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A review by shauny_32
Dreamcatcher by Stephen King
3.0
Dreamcatcher
Like many books by King, Dreamcatcher starts off incredibly strong. I found the premise (like a cross between a plague story infused with The Invasion of the Body Snatchers), utterly compelling from the moment I first opened the book.
Indeed, for 50% of the story, I was gripped by the extraordinary circumstances the protagonists had to deal with. There’s plenty of grisly details the way the Aliens absorb their hosts. The body horror, reminiscent to The Thing or a Cronenberg film, is delightful for fans of the genre.
The book is famous for introducing “shit weasels”, a plot point mocked for its absurd nature. To be honest, I wasn’t bothered by graphic horror combined with such unusual humour. If anything, I was chuckling throughout the first few hundred pages.
Unfortunately, the issue I have is one I have had many times now with 90’s King. In case, my enthusiasm dipped with the way the second half of the novel descends into a literal battle of the minds. I don’t know why, but more and more, King seems to resort to the principle characters fighting a monster, alien, demon etc within a dream reality. I can’t help but think it’s somehow cheating, whereas a more physical solution to the protagonists problems would be more satisfying.
In other words, if a protagonist can simply magic up a phone or a gun or a door to escape an early demise at any point, the stakes are drastically reduced and victory feels somewhat unearned.
It’s a cliché but a number of readers have pointed out King doesn’t know how to finish a story. I never thought it was the case until I reached the 90’s part of his career. Desperation, Rose Madder, and Needful Things all start off being incredibly alluring. The stories are set up so well, only to fall apart by the end of it.
Either way, Dreamcatcher was a mostly fun read. There’s a lot of great ideas that King utilises, and even if I was very underwhelmed by the ending, I enjoyed the journey.
P.S. I saw the film adaptation years ago but I always thought it was underrated. Ok, it’s not a masterpiece but the story is fun, and the cast is great. I look forward to re-watching it tonight.
King Ranked:
1. The Stand 5/5
2. Pet Semetary 4.6/5
3. Salem’s Lot 4.5/5
4. The Dead Zone 4.2/5
5. Misery 4.2/5
6. The Shining 4.2/5
7. The Long Walk 4.2/5
8. Dolores Claiborne 4.2/5
9. The Drawing of the Three 4.1/5
10. The Wastelands 4/5
11. Night Shift 4/5
12. Different Seasons 4/5
13. The Eyes of the Dragon 4/5
14. The Green Mile 4/5
15. The Dark Half 3.9/5
16. Cycle of the Werewolf 3.9/5
17. Thinner 3.8/5
18. Christine 3.6/5
19. Desperation 3.5/5
20. Roadwork 3.5/5
21. Skeleton Crew 3.5/5
22. Cujo 3.2/5
23. Firestarter 3.2/5
24. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon 3.2/5
25. Carrie 3.2/5
26. Rage 3.1/5
27. The Tommyknockers 3/5
28. The Running Man 3/5
29. Hearts in Atlantis 3/5
30. The Gunslinger 3/5
31. Wizard and Glass 3/5
32. The Talisman 3/5
33. Dreamcatcher 3/5*
34. Bag of Bones 3/5
35. IT 2.9/5
36. Rose Madder 2.5/5
37. Needful Things 2.4/5
38. Insomnia 2.4/5
39. The Regulators 2.4/5
40. Four Past Midnight 2.3/5
41. Nightmares and Dreamscapes 2.2/5
42. Gerald’s Game 1/5
Next to read in the “Reading King in Chronological Order” challenge:
BLACK HOUSE
Like many books by King, Dreamcatcher starts off incredibly strong. I found the premise (like a cross between a plague story infused with The Invasion of the Body Snatchers), utterly compelling from the moment I first opened the book.
Indeed, for 50% of the story, I was gripped by the extraordinary circumstances the protagonists had to deal with. There’s plenty of grisly details the way the Aliens absorb their hosts. The body horror, reminiscent to The Thing or a Cronenberg film, is delightful for fans of the genre.
The book is famous for introducing “shit weasels”, a plot point mocked for its absurd nature. To be honest, I wasn’t bothered by graphic horror combined with such unusual humour. If anything, I was chuckling throughout the first few hundred pages.
Unfortunately, the issue I have is one I have had many times now with 90’s King. In case, my enthusiasm dipped with the way the second half of the novel descends into a literal battle of the minds. I don’t know why, but more and more, King seems to resort to the principle characters fighting a monster, alien, demon etc within a dream reality. I can’t help but think it’s somehow cheating, whereas a more physical solution to the protagonists problems would be more satisfying.
In other words, if a protagonist can simply magic up a phone or a gun or a door to escape an early demise at any point, the stakes are drastically reduced and victory feels somewhat unearned.
It’s a cliché but a number of readers have pointed out King doesn’t know how to finish a story. I never thought it was the case until I reached the 90’s part of his career. Desperation, Rose Madder, and Needful Things all start off being incredibly alluring. The stories are set up so well, only to fall apart by the end of it.
Either way, Dreamcatcher was a mostly fun read. There’s a lot of great ideas that King utilises, and even if I was very underwhelmed by the ending, I enjoyed the journey.
P.S. I saw the film adaptation years ago but I always thought it was underrated. Ok, it’s not a masterpiece but the story is fun, and the cast is great. I look forward to re-watching it tonight.
King Ranked:
1. The Stand 5/5
2. Pet Semetary 4.6/5
3. Salem’s Lot 4.5/5
4. The Dead Zone 4.2/5
5. Misery 4.2/5
6. The Shining 4.2/5
7. The Long Walk 4.2/5
8. Dolores Claiborne 4.2/5
9. The Drawing of the Three 4.1/5
10. The Wastelands 4/5
11. Night Shift 4/5
12. Different Seasons 4/5
13. The Eyes of the Dragon 4/5
14. The Green Mile 4/5
15. The Dark Half 3.9/5
16. Cycle of the Werewolf 3.9/5
17. Thinner 3.8/5
18. Christine 3.6/5
19. Desperation 3.5/5
20. Roadwork 3.5/5
21. Skeleton Crew 3.5/5
22. Cujo 3.2/5
23. Firestarter 3.2/5
24. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon 3.2/5
25. Carrie 3.2/5
26. Rage 3.1/5
27. The Tommyknockers 3/5
28. The Running Man 3/5
29. Hearts in Atlantis 3/5
30. The Gunslinger 3/5
31. Wizard and Glass 3/5
32. The Talisman 3/5
33. Dreamcatcher 3/5*
34. Bag of Bones 3/5
35. IT 2.9/5
36. Rose Madder 2.5/5
37. Needful Things 2.4/5
38. Insomnia 2.4/5
39. The Regulators 2.4/5
40. Four Past Midnight 2.3/5
41. Nightmares and Dreamscapes 2.2/5
42. Gerald’s Game 1/5
Next to read in the “Reading King in Chronological Order” challenge:
BLACK HOUSE