Fantomas
Flesh Eater
Reged: 01/17/01
Posts: 1157
Loc: Charlotte, NC USA
|
|
First, I will say that there are ***SPOILERS*** in this post, so for those who haven't read it, read on at your own risk (and since this book is almost 15 years old, that probably won't be too many people!)
Anyhow, who here has read this book? I just finished it a couple of nights ago, and I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it is a very good read for the most part. This is the first book I've ever read by Peter Straub (for horror reading, I've always stuck with King) and I found his writing to be good and somewhat abstract and weird at times. But I think he has created a compelling story, and the characters were all great. Okay...now for what I didn't like about the book. For starters, I thought the revelation of who Koko was was predictable (at least for me). I figured that, once it was revealed it wasn't Tim Underhill, there would probably be another swerve in there. So when it was revealed that it was also not Victor Spitalny (which I suspected), I wasn't too shocked. I also was not shocked when I found out it was M.O. Dengler, because, as Flanders once said on The Simpsons, "It's always the one you never suspect." Also, they spend nearly 600 pages chasing Koko, they finally find him and....what? Nothing. He's around for about 20 pages, he escapes, and we never know his fate. That, to me, SUCKED. I was very let down. Why write this whole book about a search for a man when the final discovery of him is a footnote at best? Hell, we never even totally know WHY he took the name "Koko." We get a little bit at the end, but not enough. And they apparently cut people's ears off in Vietnam and put cards in their mouth, but it is never fully explained. Plus, we never know what happened in the cave in Vietnam, which seemed like it was going to be such a big part of the story. We just know these guys entered a cave and.....well, that's all we really know. Anyhow, I don't want to sound too harsh on the book. I did enjoy it, but I guess I feel very let down by how it ended. Too many loose ends. Any thoughts?
|
Messiah
Living Dead
Reged: 09/24/00
Posts: 6419
|
|
Quote:
And they apparently cut people's ears off in Vietnam and put cards in their mouth, but it is never fully explained.
Never read the novel, as Peter Straub and me seem not to get along, but wanted to make a comment about the above quote. I can remember when I was about 12 (1971) and one of the older boys on the block had just returned from a tour in Vietnam. Out of the pictures I remember him showing were shots of him sitting on a pile of corpses eating C-rations and another of him wearing a necklace made of ears. I can also remember him telling about 'the human jewelery' and making a comment about putting a playing card in the victims mouth. Why? That part eludes me.
But I hadn't thought about that for years until I read this post.
--------------------
mes·si·ah a professed or accepted leader of some hope or cause
|
Thunder
Rotting Corpse
Reged: 04/19/02
Posts: 177
Loc: Oslo, Norway
|
|
Sure I read KOKO some years back. I've got no light to shed on the loose ends
or the unresolved situations you are referring to. I remember it as being a
strong novel. Very complex, with lots of brutal scenes in it. Straub's use
of language and the presence KOKO's mindset makes it a novel
that catergorizes as horror fiction. I thought of him as a half human tortured demon
that haunted the pages all the way through. A lot of the atrocities that goes down or
are hinted at also has an authentic feel that makes the nasty bits uncomfortable and
uncompromising to behold. I'd say it's a powerful novel but since it was so layered I can't
frankly remember it in detail so much.
--------------------
"My associate has denied christ
Earthly, heavenly, and hellish.
The only guiding light
To you who rejoice to see blood flow"
-- R. Nattefrost (Lunar Nights)
|
Bart
Risen from the Grave
Reged: 07/17/03
Posts: 307
Loc: Poland - the south of
|
|
This is a truly wonderful horror book! I also had mixed feelings about different parts of the plot while reading it, but eventually I thought that all the loose ends, some unclear scenes and the anticlimax make this novel so hugely refreshing, surprising and bold. Together with all the violence and darkness being the background, and Straub's usual perfect style. 'Koko' stands with 'If You Could See Me Now', 'Shadowland' and 'Ghost Story' as my favourite novel written by Straub and also belongs to a bunch of my favourite horrors ever.
Plus, the loose ends MEET after all, but to see that happen you have to read several short stories by Straub - for instance 'Blue Rose' (from a creepy collection 'Houses Without Doors') goes back to the childhood of one of the characters, one other story I've read describes the cave events (I believe it had '...ghosts...' in the title, but I'm not sure as I don't have it around - only read it in a horror magazine some time ago), and so it goes. So if you feel a bit let down by the ending of 'Koko' do get hold of these stories - they're all very good and only make sense to those who have read 'Koko' so... I guess it's some kind of a reward for staying with Straub until the end of this thick book.
--------------------
Horror, comedy, sci-fi and other stuff at The Cornucopia Board
|
Bart
Risen from the Grave
Reged: 07/17/03
Posts: 307
Loc: Poland - the south of
|
|
I guess this missing Straub title just appeared in the thread about 10 greatest novellas: 'The Ghost Village'.
--------------------
Horror, comedy, sci-fi and other stuff at The Cornucopia Board
|
Fantomas
Flesh Eater
Reged: 01/17/01
Posts: 1157
Loc: Charlotte, NC USA
|
|
Thanks for the info Bart. I'll try and track those stories down.
|
Bart
Risen from the Grave
Reged: 07/17/03
Posts: 307
Loc: Poland - the south of
|
|
Don't mention it! Plus, I read Straub's 'Mystery' several weeks ago and, very delicately, it's also connected with the events described in 'Koko' (Underhill's book is mentioned as slightly distorting the actual murders), and I believe the next book, 'The Throat', completes the trilogy in a way. But I don't know if 'The Throat' EXPLAINS anything from 'Koko' as I haven't read this one yet.
'Mystery' itself is a very compelling read but don't expect 'Koko 2': it's more like an homage to Poe, Conan Doyle and Mark Twain than come back to the Vietnam battlefield. It's not as violent or dark as 'Koko' either, but it holds more surprises for you: I agree that the killer identity was predictable in 'Koko' (I felt exactly as you did: 'What is this Straub thinking? This is supposed to be the final twist???'), and here it's, well, exactly the same, but there are some other things which will make you scream 'How could I not see THAT?' - which is always nice. Have gripping reads!
--------------------
Horror, comedy, sci-fi and other stuff at The Cornucopia Board
|
IronWolfe
Risen from the Grave
Reged: 01/21/02
Posts: 493
Loc: SFV, California
|
|
I've enjoyed most of Straub's work, even the weaker books (Floating Dragon is likely the weakest--though still a good read), and have read Koko a few times. It does become pretty obvious who Koko is, but I never reallly found that detrimental to the read. Ther eis still teh question of finding him, and the bigger question of what pushed him over. Straub's strength, for me, lies in his style, a generally subtle and atmospheric one. An antagonist revealed or sometimes easily guessed (while I do understand that it's disappointing for many readers) has never been a problem for me in Straub's work because of the depth of the characters he builds. Even having guessed--at times easily--who the antagonist is, the tale continues to involve.
I never really minded the loose ends in Koko (or in some of his other books) and not knowing what happened in the cave seemed less important than knowing that something happened in the cave. Loose ends are often a plus to me, becuase they tend to keep me thinking about the book (or the motion picture) in which they hang. Finding the answers in other novels or short stories he's written is always interesting but I've never considered it essential.
The biggest problem I have with Straub is that he tends sometimes to try to force 'happy' endings. The epilogue of Koko just never worked for me and the relationship that blossoms has always rung false. He does the same thing in Ghost Story to some extent, with an epilogue that simply doesn't feel right with the rest of the book.
--------------------
--and Cuchulain fought against the tides--
|
Bart
Risen from the Grave
Reged: 07/17/03
Posts: 307
Loc: Poland - the south of
|
|
IronWolfe - I agree with (almost) everything you think about Straub's books. Loose ends are cool (though tying them in short stories is even cooler), his style is one of the greatest, the easy-to-guess murderer is no longer a nuisance (more of a trademark now - after so many Straubs), and the atmosphere of his novels is uncopiable and unforgettable. I'm just not sure about this endings problem: myself I never thought they're forced; when reading King I'm always afraid of this, of all the important characters surviving the horrors he puts them through (that's why I so enjoyed the characters dropping like flies in the beginning of 'Dreamcatcher'), but with Straub everything seems more natural... maybe 'Floating Dragon' (yeah: probably his worst but still better than most horrors around) strikes some false chords in the ending, but the rest seems OK. To me.
--------------------
Horror, comedy, sci-fi and other stuff at The Cornucopia Board
|
IronWolfe
Risen from the Grave
Reged: 01/21/02
Posts: 493
Loc: SFV, California
|
|
I suppose it's more the 'epilogue' than the conclusion that really feels forced to me in Koko. The whole Michael Poole lives happily ever after with the Asian girl (can't remember her name right off) is what felt forced to me. (In fact the whole relationship, certiainly the amorous part of it, felt like it was shoehorned. As though Poole was his avatar--and no doubt he was--and as such not only does he have to have a hand in conquering the antagonist, but in conquering the girl as well. [And if I read another sex scene with "ooh...you incredible man" from Mister Straub....]). I think he would have done better to simply wrap it up without the epilogue at all.
As to Ghost Story (and this is an end-spoiler so stop here if you haven't read it:
My problem there was that this evil that had been around for perhaps centuries suddenly becomes manageable. I'd still like to see this particular book adapted properly but if it was done, I'd just as soon it be left in the motel room with a question mark. Or no question mark, because in a sense Straub is correct when he writes that Wanderly is setting himself up for the kill. The power in Ghost Story almost always comes in groups, not in the individual. It's the tribe that has power and for an individual to break off from the tribe and so effectively and almost easily manage the antagonist makes that antagonist less powerful and, in doing that, makes the protagonist's victory less effective.
--------------------
--and Cuchulain fought against the tides--
|
Fenril
Rotting Corpse
Reged: 06/25/03
Posts: 367
Loc: Mexico City, Mexico
|
|
Having finally read Koko after years and years of putting it off, I think I'll ressurect this thread to add my own two cents.
I liked it a lot... through I have to say in my opinion this isn't really an horror novel as such. It's one of those books that are shuffled to the "horror" or sometimes "thriller" section because it has certain dark elements in it [a serial killer, a few choice murders here and there, the sugestion of a larger supernatural force at work], but if anything it's a psychological drama with some fantasy elements in it.
It's very much a Straub novel, meaning that if you've read other things by Straub and didn't like them or "thought it could be better" you won't like this one at all. It moves at a snail pace and is character- rather than plot- driven. But it's also quite complex and deeply disturbing if you pause and reflect on all the things it's saying to us...
One thing about the "cave" scene that's been mentioned a lot in this thread... with MAJOR SPOILERS, of course...
...Um, I thought it was pretty clear what happened in the cave: Beevers, Spitalny and Dengler all ran inside the cave and they each SAW something: Beevers saw a group of children lined up to be killed and he shot them all --he was so excited he actually started ejaculating (this is why he then killed a real girl when he came out and why he told the reporters "there are no chlildren in war!"; it's also the reason he kept living in his own fantasy world right to the end: he saw himself victorious because that's what he wanted to see). Spitalny saw a swarm of wasps attacking him (he actually comes out with stings on him, but they dissapear in a few seconds). Dengler saw "Coco" (in this case the character in the Babar book) making the world allright; when he comes out he mentions "Koko" (refering both to the character and the song Underhill mentions at the ending: it refers to destroying your fears by violently attacking them) --this is the earliest clue that Dengler, not Spitalny, is in fact the killer, and is why nobody is surprised when this is confirmed late in the book. It's not intended to be a twist, it's simply the solution to a mystery.
It's pretty clear that there is a supernatural force of shorts at the cave, which explains Koko's ability to become invisible [both Maggie Lah and the stewardess confirm this; it's not entirely on Dengler's mind]
SPOILER END...
I liked the ending, and thought it was appropiate... keeping in mind that the novel isn't about the hunt for Koko, it's about a group of survivors trying to find a reason to live. Or at least that's how I interpreted it.
On I final note, much as I liked this book, I don't think it's Straub's best, through it's definitely a very personal novel for him [it's based on several real-life incidents, by the way]. I though "Julia" and "Ghost story" were better [not to mention scarier --those were actual horror novels].
--------------------
Laurie Birgham took an axe,
gave her husband forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
she gave his girlfriend forty-one.
--Joan Crawford's Strait-jacket
|
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
