Rating: 
Summary: No Filler Here, this is King at his best
Review: First of all, King's ability to introduce and maintain so many diverse characters shines brighter than ever in Desperation. Secondly, King creates a compelling spiritual aspect to the story without the church-ianity so common in contemporary stories. Let me put it this way, you can buy this part of the story even if you are the kind of person that is put off by the preachiness of your average Ziggy comic. Finally, King pieces together the many faces of our shape-shifting villain, Tak, (as well as the constantly changing point of view within the narrative) in a seamless and cogent manner. King has a lot going here, and brings it all home with great style.Sure there are flaws, namely Marinville's undeveloped war flashback, but this story just keeps on rolling with no apologies. The worst aspect of Desperation is the unnatural dialogue of Cynthia. King gives Cynthia a tough-talking masculine voice which is more like a retired teamster from the Bronx, and less like the voice of a tough little runaway chick. I mean, passages like, "Don't call me cookie and I won't call you cake", are a bit much. Some advice from a loving fan Stephen, leave your own voice out of these female characters! It's impossible to believe that they are women at all! I recommend this book provided: 1.) you have the time to invest in it's 700 pages and 2.) that you can bear 4 page passages about spiders. Overall, a great sleeper hit from the greatest suspense writer to ever touch the page! Tak! Mi him en Tow!
Rating: 
Summary: A Natural Phenomonon of Literature
Review: As with most King works I love them. This is no exception. As the title of this article suggests a book this good is very rare. I liked it for a lot of reasons, to start, it was a Christian novel and had a LOT of cool stuff. The action was relentless here. From page 1 to page 547(the end i think) this was just hiding, fighting, running from jail and a drama. I felt for these characters a lot. What marks a good King book for me is how I bond with the characters(IT, The Stand etc..). I was really touched by David Carver's devoutness to God. I learned a lot about God(I know it sounds weird cause who would know that Stephen King actually taught me about God). Now back to the action, it is very rare in a book when ALL of it is just fast paced can't-put-it-down. I had fun trying to figure out the 'mystery' of what Tak was, what he did, etc. etc. This was also really creative, and once again I wonder how he figured this story out! Anyone who likes a book that is exciting and fast paced(who wouldn't) should pick this book up!
Rating: 
Summary: Not even close to King's best
Review: This may actually be the worst King I've ever read. I'll grant that it keeps you turning pages early on. But after a while the obsession with sex gets a little annoying. Even if not his worst, it's certainly his most vulgar. Additionally, this one wraps up in what I've found to be usual King fashion. Far too quickly and with little of the suspense and fear that the story starts with. As is often the case with his stuff, I found myself just wanting to get through the last 100 pages. Just to get it over with. It left me feeling cheated.
Rating: 
Summary: Good story starts to break down . . .
Review: I'm 2/3 of the way through this book and the fiction quality is starting to degrade. The first part of the book is by far the best, when everyone is brought to Desperation, but the slew of campy stock characters gets to be a bit tiring. For example, Cynthia frequently says a bunch of stupid things that no one in that situation would say, things like "Don't call me 'cookie'." Don't get me wrong, it's a fast and somewhat entertaining read, but definitely not King's best (and neither is the Stand, for that matter). There are also hints of "deus ex machina" here, not to mention a lot of adverbs (and I say that zestfully, Mr. King).
Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking, and scary as hell...a great combo!
Review: I found 'Desperation' to be thrilling, frightening, and inspirational. King starts off with a typical setup(small group of strangers thrown together in an unfamiliar setting to battle something they don't understand). Add a bit of religious undertone,and you've got another 'Good vs. Evil' story, right?
Wrong! 'Desperation' is the most even-handed analysis of 'faith' that King has ever written. By developing David Carver, and his 'mission' to make a difference in the lives of others, King gives us a sympathetic, highly believable, character. I think anyone who reads it will see that the story adresses questions we've all wondered about regarding faith, and why God answers some prayers, but seemingly doesn't answer others.
Johnny Marinville's 'change of heart' at the end of the story is perhaps not unexpected, but the motivation for it came as a pleasant surprise!
The mark of a really great King novel is the believability of the characters. I found I could really sympathize with this group, come to think of them as friends, cheer them on, and sympathize when they encountered tragedy. 'Desperation' ranks with 'Dreamcatcher' and 'The Stand' as the best SK novels. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: I am a Stephen King fan, but even this book surprised me. Amazing heart and charisma. He did it again. I highly recommend this book, but there is a warning to the faint of heart. It can get bloody and if violence really bothers you, you will not be able to see past it and look into the eyes of this book. I couldn't put it down and then I couldn't sleep for a week. I had to hide this book under dresser so I could sleep at nite. This book is alive with it's character's, it's details, it's rythym, and it's soul. Yes, this book has a soul. The details are astounding, and you will fall in love with the people. Stephen King reminds us again, to go to the innocent to be saved. Suffer the children. Great theme. You will love it.
I also recommend: Stephen King's; It, and Pet Semetary.
Rating:
Summary: Suspense, & Terror - A Must Read Book
Review: Desperation:The title says it all. It is a book written by a best selling novelist, Stephen King. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. You can feel the characters fear and their pain. If you are ready for suspense and terror, it is a must read book. This book is about a huge tale of a small town and the unbelievable things the people who may pass through, will have to go through in order to survive. I highly recommend this novel. You won't be able to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Stephen King!!!
Review: It's been a while since Stephen King has written a book as good as this one. I put this in the same category as The Stand and It. To be honest with you, I didn't like the start of the book. I had to force myself through the start of it and right when I was going to really give up... it got good. Hey!! Just like The Stand!! But it didn't just get good, it got really good. A real page turner once things started heading in the right direction. I couldn't wait to put it down clear till the nail-biting conclusion. I liked the characters that Stephen King created in this book. As real-to-life as any Stephen King has created. Marinville is a joy to read even though he can be a complete jerk. The story of Steve and his hitch-hiking friend, Cynthia, is fun as they are thrown into the story. But especially the story of The Carver family, and the young child, David. The theme of this book is that God is cruel, and while his cruelty is refining, there is a purpose to everything that happens... whether it is good or bad. While I don't believe God is as cruel as Stephen King makes him out to be (hey, this is through the eyes of Stephen King for crying out loud), it does make you stop to realize the small and simple (but sometimes large and complicated) things God will do in your life to bring about his will and good-will to man-kind. A fantastic read and highly recommended... but this book is not for the faint of heart.
Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: I am a big Stephen King fan. I really admire his ability to create real characters and how he gets inside their heads. He really does have a gift, which is evident in tales such as The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, The Body, etc. Unfortunately, Desperation reads like it was written by somebody attempting to ape King's style, and missed all of the depth. This is a very superficial and messy story. I did not care about these characters, they did not seem real. That's rare for King. I have read his brilliant book 'On Writing' - the sad thing is that he breaks many of his own rules in Desperation. It reads like a second draft - with still many unnecessary sentences, smelly adverbs, etc still in it. In fact, it reminded me of the story in 'On Writing' that he provides as an example of an unedited work. I guess that if you merely want a fast-paced horror tale with a lot of action, then there's a lot for you to like here. But that's not why I read King.
Rating:
Summary: Once you start you will be desperate to find time to finish
Review: This is one of King's better novels. The Nevada desert is an isolated and barren place especially since the mine in the town of Desperation shut down. People travelling to the town or just along Route 50 to other destinations mysteriously disappear. The dead cat nailed to a roadside is a sure sign that this is not an area to visit. Collie Entragian the local lawman will not be of much help. In fact he should be avoided at all costs unless you are also seeking death. This is a sensational thriller that is even humorous in a black sort of way at times. The first half is a superb escaping from a madman serial mass murderer type thriller with the second half bringing in the usual Stephen King supernatural twist. You will think twice before commencing a road trip through isolated areas after reading this classic.
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