Cape Fear: A Novel by John D. MacDonald (Epub)

Description

How far would you go to save your family? In John D. MacDonald’s iconic masterwork of suspense, the inspiration for not one but two Hollywood hits, a mild-mannered family is tormented by an obsessed criminal—and with the authorities powerless to protect them, they must take the law into their own hands.

Introduction by Dean Koontz

Sam Bowden has it all: a successful law career, a devoted wife, and three children. But a terrifying figure from Bowden’s past looms in the shadows, waiting to shatter his pristine existence.

Fourteen years ago, Bowden’s testimony put Max Cady behind bars. Ever since, the convicted rapist has been nursing a grudge into an unrelenting passion for revenge. Cady has been counting the days until he is set free, desperate to destroy the man he blames for all his troubles. Now that time has come.

User’s Reviews

Review Praise for John D. MacDonald “The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller.”—Stephen King “My favorite novelist of all time . . . All I ever wanted was to touch readers as powerfully as John D. MacDonald touched me. No price could be placed on the enormous pleasure that his books have given me. He captured the mood and the spirit of his times more accurately, more hauntingly, than any ‘literature’ writer—yet managed always to tell a thunderingly good, intensely suspenseful tale.”—Dean Koontz “To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen.”—Kurt Vonnegut “A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about the best.”—Mary Higgins Clark “The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . John D. MacDonald created a staggering quantity of wonderful books, each rich with characterization, suspense, and an almost intoxicating sense of place.”—Jonathan Kellerman “There’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again. A writer way ahead of his time, he is the all-time master of the American mystery novel.”—John Saul –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ I’m sure many who have watched either the 1962 classic or the remake in 1991 are quite familiar with the plot of Cape Fear. The book’s core premise is basically the same even though are quite a few differences in how it is presented: Max Cady, convicted rapist and sentenced to a term in prison. While in prison, Cady has been planning revenge for the prosecuting lawyer (Sam Bowden). When he is released, he comes back to terrorize the Bowden family.I feel pretty mixed after reading the novel. Truth be told, this was not as compelling as I’d hoped it would be.My two biggest beefs are the dialogue and the ending.I felt like the dialogue was fairly stilted and flat (and dated, but I realize it is a product of its time). Since the book is very dialogue heavy (as opposed to description heavy), I think this really weighed it down a lot and made it less engaging. There are many times we have to wade through corny dialogue between Sam and his wife, Carol, or the one of the Bowden kids and the parents. It really stalls the plot and lessens the dramatic tension of the book at points.Without giving anything away, the ending is sort of a dud, and it kills some very good tension right before that point.Anyhow, what I thought was effective was the psychological mind games created at points as Sam and his family have to deal with Cady. These are uncomfortable and unsettling. It does seem, however, that MacDonald has Cady is “off screen” quite a bit. Still, MacDonald creates in Max Cady quite a disturbing villain and antagonist.In the end, though, I think the 1962 film is superior to the book, as it generates a stronger sense of dread and tension.

⭐ In a way I find this a poster to the Travis McGee books. A man is faced with a that to his family and the law win do nothing. As the that becomes greater and more real he finally resorts to extra legal means of protection. The motif has a long ways to go before Trav emerges. There is real suspense and the villan is a truly despicable character. He has no redeeming feature. The book was made into a movie. I only remember one scene in the movie: the villan follows the family when they are going into hiding by hanging onto the bottom of the car as they drive to cape fear. That scene isn’t in the book. It was an effective way of showing how diabolical he was on screen.. I don’t know if MacDonald approved that change our was happy with the result. In general he was unhappy with what Hollywood did to his books.The book allows the reader to watch MacDonald continuing development as an author.

⭐ I finally got to read this 1957 classic and it definitely still works.While our characters and style are certainly vintage, they’re delightfully so and the old-fashioned feel of the novel doesn’t impact the suspense at all. The reader is forced to wonder what they would do in such a situation – and I don’t think many readers would argue with what our main character decides.It’s still an edge-of-your seat read and I’m very happy I read it!

⭐ I had to stop reading this at night before bed. Some very politically incorrect, noticeably dated ways of thinking but a very scary story. Filled with tension and release.

⭐ …..but the movie, well both movies actually, were better. Both Mitchum and De Niro were excellent Cadys and I think both movies had better endings. That’s not to say the book wasn’t good, just a bit disappointing.

⭐ The main character is weak and clueless and the ending is rushed.

⭐ Was a little disappointed there was no Cape Fear river involved, but wasn’t the original title. Still very good job by screenwriting on the film.

⭐ An interesting study of what even the most mild-mannered people will do to protect those they love. The circumstances were a bit unbelievable, but the story was good enough to keep me turning pages.

⭐ MacDonald is the best pulp fiction writer of his era and perhaps since.

⭐ The pacing was good here but clearly an early career book from him, just didn’t have that something his other books do. Still, the grandfather of a genre, so to speak. If you like the author you won’t be bored by this, but it won’t leave you feeling much of anything either.

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