Rating: 
Summary: ....on the edge of my seat.
Review: This book is absolutely amazing. It is a true testament to the writings of Stephen King. From the first page, the thrills are evident. Not a page was turned that I was "NOT" on the edge of my seat. There aren't too many books that make me lie awake in bed after reading it, wondering what was waiting for me in the darkness.....but this one did. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering reading a King novel for the first time. It will definitely get you hooked: without a doubt.
Rating:
Summary: Desperation - A Student's Review
Review: Something in the bleak Nevada desert is terribly wrong. In the small mining town of Desperation, an ancient, unspeakable evil is accidentally released from Rattlesnake 1, the abandoned mine shaft. Freed, this entity draws outsiders to it and never lets go. Stephen King's Desperation does exactly the same.Quite simply, this is pure classic Stephen King horror, along the same lines as The Stand and The Shining. Desperation fills the reader's mind with nightmarish images of mangled corpses, severed hands, and desert wildlife on a murderous rampage. This is as scary as reading a book gets. Keeping in synch with his previous works of horror and suspense, Stephen King shifts perspectives throughout the novel, easily weaving agonising cliff-hangers that keep the reader absorbed in the twisted dimension that is Desperation, Nevada. This method of narration, definitive of King's style, allows for the introduction and primary development of a dozen important characters in very few chapters, hooking the reader into the action right away. One is reminded of The Stand in the way perspective shifts from that of a protagonist to that of pure evil, in this case, the frightful entity known as Tak. Though his true identity is not revealed until mid-novel, he first takes form as town policeman Collie Entragian, who amuses himself with rounding up travellers along Highway 50, the loneliest stretch of highway in America, and locking them in jail, if they're lucky. Desperation focuses primarily on the concept of faith and keeping it alive in the darkest of times. Readers are promptly introduced to David Carver, one of the novel's protagonists, an eleven-year old boy with strong religious beliefs that lead to his development as a saviour figure and the. Doubtful of David's true power is Johnny Marinville, an aging writer trying to re-establish his life. Even after David miraculously escapes from a jail cell by squeezing through the bars, Johnny is still unsure of how to interpret the boy. He constantly recalls a comment made by another captive, Tom Billingsley, on David's escape ("Houdini couldn't have done it. Because of the head.") afterwards, at points where David's faith in God saves their lives. Also similar to his previous works is the frequent use of flashbacks to moments of significant impact on the plot and characters, such as the recounting of David's numerous religious encounters and of how Tak was unwittingly liberated from his underground prison. Though these provide important development, they can disrupt the flow of the novel and pause intense rising action, much to the frustration of the reader. Of particular interest are the tie-ins between Desperation and The Regulators by Stephen King's alias Richard Bachman. Both novels, published at the same time, involve the same characters, but in different roles, relationships, and situations. The main conflict of the battle against the sinister Tak, however, is constant. There are countless references made in both novels, such as the MotoKops television show, Johnny's experiences in Viet Nam, and the Desperation Mining Corporation. These references strengthen the link between to two books, though make it difficult for one to interpret which novel was conceived and written first, if that is the case. There is also one instance that occurs identically in both novels. Mid-novel, Steven Ames, a friend of Johnny Marinville in Desperation, and a total stranger in The Regulators, struggles to overcome a mountain lion. In both, the scene is described in the same way as "an awkward dance" between Steve and the mountain lion. This less significant conflict is however representative of the greater conflict in both novels, the struggle against ultimate evil. Tak!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best!
Review: I loved this book! I have been on a King rampage lately, and rediscovered his early stuff like Salem's Lot and The Shining. The only book in the last few years that comes close to this one is Harry Shannon's sprawling "Night of the Beast," which takes place by cooincidence in the town of Two Trees, Nevada, which feels like a stones throw from Desperation! Other than that the two books are quite different, but the small desert town thing is creepy as hell. Neck and neck with similar themes, and great storytelling on both fronts. I plan to read them both again and that is a compliment to both authors. Desperation is a bit long and ponderous, but what novel by King isn't? Grab it.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: I Highly recommend this book. It is my favorite book, and i have read quite a few. It is both a horror novel, and on another level one that makes you think twice about your very existence. It manages to blend the surreal battle of good and evil, with an idealistic outlook on the way things are. Stephen King puts such realistic characters into such an insane setting, you can never really tell when it is too much. This book has definitely changed my life, and has caused me to start writing my own novel. If you read this i hope you enjoy it as much as i did.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay, but...
Review: This novel by Stephen King is not his best. Desperation is to be read only by avid fans. The story is drug out over some 500+ pages and could really been summed up in about 200 or less. This novel is not for the "new" King readers.
Rating:
Summary: I'd been away far too long...
Review: It had been quite some time since I had read a book by Mr. King and I had forgotten what he was capable of when on top of his game. This book is a masterpiece and would be the crowning achivement of lesser writers' careers. King is a master of taking seemingly ordinary situations and turning the world he has created upside down while still keeping the believability quotient high. Although the book is long, it holds your interest throughout. I would highly recommend it whether you are a King fan or not.
Rating:
Summary: A brutal but rewarding journey.
Review: 1996 was a busy year for Stephen King. After releasing the landmark Green Mile serial novel in the spring, he followed up in the summer with two interconnected but stand-alone sister novels: Desperation and The Regulators. Both of which have numerous similarities and differences. Both books have essentially the same villain and characters, albeit under different circumstances. For instance, some of the characters who survive all the way through one book meet an early grave in the other. A major character in The Regulators might only have a bit part in Desperation. And also, a hero in book can also be a villain in the other. Well, you get the idea. Desperation tells the story of the seemingly deserted titular Nevada mining town and a group of people who have one thing in common; they were all victimized and placed into the town jail by an police officer named Collie Entragian - who is possessed by a demonic entity known only as Tak. The group includes Mary Jackson (...), the Carver family (who lose a daughter in the story and have a heroic son who seems to be able to communicate directly with God), and Johnny Marinville (a writer whose lifestyle is so decadent he has to have a road agent to clean up his messes - much like rock stars). In a unique twist of fate, the survivors are given an opportunity to escape after enduring one unspeakable act after another from Entragian/Tak. But instead of fleeing, the survivors choose to fight Tak head-on. Perhaps the most positive thing (not that I have anything negative to say) about Desperation is its message about cruelty. Cruelty is of course unavoidable. Yet one can deal with cruelty in one of two ways. One can simply run away and allow it to deteriorate his or her value as a person. Or one can face it with courage and responsibilty and be a better person in the long run. So all in all, this is another in a long line of winners from King. You have everything in Desperation that made all his earlier books so memorable: great characters, unpredictable twists, a memorable and incredibly evil villain, etc. Even though I feel (your opinion may vary) that Desperation is the better and less violent book of the two, you should also read The Regulators. Both books are self-contained, but one book may shed a little light on the other.
Rating:
Summary: Great page turner
Review: I enjoyed this book ... I liked the thrill.
Rating:
Summary: God Is Indeed Cruel
Review: And so King takes another stand about it. And ends up with one of his finest, gritiest
and most compelling stories. Grueling, cruel
and compassionate and, in combination with The
Regulators, a weird, wonderful multi-layered
mirror-world experiment in hyper-linked narration.
A real one-two punch of its kind! Has much of what makes him one of the very best
American fiction writers, as well as much of that
overwrought quality that often threatens to stifle
his narrative's momentum in redundant and often
superfluous detail. It takes a remarkable yarn-spinner like King to
actually make a reader sometimes want to grab him
by the shirt screaming "And then what happens, damnit?!
Hurry up and tell me, I can't stand the suspense!"
Happens a lot in this one. Faith has a lot to do with Desperation.
Maybe too much. One reason I wound up prefering
The Regulators: more direct, unalloyed by the
Here's the High Concept I'm Wearing On My Sleeve
stuff. No reason for someone of King's superb
talents to be trying so hard to distinguish horror
fiction from the mythic entertainment it is.
Sometimes he just can't leave that stinkin'
corpse well enough alone, seems like. Actually,the only real problem I had with Desperation was King's
dependence on using a has-been writer as one of its main
characters. Please Steve, please, would you stop using
writers! I know, it's the old saw "writing about
what you know". But who cares! Writers are usually boring
subjects. And the list of haunted wordsmiths
has run much too long on this particular one's
lineup. We need a break. Try neurosurgeons or software
"engineers" from now on, ok? Lastly: Hey, Signet, cool it with the "NY Times #1 Bestseller"
bannerizing! King's readers don't need bogus blandishments
like that for motivation. Personally I find it condescending. My advice to the prospective buyer:
Get the softcover boxed set of Desperation/Regulators. Covers are better, and you'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: best damn book I've ever read
Review: When I read Desperation, my heart was in my chest. It was suspenseful and heart-stopping. I couldn't put it down and I actually read it twice.
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