Rose Madder

Rating:
Summary: Scared my Silly!
Review: Oh goodness, I periodically had to lock this book away and turn on ALL the lights and turn ALL my paintings so they'd face the wall and sing many happy tunes so I woulnd't be scared! ROSE MADDER was terrifying to me. I suggest you read it with a big cup of latte but better make it a decaf! Not too hot because you might spill it on a new pair of pants. I want to tell you what happened but I better not! Oh, I need some Rolaids! This book gave me hives! And a beehive hairdo! Rose dies in the end. No she doesn't . Just kidding. Maybe. Ha ha ha.

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: Rose Madder is a great read. The book is like an exciting lifetime battered woman movie, with the battered spouse escaping the hellish situation. The friends that Rose makes at the shelter are realistic depictions of women, and Rose is such a sympathetic likeable character. The supernatural elements involving the painting, fox, etc are so fabulous and surreal. The supernatural used here in my opinion really really works and is just great. Don't Miss Rose Madder.

Rating:
Summary: Ze Bool
Review: I regard this work by Stephen King as one of the weirdest. This book is like a first draft, a sketch. Snip: (...)

Rating:
Summary: people shouldn't be looking for reality
Review: I was surprised it took so long for Stephen King to step away from the reality. I hated Norman Daniels but I loved how well developed he was. I loved the use of "The Name Game." as for comments on his dialogue it's an age old thing you can't have great dialogue and great description.when I read King i want his detail. This book wasn't his greatest plot nor did it have his greatest heroine but the end was pretty good it showed that ones past resonates throughout their lives. Rose proved at the end to be much more complex than she seemed to be.

Rating:
Summary: Better than Gerald's Game
Review: Rose Madder is the second Stephen King book that I have read, with Gerald's Game being the first. I liked Rose Madder. It had a haunting beginning, a somewhat dragged-out middle, and an appropriate ending. The worst part of Rose Madder involved the whole painting scenario. If that part of the book had not existed, I would have given this book an extra star. The villain in this book became more and more insane, but I still found him to be very interesting. When comparing Rose Madder to Gerald's Game, for some reason I cared more about Rosie McClendon than I did for Jesse. I guess Rosie had more depth to her (JMO). Rose Madder certainly had its flaws, but I would and do recommend this book, especially to first time Stephen King readers.

Rating:
Summary: Rose Madder
Review: Rose Madder started out to be a very interesting book. I felt it was a very good story until it took a turn from a very realistic plot to one of little reality. In the beginning you are introduced to a women by the name of Rose. Rose has been a victim of physical abuse from her husband of fourteen years, Norman. She is able to withstand all of the torture he puts her through that is until the day when one drop of blood begins a chain of events in her life that will never let her be the same. You will see all of the changes Rose goes through as she sets out for a life of her own. Just as she is starting to settle into her new life style a simple picture once again sets the series of events into high gear. This point in the book is when things go from probable to unbelievable. When the plot made this change in direction I started to lose interest in the book. I feel that the absence of reality lowers the intensity of the book and that a more realistic plot puts my emotions on edge. I would, although suggest this book to others. I am sure not everyone shares my tastes in literature. The book did have several strong points. The one I found most interesting was King's ability to describe the action. As I read the book the action and detail where so precise it sometimes felt as if I were watching a movie instead of reading a book. Another bad feature was the way the text jumped back and forth between charters and between different sides or versions of the same character. I found that sometimes I had to back track to see if things had really happened or if they were simply events in the minds of the characters. The contrast between actuality and imagination in this book sometimes left me confused, but as read and reread the book I was able to make sense of most of it. You will also see as Rose's husband go from a bad person to a completely horrible waste of flesh. I hated this character more with every word I read about him and with every detail of his past that was uncovered. I did find it very interesting how King made him appear more threatening as the story unfolded. He transforms from a wife beater to something much worse. I will not give away his secrets or the conclusion to all of the madness. I guess if anyone wants to find this out they will have to read Rose Madder for themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Only Good for Writers looking to Discern technique
Review: As a fellow writer I admire Stephen King's novels filled with creativity. Yes, this book drags on too long, yes it's repetitive (I wanna talk to you, up close), yes the characters are characatures, and yes the painting concept is ill-conceived.

That said, it was worth reading for me as a writer because it gave me some good ideas to use for my own writing. I'd say the weakest part of King's book is the dialogue, but you have to know how difficult it can be to invent dialogue for fictional characters. The strongest aspect of his writing is descibing what goes on in his character's minds. This he's masterful at. But I'd say the more realistic the characters and story, the better the fiction. The characters in this novel are not well developed. Speaking as a regular reader, the book draws you in with an interesting scenario and just keeps you interested enough to keep reading.

Rating:
Summary: D&S against Norman Daniels
Review: Yet another great Stephen King book, I'll tell you a little about it

Rose Daniels is a abused wife, that it afraid to do anything that make her husband angry, especially to try and leave him. But after fourteen years and one miscarriage later, Rose finally gets up the courage to leave, and goes to a battered woman shelter. Finally, she hopes to have a better life, without her husband, Norman. But is she really free from Norman's shadow? Because Norman is a cop with the instincts of a predator, and he will go to any lengths to teach Rose a lesson. And Rose's only hope may lay in a strange, spell-binding picture.

Rating:
Summary: A Chilling Look at Domestic Abuse Through King's Eyes
Review: Rose Madder by Stephen King brings to life a dream for anyone who has ever been belittled...revenge. In this book Rose gets even with her abusive husband in a strangely beautiful picture purchased at a pawn shop. She ultimately kills him in a fantasy world which carries over into reality. One complaint-King transports us into this world with no explanation, which can be puzzling. But it all ends up well as the "bad guy" dies, and Rose lives happily (?) ever after.

Rating:
Summary: Not his best
Review: Stephen King has a nasty habit of introducing supernatural events into his books, without explaining them adequately. Rose Madder is no exception, with a supernatural sequence weaved into the plot which leaves the reader astounded. The character development is terrific, and up until a picture comes to life, the book has a lot of potential. While Rose walks through her recently purchased picture, you keep on expecting the Easter Bunny to appear! From this point the book goes downhill. Rose's already psychotic husband (Norman) goes completely over the edge, but his insanity is not even remotely realistic. He still has control over what he does, even though his psychosis is driven by pure rage. Rose goes within two months from a timid mouse to a ferocious woman, ready to protect everything close to her, including her wimp of a boyfriend. The book is definately readable, but only with an extremely open mind, a good dose of humour and nothing better to do. Rather read "The picture of Dorian Grey", it is much better.