Reviews - Gerald's Game | The StoryGraph

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1.87k reviews for:

Gerald's Game

Stephen King

3.46 AVERAGE

tealbooknook's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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: Complicated

o_holynight's review against another edition

3.25

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

I’m not sure if it was just my digital copy or not, but I never thought I would see so many spelling mistakes in a published book??

All that to say—Stephen King really knows how to stretch a story out!! PHEW. Horrific is a really great word for this book. 🙂

Content Warnings

emmalouix's review against another edition

3.5

dark 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: No

giouxsie's review against another edition

2.0

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...

Content Warnings

linestavland's review against another edition

3.75

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

leonardtalbot's review against another edition

4.0

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.

uncl1pt_t0enailz's review against another edition

3.75

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