The Treasure Box
3.5/5
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About this ebook
Widely acclaimed, hugely successful speculative-fiction author Orson Scott Card takes another step into the mainstream with an extremely chilling, vastly engaging novel that sets the notion of family values on its head and chronicles a man's transformation from hermit to hero.
When Quentin Fears was 10, his sister left this world, the victim of a car accident. Her death made him withdraw from this world too -- into books, away from people. By the time he reaches adulthood, Quentin has become a certifiable recluse, moving restlessly from town to town, investing the millions he's made as a software creator and avoiding companionship. It's odd but maybe inevitable that on a rare outing to a party he should meet his dream woman, Madeleine. She's witty and beautiful and as naive to the world's ways as he is, and they marry in a matter of weeks. Their relationship seems idyllic but for one thing -- Madeleine's multigenerational, cantankerous, eccentric family who all live in a rambling riverside mansion in upstate New York.
But poor family dynamics isn't all that's wrong with them. Beyond the squabbling, there's an ancient family secret to which Madeleine holds the key. Only Quentin can stop her from unleashing an ageless malevolence that will rule the world. But to do so, he must do what seems impossible -- step outside himself into the world he has avoided. He must learn friendship, trust, forgiveness and the courage to face down the ultimate evil. Joining Quentin in this epic confrontation is a splendidly quirky cast of heroes, villains and witches -- from a no-nonsense nurse with a dash of the romantic in her to a small-town sheriff whose affable exterior conceals a dangerous past to a 10-year-old girl named Roz whose malign powers are rivaled only by her smart mouth.
Treasure Box introduces the most spectacularly dysfunctional family in recent fiction and a singular hero whose only weapons against them are his mind and his heart. How Quentin defuses this volatile mixture of comedy and horror makes for a viscerally unsettling, poignant and appealing tale that's sure to draw the legions of fans Card has won in other genres and new fans as well.
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is best known for his science fiction novel Ender's Game and its many sequels that expand the Ender Universe into the far future and the near past. Those books are organized into the Ender Saga, which chronicles the life of Ender Wiggin; the Shadow Series, which follows on the novel Ender's Shadow and is set on Earth; and the Formic Wars series, written with co-author Aaron Johnston, which tells of the terrible first contact between humans and the alien "Buggers." Card has been a working writer since the 1970s. Beginning with dozens of plays and musical comedies produced in the 1960s and 70s, Card's first published fiction appeared in 1977--the short story "Gert Fram" in the July issue of The Ensign, and the novelette version of "Ender's Game" in the August issue of Analog. The novel-length version of Ender's Game, published in 1984 and continuously in print since then, became the basis of the 2013 film, starring Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, and Abigail Breslin. Card was born in Washington state, and grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil in the early 1970s. Besides his writing, he runs occasional writers' workshops and directs plays. He frequently teaches writing and literature courses at Southern Virginia University. He is the author many science fiction and fantasy novels, including the American frontier fantasy series "The Tales of Alvin Maker" (beginning with Seventh Son), and stand-alone novels like Pastwatch and Hart's Hope. He has collaborated with his daughter Emily Card on a manga series, Laddertop. He has also written contemporary thrillers like Empire and historical novels like the monumental Saints and the religious novels Sarah and Rachel and Leah. Card's work also includes the Mithermages books (Lost Gate, Gate Thief), contemporary magical fantasy for readers both young and old. Card lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife, Kristine Allen Card. He and Kristine are the parents of five children and several grandchildren.
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Reviews for The Treasure Box
13 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Card makes his political leanings a little more overt in this book, probably because it's set in the year 1996, but he can be forgiven because he's given us such a riveting story. As a young boy, Quentin Fears wrestled with his parent's decision to pull the plug on his teenage sister after a car accident left her brain dead, and he's never really recovered. Now a millionaire with no real purpose, he is searching for some meaning in life. He meets Madeleine, who seems like the perfect woman, and very reminiscent of the deceased Lizzy, and quickly marries her. Unfortunately, Madeleine is on a quest for power that will take Quentin places he is not prepared to go, with a very supernatural twist, as it's not just political power the woman who seeks to control him is after. I thought the character of Quentin was very well-developed, even though Quentin himself is not a very well-developed person. However, he does a lot of growing throughout the tale and becomes very dynamic. When the novel begins it's turn from rather ordinary tale of grief and loss into the realm of the metaphysical, it really gets intriguing. I ended up not being able to do anything but finish this book, ignoring friends at the bar, and my husband on a road trip until I reached the end.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Treasure Box by Orson Scott Card was ultimately a disappointment for me due to my own expectation- not necessarily the fault of the book itself. Orson is one of those "legendary" authors so I was expecting to be mindblown and disappointed when I wasn't. This book really deals with letting go of the trauma of your past and the dangers of introversion- "let go and go live" so to speak. The story pulls you in with his sister in a coma and the battle between him and his parents over pulling the plug. It shows you the effects of this continuing into his adulthood- he closes out the world, is bitter, doesn't date really because no one would be as good as sister. The positive impact is that it allows him to be a workaholic and make millions...but soon he grows bored and leaves his field (computers). He soon thinks that life is long and maybe just maybe he should make an effort to connect with someone and find a wife. Long story short... he meets the PERFECT!!! woman at a D.C. party and shortly after (like 2 months) decides to marry her with no pre-nup. Things are good until she takes him home to meet her family whoe she warns him about... the creepiness ensues from here. Overall- the book was often interesting but things just didn't flow together well and the ending was a bit silly and trite. I didn't feel this book really made a case for introverts getting out (although the tacked on ending tries to supoort that idea). It became predictable towards the middle and just was a bit of a let down for me. Honestly this isn't a book I'm going to keep (and I like to keep a LOT of my books on the idea I might read them again someday). I will try Orson Scott Card again though.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This OSC novel had been on my shelves for a while, as I tend to buy anything and everything by the man. He has so many types of writing, that I find myself forever intrigued by his style.This is not his best horror (see Lost Boys for that), but it's still a fast-paced read.My largest complaint about this novel would be the ending. Yes, I realize the main character deserves some happiness, and that he has learned some lessons about the way humans interact with one another, but...The final pages were just too sweet for the rest of the book. The styles didn't match; I didn't feel the story reach the natural ending, which is one of the reasons I tend to love OSC. His wrap ups tend to feel perfect, with the correct mix of reward, lesson and questions. This was far from it. Too clichee, too plum, too oh-my-god-let-me-gag-now-and-get-it-over-with.Still, there were definitely winning moments. The grand dame's character and interactions are among them. All in all, an interesting read, which moves quickly. A new exploration of current day's witches is able to open doors that otherwise would be locked (yes, in the literal sense in the story and in the theoretical sense of themes). There were just some doors that I wish had been left alone toward the end.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good. Gripping. Hard to put down. Nice plot. Liked it more than I should have, because of the tone, originality.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Unreal characters and a catalogue of events without much story
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book was kind of a surprise for me. I love Orson Scott Card\'s works so much that I will read just about anything from him without looking at the jacket notes. I didn\'t realized that he had expanded into horror, still it kept my interest without being overly sensational or gory.