The Hollow Man (original 1992; edition 1993)

http://speculiction.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-of-hollow-man-by-dan-simmons.htm... ( )

I was torn in two by this book. Half of it – the half dealing with perception and parallel worlds and whether there’s life after death – I really liked. But the other half really turned me off, and not just because it was, in some parts, so totally disgusting. You see, the actual events of the book – rather than the flashbacks – are supposed to represent one man’s descent into metaphorical hell and rise back out after the death of his wife. This man also has the ability to read other peoples’ thoughts, but his wife was the only person with whom he could communicate back and forth telepathically, so after her death, he is exposed to the darkest thoughts that people hide, because he is in the dark himself. Okay, it’s a very nice concept – it just wasn’t executed very well. The hellish events that the man goes through – escaping from New York mobsters in Florida and Vegas, living on the streets in Denver, working for a female serial killer who tries to kill him with a special set of razor-blade dentures – are just so unbelievable that they become laughable, and the whole carefully constructed metaphor falls apart. But on the other hand, the flashback scenes and the theories about perception and parallel worlds (and I’m sure you’re wondering how all that fits into the plot) are intriguing and very believable, and the scene at Disney World is wonderful. So I can only just barely recommend this book, but my recommendation has to be lukewarm at best. ( )

It takes a different kind of book all together to be intellectually interesting, heart breaking and horrifying all at once. I am so appreciative of this book and Dan Simmons.

Couldn't put it down. This rarely happens.
I read this book in a little over 2 days - the story, structure and language are captivating and sweeping.
That said, it is a sad story, full of pain, sadness and violence. A little too much of the latter to my taste, but it would not be as optimistic and heartwarming without it as a counterpart.
As opposed to other Simmons novels, this is very short, and even the structure of language is simpler and easier in terms of flow and rhythm.
All-in-all a very good read, including all of the familiar Simmons elements from the world of Math and Science, delivered in a masterful way. ( )

I read this book in two days and only put it down for eating, sleeping and going to work. It has a lot of merits. The literary capabilities of Dan Simmons are far above what we are usally treated to in Science Fiction. He can really tell a story. Most characters in the story are well developed and the progression of the story is fast paced and well told.

Jeremy Bremer is a telepath. He can read the random thoughts of normal people and shares what is called "mind touch" with his wife of 5 years. This means that they can share every single thought, memory and emotion they experience. In the opening chapter Jeremys wife dies. None of them has ever encountered any other telepaths and he feels totally alone. He abandons his pervious life and begins on a downward spiral, that brings him into more and more sinester parts of America.

The "mind touch" with his wife served as a shield against the mental background noise of "normal people", that Jeremy thinks of as "neuro-babble". When she dies the neuro-babble rises to to a level where it is painfull for Jeremy to be near too many people. Fleeing society it becomes clear, that Jeremy has become tuned into the darkest wavelengths of human thinking. He is not hearing the neurobabble of ordinary people. He is hearing and beeing drawn in by the dark thoughts of some of the most disturbed people in America.

If I had ratede this book on the night of having finished reading it, I would have given it five stars. Having given it a bit more thought I find that there are a few reasons, that it can not get the top grade. Simmons discribes his main character with little empathy. Often I find myself not believing in Jeremy. His actions seem poorly predicted by the previous story or by his history as a teacher and a mathmatician. Worse by far is the fact, that the central premise of Jeremys telepathy has not been taken to the logical conclusion. Jeremy can read the minds of normal people, he can sense emotions and he can impress thoughts, images and ideas on the minds of others. But he never once uses this ability to defend himself. It seems that it has not occured to Jeremy (or Simmons) that his ability can be used offensively.

I still very much like this book. I just do not think that Simmons takes it all the way, the way he could have. ( )