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dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An interesting concept, god Billy really hates his wife.
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Suicide
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perushyvää kasarikauhua, jonka Stephen King kirjoitti salanimellä. Tässä on oikeastaan kaikki, mitä muistan lapsuuden kauhukirjoista ja -elokuvista: Pikkukaupungin ydinperheen perheenisä joutuu omien hölmöilyidensä vuoksi pulaan, ja elämä murenee ympäriltä. Lisäksi vielä tuntematon, kiehtovan uhkaava muukalainen ja rappiolliset pikkukaupungit. Oli hyvä nostalgiatrippi.
stephen king never fails to impress me. i was constantly fearing for billy and hoping everything would turn out alright. and that ending!! i did not expect that but WOW
Fun and nasty, but not enough meat on its bones to really satisfy—the fast food of King novels.
3 out of 5
Bright-red Pennywise Clown Noses
3 out of 5
Bright-red Pennywise Clown Noses
Reading this while trying to lose weight and breaking out in an inexplicable rash only made the reading that much spookier. RIP Bachman!
I find it hard to like a book when I can't stand the main character. Billy Halleck hits a woman with his car and after the judge (who happens to be his friend) turns a blind eye to the incident, Billy is cursed by the woman's Gypsy father. The curse -- to grow thinner until he wastes away to just skin and bones.
Everyone in the story is bitter, or vindictive, or has a vendetta. The only remotely likable character is the crazy Italian mobster. With that said, I see in a way the point of making all the characters not likable -- it makes their selfishness easier to believe and swallow. But, without a rooting interest in any one character, it makes it a difficult read for someone trying to enjoy a good novel. As with all the Bachman books, this being the fifth title released under the pen name of Stephen King, I have noticed the trend that I do not like them. And they all seem to be for the same reason -- characters which are either hard to relate to or just not likable.
And going over what I just wrote, I realized that I am repeating myself, but I love Stephen King novels because he has a knack for characterization and developing personalities that you like, even when the person is horrible and flawed. Whoever this Bachman guy is that King conjures up needs to take lessons from King on how to write likable characters, and maybe readers like myself will enjoy Richard Bachman novels more. Of course, unfortunately Richard Bachman passed away in 1985 -- but as with every writer, there always seems to be books locked away in an attic somewhere and they are able to publish books years after a writers death.
Everyone in the story is bitter, or vindictive, or has a vendetta. The only remotely likable character is the crazy Italian mobster. With that said, I see in a way the point of making all the characters not likable -- it makes their selfishness easier to believe and swallow. But, without a rooting interest in any one character, it makes it a difficult read for someone trying to enjoy a good novel. As with all the Bachman books, this being the fifth title released under the pen name of Stephen King, I have noticed the trend that I do not like them. And they all seem to be for the same reason -- characters which are either hard to relate to or just not likable.
And going over what I just wrote, I realized that I am repeating myself, but I love Stephen King novels because he has a knack for characterization and developing personalities that you like, even when the person is horrible and flawed. Whoever this Bachman guy is that King conjures up needs to take lessons from King on how to write likable characters, and maybe readers like myself will enjoy Richard Bachman novels more. Of course, unfortunately Richard Bachman passed away in 1985 -- but as with every writer, there always seems to be books locked away in an attic somewhere and they are able to publish books years after a writers death.
dark
medium-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