reader trembling with exhaustion and terror. Herbert takes us on a trip into some of the most depraved minds imaginable, and leads us through twists and turns that truly brings the reader right into the amazing plot of the outstanding novel.Thrill seeking readers will enjoy this book for the pumping adrenhalin it provides. Lovers of horror fiction will be on the edges of their seats. And if this is the first James Herbert book you buy... Read it in the dark, and see how you sleep.

This book had me from cover to cover. I was totally captivated by all of his characters. Unlike most authors that take hundreds of pages to create a character, James Herbert get right into the subject with each character in the book. The reading is quick and enjoyable. I have now given this book to several of my friends and they say the same. WOW what a book. I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a little scare.

What a wonderful character! I think "Dis" was wonderfully drawn, someone who I grew to care about very much as the book went on. So often mystery and horror stories concentrate on the action at the expense of character development, but that was not the case here. I found the entire story to be riveting, and especially loved his developing relationship with Constance. The only regret I have upon finishing the book is that Dis is a fictional character.

this book was scary. the possibilities of what happens to deformed children who are not wanted or are left to die are examined in fiction by james herbert. scary, in your face and compelling, no thought is left undone. a man (who has intelligence) but is deformed in a physical sense has been reborn as such to redeem himself from a life before that was amoral and filled with depravity. so our hero is put on this earth to redeem himself and make do with the scorn of "normal" people. it is not easy to read this book and think of all the times we have judged the disabled as less than us. to take for granted in a physical sense what we have. in a very descriptive way by herbert, he articulates how the abuse is internalized. this is not a happy book. there are few brief moments of joy and love. our hero finds a rest home that is the secret jail of others like him, who are worse off than him. Of course he was put on earth for a purpose, for himself (the redemption) and for others (to save). i do not agree that he writes (as the flap bragged) that he is like stephen king - who has a tendency to be more subtle and there with kings books there is always a conclusive ending. herbert wrote in his brief and last chapter that this was taken from actual and true events and that he hoped the reader was disturbed. this is a thinking person's book - despite the fiction and horror of it all, you cannot finish reading it without giving a nod to the reality of what if and hope that there are people who are in position with presence of mind to use their powers appropriately.

The public revered him for his good looks and good deeds. However that public icon hid his ugly soul very well on Earth. Now he is just another lost sinner residing in hell until angels visit him with an offer of redemption. Failure to accept or succeed will condemn in hell for eternity. The former movie star jumps at the opportunity.With no memory of his previous life, he returns to earth in a different body. Nicholas Dismas is a private investigator with a thriving practice in England. Still, he is an unhappy soul. In his own eyes and that of the world, Nicholas is monster and his misshapen body leaves people staring in stunned horror.A client hires him to locate her missing son that she thought died during childbirth. Nicholas goes through the motions of an investigation, but does not believe there is any chance of success. The client introduces Nicholas to a clairvoyant who becomes his ally by warning him of imminent danger. He finds danger in Perfect Rest, a nursing home that allows its elderly patients to hide a horror that is capable of allowing to surface the dark nature in Nicholas, soul.James Herbert is one of the recognized masters of the horror genre. Though OTHERS centers on efforts to regain Paradise Lost in the face of extreme adversary, the horror of this tale lies in the brutality humans inflict on less fortunate beings. It is the beauty of the physical form that matters. A handsome person freely walks the earth with admiring glances even if their inside rivals that of Lucifer. On the other hand, those with hearts like Mother Teresa but in deformed bodies will probably be treated as freaks. Could Mr. Herbert be Stoker bound?