ביקורת ספרותית על Watchers מאת Dean R. Koontz
ספר מעולה

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I was in a book store and happened upon 'Watchers'. I had read it more than a decade ago. I had always treasured the book and had passed it on to many people. I thought I'd post a review just to praise Koontz and his ability to create two characters that are as memorable as any I have ever read.

This is by far Koontz's finest, a terrifying book that stands out almost as much for its humanity as for its scares. Unlike most horror novels, Watchers focuses a lot on characterization as its protagonists attempt to build new lives for themselves--while being stalked by a killer monster, of course.

Watchers tells the story of a loner outdoorsman and a loner young woman who are united by a strange dog they call Einstein. Einstein is so named because he is brilliant, easily as smart as a human. That's because Einstein was genetically engineered by the military, and escaped from imprisonment in a secret lab.

Unfortunately, Einstein wasn't the only thing to come out of that military lab. He is pursued by a monstrous creature known only as the Outsider. The only thing the Outsider hates more than its own hideous appearance is Einstein, and it is bound and determined to kill the dog--and anyone who gets in its way.

Following the Outsider--and Einstein--is an FBI team led by a strangely sympathetic character, considering that he represents the shady government. Altogether, the tale is an engrossing one, though it is not without flaws. For one, Koontz crams too much into the novel. There is also an insane hit man who also wants Einstein; it seems like he ought to have been cut out and saved for a possible sequel, for his involvement makes the story too cluttered, and the resolution to his conflict seems rushed. Also, Koontz sometimes forgets he is telling, at heart, a horror story; for a large section in the middle of the book, the Outsider is completely absent and the character interaction almost gets too in-depth, seriously hurting the pacing of the novel... though he makes up for it in the finish.

Despite its flaws, which are minor at worst, Watchers is possibly the best book Koontz has ever written, and definitely one of the scariest. I highly recommend it to any of his fans

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