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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Sometimes you have to be a high-riding bitch to survive…Sometimes being a bitch is all a woman has to hold onto.”
I have a difficult relationship with Stephen King which I will summarize with a few phrases: anticlimactic endings, child gangbangs, and a reliance on the magical negro trope. King also writes hugely popular stories that are difficult to put down. For some reason his novel Dolores Claiborne has always piqued my interest, probably because of clips I’ve seen from the Kathy Bates film (which I’ve never actually watched), so when I bought a copy the other day, I chose to jump right in.
I immediately fell in love with the confessional style of the novel. The narrative is told in a singular voice—Dolores’. And boy does she make a compelling narrator! And Vera! What a character! For the first hundred pages or so I was mad that Dolores hadn’t killed the bitch. She seemed God awful, but once some of the layers were peeled back and I got further into the story, my opinion of the character shifted. She was still God awful, mind you, but I was able to spare a little more compassion for her.
Fuck Joe.
I never grew tired of Dolores or her story. For the first time, in quite a while, this book kept me up past my bedtime because I simply couldn’t put it down (and truthfully, it’s difficult to find a stopping point because of the book’s structure.) While reading the book, I grappled with the question of whether I trusted Dolores. The story is limited to her perspective, to what she chooses to tell, what she remembers or chooses to remember. She isn’t shy about expressing a strong opinion, and as she lays it all bare it seems as if she has nothing to hide, but we all know the truth is never that straightforward.
Dolores Claiborne marks the first King novel that I’ve enjoyed from beginning to end and she is going to be occupying space in my mind for some time to come.
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence
slow-paced
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
I thought the story was well written and that the narrative unwound in a way that made sense, even though it wasn’t linear. The general subject matter of the book (primarily focusing on domestic relationships/responsibilities of the MC) isn’t my cup of tea though. So while. I didn’t hate the book, it also didn’t do much for me.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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