Odd Thomas, (Chapters 14-27)

There are many reasons why reading a Dean Koontz book is enjoyable.  The most obvious is the “horror story” factor, for which writers like Koontz, Stephen King and others are unfairly characterized as one-dimensional.  Koontz actually uses the horror factor rather sparingly - most of the “monsters” in his works are of the human type.  Sometimes he is content to simply creep you out; and he does this very well.  The effect can be as abrupt and as chilling as waking up from a particularly creepy dream.  Odd’s realization that Bob Robertson – Fungus Man – is not only on to him, but actively stalking him, comes as much of a shock to us as it does to him.  To look out a window and see the antagonist standing out at the street staring in your direction is tinglingly creepy. 

It occurs to me that one of the reasons I would have liked a young John Cusack in the role of Odd Thomas is that his humorous line delivery often has a very effective deadpan quality, delivered without an apparent attempt to be funny.  The lines in the book would frequently best be given without cracking a smile, spoken in apparent earnestness. This could be reading too much into the character, but I would bet that Koontz would agree.  I’m hoping Yelchin’s performance in the movie reflects this style, but I won’t be more than a little disappointed or surprised if it doesn’t. 

We finally get to know Stormy, the love of Odd Thomas’ life in this section of the book, and she’s everything he says she is.  The casual conversations between the two are superb examples of what I believe to be this author’s greatest strength as a writer.  'As I turned left into the street, she said, “Let’s stop by my place first, so I can get my pistol.”  “That’s a home-defense gun.  You’re not licensed to carry.”  “I’m not licensed to breath, either, but I do it anyway.”  “No gun,” I insisted.  “We’ll just cruise and see what happens.”  “Why’re you afraid of guns?”  “They go bang.”  “And why is that a question you always avoid answering?”  “I don’t always avoid answering it.”  “Why are you afraid of guns?” she persisted.  “I was probably shot to death in a past life.”  “You don’t believe in reincarnation.”  “I don’t believe in taxes, either, but I pay them.”  “Why are you afraid of guns?”  … I can be stupid.  As soon as I spoke, I regretted my words: “Why’re you afraid of sex?”' 

Any male who’s been in a relationship can tell you what her reaction was.  But, with real depth of character – and character development – Stormy eventually apologizes: ‘”I’m sorry, Oddie.  That was my fault.”  “It wasn’t your fault.  I’m an idiot.”  “I pushed you into a corner about why you’re afraid of guns, and when I kept pushing, you pushed back.”  And now any male who’s been in a relationship can see why Odd is so much in love with this lady.

 

There are strategically placed hints throughout the text that this sequence of events is not going to end well.  The narrator, Odd, has made it clear that he was prodded into telling this story and that is it a painful experience for him.  ‘Having somewhat calmed her nerves and partly settled her fears, I felt quite manly ... I was the worst kind of fool.  When I look back on that August night, changed forever by all my wounds and all my suffering, that undamaged Odd Thomas seems like a different human being from me, immeasurably more confident than I am now, still able to hope, but not as wise, and I mourn for him.’  Wow; call me crazy, impressionable, anything you like, but I’ll stack this man’s depth of prose against any writer who ever lived.




Next week's chapters: 28-47.