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Loading... The Gates: A Samuel Johnson Adventure: 1 (original 2009; edition 2009)by John Connolly (Author)A very entertaining and very funny book. It reminded me of Terry Pratchett a little as it had amusing footnotes similar to Sir Terry. I think it's actually a children's book or YA but I enjoyed it as an adult. I especially liked Samuel and Nurd the Scourge of Five Deities. Just realised it's the first in a series so I'm looking forward to reading the next. [2010] Having read John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things and enjoying it, I looked forward to reading his latest novel, The Gates. Unfortunately, a hundred pages into the book, I'm giving up. In both books the main character is a young boy. In The Book of Lost Things he's a 12-year old whose mother has died, and only has his books and his imagination for company. When the story took serious turns, I thought of the book as something for adults. On the other hand, there were many whimsical moments when I questioned that. The theme - the transition from childhood innocence to adulthood - is certainly a serious one, and one most adults can identify with. But in The Gates, the main character, Samuel Johnson, is a precocious 11-year old who accidentally witnesses his neighbors raising the Devil. At the same time, with the unknowing help of the Large Hadron Collider, a portal between our world and Hell begins to open. I know from the back cover of the book that Samuel will play a role in vanquishing Satan and his minions. But the story is entirely too whimsical for me. Demons with silly names, silly roles, and identity crises. Humor, frequently in the form of lengthy footnotes to explain things to the reader, who is assumed to be young. I think Connolly missed a chance to teach us something, as he taught us in The Book of Lost Things. And while Halloween costumes that make devils out of children can be cute, the concept of Hell is not one to be treated quite so lightly, I believe. It seems to me that religion in the past placed too much emphasis on Hell and eternal damnation, and nowadays places too little. As a scientist, I grow tired of seeing scientists stereotyped in fiction as feckless, irresponsible, hungry for power and at the same time prone to making Big Mistakes. Perhaps Connolly's next novel will be better. This was another spectacular book in the vein of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens. Samuel and his trusty pal Boswell are just adorable. You spend most of the book wanting to give Samuel a good hug and Boswell a nice pet. As for Maria and Tom- they're vaguely reminiscent of Hermione and Ron in their humor and friendly chemistry, but they are also unique. This was a splendid read, and I highly recommend it. Samuel Johnson and his dog Boswell are out trick or treating before Halloween when they see neighbor Mrs. Abernathy's, her husband and two friends trying to summon Satan. With the help of a glitch in the Large Hadron Collider, a portal is opened through which demons of all shapes and sizes are summoned. Some really good characters: Sam is a pip (bright, nerdy, but compassionate and caring), Boswell is loyal and protective, and the demon lord Nurd, who is befriended by Sam. I liked the story, but found Connolly's footnote containing science and humor to be distracting and mostly annoying. This book was pretty entertaining, with some definitely laugh out loud moments, but I don't think it quite hits the same level of cleverness as similar authors like Christopher Moore and Terry Pratchett. Will still finish reading the rest of the books in the series though, since I am quite curious to see if Nurd and Samuel ever manage to get back on the same plane of existence and continue their rather odd demon-human friendship. It has been ages since I read a book that delighted me so much. I have been recommending it to all smart, well-read kids I know, and have loaned my copy to my favorite munchkin. Smart, funny, captivating, and full of adventure, this book might even trick the reader into understanding and enjoying bits of quantum physics. This book was absolutely hilarious. The story was fairly predictable, but the tone of it was so different than I expected, it was great. Connolly does a fantastic job of taking the very scary scene of Hell on Earth (literally) and flipping it upside down. I love Samuel, I love Nurd, I really did love this book. Title: The Gates Author: John Connolly Publication Date: Jan 2009 Genre: Fantasy/Comedy/Horror Score: 4/5 It’s always interesting when a fiction novel has an appendix full of footnotes. This is one of those novels. (By the way, they are not necessary for the enjoyment of this novel.) This is a book about the invasion of Earth by Hell through a wormhole/black hole portal. Fighting it is a young boy named Samuel Johnson, a precocious school boy in England. With his faithful dog, Boswell, and a couple of friends, he sets out to save the world. This is a very British book. Some people get that kind of humor, but it has never really clicked for me. But this book was very amusing and even for me funny in places. It is a very quick read. Recommended. This book cute in a way. The story was fairly good and the humor was great. I had quite a few laugh out loud moments. The horror element was really well done. If a young reader reads the book they can be grossed out by the descriptions but it’s not anything terrible. I liked the involvement of CERN and the Large Hadron Collider. I thought it was a neat idea using science to open the portal to hell. The science references are great to read and it was nice to learn something new from a book like this. John Connolly doesn’t disappoint. Quite the funniest book I've read in a long time. Connolly's fantasy books could almost be children's novels, but in them is an element of darkness that might be too much for some kids. Nonetheless, this book had plenty of lighter, nay, hilarious moments and I literally laughed out loud on many occasions. His writing style is a mix of Douglas Adams and Neil Gaiman. Trying to get an early start on collecting his Halloween treats, Samuel Johnson and his super-smart dog Boswell unwittingly stumble upon a plot from the denizens of Hell to conquer the Earth. The Gates by John Connelly would probably best belong on the shelf of a younger teen, but as a 47-year-old fan of good writing and dry British wit, I was enamored from the start. Of course, no one is going to believe poor Samuel as he attempts to enlist the aid of the typical authority figures, and he needs to begin the battle with only his own rare bravery and the help of two friends who trust in him enough to join the fight. The forces of evil don’t realize they have a real challenge on their hands, and that one of their own will prove to be instrumental to the human resistance. This novel kept me speeding through the pages, laughing out loud, and eagerly searching for the sequel, The Infernals. I am sure it won’t take me long to get hooked on that title as well, and I cannot wait to see what new adventures await Samuel and Boswell. I will have to hide both books from my kids until I get a chance to finish. Humor, irreverance, footnotes -- John Connolly was definitely channeling Terry Pratchett in this YA novel. It's a little boy named Samuel who goes out trick-or-treating a few days before Halloween (just to get a jump start). So Samuel is outside his neighbors the Abernathy's and witnesses a mystical portal opening. The Abernathy's and their friends disappear into the portal and some demons take their forms. Although Samuel tries to warn others, he's just a kid and of course no one believes him. Samuel knows the demons are planning to open the gates of hell on the day after Halloween in order to release "The Great Malevolence" (or the devil). The Large Hadron Collider plays a part in this story, and is the cause of the portal opening. (When I checked the news and saw it listed there as turned back on, it was one of those moments where fiction and reality collide and confuse you for a few seconds.) A minor demon named Nurd (Scourge of Five Deities) was banished to the Wasteland for not being evil enough. When the portal causes Nurd to pop in and out of the Land of Men, he meets Samuel and gets to drive a really fast car. The character of Nurd was hilarious, and my favorite character. The book isn't to be taken seriously, and while reading it I "saw" the narrative as an animated story. I wouldn't be surprised if it became adapted to an animated film. Three and a half stars. Samuel Johnson and his dachshund Boswell aren't having much luck trick-or-treating a few days early. After being turned away at the Abernathy's, the boy witnesses the ending of the satanic ritual the couple and their friends had clumsily performed, one that worked in opening a portal to hell. Now all kinds of demons are pouring into the village and Samuel has to get someone to believe what's happening and help him fight, because the awful things that have come through the portal so far have just been the foot soldiers who are preparing Earth for the arrival of The Great Malevolence. The village is being filled with evil demons, yet it's funny. I think if you enjoyed something like "Shaun of the Dead", you'd like this, which I do. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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