MobileRead Discussion: Risen by Jan Strnad (spoilers)

pilotbob · 10-19-2010, 04:39 PM

ARE YOU SCARED???? Have you been converted? Do you know Seth?

Mooowhahaha.....

Discuss... now!

BOb

Pookeysgirl · 10-19-2010, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

ARE YOU SCARED???? Have you been converted? Do you know Seth?

Mooowhahaha.....

Discuss... now!

BOb

I thought this was supposed to start on the 20th, I'm not finished yet

edbro · 10-19-2010, 05:11 PM

I thought it was a very good read.

The only thing I was confused about was

Spoiler:

pilotbob · 10-19-2010, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

I thought this was supposed to start on the 20th, I'm not finished yet

Well... close enough... my calendar pinged me so I started it. It is actually the 20th in some time zones right now.

BOb

pilotbob · 10-19-2010, 05:58 PM

edbro... it was a bit strange. I think "Seth" was a bit maniacal and wanted to prove he could control people, especially women can they made things interesting. Although, as you notice... peg did not do the deed as she was told too.

I would have like to get a bit more background... who is Seth... how did he get this power, etc. I guess you are just supposed to assume he is some manifestation of "evil"?

I really enjoyed the book... it was good fun and well written... I didn't expect one of the "good guys" to die at the end... that was a bit strange.

BOb

jgaiser · 10-19-2010, 09:06 PM

I kind of skipped this month's book. I did pick up a copy, but things got busy and with the others I'm currently reading it just kept floating down my TBR list.

kennyc · 10-19-2010, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgaiser

I kind of skipped this month's book. I did pick up a copy, but things got busy and with the others I'm currently reading it just kept floating down my TBR list.

Mee too....again....

jhempel24 · 10-19-2010, 10:17 PM

I didn't finish, I can't finish, I don't know what it is. I don't care about the characters, the way they kind of rise is cool, but there just doesn't seem to be any substance. It's one of the only books I've not been able to finish. I just can't stay awake while reading it. Maybe I'm reading it at the wrong time and will re-visit, I don't know. Maybe I'll just suck it up and read the last 140 pages. But 200 pages is a really long time for me to continue reading.

I did find the death by beetles/cockroaches cool, but thought that it was ill described, I like gory details in horror books I guess.

This book reminds me heavily of the Jonathan Mayberry series, Ghost Road Blues for whatever reason.

dmacmart · 10-20-2010, 12:01 AM

I enjoyed the book, thought it was perhaps a little long for too little substance.

Is Seth-worship meant to be a metaphor for religion, pointing out how mindless the followers are, how religion takes over their lives?

I was disappointed that the cliched ending of having the survivors be Peg, Brant, Tom and Annie didn't pan out - yes even though it's a cliche, it's satisfying. How did Cindy survive? She was just a minor player and doesn't fit the formula. I consider Brant's demise a cop out. The main guy should always survive. Or everyone perishes (that's a cop out too but not as much of one) I was so sure he was just pretending conversion so he could save Peg & Tom.

I think Tom & Cindy should have encased Grimm's remains in cement. With him coming to life, struggling, and drowning nightly, he probably won't decompose enough so that his torso will work loose, float to the surface, and resurrect. The chains may eventually rust out though, so in a year or two or ten he'll be alive again.

lene1949 · 10-20-2010, 12:03 AM

I read the book over 2 nights (working

).. When I had finished, I had to go back to the beginning to read the ending..

I was a bit annoyed when the same scenes were described several times from different viewpoints..

Overall I thought it was a good story, but didn't frighten me, as I'd like horror novels to do.

GraceKrispy · 10-20-2010, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I really enjoyed the book... it was good fun and well written... I didn't expect one of the "good guys" to die at the end... that was a bit strange.

BOb

Yes, that caught me by surprise too, and I read that part several times to be sure I had read it correctly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lene1949

Overall I thought it was a good story, but didn't frighten me, as I'd like horror novels to do.

It didn't frighten me either, not really, but the concept was chilling. It reminded me of Stephen King kind of stories-- they're not always truly frightening, but the concept behind it is.

lene1949 · 10-20-2010, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

Yes, that caught me by surprise too, and I read that part several times to be sure I had read it correctly.

It didn't frighten me either, not really, but the concept was chilling. It reminded me of Stephen King kind of stories-- they're not always truly frightening, but the concept behind it is.

Yep... but it has to be something that COULD happen... Or believably so...

pilotbob · 10-20-2010, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lene1949

Yep... but it has to be something that COULD happen... Or believably so...

Really... I haven't read 1 horror book where I thought it "could" happen. Then again, I don't believe in paranormal stuff exists while others do. But, I love reading about it... I'm a die hard X-Files fan.

BOb

Pookeysgirl · 10-20-2010, 01:52 PM

I though it was a good book. Stephen King-ish. But I could have used some more description in certain parts. Maybe I missed it, but what kind of dog did the Kemplers have? I kept trying to picture it but had 1000 breeds running through my head.

ManosHandsOfFate · 10-20-2010, 06:18 PM

I thought it was a very entertaining read. Thanks Jan!

I have a vague complaint that in the middle it bogged down a bit. There was section after the reader knows what's going on, and before things really get going. People are slowly being converted and there are fairly long descriptions of each conversion. I could have done with a few less of those.

10-19-2010, 04:39 PM	#1
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Discussion: Risen by Jan Strnad (spoilers) ARE YOU SCARED???? Have you been converted? Do you know Seth? Mooowhahaha..... Discuss... now! BOb

10-19-2010, 05:11 PM	#3
edbro Banned Posts: 640 Karma: 4911 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Grapevine, TX Device: iPad4	I thought it was a very good read. The only thing I was confused about was Spoiler: when they wanted Peg to prove herself by killing her own son. Why? She wasn't converted herself so why would she even want to? Annie had already been converted so that wasn't a factor. She was the only one where a non-converted was used to convert somebody else. It assumes that Peg wanted to convert and be converted herself. Also, nobody else had to prove themselves

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10-19-2010, 05:58 PM	#5
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	edbro... it was a bit strange. I think "Seth" was a bit maniacal and wanted to prove he could control people, especially women can they made things interesting. Although, as you notice... peg did not do the deed as she was told too. I would have like to get a bit more background... who is Seth... how did he get this power, etc. I guess you are just supposed to assume he is some manifestation of "evil"? I really enjoyed the book... it was good fun and well written... I didn't expect one of the "good guys" to die at the end... that was a bit strange. BOb

10-19-2010, 09:06 PM	#6
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,281 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	I kind of skipped this month's book. I did pick up a copy, but things got busy and with the others I'm currently reading it just kept floating down my TBR list.

10-19-2010, 10:17 PM	#8
jhempel24 Wizard Posts: 2,157 Karma: 7068605 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, B&N Nook Colro	I didn't finish, I can't finish, I don't know what it is. I don't care about the characters, the way they kind of rise is cool, but there just doesn't seem to be any substance. It's one of the only books I've not been able to finish. I just can't stay awake while reading it. Maybe I'm reading it at the wrong time and will re-visit, I don't know. Maybe I'll just suck it up and read the last 140 pages. But 200 pages is a really long time for me to continue reading. I did find the death by beetles/cockroaches cool, but thought that it was ill described, I like gory details in horror books I guess. This book reminds me heavily of the Jonathan Mayberry series, Ghost Road Blues for whatever reason.

10-20-2010, 12:01 AM	#9
dmacmart Fanatic Posts: 534 Karma: 696908 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Kobo Mini, Glo, Arc, H2O, iPhone, iPad 2, (husband)Touch	I enjoyed the book, thought it was perhaps a little long for too little substance. Is Seth-worship meant to be a metaphor for religion, pointing out how mindless the followers are, how religion takes over their lives? I was disappointed that the cliched ending of having the survivors be Peg, Brant, Tom and Annie didn't pan out - yes even though it's a cliche, it's satisfying. How did Cindy survive? She was just a minor player and doesn't fit the formula. I consider Brant's demise a cop out. The main guy should always survive. Or everyone perishes (that's a cop out too but not as much of one) I was so sure he was just pretending conversion so he could save Peg & Tom. I think Tom & Cindy should have encased Grimm's remains in cement. With him coming to life, struggling, and drowning nightly, he probably won't decompose enough so that his torso will work loose, float to the surface, and resurrect. The chains may eventually rust out though, so in a year or two or ten he'll be alive again.

10-20-2010, 12:03 AM	#10
lene1949 Wizard Posts: 1,952 Karma: 213930 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Middelfart, Denmark Device: Kindle paper white	I read the book over 2 nights (working ).. When I had finished, I had to go back to the beginning to read the ending.. I was a bit annoyed when the same scenes were described several times from different viewpoints.. Overall I thought it was a good story, but didn't frighten me, as I'd like horror novels to do.

10-20-2010, 01:52 PM	#14
Pookeysgirl Wizard Posts: 1,705 Karma: 12696746 Join Date: May 2010 Device: K3, Kobo Mini	I though it was a good book. Stephen King-ish. But I could have used some more description in certain parts. Maybe I missed it, but what kind of dog did the Kemplers have? I kept trying to picture it but had 1000 breeds running through my head.

10-20-2010, 06:18 PM	#15
ManosHandsOfFate Addict Posts: 298 Karma: 1537324 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Chicago Device: Nook, K3, Fire, Nexus 7	I thought it was a very entertaining read. Thanks Jan! I have a vague complaint that in the middle it bogged down a bit. There was section after the reader knows what's going on, and before things really get going. People are slowly being converted and there are fairly long descriptions of each conversion. I could have done with a few less of those.

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