Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Critical Score: A-
Personal Score: A
I first read this book when I was a junior or senior in high school and loved it. I soon after watched the movie and loved it as much as, if not slightly more than, the book. For a long time, I had considered this title to be one of my absolute favorites of King’s. I am so relieved to say that, after reading it now for a second time, I still feel that way.
This book gives us a masterclass in character writing and voice. Dolores is raw, rich, and rowdy. I adore her.
The plot goes by fast and held me in its grip me the whole way through. The motifs and symbolism are thoughtful (the eye, the eclipse, the well). The character relationships are complex.
The form of the novel, as a transcript of a confession to the cops, is surprisingly successful, making the narrative more visceral and full-speed ahead. King pulls off a tough concept. He has no chapter breaks, or even scene breaks, and that never felt like a burden to me. It does inevitably lead to some holes and missed opportunities in the narrative, however, and I’ll address those later in my discussion of the film adaptation.
Best of all is the feminism. It may be one of the very few types of feminism that King can write well—that of working class motherhood and domestic abuse—but, boy, does he write it well here. The book plunges into misogyny without feeling preachy or try-hard. Dolores is a phenomenally strong and realistic female lead, one of my favorite characters across all of his stories, if not my very favorite.
The class commentary feeds into the story quite well, too.
I’m sad that I can’t give this book 5 stars, though, and that’s because it doesn’t quite stick the landing. Why is Dolores not charged with the murder of her husband? I can think of reasons why the cops don’t feel motivated to bring it to trial, but that does feel like a bit of stretch, especially when nothing in the book even indicates that this is a question that needs to be addressed.
Also, I’m not quite convinced of the necessity in having the plot twist about Vera’s kids being dead all along, unless it’s to justify why Dolores gets the inheritance, but she goes and gives it away (anonymously, too, of course), so what was the point of all that? I think it’s a little goofy to have the dead kids, whereas having Vera truly estranged from living kids, because she’s a terribly mean person who killed their dad, feels more poignant and aligned with the novel’s themes. But hey, it’s not my book.
The movie shows how much *even better* this story could be. The novel’s form limits it from having the scenes the movie gives us: the tension between Dolores and the investigator (who’s not even in the book’s present) over the span of days, the development in Dolores’s relationship with Selena upon her visit to the island, and an alternate ending wherein she confesses to Joe’s murder to Selena, not the cops, resolving the question about her being charged for the crime and giving Selena a role to play in getting her mom off the investigator’s hook. The movie really is a thriller with a lot happening in the present beyond a recorded confession, whereas the novel is simply Dolores’s thrilling life story. Note: I still need to rewatch the movie.
All of this isn’t to say the book isn’t excellent as it stands. I still love it after all this time, and I wish it got more attention from fans. It’s a little gem that proves King can write women well when he sets his mind to it.
Critical Score: A-
Personal Score: A
I first read this book when I was a junior or senior in high school and loved it. I soon after watched the movie and loved it as much as, if not slightly more than, the book. For a long time, I had considered this title to be one of my absolute favorites of King’s. I am so relieved to say that, after reading it now for a second time, I still feel that way.
This book gives us a masterclass in character writing and voice. Dolores is raw, rich, and rowdy. I adore her.
The plot goes by fast and held me in its grip me the whole way through. The motifs and symbolism are thoughtful (the eye, the eclipse, the well). The character relationships are complex.
The form of the novel, as a transcript of a confession to the cops, is surprisingly successful, making the narrative more visceral and full-speed ahead. King pulls off a tough concept. He has no chapter breaks, or even scene breaks, and that never felt like a burden to me. It does inevitably lead to some holes and missed opportunities in the narrative, however, and I’ll address those later in my discussion of the film adaptation.
Best of all is the feminism. It may be one of the very few types of feminism that King can write well—that of working class motherhood and domestic abuse—but, boy, does he write it well here. The book plunges into misogyny without feeling preachy or try-hard. Dolores is a phenomenally strong and realistic female lead, one of my favorite characters across all of his stories, if not my very favorite.
The class commentary feeds into the story quite well, too.
I’m sad that I can’t give this book 5 stars, though, and that’s because it doesn’t quite stick the landing. Why is Dolores not charged with the murder of her husband? I can think of reasons why the cops don’t feel motivated to bring it to trial, but that does feel like a bit of stretch, especially when nothing in the book even indicates that this is a question that needs to be addressed.
Also, I’m not quite convinced of the necessity in having the plot twist about Vera’s kids being dead all along, unless it’s to justify why Dolores gets the inheritance, but she goes and gives it away (anonymously, too, of course), so what was the point of all that? I think it’s a little goofy to have the dead kids, whereas having Vera truly estranged from living kids, because she’s a terribly mean person who killed their dad, feels more poignant and aligned with the novel’s themes. But hey, it’s not my book.
The movie shows how much *even better* this story could be. The novel’s form limits it from having the scenes the movie gives us: the tension between Dolores and the investigator (who’s not even in the book’s present) over the span of days, the development in Dolores’s relationship with Selena upon her visit to the island, and an alternate ending wherein she confesses to Joe’s murder to Selena, not the cops, resolving the question about her being charged for the crime and giving Selena a role to play in getting her mom off the investigator’s hook. The movie really is a thriller with a lot happening in the present beyond a recorded confession, whereas the novel is simply Dolores’s thrilling life story. Note: I still need to rewatch the movie.
All of this isn’t to say the book isn’t excellent as it stands. I still love it after all this time, and I wish it got more attention from fans. It’s a little gem that proves King can write women well when he sets his mind to it.
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
sad
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
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
In some ways, Dolores Claiborne feels like a quintessential King novel. He's said in the past that he based Dolores off his mother, and it's chock full of Maine-isms, small town rivalries, and strong women. Yet it also feels like one of his more underrated, or perhaps undiscovered, gems. While Pennywise and Captain Tripps soak up all the glory, Dolores exists in the background. And maybe she'd like it that way.
All I know is I was quite enamored with this woman from the get-go, and she pulled me deeper into her story the longer she told it. What's here is a fascinating, often emotional and raw, dissection of marriage, small-town life, and the ghosts of our deeds. How the past always, in some fashion, catches up with us.
All I know is I was quite enamored with this woman from the get-go, and she pulled me deeper into her story the longer she told it. What's here is a fascinating, often emotional and raw, dissection of marriage, small-town life, and the ghosts of our deeds. How the past always, in some fashion, catches up with us.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
fast-paced
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes