Year: 2010
Pages: 384
Preceded by: Heart-shaped Box (2007)
Publisher: William Morrow
Description (Wikipedia):
Horns is a 2010 Luciferian dark fantasy novel by Joe Hill and is the author's second published novel. The novel also incorporates elements of contemporary fantasy, crime fiction, and Gothic fiction. It employs the third-person omniscient, nonlinear narrative in telling the story of Ig Perrish, who—in the aftermath of his girlfriend Merrin Williams' mysterious rape and murder—awakes one morning to find horns growing from his head and diabolical powers at his command.
Quotes:
"It goes against the American storytelling grain to have someone in a situation he can't get out of, but I think this is very usual in life."
“Love had to count for something. Maybe he could learn to control it, to turn it off, whatever “it” was. Maybe the horns would go away. They had come without warning, why shouldn’t they go the same way?”
"The best way to get even with anyone is to put them in the rearview mirror on your way to something better."
"The devil and woman have been allies against God from the beginning, ever since Satan came to the first man in the form of a snake and whispered to Adam that true happiness was not to be found in prayer but in Eve’s cunt.”
"Only the devil loves humans for what they are and rejoices in their cunning schemes against themselves, their shameless curiosity, their lack of self-control, their impulse to break a rule as soon as they hear tell of it, their willingness to forsake their immortal soul for nookie. The devil knows that only those with the courage to risk their soul for love are entitled to have a soul, even if God does not."
My thoughts:
Horns by Joe Hill is an absolutely phenomenal book, head and shoulders above the (already very good) first Hill's novel - Heart-Shaped Box. I fell in love with the story, which is amazingly captivating from it's very first pages. It's an eerie, disquieting and disturbing read. It will quickly get under your skin and won't let you sleep at night.
I loved the lead character ("Iggy"), he was just so REAL, despite the fact, that he woke up one day to find that he grew a pair of devilish horns overnight. He didn't know how and why he got them. As if it wasn't bad enough to walk around with horns growing out of his skull, Iggy discovered that they had magical powers of the sort that make you want to run away screaming, hide in the deepest cave and never face the world again. Iggy's horns made people tell him his deepest and darkest secrets, things you should never hear...
The construction of the story is simply brilliant. Everything falls into place as you keep on reading and the ending is perfectly satisfying and well thought out. It's enjoyable and oh so easy to read, it's hard to put this book down!
Joe Hill is definitely going on my list of favorite writers :)
My Rating:
8 comments:
This was my first Joe Hill book one thing I know it will not be the last.
I'll shy away from this book. Hehe.
I think I might have to read this...it looks really interesting. I have no clue what'd I'd do if I woke up with horns!
WOW! this is something different,good and sounds like a FANTASTIC read! Thanks for this review.
I've never heard of this book, but the way you describe it (realistic characters, brilliant story construction) makes it sound phenomenal. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this one!
I loved Heart-shaped Box, but this is my first time hearing about Horns. And I have to read this! ASAP!
Thank you very much for the review!
This book is sitting on my bookshelf *runs to pick it up* I bought it like 2 months ago! The title and the cover intrigued me so much! I know now for sure i'll read it and love it!
Another Evie introduced book for me. I like dark and Gothic! And you liked the book, so that is another point in its favor! Thanks for the review, Evie!
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