Category: Books

Stephen King: #10 – The Dark Half

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#10 – The Dark Half

Plot

Thad Beaumont is a writer, and for a dozen years he has secretly published violent bestsellers under the name of George Stark. But Thad is a healthier and happier man now, the father of infant twins, and starting to write as himself again. He no longer needs George Stark and so, with nationwide publicity, the pseudonym is retired. But George Stark won’t go willingly.

Review

The Dark Half was written by King in direct response to the findings that he was also Richard Bachman.  Not that King was trying to hide that fact, but after it was universally known, King released The Dark Half.

The premise is very dark – right up there with Pet Sematary – and one that would make for a difficult re-read.  What would happen if the pseudonym an author uses for selling novels manifests itself into a human form?  And what if that manifestation was angry when you stopped writing under that pseudonym? 

The comparisons between Bachman and George Stark (the pseudonym) are too numerous to name, but once the story started rolling, I forgot all about Bachman.  George Stark is dark, brutal, and unforgiving.  But he’s also made Thad Beaumont a great and respected author.  That duality adds to the complex character development that takes place in The Dark Half.

This novel also has some comparisons to The Outsider.  When George starts his murder spree, he leaves behind Thad’s fingerprints.  As a result, Thad becomes the prime suspect.  It takes multiple conversations with Sherriff Pangborn (a nice callback from Needful Things) to convince him otherwise.

In looking at my rankings, The Dark Half is the highest rated pure horror novel on this list.  It sits inside the Top Ten because of the intricate character development, the intense and dark plot, and the thrilling climax.  A fantastic read from start to finish.  

Details

Pages: 515

Dates Read: January – February 2021

Quote: “You’re dead, George. You just don’t have the sense to lie down.”

Best Part: My wife – who is terrified of birds – would not like the climax. On the other hand, I thought it was brilliant.

Hint for #9: Those with mental problems and are at risk to others, may be admitted here.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

Stephen King: #11 – Elevation

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#11 – Elevation

Plot

In the small town of Castle Rock, the setting of many of King’s most iconic stories, Scott Carey is engaged in a low grade—but escalating—battle with the lesbians next door whose dog regularly drops his business on Scott’s lawn. One of the women is friendly; the other, cold as ice. Both are trying to launch a new restaurant, but the people of Castle Rock want no part of a gay married couple, and the place is in trouble.

When Scott finally understands the prejudices they face–including his own—he tries to help. Unlikely alliances, the annual foot race, and the mystery of Scott’s affliction bring out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.

Review

Elevation is not widely considered a Stephen King classic, and in fact, if you look at its Goodreads rating (3.66) it’s not even considered a good Stephen King book.  However, it’s one of my favorites because of the imagery and the emotion it provokes.  

The premise is relatively simple and mirrors that of Thinner – where the main character is gradually and uncontrollably losing weight.  However, Elevation is not about what is happening as much as how Scott’s perception of life changes as a result.  

Change is difficult.  Damn near impossible for some.  And yet oftentimes life throws things at us that forces us to rethink our priorities and our perspectives.  This is what Elevation accomplishes.  The final scene was earned through the novel’s 140+ pages and was as an emotional-inducing ending as I’ve ever read.

I think back to some of the previous Stephen King novels – in particular those that were near the bottom of this list, and I wonder if they could have benefitted from being written as a novella instead of a super-novel.  Elevation, and other shorter King books have an intense focus and very few wasted scenes/conversations.  Had King tried to stretch this book out another 200+ pages, my guess is it lands 20-30 spots lower.  

Details

Pages: 146

Dates Read: November 2018

Quote: “Everyone should have this, he thought, and perhaps, at the end, everyone does. Perhaps in their time of dying, everyone rises.”

Best Part: The annual foot face.

Hint for #10: If Jekyll was considered good – or the light half – then Hyde would be considered this.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

Stephen King: #12 – The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

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#12 – The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

Plot

In The Gunslinger (originally published in 1982), King introduces his most enigmatic hero, Roland Deschain of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting, solitary figure at first, on a mysterious quest through a desolate world that eerily mirrors our own. Pursuing the man in black, an evil being who can bring the dead back to life, Roland is a good man who seems to leave nothing but death in his wake.

Review

In my humble opinion, the opening line of The Gunslinger is the best beginning sentence of any novel in the history of the written word.  The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.  It’s simple.  It’s complex.  It’s perfect.  

The Gunslinger is not a perfect story.  It can be difficult to read and even harder to understand.  But what The Gunslinger does is introduce us to the best Stephen King character in his entire universe, Roland Deschain.

When it came time to name our child – the middle name was an easy choice, as we went with Roland.  Both my grandfather and my favorite Stephen King character shared the same first name.  It was a no brainer.

King not only introduces us to Roland – the last remaining gunslinger – but he introduces us to his entire fantasy world.  It’s part western, part science-fiction and part fantasy.  It has some unique terminology and incredible scene-setting.  

The final scene with Roland and the man in black reaffirmed my love with Stephen King.  It was my favorite part of the story by a mile because it was just two characters with a fire and a story to tell.  The dialogue and interaction between these two pivotal players completely set the table for the rest of The Dark Tower series. 

Details

Pages: 300

Dates Read: Pre-2012

Quote: “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.”

Best Part: The man in black and Roland palaver.

Hint for #11: If you visit Denver, Colorado for the first time, you might notice a change in this.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

Stephen King: #13 – The Outsider

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#13 – The Outsider

Plot

An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.

As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King’s propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face?

Review

The Outsider is structured very similarly to The Black House in that it opens with an ongoing murder investigation, but eventually turns into more of a supernatural horror novel.  

King made excellent use of written transcripts from police interrogations as well as newspaper articles to help move along the narrative.  I’ve said it before, but I honestly believe King’s writing has improved as he has gotten older.  His ideas may have been better in the 1980s, but his execution is now on the level of a master storyteller.

Thankfully I read the Bill Hodges trilogy before I picked up The Outsider as having that background unexpectedly paid huge dividends midway through this novel.  As I was reading about a new character who previously showed up with Bill Hodges, I wondered to myself, “how many more of these have I missed by reading his newer stuff first?”  We course-corrected immediately.

HBO picked up The Outsider starring Jason Bateman and Ben Mendelsohn.  Generally, it portrayed some of the pure horror, violence, and suspense of the novel with some decent acting performances.  When compared to some other productions based on King’s novel, it was a huge success.

The Outsider started off as a whodunit, evolved into a deeper mystery, and ended with a bloody climax.  It developed characters (both old and new) well, and completely held my interest throughout.  It had all the makings of a classic Stephen King tale.  

Details

Pages: 561

Dates Read: October – November 2018

Quote: “People are blind to explanations that lie outside their perception of reality.”

Best Part: Maitland’s arraignment and the unavoidable clues it left behind.

Hint for #12: My son’s middle name – Roland – is loosely based off the main character in this book, who we meet for the very first time.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

Stephen King: #14 – Black House

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#14 – Black House

Plot

Twenty years ago, a boy named Jack Sawyer traveled to a parallel universe called The Territories to save his mother and her Territories “twinner” from a premature and agonizing death that would have brought cataclysm to the other world. Now Jack is a retired Los Angeles homicide detective living in the nearly nonexistent hamlet of Tamarack, WI. He has no recollection of his adventures in the Territories and was compelled to leave the police force when an odd, happenstance event threatened to awaken those memories.

When a series of gruesome murders occur in western Wisconsin that are reminiscent of those committed several decades earlier by a real-life madman named Albert Fish, the killer is dubbed “The Fisherman” and Jack’s buddy, the local chief of police, begs Jack to help his inexperienced force find him. But is this merely the work of a disturbed individual, or has a mysterious and malignant force been unleashed in this quiet town?

Review

I purchased Black House in 2016 but didn’t read it until 2022.  The reasoning behind it sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust for six years is because it was precisely at this point working my way up King’s bibliography (newer to older), that I decided to stop and work my way down instead (older to newer).  

Black House is not universally praised amongst Constant Readers, although it does carry a solid 4.02 rating on Goodreads.  Despite my King-fandom, I had never even heard of Black House.  And yet, it’s one of my all-time favorites – a rare occurrence where I strongly prefer the sequel to the original.  

Black House is a perfect blend of reality with supernatural.  It involves a serial killer on the loose, but ties into the fantasy world built not only by The Talisman but other King novels (specifically, The Dark Tower series).

The character-building in Black House is peak King.  You have a blind disc-jockey.  A moral-less journalist.  A motorcycle gang almost exclusively of muscle-bound/beer-brewing scientists.  And the return of Jack Sawyer.  It’s a diverse and fully realized cast.  

I’d be remiss to write about Black House and not mention that Peter Straub passed away in early September.  A prolific author in his own right, Straub fit in beautifully in both collaborations with King.  RIP.  

Details

Pages: 640

Dates Read: May 23, 2022 – July 2, 2022

Quote: “Ka is a friend to evil as well as good. It embraces both.”

Best Part: Anything that involved Henry Leyden.

Hint for #13: In 2020, Jason Bateman starred in the HBO series based off this novel.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.