Guttersnipe
mortal ally
I read this book in two sittings: the first, with growing curiosity;the second, unable to put it down. Matheson excels at portraying the psychology of his characters. His tone, I think, is a blend of Bradbury's poetic prose mixed with King's ability to horrify. The author makes otherwise mundane moments (though they are few) utterly fascinating. I shivered at the spider, felt the sadness of the main character as he dreaded his destiny and growing torture, and I was warmed by the courage and compassion of all the characters. He is the master of character development. What starts as a hellish existence becomes salvation (of sorts). This is my second time reading Matheson; the first was I Am Legend, which I don't think is as good as thisone, but still kept me hooked and happy with the course of events it followed. Next on my list is Stir of Echoes.
