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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Avoid if you have any minor trigger around s*xual abuse/assault
King's incredible character writing compelled me to finish this, but this was a pretty graphic lingering on sexual abuse that I had a deeply (intentionally by him) unpleasant time reading (it's sympathetic in it's depiction but it's also very intense). I think this would've worked well as a short story, but the story hasn't get enough to it to be dragged out over 390 pages, and leads to just the deep despair as I read it as she gives herself therapy on the two sexual assaults she experienced.
The ending is frustratingly blunt and misreading-proof too...
King's incredible character writing compelled me to finish this, but this was a pretty graphic lingering on sexual abuse that I had a deeply (intentionally by him) unpleasant time reading (it's sympathetic in it's depiction but it's also very intense). I think this would've worked well as a short story, but the story hasn't get enough to it to be dragged out over 390 pages, and leads to just the deep despair as I read it as she gives herself therapy on the two sexual assaults she experienced.
The ending is frustratingly blunt and misreading-proof too...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence
challenging
dark
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Incest, Sexual violence
Anyone who even remotely likes King, even if all you have ever read is [b:11/22/63|10644930|11/22/63|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327876792l/10644930._SY75_.jpg|15553789], should absolutely love this book. I am flabbergasted at how well written this novel was and it had me in it's clutches from the moment it started until it ended. On the facade, just like with [b:Misery|10614|Misery|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1746142586l/10614._SY75_.jpg|3230869], I was a little leary about a book just shy of 400 pages taking place in a single room with minimal characters, but I should learn my lesson to simply trust in King's ability to exploit the human condition in impeccable ways.
For all the people who have claimed King cannot write a woman character, I urge you to read Gerald's Game which explores the psyche of a woman confronting her past and realizing she is the victim and not the culprit of various crimes against her. I think this was a triumph for King and the fact that he dedicated the book to not only his wife but all of the important women in his life, to me, says a lot. It was a statement piece and his desire to explore some very difficult but unfortunate real world scenarios, specifically of men taking advantage of women, was handled with care and what I perceive as great research.
I will say the ending sort of caught me off guard, meeting the Space Cowboy and discovering all the unpleasantness behind him. At first I felt this narrative was going to remove the importance of our main storyline but in the end it exposed it even further. In all this was an excellent read and I am very excited to read [b:Dolores Claiborne|7278752|Dolores Claiborne|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1722442797l/7278752._SY75_.jpg|6560478] next which was released in the same year and has some connection to this great work.
For all the people who have claimed King cannot write a woman character, I urge you to read Gerald's Game which explores the psyche of a woman confronting her past and realizing she is the victim and not the culprit of various crimes against her. I think this was a triumph for King and the fact that he dedicated the book to not only his wife but all of the important women in his life, to me, says a lot. It was a statement piece and his desire to explore some very difficult but unfortunate real world scenarios, specifically of men taking advantage of women, was handled with care and what I perceive as great research.
I will say the ending sort of caught me off guard, meeting the Space Cowboy and discovering all the unpleasantness behind him. At first I felt this narrative was going to remove the importance of our main storyline but in the end it exposed it even further. In all this was an excellent read and I am very excited to read [b:Dolores Claiborne|7278752|Dolores Claiborne|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1722442797l/7278752._SY75_.jpg|6560478] next which was released in the same year and has some connection to this great work.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
The first full novel I ever read, and first time reading Stephen king, love it, I love the climax, the gore, and the idea of overcoming heavy trauma and using it to help others, and overall fun to read
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
Degloving
That was just about the worst ending to a book I've ever read. Seriously, King should have ended this one shortly after her escape and left the whole "was there REALLY a man there, or was it all in her head" thing up in the air. Because the actual answer he provided to that question was just awful. She's chained to a bed in the middle of nowhere and some graverobber/necrophiliac just happens to find her and just happens to stand menacingly in the corner without saying anything? Oh, and he just happens to have some physical deformity that makes him look inhuman. I liked it better when it was all in her head. Or even if it was some supernatural angle ("death" coming to get her). But finding out that the scary shadow creature haunting her was actually just some mentally ill guy feels like a cop out.
But seriously, the fact that King can write a book about a woman handcuffed to a bed and NOT make it boring is pretty amazing. It was so tense--she constantly failed at every attempt to get out of her situation, or she's succeed but things out of her control would fuck it up. Honestly, I was on the edge of my seat. Until the end.
One qualm... Maybe I'm a monster, but was her history with her dad really that traumatic...? You have this random woman revealing cigarette burn marks on her breasts from when her brother tortured her, and then you have the main character developing a host of mental disorders simply because her dad felt her up one time. I was expecting something much worse, the way she'd constantly allude to this traumatic "thing" that happened.
Also. She was only handcuffed to the bed for like a day. Why was she getting so worked up about dying of thirst? I mean, she went through all this effort to get that glass of water but at that point it had only been a few hours. Lol.
ALSO --> poor doggo...
Overall, I enjoyed this one more than I had any right to. King dropped the ball on the ending but the rest was pretty exciting.
But seriously, the fact that King can write a book about a woman handcuffed to a bed and NOT make it boring is pretty amazing. It was so tense--she constantly failed at every attempt to get out of her situation, or she's succeed but things out of her control would fuck it up. Honestly, I was on the edge of my seat. Until the end.
One qualm... Maybe I'm a monster, but was her history with her dad really that traumatic...? You have this random woman revealing cigarette burn marks on her breasts from when her brother tortured her, and then you have the main character developing a host of mental disorders simply because her dad felt her up one time. I was expecting something much worse, the way she'd constantly allude to this traumatic "thing" that happened.
Also. She was only handcuffed to the bed for like a day. Why was she getting so worked up about dying of thirst? I mean, she went through all this effort to get that glass of water but at that point it had only been a few hours. Lol.
ALSO --> poor doggo...
Overall, I enjoyed this one more than I had any right to. King dropped the ball on the ending but the rest was pretty exciting.