Life Expectancy

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

With his bestselling blend of nail-biting intensity, daring artistry, and storytelling magic, Dean Koontz returns with an emotional roller coaster of a tale filled with enough twists, turns, shocks, and surprises for ten ordinary novels. Here is the story of five days in the life of an ordinary man born to an extraordinary legacy—a story that will challenge the way you look at good and evil, life and death, and everything in between.

Jimmy Tock comes into the world on the very night his grandfather leaves it. As a violent storm rages outside the hospital, Rudy Tock spends long hours walking the corridors between the expectant fathers' waiting room and his dying father's bedside. It's a strange vigil made all the stranger when, at the very height of the storm's fury, Josef Tock suddenly sits up in bed and speaks coherently for the frist and last time since his stroke.

What he says before he dies is that there will be five dark days in the life of his grandson—five dates whose terrible events Jimmy will have to prepare himself to face. The first is to occur in his twentieth year; the second in his twent-third year; the third in his twenty-eighth; the fourth in his twenty-ninth; the fifth in his thirtieth.

Rudy is all too ready to discount his father's last words as a dying man's delusional rambling. But then he discovers that Josef also predicted the time of his grandson's birth to the minute, as well as his exact height and weight, and the fact that Jimmy would be born with syndactyly—the unexplained anomal of fused digits—on his left foot. Suddenly the old man's predictions take on a chilling significance.

What terrifying events await Jimmy on these five dark days? What nightmares will he face? What challenges must he survive? As the novel unfolds, picking up Jimmy's story at each of these crisis points, the path he must follow will defy every expectation. And with each crisis he faces, he will move closer to a fate he could never have imagined. For who Jimmy Tock is and what he must accomplish on the five days when his world turns is a mystery as dangerous as it is wondrous—a struggle against an evil so dark and pervasive, only the most extraordinary of human spirits can shine through.

©2004 Dean Koontz (P)2004 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Emotionally powerful and thought-provoking."—Booklist

"A master storyteller and a daring writer... he gives readers bright hope in a dark world.... Life Expectancy pits good versus evil and carries a persuasive message, about the power of love and family and the miracle of existence... Koontz is a true original and this novel, one of his most unusual yet, will leave readers aglow."—Publishers Weekly, starred review.

"Mr. Koontz is a skillful storyteller....His new Life Expectancy offers a clear illustration of what he does right."—The New York Times

Life Expectancy

Entertained by angels, unaware; prepare to be amazed.

Kind of boring a lot of the time

Kind of boring a lot of the time. Some times funny, some times not. slow start

Great listen

Thank you Dean Koontz & John Bedford Lloyd
Love this book a little more every time I listen.

such a great book!

Had this audiobook on cd over a decade ago. so good I bought it on audible to listen to again. This is not your typical Koontz, but it is fantastic.

Great story!

I had a hard time getting into this book, but man it was worth sticking with it. Once the first horrible day hit I was all in!!! The end was even a huge shock which I don't typically expect. I laughed so much through parts also. It was a joy to esoteric this story.

favorite dean Koontz book

ever since this book came out it has been my favorite Koontz book. I've read it over and over and over again now I can listen to it whenever I want!

Hang in there and let the character’s humor grow on you.

I nearly gave up on this book in the beginning few chapters because of the oddness of the sense of humor, but then it really grew on me. In the end that humor aided in the growth of the characters and how they cope with the circumstances that they had to survive. I really enjoyed this story. Well done.

good read

I've listened to this book twice. once long ago and again just because I like Koontz. lots if twists and turns. unexpected ending.

Great listen

I loved this audiobook it was really good and a little different then most of his stuff witch is always good too. Buy this audiobook

Funny/scary

I really enjoyed this book with humor interwoven with horror. The storyline kept me glued to listening so I could find out what happened in the end.