- Hardcover: 287 pages
- Publisher: Simon and Schuster; First Edition edition (August 1996)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 068481076X
- ISBN-13: 978-0684810768
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.5 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 567 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
A simple, fabled premise?the existence of a Fountain of Youth?supports this modest suspenser from Clifford (Final Argument). The age-conquering waters here flow in a spring located thousands of feet above Aspen, Colo., their existence known only by the several hundred denizens of the town of Springhill. To avoid arousing the suspicion of outsiders, the townsfolk have entered into a pact to die voluntarily at the age of 100. The plot, which revolves around a murder trial arising from the discovery of the bodies of two of the Springfield dead, lays bare the inevitable kinks in so apparently practical and civilized a social contract. The intensely rural setting, reminiscent of that of The Shining or Deliverance, helps to cultivate a low-level tension, as do small but disturbing incidents like the disappearance of a cat or an anecdote about a woman's decapitation by avalanche. More melodramatic frights erupt at appropriate intervals. Irving drives his narrative from the fantastic to the realistic and back again, playing a game that's sure and steady?but one that's safe as well. Fans of risks in horror or suspense won't find them here.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The hamlet of Springhill nestles high in the Colorado Rockies. Residents are bursting with health, but they guard a secret: they grow old very, very slowly...and they decide when to die. When Manhattan attorney Dennis Conway falls in love with Springhill's mayor, Sophie Henderson, he and his two children move in with her. He's charmed by her parents, Scott and Bibsy, and by Harry Parrot, the town drunk/artist, but curious about the Water Board, an entity that wields great power over the townsfolk. When his in-laws are accused of illegally assisting in the suicide of two friends, he agrees to represent Bibsy. The secret (easy to guess, but who cares?) is revealed, and Dennis endangers his family to save someone whose time is up. Irving (The Argument, S. & S., 1993) delivers a parable about aging and euthanasia that's spare of prose and thoroughly creepy; book discussion groups will love it. Recommended for all libraries.
-?Laurel A. Wilson, Alexandrian P.L, Mount Vernon, Ind.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
-?Laurel A. Wilson, Alexandrian P.L, Mount Vernon, Ind.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Real Sleeper,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Spring (Hardcover)
I'm a fan of Clifford Irving's work, so bear that in mind. This is not his best book but it's good enough to be better than almost anything on the best-seller list today. It's an imaginative and action-filled story of a "fountain of youth" in modern Colorado near the mountain resort of Aspen. The characters are solid and real. The atmosphere, including a great scene of an avalanche, is excellent. I found its philosophical underpinnings worthy of consideration. The writing is crisp and elegant, and I finished it in three sessions. You can't go wrong with this Irving.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews) 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Real Sleeper,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Spring (Hardcover)
I'm a fan of Clifford Irving's work, so bear that in mind. This is not his best book but it's good enough to be better than almost anything on the best-seller list today. It's an imaginative and action-filled story of a "fountain of youth" in modern Colorado near the mountain resort of Aspen. The characters are solid and real. The atmosphere, including a great scene of an avalanche, is excellent. I found its philosophical underpinnings worthy of consideration. The writing is crisp and elegant, and I finished it in three sessions. You can't go wrong with this Irving.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
an underrated novel by a fine writer,
By Edmond M. Sommer "ravenous reader" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Spring (Paperback)
Some people view this as Clifford Irving's least successful novel. That said, he is such a fine writer that "The Spring" is still considerably superior to most other contemporary novels and/or thrillers. It's a remarkable story about a community in Colorado that has discovered -- and successfully hides, until the story starts -- the Fountain of Youth. Springville is in the vicity of Aspen, but don't hunt for it; it's a fantasy by this wonderfully imaginative author.I won't spoil the tale by telling you more. It's atmospheric, tense, and, usual, Irving paints compelling and sympathetic characters. And, as usual, he writes crisp and yet evocative prose. The snow scenes, particularly the avalanche, are remarkable. Sol Stein, in "Stein on Writing," holds this author up as a master of point of view -- and he's right. 5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A little hoaky, but good reading,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Spring (Hardcover)
I like Clifford Irving and enjoy all his books. I always look forward to his next work. Recommend readers get ahold of his previous works. They are good
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