Innocence

A Novel

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

He lives in solitude beneath the city, an exile from society, which will destroy him if he is ever seen.

She dwells in seclusion, a fugitive from enemies who will do her harm if she is ever found.

But the bond between them runs deeper than the tragedies that have scarred their lives. Something more than chance - and nothing less than destiny - has brought them together in a world whose hour of reckoning is fast approaching.

In Innocence, number-one New York Times best-selling author Dean Koontz blends mystery, suspense, and acute insight into the human soul in a masterfully told tale that will resonate with listeners forever.

©2013 Dean Koontz (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Laced with fantastical mysticism, it’s an allegory of nonviolence, acceptance and love in the face of adversity. . . . The narrative is intense, with an old-fashioned ominousness and artistically crafted descriptions. . . . An optimistic and unexpected conclusion [mirrors] his theme. Something different this way comes from Mr. Koontz’s imagination. Enjoy." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Entrancing . . . as speedy a chase-thriller as any Koontz . . . has ever constructed. Written in Koontz’ late mellifluent and reflective manner . . . [ Innocence is] fueled by deep disgust with the world’s evils [and] hope for redemption" ( Booklist, starred review)

"[An] imaginative, mystical thriller from bestseller Koontz . . . This is the most satisfying Koontz standalone in a while" ( Publishers Weekly)

Innocence is enchanting

I find you never know what you might get when you read Koontz and once more I was not disappointed. A fresh look at a dystopian outcome. And of course a twisted end as unexpected as usual.

Awesome Read

Couldn't stop listening. The author's power of description brings everything to life. Didn't want it to end.

great cross country motorcycle trip listening

loved it! didn't want it to end! great performance, good story, twists I didn't expect! wanted to keep riding just to keep listening!

innocence

I didn't get into the story all that much, almost didn't finish it. But I'm glad I did. in the end it explains things more, and it helped me understand it. The Narrator is good and easy to listen to. All in all its a good book.

Innocence

I'm not a big Koontz fan, but I really liked the Odd Thomas series and read this book was similar in style. I don't know if it's the narrator, who is very monotone, but I can't get into the characters at all. It could just be the narrator because I've had trouble getting through other books he's narrated.
Also, there's no explanation of why the male character is such a hideous creature and how many others are like him. Why if he's seen do people immediately want to kill him.
The book is constantly moving back and forth in time.
Not highly recommended.

Innocence

Any additional comments?

Narrated by MacLeod Andrews and just over eleven hours of listening. The protagonist of Innocence is a Quasimodo (Victor Hugo’s character in The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Disfigured since birth to the extreme of causing anyone who looks at him to want to beat and kill him and ousted by his mother at the age of eight, his only means of security is to hide. He takes refuge in the bowels of a big city and hides behind a ski mask and hoody when venturing out, usually at night.

The character has a level of intelligence beyond his years, in my opinion. His only means of education is the kindness of a fellow homeless man and books, so ‘innocence’ is a good title. The guy is a babe in the woods. Considering how brutally he has been treated all of his life, there is no bitterness - in fact, quite the opposite. He is incredibly kind and gentle, a deep thinker. This alone is a good premise for a novel. Koontz goes way beyond this scenario, however. The story seemed like a selection of unrelated Koontz-like events bundled together. An apocalyptic plague, spirits that swoop in to rattle the plaster off walls, sexual abusing bad guys, art heists - plus the whole concept of the Quasimodo character. They do all come together eventually, but too many concepts are jumbled together. My opinion. You may find it just right.

Reading by MacLeod Andrews is great. This is a very atmospheric-spooky-type tale (it is Koontz, after all), and Andrews conveys just the right amount of intrigue in his narration.

I prefer Odd Thomas - but, if you like Koontz, you'll like Innocence. Enjoy!

Surprise

I was completely surprised until the end. Great characters, really bad , bad guys, twist and turns aplenty.

Innocence

Great book well written beautiful. Unlike any of his other books, a pleasure to read.

Transcendent

What did you love best about Innocence?

This book stands alone, unparalleled among all the literature of the English language, or of any human languages. Dean Koontz is not merely a masterful story teller, he is a preeminent philosopher, sage and guru.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Innocence?

The final chapters of this book left me with a an ecstatic vision of existence on Earth I have never encountered or thought possible. A world of purity, love, understanding, compassion and hope.

What does MacLeod Andrews bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A perfect verbal performance that expresses the essence of the text with every emotional nuance required the perfectly duplicate the panoply of experience presented in the story.

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

The final chapters are magnificent.

Any additional comments?

Of the thousands of books I have read, and a writer of books myself, this is one of the very few books I would recommend as essential reading for every sentient being.

Plagued with length

The writing is beautiful but the story dragged on mercilessly. The pacing was great early on, as chapters alternated from past to present, until Braveheart tells how his father died, which was much too long, just like this sentence. The underlying tension of the main plot kept me listening just to see what happens, but as the story began to resolve, I was tempted more than once to stop listening. I just wanted it to end, and when it finally did I breathed a huge sigh of relief.