The Thread

So let’s get back to Stephen! (I gave you a break now onward)

I’ve read a lot of different authors over a number of years. When it’s an author that I enjoy I will definitely read more novels they’ve written. I have never seen anything like what Stephen King has done with his body of work. I can only describe it as threads in a blanket: the blanket being the complete body of work and the threads being the individual works. Almost everything ties into each other. That does not necessarily include the Bachman books but everything that King put his name on is OBVIOUSLY King. It’s the Stephen King Thread. It’s the DNA that runs through his novels. He mentioned with writing the Dark Tower Series that all of his books come from the same place. It’s true and reflective in all of his novels. I do though take issue with the fact that his books are largely categorized as horror books. He is not (I repeat is not) a horror writer. Yes, some of his novels are extremely terrifying but many of them are not. Many of them are suspense. Some of them are fantasy. They tend to become a mixture of suspense, horror and fantasy. If you are a fan of his work the trends become obvious. Reading through the novels in chronological order you begin to appreciate his “signature” throughout his work. You begin to recognize and expect the threads.

Now picking up where we left off:

Cujo

We live in a day and age where it’s hard to imagine being stuck in a car unable to call for help because everyone has a cell phone. When you need help you pick it up and call the cops. Even if you have a lock on your phone you can call out for help. Well in the 1980’s you didn’t have that option. So if there was a rabid dog loose and you just happened to stop by hoping to get your car fixed and that dog trapped you in the car, you were stuck until someone came to help. I know it sounds extravagant but this book was painful to read. It didn’t help that Stephen centered the story on a mother and her child left in an impossible situation. The monster from the child’s dream is literally trying to kill them. The fear becomes contagious. I wanted to turn the page but was scared to see it end. Not horror, but terrifying none the less.

The Running Man
Back to Bachman. It almost seems like Stephen predicted reality TV to take a gruesome turn. In this book we see a man with nothing, risk his life to provide for his family by going on a reality television titled “The Running Man.” On this show you are literally hunted down and the viewing audience is invited to cash in on the fun. If they see you in the street they can call in and collect a cash prize. This book moved well. You are rooting for the main character to win even though you know it’s impossible. If you like Kings style as Bachman then give it a shot.

 The Gunslinger: Dark Tower 1

“The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.”    
Stephen King admits to this being a difficult read so I won’t elaborate on it. This is the beginning of a journey. The journey of the last Gunslinger, Roland. If you want to embark on this journey then you have no choice but to read this book. It is strange because you are thrust into a different time when the world has moved on and you don’t know how to feel about that change. I was told when I read this book for the first time that if I can make it through this book and enjoy it, then I will enjoy the rest of the series. Begin to read if you want to meet Roland and understand his journey.

 Christine

I will openly admit that Christine is one of my favorite Stephen King books. It is a coming of age story. A dark coming of age story but one none the less. Everyone has been attached to something that might not be so good for them. In this case it’s a car. A car that can regenerate itself and kill people that take advantage or wrong its owner. Yeah, it is exactly as bad as it sounds. The magic of this book is how it is written. You want Artie, the geek, to grow into being a strong, independent young man and he does but not in the way that you expect. The car gives him strength but takes away some humanity from him at the same time. I love this book not only because it was written well but because everyone got what they deserved. You’ll never look at a car the same way again.

 Pet Sematary

I found it interesting that Stephen King considered Pet Sematary his scariest novel. This is a reread for me. I read it when I was in middle school and enjoyed it but I think I kept reversing back and referencing the movie while reading. I didn’t have that problem the second time around. I was able to read it fresh and enjoy. I still believe The Shining is his scariest novel BUT I understand why Stephen said that this is his scariest. It’s about the choices we make regardless of the consequences. The consequences in this book are terrifying and the fact that our protagonist still makes his decisions is mind-boggling. Real life events inspired Mr. King to write this novel and I appreciate the work put forth.

 Cycle of the Werewolf

The title gives this book away. This is about a werewolf. It reads like a novella, considered a novel. Each chapter is a month. Each chapter there is new victims. The book takes place over a year. The art pieces are amazing.

 The Talisman

This book was interesting and extremely sci-fi/fantasy. This is the first of two books Stephen King co-wrote with Peter Straub. Their writing styles blended well even if a little slow moving at time. This book takes place within two worlds: the world of here and now and that of the others. A young boy must embark on a journey to discover the truth of his father’s death and save his mother. This book was a nice little twist on a coming of age story. A journey to save your mother and the universe or universes that exist. It moved well enough with everything that was going on.

 That’s enough Stephen for now, but expect another update soon…