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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
At this point in my King reading journey, I really do feel like I am scraping the bottom of the barrel. I have so few left to read that I don't think I am going to discover a hidden gem or a new favorite, but my goal is still to read everything he has written. This was better than I thought it would be based off of reviews, and I think going in not expecting much is the way to go. I am not sure the substance of the book was enough for a full-length novel, but King pulled it off, and even though I kinda knew the end as it was approaching, I still had chills go down my spine on the final pages. The pacing definitely dragged in some parts, and it was also oddly sexual in a way I just did not think was necessary at the beginning. I am sure it is not the best, but I sort of want to see how they turned this into a movie and what is similar/ different. I am glad I checked it off my list, but not a new favorite King.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just finished Thinner. That was interesting, it's the first of the Bachman books I've read and I enjoyed it. I didn't expect the reaction I had during the chapter where Billy confronts Hopely, but I audibly gagged at the description of the pimples and such popping. I did enjoy thending with his daughter coming home and him deciding to eat the pie as well, but then again I do enjoy bleak endings.
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
About on par with Roadwork. Starts pretty slow and doesn't make much sense, middle is plodding and nonsensical, then the Italian guy is involved and it starts to pick up. Ending is decent, a bit better than Roadwork's ending. I'd say Roadwork was much more consistently entertaining, though. The most entertainment I got out of this book was when one of the characters said Billy was talking to him like someone out of a Stephen King novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Blood, Gaslighting
Moderate: Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Murder
Minor: Self harm
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I always knew the overall main premise of this story as a child, but had never sat down to read the book (or watch the movie) until now. I'll start with the obvious fact that there's a lot of outdated stereotypes in this one - I don't know much about Romani culture or gypsies, but this one felt like it was taking a lot of shots at them just for stories sake. I couldn't tell if he was trying to make them neutral or if he was trying to make them scary villains - regardless of that fact, its harmful all the way around.
Story plot wise, it was gripping. Maybe its an oversimplification on my part, but its a revenge story. Revenge from a father that turns in revenge from a friend that turns into revenge from a husband. It all goes wrong in ever turn, in some way or another, but it still stands as a revenge story for me. I can kind of feel bad for Bill in the sense that he didn't intentionally try to hit Susanna Lemke(only kind of, because there were times that his inner monologue - no matter how much I can understand it - was just so backhanded and lacking all accountability). But, in the same vein, it all boils down to lack of justice. I think there were times that Billy was thinking about his own daughter, Linda, and wondering if he would do the same in Taduz Lemke's spot, but it never lasted long. The anger he had for his wife and for Taduz seemed to just throw him back into the spiral of not taking full accountability. Yes, in theory, Susanna should've been using the crosswalk, but you should have still been paying attention, whether your wife was... trying something new... or not. It's a big round of pointing fingers and the blame game. It's hard for me to really like him honestly. I think the only person I do like, even though he's not perfect either, is Richie Ginelli and that's mostly because he's such a ride or die for this man he considers a friend. Is he a tad problematic in his ways? Sure. But he stood ten toes down for a friend, even though he also gets what's coming to him.
I don't particularly care for the ending much. We already know what he planned on feeding his wife the pie, but the double-whammy of knowing his daughter also ate it just felt a little too cop-outish for me. Because now he feels he has nothing to live for, which is why he himself ate some too. It made the whole 300ish pages before that feel like it was all for nothing. Maybe that's the whole point, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense for me. You brought your whole family down with you, just for you to (in the end) bring forth what was happening to you from the start all over again.
Not the worst by any means, but I don't see myself having the urge to reread this one - at least not anytime soon.
Story plot wise, it was gripping. Maybe its an oversimplification on my part, but its a revenge story. Revenge from a father that turns in revenge from a friend that turns into revenge from a husband. It all goes wrong in ever turn, in some way or another, but it still stands as a revenge story for me. I can kind of feel bad for Bill in the sense that he didn't intentionally try to hit Susanna Lemke(only kind of, because there were times that his inner monologue - no matter how much I can understand it - was just so backhanded and lacking all accountability). But, in the same vein, it all boils down to lack of justice. I think there were times that Billy was thinking about his own daughter, Linda, and wondering if he would do the same in Taduz Lemke's spot, but it never lasted long. The anger he had for his wife and for Taduz seemed to just throw him back into the spiral of not taking full accountability. Yes, in theory, Susanna should've been using the crosswalk, but you should have still been paying attention, whether your wife was... trying something new... or not. It's a big round of pointing fingers and the blame game. It's hard for me to really like him honestly. I think the only person I do like, even though he's not perfect either, is Richie Ginelli and that's mostly because he's such a ride or die for this man he considers a friend. Is he a tad problematic in his ways? Sure. But he stood ten toes down for a friend, even though he also gets what's coming to him.
I don't particularly care for the ending much. We already know what he planned on feeding his wife the pie, but the double-whammy of knowing his daughter also ate it just felt a little too cop-outish for me. Because now he feels he has nothing to live for, which is why he himself ate some too. It made the whole 300ish pages before that feel like it was all for nothing. Maybe that's the whole point, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense for me. You brought your whole family down with you, just for you to (in the end) bring forth what was happening to you from the start all over again.
Not the worst by any means, but I don't see myself having the urge to reread this one - at least not anytime soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Racism
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death
dark
tense
medium-paced