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immovabletype's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Gore, Medical content, Racial slurs, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol and Torture
Minor: Sexual content and Rape
_bxllxe_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Violence, Alcoholism, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Body horror
Minor: Cancer, Torture, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, and Racial slurs
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Excrement, Grief, Medical content, Physical abuse, Violence, Gun violence, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Body horror
Moderate: Addiction and Torture
Minor: Infertility, Incest, and Racial slurs
billyjepma's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Bowditch is the book's highlight, arguably, and viewing him as King's self-insert character (as I did) gives the story some potentially meta-commentary elements that I liked. I doubt this is intentional, as the book doesn't explore those elements, so take my assessment with a grain of salt. King isn't interested in interrogating or subverting the fairy tale ideas he's using, opting instead to enjoy them as toys for a relatively by-the-numbers tale that's content to be a soft remix of the greatest hits. On those terms, Fairy Tale is an easy, enjoyable read, even though I kept waiting for it to become something more.
Ironically, the most effective parts of this book take place outside of the fantasy world, as it's there that King's writing is most touching and memorable. After the fantasy starts, things regrettably grow a little dull. King's characterization and pacing falter, as does his plotting. We're introduced to some wonderful supporting characters and big, exciting ideas; they just don't go anywhere. Charlie becomes a less interesting protagonist, too, as his role in the traditional fantasy adventure is as by-the-numbers as they come. King's attempts at giving it some teeth are more monotonous than anything, too, and eventually, my earlier investment in Charlie took a nosedive.
Still, despite its shortcoming, I love a good fairy tale and getting to read one of the best storytellers of a generation tell one was a ride I'm glad I took. The ending wraps things up on the kind of nostalgia-tinged note I'm always a sucker for and nails the balance between bitter and sweet like all fantasies should. I won't be running back to this one, but the vibes and visuals will happily linger in my head for a while. The book gets a 3.5/5 from me, but Radar the Very Good Dog™️ gets a 12/5.
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Medical content, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Abandonment, Bullying, Cancer, Racial slurs, and Torture