Life Expectancy

Title: Life Expectancy

Author: Dean Koontz

Published in: 2005

Date read: 18th October 2011

Score: 4/5

Genre: Supernatural, Psychological, Thriller

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Life Expectancy" by Dean Koontz, published in 2004, is a standalone novel that defies easy categorisation, blending elements of suspense, humour, the supernatural, and a deep appreciation for the human spirit. It's narrated by the protagonist, Jimmy Tock, who recounts a series of extraordinary events that shape his life, beginning from the very moment of his birth.

The story opens on a stormy night in a hospital in Snow County, Colorado. Jimmy Tock is being born at the exact moment his beloved grandfather, Josef Tock, a pastry chef, dies of a stroke in the same hospital. In his final, lucid moments, Josef, a man with no prior psychic abilities, inexplicably makes ten precise predictions about his new-born grandson's life. Among these forecasts, the most ominous are five specific dates that will be "terrible days" in Jimmy's future, filled with violence and peril. Josef also accurately predicts Jimmy's exact birth weight, height, and even a physical anomaly: syndactyly (fused toes) on his left foot.

Adding to the surreal chaos of that night, Jimmy's father, Rudy Tock, a baker, encounters a deranged circus clown named Konrad Beezo in the waiting room. Beezo, whose own wife dies in childbirth, goes on a murderous rampage, believing his in-laws (who are aerialists) are responsible for her death. Rudy, in a moment of quick thinking, manages to calm Beezo, leading the clown to believe Rudy has somehow "saved" him. This seemingly random encounter plants the seed for a lifelong, terrifying obsession.

The novel then unfolds by focusing on these five predicted "terrible days" in Jimmy's life, as he grows from infancy into adulthood. Each section corresponds to one of these dates, and on each occasion, Jimmy and his eccentric but loving family – Rudy, his mother Maddy, and his fiercely protective grandmother Rowena – brace themselves for the inevitable disaster.

As the years pass, the Tock family consistently finds themselves embroiled in increasingly bizarre and dangerous situations, often involving the Beezo family. Konrad Beezo, now a highly intelligent and utterly insane criminal mastermind who frequently undergoes plastic surgery to change his appearance and evade the law, develops a twisted fixation on Jimmy. He believes Jimmy is destined to be his successor or an integral part of his deranged plan to create a dynasty of killer clowns. Konrad's equally disturbed son, Punchinello Beezo, inherits his father's madness and becomes a significant threat to Jimmy.

Despite the constant threat and the literal killer clowns pursuing him, Jimmy Tock narrates his life story with an incredibly resilient and often darkly humorous perspective. He's a self-proclaimed "lummox" who loves his family and his pastry-baking career, and he frequently expresses an "indefatigable optimism" even in the face of the most absurd and terrifying circumstances.

"Life Expectancy" is a wild ride of a novel, filled with narrow escapes, grotesque villains, heart-warming family moments, and philosophical musings on fate, free will, and the power of love and hope. The climax of the book centres on the fifth and final terrible day, where Jimmy must confront the ultimate threat posed by the Beezo legacy, forcing him to make a final stand to protect those he loves and understand the true meaning of his grandfather's predictions. It's a testament to Koontz's ability to blend intense suspense with a surprising amount of heart and a unique, often quirky, sense of humor.

Comments:
I do remember enjoying this and I gave it a good score but I cannot remember much more than that.

Books that we've read by Dean Koontz (27):
Demon Seed (1973), Icebound (1976), The Voice of the Night (1980), Phantoms (1983), Darkness Comes (1984), Watchers (1987), Dragon Tears (1993), Mr. Murder (1993), Tick Tock (1996), False Memory (1999), The Face (2003), Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas, #1) (2003), The Taking (2004), Forever Odd (Odd Thomas, #2) (2005), Velocity (2005), Life Expectancy (2005), Brother Odd (Odd Thomas, #3) (2006), The Husband (2006), Odd Hours (Odd Thomas, #4) (2008), Breathless (2009), Relentless (2009), The Silent Corner (Jane Hawk, #1) (2017), The Whispering Room (Jane Hawk, #2) (2017), The Crooked Staircase (Jane Hawk, #3) (2018), The Forbidden Door (Jane Hawk, #4) (2018), The Night Window (Jane Hawk #5) (2019), The Other Emily (2021)