Month: October 2022

Stephen King: #22 – The Regulators

On By Luke FlorenceIn Books, Lists, Stephen King, Uncategorized, WritingLeave a comment

#22 – The Regulators

Plot

Peaceful suburbia on Poplar Street in Wentworth, Ohio, takes a turn for the ugly when four vans containing armed “regulators” terrorize the street’s residents, cold-bloodedly killing anyone foolish enough to step outside their homes. 

Review

If I only had one word to describe The Regulators, it would be – relentless.  This novel opens with a riveting action sequence, and then never lets up.  It reminded me of the movie, Captain Phillips.  In both, I was afraid to take a breath because of the furious pacing.

The Regulators was published in 1996 under the Richard Bachman pseudonym but by this time it was common knowledge that Stephen King and Richard Bachman were the same.  It was also published as a “twin-novel” to Desperation (ranked #58), but besides a character flashback to Desperation, Nevada – I did not notice too many similarities.  I also read these books more than eight years apart, so that probably didn’t help much on my end.

Despite the breakneck speed, The Regulators manages to effectively develop a colorful cast of characters.  Each one was completely unique and fully realized.  Truly a remarkable feat for just a 400-page book considering how much the plot was moving. 

The Regulators also dives head-first into the supernatural, but this time from a kid’s perspective – which was incredible.  I’ve mentioned this before, but King’s ability to narrate from differing point-of-views/ages/genders/etc. is unmatched.  The Regulators is a fine example of this as I was completely connected to Seth, an autistic eight-year-old.

Details

Pages: 400

Dates Read: August 21 – September 13, 2021

Quote: “When there’s no more room in hell, this artifact said, the dead will walk the earth.”

Best Part: Our introduction to the colorful vans slowly perusing the city streets.

Hint for #21: King co-wrote this book (the first of a trilogy), did not participate in the sequel, but helped co-write the third and final installment (previously seen on this list).

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #23 – Joyland

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#23 – Joyland

Plot

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. 

Review

I’ve spent most of the last six years in the food industry business.  Working with vendors, distributors, and restaurants to ensure supply and to help reduce costs (sadly, I’ve been little help there as of late).  The true nature of what I do isn’t in food, it’s in people.  I work in the people business.  Joyland isn’t a book about horror, about supernatural events, it’s a book about people.  And it’s absolutely fascinating.  

Of all the Stephen King books I’ve read, Joyland has the most deceiving cover, as it does nothing to explain the novel.  Yes, there is a murder of a young girl, but it honestly does not matter much to the main story at all.  For Joyland is about a young boy (Devin Jones) who spends a summer working at a North Carolina carnival and how he ventured into adulthood.

What I enjoyed most about Joyland was the incredible writing King showcases.  He takes a rather mundane plot but completely captures your attention due to his ability to beautifully capture the human spirit.  

Devin’s first job at Joyland is working as the carnival’s mascot – Howie the Happy Hound.  Despite battling intense heat inside the massive suit, Devin enjoys making little kids smile.  It reminded me of my first job after high school working for the local bank, where one day I had to don a squirrel costume and hand out nuts to customers.  There were plenty of kids screaming in terror because of me, but very little smiles. 

Details

Pages: 283

Dates Read: January – February 2015

Quote: “When it comes to the past, everyone writes fiction.”

Best Part: Mike’s first – and only – trip to Joyland.

Hint for #22: This was a mirror novel to another King book – one that appeared near the beginning of this journey.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #24 – The Green Mile

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#24 – The Green Mile

Plot

Welcome to Cold Mountain Penitentiary, home to the Depression-worn men of E Block. Convicted killers all, each awaits his turn to walk the Green Mile, keeping a date with “Old Sparky,” Cold Mountain’s electric chair.

Prison guard Paul Edgecombe has seen his share of oddities in his years working the Mile. But he’s never seen anyone like John Coffey, a man with the body of a giant and the mind of a child, condemned for a crime terrifying in its violence and shocking in its depravity. In this place of ultimate retribution, Edgecombe is about to discover the terrible, wondrous truth about Coffey, a truth that will challenge his most cherished beliefs … and yours. 

Review

We’ve reached the first of my five-star Goodreads ratings, as The Green Mile and the next 23 books all received the highest praise I could give an online review.  For those math nerds with us, that means 37% of all Stephen King books garnered the prestigious five-stars.  I’m not sure what that means but it feels like a lot.

This is the only novel on this list that I had watched the movie prior to reading the book.  Because of this, the major twists and plot developments lacked surprise but the novel itself was obviously deeper and effectively further developed these known characters.  

The film is fantastic by the way, which typically goes against most Stephen King adaptations.  Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Sam Rockwell all were excellent.  While it was nearly impossible not to picture these guys when reading the novel, it was not distracting.

The Green Mile was originally published as six short volumes, released in one-month increments.  Thankfully they have since published multiple versions that include the entire story.  I imagine it would be very difficult on Constant Readers to have to wait one month to continue this incredibly rich novel.  

Had I not seen the film, this would have ranked within the Top-15, because it perfectly encapsulates what King can do so well.  He creates memorable characters, sprinkles in some supernatural elements, and adds riveting plot developments.  

This is the highest rated Stephen King book on Goodreads, clocking in with an average rating of 4.46.  

Details

Pages: 399

Dates Read: June 29 – July 20, 2021

Quote: “We each owe a death, there are no exceptions, I know that, but sometimes, oh God, the Green Mile is so long.”

Best Part: Mr. Jingles.

Hint for #23: A common name for an amusement park. Wikipedia tells me there is one in Lubbock, Texas – and others in Kansas and Georgia.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #25 – Revival

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#25 – Revival

Plot

In a small New England town, in the early 60s, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls – including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister – feel the same about Reverend Jacobs. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond, based on their fascination with simple experiments in electricity.

Then tragedy strikes the Jacobs family; the preacher curses God, mocking all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Review

There are two books on this list that I won’t read again, no matter how much you pay me.  One is yet to be revealed, but the other is Revival.  This book disturbed me in ways I would appreciate not revisiting.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fascinating novel but one that left me feeling uneasy about a lot of life’s big questions.

Typically, I’m not a huge fan when King delves into overtly religious themes, but he manages to pull it off deftly in Revival.  He does so because it’s not done screaming from a pulpit but grounded in reality.   

Revival is deliberately paced for the first 75%, but then ends in an absolute flourish.  Once I got into the climatic sequences, I could not put this book down.  I was up until 2am finishing Revival, and then another couple of hours trying to process what I had just read.

My mother will not watch Silence of the Lambs a second time.  I can remember nervously watching that film for the first time waiting to be terrified, but it never happened.  Afterwards I asked her why she was so scared of that movie, and she told me that it wasn’t scary, but the thought of that film was disturbing.  After reading Revival’s ending, I completely understand my mother because I felt the same way upon completion.  

Details

Pages: 405

Dates Read: February – March 2016

Quote: “Religion is the theological equivalent of a quick-buck insurance scam, where you pay in your premium year after year, and then, when you need the benefits you paid for so—pardon the pun—so religiously, you discover the company that took your money does not, in fact, exist.”

Best Part: Getting the long-awaited answer to what happens to us after we die.

Hint for #24: This film was nominated for four Academy Awards in 2000, including Best Picture.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #26 – ‘Salem’s Lot

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#26 – ‘Salem’s Lot

Plot

Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem’s Lot in hopes that exploring the history of the Marsten House, an old mansion long the subject of rumor and speculation, will help him cast out his personal devils and provide inspiration for his new book. But when two young boys venture into the woods, and only one returns alive, Mears begins to realize that something sinister is at work—in fact, his hometown is under siege from forces of darkness far beyond his imagination. And only he, with a small group of allies, can hope to contain the evil that is growing within the borders of this small New England town.

Review

Previously I’ve mentioned how King’s writing has gotten crisper, cleaner and more concise over the years.  However, his villains – especially those of the paranormal sort – have often acted as nothing more as backdrops to larger human-related issues as King has gotten older.  Make no mistake – in ‘Salem’s Lot, King pens an absolute monster in the vampire named Kurt Barlow.

King has often called ‘Salem’s Lot his favorite book, and it would be hard to argue with the esteemed author.  This novel – while lite on character development – is pure horror.  The plot is one you’ve heard before; a vampire moves into a small town and terrorizes the residents.  However, the way King can accurately capture that fear and tension is riveting.  

Despite lacking fully developed protagonists in certain areas, ‘Salem’s Lot does feature Father Callahan, who is one of my favorite King personas, for his simplistic – but completely authentic and human – characterization.  Father Callahan may be well-meaning, but he’s not perfect, and King is able to demonstrate that effortlessly.

‘Salem’s Lot also features one of my favorite epilogues.  In fact, after I read it, I thought it would set up a potential sequel, but King has confirmed there will be none.  King has mentioned that he felt the storyline complete when he brought back Father Callahan to The Dark Tower series, but I would have loved to read about the possibilities from that final epilogue scene.   

Details

Pages: 653

Dates Read: February – March 2019

Quote: “But when fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.”

Best Part: Barlow challenging Father Callahan’s faith.

Hint for #25: Combine Thomas Edison’s enthusiasm for lightning with The Righteous Gemstones.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.