Horns

A Novel

By: Joe Hill

Narrated by: Fred Berman

Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with a thunderous hangover, a raging headache, and a pair of horns growing from his temples. At first, Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who was raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real.

Once the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned musician and younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, he had security, wealth, and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more—he had Merrin and a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic. But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. In the court of public opinion in Gideon, New Hampshire, Ig is and always will be guilty because his rich and connected parents pulled strings to make the investigation go away. Nothing Ig can do, nothing he can say, matters. Everyone, it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone, that is, but the devil inside.

Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It's time for a little revenge. It's time the devil had his due.

©2010 Joe Hill (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

I heart Joe Hill.....

This book is def not for everyone. It’s super dark & at times I found myself incredibly uncomfortable with all the devil speak (if you will)! That being said, I did end up actually really enjoying this book. Would I tell a friend? Probably not. Do I regret listening to it? Nope. Will I listen to it again? Absolutely not. If you are a true Joe Hill fan, give this a go! If this is your first encounter with his work, maybe skip this one for now and start with NOS4a2 or heart shaped box.

Has highs and lows, but overall a good listen

If you could sum up Horns in three words, what would they be?

Idiot's love tale -- and only because I feel the protagonist is an idiot. The tale really revolves around his love, but he's such an idiot you can only shake your head.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There really was no one to TRULY like in this tale, and I found myself pitying the protagonist.

On the whole, probably Merrin, but (and this is a credit to how well Hill crafted the story) you'll even hate her at times.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The performance was decent, though nothing spectacular. On the plus side it didn't get in the way of the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were several parts of the tale that elicited emotion -- good and bad.

Any additional comments?

To maybe help folks navigate the content a bit:

For those queasy about religious matters, this may not be a good listen. Hill doesn't get preachy, but he definitely takes a few liberties and shots at the church.

For those worried about vulgarities, violence and sexual tones: while there isn't a LOT in here, what IS here can be a bit graphic and disturbing (rape, burning people alive etc).

For those who hate that sort of thing, this book does employ the whole "tell a bit of the present, then tell a bunch of the past" technique that can be a bit annoying. I'll admit, he got me hooked in the beginning, but the first flashback was slow and initially hard to get through.

On to my take of the story...

I'm not sure if Hill just didn't like his protagonist or if it was intentional, but Iggy is an idiot. He can't fight, he's overly idealistic and slow on the uptake. I suppose crafting him this way lent to the exposition of the story, but it sure was hard to get through at times. The guy basically stumbled his way through the pages -- his girlfriend is the true champ.

Overall, it was a good tale. While I did not find myself rooting for the idiot of a main character, I did find myself fascinated with how Hill wove various bits of the tale together to form the ending that -- while I should have -- I didn't see coming until it was right in my face.

Wow What a read

Couldn't stop listening. I would recommend it to all types of readers. Worth listening to again.

Thrilling through and through

Great story with chilling character development, accented by a wonderful narrator.

I've listened multiple tines and intend to listen again. :3

Devilish Fun

Joe Hill writes a lot like his dad, in my opinion, which is a very good thing. Ig, although odd, is very likable and a good friend, but those horns....

The book flows really well, with lots of twists, turns and insights into human nature and what could be going on in your loved ones minds without you knowing. Very enjoyable listen, I wanted to keep going every time I had to turn it off, you'll get hooked.

Wow!!!

So, I have not finished this wonderful train wreck. Yes, I described the novel that way. The performance is wonderful, the story, well, yes it is twisted and Joe Hill has proven that great writing runs in the blood.

Great book! Couldn't stop listening.

Would you consider the audio edition of Horns to be better than the print version?

This was an intriguing story, well thought out and action packed! I would definitely recommend this book. The only reason it is not getting a 5 star review is because I felt the ending was a bit incomplete.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I would have to say my favorite character is the horns. They put an interesting twist on old beliefs.

What about Fred Berman’s performance did you like?

He is very well read and did great with the characters voices.

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

no

A chip off the old block

Joe can weave tales that take you away to other places. This was a tale of horrible loss, murder, insanity, and the devil on all of us. It has a bittersweet ending that leaves you with a bit of hope. Another book well done, much like his father has written.

Forget About Watching the Movie—Read This Book

I absolutely love this book! Joe Hill captures human nature perfectly. The only thing I disliked about the story is that it had to end. 😞 Don’t watch the movie. They messed up the brilliance of Joe Hill’s writing.

Great story.

Had I not known he was King’s son, I would have thought he grew up reading SK’s work. I don’t know why people gripe about the ending. I thought it was perfect. Just because it’s not what you want, doesn’t mean it’s not a good ending.