| Title | : | Brain Child |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0553171712 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780553171716 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 342 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1985 |
Alex needs a miracle... Alex Lonsdale was one of the most popular kids in La Paloma. Until the horrifying car accident. Until a brilliant doctor's medical miracle brought him back from the brink of death.
Now Alex has come back... He seems the same. But in his eyes there is a terrible blankness. In his heart there is a coldness. And if his parents, his friends, his girlfriend could see inside his brain, if they could see his dreams, they would be terrified.
Now the people must die... One hundred years ago in La Paloma a terrible deed was done; a cry for vengeance pierced the night. In dark and secret places in La Paloma that evil lives still, that vengeance waits.
Waits for Alex Lonsdale.
Waits for the... Brainchild.
Brain Child Reviews
-
Another typical Saul novel-- ok verging on good, but not great. Saul has a very distinct formula he utilizes for all its worth. A. Small town. B. Family with a teenager. C. Something happens and tears the family apart. In this installment (and I think that is fair) La Paloma is the small town, and the family (the Lonsdales) have a teenage son named Alex. Alex gets involved in a serious car wreck and it technically brain dead. However, a brilliant brain surgeon steps in to save the day. Yet, Alex is quite different when he awakes. Besides memory loss, Alex has no feelings what so ever; he is like a sociopath to the extreme. Yet, he on occasion seems to remember things from long ago, back when La Paloma became basically annexed to the USA in 1848...
To continue on the plot would entail spoilers, so just some comments. The ending had some nice twists (again, as usual for Saul), but the middle of the novel dragged quite a bit. We have our usual 'hysterical' female characters and the coolly logical father. This could have been a very nice novel, but as it stands, it kinda typifies the 80's horror mania-- cool covers with very little to chew on. There are lots of good horror novels from this era, do not get me wrong, but this one is not worth looking for. 2.5 stars. -
Back in 1985 when Brain Child was first published,(I was 18 back then!! Good Grief), I probably would have found this book to be more effective on the scary front, but,reading it today I just found it quite silly.
Using the familiar trope of the popular High School Teenager who is brought back from the dead and now there’s something about him that’s not quite right! Add an ancient curse and cue all kinds of murderous mayhem !
Trashy but entertaining,it also made me nostalgic for all those classic Eighties horror novels I loved back then : Brian Lumley ,James Herbert and of course Guy N Smith! In tribute to him I award Brain Child only just three 🦀🦀🦀😁 -
Me quede pegado desde el inicio, y eso qué sólo lo leí (al principio), porque un amigo me lo recomendó. Me había dicho que era de Terror y Suspenso, pero más allá de eso, me ha encantado como narra el tema puntual (a mi parecer) del libro: la venganza, y además detalla cómo una persona con rencores puede llegar a planear algo tan macabro; y el final, MADRE MÍA WILLY!! Tremendo final, mejor incluso que en las mejores películas. Totalmente recomendable.
-
Hijo de la mente es una historia sobre maldiciones y venganzas en un pueblito de California. Pero también tiene un lugar importante la ciencia y los estudios sobre el cerebro. La Paloma sufre un cambio rotundo después del accidente de Alex y su recuperación. Y todo se remonta a lo pasado el siglo anterior combinado con una venganza personal.
Reseña completa -
Este libro empezó muy bien, al final algo así como al final de dos terceras parte del libro tiene un bajo un tanto pronunciado, el cual es remontado con un evento el cual no podía creer mientras leía, un final un tanto escabroso pero bueno y acorde a toda la novela, muy recomendable.
-
Interesting story! Despite being published in 1985, it wasn't all that dated.
-
Comienza muy chachi con un adolescente que tras sufrir un accidente no tiene emociones y se convierte muy inteligente. Lo que podría ser un asesino perfecto. Pero qué va, continúa la historia de la manera más aburrida.
-
John Saul never disappoints me
-
Compré éste libro hace tres años para una clase de ingles. Se suponía que leeríamos un libro y al finalizar el ciclo daríamos una reseña, sin embargo, nunca llegamos a realizar dicho trabajo. Ahora, después de todo éste tiempo, he leído el libro y estoy aquí para escribir esa reseña.
Me gustó. La historia logro interesarme en muchas ocasiones aunque luego daba giros que me parecían malos, pero bueno, estaba bien. La narración era bipolar: algunas veces era bastante descriptiva e intensa, como debe ser en un libro de terror; y otras veces era más bien sencilla y algo floja. Los diálogos también eran tan buenos cómo malos: algunos personajes, como María Torrer mantenían conversaciones realmente interesantes mientras que otros, como la pareja de policías, me parecían tontos y exasperantes.
Alex, un adolescente popular y carismático, sufre un accidente en su auto que destroza su cerebro, el Dr. Torres está dispuesto a arreglarlo usando los milagros de la tecnología. Alex logra sobrevivir la cirugía pero ahora Alex ha perdido la capacidad de sentir emociones, empieza a escuchar voces en su cabeza y a recordar cosas de hace más de un siglo. Ahora Alex ya no es el mismo. -
Evil doctor with evil plans and an evil experiment...and you know the rest of the story if you've read a John Saul book before.
Nothing new under the sun.
Also, the author is a cheater, he writes a character giving it some thoughts and treats that drastically change towards the end making it seem it was like that since the beginning but it doesn't make any sense since it's supposed to be an omniscent narrator -
This book was a bit different than what John Saul usually writes. I mean, of course, there are crimes and suspense moments, all wrapped in a shroud of mystery but still... I realised by reading this book that, after all, the soul is what makes us human: the experiences we've been through, the emotions we've learned to express. And if something can interfere with our humanity and our empathy towards others is not knowing to forgive and forget.
-
A typical Saul book, and they are great 1980 style horror books.
As with all Saul books, leave yourself a period of time between each one as he is a formula writer.
Fun horror. -
This book was a fairly simple read about a teen who'd gotten into a horrible car accident. After a brain-saving operation is performed, the teen survives. On the surface he appears to be the old Alex Lonsdale that everyone wants him to be, minus feelings. The kid has no feelings at all. And if that isn't creepy enough, he's suddenly a super-genius. He's able to store and recall any information he's given like a computer.
The book is a farely easy read and I was able to breeze through it pretty quickly. I liked it, hence the 3-star rating. There just wasn't anything special about this book that would garner more than 3-stars (for me). There was nothing over the top about it and it was rather predictable. Other than Alex and his father Marsh, I don't remember caring about any of the other charachters. It didn't matter to me if they died or not.
If you're looking for an easy read, or time-filler, this is the book for you. There's no need to think to much. And it does entertain enough, so much so that I didn't want to hurl it at the wall for being a waste of time. -
So this was one of the first John Saul books that I read when I was 15, and at the time it was really groundbreaking in terms of the use of technology. But now, re-reading it, the story loses a bit of it's charm because technology has advanced so far that it doesn't really have the same terror/scary effect now as it did before. The ideas presented are not as far fetched as they once were. The work we are doing with computers and genetics really has come a long way and that dates this book. But the evil factor is still really something to enjoy, and the action is pretty fast paced. An enjoyable read.
-
Alex, a popular high school student, suffers extensive brain damage in a car accident. His parents release what appears to be a brain-dead boy to the care of Dr. Torres, an innovative brain surgeon. Dr. Torres succeeds to the extent that Alex revives, suddenly brilliant but without memory or emotions. Then a seed of evil that stems from an ancient wrong invades Alex's brain, and the question arises: is Dr. Torres a hero or a devil?
The story has a Twilight Zone feel. The viewpoints are many, and the characters are sympathetic, but not so deep as to allow the reader to become overly attached to each. They are, however, realistic, and the ending is logical. This is a riveting read. -
This was another excellent read by John Saul. I enjoy the way the author constructs this story as it is an older book, the technology aspect of this read was fascinating and incredibly creative. This is the second book I read by this author in a little over 24 hours and, with good reason. Once I startb his books I just can't tear myself away. Another reminder why I began to look foward to his books many moons ago. I will definitely be combing the bookstore for more of his books as even after all this time the have not lost their luster.
-
This book picked up a little bit after the brain surgery but overall the plot moved too slowly for my liking. None of the characters were likeable or memorable. When characters were killed toward the end of the book, I wondered to myself, "Who was that?"
Without giving too much away, the moral of this story is be careful who you're rude to in high school-- they may grow up to be influential and hold a grudge.
I give this one star. -
I didn't even finish it. It bored the crap out of me. Very seldom do I not finish a book once I start it but this time I just couldn't finish it. I tried to read the book but I just couldn't do it. It was sooooo bad. Hell the book deserves half a star.
Not really anybody's idea of a good start to the year on reading. No one wants to start their year reading a book that sucks ass...well I did so it can only get better. -
I think I just found a new to me favorite author. This was the first John Saul book I have ever read and LOVED it. This book was about a teenager that got into a really bad accident and had a brain surgery that turned him into someone else. Creepy goodness. I didn't want to sleep until this one was finished.
-
Pretty interesting but at the end led me to think again that there could be a sequel.
-
This was a wonderful book! It threw you in all directions so you didn't know the outcome until the end. I loved it and highly recommend this book!
-
OMG!! What a nightmare! Engrossing and terrifing
-
Loved it!
-
I enjoyed it alot. it was like watching a science fiction movie
-
There isn't that much to be said about John Saul. I mean, I remember coming randomly across him in a second-hand bookstore, (which is how my bullshit personal story to every book I read seems to start), and being mildly captivated by the images on all his books. His titles are pretty lame - (The Unloved!! The Unwanted!! Comes the Blind Fury!! Punish the Sinners!!) - but I couldn't resist the cheesy goosebumps vibe I got from reading the backslaps. No, I said backflaps, you fucking ...
First Saul book I read was Hellfire, because it had a creepy front-cover, and the back said something about a haunted mill in rural America. I read it and ... well, it wasn't exactly awful, but it wasn't anything special either. Were it not for the awesomely unexpected - (and bravely gruesome) - conclusion to the story, I would have forgotten it completely. Next book I read was called Sleepwalk. Fucking, while the writing was an improvement, the story was boring and lame.
That was back in 2012, I suppose. I've not been in any hurry since to read his books. I've sussed him out a little better since then. I realise that he's not an artist in the sense that more prodigious authors like King, Palahniuk, and Straub might be. He's the best definition for pulp fiction that you could find. I’ve only read three of his books now, but I take it their intentions are not to inspire entire generations of readers. They hold no staying power, and that statement is perfectly justified by the fact that you only seem to find this guy in the dusty back corner of any charity shop or used bookstore. I remember two instances in Stephen King’s marvellous study on the genre, Danse Macabre, where he actually insulted John Saul. Like, he made a very homophobic comment. No, I’m just joking, but yeah, John Saul is homosexual. Not that that changes anything, it’s just a bit of trivia which actually makes his work the slightest bit more interesting. He also stands up when he writes, which I found fairly odd, but then again, I’ve tried that and it kind of makes sense. I think your brain is meant to be more active when your standing or some shit.
With John Saul, I always considered him a bit of a James Patterson of the horror genre. But to be honest, that’s really not fair. John Saul spins a much better yarn than James Patterson. Or, at least, he doesn’t rub me the wrong way like that man does. At least Saul actually pens his own goddamned stories. I just remember seeing an interview on YouTube, and I couldn’t take him all that seriously afterward. I got the impression that he regarded writing as more of a lark than an actual passion. He said something like: “I don’t enjoy the process of writing. I just enjoy looking back on a book that I’ve written”. Saying shit like that, I can understand why someone like Stephen King wouldn’t like him. I also noticed his habit of trying to make his books seem longer by wasting as many pages a possible between chapters. Even when he starts his next chapter on a new page already, he still, for some reason, places the chapter title more than halfway down the page. I reckon this book could have been almost twenty-percent shorter if he hadn’t done that.
But all things considered, John Saul is just there for filling time. Don’t read him expecting anything outstanding, something that will change your perceptions on what great literature is. He’s basically just something to read on the shitter.
So now I’ve said my bit on John Saul himself. Let's get to Brain Child in particular.
Again, the title isn’t all that encouraging. Might as well call it “Terror Face” or “Monster Boy” or something. And as usual, John Saul jumps right into his usual formula. Middle-Upper-Class Californian teenagers are the main characters, so if that don’t rock your boat, then perhaps you chose the wrong author. Except Saul does not approach this group with the same acidic wit as someone like Bret Easton Ellis. There’s all the same stereotypes. The protagonist is quiet and attractive, and he probably has an equally attractive girlfriend. There’s the snooty rich girl, who will probably get killed in a way that isn’t supposed to be satisfying but can’t help being so anyway. There’s a lonesome, creepy individual who will serve as the conduit for whatever supernatural events take place. And there might be a mildly-incompetent police officer who does nothing but follow the trail of breadcrumbs. At least there’s no talking dog, or genius baby, or any of that Dean Koontz bullshit to put up with as well.
Looking back, that whole paragraph seems to give a negative vibe. But while this book does have all the staples I hear have been plunged into most of John Saul’s stories, there is still some enjoyment to be had in this novel. The characters, though fairly one-dimensional, are at least not obnoxious. I can’t say my feelings grew for any of them, but the killings that happen later on in the book do get pretty suspenseful when you feel that certain characters don’t deserve to die, regardless of whether they’re that interesting or not.
The story is certainly not scary. None of Saul’s stuff is scary, not matter what the critics try to tell you. But this story was at least serviceable. It had a decent ending, and there was enough bloodshed for me to be satisfied that at least he wasn’t a pussy. I like that he’s willing to kill off anyone. Some might say that’s just a gimmick to make up for lacklustre storytelling and character development, but I don’t know … I’m willing to buy it.
John Saul is basically like a cheeseburger. An analogy like that, isn’t mean or false. But unlike some people, I don’t mind pulling into McDonalds and getting one on the way to work. There are still plenty of fancy restaurants out there, but sometimes it’s nice to just grab a cheeseburger instead.
Just don’t do it too often. -
I was told that I would like this author. But the first book I read by him did not make me want to read anymore of his books. Then I found two of his books cheap at a thrift store and thought let's see if they are better. I was not surprised at how outdated it was in computer terms and medical talk, being as it was wrote in 1985, but I was surprised at the story concept. When I started reading it I was sucked into the Mexican story and the cheeky teen story and all the teen things that happened. However, the events after the accident well they made want to put the book down a few times. There was to much jumping between stories and not much explanation as to what was happening. Then I got to a part that just told me to finish it and have to say it was not the worst ending to a book, but not an oh I want more. By the end I was still confused as to what the true story with the Doctor and the old Mexican days was about, but not in the the I didn't understand how Mr. Saul was trying to make it happen. No more I was confused in the why did he rushed the book so much. This book was setup well to start, but fell flat in story line development. All in all this is a fluff read to break up a busy day...not a book that will keep you on the edge of your sit. Going to read another of his books to see if they get any better, before I call it quits on this author.
-
Well, having been a John Saul fan from the date of the publishing of his first horror novel, Punish The Sinners, I have read and loved every single word that he has written. With this being another one, that I had not read since 1985, I enjoyed the horror and suspense all over again as if experiencing it for the first time. When the story starts, 16 year old Alex Lonsdale is getting ready to attend his first junior prom in La Paloma California and this will start and turn into the night that will change his life and all his friends forever. What will transpire will forever change the way you think what the human mind is capable of. Terror and revenge live in the mind of Dr. Raymonde Torres, the doctor who is a brain specialist, and is the one who takes on Alex's case after suddenly becoming brain dead. What the people of La Paloma will go thru that year is an experience that will long ever forget. Read it..
Look for a video review link soon, from my Youtube Channel AreYouIntoHorror here. -
I enjoyed reading John Saul's "Brain Child" despite it's ridiculous premise and underdeveloped characters. The book reads fast (even for a slow reader like myself). I can overlook flaws better than most people, but a slow moving story drives me mad. If John Saul had dragged this story out for another two hundred pages, I would of lost what's left of my mind.
I wish I had read this book shortly after it was published. Back in the 1980's, I worked as a computer programmer for a bank. I believed that the future of computers was unlimited. I was reading much fantasy and science fiction. I would of adored "Brain Child" then. Now, as 62 year old man, I can see how naive I was.
I award "Brain Child" three and a half stars.
