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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Structurally speaking, The Outsider is one of King's best outputs. The complaint that is continuously lodged against him is his penchant for rambling and repeatition, something King himself acknowledges and playfully calls his elephantiasis, is pleasantly absent here (even though he still does "show and tell" instead of "show, not tell"; not satisfied to communicate with the readers through only image and action, he spells them out through internal monologue). The plot is lean, even at 500 pages, creating a breakneck pace leaving you incapable of putting the book down. The ending suffers from a quick and unsatisfying resolution, but the constant build of momentum prior to that is more than worth it.
The only other problem I found is the infantalization of Holly Gibney. This is a character crippled by anxiety, self-doubt, and lack of belonging. And the way Stephen King handles her is by showing her as brittle and fragile when in her perspective and reiterating how strong and prepared she is when in someone else's perspective. That is a functional if on-the-nose way to illustrate the contrast between Holly's self-perception and how others perceive her. But what grates on me is how she is ostentatiously accepted by maternal figures (both Lovie Bolton and Jeanine Anderson offers her a non-negotiable hug in a playact commonly employed for shy children who are in desperate need of consolation and recognition but cannot claim it for themselves) and acknowledged by the male figures (both Ralph and Yune complements her being thorough and capable, an action which resembles a parent complementing a child on its ability to go potty all by itself). It may seem I am reading into it, and I will agree the authorial intention was to tell through her a story of inclusivity, but I maintain that the dialogue and tone used is clearly infantalizing. I find it concerning.
The only other problem I found is the infantalization of Holly Gibney. This is a character crippled by anxiety, self-doubt, and lack of belonging. And the way Stephen King handles her is by showing her as brittle and fragile when in her perspective and reiterating how strong and prepared she is when in someone else's perspective. That is a functional if on-the-nose way to illustrate the contrast between Holly's self-perception and how others perceive her. But what grates on me is how she is ostentatiously accepted by maternal figures (both Lovie Bolton and Jeanine Anderson offers her a non-negotiable hug in a playact commonly employed for shy children who are in desperate need of consolation and recognition but cannot claim it for themselves) and acknowledged by the male figures (both Ralph and Yune complements her being thorough and capable, an action which resembles a parent complementing a child on its ability to go potty all by itself). It may seem I am reading into it, and I will agree the authorial intention was to tell through her a story of inclusivity, but I maintain that the dialogue and tone used is clearly infantalizing. I find it concerning.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
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
I was really enjoying the first half of this book and then the second half (where Holly finally comes in and the paranormal stuff gets ramped up) was honestly a bit of a disappointment… Still enjoying the overall series though (continuing on from the Bill Hodges trilogy)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Murder
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
N/A
Was good. The supernatural part i knew was coming, kinda took me out of the story tho. Hard to take seriously.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked the beginning and even middle. The mystery and suspense was really good. But the ending was a bit disappointing, and I wished that the outsider was described more, and we could actually find out what it was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-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:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
More detective novel than thriller.