Rating: Summary: His Worst Review: Characters- one dimensional. Couldn't identify with any. Story- Kind of silly. Execution- Overlong and overblown. Readability- Very confusing at times. Flashbacks within flashbacks within flashbacks.
Rating: Summary: Not his best Review: 4 boyhood friends meet each year to go hunting at Beav's cabin, Hole in the Wall. Each is having difficulties in their lives and look forward to the hunting trip. But this year, a man stumbles into their lives and the cabin, missing teeth and time and carrying a frightening parasite that not even he knows about.This is not King at his best, but as he wrote this book while recovering from his near-fatal car accident, it is wonderful that he has written again, period. The book is frightening and, at time, gross. There are flashes of King brilliance in this book, but a lot of the 700+ pages are taken up with sub-plots and routine stuff that could have been left out of the book. I rejoice that Mr. King is still around and still writing - and recommend this book only half-heartedly.
Rating: Summary: a dream catcher to the unknown culture Review: I have read some of the novels of Stephen King, such as the Island of Treasure and so on. however, to my discontent, I am oblivious to the culture the author lived and created and enjoyed, partly because that I lived in a sociaty whose culture is totally different from his. But that only increase my curosity to it, so I choose to learn its language. at that time I thought that there would be nothing in my way once I could listen to them, read them, talk with them. the fact is that I could not understand them by now, partly because that I could not think the way as they do. and also, the distance between the two countris lengthens my access to my dream. I am that dreamcatcher on the way to my dream!
Rating: Summary: half the size would have made a nice book Review: To say it in the beginning: I just LOVE books with lots of pages. Over 1000 is my Eldorado. Stephen King did write a very good story but the pace is veeery slow. I had to press myself on and, I have to admit, if the book wasn't from King I wouldn't have finished it. I presume Stephen King has grown too big in the market that anyone still has the courage to tell him to take some really boring parts out. The story is King-like. Interesting, bloody, a bit vulgar at times and surely another body-snatcher-approach as usual. I like the story very much but as I said, it could be compressed in half the size and twice the thrill.
Rating: Summary: Stephen King is Definitely Back Review: The first Stephen King book I ever read was "It". The book was among a pile of books brought into the office where I worked and they were all up for grabs. Not being a fan of horror movies, or horror books for that matter, I wondered why I even picked it up. I began reading "It" that night and was not only pleasantly surprised but I was hooked. People who haven't read any of King's books might not realize that he has a kind of dry, wry and somewhat warped sense of humor that makes me laugh out loud. The expressions that his characters use are clever and funny and have a way of letting the reader know more about the character who uses them. King always includes lyrics from some old rock and roll songs in his books. "Dreamcatcher" is no exception. The Rolling Stones song "Sympathy for the Devil" has a part in the book and one of the main characters, Henry Devlin, has a fixation on the lyric, "Hello darkness my old friend..." from another oldie. "Dreamcatcher" is the story of four childhood friends who grew up in Derry, Maine. Henry, Beaver, Jonesy and Pete. As teenagers the four boys happened upon Duddits, a Down syndrome boy, who is being cruelly taunted by a group of older boys. The four pals come to the rescue of Duddits chasing off the bullies in an amazing show of courage and toughness that surprises even them. They immediately like Duddits and the five become friends. After saving Duddits, who is a dreamcatcher, the four are telepathically linked. The four friends have continued to stay in touch and they get together yearly to go hunting and stay in Beaver's cabin, Hole in the Wall. Now in their late 30's each is going through life problems. Henry, a psychiatrist, is contemplating suicide (hello darkness my old friend); Beaver, who has always been the group's comedian and entertains with his colorful, creative and funny cursing, is having relationship problems; Pete is over the line into alcoholism; and Jonesy is recovering from hip surgery after being hit by a car. Through Jonesy Stephen King relates to the reader his painful real-life ordeal of being hit by a car and suffering through the recovery. It's on their hunting trip that they encounter the aliens through a man named McCarthy who Jonesy nearly shoots as a bear. McCarthy has been implanted with an alien creature that erupts from his body (I dare not tell from where) and attacks Beaver. Jonesy's mind is invaded by an alien he calls Mr. Gray and he builds himself a mental warehouse storeroom where he hides from the alien. Of course, Mr. Gray knows he's there but he can't get into the storeroom to completely take over Jonesy's mind. Everyone who is exposed to the aliens becomes telepathic and much of the dialog takes place through each characters mind. Since the four friends already experience telepathic communication the alien influence just boosts their powers and they communicate with each other through all their separate trials. "Dreamcatcher" is a return of the Stephen King we've all become accustomed to reading. It has colorful and vulnerable characters, ferocious aliens, an insane military leader, the love and bonding of childhood friends, a race-to-the-finish story line and a satisfying ending.
Rating: Summary: Even Tabitha didn't like it Review: I thought about giving this two stars, but it's a Stephen King book, so against all his others I have to give it one only. The first part of the book was so hard to get through because it was so dull. It did pick up a bit, but I still had to force my way through. It wasn't scary, the characters were not interesting and the pacing was off. It wasn't just that it took parts from other books, they were washed down. Compare the kids in It to these. Compare the aliens in Tommyknockers to these. Compare the villain from Golden Years to these. The book just doesn't hold up. I only finished it so I could start Black House with a clear conscience. I wasn't surprised at the end to find that his wife hadn't like the book, either. Should have listened to her, Steve, and left his one in the trunk.
Rating: Summary: Darker and DARKER Review: Reading Stephen KING novels is a tremendous pleasure every time, don't misunderstand me, but the stories motos are now becoming very much the same : a group of kids not willing to grow up, friendship and nostalgy, and a darker and DARKER mood, heroes are now getting older, often injuried if not killed and the stories are showing how King getting older himself is surrounded by negative feeling about aging and death. The Dreamcatcher also miss somewhat of the creative and fantasy that would make his first novels so exclusive... however let's wait for the 15 th of september and the new novel written together with Peter Straub who is a real fantasy writer. MIGHT BE WORTH A FIVE STARS !...
Rating: Summary: Recycle but Worth the Read for Die Hard Fans Review: Is it a rehash? Yes. Is it good? Yes. To create write this book use the following formula: 1 part Stand 1 part It 2 parts Tommyknockers 1 part The Body (Stand by Me) Dash of the Dark Tower Combine ingredients. Mix well. Read for a week or until done. The book is good; however, it seems more like of a "Best Of" and does not really stand on its own. With some much interspec, there is no worry that this one will be a movie/mini-series.
Rating: Summary: Hearkens back to his earlier horror novels. Review: Four childhood friends must save the Earth from the deadly plague alien invaders plan to spread through our drinking water. Mr. King takes this premise and runs with it, giving us a novel that resembles some of his earlier work such as It and The Tommyknockers. At times this book is riveting, just as some of his very early stories like Salems Lot and The Dead Zone were. At times it is bloated and boring. The chase that dominates the middle of the book drags on and on and on. And the ending, at least for me, was not easily understandable. The way in which the alien was bested left me disappointed. I've felt for a while that many of King's later works really need a good editing. Read Salem's Lot for a good, tight, scary story. And yet, and yet.... No one can draw me into a story like Stephen King. Even with my complaints I'd rather read him than almost anyone else. And it was good to see him writing good old fashioned horror again, the kind that grabs you by the throat and makes you afraid to turn off the lights. Perhaps not as good as Salem's Lot (but then, what is?) but still a good read.
Rating: Summary: Dustcatcher Review: All of King's books have found a home in my personal library, but "Dreamcatcher" has been collecting dust. Has taken months to force myself through 354 pages. Every time I open the book it's as though I'm overcome by a case of attention-deficit-disorder. However, having read a few glowing reviews offered in this venue, I will continue the read, searching for a bit of the magic that has made Mr. King a master storyteller.
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