Mr. X

1999 winner Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement

2001 August Derleth Award Nominee

I gotta be honest with you readers, I probably would have DNF'ed this book if it had not been a Stoker Award winner, and I have made a solemn oath to get this self imposed challenge completed. That challenge being to read all the Bram Stoker award winning novels.

I really did not see where this book was going in the first 100-150 pages. I'm sorry, but I am like a trained monkey that bites the face off their owner when asked to do too many tricks in a row. I need a hook to catch me to a book, and this book was giving me gleaming monkey eyes and a jaw that was flexing. But then all of a sudden, I found myself hooked. I don't know how Peter Straub did it, but all of a sudden I liked Ned Dunsten and his cast of wacky family members.

It also helps that although I'm not particularly a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, I tend to enjoy stories inspired by the problematic author. Mr Straub was able to weave Mr. Lovecraft's works into his own in an organic matter.

I'm ever so grateful my OCD would not allow a Stoker Novel to go unread.