The Gates: A Novel

Written by John Connolly

Narrated by Jonathan Cake

Bursting with imagination and impossible to put down, this “wholly original” (People) and “refreshing” (San Francisco Chronicle) novel from New York Times bestselling author John Connolly is about the pull between good and evil, physics and fantasy—and a quirky boy, who is impossible not to love, and the unlikely cast of characters who give him the strength to stand up to a demonic power.

Young Samuel Johnson and his dachshund, Boswell, are trying to show initiative by trick-or-treating a full three days before Halloween, which is how they come to witness strange goings-on at 666 Crowley Road. The Abernathys don't mean any harm by their flirtation with the underworld, but when they unknowingly call forth Satan himself, they create a gap in the universe, a gap through which a pair of enormous gates is visible. The gates to Hell. And there are some pretty terrifying beings just itching to get out...

Can one small boy defeat evil? Can he harness the power of science, faith, and love to save the world as we know it?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Oct 6, 2009
• ISBN: 9781442300613

John Connolly

John Connolly is the author of the #1 internationally bestselling Charlie Parker thrillers series, The Book of Lost Things and its sequel The Land of Lost Things, the Samuel Johnson Trilogy for younger readers, and (with Jennifer Ridyard) the Chronicles of the Invaders series. He lives in Dublin, Ireland. For more information, see his website at JohnConnollyBooks.com, or follow him on Twitter @JConnollyBooks.

Reviews for The Gates

[Caron Gahr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely fantastic! A Monty Python feel that keeps the listener interested and laughing. This was a highly amusing book I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

[virago77 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic book! A must read if you're a fan of John Connolly. Funny, scary, creepy, and definitely a page turner!

[Roy Braswell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation - both the story and the narration.

[marsap_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Gates, the first book in a series by John Connolly, begins with Samuel Johnson and his dachshund, Boswell, trying to show initiative by trick-or-treating a full three days before Halloween. At 666 Crowley road, Samuel stumbles upon his neighbors, the Abernathys unknowingly calling forth Satan himself, and creating a gap in the universe where the gates of Hell are visible. Not only that, but what he’s seen is a direct result of an accident at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, which has opened up the gateway to hell. Samuel must work with scientists from CERN, his school mates, as well as a creature called Nurd (a character I particularly loved—hope he makes it into subsequent books), to close the gateway before Satan himself creates a literal hell on Earth. I loved this book—it was fun, an easy read, appropriate for many age groups or a family read. It reminded in many ways of Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens. The book is filled with humorous footnotes, and the overall tone is one of whimsy, fantasy and a little bit of mischievousness. The Gates has an added layer of science, which makes it a fascinating read for anyone interested in particle physics. Because the gateway to hell is opened through a stray particle escaping from the Large Hadron Collider Samuel insists on understanding the scientific principles behind it (the footnotes offered help this in a fun and entertaining way). I can’t wait to read the next in the series. 4 ½ out of 5 stars.

[cornerdemon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I knew I had to write a review when I saw that the book only had 60-odd people collecting it. After the incredible story in "The Book of Lost Things", I was a Connolly-convert, and hopefully, he'll continue to write in this genre. I have yet to try his thrillers or mysteries, but in the realm of fantasy, I'll subscribe. Due to a botched demon summoning, the Gates of Hell are about to open and only young Samuel Johnson is there to stop it. The problem? Samuel is 11. It's a lot to ask of an 11 year old that he stop Satan. The book is fun. And at several points, it's laugh out loud funny, reminiscent of Terry Pratchett at his best. (It's also very British, from this American's POV). It's also very thoughtful. It wonders at the nature of science and scientists, the clear-sightedness of children, and the stupidity of bored human beings. But the best part is how the book believes in the human spirit. It spends a great deal of time building up the horror, the evil, the unspeakable power of the demons crossing over from the hell dimension. And yet, humanity fights back. Brilliantly, might I add, in the most ... human of all ways. My only quibble is the odd-at-times writing style. At times, Connolly speaks as though he's writing to children, going to lengths to explain small details as though the reader was a small child. Other times, he gets so entangled with the theoretical sciences at work that he loses the narrative and (in my case) the reader. I'm going to give half points that this is probably equal parts his fault and mine, mostly because I don't have the soundest base of scientific knowledge and get lost easily in such things, but also because these sections come out of left field at high speed.Connolly is a *good* writer. I highly, highly recommend both this and The Book of Lost Things. For fans of Pratchett, Adams, and Gaiman, I also go a step beyond and recommend it as a Go Out And Buy, and skip the library rental - I think you'll like it that much.

[terrib_54 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Gates by John Connolly had me laughing and reading bits and pieces out loud to my husband for the entire book. Yes ... there are demons, witchcraft dabblers, The Great Malevolence, mayhem, and the possible end-of-the-world. I know these are not typically characters and topics that one would think of as funny, but in Connolly's hands they are screamingly so. It helps that there is a narrator who pops in, mainly in the footnotes ... Let me stop here for a moment and discuss the footnotes bit. I find footnotes to be quite distracting and usually do not appreciate them in my fiction. Heck, I can hardly stand them when I'm reading scholarly material, but I understand the necessity in that venue. But the footnotes Connolly writes into The Gates add to the hilarity. I couldn't help hearing the musical jingle from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy fade in and out as I read the footnotes. I also couldn't help hearing the narrator's voice from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy when I read the footnotes. I can probably attribute this to the fact that in both Hitchhikers Guide and The Gates the narrator is trying to explain the outrageous that really can't be explained. So, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't find the footnotes to be a distraction at all and thought they made the book even funnier. Anyway, moving on from the footnotes ...Young Samuel Johnson is a little boy that you can't help but love. He is rather nerdy, wears thick glasses and tries really hard to please people. For instance, he thinks he is showing initiative (and don't adults love it when kids show initiative?) by getting a head start on the Halloween night crowds and going door-to-door three days early. Instead he simply baffles the adults who misinterpret his actions as obnoxious or, at the very least, see him as a bit daft. So when Samuel witnesses the beginnings of an invasion of earth by a horde of demons he has a difficult time convincing the adults that he is not just a little boy with an overactive imagination. YES! Impending doom! The end-of-the-world is coming! Caused by the intersection of the supernatural and science (this is where the Hadron Collider comes in; really, you just have to read it)!Can little Samuel Johnson and his dog, Boswell, save the world?

[catfantastic_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was blown away by John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things, a journey into the land of darkly twisted fairy tales, so I had high hopes for The Gates. This one is distinctively juvenile fiction, humerous and light-hearted . . . and there's not a thing wrong with that, but I can't say that it grabbed me. Samuel is a precocious young boy who, with his loyal dog Boswell, discovers that the neighbours have a portal to Hell in their basement, and have been taken over by demons. I was very aware that Connolly was trying to write in the style of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, he even tries to do their humerous footnotes, but he sort of pales in comparison. Partly, I think it's because he overdoes the "funny footnote" thing, and partly because Adams and Pratchett already did it and did it better - also, Connolly sometimes comes off as weirdly condescending. There's also nothing that new or interesting about a young boy fighting demons and monsters. The inclusion of CERN and the Large Haydron Collider is an interesting touch, but as amusing and timely as it is, I had trouble suspending my disbelief enough to buy the whole particle-escapes-from-the-collider-and-becomes-a-portal-to-hell thing.I don't know, maybe I'm being too critical, I think if I were a child I would find this a fun book, but as an adult I'd pick Hitchhiker's Guide or a Discworld novel over this any day.

[Frederico Atra Giovannetti · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Funny, inteligent, imaginative, well writen. Really deligtfull reading, dont miss

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Acquired: Received a review copy from Simon & Schuster Canada.Reason for Reading: I've always wanted to read this author and this sounded like a fun book to start with.This is Connolly's first children's/teen book. It can be gross (in a demon/monster sense) and the language is a high level, not written down to anyone so I personally would recommend the book to teens even though the main character is only 11-years old. This book is humour at tongue-in-cheek's finest. Connolly takes stabs and jabs at all concerned and you need to be able to laugh at yourself and not take offense to appreciate this type of humour. Think Christopher Moore, but clean! without the profanity or sex. Seriously, the book is a riot.The story involves Samuel Johnson who just happens to see his next door neighbour and some friends conduct a ritual in their basement which opens a portal to Hell and brings forth four of The Great Malevolence's top demons who take over the four unfortunate participants' bodies to prepare the way for his arrival to take over the world. What ensues is comic slapstick, witty repartee and just plain silliness, but it is full of demons, death and Hell, so not for the squeamish either.I love Christopher Moore and got the CM vibe right away as I started to read so settled down for a comedic ride. If you are expecting thrills and chills this is not what you'll find here. The most endearing character is a down-on-his-luck demon named Nurd who has been shunned by the other demons and finds himself mysteriously zipping back and forth between our world and Hell. Once he is here to stay, we find out he is lovable in a stray mutt kind of way and he helps Sam who happens to be targeted for death by Ba'al, the GM's number one in command.A fun book, which certainly made me smile, and giggle a few times. Not exactly laugh out loud funny, like Christopher Moore, but a good show nevertheless. The book ends obviously hinting at a sequel and a bit of searching shows me that a sequel has been released in the UK this month (May, 2011), Hell's Bells. I'll be keeping my eyes open for it's appearance this side of the ocean.

[morgtini · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book actually kept me riveted much longer than I expected, and I really enjoyed Connolly's footnotes and commentary throughout. I thought it was humorous and just adult enough not to put me off (though good for YA readers as well). I did not realize when I first read it that it was a series, and wondered where Connolly would take it after the initial book, but kept on just the same because in truth, The Gates was a fun little romp of a book for me. The main character was slightly annoying, but I found that realistic enough, as many children his age seem to be annoying and pretentious. Still, I really did enjoy the book overall, and would certain recommend it to anyone favoring the fantasy/horror genera.

[melumebelle-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fantastical book with heart, and humor that makes the book zip by so that it's an effortless read.

[marklacy-355086 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

[2010] Having read John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things and enjoying it, I looked forward to reading his latest novel, The Gates. Unfortunately, a hundred pages into the book, I'm giving up.

In both books the main character is a young boy. In The Book of Lost Things he's a 12-year old whose mother has died, and only has his books and his imagination for company. When the story took serious turns, I thought of the book as something for adults. On the other hand, there were many whimsical moments when I questioned that. The theme - the transition from childhood innocence to adulthood - is certainly a serious one, and one most adults can identify with.

But in The Gates, the main character, Samuel Johnson, is a precocious 11-year old who accidentally witnesses his neighbors raising the Devil. At the same time, with the unknowing help of the Large Hadron Collider, a portal between our world and Hell begins to open. I know from the back cover of the book that Samuel will play a role in vanquishing Satan and his minions. But the story is entirely too whimsical for me. Demons with silly names, silly roles, and identity crises. Humor, frequently in the form of lengthy footnotes to explain things to the reader, who is assumed to be young. I think Connolly missed a chance to teach us something, as he taught us in The Book of Lost Things. And while Halloween costumes that make devils out of children can be cute, the concept of Hell is not one to be treated quite so lightly, I believe. It seems to me that religion in the past placed too much emphasis on Hell and eternal damnation, and nowadays places too little.

As a scientist, I grow tired of seeing scientists stereotyped in fiction as feckless, irresponsible, hungry for power and at the same time prone to making Big Mistakes. Perhaps Connolly's next novel will be better.

[et.carole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was another spectacular book in the vein of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens. Samuel and his trusty pal Boswell are just adorable. You spend most of the book wanting to give Samuel a good hug and Boswell a nice pet. As for Maria and Tom- they're vaguely reminiscent of Hermione and Ron in their humor and friendly chemistry, but they are also unique. This was a splendid read, and I highly recommend it.

[curious_squid · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Unusual pairing of apocolyptic zombie drama, children's book and quantum physics lesson.

Tries a little too hard in places to be funny, endless footnotes start dragging the book down, but over all a fun read.

[dmturner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightful, funny book about a young boy who thwarts all the demons of Hell. He is the first to notice the invaders when they try to enter our world through a dimensional portal opened by a supercollider. He makes friends with Nurd, who plays an important part in the victory.

[bookishtexpat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was absolutely hilarious. The story was fairly predictable, but the tone of it was so different than I expected, it was great. Connolly does a fantastic job of taking the very scary scene of Hell on Earth (literally) and flipping it upside down. I love Samuel, I love Nurd, I really did love this book.

[vokram-944968 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Title: The Gates

Author: John Connolly

Publication Date: Jan 2009

Genre: Fantasy/Comedy/Horror

Score: 4/5

It’s always interesting when a fiction novel has an appendix full of footnotes. This is one of those novels. (By the way, they are not necessary for the enjoyment of this novel.) This is a book about the invasion of Earth by Hell through a wormhole/black hole portal. Fighting it is a young boy named Samuel Johnson, a precocious school boy in England. With his faithful dog, Boswell, and a couple of friends, he sets out to save the world.

This is a very British book. Some people get that kind of humor, but it has never really clicked for me. But this book was very amusing and even for me funny in places. It is a very quick read. Recommended.

[inky_fingers · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Personally not a fan of so many viewpoints, or the snarky voice. But for the style he's chosen, he handles it very well. Not sure I'll every finish it, though.

[nkmunn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Clever, informative (?!), and peopled with a diverse assortment of characters that keep things interesting !

[arkrayder · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book cute in a way. The story was fairly good and the humor was great. I had quite a few laugh out loud moments. The horror element was really well done. If a young reader reads the book they can be grossed out by the descriptions but it’s not anything terrible. I liked the involvement of CERN and the Large Hadron Collider. I thought it was a neat idea using science to open the portal to hell. The science references are great to read and it was nice to learn something new from a book like this. John Connolly doesn’t disappoint.

[jnmegan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Trying to get an early start on collecting his Halloween treats, Samuel Johnson and his super-smart dog Boswell unwittingly stumble upon a plot from the denizens of Hell to conquer the Earth. The Gates by John Connelly would probably best belong on the shelf of a younger teen, but as a 47-year-old fan of good writing and dry British wit, I was enamored from the start. Of course, no one is going to believe poor Samuel as he attempts to enlist the aid of the typical authority figures, and he needs to begin the battle with only his own rare bravery and the help of two friends who trust in him enough to join the fight. The forces of evil don’t realize they have a real challenge on their hands, and that one of their own will prove to be instrumental to the human resistance. This novel kept me speeding through the pages, laughing out loud, and eagerly searching for the sequel, The Infernals. I am sure it won’t take me long to get hooked on that title as well, and I cannot wait to see what new adventures await Samuel and Boswell. I will have to hide both books from my kids until I get a chance to finish.

[dorie.craig · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Humor, irreverance, footnotes -- John Connolly was definitely channeling Terry Pratchett in this YA novel. It's a little boy named Samuel who goes out trick-or-treating a few days before Halloween (just to get a jump start). So Samuel is outside his neighbors the Abernathy's and witnesses a mystical portal opening. The Abernathy's and their friends disappear into the portal and some demons take their forms. Although Samuel tries to warn others, he's just a kid and of course no one believes him. Samuel knows the demons are planning to open the gates of hell on the day after Halloween in order to release "The Great Malevolence" (or the devil). The Large Hadron Collider plays a part in this story, and is the cause of the portal opening. (When I checked the news and saw it listed there as turned back on, it was one of those moments where fiction and reality collide and confuse you for a few seconds.) A minor demon named Nurd (Scourge of Five Deities) was banished to the Wasteland for not being evil enough. When the portal causes Nurd to pop in and out of the Land of Men, he meets Samuel and gets to drive a really fast car. The character of Nurd was hilarious, and my favorite character. The book isn't to be taken seriously, and while reading it I "saw" the narrative as an animated story. I wouldn't be surprised if it became adapted to an animated film. Three and a half stars.

[mkunruh-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had a hard time letting go of its similarity to Good Omens. But my 9 year old and I enjoyed listening together to the last hour or so very much. So, my impatience with 'plucky kids' and 'cute demon' was mitigated by his pleasure, and his pleasure was great. He was very focused, and laughed lots.

[mstrust · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Samuel Johnson and his dachshund Boswell aren't having much luck trick-or-treating a few days early. After being turned away at the Abernathy's, the boy witnesses the ending of the satanic ritual the couple and their friends had clumsily performed, one that worked in opening a portal to hell. Now all kinds of demons are pouring into the village and Samuel has to get someone to believe what's happening and help him fight, because the awful things that have come through the portal so far have just been the foot soldiers who are preparing Earth for the arrival of The Great Malevolence.The village is being filled with evil demons, yet it's funny. I think if you enjoyed something like "Shaun of the Dead", you'd like this, which I do.

[ardvisoor · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“I'm a ghost," Said the small figure, then added, a little uncertainly, "Boo?” This book is a funny book, I laughed a lot with it. Even some of the footnotes are hilarious.Samuel Johnson lives with his dog Boswell and his mother in a village. He starts Halloween earlier and when he stops at his neighbor house, the Abernathys, something terrible and horrifying happens. In their basement there is an explosion and after that some strange creatures emerges from a blue fire…gates to Hell is opened and demons can now come to human worlds and the Devil himself intends to concur the earth and destroy the living.This is a combination of horror, fantasy, science and humor. The characters are awesome. Demons whom some are funny, some stupid and some scary. Monstrous Abernathys and Samuel and his friends. My favorite character is Nurd. The first demon emerging to earth with the mission to eat Samuel but ends up being friend with him and actually find things he enjoys in human worlds such as gums.It kind of reminded me of the Cartoon: Monster Company but for sure it is tend to be scarier. There is a lot of laughing involved in reading this horror fantasy world of childhood!

[meandmybooks-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute. A children's version of Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, with heaping measures of “Harry, Ron, and Hermione,” and a strong hint of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in its narrative voice. While I did enjoy this, Connolly leaned a bit too hard on the juvenile humor for my taste, returning, for example, to the humorous idea of sticking things up people's bottoms far too many times. And, while I understand that for a juvenile audience the threat can't appear too serious, it seemed to me that the Ultimate Evil, which has been waiting to destroy humanity since … well, since humanity showed up, would be more effective than it is here. When the monsters sent to destroy our young hero are easily persuaded to change their minds by a friendly chat, or, in the case of a less reasonable monster, flushed down the toilet, the plot loses any urgency it might have promised. Particularly once the demons pile out of the portal on Halloween night and attempt to wreak havoc, things rapidly become a little too reminiscent of the movie Monsters, Inc, with comical sorts of monsters who are defeated by a smack from a hat stand, a spritz of perfume, or a boot to the tuchus. Still, I really got a kick out of the footnotes, which are often quite funny, and the dachshund, Boswell, is absolutely marvelous! Nurd, the Scourge of Five Deities, who takes one look at a sports car (before being flattened by a semi coming from the opposite direction) and falls in love, and later steals a Porsche, is delightfully reminiscent of Mr. Toad (“Poop poop!”) in The Wind in the Willows (hats off to Carol!), and is easily the most engaging character in the book. And, having spent years struggling to grow roses, I really appreciated Maria's father's obsession with his rose bushes. Okay, there are quite a few good scenes in this.Reading this at 50, I rate it at 3 1/2 stars, but I’ve no doubt that if I’d read it when I was younger, before I’d read the adult books (plus Harry Potter) which seem to have inspired it, I’d have rated it at 4 or 5. Although then, of course, I’d have missed most of Connolly’s references to people like Aleister Crowley, Bishop Berkeley, James Ussher, Max Planck, R.M. Renfield, Sir Robert Peel, etc. Which would have been a shame. A quick, fun read.

[viragoreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic book! A must read if you're a fan of John Connolly. Funny, scary, creepy, and definitely a page turner!

[stevierbrown · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Great, I'm sure, if you are a kid. Not so great if you are a big kid.
Over all it is OK, if a little patronizing in parts. It is certainly a fairly original take on the good and evil story and I would imagine that children with an interest in the quirky and strange will engage with the lead character and enjoy the story. But I don't think it is too harsh to say that what the author is attempting to do in "The Gates" is what Pratchett or Gaiman do so much more expertly with their children’s books.

[libbromus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If I were ever to involve myself in education reform (not bloody likely) I would start with the footnotes of this book as a guide. I'm fairly certain that anything of interest in the hard and social sciences is neatly contained in said footnotes. So, if you want to know just a smidge about lots of interesting things and have a rollicking great story to go along with it, you'll want to read this. Also, the audible version narrated by Jonathan Cake is perfection. Also, this is completely appropriate for children of all ages. No really, it's PG; just a little gross in parts.Also, it might upset some rigidly religious types and that would be a shame because it would mean they were lacking a sense of humor which is like living death if you ask me.

[kittyjay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In a small town called Biddlecombe, an unusual little boy named Samuel Johnson and his loyal dachshund Boswell see a strange sight. In a basement located on 666 Crowley Road, a group of bored suburbaners are attempting to open the gates of Hell.

While that may not be surprising to anyone who has lived in a suburb, what is surprising is that they manage to succeed. It's up to Samuel (and some very confused scientists at CERN) to stop the End of the World as We Know It.

John Connolly impressed me with his Book of Lost Things, and he did not disappoint with The Gates. The story blends quantum physics with theology, sneaks in a dozen references (the Renfields, for instance, or streets named Stoker or Lovecraft), and some truly funny characters.

Overall, it was very reminiscent of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (with a dash of Douglas Adams) - the footnotes, particularly, but also the irreverent take on the apocalypse. While sometimes it does veer toward the more juvenile - by which I mean more simplistic than sophomoric - there were a few lines that made me laugh out loud, and the overall story was a delight.