The Tommyknockers

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Summary: The Tommyknockers- a review on a great book
Review: Let's suppose that you live in a quiet town in Maine. It's a peaceful life, and the only thing bad that happens around there's an occasional drunken rampage. Then, after someone uncovers some sort of spaceship hidden in the ground, this quiet town that you call your home is taken over by alien life-forms. This is precisely what happens in The Tommyknockers, a book by the great author Stephen King. I will not lie by saying that this is my favorite Stephen King novel, but I truly loved the book. I believe that King did a fantastic job of describing the characters. Bobbi Anderson was not one that I liked, or the country folks of Haven, but my favorite character was Jim Gardener, or better known as "Gard". Gard is an awesome main character, with real-life problems such as alcoholism. Gard spends most of his time getting drunk and having ponderings about stuff like flying tractors and such. Most people see Stephen King as a horror writer, but next to that, I think that his best attribute is his ability to describe his characters as normal people that live in small hick towns, not people like forensics experts or the top-notch detectives.

The only thing that I don't like is that The Tommyknockers has many little side stories, like the life story of Haven constable Ruth McCausland, and how she was eventually ran out of town, or the beginning where it pretty much has Gard sitting in a bar, listening to the leader of his poetry group, Patricia Mcardle, try and hit on some guy in the bar. Other than that, this is one of my favorite books. In conclusion, I think that if you are looking for a good Stephen King novel, read The Tommyknockers.

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Summary: A good read for both "Constant Readers" and new fans...
Review: As one who has read all of King's novels (except for the Dark Tower series - fantasy just can't hold my attention), I must say this one is high on my list of favorites. Those who love his funky humor and attention to small details (the Havenites seem to live and breathe) will enjoy this great (albeit long) novel.

If you're a fan of 200 page westerns (i.e. my husband), you too may complain about the "long-winded" descriptions. Take my advice - "That's PLOT, dear!" and read on, I'll bet you'll find yourself wondering where the time went!

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Summary: Worst Ever
Review: I know I will probably take some shots for this, but as a huge Stephen King fan I found this book to be the worst he ever wrote and the only one I didn't finish. The story was so unbelievable I questioned whether King really wrote it. If you read this then you read a classic like "The Green Mile" I think you will agree that this book is not up to the usual King standards.

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Summary: Excellent
Review: This isn't my favourite King novel, but I do love it. The plot gets a bit murky and eventually the whole thing breaks down into a finale totally driven by the interest in the characters King works up--but what a bunch of characters! Bobbi Anderson I didn't really like, and the rest of the Havenites were a rather unexciting bunch of hicks, but Jim Gardener was a brilliant main character. King's writer characters usually are some of his best.

The thing with this novel is that it contains to many side-plots and offshootings from the main story--such as Gard's brilliant confrontation with 'Argelbargle' at the party. These have very little to do with aliens taking over Earth, but there one of the many brilliant facets King embellishes his novels with which make them so entertaining.

This isn't King's scariest novel, and the going is sometimes pretty arid. Bobbie's adventures with her beagle....at the book's opening do stimulate little more than an irritated yawn, but trust me, everything builds up to a good climax. (Well, mostly good--the Tommyknocker's inventions do push the limits of credibility a bit, and I found Gardener's escape on a flying tractor a little bit hard not to laugh at.)

I would recommend this novel to everyone, if for one reason only: Sissy. Bobbie's fiend-like sister Anne 'Sissy' Anderson is the scariest person King has ever created (even more frightening than Pennywise!), and she's also my favourite character ever. Her much too short appearance later in the novel is just plain brilliant, and the way she's brought in at the end to aid Gard's escape is one of those joyous macabre cavalry charges which King writes so well.

Overall "The Tommyknockers" is a bit confusing in places, and I still don't actually know what the tommyknockers WERE, but I would recommend it. It's not a classic, but it's still pretty good.

If nothing else, read it for Sissy. You won't be disappointed!

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Summary: Not too shabby
Review: This was the second book I have ever read by Stephen King and I thought it was wonderful as I was reading it but as I read a couple other books of his, I thought that they were better. I liked the Dark Half and Desperation for a good find

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Summary: A Fun Read From An Entertaining Writer!
Review: Who hasn't heard of Stephen King? Not many people right? But what do people think when you say his name? "Oh, he's just too scary for me!" An unfortunate misconception that keeps many hardcore book readers away from King's writings. So here is a story that isn't too scary that might interest people into checking out his work. It's a little sci-fi, a little horror, a little mystery all wrapped up in one big package! Stephen King is more of a writer of the sinister, the possibility of treachery and maddness in each of us. A true sense of horror, of that slight jolt of electricity that for a second makes you just want to drop the book, really wasn't present here. But there sure were some cool ideas! The way people pay for new found abilities with the blood of the not-so innocent was a somewhat humorous twist in this book (all though I did start to feel kinda weird at some of the stuff I found myself laughing at). That is one of Stephen King's greatest achievements in his writing, his ability to take something that in any real circumstance would be deemed a great and terrible misfortune and make his audience laugh (maybe more appropriate to say snicker, somewhat devilishly)at these unexpected turn of events! For the most part Mr. King doesn't fail to entertain his massively loyal audience, and The Tommyknockers is no exception. If you haven't read it yet and you are not particularly a Stephen King fan go check it out at your library, it can't hurt. If you do call yourself a Stephen King fan and you haven't read this book yet, well shame on you!

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Summary: Very thrilling!
Review: This was the first King novel I read. I was about ten or so and as the book's very long I was mighty proud when i was finished, although I didn't like the story that much. When I read it again five years later I could hardly put it down. This is a great novel, enchanting, exciting and very scary. Perhaps his second best novel ("Misery" is my favourite) and a step in the right direction. Read it and see for yourself.

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Summary: A hair raising experience
Review: Tommyknockers was truly (and still is) an interesting horror for me. I like the way Stephen King took each character and described what was happening with them. I felt like I was there. As a matter of fact, I started reading this book in 1994 or 95 and I still have a good 150-200 pages to read....not that's its slow to read because its a very good book, it just plain scared me and I put it down and haven't picked it back up....I plan to do so soon ~ keep them coming stephen!

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Summary: Just another Stephen King novel... or is it?
Review: The Tommyknockers is not your typical horror novel. Stephen King goes above and beyond our expectations, bringing us mystery, suspense, and an incredible twist at the end that leaves us begging for more. You'll never look at small towns the same after visiting the seemingly innocent community of Haven, Maine, where the story takes place. The superhuman powers and horror that follows after Bobbi Andersons shocking discovery on her property will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire novel. Though the length of the book may seem intimidating at first, do not be deterred; it's an easy read, a constant page turner, and worth every minute! Much like the outsiders around the town of Haven, once you get in to explore the Tommyknockers, there will be no turning back.

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Summary: Best of the Bangor blood-master
Review: I read this book in the seventh grade...my first of Stephen's (a close neighbor of mine at the time). Since then I must have read a hundred of his other works, but this one is the best: fantasy, sci-fi, horror and genius imagination not woven, rather melted together. Yeah, it's long, yeah, they dig for a long time, but the drudgingness of the couple's labor just adds to the physical experience of the reading. It actually makes you exhausted (to be even more virtually worn out read "the long walk"). It's best read on a HOT summer day with nothing on your mind.