![]() ![]() He scored first, and he enjoyed the book. My compadre, Benoit Lelievre of Dead End Follies, agreed to a Straubathon read-off this year, primarily because he was unfamiliar with Straub’s work, and it just sounded like a kick-ass thing to do. The characters are rich and fully developed, and the mystery within is as labyrinthine as the mind of a madman. It starts off strong but breaks you down with the first few pages. Today, the book stands as one of Straub’s most emotional books. I believe to fully understand Koko, one must be a little cynical, somewhat toughened by what life has to offer. Ten years may not seem like a lot of time, or maybe it’s too much time, but during those years I worked hard in retail sales, meeting all kinds of people, some good and some bad, and those experiences hardened me to the human condition. Twenty-one years old, still wet behind the ears, and completely unable to grasps the horrors of the Vietnam war, I couldn’t finish the book and didn’t return to it until nearly ten years later. All good things come to an end and when the paperback hit the shelves, I bought it and eagerly began reading it. I was in love and behind the eight-ball, so I couldn’t be bothered with reading. I remember distinctly not reading it when it first released in 1988, mainly because I was a junior in college and my studies and a steady girlfriend kept me wrapped up tight. I came by Peter Straub’s Koko first by mass market paperback. ![]()
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