Category: Lists

Stephen King: #5 – Mr. Mercedes

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

#5 – Mr. Mercedes

Plot

In the predawn hours, in a distressed American city, hundreds of unemployed men and women line up for the opening of a job fair. They are tired and cold and desperate. Emerging from the fog, invisible until it is too late, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

Months later, an ex-cop named bill Hodges, still haunted by the unsolved crime, contemplates suicide. When he gets a crazed letter from “the perk,” claiming credit for the murders, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, fearing another even more diabolical attack and hell-bent on preventing it.

Review

There’s zero horror in Mr. Mercedes as it’s positioned as a cat-and-mouse book, but it ends up being my favorite crime novel ever written.  It grabs you right from the beginning and takes you on an emotional roller coaster journey that doesn’t let up.  King shows off his unprecedented writing chops in this one, with zero wasted space.

Character development has been a common theme throughout this series and Mr. Mercedes demonstrates how effective King can be in building different personas.  Whether it be Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney or the main antagonist Brady Hartsfield, King showcases how vital establishing character is for a successful novel.  It should come as no surprise that King decided to parlay this book into a trilogy, as the characters he establishes are more than worthy of additional books.

If were teaching a high school writing course, I would make sure my students read the opening sequence of Mr. Mercedes.  King writes from the antagonist’s point of view as he prepares for an unthinkable – albeit likely in today’s world – act of violence to a group of strangers.  It’s tense, it’s visual, it’s gripping, and it completely sets the tone for the rest of Mr. Mercedes.

One day I will rank my favorite Stephen King characters and Holly Gibney will undoubtedly be near the top.  I can’t remember such a flawed character who didn’t know they possessed so much strength, smarts and bravery.  Watching it unfold – beginning with Mr. Mercedes – is a treat for Constant Readers.  I speak for all of us when I say that I cannot wait for King’s newest book, “Holly” to be released in 2023.

Details

Pages: 437

Dates Read: December 2014 – January 2015

Quote: “Life is a crap carnival with shit prizes.”

Best Part: The first 50 pages of this book are phenomenal. Best opening scene in Stephen King’s entire bibliography.

Hint for #4: If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know we still have one more Dark Tower book remaining.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

Stephen King: #6 – The Eyes of the Dragon

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

#6 – The Eyes of the Dragon

Plot

Taking place in a medieval-inspired fantasy world, Stephen King’s fantasy novel The Eyes of the Dragon tells the story of Flagg, a devious magician who plots to destroy the Kingdom of Delain and its fair-minded ruler, King Roland.

Review

Stephen King is most known as a horror writer, but that categorization would be too narrow.  Sure, he got his break as a horror specialist, but King has written plenty of novels that delve into other genres.  The Eyes of the Dragon was his first non-horror book and Constant Readers did not like it.  As I learned in Cool Runnings, “people are always afraid of what’s different.”

The first couple seasons of Game of Thrones were phenomenal television. It involved a fantasy backdrop and included incredible dialogue/well-developed characters with simplistic plotting.  The Eyes of the Dragon personifies this throughout.

Reading this novel in a couple of sittings, The Eyes of the Dragon catapults readers into a fantasy world with kings, queens, and wizards.  It takes them on a good vs evil journey involving scheming magicians and backstabbing relatives.  It’s pure fantasy and pure story.  A great combination.

The Eyes of the Dragon also is told by an unnamed narrator who provides commentary throughout.  This 30,000-foot narrator view of the story was unique and fit well with the pacing and the plotting.

Details

Pages: 372

Dates Read: August – September 2021

Quote: “I think that real friendship always makes us feel such sweet gratitude, because the world almost always seems like a very hard desert, and the flowers that grow there seem to grow against such high odds.”

Best Part: Why would anyone ask for a dollhouse and a napkin while locked away in a tower cell?

Hint for #5: This trilogy-opener eventually turned into a three-season TV show starring Brendan Gleeson.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

Stephen King: #7 – Insomnia

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

#7 – Insomnia

Plot

Ralph Roberts has a problem: he isn’t sleeping so well these days. In fact, he’s hardly sleeping at all. Each morning, the news conveyed by the bedside clock is a little worse: 3:15…3:02…2:45…2:15. The books call it “premature waking”; Ralph, who is still learning to be a widower, calls it a season in hell. He’s noticed a strangeness in his familiar surroundings, to experience visual phenomena that he can’t quite believe are hallucinations. Soon, Ralph thinks he won’t be sleeping at all, and what then?

Review

For Constant Readers, this ranking may likely come as a surprise.  Insomnia is not a highly-rated Stephen King book, as it currently has a 3.83 rating on Goodreads.  King himself has said that Insomnia is one of his least favorite creations.  I however loved every single aspect of the story.

First, the protagonist – Ralph Roberts – is 70-years old, which was unique and allowed for an interesting perspective on events.  Felt like my father in a lot of ways, especially with Ralph’s regular group of “buddies.”

Second – the connections.  As a huge fan of The Dark Tower series, the abundance of references to The Crimson King, Roland, and other characters from that epic series was a welcome sight.  And when Patrick Danville gets mentioned, I don’t think a bigger smile on my face could have been possible.

Third – the little bald doctors.  I loved everything about those guys.  They were special, but also unquestionably flawed.  They also serviced as a catalyst to move the story forward and every interaction with them was memorable.

Finally – the story.  It’s multi-faceted but never overtly complex.  It has good vs evil connotations throughout and both sides are extremely well-developed.  Once the stakes are set, Insomnia takes you to an epic climax with a beautiful epilogue.

I understand the common flaws with Insomnia: the length, long periods of set-up, and consistent over-describing on King’s part.  However, Insomnia resonated with me in ways most books don’t.  These lists are deeply personal, and I’ll take my love of Insomnia to the very end.  

Details

Pages: 787

Dates Read: May 8 – May 28, 2021

Quote: “It was life, often unsatisfying, frequently cruel, usually boring, sometimes beautiful, once in a while exhilarating.”

Best Part: We are introduced to Patrick. 

Hint for #6: I’d imagine if you were on Game of Thrones you wouldn’t want to get too close to these.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

Stephen King: #8 – The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower

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

#8 – The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower

Plot

The seventh and final installment of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower saga is perhaps the most anticipated book in the author’s long career. King began this epic tale about the last gunslinger in the world more than 20 years ago; now he draws its suspenseful story to a close, snapping together the last pieces of his action puzzle and drawing Roland Deschain ever closer to his ultimate goal.

Review

It’s been quite difficult ranking some of these Stephen King books, but one question I had to tackle early on was whether or not to count The Dark Tower series as one entry.  Ultimately, I decided to rank each entry separately, although I’m sure if you asked King himself, he would consider it one large tale.  

And it’s here – at the end of the tale – where we find The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower.  It is, in almost every sense, a complete masterpiece.  It starts with a captivating finish to The Song of Susannah and takes us on an incredible journey back to The Dark Tower, never letting us Constant Readers catch our breath. 

King’s imagery is on full display here as he can skillfully capture unbelievable scenery throughout.  Scenes that are both horrific and beautiful.  I could see others plotting out the details in this novel, but I doubt another could execute at this level.

A common theme during this list was character development, and The Dark Tower is the epitome of that notion.  Granted, we spend a lot of time with this group, but it’s time well spent, and it pays off across the board.  King was in perfect unison with these characters, and I’d have to imagine it was difficult for him to finally say good-bye.  

Roland Deschain is my favorite Stephen King character, and it was difficult for myself to realize his journey was coming to an end.  In fact, when King gave us an opportunity to stop reading (with about 50 pages remaining) I really wrestled with that decision.  I thought the ending presented for Roland was perfect and took a day to decide if I wanted to continue … which I ultimately did.

And that choice was the right call for myself – although I can certainly see merits for both sides.  I would be very interested to learn of those who took King up on his offer.

Saying good-bye is never easy, but King gives us a fond farewell to all of Roland’s ka-tet.  Here’s to not forgetting the faces of our fathers and seeking out a better world.  

Details

Pages: 1050

Dates Read: Pre-2012

Quote: “The road and the tale have both been long, would you not say so? The trip has been long and the cost has been high … but no great thing was ever attained easily. A long tale, like a tall Tower, must be built a stone at a time.”

Best Part: Patrick utilizing his eraser in the best way possible.

Hint for #7: The Barenaked Ladies wrote a song called, “Who needs sleep?” but these sufferers would surely raise their hands to that question.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

Stephen King: #9 – The Institute

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

#9 – The Institute

Plot

In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes.

Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”

Review

The Institute is peak Stephen King storytelling.  It’s also a reflection of an author who has absolutely perfected his craft over the preceding decades.  The Institute is full of dramatic moments, captivating dialogue sequences and unforgettable characters.

There is not one single aspect of this book that I did not find enjoyable.  It was one of the easiest reads I’ve encountered as King brings the action up front, provides layer after layer of character development in the middle, and closes with an action and emotionally packed finale.  Chef’s kiss.

The Institute felt a little like Firestarter where it centers around a secret governmental agency working with children who possess special abilities.  The difference being The Institute dealt with a collection of unique children while Firestarter had one girl as its primary focus.  King enhanced Firestarter by creating a bigger and more realized cast in The Institute, although it did have me missing Rainbird.

Reading this book had me thinking how wonderful this would be as a television series.  A complex cast of memorable children.  A mysterious government facility.  A would-be hero is currently down on his luck.  Sound like any Netflix shows you may have recently watched?

Details

Pages: 561

Dates Read: September – October 2019

Quote: “Great events turn on small hinges.”

Best Part: Luke and Avery becoming friends.

Hint for #8: Gary Potter (Kevin Nealon) from Happy Gilmore was inadvertently talking about this book: “Oh yeah. Lotta pressure. You gotta rise above it. You gotta harness in the good energy, block out the bad. Harness. Energy. Block. Bad. Feel the flow Happy. Feel it. It’s circular. It’s like a carousel. You pay the quarter, you get on the horse, it goes up and down, and AROUND. It’s circular. Circle, with the music, the flow. All good things.”

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.