Rating: 
Summary: More like a DT preview novel than a sequel to Talisman
Review: I had put off reading Black House for more than a month. The reason being is that I knew that I would want to devour it in one sitting, which I did not have time to do. Finally, I just gave in and picked it up. This was more like a DT preview than a sequel to the Talisman, but it works. I was a little put off by the narration of the novel, but once you get used to that, the book reads fairly easy. Once again, we have our hero, Jack, now a retired LA homicide detective, living in the midwest. He gets sucked into another homicide case, particularly nasty 'cause the killer has fashioned himself after Albert Fish, a child serial killer. You find out the killer's identity fairly quickly, but the story is not about the killer, in a way. It's about the black house and evilness. All in all, a good read!Thanks for reading!
~Pandora
Rating: 
Summary: Read something else
Review: When I heard a sequel for The Talisman was in the works, my heart sank. The Talisman is a great book, combining the best parts of Stephen King and Peter Straub. The Black House, however, is better left on the shelf.
It contains none of the elements that made The Talisman such an enchanting story. If you're considering this book and haven't read the The Talisman, start there and ignore this disappointing sequel. And if you've read The Talisman, disregard The Black House and spend your money on something else.
Rating: 
Summary: A Complete Disappointment
Review: I don't know whether it is because I was so excited about the sequel to my favorite novel and ruined it for myself, but Blackhouse is a total disgrace and a bore to read, until around page 500. Even the ending is a disappointment by The Talisman's standards. Where it takes me less than a week to finish one of King's novels, this book took me 2 months! It was just out of pure respect for King that I finished this novel otherwise I would have returned it after the second chapter.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a very good sequel -- Very cheesy, but entertaining
Review: If you are a big fan of The Talisman, then you will probably be disappointed with this book. I know that I and many others (by the looks of this page) certainly were. The real magic of The Talisman was the fantasy aspect of the Territories, the people & creatures who dwelled there, how they acted in our world (and vice versa), and most of all, the quest for the Talisman. Black House, which is more or less a supernatural serial murder detective story, spends very little time linking this story to either the Territories or the story told in The Talisman. It actually has more to do with The Dark Tower story, which, in my opinion, is much less interesting than The Talisman. If you put all of that aside & just examine this as a unique story, you will almost certainly see that Black House is fairly weak, cheesy, but, as the same time, entertaining. Some of the writing is silly to the point of comedy. For example, the entity that infects Charles Burnside speaks in a ridiculous accent & insists on calling him "Burn Burn". On another occasion near the end of the book, Jack's thoughts about his blind friend Henry as Jack is going to visit him are unintentionally comical. Jack considers the source of Henry's fashion sense at such length that it could be the subject of a dissertation. Jack also fawns about how much he likes Henry (in a non-sexual way ... I think), at one point exclaiming mentally "I really adore Henry!". Some of this ridiculous dialouge may have been written by King (esp. the "dime, dime, Burn, Burn" parts), but I suspect that much of it was written by Straub. One can tell Straub's writing by the lack of clarity, pointless sub-stories, and obsession with all things related to jazz. Having read 2 of his so-called classic novels (Shadowlands, Ghost Story), his having churned out some of this drivel wouldn't surprise me. The story itself, while light on complexity, moves along at a pretty good pace & has some very good action along the way. If you're just looking for a diversion, then Black House is a good fit. If, however, you are looking for The Talisman Part 2, then you've come to the wrong House.
3 Stars for Entertainment.
Rating: 
Summary: The Territories or Mid World?
Review: This book is unlike the Talisman in that it is not a "Quest" novel and doesn't really spend much time in the Territories that I loved so much in the Talisman. Nevertheless Black House is SK's (and Straub's) best book since I would say "IT" The characters are great, especially Henry. And the narration tool used is so "god pounding" great that I was really blown away! It was also interesting as this book had so much to do with the Dark Tower series, as I think most all future SK books will. So while a person can pick up "Black House" and enjoy it....please read "The Talisman," all four Dark Tower Books, and for that matter "Hearts in Atlantis" before you read this. Thankee Sai.
Rating:
Summary: Better than I thought
Review: After reading the Talisman (twice), it has remained on my list of favorite books since (usually in the #1 spot!). Black House is every bit as good. It's like talking with old friends again. I couldn't put it down. I read it in 4 days! I, however, can't imagine it would be as good for those who have not read The Talisman and the Dark Tower novels. After having read reviews written by others, I am not surprised to learn that most readers share similar opinions. I add my thanks to Mr. Straub and Mr. King...you're great. I highly recommend this book. I now look forward to learning the fate of Roland and his companions.
Rating:
Summary: Black House by Stephen King Is A Spine Tingling Kind've Read
Review: Black House is a spine tingling kind've of read as with most of Stephen King novels. This one however I liked a little better than his last effort. Once I started reading this story I had trouble putting the book down. A first for me when it comes to horror stories and books of this nature. I liked Black House. I liked it a lot!
Rating:
Summary: Writer's experiment in style?
Review: This King/Straub collaboration reads differently than a typical Stephen King novel. Some of the first half of the book does not flow well and you are drawn to writing style as much as the plot. (Wondering, which one wrote this chapter? And noticing at times that Stephen forgot to take his own advice in his recent book, On Writing. Such as slipping in needless adverbs, and some prose that doesn't advance the story much.) The subject matter of Black House is disturbing, which made the story emotionally difficult to read at first and I almost didn't make it past the first 100 pages or so. In the story, the "Fisherman" is responsible for the gruesome deaths of several children. For me, this is going too far, even if the book is in the horror genre. That being said, as the plot evolves, the suspense builds and there are many "real" characters. (Not that you would read a King/Straub book for realism, anyway.) You can definitely feel the pain and fear of the parents, and the different ways they react to the violence in their town. There are some interesting connections to the Dark Tower books - so a lot of this plot feels like a bridge to some future sequel that more firmly ties Talisman and Dark Tower. I found the second half of the book to be more of the classic page-turner that I expect from these world class authors.
Rating:
Summary: pretty good!
Review: well I thought the book was pretty good and kind of
creepy.I recommend this book to horror buffs and
to people who like a good scare!
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Journey You Won't Regret
Review: In the first 100 pages, I think you can see Straub's influence in the way the story opens. It takes a little getting used to, but hang in there. It's King at his best story-telling. Only the master could relate so many of his novels when their plots are totally unrelated. Those of us who are ardent King readers get thrown enough bones in the end to leave us drooling for more in the Dark Tower series. I hope all this talk about connections doesn't discourage anyone from reading Black House. It's a great story.
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