I won't deny I am an avid fantasy reader. I love fantasy books so much, and Stephen King's knack for language mixed with a more fantastical story was just a recipe for need-to-read. So, I read "The Talisman" based on a recommendation from my brother. I had been lent books by others, but decided to start this one first. I was hooked. The story is a bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story. I'm having a hard time arranging my thoughts on this particular story because there are so many random ideas wandering around in my head about it. So, I am going to arrange my thoughts in two lists which you will see below.
What I loved about this book:
I, once again, love the use of language. Stephen King writes dialogue as it would be spoken, and his creativity with colloquialisms that don't exist is nothing short of brilliant. In this particular book, this is most evident in the Wolfs (never Wolves). My particular favorite is the phrase "Right here and now."
I think this is a common Stephen King tool, but I like how he intertwines worlds. In the Dark Tower series, the characters actually meet Stephen King. As one of the sections of "The Talisman" is called, this is just a "collision of worlds" and I love it.
I really liked... maybe "liked" is the wrong word... I really "appreciated" the struggles Richard had in accepting something that would seem ludicrous. Honestly, if someone told you there was a parallel world that was directly affected by the choices made in this world and that you were going to visit this other world... you would probably laugh them to shame.
I know this is a broad topic, but Stephen King is just so freakin' creative! I love that about this book, and all the books I've read of his so far.
What I wasn't overly fond of in this book:
I don't think Jack should have been 12. I understand that this is a coming-of-age story and Jack grows and matures a lot throughout it. The character could easily have been 15 without any major story changes. That, in my mind, would have been more believable.
Maybe this is just the way Stephen King writes, but around the middle of the story, he gets a little wordy. In this book, to me, it was the Sunlight Home. In "The Stand" it was the beginnings of the Boulder portion. It just kinda drags on for a little while and then picks up again towards the end.
Summary:
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, "Black House". I would definitely recommend this book to almost anyone though it does have a slight leaning toward the fantasy side of things. So, out of 5 stars, I would give it 3.8.
What I loved about this book:
I, once again, love the use of language. Stephen King writes dialogue as it would be spoken, and his creativity with colloquialisms that don't exist is nothing short of brilliant. In this particular book, this is most evident in the Wolfs (never Wolves). My particular favorite is the phrase "Right here and now."
I think this is a common Stephen King tool, but I like how he intertwines worlds. In the Dark Tower series, the characters actually meet Stephen King. As one of the sections of "The Talisman" is called, this is just a "collision of worlds" and I love it.
I really liked... maybe "liked" is the wrong word... I really "appreciated" the struggles Richard had in accepting something that would seem ludicrous. Honestly, if someone told you there was a parallel world that was directly affected by the choices made in this world and that you were going to visit this other world... you would probably laugh them to shame.
I know this is a broad topic, but Stephen King is just so freakin' creative! I love that about this book, and all the books I've read of his so far.
What I wasn't overly fond of in this book:
I don't think Jack should have been 12. I understand that this is a coming-of-age story and Jack grows and matures a lot throughout it. The character could easily have been 15 without any major story changes. That, in my mind, would have been more believable.
Maybe this is just the way Stephen King writes, but around the middle of the story, he gets a little wordy. In this book, to me, it was the Sunlight Home. In "The Stand" it was the beginnings of the Boulder portion. It just kinda drags on for a little while and then picks up again towards the end.
Summary:
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, "Black House". I would definitely recommend this book to almost anyone though it does have a slight leaning toward the fantasy side of things. So, out of 5 stars, I would give it 3.8.
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