10/04/2005 10:31 AM
Posted by VeggieSteph

From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz if one of those authors I pick up at used bookstores because I just won’t pay full price for what I consider “junk books.” Junk books are fun to read, easy bits of froth that offer simple plots and characters, and are quick, guilty-pleasure reads. They sure won’t change your life, but you might get a laugh or an “Ewww” out of them all the same. From the Corner of His Eye is like that on one level, but truthfully (and I blush while I type this) it had an even deeper effect on me than I expected. The underlying idea of connectedness and the story of Bartholomew really hit home this time.


From the Corner of His Eye is the story of many different people in the Northern California and Oregon area. Bartholomew’s mother is the “Pie Lady,” a deeply good woman who cares for others most times more than for herself, despite her tragic past. Barty is a child prodigy who quickly loses his sight. Angel is the product of a terrible union, but she is a special child, raised by a loving family of aunt and godfather. The tragedy that enters their lives is in the form of Junior Cain, a sociopath and killer who loves self-help books and schlock art. Junior Cain is terrified of a “Bartholomew,” a spectre that he expects to come and seek vengeance for the atrocities he has committed. Throw in a few more memorable minor characters that help cement the plot together; toss in a bit of the supernatural and scientific theory, and there you have From the Corner of His Eye.

The Short Cuts styled character spread is not unusual for some of Koontz’s books; he has used the premise before. This time around though, the characters have enough depth for you to get into who they really are. You grow to know them as you read through the book, and in doing so, you become interested in what happens to these seemingly random people. The weird events in their lives, the tragedies, are simply second place to learning who these people are. (I’ll be embarrassed and admit, I cried a bit during certain parts.) While Junior Cain is a bit of a caricature, you want him to be larger and scarier and more ridiculous. He is a terribly scummy, creepy-crawly kind of man. His evil only makes the other characters seem that much more hopeful and beautiful. However, they are never too good; they all have faults, doubts, and cries for revenge.

Not only are the characters very good, the story itself, even with its interconnected plots, is easy to follow. You continue to wonder throughout the story about this Bartholomew, who he is, and if he is the exceptional little boy who lives in the dark world of the blind. You think you have it figured out one way, but at the end of the story, when all the characters and plot points come together, you discover a whole underlying story that ties it all together. It was unexpected, possible, and really quite touching.

Dean Koontz will never be one of those authors you read in American Lit in the generations to follow. He’s not Nathaniel Hawthorne or Herman Melville. From the Corner of His Eye, though, is one of his better books, with characters that seem to be inspired by real people and a half sci-fi, half true science plot. It was worth a read.