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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. I actually AGONIZED over the rating to give this novel. I love me some Stephen King (I may even go so far as to say he's my favorite author) and I loved this novel, but sometimes I didn't like it so much, and sometimes I loved it again. Even after I finished it last night I kept thinking about it and trying to decide how I really feel about it.
Lisey's story is about Lisa Landon, whose husband, Scott, has died two years ago. He was a famous and successful novelist with some SERIOUS demons in his past, and Lisey is trying to clean up her life and clean out Scott's old writing room. There is SO MUCH in this novel--first of all, the word pool. That is one of the coolest concepts I've ever read about in a novel. It's so simple and yet King executes it masterfully, and even includes numerous references to novels, poems, songs, and more, just to illustrate how wide the word pool really is. I think that was my favorite part of the novel.
Lisey is a badass character, there's no other way to say it. She straps it on (there's a catch from the word pool!) when necessary and, believe me, it's plenty necessary throughout the novel. But there was something about her that bothered me--was her whole life about Scott? Even the title of the novel, Lisey's Story, suggests that now it's Lisey's turn in the spotlight, but really, the novel is still about Scott and his demons. This is what I struggled with during and after reading this novel--where is the Lisey separate from her husband?
I think this is one of those door stopper novels that I'll have to read again and again before I really form a strong opinion about it. I liked it more than I disliked it, let's say that. My apologies if this review is as disjointed as my thoughts about the story.... But, if you are a Stephen King fan, I think this is a must read!
Lisey's story is about Lisa Landon, whose husband, Scott, has died two years ago. He was a famous and successful novelist with some SERIOUS demons in his past, and Lisey is trying to clean up her life and clean out Scott's old writing room. There is SO MUCH in this novel--first of all, the word pool. That is one of the coolest concepts I've ever read about in a novel. It's so simple and yet King executes it masterfully, and even includes numerous references to novels, poems, songs, and more, just to illustrate how wide the word pool really is. I think that was my favorite part of the novel.
Lisey is a badass character, there's no other way to say it. She straps it on (there's a catch from the word pool!) when necessary and, believe me, it's plenty necessary throughout the novel. But there was something about her that bothered me--was her whole life about Scott? Even the title of the novel, Lisey's Story, suggests that now it's Lisey's turn in the spotlight, but really, the novel is still about Scott and his demons. This is what I struggled with during and after reading this novel--where is the Lisey separate from her husband?
I think this is one of those door stopper novels that I'll have to read again and again before I really form a strong opinion about it. I liked it more than I disliked it, let's say that. My apologies if this review is as disjointed as my thoughts about the story.... But, if you are a Stephen King fan, I think this is a must read!
This book is… A rollercoaster to say the least, and I am not sure it’s one I enjoyed.
First of all, the book was extremely difficult for me to get into, and I only felt like it got ”good” about 350 pages in. When I got to this point I was glad I stuck with it, and actually managed to get to ”the good part” where things started to make sense, but I personally believe that a book can not be good if you have to struggle through any portion of it.
The characters were not as fleshed out as they could have been, and all the female characters were unmistakably written by a male author. I lost count of how many times King mentioned Lisey’s chest early on in the book, and this just really distracted me from the plot.
Stephen King is an incredible horror author, and whenever any horror showed up in the book I found myself getting that deep sense of dread that few other authors manage to give me, but as soon as those scenes ended I felt like an entirely different, much less talented author took over (hence why I am calling it a rollercoaster). He is simply not nearly as good as writing romance and such as he is writing horror.
On a more positive note, I did appreciate the PTSD responses he took up in the book to an extent. As someone that struggles with very severe c-PTSD I found it surprisingly well written and relatable. The book is very clearly King’s way of exploring PTSD, and especially the kind that can come after losing someone.
I also kind of found the words they had made together charming? I am aware this is an unpopular opinion though.
Long story short, if you want to stick through 350 pages of ”eh” writing with some small golden nuggets hidden between the pages, then by all means I recommend it. Otherwise, don’t bother.
First of all, the book was extremely difficult for me to get into, and I only felt like it got ”good” about 350 pages in. When I got to this point I was glad I stuck with it, and actually managed to get to ”the good part” where things started to make sense, but I personally believe that a book can not be good if you have to struggle through any portion of it.
The characters were not as fleshed out as they could have been, and all the female characters were unmistakably written by a male author. I lost count of how many times King mentioned Lisey’s chest early on in the book, and this just really distracted me from the plot.
Stephen King is an incredible horror author, and whenever any horror showed up in the book I found myself getting that deep sense of dread that few other authors manage to give me, but as soon as those scenes ended I felt like an entirely different, much less talented author took over (hence why I am calling it a rollercoaster). He is simply not nearly as good as writing romance and such as he is writing horror.
On a more positive note, I did appreciate the PTSD responses he took up in the book to an extent. As someone that struggles with very severe c-PTSD I found it surprisingly well written and relatable. The book is very clearly King’s way of exploring PTSD, and especially the kind that can come after losing someone.
I also kind of found the words they had made together charming? I am aware this is an unpopular opinion though.
Long story short, if you want to stick through 350 pages of ”eh” writing with some small golden nuggets hidden between the pages, then by all means I recommend it. Otherwise, don’t bother.
Sometimes I wonder if Stephen King has ever actually heard slang of any kind; even when he uses real slang he sounds awkward, and his made up idioms are sometimes so lame they threaten to derail entire chunks of a book. But as ridiculous as "bool," "strapped on," "babylove" and, god, "smuck" are here, they are in keeping with the deliberately regressed language of the main characters, one of whom is dead from the start but shapes the narrative from both flashback and a dubious state of afterlife. Factoring that into consideration, this is an exceptionally realized and ambitious book, knotty in its structure and fragmented in its thoughts but reflective of both obliterative traumas and both the individual and interpersonal ways that people come to grips with their own pasts and those of loves ones. This is only my third King novel but it may be my favorite so far, displaying the best of his talents as a character builder while leaving aside the rambling stabs at social relevance that chiefly provide window-dressing for the character work anyway. This is also the first of his books so far that I feel like I could re-read and pick up on new things instead of having it all aggressively, unmistakably covered the first time.
Honestamente, he borrado tres veces el review. Porque no sé qué es lo más importante de este libro. Si el hecho de haber descubierto que King no solo escribe cosas aterradoras (y que de todas formas escribe bien), el hecho de que este libro fuera tan descaradamente íntimo sobre su labor de escritor y su relación con su esposa. O el hecho de que me sintiera identificada y enternecida, tanto como para llorar en el final.
No creo que sea una obra maestra, pero es realmente bonito. Con todo y su inicio lento que me hizo abandonar y volver y abandonar y volver... Con todo y sus traducciones raras como "tres pares de narices y cojones" a cada rato (dicen que fue un libro particularmente complicado para traducir por el "lenguaje secreto" que maneja, pero nadie maldice así, no jodan, nadie).
Pero llega un punto donde me identifiqué con la pequeña Lisey. Con el amor que siente por Scott, que no es ni fue perfecto, pero fue feliz. Su cotidianeidad en el matrimonio, sus recuerdos hermosos, sus recuerdos horribles. La aceptación. Sus secretos compartidos. El miedo de perderlo. La resignación de perderlo.
No es exactamente lo mismo, pero han fallecido familiares muy amados por mi. Comprendí esa soledad suya, esa añoranza. Pero había otra cosa todavía más fuerte. Y por primera vez me pregunté si ese dolor lo iba a sentir yo por mi pareja, si es que llegaba a perderlo o si él iba a sentir algo así por mi, si yo no estuviera. Fue una cosa muy impactante para mi, tuve qué parar de leer y correr a abrazarlo varias veces.
Me gustó mucho. Yo creo que lo releería sin problemas. Lo recomiendo, aunque creo que no todo mundo lo amará tanto como yo.
P. D. Me da miedo mirarme en los espejos en la oscuridad y ahora dudo de comer fruta por las noches. Estúpido libro.
No creo que sea una obra maestra, pero es realmente bonito. Con todo y su inicio lento que me hizo abandonar y volver y abandonar y volver... Con todo y sus traducciones raras como "tres pares de narices y cojones" a cada rato (dicen que fue un libro particularmente complicado para traducir por el "lenguaje secreto" que maneja, pero nadie maldice así, no jodan, nadie).
Pero llega un punto donde me identifiqué con la pequeña Lisey. Con el amor que siente por Scott, que no es ni fue perfecto, pero fue feliz. Su cotidianeidad en el matrimonio, sus recuerdos hermosos, sus recuerdos horribles. La aceptación. Sus secretos compartidos. El miedo de perderlo. La resignación de perderlo.
No es exactamente lo mismo, pero han fallecido familiares muy amados por mi. Comprendí esa soledad suya, esa añoranza. Pero había otra cosa todavía más fuerte. Y por primera vez me pregunté si ese dolor lo iba a sentir yo por mi pareja, si es que llegaba a perderlo o si él iba a sentir algo así por mi, si yo no estuviera. Fue una cosa muy impactante para mi, tuve qué parar de leer y correr a abrazarlo varias veces.
Me gustó mucho. Yo creo que lo releería sin problemas. Lo recomiendo, aunque creo que no todo mundo lo amará tanto como yo.
P. D. Me da miedo mirarme en los espejos en la oscuridad y ahora dudo de comer fruta por las noches. Estúpido libro.
DNF. Got about 30 pages in and was pretty confused. Wasn’t feeling it.
I have nothing to say, this book sucked.
this review is from when i was like 12, maybe i just couldn’t understand it, idk man. still don’t really have a desire to go back and read it.
this review is from when i was like 12, maybe i just couldn’t understand it, idk man. still don’t really have a desire to go back and read it.
adventurous
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
sometimes I like his author's notes as much as the book.