The Mask

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: Natalie Ross

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Such a pretty face....

So young, so sweet. She appeared out of nowhere, in the middle of traffic, on a busy day. A teenager with no past, no family - no memories.

Such a lovely child....

So blond and beautiful. Carol and Paul were drawn to her – she was the child they’d never had. A dream come true. And then Carol’s nightmares began – the ghastly sounds in the night…the bloody face in the mirror…the razor-sharp ax.

Such a relentless evil....

So deceptively innocent. Most mothers would die for such a darling little angel. And that’s what frightened Carol most of all.

©1981 Dean Koontz (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Great story, lots of mystery and suspense

I have been a fan of Koontz for roughly a decade and this is one of my favorites by him! It was a gripping tale, lots of suspense, I loved it. I almost didn’t get it do to the negative reviews about the narrator but I listened to the sample available and it seemed ok so I went for it. I’m glad I did. The narrator was a bit hard to hear a couple of times but overall I think she did a great job and I had no issues. Highly recommend!

Great but hard to hear.

Great story and great leader. I had a lot of trouble hearing unless I had on headphones though. I think it was actually the recording studio, but I managed to get most of what the lady said and put it together.

Narrator ruins it!

I wish I had read the reviews before buying this. She sounds out of breath during lots of it. Her cadence and infections are odd. And her voice is so quiet that you keep it on top volume, and then all of a sudden she screams because the character is supposedly screaming, but it sends you out of your seat because you've had it on top volume! Also, at one point when she is yelling basically something along the lines of "Damn you Mama!" at the top of her lungs, it is quite hokey and reminds me of William Shatner yellling "Khan!!!!!"

Interesting story.

The story line had so much potential but needed more elaboration. It was a good listen though. The narrator's voice took a few minutes to adjust to but overall it was good. One suggestion: Chapter #'s should be included in the narration or at least pauses between shifts in the story.

Typically great DK

excellent story, and great narration! I noticed the criticism stated the narrator was lacking in some way. I obviously don't agree.

An Engaging Fast Paced Novel

What made the experience of listening to The Mask the most enjoyable?

'The Mask' grabs your attention and keeps you listening.

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked best about the novel was the suspense, not knowing what was going to happen next. It's well worth the credit.

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

Good characterisation

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

Yes, but I can't say what it was as that would reveal too much about the plot and spoil it for other listeners.

Any additional comments?

There are quite a few negative comments here about the narrator. Admittedly, her narration does have a certain breathless quality that makes it a little strange to listen to at first. However, as the novel progressed I found that this wasn't such a problem. Especially as I became more involved in the storyline. Towards the end I hardly noticed this at all.

The ending?

I really enjoyed the story, how it was written and narrated. The ending? The story just ended, no excitement it was like it was time to stop and so it did.

Intense

I think I've read every one of Dean Koontz' books except this one. As far as writing goes, he is right up there with his best books. It was quite riveting. We lost our daughter a few years ago and I just could not finish the book. I;m sure that those who read the entire book will find it to be everything they expected.

Great until the conclusion...

Great story, lots of tension and suspense, then a highly unsatisfactory resolution at the end! Good narration, though.

Lame ending

The story was OK until the end then it was like Dean decided he was done with this book and just stopped