I really like this author. I cannot exactly determine why, but he touches me. Until lately, I have not known about this book and have not read it (it was first published in 1987). It consists of a combination of humor, romance and horror - a groove thing.

William Kotzwinkle is and always has been an astonishingly talented writer. From the early days of "Swimmer in the Secret Sea" through to this book, Kotzwinkle has gone from genre to genre and strength to strength, apparently without anyone much ever really noticing.

This is a pity. Kotzwinkle deserves to be noticed, and feted, and buried in large denomination bills, for one very simple reason. Kotzwinkle is one of the best and most consistent literary talents that the world has at present, and this book, "THE EXILE" is no exception.

The story is simple enough. (And I will not spoil it here) A major Hollywood film star starts hallucinating. He hates it, and tries to keep it a secret from the people around him. The hallucinations get worse, and more detailed, and soon the fabric of reality itself starts to fray, even by Hollywood standards.

The interesting thing with this book though is the way that a really rather conventional story is treated by the writer. There is practically no blood or violence and no histrionics or "drama." Just the inescapable feeling that the main character is trapped like a bug on flypaper. If Stephen King had written this book, (and he could have) it would have scared the beejeezus out of the average reader, who would then have felt that they had "got good value for money" before promptly forgetting that they had read it. Kotzwinkle's unique voice makes "The Exile" something far greater, and far more rare. "The Exile" is one of those books that will live on in your mind, and continue to deliver that same dreamlike fear years after you have read it.

This book is a good starter to Kotzwinkle's ouvre, and a perfect example of why some books are classics and the vast majority a waste of paper. It isn't the subject matter.

It's the story teller.

Simply magnificent.

This is definetly his best book yet. Dr. Rat is his funniest, but this is his best. The ending is awsome, and an unexpected twist. Definetly five stars!

E.T. is an interesting novel about an extra-terrestrial who gets left behind on earth and needs to find a way home. E.T. is frightened but eventually, he finds a way to contact is family. He needs to get home soon becuase he is dying. This story is exciting! It describes what it would be like if you were left on a different planet without your famiy. If you like stories about extra-terrestrials, you will enjoy this story. It is an individual book as well as surprising. E.T. is a thrilling story!

I was surprised by how good this book was.

In 4: A young girl finds herself gaining the skills of her friends as they are offed by Freddy.

In 5: The main from the fourth finds herself caught in dreams as she is awake. She discovers that Freddy's attempt to take over her unborn child is the cause of this.

Both novels were quick, simple, and surprisingly suspenseful reads. The main character was sypathetic as she discovered that her friends are dying because of her ability to join others in dreams. So, every time she sleeps, Freddy pulls one of her friends into the dream with her and forces her to watch as they die. Freddy fans will find this an enjoyable read, as will others. The writting is obviously intended for a teenage audience. This is surprising because of the inclusion of swearing in the novel. Heck, the first paragraph of part 5 details a sex scene between two teenagers. This is not too bad, though, so I will still recomend this read to anyone who can find the book.