#56 – Lisey’s Story

Plot

Lisey Debusher Landon lost her husband, Scott, two years ago, after a twenty-five-year marriage of the most profound and sometimes frightening intimacy. Scott was an award-winning, bestselling novelist and a very complicated man.

Early in their relationship, before they married, Lisey had to learn from him about books and blood and bools. Later, she understood that there was a place Scott went–a place that both terrified and healed him, that could eat him alive or give him the ideas he needed in order to live. Now it’s Lisey’s turn to face Scott’s demons, Lisey’s turn to go to Boo’ya Moon.

Review

This is the first book on this list I gave a “three-star” rating on Goodreads, which uses a five-star system. Every book from here on out will have earned three stars or more. Of the 64 Stephen King novels on this list, a staggering 24 of them garnered a five-star review from this Constant Reader.

Lisey’s Story could have made for an unbelievable novel if it would have been 300 pages. But the first 200+ pages of this book are excruciatingly slow. Granted, this was likely deliberate on King’s part to demonstrate the incredible grief Lisey was experiencing, but it made for a painfully deliberate start.

The concept and plot behind Lisey’s Story are incredible. Imagining a physical place – outside our universe – where a writer goes to craft ideas for stories was powerful. In perfect King irony – this fantasy land is filled with terrors and nightmares.

Lisey’s Story touches on mental health, love, death, grief, and one’s ability to move-on. There were moments of this novel that were quite powerful – but others that were cumbersome and needlessly lengthy.

Details

Pages: 513

Dates Read: August – September 2015

Quote: “The harder you had to work to open a package, the less you ended up caring about what was inside.”

Best Part: Lisey recalls several stories of her past, and the one where she saves her husband from a crazed fan was well done.

Hint for #55: The shortest Stephen King novel – at 127 pages – and one that includes comic illustrations throughout.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.