#lisey's story is my absolute favorite of all stephen king's works

[topknotstrunk]

Review Everything 17 - Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Review Contains Spoilers:

This is my favorite author, writing in my favorite genre, fantasy. And up until Charlie descends into the well it had the potential to be one of my favorite books by Stephen King. Stranger in a strange land is my absolute favorite trope of all time. And then it turned into a weak pastiche of classic fairy stories and homage to cosmic horror. Which is very weird because King is good at both fairy stories [Dark Tower, Duma Key, and Lisey's Story] and cosmic horror [It, the Langoliers, and Ur] when he is writing his own stories. It's not like none of what he's written before this has lacked references to other works. Hell, Dark Tower is a retelling of the King Author myth, and has references to many things within it, strongest of which in my mind are The Wizard of Oz, the great American cowboy myth, Harry Potter, and Shardik. The difference, I think, between those and Fairy Tale is that I can buy into the internal logic of books like those of the Dark Tower series, or Boo'ya Moon. It all fits. With Fairy Tale I could feel two very strong and very opposing elements tugging me in two directions the entire time I read the book. The first direction of "I have no idea whats going to happen next" element of King's writing I so treasure. Rarely are his stories predicable, but when you do encounter a zag the place it takes you makes you think "of course, makes sense". It's one of King's greatest talents, that he can toss the most buck wild story elements at you over the course of a book and no matter how unexpected the element was it fits in with the rest of the book, and is often the only thing that could happen that does make sense. The second was "I know how fairy tales work and I know exactly what's happening next". And, once in Empis and beyond the gates of the city, the former shrunk to almost nothing and the latter had me guessing the entire back third of the book without many misses. I think a lot of fantasy readers get lost in the sauce of world building and think that because a world is explained to be well constructed in a novel that means that it is. I like a book with strong internal logic, especially a fantasy one. I don't want the characters to sit down and have a conversation about the politics of the last two hundred years, the laws of the land, and how the Magic system works, but I do want characters to act a certain way because of the politics. I want someone to find what the law of the land is by breaking it, getting punished, or getting off with a warning. I want to know how the Magic system works as the Magic user learns it, with all the mistakes and triumphs along the way. I want that internal logic, that feeling that through the novel doesn't contain a dissertation on what the world building is that the author knows everything important about the world they built. I got that from The Dark Tower, that there were things the characters didn't know, but that King did. I got that from Lisey's Story, from 11/22/63, from every other book of his I've read. With Fairy Tale though? Absolutely not. It felt like the book was being made up as it went along, like the rules for Magic [or maybe not, it's never really confirmed if that's a thing in Empis or not] were whatever the plot needed them to be. Why does The Snab have the ability to psychically speak to most creatures, including Humans, but never told Peterkins to fuck off? Who made the sundial? Is there more than one mermaid? Was she a person, who agreed to come and live where she did, or was she a fish in a tank who didn't know any better? Why are there no dogs in Empis, if there are wolfies? What the fuck are The Night Guards? They share no thematic similarities Gogmagog so where did their abilities come from? Are they electrical in nature because Adrien introduced electricity to Empis? Don't dictate the rules to me, but do put them naturally into the story! It's so frustrating having Charlie say "well I didn't know so neither did you" and have it left at that. Part of this problem is due to pacing. Until Charlie goes to Empis the book is striding along at normal book pace, then then it hurdles from well dissension to dungeon time, and then crawls through dungeon time, and then limps along over the finish line. If we'd had more of Charlie preparing, more time to spend in and develop this world, then the time spent in Deep Malleen would have felt like less of a slog. I get that part of the homage to other fantasy stories is that there was a tight deadline that Charlie was working on, but just make it less tight. Show me more of Empis and its people. Make me care about more than Charlie, Radar, and Leah. The reason I didn't like the book, ultimately, is that it comes down to what King was trying to accomplish. It reads like he wanted a fantasy book in the vein of Hans Christian Andersen with H.P. Lovecraft cosmic horror elements, instead of a Stephen King fantasy story with Stephen King cosmic horror elements. I come to King's books for King's writing. Unfortunately, he got what it seems he wanted, and Fairy Tale just doesn't read like a Stephen King book, at least to me. [Goodreads specific closing.] Before Charlie went down the well I would have given the book a 5 star rating. For everything that happens after the sundial, I would have given it a 2. By the end of the book it middles out to a 3. If Good Reads would let me grade this on a 10 point scale Fairy Tale would get a 5, as a perfectly average book. Too bad King is not usually a perfectly average writer, and Fairy Tale slides down to the very bottom in the ranking of all of his stories I've read. This Constant Reader is very interested to see where their favorite author goes from here.

In Summary: An average novel from a writer who normally makes books that are far from average, somehow using my favorite trope and my two favorite genres to make a book that was merely fine.

Overall: 5/10

#review everything - books #review everything #books #spoilers #fairy tale #stephen king #constant reader #TK’s content

[kieselguhrkid]

Be my light, Lisey. Stephen King's Lisey's Story (2021)

#stephenkingedit #stephen king #lisey's story #lisey landon #scott landon #julianne moore #clive owen #e #i cannot wait to watch this #lisey's story is my absolute favorite of all stephen king's works #i love it more than my own life lol #微博营销号和垃圾偷图鬼偷图死妈死全家哈老子自己会po用不着你的垃圾手碰 看电影贼编死全家 kk看电影賊编你妈和你全家已经死了推到焚化炉了哦

[rottenappleheart]

i have never read a stephen king novel but am curious to try one. i am not particularly attached to horror as a genre but will always a particularly good [x] novel for any given [x]. any recommendations?

I am SO glad you asked. :D

So, full disclosure: I have not read my way through the entire avalanche of books Uncle Steve has unleashed in his lifetime. I’m also not a pufficky huh-yuge horror fan myself, so I haven’t gone out of my way to read his more famous thrillers. (For worthwhile horror recs, I’m going to page @gatheringbones, who has a stronger stomach for the genre and all kinds of great thoughts about transcendence.)

But the books I have read, I generally love, and have a lot of thoughts to share.

“The world had teeth and it could bite you with them anytime it wanted.”

If you just want to dip your toe in and also be afraid of hiking forever, THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON is an excellent short novel about a kid who gets lost in the woods. The jury is out as to whether there is Something Else out there, or just hunger-pang hallucinations.

“You will want to, but you mustn’t." 

If you want a leetle horror: DUMA KEY. King does suspense SO well here - it’s a grower, not a shower - and I get goosebumps just thinking about parts of it. But it’s also a heart-thumping good book about Man Friends, of a quality I don’t usually see in modern fiction. Other themes: art, chronic pain, remaking yourself after horrible things have happened to you. If you’ve never read King, I might start here, because you get the spooks AND the heart, and can decide which direction you want to go.

"Come here, Rosie. I want to talk to you up close.”

If you want a leetle more horror: ROSE MADDER. Scary to me not because of the supernatural horror elements, but for the occasional interludes from the perspective of the heroine’s abusive ex-husband, a misogynistic policeman. Being inside that dude’s head - the kind of dude who exists in our actual world - is worse than anything imaginary. But Rose’s journey out of abuse into a good, real life, is just *kisses fingers* and the climax is magnificent.

“Three boys against one little girl. They must have thought you were a lion." 

If you want a slamdunk coming-of-age-going-wrong bit of historical fiction, try HEARTS IN ATLANTIS. Or, to be more precise, the first novella in that collection, "Low Men In Yellow Coats.” It has tie-ins to the larger Dark Tower series, which I didn’t know when I first read it, because it stands alone just fine. TBH I know the collection is supposed to be a whole, drawn-out single story, but I only really like and reread LMIYC. It’s also just really good historical fiction.

“I loved you, I saved you, I brought you ice." 

I have saved the best for last, but only because I don’t always know how to talk about it. LISEY’S STORY is King at his absolute most generous and glorious. It’s essentially a love letter to his own wife, about the specific lexicon of references built up between people in a long relationship - the many changing love stories within a single marriage - mental illness and the long shadow of childhood trauma - sisterhood - grief and loss - the inherently collaborative nature of creativity - deranged fanboys - and of course the thing with the endless piebald side. Geez. My copy of this book is dog-eared and underlined and highlighted and still has two dozen page flags from the time I tried to write a proper book review of it, and gave up when it turned into a thesis. I made papercraft shadowbox art of it. When I have to name my favorite book in the world, it’s always a tie between this and The Once & Future King. There’s just too much to unpack there for me to be even remotely objective about it.

I’m not going to talk about the Dark Tower here, because it’s a beast of many different colors that changes a lot over time, and may not be the best introduction to King’s writing overall. I do love it, this patched and unwashed quilt of a story, but yiiikes Steve had some things to work out in the early books.

#stephen king #books books books #queenlua

[theyearoftheking]

Book Sixty-Two: Full Dark, No Stars

“Come 2030, only the rats will be happy.” 

Constant Readers know I consider Steve’s novellas to be the strongest of his works. It’s his sweet spot, and Full Dark, No Stars is absolutely no exception. These dark, twisty stories knocked me on my ass. Truly. They even inspired me to do something I never do... turn to the interwebs to get insight. I knew these four stories had something in common... they were bound by some theme I couldn’t quite put my finger on. 

Well, according to Wikipedia, that theme is retribution. If you had asked me, I would have guessed rats. Because every damn story seems to include some cringeworthy scene involving rats. I just can’t handle them. Despite my beloved Sarah Silverman recently saying on her podcast that rats are just an uglier version of squirrels. Maybe I’m too much of a midwestern girl- give me the damn squirrels any day. 

But back to retribution! This is the darkest, dirtiest collection of stories about retribution I’ve ever come across. Trigger warnings abound: rape, violent murder, and rats. 

Here’s the requisite list of Easter eggs before I get into the stories:

“Chap in the belly”- which was a phrase we read countless times during Susannah’s pregnancy in The Dark Tower

“Happy Crappy”

Derry: with additional nods to The Barrens and Bill Denbrough’s mom 

Juniper Hill

“Long Days and Pleasant Nights”

“Fall of the Towers” 

Heminford Home, Nebraska: I can’t take any credit for this one, Wikipedia helped me with this Easter egg. But- this is Mother Abagail’s (The Stand) hometown; and it’s also where Ben Hanscom (It) moves when he’s all grown up. 

The first story is 1922; and heavily influenced by Edgar Allen Poe. With a side of rats. The story is written in the form of a letter from Wilfred James, confessing to the murder of his wife, Arlette James. They had some disagreements about whether or not to sell their farm, and he solved the issue by killing her and throwing her body in a well. Their son, Henry was an accomplice to the murder, and the letter details Henry’s subsequent downhill slide after witnessing his mother’s murder. The most graphic part of the entire story is a rat ripping the udder off one of the cows. I just cringed. So much cringing. But it’s got atmosphere for days. 

The second story is Big Driver; and I think it’s the most disturbing thing I’ve ever read by Steve. Tess, the author of the Willow Grove Knitting Society series accepts a last-minute speaking invitation from Ramona Norville at the Chicopee Public Library. As she’s leaving the event, Ramona gives Tess a short cut to keep her off the highway. Tess ends up with a flat tire, and the good Samaritan who ends up stopping to help her change her flat, violently rapes her, and leaves her for dead. Trigger warning: it’s a graphic story. Tess doesn’t want to bother calling the police; so she takes justice into her own hands. After some internet research, she finds out Ramona is actually the mother of the man who raped her, and she may or may not have intentionally sent Tess on the alternate route. Tess refuses to be a victim, and takes care of business. It’s bloody, but she gets hers in the end. 

Third up is Fair Extension; which is the most honest of all the stories. It’s human nature to hate when good things happen to people we don’t deem worthy. But what if you had the opportunity to reverse another person’s luck? Would you do it? Would you pay for it? How would you feel sitting back and watching one bad thing after another happen to this individual? Would that honestly make you feel better about your life? 

Finally, we have A Good Marriage. This is the story that every single true crime documentary and Dateline special is based on... how well do we really know the people in our lives? Do you think you could be married to a murderer? Where are they hiding the evidence? Steve actually based this story off the Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer. That’s Bind, Torture, Kill for all you non-murderinos out there. I mean... just look at this dude... does he scream serial killer; or bored, suburban dad?

 This was my personal favorite in the collection, but they’re all delightfully dark in their own way.

We even had a Wisconsin mention! Steve based 1922 on a book called Wisconsin Death Trip, which included photos from Black River Falls. Steve was impressed with the isolation in both the geography and the individuals. I’ve spent a decent amount of time in Black River Falls: it has a large rest stop which I have visited and enjoyed many a lunch on my way back from northern Wisconsin. I have enjoyed the views of the falls (yes! actual falls!) and the large moose at the truck stop. FYI: the book is out of print, but you can get copies on Amazon for about $31. I know what’s going on my Christmas list this year!!

Total Wisconsin Mentions: 41

Total Dark Tower References: 59

Book Grade: A+

Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books

The Talisman: A+

Wizard and Glass: A+

Under the Dome: A+

Needful Things: A+

On Writing: A+

The Green Mile: A+

Hearts in Atlantis: A+

Full Dark, No Stars: A+

Rose Madder: A+

Misery: A+

Different Seasons: A+

It: A+

Four Past Midnight: A+

Stephen King Goes to the Movies: A+

The Shining: A-

The Stand: A-

Bag of Bones: A-

Duma Key: A-

Black House: A-

The Wastelands: A-

The Drawing of the Three: A-

The Dark Tower: A-

Dolores Claiborne: A-

Nightmares in the Sky: B+

The Dark Half: B+

Skeleton Crew: B+

The Dead Zone: B+

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: B+

Wolves of the Calla: B+

‘Salem’s Lot: B+

Song of Susannah: B+

Carrie: B+

Creepshow: B+

From a Buick 8: B

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: B

The Colorado Kid: B-

Storm of the Century: B-

Everything’s Eventual: B-

Cycle of the Werewolf: B-

Danse Macabre: B-

The Running Man: C+

Cell: C+

Thinner: C+

Dark Visions: C+

The Eyes of the Dragon: C+

The Long Walk: C+

The Gunslinger: C+

Pet Sematary: C+

Firestarter: C+

Rage: C

Desperation: C-

Insomnia: C-

Cujo: C-

Nightshift: C-

Faithful: D

Gerald’s Game: D

Roadwork: D

Lisey’s Story: D

Christine: D

Dreamcatcher: D

The Regulators: D

The Tommyknockers: D

Next is 11/22/63; which I have read and loved. I also really enjoyed the series on Hulu as well, and James Franco does an excellent job as Jake Epping. And he’s easy to look at. So there’s that. 

Until next time, Long Days & Pleasant Nights,

Rebecca

#full dark no stars #stephen king #constant reader #the dark tower #derry #sarah silverman #black falls wisconsin

[theyearoftheking]

Book Sixty: Stephen King Goes to the Movies

Y’all, I suck at reading. Well, not reading-reading, because I’ve made it through sixty Stephen King books this year, but apparently I suck at reading for comprehension. I was so pumped to pick up this book and get some insights from Steve about some great movies. 

That is NOT what this book is. It’s a one page blurb on the movie, and then the short story that inspired it. Ugh. I’ve already read these stories!!!

However. 

It is an excellent collection of both movies and books. You’ve got:

1408: JEFFREY DAHMER DOESN’T HAVE A GRAVE!!! We all read my temper tantrum when I originally reviewed Everything’s Eventual I won’t repeat it again. But I did really like this movie;  John Cusack can do no wrong. Well, mostly no wrong. I listened to a Nerdist podcast with him several years ago, and his incessant vaping was kind of a turn-off. I really hope he’s quit vaping since then... he doesn’t deserve to die of popcorn lung.

The Mangler: I’ve never seen this movie, but I mentioned it to my husband, and he just started laughing. Word on the street is, this movie is terrible... But I loved the story because I used to sell laundry services to hospitals and clinics, and had to visit the laundry plant every couple weeks. I am all too familiar with industrial laundry equipment, and love Steve’s crazy take on it. 

Low Men in Yellow Coats: Love the story, love the book. There was no way the entire Hearts in Atlantis book could have been made into a movie; it would have been six hours long. But Anthony Hopkins did an excellent job as Ted Brautigan, and I pictured him as I was finishing the final Dark Tower book. 

The Shawshank Redemption: Once again, love the book, love the movie. Both are absolute works of genius: Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are iconic. I have no new insights into either work. 

Children of the Corn: If you were to ask me what movie best described my middle school years, it would be Children of the Corn. I remember watching it for the first time at a friend’s house, and continually looking out at the corn field that surrounded the back of her house. Nope, nope, nope!! But as an adult, I can see how corny (ha!) and over-the-top this movie is. And the short story isn’t much better. But it’s a fun piece of horror nostalgia. 

Steve was also hilariously talking about how this story inspired more movie sequels than any of his other works. “The only one I was really rooting for was Children of the Corn Meet Leprechaun. I wanted to hear that little leprechaun guy shouting, “Give me back my corn!” in his cute little Irish accent.”  Can someone create a Gofundme and make this happen? Pretty please?

Additionally, the real treat is the last page of the book, where Steve lists his favorite book-to-movie adaptations. Y’all will be (not) shocked to hear The Shining didn’t make the list. 

This book brought nothing new to the table for me. But, I’d recommend it as a gift. It’s honestly a great collection of all things Steve, and could inspire some fun movie nights. Follow me for more great holiday gift ideas!

Total Wisconsin Mentions: 40

Total Dark Tower References: 55

Book Grade: A+

Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books

The Talisman: A+

Wizard and Glass: A+

Needful Things: A+

On Writing: A+

The Green Mile: A+

Hearts in Atlantis: A+

Rose Madder: A+

Misery: A+

Different Seasons: A+

It: A+

Four Past Midnight: A+

Stephen King Goes to the Movies: A+

The Shining: A-

The Stand: A-

Bag of Bones: A-

Duma Key: A-

Black House: A-

The Wastelands: A-

The Drawing of the Three: A-

The Dark Tower: A-

Dolores Claiborne: A-

Nightmares in the Sky: B+

The Dark Half: B+

Skeleton Crew: B+

The Dead Zone: B+

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: B+

Wolves of the Calla: B+

‘Salem’s Lot: B+

Song of Susannah: B+

Carrie: B+

Creepshow: B+

From a Buick 8: B

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: B

The Colorado Kid: B-

Storm of the Century: B-

Everything’s Eventual: B-

Cycle of the Werewolf: B-

Danse Macabre: B-

The Running Man: C+

Cell: C+

Thinner: C+

Dark Visions: C+

The Eyes of the Dragon: C+

The Long Walk: C+

The Gunslinger: C+

Pet Sematary: C+

Firestarter: C+

Rage: C

Desperation: C-

Insomnia: C-

Cujo: C-

Nightshift: C-

Faithful: D

Gerald’s Game: D

Roadwork: D

Lisey’s Story: D

Christine: D

Dreamcatcher: D

The Regulators: D

The Tommyknockers: D

It’s going to be a while until you hear from me again... the next book up is Under the Dome. It’s over a thousand pages, and I’m low-key dreading it. But, no page unread this year! And I’ve only got eleven years of Steve left to go... that’s seventeen books left for anyone keeping track. So, here we go! 

Until next time, Long Days & Pleasant Nights, Rebecca