Born Burning

by Thomas Sullivan

Book Overview

Some families have strange traditions. It has been passed down from generation to generation. An antique chair carved from a two-thousand-year-old tree. Steeped in history, this priceless heirloom has become part of a time-honored tradition in the Whitehall family. On the seventh birthday of every firstborn son, the chair is bequeathed to the next in line. Some children have strange fears. Now it's Joey's turn. But for some reason the boy doesn't...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525247823
• ISBN13: 9780525247821
• Release Date: August 1989
• Publisher: Dutton
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 5.6" x 0.9" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Emotionally complex, literate and compulsively readable

I knew from reading THE PHASES OF HARRY MOON what an accomplished and unique writer Thomas Sullivan is. What I didn't know was how horrifically yet quietly disturbing he could be. Supernatural evil has rarely been as palpably real to me as it is in BORN BURNING. This is fiction for grown-ups -- emotionally complex, literate and compulsively readable. Highly recommended. You might want to check out his website [...]

Best Horror Book on an Inanimate Object

This book terrified me sooooo much just to even sit in one of my chairs around the house while I was reading it. The main character Joey was so easy to fall in love with. You just want to take him in a be his mom, but unfortunately the values he learns eventually and goes through and endures really tell you that he's strong enough to take it. I don't really want to discuss more because that would be giving it away. So all I can say is pick it up and start the horror...

Born Brilliant

Thomas Sullivan is a master of horor writing, so, while I am not a big fan of this genre, I have long admired Sullivan's writing skill -- his rich word choices and deft turns of phrase make him, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant authors I've ever encountered. So it was with much joy that I discovered that Sullivan's new paperback, Born Burning, is more of a psychological book -- my favorite kind! With three sons, and a full-time job, my big reward after a busy day is to read before bed. Sometimes a few minutes turn into a few hours...I hold Thomas Sullivan personally responsible for some sleep-deprived nights. And I'm definitely going to keep my youngest son, who will turn seven in July, away from heirloom chairs! I hope that more people will discover Sullivan, because he truly deserves mainstream fame!

What more could a reader desire?

This is truly an exceptional novel. You could put it in a lot of categories, but it really crosses over into just all around great writing. On the one hand, it's a story about a family trying to find itself. On the other, it has a really adrenaline-pumping plot with a dysfunctional boy who gets in a cat and mouse game with his uncle. The uncle puts him into one death-defying situation after another in Joey's frantic attempt to avoid a family artifact - an ancient teak chair that echoes the legacy of a Chinese warlord. There are some really ingenious twists along the way. Sullivan's writing makes the book worth reading all by itself, but the solid characters and inventive plot put it over the top.

You Won't Be Burned

The cover was the first thing that attracted me to this book. I wasn't acquainted with the author, but decided to take a chance. Now I am glad I did. Thomas Sullivan is quite the author. His words resonate. Dare I say they even sing? Yes, they do.Horror usually isn't my first choice in genres. I think this book is more of a psychological thriller than anything. Sullivan uses the metaphor of a cursed chair as a vehicle for his exploring internal and external horror.I look forward to more books from this author.