On This Page
Description
Happy 53rd birthday, Doctor. Welcome to the first day of your death.When a mysterious letter bearing these threatening words is delivered to Dr. Frederick Starks, his predictable life is thrown into chaos. Suddenly, the psychoanalyst is plunged into a horrific game designed by a man who calls himself Rumplestiltskin. The rules: in two weeks Starks must guess Rumplestiltskin’s identity and the source of his fury. If he succeeds, he goes free. If he fails, one by one, Rumplestiltskin will show more destroy fifty-two of Dr. Starks’ loved ones–friends, relatives, children–unless the good doctor agrees to kill himself.
You ruined my life. And now I fully intend to ruin yours.
Ignoring the threat is not an option. When one of his patients dies under the wheels of a subway train and a detective investigating the case is struck by a hit-and-run driver, Starks knows his tormentor means business. And then there are the messengers sent to guide Starks on his descent, from the seductive woman in a trench coat who calls herself Virgil to a lawyer named Merlin weaving a spell of havoc and lies. His bank account rifled, his credit ruined, and his reputation dragged through the mud, Starks must rouse himself from the cocoon of his life, unlock the secret of Rumplestiltskin, and find a way to stop the madman–before he himself is driven mad.
One thing of which you can be absolutely certain: My anger knows no limits.
A mesmerizing thriller that gives a wicked new twist to the doctor-patient relationship, The Analyst’s Last Days weaves a blistering race against time with a tale of identities shattered and chosen, disguises taken and discarded. With his trademark style, breathless plots, and brilliantly realized characters, John Katzenbach proves once again why both critics and fans alike have crowned him the master of suspense. show less
Tags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Member Reviews
Me gusto bastante el libro, se lee muy rápido, aunque te atrapa lentamente. Tenía bastante tiempo que quería leerlo, creo que cualquiera que viva en México que no sepa de la existencia de esta historia pues o estuvo encerrado o es un niño porque tuvo muchísima publicidad por al menos los ultimos 10 años.
La historia es una de esas que ya esta muy vista, no sorprende por la originalidad de la premisa PERO la manera en que esta escrito lo hace destacar. El primer acto es preparativo, y se siente como tal, sin que se vuelva pesado, aunque tampoco sea especialmente interesante pero para el segundo acto OMG no podía soltar el libro, de verdad que casi queria golpear a alguien con tal de no ir a trabajar y quedarme leyendolo. Los show more personajes me gustaron, esa enfermedad, deseo de venganza, de supervivencia y de vivir es lo que hacia que yo desea seguir leyendo.
Posiblemente lo que más me gusto es el final, ese "antiholliwoodezco" climax sin que por ello pierda intensidad (aunque hubo un detalle que aun me molesta porque tiene muy poco sentido pero bueno decido dejarlo pasar) las últimas palabras del Doctor son épicas, me hacen desear que su historia siga, que el juego sea perpetuo. show less
La historia es una de esas que ya esta muy vista, no sorprende por la originalidad de la premisa PERO la manera en que esta escrito lo hace destacar. El primer acto es preparativo, y se siente como tal, sin que se vuelva pesado, aunque tampoco sea especialmente interesante pero para el segundo acto OMG no podía soltar el libro, de verdad que casi queria golpear a alguien con tal de no ir a trabajar y quedarme leyendolo. Los show more personajes me gustaron, esa enfermedad, deseo de venganza, de supervivencia y de vivir es lo que hacia que yo desea seguir leyendo.
Posiblemente lo que más me gusto es el final, ese "antiholliwoodezco" climax sin que por ello pierda intensidad (aunque hubo un detalle que aun me molesta porque tiene muy poco sentido pero bueno decido dejarlo pasar) las últimas palabras del Doctor son épicas, me hacen desear que su historia siga, que el juego sea perpetuo. show less
Review from September 12, 2002:
Remember that somewhat twisted fairy tale known as Rumpelstiltskin? You know, it starts when a poor miller tells the King that he has a daughter who can turn straw into gold. The greedy King decides to put this to the test and gives the maiden until morning to spin a room full of straw into gold - if she is unable to do so, she will die. Hopeless in her task, the maiden is surprised when a troll-like man enters her tower and offers to help her. ...With a price of course! After she gives the troll all her material possessions, she is forced to offer him her first child once she becomes Queen. Of course, once her son was born, she did not want to give him up. So the troll gave her 3 days to guess his name - show more if she did this, she would be able to keep her baby. By some stroke of luck, the Queen's messenger came across the troll dancing in front of a bonfire, gloating that his name indeed was Rumpelstiltskin. Thus the Queen was able to keep her baby.
Dr. Frederick Starks' also had to discover the identity of a Rumpelstiltskin, but his path was paved with many more difficulties than was that of the Queen. Frederick Starks ("Ricky"), is a psychoanalyst who is thrust into a nightmarish version of this fairy tale when he receives a letter basically saying that if he doesn't discover the identity of the letter-writer within 15 days, he will have to commit suicide. If he doesn't commit suicide, one of 52 family members whose names are included in the list will be tormented, ruined or killed. Over the course of the next 15 days, Rumplestiltskin proves the seriousness of his threat by systematically ruining Ricky financially and professionally.
Despite the fact the story was probably a bit longer than necessary (overdone description is some parts), this well-crafted and suspenseful story has more twists and turns than one can imagine and the game that Ricky is forced to play is both frustrating and intriguing. Thought provoking social commentary is made throughout the book, touching on topics such as inadequate medical care, homelessness, Internet fraud and false identities. I also appreciated how Mr. Katzenbach referenced other literature, especially the works of Homer as well as greek mythology (not to forget the Brothers Grimm!)
This would translate really well on the big screen, just as Hart's War did! Although I am having a hard time casting Ricky Starks - Bruce Willis and John Travolta crossed my mind but I'm just not sure! Mr. Katzenbach and his producers will have to surprise us! show less
Remember that somewhat twisted fairy tale known as Rumpelstiltskin? You know, it starts when a poor miller tells the King that he has a daughter who can turn straw into gold. The greedy King decides to put this to the test and gives the maiden until morning to spin a room full of straw into gold - if she is unable to do so, she will die. Hopeless in her task, the maiden is surprised when a troll-like man enters her tower and offers to help her. ...With a price of course! After she gives the troll all her material possessions, she is forced to offer him her first child once she becomes Queen. Of course, once her son was born, she did not want to give him up. So the troll gave her 3 days to guess his name - show more if she did this, she would be able to keep her baby. By some stroke of luck, the Queen's messenger came across the troll dancing in front of a bonfire, gloating that his name indeed was Rumpelstiltskin. Thus the Queen was able to keep her baby.
Dr. Frederick Starks' also had to discover the identity of a Rumpelstiltskin, but his path was paved with many more difficulties than was that of the Queen. Frederick Starks ("Ricky"), is a psychoanalyst who is thrust into a nightmarish version of this fairy tale when he receives a letter basically saying that if he doesn't discover the identity of the letter-writer within 15 days, he will have to commit suicide. If he doesn't commit suicide, one of 52 family members whose names are included in the list will be tormented, ruined or killed. Over the course of the next 15 days, Rumplestiltskin proves the seriousness of his threat by systematically ruining Ricky financially and professionally.
Despite the fact the story was probably a bit longer than necessary (overdone description is some parts), this well-crafted and suspenseful story has more twists and turns than one can imagine and the game that Ricky is forced to play is both frustrating and intriguing. Thought provoking social commentary is made throughout the book, touching on topics such as inadequate medical care, homelessness, Internet fraud and false identities. I also appreciated how Mr. Katzenbach referenced other literature, especially the works of Homer as well as greek mythology (not to forget the Brothers Grimm!)
This would translate really well on the big screen, just as Hart's War did! Although I am having a hard time casting Ricky Starks - Bruce Willis and John Travolta crossed my mind but I'm just not sure! Mr. Katzenbach and his producers will have to surprise us! show less
I read this book because it was recommended to me. The first part is somewhat tedious and slow but towards the end of the first part and the beginning of the second part it starts to pick up speed and it has surprising and unexpected twists. I enjoyed it overall.
The first third of the book is filled with lively, fast paced prose that matches the complicated, yet disorienting, storyline of a psychotherapist whose life is taken over by forces unknown and beyond this control. The remaining two sections degenerate into gratuitous revenge and voice-over narratives.
The first third of the book is filled with lively, fast paced prose that matches the complicated, yet disorienting, storyline of a psychotherapist whose life is taken over by forces unknown and beyond this control. The remaining two sections degenerate into gratuitous revenge and voice-over narratives.
One of the best mysteries I have read in a long time. The plot twists and turns so quickly that I was glued to the pages. The author on his one did a great job of making me feel like I was part of the plot. Wonderfuly scary through the use of intelectual work, not just bodies and blowing things up.
Dr. Frederick Starks, a psychologist, just turned 53, receives a letter on his birthday informing him that he has ruined the life of the letter-writer's mother and that his own life is about to be destroyed. Soon his credit cards and bank accounts disappear, he is accused of the sexual harassment of a patient, and a client commits suicide. He is told that if he does not discover the identity of the letter-writer's mother within two weeks, he must commit suicide or a member of his family will be killed. The only clue he has to the letter-writer is that he calls himself Rumpelstiltskin and a beautiful girl who delivers messages. "R" always seems to be one step ahead of him and Starks is soon baffled and undure what to do next as his life show more crumbles around him.
Starks decides he has but one course of action: to die. Without giving too much away, Starks fakes his death and assemblies several new identities for himself as he seeks to discover who is behind the plot to destroy him and why. This book is a real page turner, as frustrating as The Castle, until Starks reassembles his life and seeks the answers to his torment.. show less
Starks decides he has but one course of action: to die. Without giving too much away, Starks fakes his death and assemblies several new identities for himself as he seeks to discover who is behind the plot to destroy him and why. This book is a real page turner, as frustrating as The Castle, until Starks reassembles his life and seeks the answers to his torment.. show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Books Read in 2018
4,360 works; 110 members
Books Read in 2008
335 works; 7 members
Author Information
48+ Works 6,120 Members
Awards and Honors
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- El psicoanalista
- Original title
- The Analyst
- Original publication date
- 2002-02
- People/Characters
- Dr. Frederick Starks (Ricky Starks); Dr. Lewis; Rumpelstiltskin
- Important places*
- New York, New York, États-Unis; Wellfleet, Cape Code, Massachusetts, États-Unis; Durham, New Hampshire, États-Unis
- Dedication
- For my fishing buddies: Ann, Peter, Phil, and Leslie.
- First words
- In the year he fully expected to die, he spent the majority of his fifty-third birthday as he did most other days, listening to people complain about their mothers. Thoughtless mothers, cruel mothers, sexually proocative moth... (show all)ers. Dead mothers who remained alive in their children's minds. Living mothers, who their children wanted to kill. ...all of them used the entirety of their hours that day to effuse bitter vitriol about the women who had brought them into this world.
- Quotations
- Once, he reminded himself, I studied hard to learn to save lives. Now I must educate myself on how to take one.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He had, he thought, become a man of far fewer words.
- Blurbers*
- J. Ba.
- Original language*
- Englisch
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 1,538
- Popularity
- 14,893
- Reviews
- 34
- Rating
- (3.83)
- Languages
- 13 — Catalan, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Spanish, Turkish, Portuguese (Portugal)
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 84
- ASINs
- 18