Rating: 
Summary: A disappointment on par with The Phantom Menace
Review: I work in the world of publishing, so you'll have to forgive my anonymity. But what a disappointment this book was. When I was a breathless teenager, I loved the Talisman. It's one of those pop culture mythologies that really connected with me, as well as, I think, with millions of others. Just as I was excited at first to hear that George Lucas was going to at last produce the first three Star Wars movies, I was thrilled to hear that King & Straub were returning to the world of Talisman. And just as I was bitterly disappointed and even angered by Phantom Menace, I am perhaps even more saddened and disheartened by this ridiculously bad novel. At least with Lucas, the failure came from going so lowbrow that he lost contact with his greatness. My sense in reading this utterly pretentious, pointless, long-winded, boring and annoying book (and I did read the whole thing on principle) was that King & Straub wanted to be viewed as artists. Well, guess what boys? I thought you were then; now, obviously, you're just posers. Read Black House to discover that age most assuredly does not bring wisdom to all writers; indeed, for these two, it has clearly brought a loss of power and failure of imagination. And don't even get me started on the nauseating narrative voice; awful, just awful.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting continuation of the story
Review: I loved The Talisman and recently re-read it right before reading Black House for the first time. I enjoyed meeting up with Jack again and the brief references to the Gunslinger books are tantalizing. Now I feel the need to go back and read those four books again so as not to miss anything.The way that Black House's ending is tied up in a neat bow put me off a bit. One of the things I enjoy about King's work is that his characters often surprise you with their messy actions and his endings are sometimes unpredictable. All in all, I enjoyed the read althought The Talisman is a hard act to follow.
Rating: 
Summary: The KING is back!
Review: Stephen King is back and better than ever. He a Peter Straub make a fabulous team. Both are great individually, as well. WELCOME back Stephen King! We all have faith in you.
Rating:
Summary: Ignore the naysayers...
Review: Yes, the book got off to a slow start with the flying tour of town and yes it's not the Talisman but it was still a very good read. Not as good as some, but definately worth the price of admission if only to get a better understanding of the Tower, the breakers and the Crimson King which is finally described pretty clearly.
Rating:
Summary: Shame on you, non-believers and so-called King Fans!!!!!!!!!
Review: I have been appalled by the negative comments I have read concerning Black House. Black House is truely a masterpiece preluding another masterpiece. You complaine that the third person narritive detracts from the story but I say that it is that very reason that makes Black House stand out triumphant. Can you write convincingly in the third person? King and Straub seem to be able to. I do not feel that that style of writing detracts in any way from the story. In fact, I think it is a nice change of pace from the norm.
I got this book as an audio book and found myself parking for hours on end just so that I could keep listening and not have to turn it off. It's ties to the dark tower are both informative and necessary (a point that most reviewers seem to have forgotten from The Talisman when Jack got the fabled object and felt himself held amongst the spindle of the entire universe, a great tower).
Last of all, those of you that are King fans should sit back and compare this book a little more closely to the universe that King has been creating since 1975. It all ties in. Anyone who chooses not to read this book based on the negative reviews will miss out on not only a great story but a guide through the final King books that we should see over this next decade.
Those of you who rated this book badly, shame on you. You need to examine your loyalties and your understanding of the King universe again.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I wanted to know more about the Territories,I wanted to know more about,not only Jack,but also Lily and Richard,I wanted an adult Jack that is worth of the young "Traveling Jack",and I didn't get any of that,also,this book is much more gruesome that The Talisman.
To tell you the truth,reading this sequel was dissapointing.
Rating:
Summary: Just not as magical as the first...
Review: Next to the Dark Tower series, The Talisman is my favorite Stephen King project to date. It was a magical fairy tale about a boy who had to travel to a distant land in a quest for a relic that would save his mother's life, and to save two co-existing worlds. While Black House is a strong story displaying the matured writing abilities of both authors, it lacks and magic and focus of the first novel. The characters aren't quite as memorable, the tale isn't quite as gripping, and the style of writing (while good) makes the reader feel more distant from Jack. In the first novel, you were with him on his quest. In this novel, the reader simply observes his adventure, which isn't quite a quest because it also lacks the focus and goal of the first novel (until the last 150 pages, at least). Beyond my complaints, I did enjoy this book, it just wasn't as compelling as the first. If it weren't for the Dark Tower elements of the book, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. I'm very impressed that Mr. Straub agreed to let this novel be a side story for the Dark Tower series. But then again, isn't that true of every King novel, whether he tells you or not? One star- For tying the Territories to Mid-World
One star- For the quality of writing
One star- For a decent story
Rating:
Summary: Too Late!!!!!!
Review: Having read most of King's and Straub's works, I could hardly wait for the publication of "Black House". Please do not make the same mistake I did: long about page 425, the reader is informed, "this is about the Dark Tower!". I had tried years ago to get into that series but could not. Now I found myself in a horrible situation: do I put down "Black House" and go read the 4 Dark Tower books before finishing, or do I just plow ahead and forget about ever reading the series since some sort of ending will be given here in "Black House". I opted for the latter. I strongly suggest you read the Dark Tower books before this one. I also wish, out of all the advance publicity, someone would have said that the Dark Tower is prominently featured in this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Black House
Review: I live in La Crosse wisconsin neer where this book takes place
and it scared the *&^% out of me. I am a raving mad dark tower fan as was never so happy as when i found out why RF is trying to take down the tower. I was truly a great book.
Rating:
Summary: It'll Do
Review: For those of you out there who are huge Stephen King fans like myself, you will buy and read this book regardless if every review you can get your hands on tells you it sucks like a vacum. That's just the way we are. But the truth be told, this is not one of the best, and perhaps not even one of the better. The Talisman, part 1 of this story, was great. It had fantasy and suspence and childish innocence to a tee. Blackhouse goes through the motions, in reality it seems like a murder mystery that added the Territories as an after thought so it could be a part 2.
Don't get me wrong it's not a bad book. It has some great story telling in there and some awfully likeable characters like Henry the blind radio announcer with several on air peronalities, and in places it really shines.
For the fans I was talking about earlier there is some insight into the Dark Tower and what might be dealt with in the future Gunslinger books which makes it a worthwhile read.
I guess the singular most annoying thing about this novel, and it is something that I have never seen in a Stephen King Book ever before and hope to never ever have to read through again in one, is that in parts of the book the narritive is described as if the reader is a watching third party to the story. example, "and now we float up away from this scene and go to visit another important character blahdy blahdy blah" believe me this gets mighty annoying mighty quickly. Perhaps its not Stephen King who wrote this way, although I admit it is unfair to blame what I don't like on the one who isn't one of my favorite authors, but oh well.
To sum up, In the absence of other Stephen King writing, any Stephen King is better than no Stephen King.
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