The Nightmare Within

Not nearly as dark as The Darkness Within. The Nightmare Within made me think of where our dreams come from, from what part of us, and the impact that they have on our lives. Born of trauma, or of lust, or the imagination or perhaps a replay of a beautiful or painful memory---dreams can almost have a life of their own.

I found the premise of a "dream museum" very interesting. If I have one complaint, I really wish that we had gotten an exhibit by exhibit tour. You know, where you put on the headphones and you get this great narrator telling us all the good stories behind the exhibits? I would have liked to have followed more of these dreams as they roamed our world too. There is alot there, I am sure, and I wanted more. To be sure, we show more got to know Freakshow very well in all his nastiness.

What I loved about this book was Kevin. That kid had heart. Not a false note there. He felt real and I was very moved by his story. And that really makes a novel for me. A good main character really drives the bus and Kevin is as good a main young character as Mark Petrie in Salem's Lot, and for me, that is saying alot. His story is heartbreaking yet he is courageous through it all.

Kirsch also drops some really good surprises in the last 20 or so pages of the book. I mean good in that when the surprise is unveiled and you nod your head and smile because all the clues were there. Sophie's story in particular was really well done. In fact I was very satisfied with the resolution of all of the story lines and that is actually rare for me. Whether the resolution was dark and destructive, or tender and heartwarming, Kirsch knows his characters and he isn't afraid to let them be themselves. show less

Dreams and nightmares become real.

The premise of this book gives some hope to those that still believe in the horror genre. No reimagined, rehashed story here! The concept of a mentally disturbed psychologist being able to pull dreams from people’s minds into the real world was fascinating. The idea of a dream museum (named Lucidity, what a great name) in which to house these dreams was creative and unique. The dreams themselves were fabulous, ranging from a flaming cat to a sock monkey to Mr. Freakshow, the antagonist of the story.

Even though I enjoyed the book, I still have complaints. My comments probably make it sound like I don’t recommend the book, which isn’t the case. It was a cool story with lots of potential; I expect show more people who aren’t as picky as I am will enjoy it. I recommend this book to readers who like unique horror.

The character Kevin was interesting, but not very believable as a 10-year old. He seemed to have an unlikely understanding of adult relationships. I was also confused by the fact that while the dreams were supposed to be limited by their dreamers’ knowledge until they came into the real world, Mr. Freakshow knew things Kevin didn’t while he was in the boy’s nightmares.

The psychologist, Maury, was quite annoying, as well. I’m not sure if he was supposed to be a major character or if he started out that way and worked himself out of the story. The entire plotline of him falling in love with a dream woman was just plain weird, start to finish.

There were several other characters who left me wondering why they were even included, except maybe to act as the red-shirted ensigns/victims for Mr. Freakshow.

The nightmare, Mr. Freakshow, started out as a pretty good monster, sort of like a Freddy Krueger with demon wings. But seriously, how many times can we say his name? Truly, it was way overused, especially towards the end of the book.

About halfway through the book, elements started appearing that didn’t seem to make sense. Plot threads abound that go nowhere: the erotic dreams were gratuitous, adding nothing to the storyline; a serial killer on the subway who goes after a dream woman appears and disappears in a single chapter; a rat lady dream is followed into the subway station, only to have her disappear from the story.

Stereotypical, two-dimensional characters fill the pages, like the clueless but well-meaning detective, incompetent policemen who smoke too much, and the overweight mayor wiping sweat from his forehead. The dream powers were inconsistent, as well, both affecting the real world at one point, and having no effect at all at another.

The ending bothered me the most. No explanation was given for how the hundreds of rampaging nightmares all over the city of Chicago were dealt with. It mentioned that only those dreams that had managed to kill their creators were imprisoned. Did the government kill the other creators to destroy the dreams? Kevin is resurrected by some unexplained miracle, which was kind of annoying. Was this so his mother wouldn’t have to be alone? The pregnant dream intrigued me (what would be the result of the union between a human and a dream?), but how did she get pregnant when her whole existence is predicated on the fact that nothing in the real world affects her permanently? Dreams get shot and immediately heal, so wouldn’t pregnancy (if it happened at all) disappear as well?

On occasion, the story gets deep into the weeds. Characters ramble on about their past, with just a very tenuous connection to the plot, at best. We see this especially when Kevin returns to his hometown and reflects on every single thing he passes as he makes his way to his old house. This slowed the pace of the story that impacted the punch of the ending. I thought the ending dragged on too long. There was an entire chapter about the major characters making amends, “paying it forward”, so to speak, which wasn’t at all necessary.

The concept of the book is great, and for a first novel, it was pretty good, but it could have been executed better. show less

I love the concept for this book. Sure, it stretches the imagination, but that's the point. Krisch manages to make me believe the impossible, to travel with him into a world where nightmares walk the streets. I particularly liked Kevin, the young boy at the center of the story. I could easily see this world through his eyes and feel his emotional struggle.

I had a couple of issues with the book, like the fact that Mr. Freakshow was all-powerful but couldn't manage to break down a door. But these were minor issues and didn't diminish my overall enjoyment.

Holy f. This book is wonderful. I obtained it as a part of LibraryThing early reviewers, and the calibur is so high that I quickly forgot that it was "free". I did not read the entire summary before reading the book-and I would recommend others do the same. It kept me guessing and I was never sure which way the plot was going to turn. The characters are vivid, and although they might seem unrelated in the beginning it all starts to make sense. The premise to me is fantastic- the idea that dreams can be removed from the dreamer's mind, and that they can be kept together in a museum for others to experience. I also appreciated the Chicago references, as I'm from the city as well. I'm going right on to read Where Darkness Dwells, and I show more don't expect I'll be disappointed. Must read! show less

Glenn Krisch's The Nightmare Within is about damaged people, their dreams and sufferings and what happens when dreams cross the line from imagined to actual. When Maury Bennett was small, a fire in his apartment building resulted in severe damage to his ear and left arm. Not long after he returned from the hospital, he discovered he had an unusual ability; he could draw dreams into reality, ridding the dreamers of at least part of their torment. Years later, Maury is a psychiatrist embarked on a new project utilizing this skill, backed by a very wealthy and desperate man. Together they plan on opening a sort of dream zoo, and are seeking a "star" for their Nightmare exhibit. Kevin is a young man who has suffered a recent severe trauma, show more spawning a hideous and terrifying dream figure he calls Mr. Freakshow*. Kevin is tormented and afraid to sleep, and his mother eventually takes him to see Maury, thus bringing together all the elements for terror and disaster.

The characters are well developed; clues to personalities double as subtle foreshadowing - Maury's opening scene in his regular practice for example, reveals much about his personality** which impacts the story in a variety of ways. Descriptions are well executed - not nauseating, but disgusting and horrifying or disturbing enough to get the point clearly across. Kevin's dream sequences are laid into the story seamlessly, and are not disruptive to the pace. The use of the two way connection between dream and dreamer is both an excellent detail and a practical device. The dreams themselves are excellent, and wonderfully (or horrifyingly) described. Glenn Krisch's writing throughout was excellent, focused and not confusing even during action sequences.

I couldn't quite shake the feeling of disbelief during some parts of this book; Kevin's dream of the funeral and Mr Freakshow's revelations/insinuations therein didn't feel natural***; the aura bits felt too obvious a plot device, Kevin's interaction with Reid was pretty brief for him to be important. I felt that Reid either needed more development or to be pruned. I would have liked more exploration into Mr. Freakshow himself, and from where his abilities stemmed - he didn't have the feel of being grown entirely in Kevin's head. As a side note, one thing I noted in the reading feel of this was that this felt like this was written with a cinematic framing than simply as a book. (And honestly, it would make a good horror film!)

This was fast paced and dark horror read - any horror involving damaged people has to be dark by definition; we are, after all, our own worst enemies. While the dreams infringing on reality aspect has notes of Freddy Krueger, I'd place it closer to Clive Barker's Books of Blood with dashes of King's It and/or Koontz's Hideaway.

Overall rating: 4 of 5 stars.
* Every time the name came up, I thought of Bart Simpson shivering in his clown bed, repeating endlessly, "Can't sleep, clown will eat me."
** Selfish, self absorbed and interested in the quick fix rather than truly healing. Possibly sociopathic.
***That was one of the more horrible moments in the book, and it just never sat right for me. show less

What a premise! Imagine a guy who can pull your dreams(both good and bad) right out of your head. Then he can put them in a museum and you can watch them walk around. Pretty weird and kind of fascinating, right? But what happens when one of those walking nightmares doesn't want to be a dream anymore? Enter Mr. Freakshow. That's right, Mr. Freakshow. A big, bad, blue skinned Freak. (This story really strummed my Clive Barker nerve). How can a young boy on the cusp of manhood face down a monster like that? You have to read it to find out!
I would highly recommend this book to any fans of dark fiction or horror.

THE NIGHTMARE WITHIN
by Glen R. Krisch
5*****

When Kevin Dvorak witnesses his father's murder, he starts having nightmares about "Mr.FreakShow". One of the scariest, ugliest, and most evil thing a ten your old can imagine.
Dr. Maury Bennett has past experience with nightmare creatures, and has the power to extract them from your mind. So you no longer are bothered by them.
What happens when these creatures get released into the waking world? How do you destroy these creatures? And is Maury able to do what needs to be done?

Mr. Kitsch had me on the edge of my seat. I found this book extremely enjoyable and slightly terrifying. He is at a level just below Stephen King with this book.