Rating: 
Summary: King's and Straub's finest work
Review: I found this book at a Walden Books a few years ago. I had just started reading Stephen King books, but I wasn't as big a fan as I am now. I was torn between this book and the plethora of other King books available at the store, but I finally decided on The Talisman, mostly because the vague description on the back of the book intrigued me. When I got home, I started reading it and I got as far as the first ten pages before I put it down. I didn't read it for another three months, and only then because I like to finish what I start. After that, I only stopped reading to eat, sleep, and perform various bodily functions.
The story centers around a young boy named Jack Sawyer and his sick (and possibly dying) mother, Lily Cavanaugh Sawyer. Jack's mother has taken him from their home in California, trying to get away from laywers with their urgent papers that must be signed and her dead husband's ambitious business partner, Morgan Sloat. They spend their days at the Alhambra Inn, where the days seem to bleed into one another as Jack agonizes over his mother's condition and Lily sleeps away her life, only waking up to get another smoke. Then, Jack meets an old black janitor named Speedy Parker who works at the local amusement park, and from then on, nothing is even remotely normal as Jack embarks on an epic cross-country trek across America and the world next door called The Territories to find the only thing that can save his mother and prevent an unimaginable catastrophe: The Talisman.
I won't say anymore; for me to even try would only ruin a great story. Just read the book, and try to be patient. Its well worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: The Talisman: A Love-Hate Relationship
Review: I loved this book, and I loathed this book, all at the same time. Okay, the story alone was good. I enjoyed most of the story. Unfortunately its graphic descriptions and foul use of metaphors I could do without. The authors have a horrible time getting to the point, and filling the pages with mindless (sometimes useless graphic descriptions). It is god awful long and it could do without several hundreds of pages. NOT RECOMMENDED for anyone under the age of 16. My eyes and thoughts were frequently, offended by the VERY GRAPHIC, highly unnecessary, and often at times pornographic metaphors. I think if the authors spent less time trying to nauseate the reader with pornographic details, and more time getting to the point of the story it would be a better story. There are just too many story detours to actually make it an enjoyable story. Because of this story I will NEVER pick up a novel with Stephen King's name attached to it, again.
Rating: 
Summary: a wonderful but not perfect story
Review: I thought this book was very well written for the most part. It was a book that I had trouble putting down at times because I was so riveted to the story. However, there were times in the story where I had no trouble putting the book down as it was becoming tedious.There were parts of the story where things just happened to fall into place too easily for the character, and that left me a little disappointed in the story. There were also many scenes that I had to re-read several times to try to grasp what the authors were trying to portray exactly. The scenes tended to be very vague as to their meaning, (maybe done on purpose, I don't know). But, by no means were these any reasons not to read this book. The two authors have written a very good tale of a boy on a journey, one that has very memorable characters that you do not forget. This book is well worth picking up to read. As are most of Mr King's stories, I do not believe that this one disappoints the reader in any way. Not perfect, but very exciting none the less.
Rating:
Summary: Great Duo
Review: 'The Talisman' is a great novel, period. The novel surrounds Jack Sawyer, a 12-year old boy on the run with his mother who is a b-actress, she is known as queen of the b's.
'The Talisman' starts off with the story of Jack and his mom fleeing Jack's uncle Morgan Sloat. Jack and his mom end up in New Hampshire, and rent a hotel room. Since Jack is not in school, he takes a walk around the boardwalk and to the arcade, and that is where he meet's Speedy.
Speedy is a old black man who is a repair man for the rides on the boardwalk. He makes conversation with Jack, and he refers to Jack as 'Travlin Jack'. Jack Sawyer's father used to call him 'Travlin Jack' because when he was younger, he would go everywhere.
But then one day, Jack discovers his father and Uncle Morgan Sloat talking about another world called 'The Terrorities.'
Jack's father wants to help out the people in the other world by giving them electricity, and other basic needs that us normal folk take for granted.
Since Jack was only three at the time, he didnt know what they were talking about, but Speedy tells Jack that he has to go travlin' west because there is something going on in the terrorities, and only Jack can save the queen of the terrorities, which turns out to be Jack's mother's 'Twinner'.
A 'Twinner' is me, in 'The Terrorities', and so Jack finds his mom talking to Uncle Morgan over the phone, now he knows that if Uncle Morgan finds them, they are going to be in huge trouble.
The reason is that Jack's mother owns Uncle Morgan money and he has the cops looking for her because Uncle Morgan told the cops that Jack's mother is unfit.
So Jack tell's his mom that he has to go, so he packs some stuff, and goes back to Speedy. Speedy then gives Jack some 'magic juice' to get into the terrorities.
With this, he then begins traveling, running into different things he has never seen, he then befriends a werewolf who calls himself 'wolf'. Then the story keeps on getting better as the story tellers go on, and the end is great. This is something that holds up to the Lord Of The Rings books, and this is fanasty is one of the best fanasty novels of our time.
Rating:
Summary: Utterly Amazing!
Review: This is, without a doubt, one of the best novels I have read. I need not comment further, just check out the above reviews. I bought Black House with 200 pages still left of The Talisman. I'm sure I won't be let down. Get this book!
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating journey,...
Review: ... that's what I thought after having read this amazing book. 12-years old Jack Sawyer has the capability to jump to parallel, slight mystic world ("the region"). To save his mother dying from cancer he has to find an old hotel where the supposed talisman is located, something that unites all existing worlds and must not get in hands of his antagonists which try to find it as well.
Like all other books edited by these authors, the Talisman 'lives' because of the detailed descriptions of the characters, and therefore you'll get deeply involved in the story. This is a book that you'll read over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece and a Dark Tower must-read!
Review: Besides being a major keystone in the tale of the Tower, this story sucks you in so effectively that you are there right alongside the characters. I saw French Landing, I have seen Maxton's in utter clarity, I have ridden alongside the Thunder Five. While some may find the introductory portion of this story to be a bit cumbersome, it sets the stage for everything that rolls later on. It makes everything that comes after seem that much real. When was the last time you read a book that allowed you to SMELL what was going on? I have listened to this on audio three times and read the paperback once. I guess you could say i am hooked.
Rating: 
Summary: Are they kidding?
Review: I read "The Talisman" for two reasons: first, because I'm a fan of Peter Straub, and second, I'd heard the book described as the equal of Tolkien's trilogy. Was I ever disappointed!!!!! I can hardly believe the reviewers who liked "The Talisman" are really serious--or that they're older than, oh, twelve. There is NO comparison whatsoever between the works of the master, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Straub-King collaboration. The latter is a book for children, period--and I believe you shouldn't bother reading it if you're over the age of fifteen. I'm 52, by the way, and I first read "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" over 30 years ago--and I think the movies pale beside the books, too.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest book ever.
Review: I bought this book at a used bookstore years ago after discovering that I loved Stephen King's books. I put it on my shelf with other books I meant to read, but it was a year before I picked it up again. Finally I did, read a couple chapters... then I put it back down. I couldn't get into it. A month and a couple books later, I decided to give it one more shot. So I started from the beginning, but still just wasn't in to it and had reached my previous stopping point. I had made a vow that I would push on though, and it wasn't 5 minutes after I read on that I was literally in a whole new world. King and Straub showed Jack Sawyer a new world, and they took me along as well. I could smell the bread baking at the pavilion, I was best friends with Jack's new friend Wolf, I was running in horror from the Elroy-Thing in the Men's Room of the Oatley Tap. I was IN that world. I've owned and read countless books, but The Talisman has always remained my all-time favorite. I have read it about 6 times, and each time I am whisked back to that world that I love and fear so much.
Rating:
Summary: Can't wait another 17 years!
Review: I, like so many others have just finished THE TALISMAN! It was spellbinding. I've been staying up until the wee hours of morning these last few days because I could NOT put it down! I love the way everything works out in the end. When I finished I was aching for more, and guess what? After seventenn years King and Straub have done it again! BLACK HOUSE in the much anticipated sequel, and I'm going to read it now!
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