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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
There is a magic trick in this story: a fold-up bouquet of vibrant paper flowers the protagonist keeps in the wristband of his watch to employ at will. By the end of the book, it's on its last legs: the paper is tearing and springs are poking through. It still works, but just barely.
And really, this bouquet an apt metaphor for King's novel. It's an entertaining show of a story, with colorful characters and glittering magical realism scattered across the pages. But by page 700, the trick of it all wears increasingly thin.
A lot of this book really works for me. It's horror, but the kind that feels just unreal enough to let you put out the lights without fear of the shadows.
However, the constant repetition of certain story elements (I can't name them without spoilers) and the sloppy finish (it didn't ring true for me in terms of the antagonist's seeming omniscience) turned a book that could have been mind-blowing into something dangerously bordering on bush-league.
Still, four stars because the pages turned fast. It's not perfect, but I enjoyed most of the ride.
And really, this bouquet an apt metaphor for King's novel. It's an entertaining show of a story, with colorful characters and glittering magical realism scattered across the pages. But by page 700, the trick of it all wears increasingly thin.
A lot of this book really works for me. It's horror, but the kind that feels just unreal enough to let you put out the lights without fear of the shadows.
However, the constant repetition of certain story elements (I can't name them without spoilers) and the sloppy finish (it didn't ring true for me in terms of the antagonist's seeming omniscience) turned a book that could have been mind-blowing into something dangerously bordering on bush-league.
Still, four stars because the pages turned fast. It's not perfect, but I enjoyed most of the ride.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to Stephen King read this book and it began my SK binge.
This was a book that drew you in. It made you get to know the characters and realise what was the horror slowly swallowing the community.
This was a book that drew you in. It made you get to know the characters and realise what was the horror slowly swallowing the community.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
I listened to the Audible version narrated by the author. He is a fairly good narrator. I found the story rather "surface" for my liking. Characters were not deeply developed, and more importantly there was no protagonist I really liked. For all his reputation for horror, Stephen King's book are not even remotely scary for me. The stories just are not believable enough to produce any emotion, and in this work the characters felt dated and often comical, like the fictional caricatures they are. So many of the "props" in the work left it dated, like the fuzz on the TV screen after the VCR tape is ejected. While this is to be expected, it just shows how much these props are a part of the story. Mr. King serves to entertain many people, but I find the depth of his characters as lacking as the care which I have for them.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Animal cruelty, Pedophilia
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The devil went down to
(Georgia)
Castle Rock, in the form of mr. Leland Gaunt of Ohio. Mr. Gaunt has a vast array of priceless artifacts, all for an affordable cash prize. All he wants in return is for you to play a trick on someone. Oh, no, not someone you know, don’t worry. No one will suspect it was you. After all, people jump to conclusions rather quickly - and even faster when there’s old grudges involved.
For about a year now, i’ve been rather good at not buting books. I’ve used the library enough to get an internship (not joking), and i’ve read a few of the books i bought last year. And the year before that. But I was sitting on the floor of this fancy smancy bookstore in Llandudno, and couldn’t help pick out a few. You see, mh book buying ban doesn’t include mr. King - simply because i tend to get nervous enough to start scratching off the cover.
Oh, you want examples?
The bottom part of dr. Sleep’s spine is scratched white.
The Shining has been chilling out (literally) in my freezer for the past two years because i’m a supersticious fuck. The bottom inch of the spine is white.
Carrie? Oh, yeah. The glue is showing.
And needless to say: needful things is no exception. Enjoy the back of my closet, you creep fest.
(Georgia)
Castle Rock, in the form of mr. Leland Gaunt of Ohio. Mr. Gaunt has a vast array of priceless artifacts, all for an affordable cash prize. All he wants in return is for you to play a trick on someone. Oh, no, not someone you know, don’t worry. No one will suspect it was you. After all, people jump to conclusions rather quickly - and even faster when there’s old grudges involved.
For about a year now, i’ve been rather good at not buting books. I’ve used the library enough to get an internship (not joking), and i’ve read a few of the books i bought last year. And the year before that. But I was sitting on the floor of this fancy smancy bookstore in Llandudno, and couldn’t help pick out a few. You see, mh book buying ban doesn’t include mr. King - simply because i tend to get nervous enough to start scratching off the cover.
Oh, you want examples?
The bottom part of dr. Sleep’s spine is scratched white.
The Shining has been chilling out (literally) in my freezer for the past two years because i’m a supersticious fuck. The bottom inch of the spine is white.
Carrie? Oh, yeah. The glue is showing.
And needless to say: needful things is no exception. Enjoy the back of my closet, you creep fest.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No