Rating: 
Summary: Underated
Review: It's basically a "Kid Goes On a Magical Quest Through Fantasy Land" story but still manages to stay pretty original and fun to read. The characters really make the story. Jack, Wolf, Speedy, Sunlight Gardner; all of them very entertaining and memorable.
A couple people I've talked to remarked this was somewhat along the lines of Clive Barker's A THEIF OF ALWAYS. I would have considered that an all ages book where The Talisman to me comes off more for Mature Readers. A LOT more violence than one would expect after reading the first couple chapters.
In my ignorance I steered away from this for quite ahwile due to Peter Straub's co-writing. After several recommendations I finally picked it up. I'm glad I did, it's actually one of his best. Even more amazing the recently released sequel Black House is equally good.
I hear they'll be making a Talisman TV mini series soon, do yourself a favor and read it before it's mangled for the small screen.
Rating:
Summary: Derivative, but so what?
Review: I just wolfed (!) down this supermarket paperback over the week-end and enjoyed it thoroughly. An old English professor of mine used to say that there were only 7 plots in literature, and this King/Straub novel takes advantage of them all, and even points out a few, in case you missed them. Yes, Wolf is a brunette Wookie. Yes, the Talisman is the Holy Grail. And yes, Jack/Jason is every kid in every Grimm brothers fairy tale. The villains are out of central casting.But so what? It's a timeless story; so put away the lit-crit book, heat up some cocoa, and enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: My favorite book!
Review: I read "The Talisman" a couple of years ago when I was an eighth grader, and I have to say that I thought it was a very good book with an interesting plot. A couple of months ago, my college prep teacher asked my class to write a literary analysis of a book of our choice. I jumped on the opportunity to write about the book. After reading "The Talisman" for a second time to write my paper, I decided to read it again so I can just enjoy the book and not worry about writing a paper. It starts slow and seems very long, but once you start reading the book and get involved in the story it's very hard to put it down. Stephen King and Peter Straub do a good job describing the characters and their surroundings, but at some points in the book it gets a little annoying. For example, King and Straub make Jack's three day stay at a bar seem like an eternity and his one month visit to a youth correctional facility like it happened in no time at all. Other than that I feel that "The Talisman" is a great book for people of all ages and highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book!
Review: I read "The Talisman" a couple of years ago when I was an eigth grader, and I have to say that I thought it was a very good book with an interesting plot. A couple of months ago, my college prep teacher asked my class to write a literery analysis of a book of our choice. I jumped on the oppurtunity to write about the book. After reading "The Talisman" for a second time to write my paper, I decided to read it again so i can just enjoy the book and not worry about writing a paper. It starts slow and seems very long, but once you start reading the book and get involved in the story it's very hard to put it down. Stephen King and Peter Straub do a good job describingthe character's and their surroundings, but a some points in the book it gets a little annoying. For example, King and Straub make Jack's three day stay at a bar seem like an eternity and his one month visit to a youth correctional facility like it happened in no time at all. Other than that I feel that "The Talisman" is a great book for people of all ages and highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Superb authors and a okay voice bring a spellbinding story
Review: Boy, nothing beats having Stephen King read to you in your car. And this is a favorite of mine. King LOVES to push a "world gone mad" vision onto his readership while Straub is successful in weaving atmosphere and notable charactors you care for. Our hero, Jack Sawyer is an unlikely Froto (standard King)who drags others into his quest through shear despiration. There is much less of Straub here that I could hope for and Muller's reading of the book brings it down to 4 stars. His voice irritates occasionally as he slips between charactors. This was an excellant stage in King's career and I am looking forward to reading their follow-up title Black House.
Rating:
Summary: 4 Talismans for minor Dark Tower linkages
Review: Even if one wanted to severely criticize this novel, such criticism would little impact. Stephen King is the most popular author of horror stories in history and Straub is one of the best writing today. Talisman sold a bazillion copies when it was first published and will likely rack up another bazillion with the recent release of the sequel Black House. King and Straub's collaboration is an excellent nail-biting horror/action story that is perhaps overly long but thoroughly engaging otherwise. I'm not a great Stephen King reader having read only his Dark Tower series and I tied into Talisman because of its linkage to that series. Are the Territories of Talisman also the Territories of the Dark Tower? Perhaps. King and Straub do make the linkage in the climax of the novel although the reader doesn't need to know anything of the Dark Tower series to enjoy Talisman. Talisman is a quest novel in which the hero, twelve-year old Jack Sawyer, must traverse the continent to obtain a talisman that will cure his dying mother. His travels take him across 1981 America and the Territories which are in another world adjacent to ours. He encounters evil men, good werewolves and vice-versa along the way to mention only a few of the challenges he faces. Like most novels of this ilk, the hero and reader understand little of the quest at hand. There is a much bigger picture than the one initially presented by the authors. A twelve-year old boy can get into a lot of trouble on his own and Jack Sawyer does that in spades. The USA of 1981 is interesting but the awe is reserved for the Territories. In spite of the length of Talisman, the authors only feed the readers bits of it. Young Jack is never in the Territories long enough that the sense of wonder wears off. As the novel progresses we understand that the Territories and our world are intertwined and that an action in one is felt in the other. Is the overflow damage from our world into the Territories a metaphor for our impact on the environment? What's most interesting is to read this novel some 17 years after it was first published. The authors were obviously taking a shot at the evils of corporate America. The antagonist, Morgan Sloat, is very much an example of the worst kind of corporate thief and perhaps his actions are a metaphor for the insider trading scandals and corporate downsizing of that era. Talisman is an exciting, wonder-filled novel that suffers only from excessive length. The authors could easily have trimmed it down by 100-200 pages without losing an awful lot of the content. Perhaps they felt the additional bulk was necessary to create the right atmosphere or perhaps they wanted to give the reader his money's worth and they are getting the royalties from it, so it's hard to argue. All in all it's an excellent if familiar story.
Rating:
Summary: The best book you'll find
Review: I re-read this book before cracking Black House, and found myself just as moved as I was the first time I read it. I direct this review to all the nay-sayers that depleted the average review to less than 5 stars.
This novel is a seamless union of two formidible authors, worthy of comparison to any epic adventure story in literature. Jack's Odyssey across the US goes beyond the average coming-of-age story and achieves something of the devine. True, it is not necessary to read The Talisman before reading Black House, just as it is not necessary to know someone since childhood in order to make friends with them, but forming the bond beforehand gives the characters and flashbacks in Black House a sense of familiarity. I read them sequentially in order to satisfy that desire for continuance that sets in at the end of every good novel.
In The Talisman, the pacing of the action, with certain parts of the cross-country journey blurred and others in magnificent detail, really gives the effect of being both inside and outside of Jack as he suffers and triumphs. The blend of foreshadowing and surprise twists makes for a gripping read. King's talent for creating characters that charm and haunt you is part of his genious, and this novel illustrates that. For an emotional rollercoaster filled with humor and hubris, The Talisman is the choice for those who are unafraid to cry as well as revel in base as well as witty humor.
As a devoted Stephen King fan, I view this as an essential part of my collection and The Talisman will always have a place in my heart.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been better
Review: I had high hopes from these two authors but was disappointed that this story seemed so implausible and disjointed. A child running around all over and nobody noticed? There were some good parts but again they didn't seem to hold together in any coherent fashion. However, if you are a Stephen King fan, you will probably like it anyway.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic, Gripping Fanstasy
Review: I recently re-read this book in anticipation of King and Straub's latest collaboration. Come to find, I needn't have done so, The Talisman is not a prerequisite to Black House, but nonetheless, I am glad that I revisted this novel. This richly descriptive tale follows young Jack Sawyer as he traverses across the United States (and it's other-world counterpart, the Territories) to find the mysterious Talisman and save his dying mother. The Territories are a smaller, less industrial version of America where magic exists and many Americans have "Twinners," or counterparts. It just so happens that Jack's mother, Lily Cavanaugh Sawyer's (she is a faded B-movie star) Twinner is none other than the Good Queen Laura DeLossian of the Territories. She too is dying and fate of an entire world depends on the success of Jack's quest. This book captures its reader from page one. I find myself flying through the pages and the hours melting away around me. A definite must-read.
Rating:
Summary: This is my favorite novel!
Review: I can't think of many examples of popular fiction that can be revisited like an old friend. Always there for a memory, a laugh, or a tear. "The Talisman" manages to be all that and more. Classic tale of a boy-hero. King's kids are always great. Straub grows them up in a hurry. What wonderful friends and fantastical enemies Jack has in this tale. You care about him, his friends, and all that happens to him in his quest. I cannot say enough about this one. I think my copy is dog eared enough! Save this one for a week long vacation. You won't need to leave your home to travel on this magical journey. Thank me later! Skip the sequel! 'tis awful!
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