Old Central School still stood upright,

resolutely holding its secrets and silences firmly within. For eighty-four years, chalkdust had floated in the rare shafts of sunlight inside,

while the memories of more than eight decades of varnishings rose from the dark stairs and floors,

tinging the trapped air with the mahogany scent of coffins.

This book tells the story of five 12-year-old boys who live in Elm Haven in 1960.

It follows them through their summer holidays as they encounter a series of strange happenings in their town.

As they come to realize that evil is lurking, they must find a way to stop it.

THIS BOOK. Honestly. It is one of the best books I've ever read.

I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. Dan Simmons crafted such amazing characters and a little town that I felt I knew inside out.

I'm a huge King fan, so horror is no stranger to me.

But this book scared me to the core. Maybe it's my fault for doing most of my reading at night,

but there were definitely several restless nights. The tension Simmons created,

the building of the story to a terrifying conclusion, these are some of the best aspects of this book.

Yes, it takes a while to get started, and it's perhaps a hundred or more pages in before something truly scary occurs.

But you can sense it building, and that makes the horror even worse.

The kids themselves were developed impeccably, each with their own distinct personality and unique traits,

as well as different family setups. I felt a connection to each one, especially Duane.

But I want to keep this review spoiler-free, so I won't go into how much I loved Duane and my feelings about his story arc.

The kids riding around on bikes is strongly reminiscent of Stephen King's IT.

In fact, quite a few themes in this book remind me of IT, but this is its own unique tale.

Other similarities include the themes of childhood friendship, friends banding together to fight a greater evil in their town,

and the story being set in the 60s. It's terrifying on so many levels what these young boys are going through.

Simmons takes certain situations that might be considered cliché, like things hiding under your bed,

a presence at your window, walking through a cemetery, and yet manages to reinvent them in a way

that makes you think twice about looking out your window in the dead of night.

I cannot praise this book highly enough. It's definitely one of the best and scariest books I've ever read.

Simmons has gained a new fan!

Reread August 2020. It's most definitely one of my top 3 horror novels!

It's a rainy, grey, uncomfortable and cheerless Sunday morning in January.

This will bring me in the right mood for writing a review about "Summer Of Night" by Dan Simmons.

If you love horror novels, then you must be familiar with names like Stephen King or Dean Koontz. So, you can count Dan Simmons also to this club.

I'm sitting here in my living room before my notebook, and asking myself how to review a novel like this!!! What about this: Awesome, gripping, tantalizing, or even a compulsive read. Yeah, yeah, I know it's not bad. But I rather stick with this: an incarnated literary nightmare reminiscence of Stephen Kings "IT" and sparkling with the uniqueness, daunting and paralyzing imagination by such a master of his craft which indeed is Dan Simmons!!!

Let me tell you, that if you haven't read this novel yet, then be assured that it awaits you an experience out of the ordinary and out of all expectations that you possible could bear or imagine!!! No wonder that Stephen King said: "I am in awe of Dan Simmons".

Well, the reason I've had to give "Summer Of Night" four stars resides in the fact that this novel is written with so much originality and also fantasy, that it never becomes dull or boring, not even for a second. The characters are also developed in such manner that the reader can easily identify with them, and connect powerfully with their world and what's happening all around them!!!

"Summer Of Night" is also a fast paced horror thriller, and it has scared the bejesus out of me!!! And that often!!! I'm not ashamed and want to say it aloud: it seriously scared me in ways I didn't expect at all!!! Also it was unputdownable, I could not put it down and was forced like under a spell to read on and on... till far late in the night!!! Despite being tired and having itching, red eyes.

Although the style used by Dan Simmons in taking his time and describing effusively and gushingly the surroundings, persons, the situations, and moods in the story, it never gave me the impression of reading a monster novel with nearly 500 pages!!!

Out of the blue... and into the dark...

Like in Stephen Kings novel "IT", a bunch of children must fight and confront the unspeakable evil in a small town!! Only they can stop it!!! But not Pennywise the clown this time!!! A cursed bell plays an important part in the story. Then you have here indeed unique horror personalities born out of a living nightmare. This is a more serious horror, more deeply rooted in blood, doom, and disaster!!!

Also this is a complex written work, with a lot of stuff happening all the time. Worthy to be read again and again.

If you love spooky, well written horror novels, then this is for you!!! I for my part have enjoyed it very much. And Dan Simmons is a writer I will keep following!!!

Happy reading to all my goodread friends

Dean;)))

Perhaps the horror aspect is toned down, but what shines through is the vivid and colorful portrayal of small town life in the 1960s. It shows how innocence can vanish in the blink of an eye and yet, in some mysterious way, be rediscovered. The story delves deep into the fabric of that era, painting a detailed picture of the people, their relationships, and the events that shaped their lives. The characters are richly developed, each with their own unique quirks and personalities. You can almost feel the warmth of the community and the sting of the losses. It's a captivating read that keeps you engaged from start to finish. With a solid 4.5 stars, it comes highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good story that explores the human condition and the passage of time.

CW: a lot of animal death

This movie is an absolute crazy ride from the very start to the finish!

It is filled with non-stop creepiness that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. The story takes you on an emotional roller coaster, making you feel a wide range of emotions from fear to excitement and everything in between.

I absolutely loved it! The way the plot unfolds and the characters develop is truly captivating. The special effects are top-notch, adding to the overall atmosphere of the movie.

Despite the CW about a lot of animal death, which might be a bit disturbing for some, it doesn't overshadow the other aspects of the film. It actually adds an element of realism and makes the story more impactful.

If you're a fan of thrillers and horror movies, this one is definitely worth checking out. You won't be disappointed!

This book truly outshines "IT". Even after reading it for the sixth time, it remains a flawless, pure, and utterly horrifying horror novel. Set in the summer of 1960 in Illinois, it follows the experiences of 6 young boys and a girl. And with only 555 pages, there are no absurd talking turtles in another universe!

Check out my video review of this book on my Youtube Channel; AreYouIntoHorror here: https://youtu.be/q1214dPsOVc

When asked about my favorite top 3 coming of age horror novels, I still haven't changed them; 'Boys Life', 'Something Wicked This Way Comes', and 'Summer of Night'!

Not only do boys experience coming of age, but girls do too. Whether it's the first kiss, wearing the first bra, having the first crush, or the ultimate, losing virginity.

It's the last week of school in Elm Haven, Ill. and 4 best friends can't wait for the last day. When the school bell rings, summer begins! However, this summer will be one where they lose many friends, witness death, ghosts, demons, and encounter an evil that will change their lives forever. Welcome to Dan Simmons' 'Summer Of Night'.

As I mentioned in the opening, this book has always been compared to King's 1300-page 'IT', and in my opinion, this one is five times better. I firmly stand by this view. From the first page, it grabs you and pulls you into the deep and dark basement of the 'old schoolhouse' where all the bathrooms are, and it never lets go! But beware, something extremely dark and evil, hungry for children of all beliefs and races, has lived there. It will make them believe in pure evil. Yes, evil exists in Elm Haven, and Simmons is the master storyteller of it in this book.

With this horror story, you won't be bored with over 300 pages of backstory of characters you soon don't care about. With Simmons' writing, you care instantly and can relate to them like the childhood friends we all had. Set in 1960, there are no computers, cell phones, social media, or multiplex theaters. But there is horror and evil, and no escape. From a scared boy being pulled into the floorboards to a deep red 'rendering truck' driven by the Devil himself, to a friend being swallowed by a monster in the quarry, 'Summer of Night' will terrify you! The best part is, it's only 555 pages, and there's a sequel, 'A Winter Haunting', which ties up the story well, although it's not as good.

If you've never read 'Summer Of Night', treat yourself and get ready to be scared! Enjoy... and watch out for that thing behind the bushes or outside your grandma's window.

“Pero en la primavera de 1960, en el último día de clase, solo unas horas antes de verse obligada al retiro definitivo, la Old Central School seguía todavía en pie, conservando firmemente sus secretos y silencios.”

When I first saw this book in the new releases of the publisher, I couldn't resist. It is "A Dark Summer" written by Dan Simmons and published by Ediciones B. This book was first published in 1991 in Spain and now it has been re-edited in another format, which is the one I have read. I knew Dan Simmons, especially for his works of fantasy and science fiction, but I was unaware of this writer's facet in the horror genre. I also want to read "The Terror" and see its adaptation to TV, as I have heard very good reviews. As for "A Dark Summer", it had all the characteristics of being my kind of book, very much in the style of "It".

"A Dark Summer" is a very entertaining horror book with a plot that hooks until the end, although it didn't completely convince me. It's my first book by the author and I'm sure I will continue reading his work. It is totally recommended, especially for fans of the genre like me.

-Total Review: http://addicionaloslibros.blogspot.co...

Three years ago, thanks to Stranger Things on TV, people in Hollywood seemed to realize that the nostalgia market was a gold mine. Especially because Generation X began to write fiction and develop concepts that strongly recalled the glories of their childhood.

At that time, fantasy, it is said, was generic. But there was also a family movie that became generic by representing over and over again groups of children or preteens, residents of some suburb or small rural town, who, riding their bikes, faced all kinds of adventures, of all kinds of tones. In the movies, these adventures were more flattering, like in The Goonies or E.T. In literature, these adventures were a bit more macabre. The central point of many of these works was like a kind of "swan song" of a lost childhood for those who developed them at that time, who are the members of the previous generation. The Baby Boomers.

A man from Maine first wrote a short novel about a group of boys who in a summer were looking for the corpse of another boy. And then he wrote a very long novel about a group of boys who were facing an entity dressed as "Ah, Laughing Clown!". The first adaptation of that book was a reference that terrified my own generation, despite the horror being toned down for TV. The second adaptation was a box office hit and broke all the records for a horror movie.

But there was also a second book. A book written by a man from Illinois. By the chameleonic author of Hyperion, a gem of gems in science fiction. We don't know if this novel, written five years after the clown novel, is a tribute or just a parallel view, of another childhood and in another part of the same country. Because it is very similar. And when I say very similar, it is very similar. Themes, concepts, similar scenes and secondary characters. It is very similar and yet very different.

The main problem one has when reading Summer of Night is the enormous temptation to compare it with IT. Especially when we are three weeks away from the premiere of the conclusion of the movie. Both authors have had a career, but King's influence on everything is undeniable and inescapable at all levels. Simmons has only just gotten the first adaptation of one of his works with The Terror.

But let's go from the comparison to the particular. Beyond the superficial similarities (The Losers' Club vs. The Bike Patrol) or the truly equivalent quality of the prose, there are nuances that separate the two novels. The first nuance has to do with the fact that Summer of Night is not necessarily a cosmic horror novel, but a supernatural one. There is a big change there that completely changes the focus of evil, although its intention is the same.

Another thing is that Simmons seems rather only interested in writing the apology of his childhood in a slice-of-life story. King, on the other hand, does this and adds his usual commentary and the background about the violent history of the US as a mirror of the history of Derry. In addition, King does diversity control and Simmons not so much. The last one is that there is no two-time structure, there are no interludes with metatext (which in IT work to change the rhythm of the story and soften its enormous length. Here, whether anyone likes it or not, that is not needed).

I was going to say that Simmons comes out better off by avoiding questionable passages, but I thought this before reading the point where Simmons DOES add a questionable passage. True, nothing of the caliber of what happens in IT, but it is similar. And I think it shows a lot and it already goes from questionable to reproachable when we realize that Simmons seems to have written the passage in full possession of his faculties (something that is debatable with King, but it is suspected that he was not).

The definitive drawback of Simmons is the way in which each of the characters stand out on their own and as a whole (The Bike Patrol). In particular, there is one, Kevin, who only has his own personality at the end of the novel and could have been better drawn. And as is usually the case in these novels, most of the adults lack charm (but this is almost always intentional).

But in the end, I think the fundamental point here is that if one distills the novel to its essential components (plot, characters and prose), it stands on its own, and if one forgets about IT for a moment, Summer of Night is also a terrifying novel, full of lyricism, of an elegiac tone for childhood and full of threat.

To make an absurd analogy, let's talk about songs. Summer of Night is to horror literature (or to the coming-of-age horror novel of the baby boomer generation) what a song like I'd lie for you (and that's the truth) by Meat Loaf would be. Written by Diane Warren more or less as a mirror of the four years before I'd do anything for love (but I won't do that) by Jim Steinman. A similar mirror, infinitely less influential, less complex and that strongly recalls the other. But that also stands on its own and that if one completely removes the comparison, it is truly solid. It works the same with the songs of Raphael: Yo sigo siendo aquél by José Luis Perales versus Yo soy aquél by Manuel Alejandro. But I digress.

The only problem that does not come from the comparison is the justification of evil in the novel. When Simmons wrote it, the conspicuous and Machiavellian Valencian family that motivates the supernatural element of the plot was not as much in the spotlight as it is now. Then, after seeing them even on the cereal box nowadays, the idea that they would have done what Simmons put no longer sounds as relevant or as scabrous. In addition, we are talking about the author who put Keats and Homer in beautiful ways in contemporary genre literature, so seeing him resort to making up things in Rome that only have an effect on the people who are impressed by the same thing in Angels and Demons is a demerit.

In any case, I highly recommend reading Simmons and putting this novel on two very different fronts: on the one hand, as another take, as a coda to an entire era in horror literature, and on the other hand as an accent in the work of this author who has tried them all. And in all of them that air of strangeness and threat has come out well.

P.S.1: By the way… What were those who say the novel is heavy smoking? It has 60% of the page count of IT!

P.S.2: Summer of Night is another title for which the translator should be shot. Why was it wrong to call it Nocturnal Summer or Summer of Night? But well.

3.5 stars and will be justified later.

I just want to say - don't read this stupid "Introduction" to the novel by the author himself. For the first time it happens to me because of such a thing to be deducted points for a book. It turns out that you spoil the novel for yourself, you sit and explain what the author wanted to say (thanks, Danch, but we all understood what you wanted to say, you wrote it very simply), but also to mope like a gloomy teacher (oh, surprise, he was exactly that the next year) how once everything was wonderful but now the bitter children don't have a childhood... Come on, there is no need :)

The author's introduction seems to be rather unhelpful and even a bit of a turn-off. It not only spoils the essence of the novel but also presents a rather negative and unnecessary narrative. It makes one wonder why the author felt the need to include such a thing. Maybe it was an attempt to set the stage or provide some context, but in reality, it just detracts from the overall experience of reading the book. It would have been better if the author had let the story speak for itself and allowed the readers to form their own interpretations and opinions.

Overall, while the novel itself may have its merits, the introduction is definitely a flaw that could have been avoided. It serves as a reminder that sometimes less is more, and that authors should be careful not to overexplain or overshadow their own work with unnecessary additions.

First, let's address the elephant in the room. If you've read even halfway through Stephen King's IT, you'll notice some very close similarities in this book. It's like if this were a song, you'd think, "Hey, isn't that the same tune as in that other song?"

Now, let's talk about what really irks me in this book. Dan Simmons included every mundane thing he could find. Some reviews say this helps you get to know the characters, but I beg to differ. If half the book is filled with such stuff, it's just unnecessary. For example, in chapter 10, you spend the first half reading about the boys playing baseball, and it goes on and on. Ugh! I could have skipped that part without any impact on my understanding of the story. I wouldn't have needed to go back because I missed a crucial clue. Why? Because it just wasn't needed!

Next, let's discuss the book's descriptions of locations. Dan Simmons seemed fixated on describing things as if the reader were walking around with a compass or a measuring tape. Characters were constantly going in specific directions or were a certain number of feet apart. Case in point:

❗"Cordie did not look right or left as she strode through the woods, climbed the embankment about fifty feet south of where Dale had come down."

❗"The invaders had reached the far side of the quarry and were closing in from the north and south. But the woods started twenty feet beyond the quarry and went on for miles."

❗ "On the edge of a small copse of trees in a glade about five hundred yards north of the quarry and a quarter of a mile northeast of calvary cemetry, Gypsy Lane ran north to the south about five hundred feet west of them."

I mean, why? Why?

Also, the way the kids speak to each other is a bit off. I could imagine Duane talking like that, but not the rest of the boys.

Furthermore, the hygiene habits of those boys were terrible. With all the unnecessary details the author managed to squeeze in, you'd think he'd have included more bath times for them.

However, if the book doesn't annoy you to the point of giving up, Dan Simmons finally delivers the scares. It's really, really good. Heck, you might even forgive him for the baseball part and all the compass-like descriptions.

P.S: I would have loved to see more of Cordie Cooke. That girl was badass!

Summer of Night is truly one of the most remarkable books I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

Dan Simmons weaves an enchanting tale set in 1960's Illinois, with its charming little town and streets, Saturday outdoor movies, and a group of kids who are the real heroes of the story. It has elements that remind me of Goonies, and we quickly grow to love Dale and his younger brother Lawrance, along with Mike, Duane, Kevin, and Jim Harlan. These friends, schoolmates, and brave, lovable kids turn this book into a magical adventure that unfolds right before our eyes.

The story revolves around a school called Old Central, where Tubby, a not-so-good kid, disappears on the last day. It's a huge old building that is set to be closed down as all the kids are supposed to go to a new school. Dale, Lawrance, and their friends, all around 11 years old, are real kids with bratty tough attitudes at times. But Simmons doesn't create superheroes in children's bodies; he builds each character, making them as real as my own family. I grew to love each one of them as they worked on their plans to find the missing kid.

As the kids start to piece together what's going on, very bad things begin to happen. Unusual dark forces, like walking corpses and black worms, pollute their world as the sun sets, sending real-life terror that is more terrifying than any other horror book I've read. I laughed, cried, and even took a day off work to sit and read this book as it slowly and beautifully reveals its mysteries.

Dan Simmons uses the most intense, sublime, and imaginative language to tell his story, something I've never seen before in a scary book. I could feel the first day of summer, the sunshine, the happiness, and the approaching gloom with the kids he describes so vividly. Don't miss this glorious story, but make sure you have the time to read it. And don't forget to check out the sequel, A Winter Haunting, which continues the story years in the future. I can't wait to read it!

When I was a child, I had a great affection for John Bellairs. His books were horror works targeted at the pre-teen group. All of them were deeply immersed in Catholicism and involved small town kids from past eras who had to battle against some kind of ancient evil. Usually, there was an adult present to offer some assistance, but for the most part, the kids were on their own when it came to saving the world. Summer of Night is like John Bellairs' works for adults in the best possible way.

The kids in this novel are truly wonderful! I adored every single one of them. My copy had an introduction by Simmons that was written 10 years after the novel was first published. This book, along with that introduction, seriously made me want to shed tears for the kids of today. Simmons discusses how life would have actually been the way he described it for kids in 1960. Summer would arrive, and kids would leave their homes in the morning and spend the entire day exploring and playing until it got dark. He refers to a study conducted in 2007 on a single family, from the Great Grandfather who was 8 in 1919 to the current child of the family who was 8 at the time of the study. The Great Grandfather, as an 8-year-old, was allowed to walk six miles to go fishing outside of town. What about the 8-year-old in 2007? He was only permitted to walk to the end of his street.

Now, I'm aware that a lot of people, especially parents, will argue that crime rates have risen and that child kidnappings have increased since 1919. There have also been numerous studies on crimes against children in recent years, and the truth is that our children are not as threatened as we think they are. In reality, our perceptions of evil in the world have simply increased. Aside from smart phones, the internet, and video games, kids today simply do not play outside nearly as much as kids did even in my generation. I grew up in the 80's, and I remember leaving the house in the morning during the summer and not coming back home until it started to get dark. I rode my bike, played baseball, and hide and seek in the woods. I scraped my knees and bruised myself countless times. It was truly amazing. My 13-year-old stepdaughter hardly ever leaves the house. I have never seen her ride a bike. Sure, she has technology that we could never have even imagined in the 1980's, but I can't help but feel sad that she never got to experience the freedom of being a kid.

The parts of this book that really stayed with me were the kids just being kids. I loved the dirt clod war, the excavation of Bootlegger's Cave, the camping, the bike riding... all of it reminded me of summer and being a child.

Then there is the story itself! Just like in a Bellairs novel, an ancient evil has been awakened, and the kids are the only ones who know that something is horribly wrong in their town. They start off exploring on their own, but when something terrible occurs, they realize that the entire town is in danger, and they come together to fight and save it.

Summer of Night is creepy, atmospheric, and nostalgic. There are some truly disturbing parts in this book, and about halfway through, Simmons surprises you. I absolutely loved this one. It made me wish so much that if only for a single day, we could just set aside technology and our fears and let our kids run, play, and be free.

Did you know that the monster under the bed is real? So is the one in the closet. And that creepy school janitor? There's a very dark reason he's so creepy.

This is my second encounter with Dan Simmon's work, and it has left me regretting not discovering him sooner. He's been around for a while - this book dates back to 1991 - but he eluded my notice until I recently read the outstanding The Terror, and now this one.

Simmon's ability to fill 600 pages with rich detail is on par with that of Stephen King, and his sense of history is far superior. While King excels in present-day popular culture, Simmons effortlessly weaves a period piece set 50 years ago with a web of historical details that stretch all the way back to ancient Egypt via Aliester Crowley and the Borgia popes. He presents this to us through the eyes of children.

We first meet our young heroes in the final minutes of their last day in 6th grade. The story unfolds during the following summer, which for most American kids is arguably the last true summer of childhood before puberty and the journey towards adulthood begins. It's 1960, perhaps the last summer of America's childhood before social upheavals and technological advancements set the country on its path to the modern age. The evil, which is a must in a horror novel, is a thousand years old. I can't say more without spoiling it.

As a story of small town children battling an evil that has lurked at the heart of their town for generations, Summer of Night inevitably invites comparisons to Stephen King's It. All I can say is that King's story was told from the perspective of kids who were somewhat the social outcasts of their town, while Simmons' story is more from the perspective of an average child's experience. I would suggest judging each novel on its own merits and avoiding the obvious comparison.

The childhood perspective, Illinois small town setting, and time period also bring to mind Ray Bradbury's classic Something Wicked this way Comes. However, any real comparison is at best superficial. Bradbury's book was often allegorical, while Simmons opts for realism. Bradbury would frequently pause the action to wax lyrical about the magic of childhood, while Simmons leaves the lyrics unspoken as he describes the children's lives through the action, leaving it to the reader to recognize the magic. Between the two writers, I can't help but think that Simmons would appeal more to a modern reader's sensibilities.

Sorry for going on so long, but this was one of the best reads I've had in a while.