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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780425142486
ISBN number: 0425142485
Label: Berkley
Manufacturer: Berkley
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: June 01, 1994
Publishing house: Berkley
Sale Popularity Level: 88613
Studio: Berkley
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Product Description:
Years after leaving the carnival, her hated very first husband, and the child she could never love, Ellen has a new life, a new husband, and two beautiful children, but now the carnival is coming back to town, and Ellen is going to have to pay for her sins. Reprint.
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Rated by buyers 
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I can't say I'm a huge fan of Koontz (at least not yet), but while I thought he didn't have much talent for 'horror' books, I felt he was always very good at creating suspense. I had yet to read one book from him that didn't leave me wanting more; well, at least not until this book anyway.
The Funhouse is a story about a family of four: the Harper family, which consists of Ellen (the mother), Amy (daughter), Joey (son), and Paul (father). Paul is a workaholic lawyer, his wife is religious zealot, and their two children suffer under an oppressive and neglectful household. Furthermore, it seems that the mother has a troubled past that is catching up with her. A man she was previously involved with is searching her out in order to exact vengeance for something Ellen did.
I had a very hard time writing that summary (I must have revised it at least four times). The reason reflects my view of the story; it simply wasn't very compelling. I find this odd as, I said in my introduction, I always felt Koontz had a great talent for creating suspense. However, it simply wasn't here.
The primary driving force behind the plot is Ellen's past catching up with her and how it will ultimately affect her children, but this simply wasn't very exciting. I believe this is perhaps due to a lack of character development; we knew very little about the vast majority of the characters, including one of the major characters (until rather late in the story). All we essentially knew was what they wanted to do, but we had no idea why. Extremely small hints were given, but frankly, not really enough to create any sort of ideal atmosphere for suspense.
Personally, the thing I found most interesting in the book was Ellen and Amy. Not simply their interaction with each other, but their development as well. Without a doubt, they are the two most developed characters in the story.
Ellen, I felt, was an extremely fascinating character. She is supposed to be portrayed as extremely overbearing, judgmental, and somewhat mad, but strangely, and I might be in the minority, I found her to be very sympathetic. She too, like her daughter, struggled with religion and her mother. Furthermore, and perhaps due to my own experiences, I truly connected to her trying to bring up her children to be good people, even if she went about it poorly, and the loss of hope when she thought she failed in it.
Amy, likewise, was also very fascinating simply because readers see her try to cope with religion, her mother, and life as it was. She is a sympathetic character and I think it was really easy to connect with her troubles. Furthermore, I really became entangled in her struggle. At times, I've became frustrated with her lack of willpower and conviction, but I suppose that's the sign of good character development.
Ultimately, I did not think the book was very good (save for Amy and Ellen). The villains were okay, the plot was somewhat good (albeit the ending left a lot to be desire), and the character development could have used some work. Nonetheless, if one is looking for an enjoyable read, I would think the book will suffice at less than two hundred pages.
Rated by buyers 
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I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It's kindof a typical slasher but is way better than watching a movie in that catagory.
Rated by buyers -
The Fun House, is one of Koontz best works. Of course we seen Odd Thomas and the other great books, but this one is among the best of Koontz' works. I think beyond a doubt that the thought and devotion in this book has really paid off and will continue to do so. I enjoyed this book, which kept me glued to it's pages one by one, as the author told the story so well. I give The Fun House a four star for it's intriguing detail and articulation. But don't take my word for it, buy it and find out what it's pages hold.
Rated by buyers -
This book sounded like it had potential from the blurb. I was sorely disappointed. The characters were underdeveloped and incredibly one dimensional. There was a lot of potential to build on certain plot points, but each route Koontz took the easy way out with his conviniently written characters. The ending...well I won't spoil it for you, but let me assure you there is NOTHING to spoil. That's right. The book ends with absolutely no closure. The protagonist (of the chapter, it jumps to so many different characters) doesn't figure out what the hell happened, the mother doesn't find out about a revenge plot and NOTHING was resolved. I read the afterword hoping there was a secret page somewhere that went "psych! Here's the real ending! Thanks for playing along!" I was really upset I wasted my time on this book.
The only positive thing I can say about this book is that at least it was a quick read. I had problems forcing myself to read it simply for its absurdity, but once you are reading, the pages turn quickly.
So yes. Koontz has written some good books. This is not one of them. I recommend reading something like Life Expectancy or The Servants of Twilight if you want to read something silly and unlikely, but at least well written and thought out.
Rated by buyers 
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The Funhouse by Dean Koontz is a fun read, it's one of his earlier books and boy I enjoyed reading it. It's a good short summer read, this book isn't considered scary but it is funny and quite seductive. Koontz knows how to write, his description of places of people in this book is strong, I highly recommend The Funhouse!
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