Rating: Summary: Rose Madder - A gripping horror story that rings true Review: As a long time fan of Stephen King's classic horror novels,I was a little skeptical about Rose Madder. But, like anytrue Stephen King fan, I was determined to read it anyway. I quickly learned my lesson. From the very first chapter, Rose Madder sucks you into the story head-first, and doesn't let up until the bitter end. This story doesn't have the customary slow passages "in the middle" that many contemporary horror tales have. Rather, this whirlwind whips you into first feeling sorry for, and then rooting for the main character, Rose Daniels. Rose is a long-time battered wife who snaps out of her abuse-induced trance at the site of a drop of her own blood. Her slow realization enables her to take the right step and get out of her dangerous marriage. Unfortunately, Rose's husband, Norman, is a cop. A good one. And he has the means and the know-how to track down Rosie. I would highly recommend this book to die-hard Stephen King fans, as well as skeptics that think that King's work is all gore, and no heart.
Rating: Summary: Rose Madder is ok Review: Rose Madder by Stephen King is all right. I chose to rate this a three because I have read much better books by King than this. Rose McClendon-Daniel's is an abused wife. Her husband is a strong, smart police officer. When Rose decides she has had enough, she walks out of his life. He is outraged and humiliated. He sets out to find her in the new city where she has started her new life with the help from a few kind strangers. There are many twists and surprises that keep you reading, and you want to see what's going to happen next. There are some really funny parts in this book, for example the confrontation between Norman and a large lady named Gert. This book is a light read, even though it looks big. Some parts may require some thought, but most read easily. It does not take long to read, I finished in a weekend. I recommend it to those that like Stephen King and are looking for something quick to read.
Rating: Summary: Could Have Been Better Review: This book was good but certainly not great. There were moments and potential for greatness, but it never quite reached that crescendo. There was a long dream sequence that I found confusing and actually boring. It was when he stuck to his basic stalker theme that the book was at its best. Interesting read, could have/should have been better.
Rating: Summary: Rose great Review: Reading other reviews, I found many people thought this an unusual King book. I have to disagree. This is pure SK. "Rose Madder" has all elements that make King a great writer (I have read more than 20 of his books). Rose Daniels is the abused wife who suddenly escapes the prison that was her marriage. In a new city, she discovers a people who will help her get over her violent husband and a life of abuses. Then she founds a new job, and, possibly, a man totally different from Norman Daniels, her husband. But Norman won't let it go at that. He will go after her to hell if needed, and if he finds her, he will send Rose right there, if he can. Norman and Rose are extremely interesting characters. They are complex, real and very well developed. When a writer is able to have characters like that, the story can be nothing but good. Norman is raving mad, but in the middle of that madness he is able to find some lucidity and act accordingly to get to his final objective. Rose finds in her new life the strength she always needed and couldn't get because she knew nothing else. Sometimes people forget fiction is just what it is: immagination; it all came from someone's head. Of course, this book, like most stories, has its flaws, either psychological or factual, but fiction, at this level, is pure enterteinment and should be treated accordingly. "Rose Madder" is like other books by Stephen King. "Bag of Bones" and "Dreamcatcher", for example. They blend day-today facts with a little "unusual" stuff. King does that very well, and I think this "unusual" counts in a positive way. Grade 8.6/10
Rating: Summary: This is an amazing book Review: ROSE MADDER has everything. It's: a real life thriller, with real life horror a story of courage and survival a fantasy adventure a love story a dark comedy a satirical look at the left liberal political community I'm sure I could come up with more, given the time. Rosie McClendon is a heroine who gains the reader's utmost sympathy with the insane horror of the abuse she has endured, and her courage in leaving despite her terror. As she builds a new life and digs out her true character, long buried by subjugation to her brutal husband, we admire her and enjoy her humor and spunk. Norman Daniels, the viciously abusive husband she leaves, is one of the most terrifying, compelling, horrifyingly likeable, and darkly funny villians I can imagine. The sections written from his point of view are chilingly enjoyable. He sets out to find her by getting inside her head, "trolling," as he calls it. He imagines he is her, and does everything she would do, tracing her every step with deadly accuracy, leaving a trail of mutilated corpses in his wake. When Norman acquires a hokey rubber bull mask at a carnival, uses it as a hand puppet and begins having conversations with it, well, we know he has really lost it. I found these scenes quite funny. When he follows Rosie into the painting she bought at a pawn shop, he merges with the mask to become a sort of Minotaur. Norman's crimes, and the cunning with which he stalks his prey, are only too believable. In a fully realistic novel, his end would be predictable - lifelong incarceration in a prison for the criminally insane, or getting killed somehow. Only in a fantasy world with the aid of supernatural figures is it possible to wreak satisfying vengeance for such crimes.
Rating: Summary: Overview of Rose Madder Review: Susan Maze Book Review-Rose Madder I really enjoyed reading the book Rose Madder written by Stephen King. In Rose Madder the main character Rose, has been abused and tortured physically and sexually for many years. She wakes up out of her dream world and decides to change her life; all it took was one drop of blood. It was very easy to keep turning the page. King writes as Rose and as her husband, Norman. While writing as Rose he tells of her new life and how she is trying to put it back together, even though her fear of her husband finding her is always first in her mind. While writing as Norman he switches completely to a very deranged man who happens to be a cop with animal like instincts on the hunt for his wife. I felt that King did a great job at switching back and forth between the two personalities. Once Rose moves on with her life in a new city, with a new job, she finds a painting that seemed to be calling her name. There is a woman in the painting standing on a hill in a rose madder colored robe. She is standing with her back to the viewer. Rose realizes that the painting seems to be changing, getting bigger. She takes the back off of the painting and finds it is filled with different items out of the painting, something is not right. When she wakes up that night the painting has turned in to some kind of gateway into another world. When she entered the painting everything symbolized some past event in her life. King did a wonderful job connecting Rose's life to the painting. The switch between reality and the supernatural world was a huge surprise to me. Rose is trying to forget about Norman, but his hunt for her has proven successful. She has no other option than to enter the painting and try to hide from him. The beginning of this book is very realistic, but that changes. This book has a very supernatural ending but one that is very enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone Stephen King fan or not.
Rating: Summary: Well-written, but with some troubling messages Review: Like all of King's books, this is a fast-paced, enjoyable read, but I found the messages about gender troubling. It's one of those books that divides men into two categories: macho jerks and wimpy nice guys. Norman is an abusive monster. Bill starts out as a good character, but by the end, he has degenerated into a clueless, ineffectual cipher, and Rose seems to lose all respect for him and starts thinking of him as a helpless child. I'm a feminist--that means I object to any gender stereotyping, male or female. And I think this sort of false dichotomy between wimps and jerks is particularly dangerous. Most men, when offered such a choice, will choose to be macho jerks, and those who don't will end up downtrodden and unhappy (as is Bill's eventual fate--King does not paint a glowing future for this couple.) What's the message? That if you show any respect for women, you'll just wind up on the end of some woman's leash? I don't think that's what King wanted us to get out of it, but that's what the book conveys. At one point, Bill is even afraid of Rose, and she approves because "all men must learn what it means to be afraid of a woman," or something like that. It seems that, in the process of defeating Norman, she has become Norman. What's particularly troubling is that I don't think the irony was intentional.
Rating: Summary: Book Review for Stephen King's "Rose Madder" Review: Rose Madder, by Stephen King, is a wonderfully realistic book. The book is about a women who is being horribly abused by her psychotic husband and how she attempts to escape him. Rose is the battered wife and Norman is the villainous husband who ironically is also a respected police officer. King does and brilliant job at describing every detail of the environment and what each character is emotionally and physically feeling. It helps give the reader a great perspective of what is happening. So many times over the years has her husband beat her and got away with it and that makes the reader feel helpless with her. After many years she finally gets up the courage to leave him and the painful memories behind. Rose leaves the house with very little in her possession and attempts to start her life over again. Her journey is literally running from the law and a potential murderer at the same time. The book continues to keep you guessing as the journey goes on. The book is full of surprises and as realistic as the book is Stephen King adds a fantasy element to help in Rose's fight. I definitely recommend this book. Anyone who likes action and mystery will enjoy this book.
Rating: Summary: Overview of Rose Madder Review: Susan Maze Book Review-Rose Madder I really enjoyed reading the book Rose Madder written by Stephen King. In Rose Madder the main character Rose, has been abused and tortured physically and sexually for many years. She wakes up out of her dream world and decides to change her life; all it took was one drop of blood. It was very easy to keep turning the page. King writes as Rose and as her husband, Norman. While writing as Rose he tells of her new life and how she is trying to put it back together, even though her fear of her husband finding her is always first in her mind. While writing as Norman he switches completely to a very deranged man who happens to be a cop with animal like instincts on the hunt for his wife. I felt that King did a great job at switching back and forth between the two personalities. Once Rose moves on with her life in a new city, with a new job, she finds a painting that seemed to be calling her name. There is a woman in the painting standing on a hill in a rose madder colored robe. She is standing with her back to the viewer. Rose realizes that the painting seems to be changing, getting bigger. She takes the back off of the painting and finds it is filled with different items out of the painting, something is not right. When she wakes up that night the painting has turned in to some kind of gateway into another world. When she entered the painting everything symbolized some past event in her life. King did a wonderful job connecting Rose's life to the painting. The switch between reality and the supernatural world was a huge surprise to me. Rose is trying to forget about Norman, but his hunt for her has proven successful. She has no other option than to enter the painting and try to hide from him. The beginning of this book is very realistic, but that changes. This book has a very supernatural ending but one that is very enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone Stephen King fan or not.
Rating: Summary: zzzzz in the end Review: This book started out great, and honestly I would have preferred if king had not attempted to make this a paranormal "thriller" the highlights of the book are the parts that do not include anything "out of the ordinary" the ending was downright horrible and lacked any kind of reasoning and motivation. I'm kinda sad I wasted my time reading this book rather then another.
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