Shattered (1973)

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by Dean Koontz



Alex and his young brother-in-law Colin drive cross country to join his new bride in San Francisco, pursued by her psychotic former boyfriend.

 


What a mess this novel is. 



Even though it is such a slim volume (at barely over a hundred pages), it feels terribly padded. 



We are treated to many pages of inane dialogue between our two protagonists as they pass the time during their long drive, which makes them seem very irritating rather than endearing.

 


There is a pointless subplot involving a police officer and a medical examiner whose actions have absolutely no connection to or impact on the main story. 


"In a Nightmare of Madness" (Italian)

                                                   

Although the story happens during the Vietnam War and Alex is presented as a bit of a hippie, the hostile reactions he gets everywhere he goes seem overdone. 


"Harassment" (Spanish)

Finally, despite the brevity of the novel, Koontz doesn't provide closure in the abrupt final scene.


Dean Koontz

"Crackling" (Turkish)

"Shadow" (Finnish)

"The Traces" (German)

"Crushed" (Hungarian)

"Death Lagging Behind" (French)

"Shattered" (Dutch)

"Marked with Death" (Russian)





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