dragonfire88's Full Review: Dean R. Koontz - False Memory
A few years ago I was telling a friend about a book I had just read and really enjoyed. He told me that the plot sounded similar to some books by Dean Koontz, and suggested I try some of his books since I liked the book I was talking about so much. Armed with the titles of a few books - my friend gave me a list of some of his favorites - I headed to the library. I got four books by Koontz that day. That was on January 4, 1999. I was hooked immediately and started reading every Koontz book I could get my hands on. After a few months, I had read twenty of his books, and I even owned a few. Now, of the books that are still in print by Koontz, I have read all but three or four. I have no idea how many are out of print, but there are a lot of them. I still hope that more of those older books will be reissued. Some of his other earlier books have been reissued, and when they were, Koontz updated and redid parts of the books. I now own several of his books. I have read many of them more than once. If I go for a long time without reading one of his books, I go into Koontz withdraw. Then I have to either go out and get one of the few I haven't read, or re read one of my collection. I am truly addicted to his books. Recently, I started to suffer from an attack of Koontz withdraw. So into my collection of books I went, and pulled out this one.
False Memory is very long - 627 pages - and complex. At first, it appears that there are several different subplots going on that aren't related. As the book unfolds, the subplots come together. The first several chapters jump back and forth between some characters, so it can be a little confusing at first, until you figure out exactly who is who.
False Memory was originally released in hardback format, which is what I have. It is now available in paperback. Dean Koontz’s books are in the fiction section of my local bookstore. I have seen them in that area in other bookstores as well.
When the book begins, Martine Rhodes (Martie) is having a bad morning. She used her husband’s shampoo, dooming herself to a bad hair day, drank nasty tasting juice, and found a colony of ants had set up residence. This is a Tuesday morning, a day when Martie has something to do. Before she leaves, she takes the dog, Valet, for his morning walk. Valet is a playful, gentle dog, that is scared of loud noises. And he likes privacy when he does his business. During the walk, Martie gets a feeling of danger. She thinks someone is walking up behind her, but no one is there. Then she realizes she was afraid of her shadow. She knows that doesn’t make sense, but she is afraid. After a minute or two, she snaps out of it and starts back for home. She thinks about a video game she is designing based on The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Once back at the house, Martie is getting ready to leave to take her friend Susan Jagger to therapy. Susan has agoraphobia, a fear of open spaces. She is terrified of leaving her home. Martie has another strange experience before she leaves. She goes into the bathroom, intending to check her hair in the mirror. She is afraid to look in the mirror. She is convinced she will see something horrible in it. It takes her several minutes to regain her composure, but she keeps from looking in the mirror.
Dusty Rhodes is Martie’s husband. He owns a house painting business. He arrives at the job site to find Skeet on the roof of the house. Skeet is planning to jump. He says the angel of death is sitting next to him. The angel told him what it is like on the other side and wants him to jump. Skeet is Dusty’s younger half brother. Skeet is messed up and has been for a long time. He has been in and out of rehab in the past. After convincing the neighborhood security not to call the police, Dusty climbs up on the roof - even though he is afraid of heights - to talk Skeet down. Ned the crew foreman puts some mattresses down on the ground, trying to make a safe place for Skeet to land should he still jump. Ned is acting like he is really ticked off with Skeet. Dusty talks to Skeet, but doesn’t get through. Skeet takes of running for the edge of the roof.
Martie and Susan have been best friend since childhood. Susan developed agoraphobia about a year and a half before the book begins. She goes to therapy twice a week and Martie takes her. Susan is married to a man named Eric, but they have been separated for over a year. He couldn’t deal with her agoraphobia. Dr. Mark Ahriman (I don’t believe that last name didn’t set my spell checker off) is Susan’s psychiatrist. He is a renowned psychiatrist and has written several best selling books. Susan never wants to leave the house to go to therapy. The two women have a ritual they go through, Susan making up reasons why she can’t go, and Martie being firm and making Susan go. During the day, Martie becomes focused on some objects, thinking how dangerous they are and how they can be used as weapons. She continues to avoid looking in mirrors.
Susan feels comfortable at Dr. Ahriman’s office, but that feeling doesn’t last. The two women eat together and play cards after returning from the therapy. Before Martie leaves, Susan tells her something - no I’m not going to say what. You have to read the book to find out - and Martie promises to think about that and call her later. After she leaves, Martie starts having attacks. Her mind fills with horrible, violent images. She begins to think that she is capable of doing these things. She is afraid she might black out and do something horrible to someone, possible to Dusty. She is terrified of what she might do.
Dusty takes Skeet to the New Life Clinic for rehab. Skeet had been there once before, several months before. After taking Skeet to the clinic, Dusty stops at home and finds that the mirror in the downstairs bathroom is broken. He cleans up the glass and then heads to Skeet’s apartment, taking Valet with him. He gathers up some of Skeet’s stuff. In the kitchen, Dusty finds some pages, full of one name over and over. Back at the clinic, Dusty asks Skeet about the name and gets a strange response. That is all I am saying about that. You have to read the book to find out exactly how Skeet reacts.
Martie is becoming overcome with the fear of what she could do with everyday harmless objects, like her car key or fingernails. She is afraid there is something seriously wrong with her and she sets up an appointment with her doctor for the next morning. She is also worried about what Susan told her. Once she returns home, she is overcome with the fear of what she might do. She becomes convinced that the house is full of weapons and she must get rid of them. She starts throwing out everything she thinks could be a weapon - knives, scissors, rolling pin, wine bottles, butter knives, forks, and many other common household items. Then she goes into the garage and starts destroying tools, first smashing some with a sledgehammer, and then using a saw on other tools. She is in the garage, doing this when Dusty returns home. She runs, convinced she will do something to hurt him.
Dusty returns home after a very bad day, hoping to take Martie out for a relaxing dinner, only to find her acting crazed in the garage. She runs from him into the house, all the time telling him to stay away from her. He isn’t scared of her. He doesn’t think she will do anything to hurt him. Instead, he is afraid there is something really wrong with Martie. He is able to get her calmed down. He puts things back in the kitchen and fixes dinner.
That night, she has a horrible nightmare, full of violent images. Dusty also has a nightmare, one he has had before. He tries to analyze his dream, and figure out what is happening with Martie. He also realizes he had a somewhat strange occurrence that day as well. The next morning, he takes her to the doctor. That afternoon, she is able to get in to see Dr. Ahriman. He says Martie has developed autophobia, fear of herself. Martie feels better after talking to the doctor, knowing what is wrong. She continues to have attacks. By that evening, Dusty has pieced together what is going on. No, I’m not telling. If you want to know, you have to read the book. More happens after this. Dusty and Martie try to track down proof for what Dusty thinks has happened. The reader will actually know what is going on before Dusty figures it out.
I haven’t included any spoilers in the plot description. There is still a lot more that happens in the book, and I have left out a lot from what I did tell. It is a long book, so there is a lot going on. For the most part, I just included information from the book jacket, only with some more details, and a few other minor events.
False Memory is a wonderful well written book. I have read it three times now and I still love it. This is one of Koontz’s longer books at 627 pages. Like some of his other books, False Memory covers only three or four days (I can’t remember for sure now, it’s late.) There are a lot of details and descriptions in the book, which made the characters come to life for me. I came to really like most of the characters, and really hate the villain - yes there is a villain, but I’m not saying who it is. There are a also a few minor characters who aren’t too nice either. A lot of things happen over the few days the book covers. The book moves at a fairly fast pace, but not so fast that it is hard to keep up with what is going on.
There are elements of False Memory that are similar to some of Koontz’s other books, but the book is different and unique, not just a retelling of one of his other books. I’m not going to mention which book (or books) this one is similar to because that would give away too much.
False Memory is a book about fear. Two characters have severe phobias. I think that makes this book easier to relate to than some of Koontz’s other books because so many people do have some kind of phobia, and not to many people encounter some of the monsters or situations that show up in his other books. I have a few phobias myself. I am afraid of heights. It isn’t severe, I can deal with heights if I have to - just tonight I was climbing up a ladder to put out Halloween decorations - but I don’t like them. My fear of heights doesn’t dominate my life like Susan’s agoraphobia does. I am also terrified of snakes. I have no idea why I feel that way since I have never actually encountered one or had one attack me, but they terrify me. I can’t even handle seeing them in movies or seeing pictures of them. That fear doesn’t dominate my life either, but I will avoid certain movies if I know ahead of time that there will be a snake in it.
Just the thought of having a severe phobia like Susan has is scary. Susan is terrified to leave her home for any reason. She does go to therapy, but only because Martie makes her go. Her life changed completely after she developed agoraphobia. She had to quit her job as a real estate agent and her marriage fell apart. Her agoraphobia gets so bad that she can’t even look out a window during the day.
Martie’s autophobia looks like it is taking control of her life too. She can’t function when she is seeing the violent images in her head. Because of the images she was seeing, she tried to throw out any thing that could possibly be a weapon. Susan has her phobia when the book starts, but Martie develops hers during the book. The reader sees how Martie’s phobia develops and how it effects her. The way Martie was acting as a result of the phobia was scary. Even the way she looked when destrying things in the garage was scary. Before I read this book, I had never heard of autophobia, so of course, I had no idea what it was. From reading the book jacket, I thought Martie was scared of her shadow and scared to look in a mirror. It was only by reading the book that I learned that a person with autophobia actually fears that they will hurt someone else, or themselves.
I think False Memory is a scary book. It is a psychological thriller. There are no monsters jumping out of closets attacking people, but it is very scary to me. I have read many Dean Koontz books, and most have been scary. I think False Memory is one of the scariest because I think what happens in the book could happen. I don’t just mean people having phobias. There is more going on in this book, related to the villain, that I think could happen. I certainly hope there is no one that is twisted enough to do what the villain does in this book, but I think it could happen. I think it is more likely to happen than some of the things that happen in other books by Dean Koontz. Like Dragonfire for example. That is a very good, suspenseful, scary book, but you know what happens in it would never happen. What happens in False Memory could happen. It is believable, at least to me. I have heard that other people don’t think the book is believable. What happens is far from normal, but it is done by a real person, not some sort of weird monster.
I did figure out a few things before they were told, but False Memory isn’t predictable. At least it wasn’t for me. There are clues here and there in the book to help the reader figure out what is going on. A few are more obvious, but there are some subtle ones too. I missed some the first time or two I read the book. I actually just picked up on one for the first time when I read the book this time.
There is something else about False Memory that is scary to me, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the plot. When Dusty and Martie were looking for proof of what they figured out was going on, they take a trip to talk to some people. They fly. The airplane ride is not what was scary. They think their lives are in danger by this point on the book, and they take a gun with them. They get the gun past security, and on the plane in their carry on luggage. It is told in the book how they got the gun through security. I have read other books where this is also described, and I have seen movies where it is shown. If an author and movie makers knows how this can be done, then all the crazies out there in the world know how to do it too. And in light of the recent tragedies, the fact that it seems to be common knowledge on how to get a weapon on a plane is terrifying. I was actually in the middle of re reading this book on September 11. When I went to bed on the 10th, I only had about 60 pages left. When I woke up on the 11th and saw what happened, I lost all interest in finishing the book. The description of the gun getting on the plane bothered me before - this information really doesn’t need to be put out there - it downright terrifies me now. It was days before I could even pick up this book again, let alone read it. That part of the book could be very upsetting to other people now too. I do still think False Memory is a good book, but that part is very upsetting.
Dusty and Martie are the main characters in False Memory. Both of them are well developed. Much is learned about them during the course of the book. Skeet is in a lot of the book and he is well developed. Through out the book, more is learned about Skeet’s past. Things from his past help explain why he is the way he is now. Martie’s mom is mentioned a few times, and Dusty and Martie talk on the phone with her once. Not a lot is known about her mother, but that is ok since she isn’t in much of the book.
Dusty’s mom, his step dad (her fourth husband) and step brother show up briefly. These are not nice people, and the step brother is a bit unbalanced I think. He is obsessed with death. The step father is a pompous, arrogant jerk. Their mother is..I don’t know how to describe her. You have to read it to see how she is. Having her for a mother is a big reason why Skeet is so messed up. A little is mentioned about Dusty’s dad and Skeet’s dad - they have different fathers.
CHARACTERS
Martie Rhodes - She is married to Dusty. She is a video game designer and her current project is working on making a game based on The Lord of the Rings. She takes her best friend to therapy twice a week. She is very close to her friend, and cares greatly for her, but the trips are trying for Martie. She starts to experience some strange symptoms. She is afraid of her shadow, and afraid to look in a mirror. Then she starts having horrible violent images run through her mind. She is afraid of what she might do. She is diagnosed with autophobia. She loves her husband very much. She is close to Skeet. She is determined to figure out what is going on with her.
Dusty Rhodes - Martie’s husband. He is a house painter and owns his own business. He dropped out of college, but he is very intelligent. He has an eidetic and audile memory. He remembers everything. Because he is a house painter, the villain underestimates him. He loves his wife very much. He isn’t scared of her when she starts acting strange, but he is scared for what may be wrong with her. He doesn’t have a close relationship with his mother or step father. His birth name is Woodrow, and he had his names legally changed to Dustin years before. He is very close to his half brother Skeet. He experiences something strange also. He figures out what is going on. He is a kind, loving man towards Martie, Valet, and Skeet. He is loyal to them and wants to protect him.
Skeet Caulfield - Dusty’s half brother. He is a kind man, but he is very messed up. He has been addicted to drugs, and when the book begins, he tries to kill himself. He is very close to Dusty and Martie. He is not close to his mother, father, or step father. He did find out that his father lied about his past, and had his name legally changed to Holden Caulfield years ago. Skeet’s real name is Holden Caulfield jr., but he goes by Skeet. Things from his childhood and past are learned during the book, and those things help explain why he is so messed up.
Susan Jagger - Martie’s best friend. They have been friends since childhood. She was a very successful real estate agent before she developed agoraphobia and had to quit. Her husband moved out a few months after she developed the phobia. Martie takes her to therapy twice a week. It is very hard for her to go to therapy because of her condition. She tries to get out of going, but Martie makes her go. Susan thinks something else, something very strange is happening. She tells Martie her suspicion.
Dr. Mark Ahriman - Susan’s psychiatrist. He has been treating her since she first developed agoraphobia. He is a popular psychiatrist. He has had some high profile cases, and he has helped some people with other extreme phobias. He has written several best selling books.
False Memory is a wonderful book. It is one of my favorite books by Dean Koontz. Anyone who likes Dean Koontz should like this book. People who like thrillers should like this book. Koontz books aren’t for everyone. They are too strange and out there for some, but this one isn’t as strange as some of his other books.
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