I struggled to find an appropriate book for this review. After a fall and injury this past March, I have not read an entire book. Five months! My attention span has been nil, so I have concentrated on fan fiction stories and YouTube videos. Hopefully, as summer continues, I will recapture the joy.
So, I decided to go to an old favorite. Watchers by Dean Koontz was published in February 1987 (Am I the only one who still thinks of the eighties only being a few years ago? This book was published 36 years ago! It can realistically start thinking about IRAs and retirement plans!) The story follows the main character of Travis Cornell, a former Delta Force operator. Cornell is struggling with his life, along with depression, cynicism, and loneliness. In short order, he ends up with an extraordinarily smart golden retriever, a beautiful woman, a supernatural being trying to kill the dog, federal agents chasing them, and a Russian assassin. Who has time to be depressed with this much going on?
I enjoy Dean Koontz’s books. He often gets a bad rep in the press – often called a hack or ‘second-rate Stephen King.’ I really don’t understand. I enjoy both authors for different reasons. I know that with a Koontz book, I will laugh and cry, fall in love with a dog, and enjoy a happy ending. This certainty allows me to choose stories based on my mood. If I want angsty horror, I choose King all the way. But some days, I like the comfort of a Koontz story.
Note: This book did result in three movies. I have only watched the first one and it is true 80’s schlock. Have you ever seen one of those ‘so bad it’s good’ movies? In my opinion, this wasn’t one of them. They deviated from the book in several different parts. If I hadn’t read the book and continuously compared the two, it would have been an okay movie. Movies based on books that don’t follow the books are a pet peeve of mine! How about you?
