|
|
|
|
|
|
Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1)
written by Charlaine Harris
Studio : Ace Books
by Ace Books
Release Date : 2001-05-01
Publisher : Ace Books
Released : 2001-05-01
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780441008537
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 292 reviews)
List Price : $7.99
Our Price : $3.62
|
|
| |
|
Book Description |
Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....
Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.
A fun, fast, funny, and wonderfully intriguing blend of vampire and mystery that's hard to put down, and should not be missed. (Susan Sizemore)
Praise for Charlaine Harris:
Harris writes neatly and with assurance. (New York Times Book Review)
An author of rare talents. (Publishers Weekly) |
| |
|
| |
|
Sneaky entry into the romance genre |
I'd read an article about Alan Ball (the creator of "Six Feet Under") who's creating a series for HBO based on these novels. The concept of the vampires being mainstreamed into society and a protagonist who struggles with a telepathic disability (she can read minds but wishes she couldn't) was very intriguing, so I downloaded the book to my Kindle. The writing is certainly not literature, but it grabs you and pulls you along and makes for a very fast and amusing read.
I'm giving it only three stars because it turns into a romance novel and it's a bit trashy. There are quite a few sex scenes and they are prolonged and quite descriptive. I wouldn't quite call it porn, but it certainly made me uncomfortable. It's funny, too, because I think the main character, Sookie, would be embarrassed herself by the descriptions of what she would consider "private." It's also interesting that the author looks like the plump, fun, middle-aged woman at church who brings the best lemon meringue pie to the pot luck.
If you don't mind such scenes and like the romance genre where the spunky woman loves being dominated by the men, and can get into a little mystery and fantasy, then this book is for you. It is an intriguing mix. But If you like more elevated prose, prefer mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie, and despise the romance genre, then give this one a skip. |
| |
|
First Book of this kind I've read!! |
|
Grabs you from the beginning and you can't put it down! I have since ordered the rest of the series! Shared the first one with my friend and she is pushing me to finish the next book in the series because she can't wait to get her hands on it. Never read this venue before but this is a great book! Escapism I call it. Just poor fiction and gets your mind of the troubles of today! If you need a good read and plain old escape from life....this is your book! |
| |
|
Couldn't finish it - just too boring |
I bought this book because of all the 5 star reviews. Those people must have read a different book. If there are those out there who thought this book was that good they'd be blown away by a good author's vampire stories...like J.R. Ward for example.
I kept thinking it was going to pick up but it never did. The vampire was the most boring of all the characters. Everything was so....flat.
I honestly do not understand how something like this can get published. I finally gave up on it before half way. |
| |
|
I was charmed. |
Sookie Stackhouse is your average southern gal. She's a waitress and loves her job, she lives with her grandma, goes to church and doesn't swear; she tells her brother he's being an idiot when he's being one, she's as pretty as a belle and stays out of any and all trouble. She's a nice girl optimist with a quickfire temper with no prospects.
She can also pick up on people's errant thoughts and read them if she really needs too. Mostly, she stays out of other people's heads.
Then she meets Bill Compton, a very old, very worldy vampire (circa Civil War) who wants to 'mainstream' and live among the humans. She also can't hear a word he's thinking and it's love at first silence. But just as Sookie is finding the man she's been waiting for her whole life, a series of ghastly murders disrupts the peace and they all have similiar backgrounds with Sookie. To add to the woes, Sookie's life is turned upside down completely and Bill's not-so-clean-cut friends begin to cause hell and havoc, fueling fire to the anti-vampire undertone that is as dangerous as the murderer that may be aiming for Sookie herself. In this small southern town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, there are more things that are going bump-clatter-roll in the night than Sookie ever imagined.
For a vampire mystery novel, it had creativity, lively writing with wit and humor, and interesting characters in a world that is as palpable as though it could really be. The mystery element was well woven, if not a but drawn out with the who-done-it reveal that was a bit random. Also, the inherent violence and horror element in this seemingly charming book is the real shocker. All of which is done very vividly yet without the over melodrama that most try to do, just for effect. Harris balances this well with Sookie's wonderful perspective.
However, it's slow going, even with its several violent scenes and well done surprises--Sookie gets to be a very busy girl. It had a consistent steady flow, trot-like in its pacing that many might find frustrating. You won't really get through it in one sitting, but it's one of those books you savor, because it requires more thought and attention to the details.
Sookie is quirky yet fiesty and she had a wonderfully rich personae that is memorable and well developed. The romance that blooms unexpectedly is both sweet and steamy, done just right. Sookie's world is narrow but intimate and not overly complicated by the vampire society, yet. Which was smart because a lot of stuff happens.
Because it's strictly from her pov, other chracters, while well written and not badly developed, seemed, at times, vague and distant, just not fully fleshed out. I didn't mind that with Bill, because who wants a full reveal in the first of the story? Where's the fun and mystery in that, eh? I trust Harris to divulge Bill's mysteries and secrts in due time, and I can't wait to find them out!
Also. There were some instances in dialogue or description that was...not clear, and even confusing. A few things were casually or oliquely conveyed, and left hanging and not clarified. Like, they were inside jokes or something. Which makes me think southerners might understand a little better. I didn't mind per se, but it got a little annoying though it doesn't slow down the plotting in any way, but it's hard to not notice.
Overall, well worth the read and a keeper. And it has a very nostaligic feel to it, a la Anita Blake but with humor. So don't let the slow pace of the book deter you, it worth the read. |
| |
|
So far so good |
|
I really enjoyed this book. I was very much into the author's take on vampires. I liked that it was a healthy mixture of fun, funny, light, dark, serious, and action. Can't wait to read the rest of this series. |
| |
|
|
|
