Cry for the Strangers: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – July 1, 1986

I remembered reading this in my youth and enjoying it, but find it doesn’t measure up as an adult. John Saul was a much different type of writer than King and Koontz, his books fashioned on creepiness rather than horror. Cry for the Strangers is broken up into three parts — Book One, Book Two, Book Three — and therein lies much of the problem with this story about a fictional seaside town called Clark’s Harbor and the four people who have moved there and find it not welcoming to strangers.Book One is the best portion, John Saul doing a wonderful job of setting everything up, ratcheting up the creepiness as old legends and some mysterious deaths come into play, as do the townspeople. The husband wants to write a book about biorhythms and try to figure out why young Robbie, a former patient and son of the second couple, has so improved since moving to this unwelcoming town. It’s not a gripping, edge of your seat kind of story, but you’re hooked, willing to keep turning pages to discover what’s happening in Clark’s Harbor. But then comes Book Two.In the second section, we follow around the unlikable sheriff, while the main two protagonists return to pack for the big move, placing them off-stage. It was while they were off-stage in part two that it came to me what was wrong with this story, which I’ll get to in a bit.Book Three is better, as the main couple return. While there is some excitement, the ending, rather than being creepy, sort of ruins it for this reader. This same ending would have worked well if this had been a short story, perhaps novelette or novella length, and that’s what is wrong with this book. This is so long, and the reader has so much invested, that we expect more than we get, and certainly not that final scene.Here is what I felt about it overall. This is a terrific short story which has been stretched beyond belief, into a bloated novel. It isn’t that the idea, the premise, isn’t good, it’s that it’s a thick rubber band stretched until the elasticity barely holds. It was an early effort from Saul, but most of his books follow this same kind of pattern. I loved this as a teenager, found it creepy. But as an adult, I found the narrative stretched so far that the creepiness became muted, which only highlighted the book’s length. Saul can write, and I can’t help feeling this one in particular would have made a wonderful read had it been much shorter, trimming down then combining parts one and three, and losing part two entirely.I wouldn’t discourage anyone from giving it a read, since they might like it better than I did. I didn’t dislike it, but I ruined a fond teenage memory by revisiting this book. Maybe the old saying is true, that you just can’t go home again…

The book has more to it than the movie, so why was it even made? It even had big name actors in it, at that time, anyway, and the movie was still a stinker! A remake would be worse because it would have nothing but T- and-A and the F- bomb in just about every scene, and actors that speak in a monotone voice like a robot or something.

My mom had suggested this book to me about 25yrs ago and i half hearted read it to appease her- she passed away last March and in a desperate feat to connect with her i grabbed this book again and reading it as an adult is a different story- i absolutely loved feeling like i could picture Clark’s Harbor having grown up going to Grays harbor - all around great thriller-

John Saul's "Cry for the Children" was an interesting mystery. I always enjoy Saul's stories. They always revolve around children and can be somewhat distressing for that reason, but the plots are usually intriguing and most of the children survive.I have to say , however, that the number of typos in the kindle edition was appalling. There was at least one mistake on almost every page that turned the correct word into some other word. Made reading a bit of a challenge at times

This book ended exactly as I thought it would. It kept my interest well enough throughout, but it was far from the best John Saul novel that I've read.

The cold shouldered town people, the stuck in his old ways Police Chief, and helpful Doctor. A great read. Sorry John isn't writing these anymore.

Excellent book

Although I had this one figured out by the beginning of the book on the who done it part, I read the whole book entirely and really enjoy the reading. I was still a bit surprised about the ending so it was definitly a worthwhile reading.

Product arrived quickly, and in excellent condition! Thank you!

I held off reviewing Cry for the Strangers until I viewed the movie of the same name (found on You Tube) hoping the screen play might elaborate on the glaring inconsistencies of the novel. The movie turned out to be vintage early 1980's (which was a surprise as the book didn't indicate that age even though it was written in the late 70's) of very poor quality, abysmally acted and paid only scant coincidental regard for the novel ... it therefore didn't elaborate, clarify, explain or detail anything. Don't bother with the movie!So to the novel ... an interesting concept that a child with an Attention Deficit Disorder is suddenly and inexplicably "cured" when the family relocates to the small coastal town of Clark Harbour, but why does this locale negate his problems? Well, cue the mumbo-jumbo ... the child seems to have some sort of spiritual affinity with a long lost native Indian tribe who used the area for ritualistic sacrifices and the area is prone to regular violent storms which appear to have a calming influence on the child (notwithstanding that the very same storms have the exact opposite influence on Clark Harbour's Chief Of Police. Yet the child's psychiatrist (who coincidentally moves from Seattle to Clark Harbour taking up residence next door to the afflicted child he previously "helped") let alone the author can't, won't or aren't interested in exploring or explaining any of this. So, what is the point of the Indian "ghost" tribe and the daily intense storms?Then, to complicate matters, the townsfolk of Clark Harbour have an almost "Deliverance-esque" intense dislike for strangers, which has no bearing on the child's malady, is totally illogical (why would the town have a hotel for travellers if it detested strangers so much?) is based on some incident of several generations past, perpetrated by the town's in-breds and does nothing to explain why the child is cured.

A lot of spiritual BS, but the author managed to make the sea a most menacing spectre. Human unkindness is so ugly in this story` as well as the ability in children to make havoc of their parents lives

A spate of mysterious killings threaten a family in a small beach town.I really enjoyed about two thirds of this book. It was an interesting concept and quite spooky, with some irritating characters, and some you had sympathy for. The mystery kept me reading, to find out what was going on and how people were being killed. You could see the identity of the killer coming a mile off, but it was still interesting, wondering how the characters would find out the truth. I found myself looking forward to reading the book, which is always a good sign.Towards the end though, there were a few things which started to undermine it for me.The kids just kept going outside in the middle of the night, despite the fact that there was a killer on the loose, and despite the fact that the parents were aware of them having previously climbed out of the window. What parents would continue to let this happen (over and over)? Lock the windows, lock the doors if you really think it's necessary. Keep your kids in plain sight. I didn't find this very realistic.I also didn't feel the need for the attempted explanation of what had been going on, at the end. It just didn't seem plausible. Yes, it was supposed to just be a 'possible' guess, but it really didn't make sense at all.Also- why were the wives so passive, giving in to all the men's whims, staying at home while the big strong men went out to sort things? As if you would agree to move to a town where people keep dying, where everyone hates you, into a house with no electricity, just because your husband fancied it! As if you would just sit at home while your loved ones were out in a storm with a serial killer on the loose! Hardly realistic and a bit cliched.Overall though, I would recommend this as a good read.

I have read most of John Saul's novels but it was over 20 years ago! I don't remember having read Cry for the Strangers but was chuffed that I was able to revisit it. As with the majority of most of Mr Saul's novels they delve into the supernatural which puts a delightful spin on his stories but would advice not to be read late at night! The plot is an eerie one where a couple come to visit a place known as Clark's Harbour looking to put down roots for a year. The only problem being, strangers are not welcome., especially when the winds pick up and a storm enters the harbour. You can feel for the characters at not being accepted and you almost want to knock some sense into the locals! Despite all that it is a good read and I look forward to reading more like it and probably scaring myself as well! If you like a thriller with a twist of supernatural then look no further!