I READ THIS BOOK YEARS AGO AND I LOVED IT . I STILL REMEMBER IT WELL AND STILL THINK FEW NEW BOOKS COMPARE. McCAMMON OUDOES HIMSELF WITH GREAT CHARACTERS AND A VERY SCARY TOPIC. I READ "THE STAND " YEARS AGO AS WELL AND I DON'T THINK ONE IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER. THEY BOTH ROCK!

I bought this book many years ago and am now back looking for it on audio CD so I can experience this great story again!

Read this book, years ago, and it is just as great, reading it again!! Makes you think about what could happen to our world!!

I bought this book expecting an epic masterpiece akin to "The Stand", and I was let down big time. This book is nowhere near "The Stand". In terms of characters, I never really felt anything special for any of them. And with names like "Artie", "Sister Creep"(who I found very annoying)and a burly Black dude named "Josh", I found myself going "What the hell" many times.

The book is o.k for the first 100 pages, then it goes downhill very fast. And at 900 plus pages, you will find it hard to get through.

As for the story-line, nothing ever "grabs" you in this book, in fact a few parts were down right funny! There is this magic stone that is really a crown(so you find out later in the book) for the little whiny bag main character "Swan", who is supposed to be this big "new age" child that is going to usher in the new garden of Eden. Of course this "crown" has the power to heal sickness, makes everybody go on some kind of "dreamland" walk where they can see future things. All in all, a bunch of mixed up crap that left me scratching my head and hoping for something more like "The Stand"(a true epic masterpiece).

Oh, and I have to mention the "Bad guy". Talk about an epic failure, this guy is it. Anyone who compares him to any character Stephen King has ever thought up, is smoking something hard and heavy.


So there you have it. This story may work for some, but it left me wondering why I ever bought into the hype of this book being on the same level as "The Stand".

I did not really enjoy this novel. It seemed uninspired and none of the characters were very interesting.

It started off okay but, to me, got progressively worse as the novel continued.

The first few chapters where the characters were introduced and then those directly following where each character deals with the catastrophe and tries to survive were quickly paced and kept me turning pages.

After that it is almost as if the author stopped trying and just slapped a middle and finish to the plot and called it good. Unfortunately, those last two parts are the majority of this novel.

The science was also quite soft. You can't just crawl out of a hole 10 miles from ground zero a few days after touch down and only suffer slight nausea as a side effect... especially when you continue to drink the water from similarly affected areas throughout the rest of the novel.

I really like the first half of this novel, then, much like it's spiritual half-brother, The Stand, I thought the second half fell apart. For one thing, the evil character is more annoying than scary. He says about ten times that he's going to Watusi on Sister Creep's bones. Nothing evokes horror like repetitious references to sixties fad dances.

However, I was willing to give him slack, despite the magical objects etc. that populate the beginning, but then right in the middle there's a huge break in time. I found this to be distracting, almost jarring. I had trouble relating to the characters after that. They all stopped being people in whose plight I was concerned and became figurative objects to hang some morality on, punctuated by the plot device of Job's Mask, which, falling off, reveals your "true" face. That's not science fiction or even horror, that's straight up fantasy.

I didn't buy it; I didn't believe it. I felt no sympathy for Swan and didn't much care what she did by the end. It all felt hollow and lifeless to me.

I read McCammon's "The Wolf's Hour" when I was a teenager and was amazed by the author's daring: who would have thought to combine werewolves with the spy genre? In the intervening years I forgot the name of the book as well as the author. When I finally remembered the author's name and discovered McCammon wrote a post-apocalyptic novel, I just had to pick it up.

I was not prepared for Swan Song. This review contains spoilers, so if you want to be as unprepared I was read no further.

Steeped in 1980s Cold War paranoia, Swan Song is an end-of-the-world parable about good and evil. There are multiple protagonists, including Sister the formerly crazy homeless woman, Swan the girl who can make plants grow, Josh the giant black wrestler, and a whole pile of supporting characters that are too numerous to list here. On the bad guy side we have Colonel Macklin, a former military officer holed up in a mountain fortress, Roland Croninger, a psychotic gamer and Friend, who might just be the Devil incarnate. There are occasional nods to mysticism, including a glass ring/crown, a magic mirror, a dowsing stick named Crybaby, and a bit of fortunetelling. Indeed, much of the book's plot involves tarot mysticism, a point I gradually lost track of throughout the book's nearly thousand pages.

It's a tribute to McCammon's writing that World War III is every bit as horrible as we fear. The sight of a bus hurled high into the air, flaming bodies falling out of it like burnt embers, stuck with me long after I finished the book. And the fear and hope of the survivors holed up in the mountain fortress as they watch the missiles pass overhead is palpable. His text often verges on the poetic, and McCammon's is careful to realistically portray the effects of radiation and conflict: shock, blisters, and bruises are a common occurrence. I never realized how rarely you hear about shock in fiction until I read Swan Song.

On the other hand, McCammon occasionally veers off into crazy mutant-land with two headed mountain lions, another doomsday device, and another mountain fortress. And that's where Swan Song breaks down a bit. Midway through the book, the plot advances by seven years. The purpose of the time shift seems primarily to move Swan's age forward so she can have a romantic interest, but it's a bit much to swallow--McCammon works so hard to make the world feel real, and then doesn't do enough to make it feel aged by seven years. Relationships seem frozen in time and characters rarely reference the intervening years.

Swan Song is also relentlessly grim: sodomy, rape, infanticide, patricide, matricide, disease, torture, suicide, drug use...it's all on ugly display here. After awhile, it gets so bad it's difficult to stick with the book. When McCammon skips forward in time, I had difficulty believing the characters survived in such a depressing land. But it does get better, eventually, and that's where the biggest problem lies...

There's no real climax between good and evil. The crown/ring of jewels that Sister spends her whole life protecting is hinted at being even more powerful in Swan's hands. And that's it. Friend, the shapeshifting demonic presence, is clearly constrained by limits of the flesh...until it's inconvenient to the plot.

After a thousand pages, you better believe I expect the book to culminate in a holy war. I'm glad McCammon finally gives his poor characters a break (the few he leaves alive, that is), but I'm less pleased by the failure to really settle things once and for all. It's like reading only the first two books of Lord of the Rings. I wanted closure, dammit!

Still, Swan Song is a triumph of writing and definitely worth reading. McCammon provides a tantalizing glimpse of a world that we all secretly know and fear. And he writes with the deft vision of a movie director, creating moments (a race to the death in a mall filled with psychopaths, a showdown with hungry wolves, the aforementioned nuclear war) that haunt your dreams long after you've finished Swan Song.

I got completely caught up in this book, and stayed up much later than I should have most nights to get further in it. You get completely sucked in to the gritty world and the characters' struggles. I could not put this book down. Anyone who loves post-apocalyptic books should definitely give this a read.

Swan song is a book you cant put down. If you are into Science fiction you will love it.

I loved McCammon books but had yet to read Swan Song. I saw that over 300 people had given this book 5 stars. Had to have it. Over 900 pages and I mowed through it and wanted more. I am a slow reader usually. I am doing good to get through a book of 350 pages in a couple of weeks if I really like it. I got through this 900+ in a week and a half. What a great read! The first few chapters kind of set things up for the coming nuclear holocaust and then the rest of the book is about survival. McCammon has a way of making you feel a part of the action and I loved every minute of it. A couple of moments that really caught my attention...Air Force One in flight after the devastation...some of the survivors contract a growth that eventually cover's their whole head like a hard shell - nicknamed the "Job's Mask." Really good characters and enough going on to constantly keep your attention.

This is a very long book that spans almost a thousand pages. However, Swan Song is a captivating story that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish. It's a delicious blend of horror, drama, science fiction and adventure.

It's been a long time since I first read this book (some 20 years ago), so some of the details of the story are a little hazy to me now. Fow many years Robert R. McCammon was my favourite author - and he's still one of my favourites to this day. And even though I no longer recall the story in fine detail, I remember it being the best McCammon novel I've ever read.

Real Life Dramas - Volume One

Darren G. Burton

I could say how great this book is. Or I could flatter the author with big words of glory and praise for a story well told. But I'd rather let someone else do the dirty work. The truth is that if you like or dislike fantasy, horror novels this books for you. In my young opinion this story unfolds like a prophetic nightmare more likely to unfold today than could have been imagined twenty years ago. A scary masterpiece that will truly leave you feeling.

This book is trite, contrived in the extreme and disrespecful. I won't go on for 900+ pages. I paid about $8.00 to get it to my home. That was at least $7.50 more than it was worth as firestarter.

This book shocked me. I was looking for an end-of-the-world saga and I found it here, but it's so much more. It takes place over many years and follows a few different characters, not unlike The Stand. But I would recommend this novel over that one (not easy for me to admit though). At the start, Swan is a young girl with a crummy home life. She and a few others get caught underground when nuclear war erupts. Another young boy is in a government bunker with his family. A homeless woman is underground when it happens. The story follows them through the nuked world, trying to find survivors and comrades and avoid the bad guys looking to be back in charge.

I have read hundreds of novels and probably closing in on a thousand and this book is still my favorite in the Horror/Sci Fi genre. Great characters, awesome story, and a magical theme makes this one great read. Don't think twice, just buy it and enjoy yourself. Dustin Noteware

!!SPOILERS!!

Having finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road, I found myself in the mood for more apocalyptic fiction, something a little more epic in nature. Having already read The Stand, I went to Amazon to see what other books in this subgenre existed, and I stumbled upon Swan Song. I'd previously read two of McCammon's other novels, The Night Boat and The Wolf's Hour, both of which I enjoyed with reservations. The Wolf's Hour, specifically, I felt to be longer than it needed to be, and seeing Swan Song's page count made me a little wary that it might be similar in that respect. Still, it sounded more in line with what I was in the mood to read than anything else I happened to be looking at at the time.

To cut to the chase, I enjoyed the hell out of this book. I was a little nervous at first that I might not because some of the writing struck me as a little amateurish. (He actually described the President as "ruggedly handsome." Good Lord, I thought that phrase only appeared in bad romance novels!) Apart from that, I didn't feel like we'd gotten to know some of the characters well enough before tragedy struck. (In The Stand, it takes a few hundred pages before nearly all of Earth's population is wiped out, giving us plenty of time with those we will follow throughout the rest of the novel. Barely 100 pages have passed in Swan Song before the nuclear holocaust sweeps the world.) And yet neither of these things discouraged me from reading. Instead, I was engrossed in the events, and I found myself eager to see where the story was going.

After having completed the book, I still have a few problems with it. While there is obviously a supernatural influence, my rational mind still wanted an explanation for the powers of the glass ring/crown (even if it wasn't scientific in nature), and its existence doesn't feel as though it gets paid off sufficiently. (Swan tries it on at one point, and we think we find out something that will be crucial to the climax/resolution of the story, but this turns out not to be the case.) The Job's Mask plot thread also didn't really feel very integral; it was a neat concept, but I didn't see how it had any impact on the outcome of the narrative. The motivations of Friend--who I feel should have been given that moniker far earlier--seem to change without explanation; throughout most of the book, he wants to see the entire human race extinct; later, he suddenly wants to rule the humans as his subjects.

What McCammon does incredibly well is his juggling of so many different characters. At no point did I find myself feeling as though certain important players just dropped out of the narrative. McCammon allows us to keep track of their progress throughout. I also personally loved the fact that he rarely, if ever, cut away from a cliffhanger to show us what was going on with someone else. (If a character was in danger, we saw the outcome in the very next chapter if not within the same one.) And all the characters are well developed. Some of them may feel a bit too flawless, but they all have identifiable traits and voices.

Yes, this book is very similar to The Stand in its concept,--especially considering how Flagg-like Friend is--but that's about where it ends. While I prefer King's tale to this one, McCammon does end up doing something King did not; he brings everything to a satisfying climax. There is no literal deus ex machina to tie everything up. (Some might argue that there is a figurative one, but I don't feel that to be the case.) As I pointed out above, while McCammon might not be able to bring every single plot threat together in a way that pays everything off, the climax and resolution still don't disappoint. That is what is most important for me.

As for my earlier comments about the quality of McCammon's writing style, even if he uses some clichéd phrases, he was able to compel me to keep turning the pages. To quote Salon.com writer (in reference to Stephen King's writing), "If you want to say that King is not as good a writer as all sorts of people who sell fewer books and end up on more course syllabuses, I won't argue. I will, however, point out that such judgments depend on your idea of what 'good' literature is, and what it's good for. And that no one I know has ever stayed up until 4 a.m., knuckles white and breath coming in shallow gulps, because they had to finish Gravity's Rainbow."

I won't even bother comparing the book to King's "The Stand" as its been done more than enough already. Suffice it say King snuck in his own opinion about this author in one of his novels and it wasn't complimentary.

to put it simply McCammon made his career lifting King's ideas almost note for note and "Swan Song" is a perfect example.

The writing is geared for a teenage audience it seems with plenty of awful cornball dialogue, stereotyped characters that border on comic book characterizations. If kings writing is the self-described equivilent of a Burger king meal, McCammon is the 7-11 microwave chilli burger. it's garbage through and through. I also couldn't put it down.

This is stuff strictly for reading at the beach or on a long trip to pass the time. Definitely entertaining. Just leave your brain on the night table.

Robert McCammon has always been a favorite of mine. It took me a while to finally get around to reading this book and I was not disappointed. McCammon makes you care about each character whether they are on the side of good or evil at one point or another. I found myself wanting to peak ahead after each chapter to see what was going to happen and eventually got lost in the reading and ended up finishing it in a few nights. A must read for fans of Stephen King's "The Stand".

This apocalyptic tale of terror is a classic in the horror genre, right up there with Stephen King's "The Stand". With a well-thought out plot and interesting characters, the author pits the forces of good and evil in an America that has been decimated by nuclear warfare. The landscape is bleak, indeed, as nuclear winter has set in and the sun has gone into hiding. Bands of desperate survivors, many blighted by hideous facial growths, roam the land. Some seek only survival, while others seek something else.

At the heart of the battle between good and evil is a child, Sue Wanda, known affectionately, as Swan, who is under the protection of a gentle giant named Joe, a former wrestler. This is a child with a gift, as she can commune with nature and seems to be able to affect plant life. Seeking Swan is a woman named Sister, who has been given a vision of Swan and feels that it is her mission to find her. Meanwhile evil forces also seek Swan, but there is nothing beneficent about their quest.

What happens when the forces of good meet the forces of evil will keep the reader eagerly turning the pages of the behemoth of a horror novel.

Warning: May contain spoilers......

This story is so captivating, 956 pages fly by very quickly. I found myself thinking about this story weeks after I read it. I read a lot of fiction books and I consider it a fantastic story if this is something the author can accomplish. This is a glimpse of what COULD be our future. It shows us the very best and the very worst in human nature when the proverbial poo hits the fan. Yet, even in the darkest hour of mankind, there is cause for hope.

After World War III, involving nuclear weapons from Russia, the United States settles for nuclear winter. However, many people do not die in the blasts. The story jumps between 10-year-old Roland Croninger in Idaho, a middle-aged homeless woman named Sister Creep in Manhattan, a 10-year-old named Swan who finds herself the daughter of a mother who can't seem to pull her life together in Kansas, and a semi-pro wrestler named Josh in Kansas, and a retired Air Force Vet, hell-bent on being prepared for the nukes. These characters develop wonderfully over the course of the book and we see them change. Some change for the better, some do not. This book has some very powerful messages that pop out as you read.

If you were able to shed your current face and trade it for the face of your soul, i.e. if people were able to see what you really looked like underneath, would you look better? What kind of face do you have underneath? We see many characters change in this book, long before their faces do and what takes place doesn't disappoint. And it is this change that instills hope, even in the midst of a nuclear holocaust, there's cause for hope and joy. I found myself rooting for these characters throughout the entirety of the novel and think you will too.

This is the first book by McGammon I have read and it is the first book of this kind (post-apocalyptic) that I have read and I fear I may have spoiled myself for future books in this genre. This book is so wonderfully well-written and well put together, I couldn't disagree if anyone were to give it 10 stars. If you enjoyed The Stand by Stephen King, you would enjoy this book.

From the first page to the last,this book was a great read all the way through.With very wonderful characters and a well ploted story.This is one of my fave books

Being a fan of "The Stand" by Stephen King, I was told I had to give this book a try. I'm so very glad I did. While I can see why it gets compared to "The Stand", in my opinion, "Swan Song" is better than "The Stand" in many ways. The number of characters you follow throughout the story is smaller and is easier to follow and get involved with. McCammon is a master at character development and his characters evolve brilliantly and realistically. The changes each of the main characters go through, are genuine and I found myself sharing their experiences. I felt as though I was in the story with the characters, rather than watching from a third person's perspective. Characters I thought I would really like at the beginning of the book, became the characters I despised in the end. It truly is a masterful work of character development.

The story is about several different people who manage to survive a nuclear war. After the war, we follow the people as they roam the nuclear winter wastelands in search of hope. As we follow the characters, very quickly it becomes obvious that there is an evil in the wasteland that can change its appearance at will. The characters are also faced with hideous beasts created by the war. The books brings all of them together for a fantastic conclusion that leaves the reading wanting more. I'm so very glad I read this, and you will be too.

This book was good, however, I found myself skipping whole paragraphs to get to the "good stuff"---and the "good stuff" would be the last 100 or so pages. Slightly similar to The Stand--not as good.

This is one of the better books i have ever read, i recomend it to anyone who likes stories about evil, end of the world, survival and hope

This is a thought provoking book. I recommend it to anyone who likes to read and spend time thinking about what if's. This book is a lot like Stephen King's The Stand.

Even though this is a long story, it is really several stories in one. It is how people from very different walks of life are effected by a nuclear war and how their lives cross in the after days. There is hope here even after such a terrible event, but what still strikes me today, I read this book back in June, is that there is such evil still left in the world when people are just trying to survive.

A major question throughout my life of 57 years has been: why do some people kill one another. In this story the author develops events that lead to killing when people are just trying to survive. Why? Why? Why? This was a good read that kept me into the story throughout. McCammon does a good job of making this story believable with the excellent mixing of fiction with non-fiction and created a great survival story which has lessons that could help us all in life's struggle.

I read Swan Song when it first came out in 1987 and 20 years later the story still comes to mind. This kind of "end of the world" book might not be your "thing" but if you enjoy getting to know and care for characters, read this book. My personal favourite was Sister Creep. A remarkable lady despite the fact she started out as a "bag lady". She WILL earn your respect!!!
Read it and enjoy!!

The title of this review says it all. If you have'nt resd this book , you need to have your head exzamined and put it at top of your list and enjoy the ride. This is one of those books where I wish I could have my memory erased and have a chance to enjoy it as a 1st read all over again (cause reading it 3 x did'nt do the trick) Yes, it's that good!

all stephen king "Stand" fans out there, you don't know what you're missing. one of the most enjoyable horror novels i've encountered.

being a reader who loves apocalyptic writting this is one horror novel that needs to be in your library. I guess King's "The Stand" ruined me when I was a teenager so now I am always on the look out for great end of the world time stories - this would be one of them. While it would be great if McCammon could update it a bit - since this was written with the cold war ragging the books beginnings has Russia and US nuking each other so it can be a bit of a stretch given the current world politics, etc. But once you make the jump into the story McCammon nails the characters (good and evil), the story moves quickly (even for a large book), and you get an ending that is satisfying (not common for an end of the world novel). Check out this and the Eclipse series from Shirley- Well worth a read.

I first read this book when I was 15 years old, 18 years later, I still think about it often. I've read it, I think, 3 times and I rarely read a book more than once. It's up there in my top 5 with - It(King), Weave World(Barker), The Stand(King), Memnoch, The Devil(Rice), in no particular order. Now that I think of it, it's getting to be about that time again. I always recommend it to friends, old and new, when I find out they are into horror or fantasy. Detailed, complex, moving and hopeful. I love horror with a hopeful, but not cheesy ending. Mr. McCammon, a movie, pretty PLEASE!!! .. with sugar on top?!?!

What will happen to the human race someday? Will we eventually die because of a giant asteroid from outer space? Will we receive a mark on our foreheads and be roasted in a furnace for an eternity? Stephen King thought most of us would be killed by a virus when he wrote "The Stand". Robert McCammon seems to think most of humanity will succumb to the effects of a nuclear holocaust. No one knows for sure what will happen, but many people are certain that something tragic will occur. McCammon grabs your attention and never lets go. I've never read a boring novel by McCammon. I'm sure you will never be able to stop reading this one. What is so rewarding about a novel that paints such a horrific picture of a post-apocalyptic world? The answer is obvious. You look through your window and smile after you have finished reading it. You smile knowing that the sun is shining for another day. You smile because the air outside is fresh and the water you drink is pure. You smile knowing that you don't have to dig through the rubble caused by a nuclear explosion. Let me be blunt. This is a horror novel. McCammon is known for his graphic horror novels. Some of the survivors in this book die gruesome deaths. McCammon leaves nothing to the imagination. You will also find some curse words in McCammon's novels. McCammon's characters are not polished individuals. Some of them do use profanities every now and then. I can't say that I've enjoyed every one of McCammon's novels, but I do think "Swan Song" is better than "The Stand". Stephen King never did capture my attention the way Robert McCammon did. I suppose the theme in this book is similar to that of Revelation in the Bible. Most of the people are struggling to stay alive while the forces of good and evil are preparing for a final confrontation that will determine the fate of everyone that survived the nuclear holocaust.

What will happen to the human race someday? Will we eventually die because of a giant asteroid from outer space? Will we receive a mark on our foreheads and be roasted in a furnace for an eternity? Steven King thought most of us would be killed by a virus when he wrote "The Stand". Robert McCammon seems to think most of humanity will succumb to a nuclear holocaust. No one knows for sure what will happen. You could read Revelation in the Bible and create at least three different scenarios in your mind. McCammon grabs your attention and never lets go. I've never read a boring novel by McCammon. I'm sure you will never be able to stop reading this one. What is so great about a novel that paints such horrific pictures in one's mind? The answer is obvious. You look out your window and smile after you have finished reading it. You smile knowing that the sun is shining for another day. You smile because the air outside is fresh, and the water you drink is pure. You smile knowing that you don't have to dig through the rubble caused by a nuclear explosion.

I Love This Book! I've been looking for it for months and finally found it through Amazon.com.

Swan Song shows good triumphing over evil and it allows your imagination to soar. I've read this book over 5 times since it came out and I recommend it to everybody that likes when the 'good side' wins

What a great read! I'm now reading it for the 2nd time and am enjoying it thoroughly. If you want to be grabbed, thrilled, scared and mesmerized, this is the book for you. A true "good vs. evil" novel at its best. Don't miss it!

This is an excellent book, one of the best I have ever read (and I've read a lot of good books). I just finished it two days ago and am still disappointed that it ended!

Although not perfect in its depiction of a post-nuclear apocalyptic world (I'm a very critical reader), I have to say the major "shortcoming" of this book is that it is hard to put down! The action starts on the very first page and the pace never lets up until the very end; there is nothing irrelevant, slow or boring on these 950+ pages. This alone makes the book unique.

Highly recommended!

The Stand is one of my favorite books of all time so when I read a review of Swan Song comparing it to The Stand I thought that I would give it a try. I was riveted and read this almost 1000 page book in less than a week. McCammon has an incredible talent and in my opinion Swan Song beats The Stand hands down. The story and characters are so well developed and believable. The evil in Swan Song is deliciously real. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It was one of the best reads ever for me. And boy, can McCammon end a story. I felt so incredibly satisfied and will forever think of Sister, Joshua and Swan. Read this book. You will not be disappointed.

Better than 'The Stand' Awesome, awesome book.

You will stay up late to finish to the next chapter.

One of the best books I've read. I just recently picked up a copy at a used book store, so I'm planning on reading it once again. Also really enjoyed Boys Life and They Thirst.

Good Book. I have read Steven King's The Stand several times. This is similar, but with totally different twists. The characters are very different also. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it.

I finished the book in four days, but I tend to be a convulsive reader. This book is definitely worth the read, but was disappointing in a couple of ways. First I'll focus on the good parts of the book, without spoilers, then I'll give some spoilers explaining what I thought the book was missing. **very slight spoilers ahead**

The story is about groups of people that are struggling to establish themselves after an apocalyptic event. Some choose a path of evil, and the others a path of good. Like all books, the two groups converge on each other. You can read the book if you want the ending... Although the story may be a rehash of "The Stand," it is written very well with fully believable characters and personalities (for the most part). (Also, I never read King's book but I saw the TV series, so judge my credibility based on that) **spoilers ahead**


**spoilers**

My issues with the book are:

1) There's no real explanation about how some of the survivors survive the war. Yes, I fully acknowledge that some people can survive by sheer luck; however, wouldn't radiation be a BIG problem? The book's excuse is that some people are more immune to radiation than the others... but we are talking about 7 years of EXTREME radiation!
2) Magical events occur that really defy logic and aren't given any explanation. Was a talking corpse really necessary for Josh to decide to take care of an orphaned child?
3) I would have really loved to know why Job's mask was necessary to the story. Why did it only afflict certain people? Why did it only afflict the face?
4) Josh's love story was a bit underdeveloped. Maybe after being lonely for 7 years you don't need development...
5) I really wish there was more of Swan's magic used, and that we could see what the final product was. I wish there had been more to the crown than the book showed us.
6) Sister's lines in the book came off as a bit lame towards the end...



**END SPOILERS**

My complaints about the book's ambiguity aren't unfounded, but might be irrelevant. Would I have enjoyed the book more had my questions and complaints been answered? Who knows... All I really know is that the book was worth reading and if you are even contemplating it, it's the right choice for an entertaining use of your time.

I have read "Swan Song" three times. It is a well written novel with well rounded characters, and a riveting story line. The only thing I didn't like about it was that the ending seemed a little rushed to me, but to be fair, it is a very long novel and would have been way too long had the ending been drawn out more. The characters in this novel stay with you long after you have closed the book after the final page.

To add one more review, I'll be brief. This is a much better apocalyptic story than Stephen King's "The Stand". Much clearly plot, much more realistic and memorable characters. Though long, it is worth it; a extremely fast read. McCammon does not plod along like King does with pointless plot lines and meaningless action. A wonderful epic read.

I just finished this book. Amazing. I cannot believe it took me so long to come across this book. I recommend this to anyone who likes fiction-period. At the beginning I thought he was going to rewrite The Stand, but this book went a whole new direction. I will not condense the plot here. But I'll say that his characters are so vivid and real, they developed personalities for me-I could really see them. I truly enjoyed this book. Wish I would have discovered this sooner.

I wanted to cry when I finished it only because I wanted it to go on forever. It was candy for a reader like me. I can't put into words just how much I loved Swan Song. I don't understand why it was never made into a mini-series. All I can tell you is that I am going to read it again and again and again...and again.

With the mental imagery the author conveys, I can't help but think how well this book would translate into a mini-series, but only if using the same budget and scale as King's The Stand. Swan Song deserves the recognition.

I read a lot: everything from history to biographies, and then more history. From time to time, I like to get engrossed in a really good novel. Swan Song is one of those novels. I just completed my third reading of the book: 900 plus pages in three days. No, it's not perfect, but for a snowy or rainy day or night, you really should try reading this great book.

Swan song was given to me by my older sister and ever since then I have been an avid reader! Swan Song is one of the best books I have ever read (and I have read alot!!!) Everything about this book is great! Not to mention the kick I got when Sister creep walked her way thru some of my hometowns. I would reccomend this book to anyone. Especially for people that don't really read~ this book will show you a whole new world!!!

I've read Swan Song many times over the years and urge readers to grab this book. You will read it again in a few years. This was my first McCammon book. With his vast imagination, the world is blown to hell and nuclear fallout is everywhere. Small groups of fascinating characters are drawn to a little girl with a crucial power to bring the earth back. Meanwhile, an evil is searching to crush that power. This is not science fiction but adventure and a deep story of good vs evil. Each character is rich in personality and their interaction is so well written. This is one of the most moving, exciting books written.

... and it still stays with me. This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read, ever, in more than 45 years of reading novels. I could never get far into "The Stand" but "Swan Song" always kept me reading further.

I think I'll read it again this summer :)