Through the shrill thrill screaming of booksellers at The Rock Bottom Remainders concert last year at BEA, a recognizable figure steps to the microphone to sing us a tale about werewolves in London. This Warren Zevon hit is blasted out by my king of writing-Stephen King. This is the first time I have seen him in person, not with a pen in hand, just a Red Sox t-shirt and a voice behind the speakers.
I first delved into King with his collection of short stories in Night Shift. In those tales he got to the meat of the story and characters and took you along on a quick ride of terror. As I have read him over the years, and have been numbed by his pathos, I have come to discover that the man is an enigma of talent. You don't know why you tremble, why you shake, why you look under the bed as you read. If you really look at the characters, the real brilliance of writing, you realize they are you, your family, your friends, your world.
Stephen King is steeped in the culture of today. If you have read any of the essays in his column in Entertainment Weekly you have witnessed his acumen with what has been going on and what is going on. He knows what kids are listening to today because he is downloading the tunes as well. The man is hip to the jive, the downlow, the in and the out.
After traversing the landscape of New England intrique Stephen King has now headed south to Florida for his latest novel-Duma Key. I am looking forward to devouring this tale that has been touted as "vintage King". On this Valentine's Day I close this love letter with the appeal that any reader who has not yet given Stephen King a try to please do so. He knows how to scare, how to write, and how to share that with you.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Is it okay to not like a book?
Is it okay to not like a book? I found myself in this quandary after I finished Dean Koontz's-The Darkest Evening of the Century. I have not read Koontz in quite some time. I liked what I read then, and I liked the idea of what I was reading now, I just didn't like how the story was presented and ended. (Spoilers ahead.)
The characters were prime Koontz creations-people with a darkness in their past, and a hole in their soul needing to be healed. The protagonists were not the problem with this story for me, it was the antagonists that I grew more and more tired of reading. Moongirl, a needling voice on the phone to her ex as the story opens, becomes one of the most vile, dark, and unredeemable personas I have ever read. I took to skimming her dialogue and thoughts midway through the book because I found her so unbelievably dark that she would slowly, with exacting method, torment her own child, both mentally and physically.
At the center of this tale is Nickie, a Golden Retriever, that comes to the main character through great turmoil. Throughout the story Nickie is present as the one who can soothe the past and the heal the soul. The ending resolution is tied up neatly and Nickie is the almighty healer licking the fatal wounds of her people and preserving their lives as one happy unit. Blech!
Maybe I was in a bad mood. Maybe the storyline seemed a bit too contrived. Or maybe I expected more from Koontz. He is a gifted writer and a bestselling machine, and will probably contiunue to be so. Hopefully it is okay to not like a book. It won't stop me from reading Koontz, and it just might help me appreciate him a whole lot more when I do like one of his future books.
The characters were prime Koontz creations-people with a darkness in their past, and a hole in their soul needing to be healed. The protagonists were not the problem with this story for me, it was the antagonists that I grew more and more tired of reading. Moongirl, a needling voice on the phone to her ex as the story opens, becomes one of the most vile, dark, and unredeemable personas I have ever read. I took to skimming her dialogue and thoughts midway through the book because I found her so unbelievably dark that she would slowly, with exacting method, torment her own child, both mentally and physically.
At the center of this tale is Nickie, a Golden Retriever, that comes to the main character through great turmoil. Throughout the story Nickie is present as the one who can soothe the past and the heal the soul. The ending resolution is tied up neatly and Nickie is the almighty healer licking the fatal wounds of her people and preserving their lives as one happy unit. Blech!
Maybe I was in a bad mood. Maybe the storyline seemed a bit too contrived. Or maybe I expected more from Koontz. He is a gifted writer and a bestselling machine, and will probably contiunue to be so. Hopefully it is okay to not like a book. It won't stop me from reading Koontz, and it just might help me appreciate him a whole lot more when I do like one of his future books.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)