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dnurse64 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dnurse64 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/29/2009 at 3:34am
Originally posted by dnurse64 dnurse64 wrote:

SPOILERS:
**************************


I'm happy for you that you enjoyed reading it!

The book doesn't really go into the origin of the agency. Zazu Waxx does give info that the agency has access to the "unlimited funds of the federal treasury." I'm taking that it goes at least 50 years back when she was discussing the "new science of designing culture" and the "post humanity movement." It would make sense that she raised her son to be a critic just for this purpose of fixing what she sees as wrong with culture. She wants it to stay on track with the vision of Rousseau and she admires Shelly, Marx, Freud, Neitzsche, Tolstoy, Bertrand Russell and Sartre. Cubby states that although these people may be geniuses they "were madmen. And their contributions to the world were...irrationality, chaos, excuses for mass murder." But Zazu believes and tells Cubby that "They form the opinions of the elite ruling classes. Then artists and writers must, with their work, carry the message of their superiors to the masses. Which you have not done, Mr. Greenwich." I thought that she raised Shearman to help destroy artists like Cubby who are opposite of her vision and philosophy for the world. She also states before she dies that there are 12,000 members of the agency.

The ending wasn't too abrupt for me. I'm up for a quick ending even with loose ends. The idea that the agency still exists and Cubby's family has to go into hiding flows into the idea of the last paragraph of the book. The last paragraph leaves us with the thought that although evil is relentless, people like Shearman Waxx are not. Because love, friendship, family, faith, the human spirit, the human heart, and time are also relentless and these will win out in the end.

How about how Shearman Waxx died!? That was abrupt and unexpected for me. Justice is served in an ironic way.


I don't think it was "dumb downed" at all. Have either of you read about the philosophy of these guys that the Waxx group followed? If so, you can see how the entire book from beginning to end was built up around this idealism for the villians. Not just thrown in at the end. I can understand the book not being something you personally enjoyed but I think your missing some of points. I think DK's choices worked well. The kid was really cool. I love to read about genius kids especially how DK writes them. No, not a dumb book. I don't need a checklist of points to be covered at the end and explained to me either like the salt shaker. I loved the way it was played out and not because I'm too dumb to understand if DK decided to explain it, which he could've if he wanted to go that way. Not laziness, just a cool choice that was funny and made the scenes.
I'm inclined to believe in parallel worlds filled with dark bound Snow and Odd adventures.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FinalExam Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/29/2009 at 4:55am
I respect that you enjoyed it, but to me it was more proof that Koontz does not write a story that pleases or satisfies me anymore. He obviously still has an audience out there, and more power to him, I'm just not that audience anymore.
We are not strangers to ourselves, we only try to be. --Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote masha99 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/31/2009 at 4:44pm
I agree with dnurse.This book raises some important philosophical points about art and culture. It takes an idea of "art is a weapon of ideology" and sees it to a logical conclusion. Certain views of art and culture will inevitably lead to chaos,destruction and violence. DK has brought this up before in Velocity, so the theme is not new to him.

Genius kids normally annoy me, but here the child is a symbol of hope for the future, so in the end I was happy he was very special. Also, it was refreshing to see parents who clearly have no clue on how to deal with their smart child, instead of the "perfect" parents in DK other books like for example Mr. Murder.

The villian getting killed quickly and easily is also one of DK trademaks. While it's not for everyone, I think it makes the point of evil being ultimately unimportant and not all-powerful.   
Maybe all you've got is what you get to... -- Brad Cotter
Pity for the guilty is treason to the innocent -- Ayn Rand/Terry Goodkind
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FinalExam Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/31/2009 at 11:50pm
Koontz's philisophical statements are taking over his books and eclipsing the stories now, in my opinion. And he presents these things in such over the top and ham-handed ways that there's no subtlty or artistry to them. Again, just my opinion. And what some call a "trademark" I call a "rut." If you do something every time I believe your writing becomes stale and you're not growing as a writer. Just my take on it.
We are not strangers to ourselves, we only try to be. --Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote masha99 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/01/2009 at 2:25am
Not to steer away from themain topic, but I just finished my re-read of The Fountainhead and I wonder if DK took some inspiration for Shearman Waxx from the critics in that book. I mean, if The Fountainhead was written today, by a writer with modern sensibilities, a character like Ellsworth Toohey would probably act through violence rather than manipulation to achieve his results.

By the way, withpatience, which Goodkind book were you reading? I haven't seen you post in the Goodkind thread.
Maybe all you've got is what you get to... -- Brad Cotter
Pity for the guilty is treason to the innocent -- Ayn Rand/Terry Goodkind
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