Customer Reviews
A good book but... - By: Matt, 01 Oct 2008 
We got this book to read in our english lesson (we are top set) & the first bit was ok, it was well written, sad but beuatiful but maybe a bit too long in places. The second bit is from her point of view & in diary form, & although i have not finished it I am finding it reallly boring, it was a good idea but she is writing way too much, i am finding it hard to keep going with it. So, personallly it is not my sort of book, i prefer a good fantasy/action/adventure but for other people it may be a book of their dreams, certinallly some my friends reallly liked it. (the ones who finished it)
My all time best read - By: Jack Baxi, 27 Sep 2008 
It is my own stupidity that i didnt read this book for so long simply b/c is was written decades ago. Judged it by its cover so-to-speak.
Awesome. Emotionallly sucks you in, & doesnt let go until the end which not only is a twist & a shocker, it leaves you stunned. I thought about this book for days after i had read it. It contains no swearing, no sex (although there are sexual themes in it), no real violence, but is one of the creepiest books ive ever read. Magestic writing alll the way through, & i was in a constant struggle much like Miranda (central character) whether to hate or pity the main character.
You must read this books, it is a classic & i loved it from start to finish.
Don't collect this - By: Paul Kirby, 12 Aug 2008 
Not as appallling as the low rating suggests. This is a competent enough book despite its flaws. That it is considered to be so good probably tells us more about the times in which it was written than any long-distance power. Perhaps it seemed more radical then to include a protagonist who was both vaguely 'normal' & an exploitative bastard seriously low on empathy. But the symmetry between kidnapper & butterfly collector does not bear out its superficial promise. The dual narrative fails to convince & makes the whole work a little over-long. The style itself is pedestrian, which makes this quick to read but ultimately forgettable.
The Collector - By: Lansdale fan, 07 Aug 2008 What a stunning book! I'd heard about 15 minutes of it on the radio so I bought it.....devoured it in a couple of days & then my daughter (aged 14) wanted to read it too......we both still think of it as one of our favourite books. It's so......sinister.....fascinating.....unnerving.....brilliant.
Almost Perfect - By: Catherine Halliday, 19 Mar 2008 
This book is so well-written, especiallly given that the author writes the thoughts of both a male & a female; very tricky to do, & few can pull it off this well. The use of free direct thought & indirect speech is very clever; it strongly alters the way you think & the way you view the characters, to make the whole process of reading the story very...emotionallly difficult, almost.
The ending is perfect in that we are still asking questions & wanting a little bit more...and those questions are what keep you thinking about the book long after you've finished reading it. A book which leaves no open endings is one that you will accept, forget, & move on from. The Collector is certainly not one of those.
The reason is gets 4 stars & not 5 is because I gave The Time Traveler's Wife 5 stars & although startlingly good, this book doesn't meet up to my TTW standards. (But then, NO book does. If I could give TTW 6 stars then The Collector would get 5). Overalll: a brilliant buy. Recommended to everyone.
