The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red

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Summary: Classic King...
Review: To all those people out there who were frustrated by this being a work of fiction, I say to you that Stephen King's novels are all about questioning what is real and what is not. Dig a little deeper into your mind...and read other books of his, like Needful Things, Insomnia, or the Shining...

As for this book...I found I couldn't put it down. King writes in a woman's voice excellently, as in his other books (Geralds Game, Dolores Claiborne). And I think the combination diary, documentary, and mini-series are a great way to expand the story. Perhaps King is not satisfied simply writing novels anymore, he wants to shake things up a bit. That's just my theory!

Rating:
Summary: A Scam
Review: This is fiction--the diaries are not real, the author listed on the cover is not real, the foreword is not real. This entire book is supposed to be made up. Which is fine, but the people (whoever they are) who put this book together went to a lot of trouble to create the imnpression that this is supposed to be based on real documents. I felt cheated and offended by this marketing trick that was supposed to draw viewers to themini series.

Despite all the above ranting, the book is quite fun. I got it for a long plane ride and it did the trick--supernatural phenomena, abused wife, mystery--it has all thecomponents of a good Stephen King novel. So why bother pretending it is not?

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Summary: Obviously not real
Review: During the "Rose Red" miniseries..they advertised the book. We all knew (at least I did) that it was just a book to accompany the miniseries...like the background that they didn't have time to show on the screen. Stephen King put Joyce Reardon and Steven Rimbauer on the book because Joyce from the miniseries was the one who had researched everything and was the scientist and Steven Rimbauer was Ellen Rimbauer's last remaining relative. I think it was great that Stephen King put this out.

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Summary: A terrific story that stands well alone
Review: The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer is the companion piece for Stephen King's recent miniseries, Rose Red. It provides the entire backstory of the Rimbauer family and the events described, but barely shown, in the t.v. show. I read it in between the 2nd and 3rd installments, and ended up enjoying it much more than the miniseries itself. While the book is presented as a diary "edited" by a fictional character, I think it was done in fun, not to "trick" the reader as several other reviewers seem to believe. Even if you haven't seen the show, I would recommend this book as a great "haunted house" story. (In fact, THIS is the movie they should have made.)

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Summary: The Softer Side of Stephen King?
Review: I LOVED The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red. While the actual plot and intrigue of the story certainly held my attention (I could hardly put the book down!); what fascinated me most was the way that Stephen King (by the way,I don't buy for a minute that this book was read/edited/whatever by a "Joyce Reardon") was able to see into and lay bare the innermost feelings of a woman's soul - of course he is without doubt a master at peering into the human soul as any fan of his will attest, but this was nothing short of phenomenal. If you're thinking of buying this book for that special lady in your life my advice is "GET IT AND DON'T THINK TWICE" if you're thinking of getting it for that special guy I'd say pass this one up and get him a Tom Clancy instead since this book won't hold a guy's interest!

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Summary: Fascinating
Review: I thought this book was so interesting! I can't wait for Joyce Reardon's report on the house itself. I went to the website to view pictures but was disappointed with the content. This book is amazing.

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Summary: More please...
Review: This wasn't too bad. I went into this book not quite sure what to expect. It was better than I would ever have thought, but if you go into this story expecting a backgroud for the mini-series don't, this 'diary' is the story that the series is 'based' on.
That is not to say don't read this, it is a wonderful story in it's own right. It got you involed in the life of Ellen. You become one of her friends. ( John, of course, is a bad word that starts with a 'B' ) It follows Ellen through her life at Rose Red. From the conception to the monster it became. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll stop here. :)
One of the down falls of this book ( which is FICTION, duh!!!! ) is that it gives many possible explainations why the house is eating people, ( bural ground, house loves Ellen, Ellen's latent psychic powers, and a whole lot more ) but doesn't give me any closure! I NEED CLOSURE!!!
I hope that more is 'discovered' about the house, Ellen, and the people she loves.

Rating:
Summary: Good Read.... One setting book
Review: I read this in one setting. Very quick moving and allows you to better understand what transpired in the movie. I would recommend this to anyone who is a true SK fan!

Rating:
Summary: Great Novel....
Review: But it was certainly not meant to stand on its own. It was written to lend history to the ABC television mini series "Rose Red". The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer is a great tool to understanding the mini series, as well as the mini series served to answer some of the questions the book left you begging.

Joyce, the "author" of this book, was the lead scientist in the miniseries "Rose Red". In the novel she notes that she is going in to the house, to reawaken the "dead cell" -a house that the haunting has gone dormant in. The movie picks off where the editors notes leave off. The movie on the other hand starts with the assumption that everyone has read the novel, and understands the tainted history of the now haunted house. In a perfect world, the novel would be sold with the 6 hour miniseries as a companion piece.

While the book is an enjoyable, and creepy read, it is enhanced with the viewing of "Rose Red".

Rating:
Summary: A Rather Interesting Visit To Rose Red
Review: The life of Ellen Rimbauer and Rose Red is very captivating. It was a page turner that I was very hard pressed to put down until the less than satisfying end. It gives a lot of history on Ellen, her husband and how she came to be the person she became. It also gives some interesting theories of why Rose Red "is who she is." I don't know if I necessarily believe in the paranormal but I would definately not be willing to test any theories by staying in that house! A very good read. Be prepared to do it in one sitting ... maybe with a light on or two.