Reviews - Swan Song | The StoryGraph

1.13k reviews for:

Swan Song

Robert R. McCammon

4.14 AVERAGE

mcneelymike's review against another edition

Writing was hard to get into - some sort of post-apocalyptic event.

stainedsouth's review against another edition

5.0

So, what is it about post-apocalyptic stories that interest me so much? I really don't know and believe that it would take some hours of deep introspection for me to figure that one out, so I don't have time to answer that question. What I do know is that I really loved this book. I'm not sure if I like it as much as The Stand but that is because it has been a while since i last read it. I will need to re-visit Mr. King's post-apocalyptic world so I can make a definite conclusion. (Mind you, The Stand is on my All-Time-Favorites list, so that should tell you something about Swan Song.)

This is a multiple point of view story with several major players, but not so many that a reader can't keep up with them. There is Sue Wanda (Swan), Josh, Sister, Roland Croninger, Colonel Macklin and the Man with the Scarlet Eye. And, then there are several less major characters - Artie, Paul, Leona, Rusty and Robin (plus various others). Some people wonderful and brave and others evil and scary.

I am having a hard time figuring out how to give a brief synopsis. How about - In the beginning, there was nuclear war - and I already have to interject that this beginning was truthfully frightening. It was incredibly easy to visualize that particular scenario really happening. In fact, for a few nights I had bad dreams about a nuclear attack. But, after the beginning, there was the fallout; the nuclear winter; some of the remaining living going crazy; some scrambling for power; and some learning how to live again.

Among all of these humans walks the Man with the Scarlet Eye or friend or The Man with Many Faces. He believes it is his party and he does not like any one changing his party plans. He likes things exactly the way they are. So the big question is - can good overcome evil even AFTER a nuclear war?

shardsofstars24's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is potentially my favorite book. It is unlike anything else I have ever read. I've read it four times in the course of my life, and plan to again. Josh and Sister are two of my favorite literary characters of all time

This is horror through an observation of the variety of human conditions. The themes and imagery carried throughout the multiple intertwining stories are delicious to read. There is no element of human evil or selflessness that goes unexplored.

gss104's review against another edition

3.0

dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

After about the halfway point the book changes and I lost interest but pushed through to the end. Character arch doesn't really exist and the ending was not for me. It felt rushed and horribly simple for a book that focuses on unique pieces. Also, parts of the book feel pointless after they were made a huge deal. It was as if the author decided to change their direction and slowly made these things disappear and mean nothing.

magellaan's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

daleywhaley's review against another edition

2.0

I’m really disappointed with this book. It had been on my TBR since finishing The Stand a few years back. Finally had the time to read such a doorstop but I just found it fell a bit flat.

The characters were mostly one note after the first couple of chapters with each. After that the plot kind of dragged along and was fairly predictable

(bad guys vs good guys).

There was quite a few more action heavy scenes which I think some people like but, personally, I don’t find that interesting.

A lot of it was a bit OTT as well, like

Swan is absolute perfection and the bad guy has a skull head…

There were also plot points I struggled with

such as there still being enough tinned food out and about to sustain an army of thousands on the march, then enough working cars and fuel to drive through a wasteland, what was with the animals…I don’t think bobcats do that, only one man was bright enough to use a bicycle in all of America, everyone was clamouring to get to a lake yet they didn’t just walk down the shore a bit, and then the religious army people being unable to fight off the bad guys with all their stuff yet the ice wall nearly stops them, weird?

There were just so many little things that took me out of this book.

All in all, not that satisfying. I get the comparison to The Stand but the thin characters pale in comparison to what King can do.

If you’re more into the plot and like a bit of action, I think you’ll get along well with this.