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The Strain (2009)

by Guillermo del Toro(Favorite Author)

3.75 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0061558230 (ISBN13: 9780061558238)

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

William Morrow

series

The Strain Trilogy

review 1: Pasé años sin leerlo aunque lo tenía en el librero porque pensé que era solo una historia más de vampiros entre el montón que existen ahora. Y qué sorpresa tan agradable fue descubrir que no es parte de ese montón. Empieza lento, pero todo el tiempo es emocionante, la tensión te hace seguir leyendo y además es muy sencillo. A mí me atrapó desde el primer capítulo, con la historia que la abuela cuenta sobre Sardu. No te pierdes entre personajes, todos tienen una historia interesante a la que le quieres seguir la pista y algunos de ellos son muuuy buenos, en especial Setrakian. Me gustó mucho, pues. Y sí quiero leer los otros dos.
review 2: Fast paced and entertaining debut from del Toro. If you are a fan of his film work, this novel is the sort of... more take on vampirism you would expect from his unique mind. This is not your average vamp romp, none of the shit spewed out by twilight'esque romanticised dark and brooding vampire wannabes. This is more along the lines of Justin Cronin's excellent Passage, only lacking Cronin's panache. My vamp-bar is set by Cronin, and unfortunately del Toro just isn't as good. BUT, this is still a very enjoyable read.These are the Strigoi, humans infected with deeply unpleasant parasitical worms, they shit while eating, their genitalia shrivels up then blackens and falls off, riddled with cancers and very unpalatable to behold. Once infected, the person that once existed is no longer, the parasite prevails, taking control of its host body. The Strigoi are a disease that threatens all humanity, an uncontrolled outbreak has the potential to be an apocalypse event.I'm not quite sure why this book has so many negative reviews, perhaps it's that vamp-lovers are let down by the lack of gothic romance, or that the subject matter is not in keeping with the genre. There is certainly an association with zombie-apocalypse literature here, only reined in, more tightly controlled, less gruesome, more scientific.The main protagonist heads up a CDC department, backed up by an 86 year old Strigoi hunter, a scientist colleague and a rat exterminator. Aside from 86 year old Abraham, the personalities are not quite fleshed out as well as they could be. And for me, this is where the novel is let down, why I did not rate it 5 stars. less

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