Carrion Comfort

By: Dan Simmons

Narrated by: Mel Foster, Laural Merlington

Length: 39 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

"Carrion Comfort is one of the three greatest horror novels of the 20th century. Simple as that." (Stephen King)

"Epic in scale and scope but intimately disturbing, Carrion Comfort spans the ages to rewrite history and tug at the very fabric of reality. A nightmarish chronicle of predator and prey that will shatter your world view forever. A true classic." (Guillermo del Toro)

"Carrion Comfort is one of the scariest books ever written. Whenever I get asked the question Who's your favorite author? my answer is always Dan Simmons." (James Rollins)

"One of the few major reinventions of the vampire concept, on a par with Jack Finney's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, and Stephen King's Salem's Lot. (David Morrell)

THE PAST...

Caught behind the lines of Hitler's Final Solution, Saul Laski is one of the multitudes destined to die in the notorious Chelmno extermination camp. Until he rises to meet his fate and finds himself face to face with an evil far older, and far greater, than the Nazis themselves...

THE PRESENT...

Compelled by the encounter to survive at all costs, so begins a journey that for Saul will span decades and cross continents, plunging into the darkest corners of 20th century history to reveal a secret society of beings who may often exist behind the world's most horrible and violent events. Killing from a distance, and by darkly manipulative proxy, they are people with the psychic ability to "use" humans: read their minds, subjugate them to their wills, experience through their senses, feed off their emotions, force them to acts of unspeakable aggression. Each year, three of the most powerful of this hidden order meet to discuss their ongoing campaign of induced bloodshed and deliberate destruction. But this reunion, something will go terribly wrong. Saul's quest is about to reach its elusive object, drawing hunter and hunted alike into a struggle that will plumb the depths of mankind's attraction to violence, and determine the future of the world itself...

©2009 Dan Simmons (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Good book I would recommend

This was a very interesting listen, I enjoy how they take you back in time and then bring you to the 80’s. This only issue I have with the book is that people with the ability have such an over exaggerated scale of power, with no weaknesses other then being human. Some parts were just to hard to imagine, like even Professor Charles Xavier has limits and weaknesses!

too much racism to maintain enjoyment

I really enjoyed the opening, but (spoilers) every character, except the black female lead, exhibited racism, either blatant or in character... eventually, I got to wear I only stuck with it because of the time already invested. the voice acting was good, but eventually it ended on a superbly racist sentiment that disappointed. great concept, but it was ruined for me

30+ hours of non-stop, bloody, f-ed up action

Don't be intimidated by the length. I reached the end wishing there was more, while still satisfied with how things concluded. It's disturbing, fascinating, and utterly gripping the whole way through. Do be advised, this story is not for the faint of heart, and I would highly recommend looking up some TWs if you aren't sure what you can handle.

The story examines real world violence and horror, from the Holocaust to Hollywood, through the scaffolding of a paranormal espionage thriller. Much of it is just as (if not even more) relevant today as it was in the 80s. It is both fun and deeply not fun. Depressing, and oddly hopeful. In any case, it's a wild ride that moves fast without sacrificing character development or style. Well worth the 30 hours. The narrators do a great job and are easy to listen to (though I did feel the need to speed up to 1.2x).

Great book!

What a great mind twisting novel! Loved it from the beginning to the end. Hoping there is a sequel! And how Saul and everyone else fits into this.

Best story I read this year

I loved the book. The narrator was one of the best I had ever heard. The writing was superb. The protagonist were likeable and the villains were hateable. One of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much was the diversity of characters and the surprising ending. Highly recommend.

Everything is not what it seems

Would you listen to Carrion Comfort again? Why?

I will, but I doubt that I will listen to anything more than parts of the book due to its length.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Carrion Comfort?

This question always messes me up as I think it will give away the game. There are better moments than this, but the opening is pretty good.

Which scene was your favorite?

The first grand fight.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Who is in control.

Any additional comments?

I have seen reviews calling this a vampire book. It has nothing to due with vampires. It is about absolute power and control, while attempting to defeat those with that power and control.

Enthralling story! Kepth my attention til the end.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes. Really interesting book. I enjoyed the way that real historical events were woven into the storyline. Kind of an alternate history kind of a story. I agree with other reviewers that it's not really a vampire book at all; that description really sells the book short. It's like a suspenseful miniseries that you want to binge watch.

Which character – as performed by Mel Foster and Laural Merlington – was your favorite?

I can't really say that one was better than the other. They were completely integral to the telling of the story. Listening to their performance was a great experience. It made it really feel like a performance rather than a recitation of the book. Made it worth listening to the book vice reading it myself.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The book and performance are good, but I wouldn't have wanted to listen to the epic 40 hours in one sitting.

Gripping Thriller! Simmons ar His Best!

Many have rated this story highly & with good reason. This is an intense thriller about a group of people with mind control ability. The saga follows a Nazi prisioner & Nazi officer from the camps to present day, which is 1981. The Nazi officer has haunted Saul Lasky's thoughts for years & the Nazi resurfaces in Charleston. This begins a murder mystery that is horrific but is so gripping it holds your attention until the end. The writing is very descriptive but flows well & every word is needed to develop the intensity.

The narrators were excellent & added a lot to the book. The portrayal of Melanie, both sane & mad, were superb! She sounded like an old woman but the evil that eminated from her voice was disturbing.

Don't let the length deter you from this book. Definitely worth the credt.

Great story!

You can really get your listening value from this one. loved it all! 5 stars from me., and looking forward to reading another.

Not bad but not great

I loved the theme and intrigue of this story. The characters were well developed and I was upset when one of them died.

The downside was the absolutely unbelievable amount of injury these characters endured. It’s like a bad b move where the bad guy keeps coming after being shot in the chest with a shotgun. That was overboard in my opinion.

Overall I will probably listen again at some point.