Rating: 
Summary: Could have been so much better . . . or worse!
Review: King latched onto a very tired idea, a haunted house, and turned this book into much more than it should have been but not all it could have been. Excellent character development allows the reader to care about the main character, his writer's block, and his deceased wife. It also allows us to care about those involved in the inheritance dispute and even those who take care of the author's house when he's not there. The history--and even some geography--involved lend an air of credibility to the events. The plot moves along at a nicely even pace, and the topic of racism makes for some introspective reading, as well. King does cross the line, though, by making the incredible and supernatural elements of the story completely unbelievable and almost silly. I had to stop reading a couple of times, shake my head, and wonder why he bothered with all of that. . . . He got a bit ahead of himself, trying to please his loyal core audience, and turned a really good novel into just a good one. The detailed history behind the house (and the title) and the surrounding town is more than enough to sustain this plot through to a very suspenseful and satisfying conclusion without going to such ridiculous extremes on the supernatural front. Even the unbelievable elements of a good story need to be at least credible, in context. King strains this, and, in my opinion, loses the balance.Bottom Line: King's loyal fans were probably quite pleased. Casual fans, such as myself, were probably pleased to a lesser degree. First-time King readers (are there any?) might want to start with some of his older, more "classic" stuff. This was a good read that was occasionally interrupted by an eye-roll and shake of my head. Probably closer to 3 stars than 4, but I'll round up.
Rating: 
Summary: Haunting and Beautiful
Review: Bag of Bones is in one respect no different from the other novels that are the best of Stephen King's (The Dead Zone, Salems Lot, The Stand, Christine): it's a book about people, and before you finish the novel, you love the people and feel like you know them. Mike Noon, Jo, Mattie, and Ki will continue to be a part of me for the rest of my life, and I'm a better person having read this novel. If that sounds schmaltzy or melodramatic, well, so be it.
Rating:
Summary: Again and again
Review: Amazing. Stephen King, in every book he writes, uses his words to paint complete portraits of those characters who are essential to the plot, unless of course, it is important to the storyline that the reader no nothing of a particularly shadowy character. Besides the horror, the tragedy and the supernatural elements involved in every one of his stories, he stands out as taking from the same word bank every other writer has to choose from and turning them into a world unescapable for anyone who lets their preconceptions and inhabitions go. Mr. King, with Bag of Bones, takes us on yet another unforgettable and emotional ride into ourselves and his formidable imagination.
Rating:
Summary: ....amazing
Review: This is simply the best book ever. The characters act like real people, the plot is simply a masterpiece. Simply unpredictable, it took me places I never would have believed. Get this book if you havent... NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It really is the best book ever (sorry this sounds somewhat unintellegent, but I just finished it today and I'm still mesmerized...)
Rating:
Summary: Stephen King has absolutely outdone himself this time!
Review: Stephen Kings book Bag of Bones is astounding. I picked up this book before I went on vacation, and I couldn't put it down. It almost killed the point of the vacation though. I went on vacation to unwind, but this book kept me tense and on the edge of my seat! The pages just kept turning; I wasn't in control of it. This book demonstrated Stephen King's incredible knack for storytelling, and weaving plotlines together. He emotionally wraps you into feeling for his characters. I felt as if I was seeing all of the dreams and realities of the characters. When the characters laughed, I laughed; when they cried; I cried; when they were scared; I felt as if I was going to scream. The book just draws you in to the point that you almost get it confused with reality.
The book begins with a series of events that almost breaks your heart and then everything afterwards twists and turns and by the time you are finished you feel as if you have been tossed off an emotional cliff. The ending is a spellbinding mystery that leaves you wanting more. It is definitely my favorite of all of King's novels that I have read thus far. It has so many different elements. It's a story about love, but at the same time it's a thrill ride and a heart-stopping scare. If you read this book, expect to never want it to end. It's a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. Get the book and let the story take you over and blow your mind for a couple weeks. Or if your like me; it won't take you that long because you won't be able to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Another BRILLIANT King epic
Review: As readers of my reviews might notice, I'm an avid Stephen King reader, and an unshakable fan of his writing. Maybe that doesn't qualify me to write an objective review of Bag of Bones, so just accept this as an opinion rather than a critical commentary. In my view, SK reached new heights when he wrote Bag of Bones. In it, he tells the story of author, Mike Noonan's, struggle for equilibrium after his wife's tragic death. King builds up internal conflict (Noonan getting writer's block), more internal conflict (Noonan's suspicions about his former wife), and even more internal conflict (should Noonan give way to his emotions regarding a young single mother he meets). Then King builds the external conflicts (Noonan versus the 85 year old, wheelchair-bound Max Devore. Noonan versus the residents of Castle Rock on Dark Score Lake). And then supernatural conflicts (Noonan versus the dark spirits that haunt the perimiters of the lake). Stephen King is much more than just a horror fiction writer and, in Bag of Bones, you will meet face-to-face his intelligence of voice and his craftsmanship (the indelible sense of place, the well-fleshed characters, the unstoppable story line). You will also be struck by the witty and obsessive voice of King's powerful imagination.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Love Story... Hauting and beautiful
Review: I've always been a fan of Stephen King, and the older we get (Stephen and I, that is ;)) the more I enjoy the new paths he takes me through and new depths he reaches. This book is woderful King, with ghosts, gouls, and things that go bump in the night, but it is also full of love and truth, two things that I witness more in his writing now than I have in the past. It is moving and spellbinding at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: Sarah cried, laughed & rested
Review: Bag of bones definition: A secret kept; a mystery waiting to be unearthed; remnants of death. In TR, the old timers shared a terrible secret, which their descendants had to pay. Only the death of the last memeber of this group's blood kin could put an end to the town's curse & finally put an angry spirit to rest. This, combined with Mike Noonan's struggle to discover the elusive secret of the manor, seem to be the overlying plot of the story. Consequently, we have to note though the underlying theme of lowe's infinity. For Sarah, it is herlove for her son which drove her to transcend the boundaries of time to seek revenge. For Jo, it is her love for Mike & their unborn child which made her spirit linger longer, to guide Mike & ultimately save Kyra.
Rating:
Summary: This broke my heart....
Review: I wish I could give this more stars b/c Stephen King is a genius. He has written some wonderful books (IT is my all time favorite) and this has to be at the top of the list. Bag of Bones should be on everyone's reading list. No exceptions. Mike Noonan is a writer and is pretty good at it. His life is good and he has no complaints. Then one day, Jo, his wife dies, and his world is turned upside down. For Four years he's suffered from a writers block b/c he misses his wife so much. He feels that he can't go on. To get away from everything, he moves to his sumemr home in western Maine. He hopes to get back to his roots and maybe be albe to write again. In a strange turn of events, (I won't say what, you'll have to read it for yourself) he meets a child named Ki, and her mother Matie who's 19 and helps them with a problem....a very sersious one. Soon Mike finds that some spirits are contacting him with the Magnets on his fridge in his summer home. In the process of helping Mattie and Ki, he also learns a secret about his dead wife, Jo. That's all I really want to say about the plot. You need to read it for yourself. When it comes to creating char, King's a genius. The reader will find themselves caring about Mattie and Ki, and their heart will break as mine did by the end. I fell in love with mattie and Ki. King wrote with the emotions and the language that a child would use. It was very emotional and prowerful..and my heart broke... The die hard King fans will see char's from other books and aspects from King's like in Bag of Bones. Even if the reader never picks up on them, they'll still be able to enjoy this book. If you've never read King b/c you don't like horror, please read this book. It's not a true "horro" book. This is a masterpiece. Plain and simple. If you don't read this book, you will be missing out on a lot. I urge you to run, and not walk to your local bookstore and get your hands on a copy. I promise you won't be sorry. Bag of Bones is a timeless classic....
Rating:
Summary: Undeniably Powerful
Review: If you're reading these reviews, you're probably trying to decide if its worth dropping this book in your shopping cart. I hope you will. I'm a pretty big Stephan King fan; you think I'd be able to see and understand all the elements in his bag of tricks by now. Thankful I can't. He remains an amazing story teller and this book feels a little differant that his others. There's a slow, slow build that breaks out into an overwhelming conclusion. It may be one of the his most satisfying books. He's often focusing on the outside world, and how we're connected to some higher purpose (The Stand, It, Dreamcatcher) but this time he keeps his keen flashlight pointed inward. Of all the locals haunted by restless spririts, the most important one is Mike Noonan's heart. In telling his story, King is at his funny, touching best. I highly recommend it.
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