I've been a big fan of John Farris from when he published his first novel -- Harrsion High --while (I believe) he was still a high school student. To me, his best works are The Fury and Sharp Practice. For about the first third of Dragonfly, I thought this book was going to rival his best. However, the last two-thirds became predictable and unrealistic. Farris' depiction of the women in this book are love-starved, easily conned, defenseless and in desparate need of a man's attention. For this male reader, these characters were poorly developed and it seemed more like a Harlequin romance novel than a thriller. While Farris tried hard to create suspense and surprises in Dragonfly, he didn't succeed as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully, Farris will recapture his ability to create edge-of-the-seat suspense, strong plots and credible characters. I'll be looking forward to the return of the "old" Farris in his future books.

When Farris writes straight thrillers, they're pretty gritty. This is one of his grittiest.

A CIA adventurer, recovering from having bitten off more than he could chew, finds himself falling in love with a besieged heiress. The usual cast of stock Southern baddies have their own agendas for the heiress' money - but, of course, there's this little problem of getting her out of the way, first.

Nothing you haven't read or seen before, but Farris writes it splendidly. This one's mostly in the Phillip Marlowe mold, a crime novel set in a decaying Southern manse as opposed to the streets of the city. If you like that kind of thing, jump on in. The water's fine.

This was my first John Farris book and I was really surprized at how interesting it was. Without giving anything away, I could not believe how well he wrapped up so many plot twists at the end. If you like Dean Koontz or books like that, you will love this book.

Having heard many good things about John Farris, I picked up Solar Eclipse from the local library. I was greatly disappointed. Friends of mine praised Farris for the intricacies and cleverness of his plots. As a thriller/mystery, I found the plot of this book highly generic, formulaic and conventional. There were no surprises here to any fan of B movies (or B novels). Worse, I found his characterizations of women and men (and what passes for intimacy between them) to be slightly to the right of Neanderthal man's perspective.

Farris has been compared to Stephen King. Well, to my mind, he lacks King's grace with language and he certainly lacks King's mordant and insightful take on American popular culture and the darkness that lurks beneath the seemingly ordinary and innocent.

I'm sure glad I picked this up on a travel day, which was extended by 4 hours due to weather conditions. Very engrossing, not always satisfying, some of the characters a little too one-dimensional, but overall a good read.

Maybe I haven't read enough Stephen King (ok, only Christine), but I just don't get the comparisons between the authors.

This one moves pretty fast, and does make you work to keep up.

I personally like john farris,s work always did. I read his other works he is very diverse.I loved the characters in this book.They were vicious and unique.This is basically a story about the discovery of a murdered family in a small town in Utah.The family is discovered by spirited stuntwoman Shay Waco, who is visiting her father after many years.She meets sheriff Toby Bonner and he falls in love with her.however,the murder is just part of the plot.Alot of surveillance equipment was found in the murder victims home. the reader later finds out that the victims were in a witness protection program.in exchange for protection, the victims had to spy on their neighbors.prior to their murder the victims find out that neighbor wolfgang gehrig is in cahoots with a doomsday religious cult and the famed aum shirinkyo.This religious cult wants to blow up the mormon temple and create a new zion.they are trying to develope a particular bomb that has no sound.this particular cult is also beig being investigated by crooked fbi agent Dale stearman. that is the basic plot of the story but there are a lot of other things. This story is so complexely plotted I had to re-read it and I am thinking of re-reading it again.I especially liked the two evil daughters of the founder of the doomsday cult, Rosaland and Sarah.Even though they are eviland underhanded Farris manages to reveal a softer side to them. I won,t reveal any more but this book was fabulous. I would recommend this to anyone.

I used this book, along with a host of other books, transcripts, articles and recordings of capoeira to complete my undergraduate thesis in anthropology. Regarding an earlier post here, i don't think that Lewis was trying to necessarily undermine the black African origins of capoeira, but rather his experiences with capoeiristas around Brazil led him to focus on the wholly Brazilian cultural aspects (samba, too, is a cultural phenomenon with roots in Africa). While i do belive that his treatment of the African origins of capoeira were sketchy, this is to be expected as the data on capoeira's African origins is not very clear, and to the best of my knowledge is to date a matter of conjecture. The only truth regarding that matter is that capoeira did come from Africa with the (primarily West African) slaves and developed into modern capoeira while in Brazil. This last part, "in Brazil", is something that I stress in the sense that although many Caribbean and South American nations received slaves from the same parts of Africa, only Brazil's slaves and mulattos produced capoeira.

More to the point of this type of entry: the book is a definite must-read for anyone (capoeirista or not) interested in the modern expressions of african diasporan culture.

Yes, I think this book deserves five stars, because it gave me insight; both professional and personal. Training Capoeira for seven years (including two trips to Brazil for the same reason) has taken me to the strange border between two cultures: my own Danish average European socio-historic background, and the Afro-brazilian transcultural vegetation in which Capoeira flourishes. Alouring - and as Lewis notes: deceptive, Capoeira as a performance reveals conflictuality on the Afro-brazilian social and historical level, which differs from the writers own background; in this case quite similar to my case. The task of relating to this difference is met by Ring of Liberation through respect of the ontic 'way' of the capoeirista, and at the same time maintaining an epistemic approach. What this means, is that Ring of Liberation can be read by the intellectual layman as well as the non-brazilian capoeira enthusiast, as a guide to experiences already had or about to happen...great stuff!

I found that this is a VERY true to actual accounts of Capoeira. I've been practising Capoeira myself for a while now, and this book reflex the views that I, and most of my Groups shares. It would seem very one-sided, but you NEED to be a Capoeirista to fully understand the concpts and ideas and history of this book. To me, A VERY GOOD BOOK ON WHAT I BELIEVE

PEACE

THIS IS FARRIS' MOST OFFBEAT WORK,AND,WHILE NOT A TOTAL SUCCESS, IT DOES PROVE HES BEST AT HORROR AND SUSPENSE.THE SCENES WITH THE AXEMAN ARE EXCELLENT,WHILE THE REST OF THE BOOK COMES ACROSS AS EITHER POINTLESS,SURREAL OR DULL.BUT......FARRIS DOES COME THROUGH WITH THE VILLAIN,AND PROVIDES SOME OF THE GORIEST SCENES HES EVER DONE..........THE SOMETIMES CONFUSING PROSE KNOCKS ONE STAR OFF,BUT IVE READ ALL HIS WORKS,AND WHILE I WONT SAY ITS HIS BEST,ITS RIGHT UP THERE WITH''WHEN MICHAEL CALLS'' AND MY FAVORITE,''SHARP PRACTICE''..........IF YOU LIKE JOHN FARRIS[WHO IS EVERY BIT AS GOOD AS STEPHEN KING]......OR LIKE GORE IN THE MICHAEL SLADE STYLE, THAN THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU..........

Nowadays when people think of the 1960s youth culture, they think "American Graffitti" and "Grease", both rather shallow and semi-comic overviews of a time when America really didn't think its youth were particularly funny. Henry Gregor Felsen came closer to the realities of that era, but his best-known books centered on ownership of modified cars. You know--those "little deuce coupes" the Beach Boys sang about. But this culture in those days regarded all youth not depicted on the "Donna Reed Show", "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Leave It To Beaver" as juvenile delinquents--or at least potentially so--the difference from one kid to another was seen as merely one of degree. But this book--which later was adapted for the screen under the title "Because They're Young"--tells a pretty readable tale of a high school football player named Jim, his two teammates Buddy and Buck, his cheerleader girlfriend Ricky--and only one "hoody type"--a troubled kid named Griff who drifts toward crime because of the possible affluence and ego enrichment it can bring. And unlike much of today's fiction about youth, this story does not blur the lines between good and evil. The "good guys" and the "bad guys" are clearly identified in a way that would be seen as narrowminded today. It is clear here that--while this book explains why Griff acts as he does--the "environmental" hypothesis of criminality takes a back seat to the behavioral one. Maybe I'm a bit of a reactionary, but this book makes me nostalgic in more ways than one.

Just looking at the summary of this book, I was already interested. This book kept me interested till the end. It had a surprise in store for me, but even when I figured it out, I was still intersted. Very good suspense. I recommend it for any John Farris fans.

I bought this book after seeing it listed on several "10 Best" lists. And the beginning certainly packs a punch. However, the excitement of the opening scenes is not sustained. The rest of the book drags. In addition, characters are introduced never to be heard or seen again, information is presented but nothing is ever done with it, you are never given anything more than a surface glance at these characters, and nothing is ever truly resolved.

Is the "big bad" of this novel worthy of our fear or our pity? And what about those that helped bring it about? The resolution shuffles to a finish, and is wrapped up in about 25 pages. The rest of the novel discusses plot points that either go nowhere or end up so lackluster that when you finally uncover the mystery it's more of an "oh" than a "oh wow!"

How exactly did the main family of this novel become what it is? There are hints on the book jacket that this family has a secret evil past, but it's never proven. Why exactly did this evil visit this family? It's explained in about two sentences. Those looking for a book with a big payoff should look elsewhere.

Farris' book of voodoo sorcery is an intricately weaved work of plot and subplot. Ostensibly about the cursed lineage of the Bradwins, this book takes you from the plantations of Virginia to the countryside of England to the colonial age jungles of the heart of Africa (places Joe Conrad would not have even stepped foot in). This range of settings, times, and characters, apparently disconnected yet insidiously linked by dark, ancient forces, gives this book an almost Lovecraftian feeling. It is as if these forces can and are affecting each and every individual on this planet, yet we are naively and mercifully unaware of these unseen powers. That is, until those powers wish to make themselves known. This virtual omnipresence is illustrated in one scene where the character of Early Boy is talking to the self confessed voodoo priest. The old man tells Early Boy that voodoo is not primitive superstition or nonsensical sorcery but a sophisticated and very ancient religion predating and even the basis of modern religions. He says that Moses himself learned magic from powerful voodoo masters in the African jungles and therefore pretty much all of Christianity and Judaism is based on voodoo.
Instead of giving us a simple "voodoo men raise demons and other boogeymen with curses" type plot, which is straight out of a B movie, Farris structures the story so that it is believable, frightening, sophisticated, and chilling in its insinuations. Nor is this the type of story that has a predictable plot. You never guess the horror of the first few pages and you will never see the ending coming. Farris also never fails to give us great action throughout the story. A character jumping out of a window sending shards of glass flying is just the norm in this story. And they do get cut. "What do you think this is, a western?" as Early Boy says. Farris not only gives us a masterfully woven plot, he also delievers great action, and a pretty good scary story.

I can't believe this book is out of print. And I can't believe it
hasn't been made into a movie. It's up there in the pantheon of the gods...Lovecraft, Blackwood. I believe I have glimpsed influences on Stephen King and Clive Barker...
esp. "It" and "Galilee."

It's a classic. A smart publisher will bring it back. The public deserves it. Great, great writing...poetry and magic and a riveting story with one of the greatest opening chapters in literature.

An intriguing idea that is over before it even gets started or even gets at what kind of book it's trying to be. The catacombs of the title is the home of an ancient race of advanced beings evolved from lions. Once the masters of Earth, the "Zan" were driven into suspended animation by some unknown calamity. Now their resting place inside the hollow of a mountain in a contemporary African republic has been located, along with a number of fiery diamonds on which the Zan printed the secrets of their civilization. The once heroic revolutionary who now rules the African republic offers the stones to the first super-power willing to trade nuclear weapons for them. (The Zan, we learn, developed a shield to protect Earth from a meteor barrage, though the superpowers believe the shield would work as well against incoming ICBM's) The Americans and the Soviets, too eager to bargain, dispatch their own agents to the distant catacombs where the archeological team assigned slowly realizes that the catacombs aren't quite dormant.

This was a promising idea for a story - parts technothriller, paranormal thriller and Indiana Jones, but it never quite works. The biggest problem is that it takes most of the book for the purported heroes to reach the catacombs - with the book being less about the mysterious catacombs than the travails of land-travel in Africa (imagine watching an episode of the X-Files in which Mulder and Scully spend most of the episode trying to get a rental car). Then there are the characters - I'm not trying to be literary here, but you don't need to be into Henry James to appreciate good character, like "Raiders" without Indiana Jones, or a generic James Bond. There are several characters who seem like they're supposed to be the heroes - a diplomat, the archeologist, an agent - but never get to the forefront or anywhere near it (of course, it doesn't help that there's no story for them to get to). The African dictator is also an interesting figure - a distinguished and respected revolutionary slowly verging into militancy and autocracy (imagine Nelson Mandela slowly morphing into Robert Mugabe). Though he's willing to trade the stones with anybody for nukes, we know he's got one target on his mind - South Africa. The story never makes clear how willing he is to unleash nukes or simply hold them over Preatoria. Of course the biggest hole in the Catacombs are the Catacombs themselves. The author describes them and their inhabitants only briefly, and hints at how advanced the Zan were (a mysterious force preserves everything within - not even milk goes bad) but then seems to ignore them completely. We get barely a glimmer of what the archeologists must have learnt by the time the book starts. What a botch.

Like many novels of the action-thriller type, Catacombs combines a little Indiana Jones, Dirk Pitt, and James Bond to make a story.

A second tier novel that may warrent notice once you have read your fill of other authors.

The suspense is high, and the hope for survival and success is addicting. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. The theoretical aspect of a science fiction thriller shows through the plot. The danger gives you chills. It's both rivetting and consumes all your attention. A must read for all. The best part for me, I found the book in a thrift store. I hadn't any idea what it was about because the jacket was missing. I read a few sentences, and I was hooked.

Long drawn out. Simpleton plot. Unemotional. Cardboard. DULL DULL and double DULL

This was the first John Farris novel I'd read, and I was so impressed, I had to go out and find more of them. More similar in style to Dean Koontz than Stephen King, I was disappointed that there wasn't more by the time I finished the book. Definitely a page-turner. Currently reading "Fiends", we'll see if it's as good :)

John Farris' "The Uninvited" is a fantastic book. It is a psychological suspense which gradually introduces the reader to the characters and the setting but then explodes with horror and suspense within the last few chapters of the book.

Long time novelist Farris wrote this "thriller" in 1981. Twenty years later, it still stands up as good evidence of Farris' skill as a writer. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the resolution of this book, particularly in the relationship between David McNair and Anneliese Girda. The story starts out with the brutal murder of a woman, whose young daughter stumbles upon the aftermath. We find out early on that the murderer is a renowned gentleman named Frank McNair, who just happens to be the hero's father. A deathbed confession prior to a clever suicide sends David off to locate the young girl who witnessed his father's deed. Anneliese is now a clothing designer living in Germany and also being terrorized by a group of terrorists she once belonged to, and feel that she has betrayed them for money. The plot moves along fairly nicely, with some good suspense scenes and some crisp dialogue. However, the ending leaves one wondering why Farris brought these two together; also, Reba McNair's "brilliant" assertation of her philandering husband's mistress seems to come out of nowhere.
Not a bad read, but not one of Mr. Farris' best.