There is no doubt King’s imagination knows no bounds. He doesn’t play it safe and there’s no taboo he won’t explore – this is a fine example of full creative expression which stands out in a sea of much safer, contemporary commercial fiction and should be celebrated as such.
Whilst King’s crafting is masterful, there’s a child-like nativity in his tone which works well for the POVs the story embodies and catapults you back to seeing the world through your own young eyes. He makes you feel the childlike fear, he uses language a child would use but not necessarily understand and also encompasses the bravery of a child who is perhaps more fearless than an adult. The nuances are quite magnificent.
King’s writing is vivid and you can see why this novel translated so well to film as you can picture it scene by scene.
I do have some issues with the book though. It’s over 1000 pages long, so it’s a commitment. This in itself isn’t a huge problem, but there were quite a number of chapters that I felt were unnecessary and detracted from the main story. There were some really creepy bits, but then long-winded scenes between that took me away from the fear. They were so long and drawn out, that I even lost the anticipation that something was going to happen in some parts. I do feel that this would be a much scarier book if it was cut to about 500 words. However the writing skill is just as rewarding to witness.
Genre: Horror
Rating: 4/5
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