Explore our new BookBrowse Community Forum!

Summary and Reviews of The Book of Counted Sorrows by Dean Koontz

The Book of Counted Sorrows by Dean Koontz

The Book of Counted Sorrows

by Dean Koontz
  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • Rate this book

  • Buy This Book

About This Book

Book Summary

This "mind bending, heart-stopping, bowel-freezing, spleen-tickling history of the most dangerous book of poetry every written" will captivate new and established Koontz fans. eBook exclusive.

Being The Mind-Bending, Heart-Stopping, Bowel-Freezing, Spleen-Tickling History Of The Most Dangerous Book Of Poetry Ever Written, Including The Text Of That Cursed Book Itself, With The Prayer That God Will Protect You From A Spontaneous Head Explosion (And Even Worse Potential Fates) If You Dare Read It.

Ever wonder where best-selling author Dean Koontz found all of those clever epitaphs at the beginning of his novels? Their alleged source, an elusive tome of poetry called The Book of Counted Sorrows, has mystified Koontz fans for years. Each year, Koontz receives thousands of letters from fans who have searched the bookstores and libraries for this inspirational book. Now in response, Dean Koontz reveals the compelling history of The Book of Counted Sorrows as well as the near-complete collection of poetry. This "mind bending, heart-stopping, bowel-freezing, spleen-tickling history of the most dangerous book of poetry every written" will captivate new and established Koontz fans.

BookBrowse Note: The Book of Counted Sorrows was produced as an eBook exclusive by Barnes & Noble but, due to B&N closing their e-book division, it is now difficult to find. There was also a limited edition print version with a print run of about 1,000 copies, which may be available through used bookstores. It usually sells for around $100. To search thousands of stores visit Visit AddAll.com

Chapter 1
Before the Glass of Sherry

In 1981, I began citing lines of verse from The Book of Counted Sorrows as epigraphs at the beginnings--and occasionally at the part divisions--of some of my novels. Little more than a decade later, mail from readers, specifically inquiring about this exotic volume of poetry, had risen to 3,000 letters a year.

Dealing with these earnest but exhaustingly repetitious inquiries became so annoying to one of my assistants--Basil Keenly--that he gave up his lifelong dream of serving as a novelist's right-hand man, signed up for a series of university courses toward a new career in body waxing, subsequently worked as a customized-cake salesman (your face or favorite body part realistically rendered in exquisitely subtle shades of icing), briefly returned to personal-assistant work as the right hand to Porky Pig, but was dispirited by the endless jokes about stuttering and ham that came with the job, attempted to hold up a 7-Eleven with a lump ...

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Reviews

Media Reviews

Reader Reviews

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked The Book of Counted Sorrows, try these:

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Graveyard Shift
    Graveyard Shift
    by M. L. Rio
    Following the success of her debut novel, If We Were Villains, M. L. Rio's latest book is the quasi-...
  • Book Jacket: The Sisters K
    The Sisters K
    by Maureen Sun
    The Kim sisters—Minah, Sarah, and Esther—have just learned their father is dying of ...
  • Book Jacket: Linguaphile
    Linguaphile
    by Julie Sedivy
    From an infant's first attempts to connect with the world around them to the final words shared with...
  • Book Jacket
    The Rest of You
    by Maame Blue
    At the start of Maame Blue's The Rest of You, Whitney Appiah, a Ghanaian Londoner, is ringing in her...

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Pony Confidential
    by Christina Lynch

    In this whimsical mystery, a grumpy pony must clear his beloved human's name from a murder accusation.

Who Said...

From the moment I picked your book up...

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

F the M

and be entered to win..