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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I went into this book with no real expectations or idea what it was about, and I would recommend that to any new reader. This was a fantastic reading experience, and the ending of this book was truly unexpected. I'll leave the review short, but this was one of my favorite King books I've ever read.
3.86 Stars. The book had many ups and downs. It started off great, but then lagged towards the middle. It then picked back up again by the end. A lot of "Stephen King-isms" in this one, so if that frustrates you, stay away lol. Other than that, it was a very entertaining read. I really enjoyed some of the philosophical elements of the story and the bridging of what's good & evil / moral & immoral.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like how with some of King's work you can see how he got the idea. Revival = preaching, also electricity. I like how this was set over many years, really worked well with this kind of story.
dark
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
I loved the coming of age aspect.
It was alright. There's always elements of wish fulfillment in King and that can be annoying, also with his adjectives. People are 'delighted' to do the simplest of things. Reminded me a little of Lovecraft's From Beyond.
4.5 stars
The main reason why this book doesn't get five stars is because it absolutely hinges on the ending. The main characters are well-rounded and make believable decisions throughout; but not a lot happens through the first 3/4 of the book. You just follow Jamie from early childhood into his retirement years. It gets interesting when Jacobs pops into his life, but those encounters are fairly brief. You do get hints and foreshadowing aplenty, but if you hate the ending (or don't make it that far) this one could easily get boring and fall flat. Obviously it worked for me, so this is one of the better King novels I have read in a while.
Jamie keeps talking about the horrors he has experienced throughout the book, and I think the vision we got of the afterlife justified his claims. It is also enough to explain why most of Jacobs' cured patients go insane and try to off themselves. But I also get why Jamie is just the opposite and wants to live forever to avoid that afterlife. He retains just enough sanity to know that's where he's headed when he dies. I thought it worked beautifully and paid off the setup!
I was a little bummed out that Mr. King didn't explain the "special electricity", though. I had to fill in the blanks on that one. I am assuming it is the Zero-Point Field (ZPF). That is the theorized cosmic energy that allows atoms to exist in multiple places at the same time (until observed). Physicists know atoms have that ability, but there is no known energy to support their duplicitous existence. And if matter/energy cannot be created nor destroyed (only transferred), then there must be an infinite, untappable energy source all around us at all times. And if you read Bernard Haisch's "God Theory", that energy is one of the proofs for the existence of a God-like being that created the universe. Mr. Haisch doesn't say that the creator is necessarily benevolent nor humanlike, though (why does it have to be). So, Mr. King's interpretation of a mysterious "Mother" and a horde of ants enslaving our souls can't be any weirder than any other theory. It makes for a creepy story, so I dig it. :) Plus it explains the horrors Jamie spoke about in the beginning of this book.
The main reason why this book doesn't get five stars is because it absolutely hinges on the ending. The main characters are well-rounded and make believable decisions throughout; but not a lot happens through the first 3/4 of the book. You just follow Jamie from early childhood into his retirement years. It gets interesting when Jacobs pops into his life, but those encounters are fairly brief. You do get hints and foreshadowing aplenty, but if you hate the ending (or don't make it that far) this one could easily get boring and fall flat. Obviously it worked for me, so this is one of the better King novels I have read in a while.
Spoiler
I was afraid that Mr. King would shy away from going all the way, but boy did he not shy away! We get to find out what Mr. Jacobs' master plan was all along and we get to follow him there. He's really after the proof to the afterlife. Is it a paradise like religions say? Is there a benevolent creator waiting to embrace all of his children in the end?Jamie keeps talking about the horrors he has experienced throughout the book, and I think the vision we got of the afterlife justified his claims. It is also enough to explain why most of Jacobs' cured patients go insane and try to off themselves. But I also get why Jamie is just the opposite and wants to live forever to avoid that afterlife. He retains just enough sanity to know that's where he's headed when he dies. I thought it worked beautifully and paid off the setup!
I was a little bummed out that Mr. King didn't explain the "special electricity", though. I had to fill in the blanks on that one. I am assuming it is the Zero-Point Field (ZPF). That is the theorized cosmic energy that allows atoms to exist in multiple places at the same time (until observed). Physicists know atoms have that ability, but there is no known energy to support their duplicitous existence. And if matter/energy cannot be created nor destroyed (only transferred), then there must be an infinite, untappable energy source all around us at all times. And if you read Bernard Haisch's "God Theory", that energy is one of the proofs for the existence of a God-like being that created the universe. Mr. Haisch doesn't say that the creator is necessarily benevolent nor humanlike, though (why does it have to be). So, Mr. King's interpretation of a mysterious "Mother" and a horde of ants enslaving our souls can't be any weirder than any other theory. It makes for a creepy story, so I dig it. :) Plus it explains the horrors Jamie spoke about in the beginning of this book.
dark
emotional
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
Revival by Stephen King was a really enjoyable read. It felt like classic King—where there aren’t really any good guys, and everyone ends up paying a heavy price. The book does spend a lot of time building backstory before getting to the big climactic scene, but that’s pretty typical for King. Anytime someone’s curing people’s ailments in a way that seems too good to be true, you just know there’s going to be a huge price to pay, and this book delivers on that.
As I hopscotch through King's works, I've been particularly partial to those with his bleakest endings -- Pet Sematary, Cujo, and Revival.
Phew. This is dark and unsettling.
Loved the slow burn on this one. Charlie Jacobs is a sinister, yet sympathetic, baddie. His terrible sermon was great.
And not related to any of the above, I loved this quote:
“That’s how you know you’re home, I think, no matter how far you’ve gone from it or how long you’ve been in some other place. Home is where they want you to stay longer.”
Phew. This is dark and unsettling.
Loved the slow burn on this one. Charlie Jacobs is a sinister, yet sympathetic, baddie. His terrible sermon was great.
And not related to any of the above, I loved this quote:
“That’s how you know you’re home, I think, no matter how far you’ve gone from it or how long you’ve been in some other place. Home is where they want you to stay longer.”