Status
Available
Call number
Publication
London HarperCollins 2010
Description
When Colorado carpenter Gary Adams spots two mysterious creatures in the woods near his house, he calls on his friend, veterinarian Cammy Rivers for advice. But like Gary, Cammy has never seen an animal resembling this beautiful species. But when the Department of Homeland Security puts a call out for Gary and Cammy because of these animals, the two risk everything to protect the innocent creatures.
User reviews
LibraryThing member oscfan
Reading Koontz is like dropping all your money on red 21 in Vegas. You either hit it big, or you end up in the hotel bar, drinking yourself into a stupor, wonder where it all went wrong. "Breathless" was a definite double-zero. This book seemed an incredible rush job. The ending was extremely weak.
Koontz has become a gimmick writer (his gimmick being, obviously, dogs). However, while this has worked for him in the past (e.g. "Seize the Night"), with this novel you get the sense that the inclusion of the dog is more of a signature than an integrated part of the story. Merlin had about as much depth, compared to Orson, as Cesar Romero's Joker did to Heath Ledger's.
This book had a lot of promise, as the first half was infinitely better than the second. The entire experience left me feeling like I was watching a really good jazz guitarist who, when he suddenly gets the signal from the club manager that it's time to close, stops mid-strum, picks out "Shave and a Haircut", and walks off stage.
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The multiple plots meshed about as well as a peach jam and cat food sandwich. The entire argument for the science of the novel was crammed into a single paragraph.Koontz has become a gimmick writer (his gimmick being, obviously, dogs). However, while this has worked for him in the past (e.g. "Seize the Night"), with this novel you get the sense that the inclusion of the dog is more of a signature than an integrated part of the story. Merlin had about as much depth, compared to Orson, as Cesar Romero's Joker did to Heath Ledger's.
This book had a lot of promise, as the first half was infinitely better than the second. The entire experience left me feeling like I was watching a really good jazz guitarist who, when he suddenly gets the signal from the club manager that it's time to close, stops mid-strum, picks out "Shave and a Haircut", and walks off stage.
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LibraryThing member arnett4388
I am sad to say that no matter how much I love Dean, he can no longer put his ideas together in a story. This book was full of great ideas that never came together into an exciting plot. The whole side story of the guy who kills his twin could have been a cool short story, but instead it was just a
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filler that never had anything to do with the rest of this book. He made a weak attempt at the end to link the 2 stories, however it was totally lame. The little creatures were cute, but the story never went anywhere. Sorry Dean, maybe you should throw in the towel. You haven't had a good plot since the 90's. Good ideas, but you can't put them together anymore. Show Less
LibraryThing member Steelyshan
SOOOO disappointed. Im not sure this book was even written by Dean Koontz. Never in ALL of his books has he written dead ending character story lines such as this. The story doesnt even develop the characters enough to care what happens to them. The story line had potential, two animals, unlike
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anything ever seen on earth, encountered by a man and his dog. Add the tortured female veterinarian to the mix and I started to think, maybe a little romance brews, maybe they save the animals, discover their origin. But, yuck, no. There is a variety of seedy characters that would seem to have the potential to cause problems for the man and the vet chick, but instead they mostly peter out to randomness. Dont bother to read it, although if you are a rabid Koontz fan like myself, you will, and regret it like me. Show Less
LibraryThing member gmmakela
I am a Dean Koontz fan, and this book lived up to expectations! An extra bonus the book took place in Colorado where I've lived for over 20 years. It was difficult to put down and I managed to read it in about 12 hours!
LibraryThing member Ti99er
I tried to read Koontz a long time ago and just couldn't get into him. Over the past 6-8 months I have read 3 or 4 of his books and am hooked. Koontz is excellent at character development. I always enjoy getting to know his characters. With all of this being said, Breathless was not one of my
3 Stars
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favorites (albeit, I have a small repertoire to draw from at this point). The story was okay, and strong enough to keep me reading, but he has created better works.3 Stars
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LibraryThing member Pam1960ca
Another fantastic book by Dean Koontz. Started reading this Friday night and finished it last night. Great read!
LibraryThing member RBeffa
This is a story told in the old fashioned style where each chapter jumps from character to character and ultimately we hope to see each of the separate short stories all come together in the end. Parts of the book I liked a lot, especially the first half or a bit more of the book; some interesting
The end just seemed silly.
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ideas and most of the characters are well drawn and interesting - but it ultimately didn't really work for me - in any event I found myself disappointed at the end. Koontz's writing is pretty good in this one - he manages some great imagery in his text without going over the top - but some cliched characters and activity drug it down some.The end just seemed silly.
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LibraryThing member readinggeek451
Strange animals, ordinary animals acting strangely, a selfless veterinarian, a sociopath seeking a survivalist hideout, an altruistic chaos theorist, and a damaged homeless man. These threads take a long time to converge, then wrap up very quickly.
This is the first Koontz book I've read. I won't be
This is the first Koontz book I've read. I won't be
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rushing out to read more, but I'm not averse to the idea if another one sounds interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member SonicQuack
Koontz doesn't stay in one genre for long and after a series of similar thrillers Breathless is something different. It doesn't slot easily in to any one genre either and in fact in the final third spirals through a series of genres from chapter to chapter. This disjointed approach ramps up the
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intrigue, yet fails to entirely gel. When several new character appear in the final third it seems that Breathless may be the start of a series, yet Koontz neatly wraps it up in a matter of pages. The narrative, as ever with recent Koontz novels, is easy going, always entertaining although the characters are somewhat superficial. Overall an average book, which is a disappointment considering Koontz's talents. Show Less
LibraryThing member MEENIEREADS
I am giving this 4 starts because it kept me guessing and going along turning pages. This is something for this jaded reader who easily evokes The Readers Bill Of Rights. I am still puzzling(no pun intended to readers)over just what this was all about! Except for re-reading Watchers a year or so
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ago,I have not read Koontz since pre-internet days. I will continue to pick and choose what works of his I read. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookfaredelights
Probably my least favorite Koontz. I kept getting further and further in the story and I had fewer and fewer pages left and I just kept waiting for something to happen. I've been kind of disappointed in his more recent books. My favorites are his older one such as Watchers (my all time fav!), The
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Bad Place, Night Chills, Shattered, Lighting, Funhouse, Tears of the Dragon, etc. One of my friends recommended The Taking so I think I'll give that one a try too. Hopefully it's better than Breathless. Show Less
LibraryThing member gma2lana
A page turner for me, I enjoyed the characters and the suspense. HOWEVER, as I neared the end of the book with few remaining pages left, I wondered where the story would go. The ending is disappointing compared to the rest of the story.
LibraryThing member _Lily_
Breathless by Dean Koontz
Reviewed by Moirae the Fates
In the stillness of a golden September afternoon, deep in the wilderness of the Rockies, a solitary craftsman, Grady Adams, and his magnificent Irish wolfhound Merlin step from shadow into light…and into an encounter with enchantment. That
A few miles away, Camillia Rivers, a local veterinarian, begins to unravel the threads of a puzzle that will bring all the forces of a government in peril to her door.
At a nearby farm, long-estranged identical twins come together to begin a descent into darkness…In Las Vegas, a specialist in chaos theory probes the boundaries of the unknowable…On a Seattle golf course, two men make matter-of-fact arrangements for murder…Along a highway by the sea, a vagrant scarred by the past begins a trek toward his destiny…(Synopsis provided by goodreads)
I am a huge fan of Koontz’s writing, however for me, this book wasn’t as good as some of the others. That is not to say it was bad. I wish we had more information about some of the characters and some of the stories.
I found Camillia to be the most interesting of the characters and she and Grady’s story was the most interesting for me.
The story about the twins was really creepy too creepy for me which is saying something.
If you are thinking about picking up one of Koontz’s books for the first time, I would suggest something other then this one.
Overall rating *** 3 out of 5 stars
Cover art The cover art didn’t wow me.
Obtained My local library.
Reviewed by Moirae the Fates
In the stillness of a golden September afternoon, deep in the wilderness of the Rockies, a solitary craftsman, Grady Adams, and his magnificent Irish wolfhound Merlin step from shadow into light…and into an encounter with enchantment. That
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night, through the trees, under the moon, a pair of singular animals will watch Grady's isolated home, waiting to make their approach. A few miles away, Camillia Rivers, a local veterinarian, begins to unravel the threads of a puzzle that will bring all the forces of a government in peril to her door.
At a nearby farm, long-estranged identical twins come together to begin a descent into darkness…In Las Vegas, a specialist in chaos theory probes the boundaries of the unknowable…On a Seattle golf course, two men make matter-of-fact arrangements for murder…Along a highway by the sea, a vagrant scarred by the past begins a trek toward his destiny…(Synopsis provided by goodreads)
I am a huge fan of Koontz’s writing, however for me, this book wasn’t as good as some of the others. That is not to say it was bad. I wish we had more information about some of the characters and some of the stories.
I found Camillia to be the most interesting of the characters and she and Grady’s story was the most interesting for me.
The story about the twins was really creepy too creepy for me which is saying something.
If you are thinking about picking up one of Koontz’s books for the first time, I would suggest something other then this one.
Overall rating *** 3 out of 5 stars
Cover art The cover art didn’t wow me.
Obtained My local library.
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LibraryThing member hermit
In the Rocky Mountains Grady Adams ad his three-year-old Irish wolfhound Merlin spot two strange white animals playing in the meadows. These mysterious creatures quickly vanish but other baffling phenomena occur, causing the government to take an interest. This book contains violence and some
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strong language. Show Less
LibraryThing member NelehW
How does Koontz do it? Combine suspense, adventure, mystery while examining the human condition and entertaining us.' ...only the previous day they had stepped out of infinity into the finite, from out of time into time. She had no memory of her creation, but of suddenly existing and filled with
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elation...' Farm animals behaving strangely, sightings of an unknown species, long-estranged identical twins reconnect before a descent into madness, far away on a golf course two men plan a murder and on a highway a vagrant scarred by the past is pulled towards a destiny. Chaos theory in practice. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrsrjd
Rather disappointing. Contained the moralizing expected from Koontz, but lacked suspense. Not his best work.
LibraryThing member stang50logan
This was the first Koontz book I have ever read and wont be the last. The story had several threads that took a while to put together but were seamless. Great plot, very fast read because you wont want to put it down.
LibraryThing member NatashaCreates
I used to be a HUGE fan of Dean Koontz, but his novels this past decade have really disappointed me...until now. Breathless is a return to the Koontz of the early 90's that I know and love. Breathless incorporates a nice blend of mystery and thrills, philosophy, and wonderful characters. It asks
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questions and presents perspectives that truly causes readers to think. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. My only complaint is the abrupt way it ended. I just hope that this isn't an anomaly but a return of the real Koontz. Show Less
LibraryThing member redawson_
Koontz is one of my favorite authors. During the read, I was excited with the complexity of the characters, the pace and the plot(s), and read the book straight through, just to be disappointed at the ending. It seemed a 'stretch' the way the characters were related, somewhat. Still worth the read.
LibraryThing member suetu
Out walking his dog one day, Colorado recluse Grady Adams sees a pair of animals that are unlike anything he's ever seen anywhere before. Meanwhile, elsewhere in rural Colorado, veterinarian Cammy Rivers has noted some strange behavior in the animals she's treating. In other narrative threads we
Koontz has been doing his thing for decades now. And yet, his prose is still notably not good. That said, this novel was a bit less self-indulgent than much of what we've seen in recent years. I wasn't completely taken with how he brought everything together in the end, but getting there was awfully entertaining.
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are introduced to a chaos theorist with a Robin Hood complex and a "monster in the making." There's a lot going on, and not just in Colorado. Things are going down in California, Washington, and Nevada. The questions are: How do all these disparate stories come together? And, what is the deal with these super-adorable mystery mammals? Good questions all. Koontz has been doing his thing for decades now. And yet, his prose is still notably not good. That said, this novel was a bit less self-indulgent than much of what we've seen in recent years. I wasn't completely taken with how he brought everything together in the end, but getting there was awfully entertaining.
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LibraryThing member rizeandshine
This story starts off well but then peters out toward the end of the book. I also felt like the book ended with too many unanswered questions. I am usually a Koontz fan but this one was a disappointment compared to the others I've read.
LibraryThing member amcreech
The introduction of a brand new species of animal changes not only the people who discover them, but the world. I enjoyed this book, as I do all Dean Koontz books but I would have like to see an ending that had more detail for the reason of the new animals and how the world was going to change.
LibraryThing member jonwwil
If you read much Koontz, you get used to the outlandish situations and static, black and white characters that are either all good or all evil. And, if you're like me, you'll endure those hardships with a wry smile because occasionally Koontz manages to put together a pretty good story, at
And then along comes Breathless. I haven't read much new Koontz in a long time, and why I decided to pick this one up is a minor story that doesn't have any bearing on the review. Needless to say, I decided to give it a go, and it brought the weight of all Koontz's terrible writing transgressions down upon me. So, with this travesty now safely in the rearview mirror, I bid farewell to reading anything by Koontz I haven't read before. I have a couple old standbys that I'll continue to re-read on occasion, but I won't waste time on anything else. I just can't take it anymore.
(With the caveat, of course, that I may amend this decision if he ever gets around to finishing the Fear Nothing/Seize the Night trilogy, since I've already read the first two books anyway.)
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least.And then along comes Breathless. I haven't read much new Koontz in a long time, and why I decided to pick this one up is a minor story that doesn't have any bearing on the review. Needless to say, I decided to give it a go, and it brought the weight of all Koontz's terrible writing transgressions down upon me. So, with this travesty now safely in the rearview mirror, I bid farewell to reading anything by Koontz I haven't read before. I have a couple old standbys that I'll continue to re-read on occasion, but I won't waste time on anything else. I just can't take it anymore.
(With the caveat, of course, that I may amend this decision if he ever gets around to finishing the Fear Nothing/Seize the Night trilogy, since I've already read the first two books anyway.)
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LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
This latest Koontz suspense novel tells, in very short chapters, several different stories that seem unrelated but do come together. Central to the main story are a couple of newly discovered animals, unlike any every seen before, playful, intelligent, and completely non-threatening.
I like to read
Even given that, I will most likely read the next book that Mr. Koontz writes. I enjoy most of his stories and his characters, and I'm hopeful that his next book will be one I love.
I like to read
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Koontz novels, especially the ones in which dogs play prominent roles, and this book has Merlin, an Irish wolfhound, as its courageous, smart, and loyal canine star. Again, Mr. Koontz plays good against evil in a what-if scenario. For the most part, I enjoyed the story, even though it was a very quick read and and I thought it could have used a little more depth. I found the information on the mathematics of evolution, something I knew nothing about, quite interesting. What I didn't like about it was the ending, not so much the way the story ended as the way it was written. To me, it felt rushed, incomplete, and not at all satisfactory. Overall, while I enjoyed the first part of the book, it let me down in the end.Even given that, I will most likely read the next book that Mr. Koontz writes. I enjoy most of his stories and his characters, and I'm hopeful that his next book will be one I love.
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LibraryThing member gdill
The beginning of the story was really good. Elements of intrigue, suspense, and mystery. But, when the two mystery creatures became known, the story took a nosedive quickly towards corniness. If Koontz had kept the two creatures shrouded in mystery, I think the story would have been much better,
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keeping the reader engaged. Needless to say, I should have tried harder to stay with the book. But, after the mystery creatures were no longer a mystery, I felt as if I was reading a children's novel about two furry muppets. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2009
ISBN
0007267630 / 9780007267637