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crookedgoatee 's review for:
Dreamcatcher
by Stephen King
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can definitely see why King doesn’t like this too much. Not only is it bloated and desperately in need of an edit, it moves at a glacial pace through past and present in a way that bogs down any momentum. All the while I’m thinking of all the elements on the page - psychic children, childhood and the friends we make - that are but pale imitation of King’s previous work. Kind of like how there’s always a writer - but here it’s one half IT / one half The Tommyknockers.
I feel like DREAMCATCHER is something that needed to be written by Stephen King FOR Stephen King, as a way to process the horrifying experience he went through — threads of which are worked into the character of Jonesy - but it just doesn’t work as a novel for me. It’s simply too long and too meandering and too silly. My 14 year old self would’ve loved it but as an adult I just can’t.
There’s glimpses of his amazing ability to capture characters in a way that touches the heart - but it’s outweighed by horrible pacing, absurd villains boarding on parody and a thin story that barely generates suspense or intrigue.
I feel like DREAMCATCHER is something that needed to be written by Stephen King FOR Stephen King, as a way to process the horrifying experience he went through — threads of which are worked into the character of Jonesy - but it just doesn’t work as a novel for me. It’s simply too long and too meandering and too silly. My 14 year old self would’ve loved it but as an adult I just can’t.
There’s glimpses of his amazing ability to capture characters in a way that touches the heart - but it’s outweighed by horrible pacing, absurd villains boarding on parody and a thin story that barely generates suspense or intrigue.