The Stephen King Master Thread

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

Dolores Claiborne (1992)
A completely engrossing, dark story that I raced through. I had seen the film a couple of years ago and remembered it fairly well, so I was surprised to find that the book is very different.

The story spans decades as Dolores Claiborne is accused of a murder years after being suspected of another one in her youth. It's a powerful tale with very strong characters, especially Dolores herself. It doesn't shy away from disturbing elements, and while this isn't the typical horror novel that King writes it definitely leans into some really nasty territory. It also has a little crossover with Gerald's Game, which was published the same year.

This is presented in first-person as one continuous, unbroken dialogue from the titular character as she gives a statement to the police. No chapter breaks, no blank spaces between paragraphs for time jumps. When I discovered this I was a bit worried that it would make for a tiring read, but instead the opposite seems to have happened. The format encouraged me to keep reading for longer sessions than I normally would, and the narrative flows and rolls along completely naturally.

While I wouldn't want to read lots of books written like this, as a one off it made for something kind of special. What really shines through here is King's ability to find a character's voice and craft a tale around it, bending things to their perspective and allowing you understand their point of view.

I loved it, and at only 300-ish pages it doesn't waste any time.

UP NEXT: Needful Things

(By the way, I also ready Gerald's Game a few months ago but completely forgot to write a review. I liked it, but didn't love it!)

[Rich1983]

Originally Posted by LeftHandedGuitarist

Dolores Claiborne (1992)
A completely engrossing, dark story that I raced through. I had seen the film a couple of years ago and remembered it fairly well, so I was surprised to find that the book is very different.

The story spans decades as Dolores Claiborne is accused of a murder years after being suspected of another one in her youth. It's a powerful tale with very strong characters, especially Dolores herself. It doesn't shy away from disturbing elements, and while this isn't the typical horror novel that King writes it definitely leans into some really nasty territory. It also has a little crossover with Gerald's Game, which was published the same year.

This is presented in first-person as one continuous, unbroken dialogue from the titular character as she gives a statement to the police. No chapter breaks, no blank spaces between paragraphs for time jumps. When I discovered this I was a bit worried that it would make for a tiring read, but instead the opposite seems to have happened. The format encouraged me to keep reading for longer sessions than I normally would, and the narrative flows and rolls along completely naturally.

While I wouldn't want to read lots of books written like this, as a one off it made for something kind of special. What really shines through here is King's ability to find a character's voice and craft a tale around it, bending things to their perspective and allowing you understand their point of view.

I loved it, and at only 300-ish pages it doesn't waste any time.

UP NEXT: Needful Things

(By the way, I also ready Gerald's Game a few months ago but completely forgot to write a review. I liked it, but didn't love it!)

If you like Dolores Claiborne, you REALLY need to read Gerald's Game. The two books are linked in the same universe, and Dolores Claiborne actually references the events of Gerald's Game in the beginning of the novel.

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

Originally Posted by Rich1983

If you like Dolores Claiborne, you REALLY need to read Gerald's Game. The two books are linked in the same universe, and Dolores Claiborne actually references the events of Gerald's Game in the beginning of the novel.

Yep, as I said above I read it before Delores
Another link is that the Storm of the Century TV miniseries was also set on Little Tall Island.