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madmissmedic's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
pugslikemybooks's review against another edition
4.0
this was lowkey pretty fun, i liked it. very obviously written by a man in the 50s, but still fun.
abrittlebee's review against another edition
2.0
despite being a classic, for me, this book was incredibly forgettable. a very linear and predictable plot. the "antagonists," weren't especially interesting, and were rather unmotivated far beyond their phlegmatical nature
jellogirl2010's review against another edition
4.0
This first came across my radar after I watched the movie with Donald Sutherland in January/February. I heard there were differences between the novella and film, so I decided to read it and see how they compared.
I haven't read a lot of sci-fi over the last 25 years, so I can't speak to it's standing in the genre and I definitely cannot tell you if I liked the book better than the movie. But it was a solid story that I enjoyed, it took me a little while to get through but it was by no means boring, I was just distracted. When I wasn't reading it - I was thinking about picking it up and finishing it.
I liked the more hopeful ending as opposed to the one in the Donald Sutherland movie, even though that was shocking and one of the best twists I've seen in a film.
I don't have any complaints about this at all. Would reccomend.
I haven't read a lot of sci-fi over the last 25 years, so I can't speak to it's standing in the genre and I definitely cannot tell you if I liked the book better than the movie. But it was a solid story that I enjoyed, it took me a little while to get through but it was by no means boring, I was just distracted. When I wasn't reading it - I was thinking about picking it up and finishing it.
I liked the more hopeful ending as opposed to the one in the Donald Sutherland movie, even though that was shocking and one of the best twists I've seen in a film.
I don't have any complaints about this at all. Would reccomend.
tasharobinson's review against another edition
4.0
I've seen so many body-snatchers movies, but I'd never read the original book until now. It's worth the time. It's a quick read, and a quaint one, very much of its time, with its look at 1950s small-town America, where a single doctor can cover all the people in town, but is expected to be available for housecalls 24/7, and where everyone essentially knows each other. There are so many really smart symbols going on here, as a few people realize their beloved little town is changing into something they don't recognize: fear of the other, fear of change, fear of isolation, fear of growing up. It's a terrific little story, and possibly the only body-snatchers story in this particular vein that I've encountered that has a happy ending, or even implies that there can be one. Though I never realized how closely Stephen King's The Tommyknockers followed this book, right up to the ending itself.
thegoodmariner's review against another edition
4.0
This book is just a solid, mid-50s sci-fi scare. Totally convinced of the truth behind its own paranoia. A very quick and good read.
sunan's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aaronlindsey's review against another edition
5.0
If you've ever found yourself accidentally caught up in an old black and white movie, and then it ends and you think, Good grief! That was AWESOME! - Well, that's the exact feeling I had after finishing the last page of this book.
Jack Finney was such a great writer! This, I think was his first novel. Written in 1954 and published for the first time the following year.
If you have any friends that waste their precious reading time gulping down Stephen King novels, this is a book you really must give them. Maybe it will open their eyes to what really good writing is. You may save lives.
Jack Finney was such a great writer! This, I think was his first novel. Written in 1954 and published for the first time the following year.
If you have any friends that waste their precious reading time gulping down Stephen King novels, this is a book you really must give them. Maybe it will open their eyes to what really good writing is. You may save lives.