Lisey's Story

[Spade]

Has anyone read it? Does it actually start to pick up in pace and tell an actual narrative at any point? I've read about 30 pages an it's almost excruciating. It's hard to believe it's the same author as The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, a book which I read in one sitting the day before yesterday.

[HoopyFrood]

*Rubs hands together gleefully* Woo hoo, a new thread in the King forum!

Yes, I've read it and I have to say (and this is coming from a long time fan) that it does have a very slow start, perhaps for the first fifty pages or so. But I assure you that it definitely does pick up and a narrative does emerge. However, I'd say that this book is a little different to other King books in that it does a lot of skipping back and forth between the past and present, with the past arguably being the more important storyline. The focus is definitely on Lisey's and Scott's marriage and the things that they experienced together through the years and especially the emotion involved. It does of course, being a King horror, have a horror element, both in human-made and supernatural form, but it can be said that these are more peripheral parts of the plot, the focus being, as I've said, on Scott and Lisey's relationship.

Sorry, I get rather verbose when it comes to King! But although this is unlike his other novels -- less evil, supernatural beasties and occurrences, much more emotional and delving into the dark, secretive past -- I'd say that it's worth ploughing on with it. Once you get past the beginning and into the actual story, things get good. Especially when Boo'ya Moon and Zack McCool make an appearance! Enjoy!

[Pollution]

there's a few books by SK that I can't read.

Tommyknockers (REALLY good around page 100 or so, but hard as hell to read up to then), Cujo (dunno why), The Regulators (read Desperation first, and it's 500% better IMO), Geralds Game (again, can't get into it) and Lisey's story. I tried skipping a few pages, speed reading, taking my time with it, turning it into a bathroom book (only read when on the throne) and I just can't get into it at all. I don't have a clue why.

Though the Cell was a REALL page turner. Started at 2pm and finished at 6pm the same night. I really liked that one.

[Wiggum]

I loved Lisey's Story.

All I'm going to say it that I still cringe when I think about the can opener.

[HoopyFrood]

Oh man, yeah. Not nice, that bit...brrr. Part of me was expecting that she's get out of it somehow, especially as the story cuts away for a moment...But no.

[Moraven]

It does start slowly, but it's worth it. Keep pushing on and you'll really get into it. And the past is for sure the more important storyline, and takes more and more of a role as the story goes.

[Spade]

What about a can opener? That has piqued my interest. And thanks for telling me when the book picks up... I'll try and wade through it. I'm not too far away from the 50 pages.

[Wiggum]

I'm not saying anything more about the can opener.

But read at least until the first blood bool, because then you'll be on your way to finding out why daddy always cut deep.

At fifty pages in I can understand your concern that it's going to be a drawn out drama of a book. But you have to get to the bad gunky, booya moon, the laughers, the long boy with the piebald side,.....

Man the more I think about that book the more I like it.

[Briareus Delta]

Strangely enough, I've literally just finished reading this. I also found it hard to get into at first but it does pick up. Having read it all, it's not the very best King book IMHO but certainly not the worst either. Even when off his game, he still stands head and shoulders above a lot of other writers out there.

[Moraven]

Yeah he does. The only gripe I had was that "bad-gunky" was a bit to childish for my taste. Some of the made-up words threw me off, though they didn't come close to ruining the book.

[Marvolo]

He definately has a habit of using strange phrases during his books. Such as Gawd-Bomb!, grey meat, lobstrocities... etc. Bad-gunky seems in line with the others.

Dean Koontz mentioned a character being abducted by three men in pork-pie hats once, saying he was distracted by the ominous characters in the bar wearing all black, until the pork-pie hat men got him during a break.

Bad-gunky just reminded me of that. But I need to read Lisey's story. There is no way Lisey's story is slower than It. That book had about 300 pages of extremely slow moving expositional chapters just to get the characters back to Derry. That was during King's wordy phase, where every book had to be big enough to use as a self defense weapon in case of attack.

[Owen]

You guys have convinced me to re-try this book. The Wife bought it for me when it came out, but I could never get into it.

It's now back on my reading list!

[biodroid]

I am 75% through this and am wondering WTF? Why does it take almost 500 pages of a book (where those 500 tell almost nothing) and still nothings has happened. I really like Kings work but this is by far one of his poor quality pieces. It is so dragged out I want to cry, the only reason I am reading this is because it was a birthday present from my mom and it would be ungrateful to exchange it for something else. I hope Stephen King improves after this let down. Is Duma Key any good?

[biodroid]

"It" at least had a story

[SpaceShip]

Bought it for my son for Christmas and he devoured it. But then he loves all King's stuff!