Lisey's Story

[lou.mor432]

Has anyone else read this book yet? What did you think?

[HoopyFrood]

Hi Lou! Welcome to the Chronicles! Glad to see another Stephen King fan, we need more people contributing in this section of the Chron!

I haven't read this book yet, because (rant warning) Amazon hasn't sent it to me yet even though I ordered it at the end of October. ARGH! I'd like to hear your opinion of it, though...Is it good? I really enjoyed his last book, Cell, so I'm hoping that this will be just as good.

[lou.mor432]

It's ok. There have been better SK books. It depends on what your fave SK book is. I enjoy the ones with strong female leads i.e Misery, Dolores Claiborne. This one rates quite highly. Out of 10 it gets 10. FREAKS GALORE!

[HoopyFrood]

Ah, well I'm sure to enjoy it just because it's an SK book! Yes, I like the female leads as well...I'm strangely attracted to Rose Madder, even though I don't think it's one of his stronger novels. And I love the film of Dolores Claiborne, even if it does miss out the fantastic dust creatures bit (I think...I don't think I caught the very start of it). But hell, any lead that SK creates, I immediately get caught up with, I don't think you can ever say that SK creates two dimensional or cliched characters.

[lou.mor432]

True. And the dust bunnies never made it on to the big screen. The book is over 500 pages and I read it in 2 days. Classic King! That's how I know I enjoyed it.

[HoopyFrood]

Ah, good good! I can't wait until JANUARY when the book finally reaches me *mumble grumble* I think I read Cell in about that amount of time as well...I truly did enjoy that book, it was SK coming back to his classic style of straight forward apocolytic free-for-all with some seriously nasty bad guys. Loved it. Absolutely.

[sanityassassin]

I read Cell in 2 days as well the missus has bought Lisey's story but have not read it yet but thanks for the reminder might start reading it tonight as I need a new book to read.

Hoopy my missus had the same problem earlier this year when she tried to buy little big man said she'll have to wait 6 weeks 4 months later she still never received it then eventually said they didn't have any but I don't think Christmas is the problem as we ordered something last Monday and received it on Saturday

[lou.mor432]

I never answered my cell for 4 days after I read that book. When I read The Stand I ended up in bed for a whole week with the flu. I was suppose to get 'Lisey's Story' for xmas n went to town n bought it myself. I couldn't wait.

[SpaceShip]

Hi lou.mor432 - welcome to the Chronicles. Not read this one. But like you, Hoopy, I liked Rose Madder - it's one of those "you're gonna get it in the end" books and, strangely, it's one that keeps creeping back into my mind now and then, unlike many others.

[HoopyFrood]

I keep seeing it in the window of the local Waterstones and I'm just so tempted to buy it! Damn Amazon. Mind you, I did order 4 other books with it, so that could be delaying it slightly. Grr. Amazon, you've let me down!
Still, I'm glad that people are enjoying the book...I'm looking foward to it now!

[sanityassassin]

I found Cell to be in the same vein as The Stand which is probably why I liked it so much

[lou.mor432]

Hey SpaceShip. I read Rose Madder a couple of times, still can't quite make myself like it. I think SK went off on a tangent when he wrote that.The end seems to leave a few questions

[SpaceShip]

Originally Posted by lou.mor432

Hey SpaceShip. I read Rose Madder a couple of times, still can't quite make myself like it. I think SK went off on a tangent when he wrote that.The end seems to leave a few questions

Maybe - but I think that's OK - probably why I keep thinking about it! Making up my own answers to those questions. Better than some of his other books where the endings are weird at best or naff at worst.

[lou.mor432]

I was disappointed in the dark tower series. The end was way off. Rose Madder kind of reminded me of that.

[HoopyFrood]

I like SK's endings...they're ambiguous and often leave it wide open, wondering what will happen or has happened to characters eg:

*SPOILERS!*

In Tommyknockers, when Gard gets blasted into space...who knows what happens to him?
In Cell, does Clay's son return to normal?
In Desperation, does Johnny get blown to pieces? (well, it's likely that he does!)

They seem to me much more realistic...happy endings can get rather cliched after a while. Of course, we'd all like to think that our favourite characters have a "happily ever after" but as SK's stories are always gritty and realiastic (when you don't consider the more fantastical creations...but even these can seem terrifyingly real and haunt you for days after reading!) and so a happy ending just isn't always possible. I have to admitt that *SPOILER!* when Susannah, Eddie and Jake are reunited at the end of Dark Tower, even though it's what everyone wants, I was actually slightly disappointed because it wasn't a SK ending to me...When Roland finds that he has to do all his journey again, I actually liked this ending because it seemed more of an appropriate ending SPOILER END!

Woo...minor rant. Anyway...that's my two pennies worth!