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scififantastic's review against another edition
1.0
don’t bother
You can predict where this story was going in the first chapter. The movie is completely different and I’d argue better.
You can predict where this story was going in the first chapter. The movie is completely different and I’d argue better.
faviator's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dynila's review
3.0
One of the few times in my life I've felt compelled to say, "The movie was better."
ericpschoon's review
I find the main character insufferable albeit in a slightly engaging way might come back
manadabomb's review against another edition
3.0
This was originally titled The Dark Fields but was re-titled and re-covered with the movie stuff, which is a pet peeve.
I think I can sum this book up in one sentence: Kids, drugs are bad for you.
Actually, this was a pretty good book and I would even admit to wanting to try out the MDT-48 drug, if only to have a clean house and a banging career. But without the nasty side effects. Eddie Spinola is a massively down on his luck copywriter in New York. He ends up running into his ex brother-in-law on the street and is offered a little pill, the MDT-48, that Vernon swears will help Eddie out with all his problems. Apparently being a former drug addict makes it easy for people to just swallow random pills to see what happens. Which Eddie does and becomes hyper alert and scary smart.
Vernon is murdered and Eddie steals the rest of the MDT-48 stash from his apartment and proceeds to become a junkie all over again, albeit a wealthy, brilliant, stockbroker junkie. We know how this ends, everything has to come crashing down. And crash down it does, in a rather magnificent way.
Withdrawal from MDT-48 means death, so there's no illusions as to Eddie's fate. But perhaps the creepiest part of this story is when Eddie sees the the President of the United States on TV and sees the "alert, gorged MDT expression in his eyes". Well, we're all freaking doomed them.
I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I hope it keeps fairly well to the book but clears up some of Eddie's boneheaded decisions because for someone supersmart, he really is a moron sometimes.
I think I can sum this book up in one sentence: Kids, drugs are bad for you.
Actually, this was a pretty good book and I would even admit to wanting to try out the MDT-48 drug, if only to have a clean house and a banging career. But without the nasty side effects. Eddie Spinola is a massively down on his luck copywriter in New York. He ends up running into his ex brother-in-law on the street and is offered a little pill, the MDT-48, that Vernon swears will help Eddie out with all his problems. Apparently being a former drug addict makes it easy for people to just swallow random pills to see what happens. Which Eddie does and becomes hyper alert and scary smart.
Vernon is murdered and Eddie steals the rest of the MDT-48 stash from his apartment and proceeds to become a junkie all over again, albeit a wealthy, brilliant, stockbroker junkie. We know how this ends, everything has to come crashing down. And crash down it does, in a rather magnificent way.
Withdrawal from MDT-48 means death, so there's no illusions as to Eddie's fate. But perhaps the creepiest part of this story is when Eddie sees the the President of the United States on TV and sees the "alert, gorged MDT expression in his eyes". Well, we're all freaking doomed them.
I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I hope it keeps fairly well to the book but clears up some of Eddie's boneheaded decisions because for someone supersmart, he really is a moron sometimes.
zelephante's review against another edition
4.0
I saw the film adaptation first, so I had a vague idea of what was going on, but I was both glad and a little sad to discover the endings of the film and the book are quite different. I had some concern about how much detail Glynn gives, describing locations and streets, and so forth, but it never became overwhelming or boring, which was great. I suppose if I were a New Yorker and could immediately identify all the streets and avenues, it might be a different story, but as it was it felt like just enough detail.
This is definitely the kind of book that ends and leaves me with a sense of wanting more information, wanting to know what's next, but I'm not sure there is anything else. I'll get over it soon enough.
Exciting, engaging, descriptive, fast-paced. Excellent read!
This is definitely the kind of book that ends and leaves me with a sense of wanting more information, wanting to know what's next, but I'm not sure there is anything else. I'll get over it soon enough.
Exciting, engaging, descriptive, fast-paced. Excellent read!
ameliaveganreader's review against another edition
5.0
well,that ending was unexpected. and I liked the movie more,but I'm thankful for the book experience,it was really interesting.
etoiline's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting to compare the book to the movie. I think this is one time when I prefer the film version to the paper one, if just because the move has a somewhat more optimistic ending than the book. Is that why critics were saying that the movie's ending was bad? I'm not sure, but I like the implications of the movie ending better. I also liked how the movie threw in a love interest- it sure amped up the tension. Perhaps because the movie had to be tidied it wraps things up better. Regardless, this is a good book, thrilling and full of possibility. It opens your mind a little just to contemplate what your mind might be capable of, and the consequences if it went wrong.