The Gates

A Novel

By: John Connolly

Narrated by: Jonathan Cake

Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Young Samuel Johnson and his dachshund, Boswell, are trying to show initiative by trick-or-treating a full three days before Halloween - which is how they come to witness strange goings-on at 666 Crowley Road.

The Abernathys don't mean any harm by their flirtation with the underworld, but when they unknowingly call forth Satan himself, they create a gap in the universe. A gap in which a pair of enormous gates is visible. The gates to Hell. And there are some pretty terrifying beings just itching to get out....

Can one small boy defeat evil? Can he harness the power of science, faith, and love to save the world as we know it?

Bursting with imagination, The Gates is about the pull between good and evil, physics and fantasy. It is about a quirky and eccentric boy who is impossible not to love, and the unlikely cast of characters who give him the strength to stand up to a demonic power.

John Connolly manages to re-create the magical and scary world of childhood that we've all left behind but so love to visit. And for those of you who thought you knew everything you could about particle physics and the universe, think again. This novel makes anything seem possible.

©2009 John Connolly (P)2009 Simon & Schuster

Very cute story. laugh out loud, Loved it!

so glad I discovered this author. I can't wait to hear the rest of the series and find out what Mrs. Abernathy has in store for Samuel Johnson and his beloved dog Boswell.

Amazing

I tell everyone how much I love this book I have listened many times and will listen many more

Laughed Out Loud Repeatedly

Wonderful, comedic fluff of a story full of endearing characters and hilarious footnotes. Will definitely listen to again. I highly recommend it.

Jonathan Cake's performance was extraordinary!

A book for children?

Would you try another book from John Connolly and/or Jonathan Cake?

The narrator was fantastic. The story was okay, but the writing was terrible.

Any additional comments?

I'm not sure I understand the target audience. The language, the footnotes, the vocabulary, and some of the sillier story elements were clearly geared towards children, but the story itself was a little gruesome and inappropriate for anybody younger than preteen. I am not going to let my 10 y.o. listen, and I think an older kid would be bored and feel condescended to.

Douglas Adams reads A Brief History of Time and...

then falls asleep and has a bad dream because his head is using the book as a pillow but it is hard and has raised lettering on the cover giving him Imprint Discomfort in addition to a crick in his neck. Tons of fun and a lovely elementary particle physics primer :D

As a lover of the Book of Lost Things

I realize that this is a series, as opposed to The Book of Lost Things which was a stand alone book. That being said there was a great deal of similarity in the main characters. I really enjoyed this book but get the feeling this was only a teaser and further exploration into the series might make me more attached.

The book is well written, as most of John Connolly's books are. I sincerely enjoyed the naration. I was not overwhelmingly attached to the characters and honestly wish there had been far less footnotes in physics. To me they were distracting and at times irrelevant.

Otherwise, I sincerely enjoyed this book and will likely purchase the second book!

Fabulous!

Wonder! Fantastic! Funny! Loves it the narrator rocked it!!! One you shouldn't miss. I just can't wait to start number two.

The Gates

LOVED IT! Rather Pratchett like story of the Cern collider and the opening of the hell gate.Naration by Jonathan Cake was excellent!

perfect narrator

This is such a fun story. I've read it before, but listening to it was a delight. The narrator is pitch perfect in every sense. He hits just the right tone.

I always knew physics was Hellish

This was a very entertaining story that is somewhat Gaiman-esque in it's ability to appeal to adults as well as the younger audience it obviously targets. The young hero is is quite likable and very resourceful. The demon Nurd is terrific comic relief and I just loved the brave little dog Boswell. The footnotes sprinkled throughout added some interesting information as well as much of the wry humor. If my high school physics teacher had been half as entertaining in his lessons I might have actually learned something and gotten a better grade.

Not quite 5 stars for the lack of fully developed supporting cast, but still a very worthy read appropriate for the whole family, especially with Jonathan Cake's outstanding narration.