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Widely acclaimed, hugely successful speculative-fiction author Orson Scott Card takes another step into the mainstream with an extremely chilling, vastly engaging novel that sets the notion of family values on its head and chronicles a man's transformation from hermit to hero. When Quentin Fears was 10, his sister left this world, the victim of a car accident. Her death made him withdraw from this world too -- into books, away from people. By the time he reaches adulthood, Quentin has become a certifiable recluse, moving restlessly from town to town, investing the millions he's made as a software creator and avoiding companionship. It's odd but maybe inevitable that on a rare outing to a party he should meet his dream woman, Madeleine. She's witty and beautiful and as naive to the world's ways as he is, and they marry in a matter of weeks. Their relationship seems idyllic but for one thing -- Madeleine's multigenerational, cantankerous, eccentric family who all live in a rambling riverside mansion in upstate New York. But poor family dynamics isn't all that's wrong with them. Beyond the squabbling, there's an ancient family secret to which Madeleine holds the key. Only Quentin can stop her from unleashing an ageless malevolence that will rule the world. But to do so, he must do what seems impossible -- step outside himself into the world he has avoided. He must learn friendship, trust, forgiveness and the courage to face down the ultimate evil. Joining Quentin in this epic confrontation is a splendidly quirky cast of heroes, villains and witches -- from a no-nonsense nurse with a dash of the romantic in her to a small-town sheriff whose affable exterior conceals a dangerous past to a 10-year-old girl named Roz whose malign powers are rivaled only by her smart mouth. Treasure Box introduces the most spectacularly dysfunctional family in recent fiction and a singular hero whose only weapons against them are his mind and his heart. How Quentin defuses this volatile mixture of comedy and horror makes for a viscerally unsettling, poignant and appealing tale that's sure to draw the legions of fans Card has won in other genres and new fans as well.… (more)
User reviews
This is not his best horror (see Lost Boys for that), but it's still a fast-paced read.
My largest complaint
The final pages were just too sweet for the rest of the book. The styles didn't match; I didn't feel the story reach the natural ending, which is one of the reasons I tend to love OSC. His wrap ups tend to feel perfect, with the correct mix of reward, lesson and questions. This was far from it. Too clichee, too plum, too oh-my-god-let-me-gag-now-and-get-it-over-with.
Still, there were definitely winning moments. The grand dame's character and interactions are among them.
All in all, an interesting read, which moves quickly. A new exploration of current day's witches is able to open doors that otherwise would be locked (yes, in the literal sense in the story and in the theoretical sense of themes). There were just some doors that I wish had been left alone toward the end.
The story pulls you in with his sister in a coma and the battle between him and his parents over pulling the plug. It shows you the effects of this continuing into his adulthood- he closes out the world, is bitter, doesn't date really because no one would be as good as sister. The positive impact is that it allows him to be a workaholic and make millions...but soon he grows bored and leaves his field (computers). He soon thinks that life is long and maybe just maybe he should make an effort to connect with someone and find a wife. Long story short... he meets the PERFECT!!! woman at a D.C. party and shortly after (like 2 months) decides to marry her with no pre-nup. Things are good until she takes him home to meet her family whoe she warns him about... the creepiness ensues from here.
Overall- the book was often interesting but things just didn't flow together well and the ending was a bit silly and trite. I didn't feel this book really made a case for introverts getting out (although the tacked on ending tries to supoort that idea). It became predictable towards the middle and just was a bit of a let down for me. Honestly this isn't a book I'm going to keep (and I like to keep a LOT of my books on the idea I might read them again someday). I will try Orson Scott Card again though.
I thought the character of Quentin was very well-developed, even though Quentin himself is not a very well-developed person. However, he does a lot of growing throughout the tale and becomes very dynamic. When the novel begins it's turn from rather ordinary tale of grief and loss into the realm of the metaphysical, it really gets intriguing. I ended up not being able to do anything but finish this book, ignoring friends at the bar, and my husband on a road trip until I reached the end.
This just felt like he was half trying, there wasn't anything even slightly ominous about the treasure box or the