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螡蟿蔚蟽蟺蔚蚁苇喂蟽慰谓
螚 螡蔚尾维未伪 蔚委谓伪喂 魏蠀蟻委蠅蟼 渭喂伪 渭蔚纬维位畏 苇蟻畏渭慰蟼 蟺慰蠀 蟿畏 未喂伪蟽蠂委味蔚喂蟼 纬喂伪 谓伪 蟺伪蟼 魏维蟺慰蠀 伪位位慰蠉 -蟺伪蟻苇伪 渭蔚 魏维蟺慰喂慰谓, 伪谓 蔚委蟽伪喂 蟿蠀蠂蔚蟻蠈蟼, 纬喂伪蟿委 蔚委谓伪喂 蟿蟻慰渭伪魏蟿喂魏蠈 渭苇蟻慰蟼. 危蟿畏谓 蔚胃谓喂魏萎 慰未蠈 50, 渭蔚蟼 蟽蟿畏谓 伪蠁蠈蟻畏蟿畏 魏伪位慰魏伪喂蟻喂谓萎 魏维蠄伪, 蟿伪尉喂未蔚蠉慰蠀谓 魏维蟺慰喂慰喂 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰喂 蟺慰蠀 未蔚谓 胃伪 蠁蟿维蟽慰蠀谓 蟺慰蟿苇 蟽蟿慰谓 蟺蟻慰慰蟻喂蟽渭蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼. 螌蟺蠅蟼 慰 魏伪胃畏纬畏蟿萎蟼 韦味维魏蟽慰谓 魏伪喂 畏 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪 蟿慰蠀, 蟺慰蠀 蔚蟺喂蟽蟿蟻苇蠁慰蠀谓 蟽蟺委蟿喂 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟽蟿畏 螡苇伪 违蠈蟻魏畏, 畏 慰喂魏慰纬苇谓蔚喂伪 蟿蠅谓 螝维蟻尾蔚蟻 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 螣蠂维喂慰 蟺慰蠀 蟺维蔚喂 纬喂伪 未喂伪魏慰蟺苇蟼 蟽蟿畏 位委渭谓畏 韦维蠂慰, 魏伪喂 慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 韦味蠈谓喂 螠维蟻喂谓尾喂位, 蟺慰蠀 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蔚委 谓伪 魏维谓蔚喂 苇谓伪 魏伪喂谓慰蠉蟻纬喂慰 尉蔚魏委谓畏渭伪 蟽蟿畏 味蠅萎 蟿慰蠀 魏伪尾维位伪 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 蔚蠁蟿伪魏慰蟽维蟻伪 围维蟻位蔚蠆.
螠喂伪 蠄蠈蠁喂伪 纬维蟿伪, 魏伪蟻蠁蠅渭苇谓畏 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 蟺喂谓伪魏委未伪, 伪谓伪纬纬苇位位蔚喂 渭喂伪 渭喂魏蟻萎 蟺蠈位畏 渭蔚蟿伪位位蠅蟻蠉蠂蠅谓 蟽蟿畏 渭苇蟽畏 蟿慰蠀 蟺慰蠀胃蔚谓维, 蟿畏谓 螡蟿蔚蟽蟺蔚蚁苇喂蟽慰谓. 螘魏蔚委, 纬喂伪 魏伪魏萎 蟿蠉蠂畏 蠈位蠅谓, 蟻蠀胃渭委味蔚喂 蟿畏谓 魏蠀魏位慰蠁慰蟻委伪 慰 螝蠈位喂 螘谓蟿蟻维蟿味喂伪谓, 苇谓伪蟼 纬喂纬伪谓蟿喂伪委慰蟼, 苇谓蟽蟿慰位慰蟼 蟺伪蟻维蠁蟻蠅谓, 蟺慰蠀 蟺喂蟽蟿蔚蠉蔚喂 蠈蟿喂 蔚委谓伪喂 慰 渭蠈谓慰蟼 谓蠈渭慰蟼 未蠀蟿喂魏维 蟿慰蠀 螤苇魏慰蟼... 螝伪喂 慰蠀伪委 魏伪喂 伪位委渭慰谓慰 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺伪蟻伪尾维蟿蔚蟼!
螌渭蠅蟼 慰 螘谓蟿蟻维蟿味喂伪谓 蔚委谓伪喂 渭蠈谓慰 畏 尾喂蟿蟻委谓伪 蟿畏蟼 蠁蟻委魏畏蟼. 危蟿伪 蟺伪位喂维 慰蟻蠀蠂蔚委伪 蟿畏蟼 螡蟿蔚蟽蟺蔚蚁苇喂蟽慰谓 魏蟻蠉尾慰谓蟿伪喂 伪蟽蠉位位畏蟺蟿伪 渭蠀蟽蟿喂魏维 魏伪喂 蟿慰 魏伪魏蠈 蟺慰蠀 渭慰位蠉谓蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蟺蠈位畏 蟽伪谓 胃伪谓伪蟿畏蠁蠈蟻慰蟼 喂蠈蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 蟿蟻慰渭蔚蟻蠈 魏伪喂 蟺伪谓委蟽蠂蠀蟻慰. 螒位位维 蟿慰 委未喂慰 蔚委谓伪喂 魏伪喂 慰喂 未蠀谓维渭蔚喂蟼 蟺慰蠀 苇蠂慰蠀谓 魏位畏胃蔚委 蔚魏蔚委 谓伪 蟿慰 蟺慰位蔚渭萎蟽慰蠀谓. 螝喂 蠈蟿伪谓 苇蟻胃蔚喂 畏 蠋蟻伪 蟿畏蟼 蟽蠉纬魏蟻慰蠀蟽畏蟼, 蟽' 伪蠀蟿萎 蟿畏谓 蟺蠈位畏 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰 蠈谓慰渭维 蟿畏蟼 蟽畏渭伪委谓蔚喂 "螒蟺蔚位蟺喂蟽委伪", 蠈蟽慰喂 尾蟻蔚胃慰蠉谓 蔚魏蔚委 胃伪 魏伪蟿伪位维尾慰蠀谓 蟿慰 蟺蟻伪纬渭伪蟿喂魏蠈 谓蠈畏渭伪 蟿畏蟼 位苇尉畏蟼...
螠喂伪 蠄蠈蠁喂伪 纬维蟿伪, 魏伪蟻蠁蠅渭苇谓畏 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 蟺喂谓伪魏委未伪, 伪谓伪纬纬苇位位蔚喂 渭喂伪 渭喂魏蟻萎 蟺蠈位畏 渭蔚蟿伪位位蠅蟻蠉蠂蠅谓 蟽蟿畏 渭苇蟽畏 蟿慰蠀 蟺慰蠀胃蔚谓维, 蟿畏谓 螡蟿蔚蟽蟺蔚蚁苇喂蟽慰谓. 螘魏蔚委, 纬喂伪 魏伪魏萎 蟿蠉蠂畏 蠈位蠅谓, 蟻蠀胃渭委味蔚喂 蟿畏谓 魏蠀魏位慰蠁慰蟻委伪 慰 螝蠈位喂 螘谓蟿蟻维蟿味喂伪谓, 苇谓伪蟼 纬喂纬伪谓蟿喂伪委慰蟼, 苇谓蟽蟿慰位慰蟼 蟺伪蟻维蠁蟻蠅谓, 蟺慰蠀 蟺喂蟽蟿蔚蠉蔚喂 蠈蟿喂 蔚委谓伪喂 慰 渭蠈谓慰蟼 谓蠈渭慰蟼 未蠀蟿喂魏维 蟿慰蠀 螤苇魏慰蟼... 螝伪喂 慰蠀伪委 魏伪喂 伪位委渭慰谓慰 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺伪蟻伪尾维蟿蔚蟼!
螌渭蠅蟼 慰 螘谓蟿蟻维蟿味喂伪谓 蔚委谓伪喂 渭蠈谓慰 畏 尾喂蟿蟻委谓伪 蟿畏蟼 蠁蟻委魏畏蟼. 危蟿伪 蟺伪位喂维 慰蟻蠀蠂蔚委伪 蟿畏蟼 螡蟿蔚蟽蟺蔚蚁苇喂蟽慰谓 魏蟻蠉尾慰谓蟿伪喂 伪蟽蠉位位畏蟺蟿伪 渭蠀蟽蟿喂魏维 魏伪喂 蟿慰 魏伪魏蠈 蟺慰蠀 渭慰位蠉谓蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蟺蠈位畏 蟽伪谓 胃伪谓伪蟿畏蠁蠈蟻慰蟼 喂蠈蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 蟿蟻慰渭蔚蟻蠈 魏伪喂 蟺伪谓委蟽蠂蠀蟻慰. 螒位位维 蟿慰 委未喂慰 蔚委谓伪喂 魏伪喂 慰喂 未蠀谓维渭蔚喂蟼 蟺慰蠀 苇蠂慰蠀谓 魏位畏胃蔚委 蔚魏蔚委 谓伪 蟿慰 蟺慰位蔚渭萎蟽慰蠀谓. 螝喂 蠈蟿伪谓 苇蟻胃蔚喂 畏 蠋蟻伪 蟿畏蟼 蟽蠉纬魏蟻慰蠀蟽畏蟼, 蟽' 伪蠀蟿萎 蟿畏谓 蟺蠈位畏 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰 蠈谓慰渭维 蟿畏蟼 蟽畏渭伪委谓蔚喂 "螒蟺蔚位蟺喂蟽委伪", 蠈蟽慰喂 尾蟻蔚胃慰蠉谓 蔚魏蔚委 胃伪 魏伪蟿伪位维尾慰蠀谓 蟿慰 蟺蟻伪纬渭伪蟿喂魏蠈 谓蠈畏渭伪 蟿畏蟼 位苇尉畏蟼...
633 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
3000 people are currently reading
79884 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,521听books873k听followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,414 reviews
April 27, 2025
**4.5-stars rounded up**
Stephen King's Desperation follows a bizarre cast of characters who come together to fight an ancient evil force.
That would be my single-sentence synopsis if someone were to ask me what this book is about.
If you have ever read a Stephen King novel, however, you realize the actual answer is way more complicated than that.
I first read Desperation around 2001. I had just finished my time in undergrad and was excited to have time to read just for fun.
What I remember from that initial time through is that although I enjoyed the premise, I didn't really get it. If I had been rating books at that time, I probably would have settled on 3.5-stars.
Now, close to 20-years later, this is pretty damn close to a perfect read for me!!!
What changed?
I'm not really sure. This time through I became invested very quickly. The characters were a huge part of the enjoyment factor for me.
King is a master of developing every aspect of a character's personality and their backstory. You never wonder what the motivation is.
In my very humble opinion, no one does character development quite like the King. But a lot of it had to do with just settling into another one of his stories.
He has a very distinct style that is hella nostalgic for me; it feels like home.
Desperation also has one of my all-time favorite tropes: a mix-matched group of characters, placed into extraordinary circumstances, who band together, no matter their differences, to fight against the forces of evil.
Good versus Evil. I'm here for it every damn time.
This novel is extremely graphic with gore and violence on page. Some of the scenes made my toes curl and my stomach lurch. The use of creepy crawlers to instill fear was expertly-crafted.
If this is not your thing, you'll most likely want to give a hard pass to this one. Otherwise, if you are a seasoned King, or Horror reader, get ready to jump into a bloody, brilliant good time!
My one slight critique is that the final showdown felt a little rushed, hence the 4.5-star rating, as opposed to a full 5.
This book has a nice, long build-up, and I could definitely have read some more substance at the end. It was great, but I still wanted more!
Overall, I am beyond happy that I took the plunge and reread this 706-page beast of modern Horror. I am currently rereading The Regulators and digging the many connections I missed the first time around.
I would definitely recommend reading these two back-to-back for maximum enjoyment!
Stephen King's Desperation follows a bizarre cast of characters who come together to fight an ancient evil force.
That would be my single-sentence synopsis if someone were to ask me what this book is about.
If you have ever read a Stephen King novel, however, you realize the actual answer is way more complicated than that.
I first read Desperation around 2001. I had just finished my time in undergrad and was excited to have time to read just for fun.
What I remember from that initial time through is that although I enjoyed the premise, I didn't really get it. If I had been rating books at that time, I probably would have settled on 3.5-stars.
Now, close to 20-years later, this is pretty damn close to a perfect read for me!!!
What changed?
I'm not really sure. This time through I became invested very quickly. The characters were a huge part of the enjoyment factor for me.
King is a master of developing every aspect of a character's personality and their backstory. You never wonder what the motivation is.
In my very humble opinion, no one does character development quite like the King. But a lot of it had to do with just settling into another one of his stories.
He has a very distinct style that is hella nostalgic for me; it feels like home.
Desperation also has one of my all-time favorite tropes: a mix-matched group of characters, placed into extraordinary circumstances, who band together, no matter their differences, to fight against the forces of evil.
Good versus Evil. I'm here for it every damn time.
This novel is extremely graphic with gore and violence on page. Some of the scenes made my toes curl and my stomach lurch. The use of creepy crawlers to instill fear was expertly-crafted.
If this is not your thing, you'll most likely want to give a hard pass to this one. Otherwise, if you are a seasoned King, or Horror reader, get ready to jump into a bloody, brilliant good time!
My one slight critique is that the final showdown felt a little rushed, hence the 4.5-star rating, as opposed to a full 5.
This book has a nice, long build-up, and I could definitely have read some more substance at the end. It was great, but I still wanted more!
Overall, I am beyond happy that I took the plunge and reread this 706-page beast of modern Horror. I am currently rereading The Regulators and digging the many connections I missed the first time around.
I would definitely recommend reading these two back-to-back for maximum enjoyment!
January 9, 2022
Once you start, you won鈥檛 be able to stop. 鈥淒esperation鈥� by Stephen King will take you on such a rollercoaster to the very end that you鈥檒l genuinely be unable to put this novel down once you begin. From incredible characters to truly horrific scenes that will make you look away, everything you鈥檇 expect from King is here and then some.
Don鈥檛 worry, no spoilers here or anything but this novel truly takes you to a place of horror with the main protagonist who will easily get under your skin as you read. The main characters all add such a dimension to this novel as it unfolds that I often found myself in awe at the incredible attention to personalities, detail, and of course, the horrific things that transpire.
Quite a few times my jaw was on the floor from how creepy and well, disgusting some situations are. I loved how at first, things felt normal and then hits you with surreal moments you鈥檇 hate to ever have to deal with in real life. It really hits you where you鈥檒l feel the vulnerability of these characters as yeah, it can happen to anyone when traveling to places you鈥檝e never been to before.
I give 鈥淒esperation鈥� by Stephen King a 5/5 and would recommend this to anyone who is either a fan of his work or looking for a great novel to read with all sorts of thrills, surprises, and terror. The ending left me satisfied as it鈥檚 the perfect way to end such a novel where it just makes sense but leaves a bit to wonder and think about. Perfect for group discussions!
鈥淒esperation鈥� doesn鈥檛 disappoint but keep in mind, you should probably read 鈥淭he Regulators鈥� next by King under his pseudonym Richard Bachman as it鈥檚 not a sequel or anything but came out around the same time as this novel. Many readers suggest reading this first then that or that first then this but either way, it鈥檚 worth reading them together as it was done on purpose by King. Tak!
Don鈥檛 worry, no spoilers here or anything but this novel truly takes you to a place of horror with the main protagonist who will easily get under your skin as you read. The main characters all add such a dimension to this novel as it unfolds that I often found myself in awe at the incredible attention to personalities, detail, and of course, the horrific things that transpire.
Quite a few times my jaw was on the floor from how creepy and well, disgusting some situations are. I loved how at first, things felt normal and then hits you with surreal moments you鈥檇 hate to ever have to deal with in real life. It really hits you where you鈥檒l feel the vulnerability of these characters as yeah, it can happen to anyone when traveling to places you鈥檝e never been to before.
I give 鈥淒esperation鈥� by Stephen King a 5/5 and would recommend this to anyone who is either a fan of his work or looking for a great novel to read with all sorts of thrills, surprises, and terror. The ending left me satisfied as it鈥檚 the perfect way to end such a novel where it just makes sense but leaves a bit to wonder and think about. Perfect for group discussions!
鈥淒esperation鈥� doesn鈥檛 disappoint but keep in mind, you should probably read 鈥淭he Regulators鈥� next by King under his pseudonym Richard Bachman as it鈥檚 not a sequel or anything but came out around the same time as this novel. Many readers suggest reading this first then that or that first then this but either way, it鈥檚 worth reading them together as it was done on purpose by King. Tak!
July 30, 2024
Another re-read on my journey of reading all Stephen Kings books in publication order, as soon as I started this book it felt like yesterday I last read it even though it was years ago. TAK. This is a SK book that manages to stay with me.
I am reminded why I am on this journey reading Desperation because there are so many Easter Eggs in this book including, The Dark Tower, The Tommyknockers and Rose Madder. The fact that this book has a mirror book The Regulators is really fun and I can't wait to read it. As far as I am aware the Regulators and Desperation are the same story told on different paths on the beam (The Dark Tower), like a parallel universe.
Jonny is such an unlikeable character but his has a redemption story which I thought was really well done, you go from thinking Jonny is a bit of an ass to hoping he makes it. TAK. As villains go the cop is really well done, he's a complete mad man and brutal. There is a lot of body horror in this book and plenty of moments to make the reader squirm, because the cop is so unpredictable it's quickly apparent that everyone is expendable. Even people who you think are main characters never feel safe, there is no safety net.
David is such an interesting characters too, I think the flashbacks he has give him real depth and personality. The reason that this book doesn't get full marks from me is for a few reasons but the main one is the lack of character depth for everyone other than David and Jonny. TAK. Steve and Cynthia didn't need to be in this book at all, they didn't bring anything extra to it, just a waste of page. Cynthia is actually from Rose Madder too and her character made no sense, she immediately jumps into Steve's care even thought she doesn't know him and if you have read Rose Madder you'll know how flawed that is.
I am really looking forward to the difference in The Regulators and I am interested in how SK writes differently as Richard Bachman, I think I am expected less detail and a little more freedom when it comes to Bachman. TAK.
I am reminded why I am on this journey reading Desperation because there are so many Easter Eggs in this book including, The Dark Tower, The Tommyknockers and Rose Madder. The fact that this book has a mirror book The Regulators is really fun and I can't wait to read it. As far as I am aware the Regulators and Desperation are the same story told on different paths on the beam (The Dark Tower), like a parallel universe.
Jonny is such an unlikeable character but his has a redemption story which I thought was really well done, you go from thinking Jonny is a bit of an ass to hoping he makes it. TAK. As villains go the cop is really well done, he's a complete mad man and brutal. There is a lot of body horror in this book and plenty of moments to make the reader squirm, because the cop is so unpredictable it's quickly apparent that everyone is expendable. Even people who you think are main characters never feel safe, there is no safety net.
David is such an interesting characters too, I think the flashbacks he has give him real depth and personality. The reason that this book doesn't get full marks from me is for a few reasons but the main one is the lack of character depth for everyone other than David and Jonny. TAK. Steve and Cynthia didn't need to be in this book at all, they didn't bring anything extra to it, just a waste of page. Cynthia is actually from Rose Madder too and her character made no sense, she immediately jumps into Steve's care even thought she doesn't know him and if you have read Rose Madder you'll know how flawed that is.
I am really looking forward to the difference in The Regulators and I am interested in how SK writes differently as Richard Bachman, I think I am expected less detail and a little more freedom when it comes to Bachman. TAK.
August 16, 2018
Yikes! U.S. 50 is much more than "the loneliest highway in America" when you end up in DESPERATION!
It all begins with a monstrosity of a 6' 7" police officer from hell and a scary trip into town for one unwary traveler after another; and once you do make it to town, well, the deadly creep-fest begins.
This chunkster of a novel is filled with really icky creepy crawlers, horrific & gruesome death, and enough blood and gore to fill a movie theatre, but when eleven year old David Carver enters the picture, (and steals the show) you'll also hear about friend Brian's miracle, a promise made to GOD and the power of prayer.
I admit it, this is one of those horror reads that made me want to scream at the characters (more than once) to get the hell out of dodge while the getting was good, but, of course, they don't......they prolong the reader's misery by waiting out a blustery sand storm in the dark, share scary stories of the supernatural (while worrying about the "thing" outside) and then still enter the evil pit of hell! Tak!
Update: August 16, 2018 - The movie version is super creepy too! It closely follows the novel with the GIANT sheriff setting up and terrorizing unsuspecting travelers and leading them to the desolate town of DESPERATION where dead bodies litter the streets. There's blood and gore as in the book.....and ewwww the evil presence!
January 5, 2019
Why, what a splendid book. Gosh! Tak.
鈥滻 see holes like eyes.鈥�
Desperation is one of the downright scariest books I鈥檝e read, and the scares come early. King manages, for the most part, to keep the tension up throughout the novel, which makes it one hell of an uneasy read. Some sequences are somewhat bizarre, and others are bluntly offensive, although this is only what you鈥檇 expect from a novel such as this: it鈥檚 not meant to be easy reading after all.
Something about this bothered [him], but for now he paid no attention. His fright had grown into a sense of foreboding so strong and yet so diffuse that he felt a little as if he鈥檇 eaten something laced with poison.
The story is definitely reminiscent of King鈥檚 earlier output and 1980s horror in general. Parallels can be drawn, not only with King鈥檚 own work, but also with novels like and . The nature of the supernatural antagonist is somewhat vague, but purposely so. Is it Demonic? Extraterrestrial? Biological?
Dolls with no little girls around to mind them were sort of creepy under any conditions, that was his opinion, at least, and to come upon one abandoned by the roadside, half-buried in blowing sand鈥�
It鈥檚 a visual novel, and King makes very effective use of imagery. The abandoned RV with its door banging in the wind, the doll by the roadside鈥� it鈥檚 enough to raise hackles. The desert in this novel isn鈥檛 as much majestic as it is creepy in its desolation. And always menacing.
鈥漈ell you what, pilgrim鈥攖his smells bad.鈥�
On the face of it, it鈥檚 typical King fare: very small town, multiple POV characters, supernatural evil, a healthy dose of Americana et al鈥�. but Desperation does have one or two aces up its sleeve. It has some novelty value, having been released alongside . It also has an epic and mythical sweep that can at least partly be attributed to the setting. Have I mentioned just how scary it gets?
鈥淲hat鈥檚 that?鈥� she whimpered. 鈥淥h my God, what is it?鈥�
There is an overt religious theme present here and King tackles themes like the nature of God (鈥淕od is cruel.鈥� Vs 鈥淕od is love.鈥�), the nature of Divine Intervention, and Redemption etc. Just how much of this will appeal to the reader would probably depend. I can鈥檛 speak for others, but I enjoyed the book.
鈥滿y head is full of blackbirds.鈥�
鈥滻 see holes like eyes.鈥�
Desperation is one of the downright scariest books I鈥檝e read, and the scares come early. King manages, for the most part, to keep the tension up throughout the novel, which makes it one hell of an uneasy read. Some sequences are somewhat bizarre, and others are bluntly offensive, although this is only what you鈥檇 expect from a novel such as this: it鈥檚 not meant to be easy reading after all.
Something about this bothered [him], but for now he paid no attention. His fright had grown into a sense of foreboding so strong and yet so diffuse that he felt a little as if he鈥檇 eaten something laced with poison.
The story is definitely reminiscent of King鈥檚 earlier output and 1980s horror in general. Parallels can be drawn, not only with King鈥檚 own work, but also with novels like and . The nature of the supernatural antagonist is somewhat vague, but purposely so. Is it Demonic? Extraterrestrial? Biological?
Dolls with no little girls around to mind them were sort of creepy under any conditions, that was his opinion, at least, and to come upon one abandoned by the roadside, half-buried in blowing sand鈥�
It鈥檚 a visual novel, and King makes very effective use of imagery. The abandoned RV with its door banging in the wind, the doll by the roadside鈥� it鈥檚 enough to raise hackles. The desert in this novel isn鈥檛 as much majestic as it is creepy in its desolation. And always menacing.
鈥漈ell you what, pilgrim鈥攖his smells bad.鈥�
On the face of it, it鈥檚 typical King fare: very small town, multiple POV characters, supernatural evil, a healthy dose of Americana et al鈥�. but Desperation does have one or two aces up its sleeve. It has some novelty value, having been released alongside . It also has an epic and mythical sweep that can at least partly be attributed to the setting. Have I mentioned just how scary it gets?
鈥淲hat鈥檚 that?鈥� she whimpered. 鈥淥h my God, what is it?鈥�
There is an overt religious theme present here and King tackles themes like the nature of God (鈥淕od is cruel.鈥� Vs 鈥淕od is love.鈥�), the nature of Divine Intervention, and Redemption etc. Just how much of this will appeal to the reader would probably depend. I can鈥檛 speak for others, but I enjoyed the book.
鈥滿y head is full of blackbirds.鈥�
June 28, 2022
Un libro entretenido, con personajes bien perfilados, un villano decente y la ambientaci贸n bastante lograda del oeste americano pero con un tono religioso que a m铆 me sobr贸 bastante.
En realidad 3.5鈽�
芦Reza todo lo que quieras, David, pero no esperes ayuda. Dios no est谩 aqu铆, como tampoco estaba al lado de Jes煤s mientras este agonizaba en la cruz con moscas en los ojos.禄
Desde que empieza la historia las cosas se ponen extra帽as enseguida. En medio de la carretera una pareja se encuentran una mu帽eca abandonada, un gato clavado en un cartel al comienzo del pueblo, estacas por doquier, bicicletas y caravanas abandonadas y una tira met谩lica de malla recubierta de cientos de clavos que espichan las llantas de carros, justo como les ha pasado a ellos. Pero lo mejor viene cuando se encuentran con un sujeto del caos que disfruta matando y secuestrando gente. Dicho ser es un polic铆a ido de la olla que ha pasado por el pueblo de 顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍 como un cicl贸n dejando a casi nadie sin vida, matando a cuantos habitantes le sal铆an al paso. 驴Pero ahora qu茅 pretende con las personas que poco a poco ha ido atrapando en la interestatal 50?
Para empezar, he decir que la sinopsis del libro promet铆a toda una historia de supervivencia en la que ilusamente cre铆a que la intriga y el suspenso iban a jugar un papel importante, pero no fue as铆 del todo. Y es que una de las cosas que siempre me juegan una mala pasada es suponer algo de un libro y encontrarme con algo distinto. Cre铆a que la trama se ir铆a puramente por c贸mo le har铆an frente los personajes a este polic铆a sanguinario y aunque result贸 en algo parecido la verdad es que tom贸 otros derroteros que solo pudieron proporcionarme menos diversi贸n ante lo predecible que pod铆a resultar el desenlace de la historia.
芦Porque as铆 se hac铆an las cosas en la casa del lobo, en la casa del escorpi贸n, porque eso entend铆an por amor en 顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍.禄
Si bien creo que este es un libro muy entretenido de inicio a fin para m铆 hay un elemento que personalmente le quit贸 toda la tensi贸n a la trama que se ven铆a construyendo sobre el villano que protagoniza la historia. Y eso se resume en el factor religioso que aborda tem谩ticas como la fe, la voluntad de Dios, la misi贸n de sus seguidores y el escepticismo de algunos ante 茅l; porque justo eso hace que el tema sobrenatural, la magia oscura y el tono macabro y escalofriante pierda fuerza ante la posibilidad de que dos fuerzas opuestas interact煤en y se enfrenten (el bien y el mal). Uno puede hacerse a la idea que al final la fe y la templanza sea mayor que la maldad de un pueblo tan des茅rtico y 谩rido c贸mo 顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍 con un ser que se alimenta de la muerte y de los cuerpos utiliz谩ndolos como vasija.
Porque s铆, en medio del gran diverso cast de personajes un ni帽o parece ser la especie de elegido por Dios para cumplir cierto objetivo, ya que este comparte una estrecha relaci贸n por medio de rezos, conversaciones y una gran templanza que solo le lleva a ser guiado y protegido por este mismo ser Todopoderoso. Y aunque el mensaje es sobre la crueldad y c贸mo Dios hace milagros y sacrificios en el mismo paquete, la historia pudo ser m谩s que solo gui帽os y referencias b铆blicas con un fuerte contenido religioso y moralizador. O al menos es algo que yo hubiera preferido tuviera menos presencia y fuerza en el libro.
芦驴Qu茅 Dios es ese? Reniega de 脡l y abraza al m铆o. Al menos el m铆o no disimula su crueldad.禄
Sin embargo, por el otro lado me ha gustado much铆simo que en esa misma ambientaci贸n del oeste americano hayan animales de los que cuidarse, porque se ven buitres comiendo cad谩veres y coyotes acechando y aullando en ese lugar hostil, 谩rido y abandonado, perfecto para no encontrar la ayuda que necesitas y el escondite para resguardarte. Y no solo se deben cuidar de ellos sino de escorpiones escondidos en la arena, serpientes cascabel, ara帽as, ratas, murci茅lagos, pumas y lobos.
顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍 a veces es una historia sobre la magia, la malevolencia, dioses menores y mayores y sobre un ser sin forma que tiene ojos en todos lados y sobre el que se construye una cosmogon铆a muy interesante y escalofriante; sobre una fuerza del mal que por medio de leyendas, mitos y supersticiones se forma su origen en un agujero oscuro y profundo. Otras veces es una cr铆tica ambientalista sobre la contaminaci贸n de la tierra y los animales, de la muerte y la podredumbre de una tierra que solo es explotada por los mineros y el capitalismo. Pero en la mayor parte del tiempo es sobre la fe y la crueldad de Dios que a veces tiene justa raz贸n, y en la que se ve sumergida la voluntad, una misi贸n relevante y la idea de que todo lo malo y lo bueno que ocurre es porque as铆 ten铆a que ser y sus motivos habr铆a de tener el se帽or del cielo. Sobra decir que lo primero es lo que m谩s me gust贸 y lo 煤ltimo fue lo que m谩s me fastidi贸 la lectura, pero lo puse en negrilla por si las moscas.
Y aunque el final tiene un mensaje crudo y duro los hechos finales que conducen al desenlace y la confrontaci贸n entre el bien y el mal es de lo m谩s flojo que he le铆do. Pero no me extra帽a, con King ya no suele ser sorpresa que empieza bien y luego flaquea en el 煤ltimo tercio. Aunque tambi茅n agradezco ciertos paralelismos a It y La Tienda, con algunas referencias notables a Misery. Es un gusto encontrarte cosas as铆 si eres fiel seguidor de este se帽or.
En realidad 3.5鈽�
芦Reza todo lo que quieras, David, pero no esperes ayuda. Dios no est谩 aqu铆, como tampoco estaba al lado de Jes煤s mientras este agonizaba en la cruz con moscas en los ojos.禄
Desde que empieza la historia las cosas se ponen extra帽as enseguida. En medio de la carretera una pareja se encuentran una mu帽eca abandonada, un gato clavado en un cartel al comienzo del pueblo, estacas por doquier, bicicletas y caravanas abandonadas y una tira met谩lica de malla recubierta de cientos de clavos que espichan las llantas de carros, justo como les ha pasado a ellos. Pero lo mejor viene cuando se encuentran con un sujeto del caos que disfruta matando y secuestrando gente. Dicho ser es un polic铆a ido de la olla que ha pasado por el pueblo de 顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍 como un cicl贸n dejando a casi nadie sin vida, matando a cuantos habitantes le sal铆an al paso. 驴Pero ahora qu茅 pretende con las personas que poco a poco ha ido atrapando en la interestatal 50?
Para empezar, he decir que la sinopsis del libro promet铆a toda una historia de supervivencia en la que ilusamente cre铆a que la intriga y el suspenso iban a jugar un papel importante, pero no fue as铆 del todo. Y es que una de las cosas que siempre me juegan una mala pasada es suponer algo de un libro y encontrarme con algo distinto. Cre铆a que la trama se ir铆a puramente por c贸mo le har铆an frente los personajes a este polic铆a sanguinario y aunque result贸 en algo parecido la verdad es que tom贸 otros derroteros que solo pudieron proporcionarme menos diversi贸n ante lo predecible que pod铆a resultar el desenlace de la historia.
芦Porque as铆 se hac铆an las cosas en la casa del lobo, en la casa del escorpi贸n, porque eso entend铆an por amor en 顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍.禄
Si bien creo que este es un libro muy entretenido de inicio a fin para m铆 hay un elemento que personalmente le quit贸 toda la tensi贸n a la trama que se ven铆a construyendo sobre el villano que protagoniza la historia. Y eso se resume en el factor religioso que aborda tem谩ticas como la fe, la voluntad de Dios, la misi贸n de sus seguidores y el escepticismo de algunos ante 茅l; porque justo eso hace que el tema sobrenatural, la magia oscura y el tono macabro y escalofriante pierda fuerza ante la posibilidad de que dos fuerzas opuestas interact煤en y se enfrenten (el bien y el mal). Uno puede hacerse a la idea que al final la fe y la templanza sea mayor que la maldad de un pueblo tan des茅rtico y 谩rido c贸mo 顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍 con un ser que se alimenta de la muerte y de los cuerpos utiliz谩ndolos como vasija.
Porque s铆, en medio del gran diverso cast de personajes un ni帽o parece ser la especie de elegido por Dios para cumplir cierto objetivo, ya que este comparte una estrecha relaci贸n por medio de rezos, conversaciones y una gran templanza que solo le lleva a ser guiado y protegido por este mismo ser Todopoderoso. Y aunque el mensaje es sobre la crueldad y c贸mo Dios hace milagros y sacrificios en el mismo paquete, la historia pudo ser m谩s que solo gui帽os y referencias b铆blicas con un fuerte contenido religioso y moralizador. O al menos es algo que yo hubiera preferido tuviera menos presencia y fuerza en el libro.
芦驴Qu茅 Dios es ese? Reniega de 脡l y abraza al m铆o. Al menos el m铆o no disimula su crueldad.禄
Sin embargo, por el otro lado me ha gustado much铆simo que en esa misma ambientaci贸n del oeste americano hayan animales de los que cuidarse, porque se ven buitres comiendo cad谩veres y coyotes acechando y aullando en ese lugar hostil, 谩rido y abandonado, perfecto para no encontrar la ayuda que necesitas y el escondite para resguardarte. Y no solo se deben cuidar de ellos sino de escorpiones escondidos en la arena, serpientes cascabel, ara帽as, ratas, murci茅lagos, pumas y lobos.
顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍 a veces es una historia sobre la magia, la malevolencia, dioses menores y mayores y sobre un ser sin forma que tiene ojos en todos lados y sobre el que se construye una cosmogon铆a muy interesante y escalofriante; sobre una fuerza del mal que por medio de leyendas, mitos y supersticiones se forma su origen en un agujero oscuro y profundo. Otras veces es una cr铆tica ambientalista sobre la contaminaci贸n de la tierra y los animales, de la muerte y la podredumbre de una tierra que solo es explotada por los mineros y el capitalismo. Pero en la mayor parte del tiempo es sobre la fe y la crueldad de Dios que a veces tiene justa raz贸n, y en la que se ve sumergida la voluntad, una misi贸n relevante y la idea de que todo lo malo y lo bueno que ocurre es porque as铆 ten铆a que ser y sus motivos habr铆a de tener el se帽or del cielo. Sobra decir que lo primero es lo que m谩s me gust贸 y lo 煤ltimo fue lo que m谩s me fastidi贸 la lectura, pero lo puse en negrilla por si las moscas.
Y aunque el final tiene un mensaje crudo y duro los hechos finales que conducen al desenlace y la confrontaci贸n entre el bien y el mal es de lo m谩s flojo que he le铆do. Pero no me extra帽a, con King ya no suele ser sorpresa que empieza bien y luego flaquea en el 煤ltimo tercio. Aunque tambi茅n agradezco ciertos paralelismos a It y La Tienda, con algunas referencias notables a Misery. Es un gusto encontrarte cosas as铆 si eres fiel seguidor de este se帽or.
January 21, 2010
I'm an indecisive rater and my rating on this will probably fluctuate with mood and memory but regardless of that this is a great read.
What I always found insulting was how easily critics, snobs, and pretentious twits write-off Stephen King because he writes stories about realistic people in fantastic situations. So what? Seriously, he writes amazingly so why give a damn what he writes about? Desperation is a perfect example of horror and fantastic writing and anyone who doesn't think so can go stick their nose in some classics of literature and sip wine and think about how superior they are.
The first thing that gripped me in this book was how goddamn creepy it really was. There are few things that scare me, really, but cops are one of them. Cops scare me because I'm terrified of prison. I have no reason to go but dammit if I haven't read and seen things that have convinced me that sometimes innocent people get put away and horrible, horrible things happen to them. So the opening scenes of Desperation which show a sheriff who is seemingly innocent had me gripped and on the edge of my seat already. The characters were tense because of the bizarre way the cop pulls them over and the fact that they do have pot on them. This is probably my favorite part of the book but that does not mean it is the only good part. King's use of repetition of the senses here really astounded me. I never knew how powerful repetition could be until I read this book and this scene and I begin to sweat as hard as I thought the characters were. As their paranoia grew I could feel my own paranoia growing until I wanted to shout at the book "Are you a good guy? Is this going to turn out as horrible as it feels?" I don't know how many other authors use this method or have used it successfully but this was my first book that exhibited it noticeably and it blew me away. King's literary tools and knowledge of how to use them really awes me at times.
From there the tension never slows and never stops. The characters are filled with real emotions, memories, and personalities. The woman (whose name I forget) is badass. Seriously, her and the writer were my two favorite characters, flaws and all.
Yes, this is a horror. Yes, it is not filled with symbolism or a greater cultural message which we all probably know. Despite all of this it is still remarkably well-written and any author that makes me feel what the characters are feeling and the absolute hopelessness of a situation gets a thumbs up.
Thumbs up King. Screw the snobs.
What I always found insulting was how easily critics, snobs, and pretentious twits write-off Stephen King because he writes stories about realistic people in fantastic situations. So what? Seriously, he writes amazingly so why give a damn what he writes about? Desperation is a perfect example of horror and fantastic writing and anyone who doesn't think so can go stick their nose in some classics of literature and sip wine and think about how superior they are.
The first thing that gripped me in this book was how goddamn creepy it really was. There are few things that scare me, really, but cops are one of them. Cops scare me because I'm terrified of prison. I have no reason to go but dammit if I haven't read and seen things that have convinced me that sometimes innocent people get put away and horrible, horrible things happen to them. So the opening scenes of Desperation which show a sheriff who is seemingly innocent had me gripped and on the edge of my seat already. The characters were tense because of the bizarre way the cop pulls them over and the fact that they do have pot on them. This is probably my favorite part of the book but that does not mean it is the only good part. King's use of repetition of the senses here really astounded me. I never knew how powerful repetition could be until I read this book and this scene and I begin to sweat as hard as I thought the characters were. As their paranoia grew I could feel my own paranoia growing until I wanted to shout at the book "Are you a good guy? Is this going to turn out as horrible as it feels?" I don't know how many other authors use this method or have used it successfully but this was my first book that exhibited it noticeably and it blew me away. King's literary tools and knowledge of how to use them really awes me at times.
From there the tension never slows and never stops. The characters are filled with real emotions, memories, and personalities. The woman (whose name I forget) is badass. Seriously, her and the writer were my two favorite characters, flaws and all.
Yes, this is a horror. Yes, it is not filled with symbolism or a greater cultural message which we all probably know. Despite all of this it is still remarkably well-written and any author that makes me feel what the characters are feeling and the absolute hopelessness of a situation gets a thumbs up.
Thumbs up King. Screw the snobs.
June 5, 2024
I read this book back when I was in 7th grade. I remember distinctly putting it off until the weekend, right before it was due, which was a bad move. I then had to speed through it and do a report, all over a single weekend. Ok, enough about me鈥o it鈥檚 been 25 years since I read this, but distinctly remember Collie Entragian fascinating me. He was just a bizarre character, and everything he did and said just irked me. I get that he was possessed, but still. The initial introduction when he pulled over the couple in the dessert was uncomfortable and set the stage for what would surely be a nasty voyage for these people. So King did a great job keeping things tense, especially in the prison, as you begin to learn more about the sheriff鈥檚 intentions, bringing in the viewpoints of several unique characters. Much like with IT and the sewers under Derry, I recall having a tough time sticking with the history of the old mine, but I read on. The links between God and Tak, using the captured people all for a greater purpose, all kept my interest, as I do something very similar in my Preternatural trilogy. I know this wasn鈥檛 one of King鈥檚 highly acclaimed novels, but I remember enjoying it quite a bit.
October 16, 2016
"In these silences something may rise."
What a book! What a ride! Tak!
This is a story about the little mining town of Desperation. Regulating the traffic on the nearby Route 50 is Collie Entragian, who is an absolutely giant madman. If you're caught with a license plate number missing or you've got a flat tire...tough luck. Collie brings passers-by into Desperation where the real nightmare begins.
I loved this book from beginning to end, I was hooked from the very first page. It's an apocalyptic drama of God and evil, madness and revelation. There is a constant sense of tension that King holds over you relentlessly.
It's true horror as the amount of gore and blood and guts is enough to last you for a lifetime. There's scary animals everywhere from coyotes to scorpions to buzzards to recluse spiders...with vivid imagery and descriptions. You could not wish for any more!
People appear to have issues with the religious undertone of the book, but I personally enjoyed this aspect. I felt like it was necessary in order for this story to progress and make sense. It allowed for the character David Carver to really shine. A young boy with the weight of everyone's survival on his shoulders.
The other characters were equally awesome. Steve and Cynthia...Johnny...the rest of the Carver family, Mary. King really developed each with their own unique characterisation and this is truly why he is the King.
One of my top King books. An addictive read with a relentless pace.
What a book! What a ride! Tak!
This is a story about the little mining town of Desperation. Regulating the traffic on the nearby Route 50 is Collie Entragian, who is an absolutely giant madman. If you're caught with a license plate number missing or you've got a flat tire...tough luck. Collie brings passers-by into Desperation where the real nightmare begins.
I loved this book from beginning to end, I was hooked from the very first page. It's an apocalyptic drama of God and evil, madness and revelation. There is a constant sense of tension that King holds over you relentlessly.
It's true horror as the amount of gore and blood and guts is enough to last you for a lifetime. There's scary animals everywhere from coyotes to scorpions to buzzards to recluse spiders...with vivid imagery and descriptions. You could not wish for any more!
People appear to have issues with the religious undertone of the book, but I personally enjoyed this aspect. I felt like it was necessary in order for this story to progress and make sense. It allowed for the character David Carver to really shine. A young boy with the weight of everyone's survival on his shoulders.
The other characters were equally awesome. Steve and Cynthia...Johnny...the rest of the Carver family, Mary. King really developed each with their own unique characterisation and this is truly why he is the King.
One of my top King books. An addictive read with a relentless pace.
November 2, 2020
While there is no doubt Stephen King is a great author with an incredible ability to write, he still needs an editor. Obviously, no one bothered to edit this novel from way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way too long. Are King鈥檚 editors too intimidated to do their jobs? It certainly appears so in this exceedingly unnecessarily long wordy work. Not even close to his best work. 2 out of 10 stars for this never ending yarn.
January 16, 2019
Say what you will about Stephen King, but you've got to hand it to our man in Maine: sitting down with one of his novels is never a struggle. Having read a number of his books, I've gradually come to think of him as being a bit like an old friend: a charming, chatty old friend who, for the price of a paperback, will happily sit down with you and tell you one of his numerous stories, stories whose occasional nastiness seems quite at odds with their mild-mannered narrator. On this level, Desperation does not disappoint; you're likely to be hooked from the very first page. And, yes, it really is pretty nasty 鈥� but then I have got a slight phobia of creepy little towns, so I would say that.
Highway 50 in Nevada is apparently (being a Brit I'd hardly know) "The Loneliest Highway in America" 鈥� not the kind of place where you'd want to run out of petrol, have an accident or, indeed, meet a seemingly psychopathic policeman, as a random group of travellers are about to find out to their cost. In fact, the policeman is just the tip of the iceberg, as the actual source of the horror is something bigger, older and considerably more deadly than one man. The small mining town of Desperation, once a small but safe and friendly place, has been devastated by an ancient evil, and it falls to a ragged group of survivors to do battle with that evil.
It's astounding how many of our primal fears King works on, and with what apparent ease: the fear of being possessed, the fear of bodily degeneration and decay, the dark, being alone, not being alone, wide open spaces, confined spaces, and of course what horrors might lurk in those spaces. In many ways this is not for the easily-upset: it's genuinely horrific on occasion, and most certainly gory. King was never the man to spare us sickening physical details, and he's on form here, disgusting us with every dribble of blood, every rotten lump of flesh and every putrid corpse. The foulness can get a bit much on occasion, and yes, it does begin to feel a bit gratuitous, but it's a compelling story, so you can overlook that.
There are one or two gripes: as is so often the case with King, he starts off so well, and with such an intriguing premise, that he actually sort of writes himself into a corner; the ending is a disappointment, not to mention unintentionally mildly funny. And of course there are the recycled characters, the characters who have made numerous appearances in other King novels 鈥� the young boy with strange powers, the weary, cynical writer, the slightly downtrodden woman who has to struggle against the odds 鈥� but then again the fact that they keep coming back only really testifies to how successful they were to begin with. If ever a writer was a victim of his own success, it's SK; but then, in accordance with one of the major themes of the novel, God is cruel. Recommended, if not for the faint of heart.
Highway 50 in Nevada is apparently (being a Brit I'd hardly know) "The Loneliest Highway in America" 鈥� not the kind of place where you'd want to run out of petrol, have an accident or, indeed, meet a seemingly psychopathic policeman, as a random group of travellers are about to find out to their cost. In fact, the policeman is just the tip of the iceberg, as the actual source of the horror is something bigger, older and considerably more deadly than one man. The small mining town of Desperation, once a small but safe and friendly place, has been devastated by an ancient evil, and it falls to a ragged group of survivors to do battle with that evil.
It's astounding how many of our primal fears King works on, and with what apparent ease: the fear of being possessed, the fear of bodily degeneration and decay, the dark, being alone, not being alone, wide open spaces, confined spaces, and of course what horrors might lurk in those spaces. In many ways this is not for the easily-upset: it's genuinely horrific on occasion, and most certainly gory. King was never the man to spare us sickening physical details, and he's on form here, disgusting us with every dribble of blood, every rotten lump of flesh and every putrid corpse. The foulness can get a bit much on occasion, and yes, it does begin to feel a bit gratuitous, but it's a compelling story, so you can overlook that.
There are one or two gripes: as is so often the case with King, he starts off so well, and with such an intriguing premise, that he actually sort of writes himself into a corner; the ending is a disappointment, not to mention unintentionally mildly funny. And of course there are the recycled characters, the characters who have made numerous appearances in other King novels 鈥� the young boy with strange powers, the weary, cynical writer, the slightly downtrodden woman who has to struggle against the odds 鈥� but then again the fact that they keep coming back only really testifies to how successful they were to begin with. If ever a writer was a victim of his own success, it's SK; but then, in accordance with one of the major themes of the novel, God is cruel. Recommended, if not for the faint of heart.
February 4, 2021
4,5. Como me alegro cada vez que doy con una de esas joyitas del rey Stephen King. Es uno de mis autores favoritos de todos los tiempos, pero una persona con un ritmo de escritura tan fren茅tico como el de este se帽or, no siempre puede mantener el nivel. Por eso suelo dividir sus libros en tres categorias: joyitas, los que no est谩n mal y los muy regulares. Y este es de los buenos buenos. En la interestatal 50, una desierta carretera que cruza nevada, nos vamos a encontrar con Collie Entragian, un enorme agente de policia. Este hombre se dedica a parar a los pocos viajeros que cruzan dicha carretera y los lleva hacia 顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍, un pueblo cercano. Y no lo har谩 precisamente con buenas intenciones.
Lo primero que destaca es el villano de la historia. Original, personal, caracter铆stico y con fuerza. Me flipa cuando King hace personajes antagonistas tan potentes como este, Annie Wilkis, Pennywise o Jack Torrance. Siento que Stephen King es uno de los mejores creando villanos, que es uno de sus puntos fuertes. Y el villano de esta historia es tan bueno, que me ha mantenido con los ojos pegados a la novela todo el tiempo. La tensi贸n va en aumento todo el tiempo, esa sensaci贸n de desconcierto y de miedo constante por los personajes hac铆a tiempo que no la sent铆a con King. Desde que le铆 Cementerio de animales, quiz谩s.
Otra cosa que me ha gustado mucho es la ambietaci贸n. Tanto la que hace referencia al pueblo y lo destrozado que est谩, como a la que gira entorno al misterio de este curioso mal que est谩 azotando "Deseperaci贸n". El origen de este ser y todo lo que envuelve su existencia me ha parecido muy bien traido y, en parte, me ha recordado a "It", cosa que siempre es una alegr铆a. El grupo de superviventes que tienen que enfretarlo tambi茅n me ha gustado un mont贸n y de hecho no he podido dejar ver cierta similitud con los perdedores de "It" tambi茅n, pero en su versi贸n adulta. Me ha gustado mucho leer como iban llegando al pueblo, como algunos iban cayendo poco a poco. Sobre todo me han gustado mucho Cynthia, Mary, Johnny y, por supuesto, el villano.
Y para rematar una buena lectura de King, nos encontramos con un final potente, tenso y bien llevado. Amo profundamente a este autor, pero la pega que muchas veces suelo encontrar en sus libros son sus finales, as铆 que me he llevado una alegr铆a al descubrir que el de "顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍" es de los muy buenos. La 煤nico que no me ha gustado tanto y que me ha llevado a dejarlo en 4,5 estrellas y no las cinco es el tema religioso, con el Dios todopoderoso que todo lo puede. Si el tema religi贸n hubiera estado un pel铆n relajado se hubiera llevado las cinco. A煤n as铆 ha entrado en mi top 5 libros de King. Ahora a por su hermano mellizo "Posesi贸n".
Lo primero que destaca es el villano de la historia. Original, personal, caracter铆stico y con fuerza. Me flipa cuando King hace personajes antagonistas tan potentes como este, Annie Wilkis, Pennywise o Jack Torrance. Siento que Stephen King es uno de los mejores creando villanos, que es uno de sus puntos fuertes. Y el villano de esta historia es tan bueno, que me ha mantenido con los ojos pegados a la novela todo el tiempo. La tensi贸n va en aumento todo el tiempo, esa sensaci贸n de desconcierto y de miedo constante por los personajes hac铆a tiempo que no la sent铆a con King. Desde que le铆 Cementerio de animales, quiz谩s.
Otra cosa que me ha gustado mucho es la ambietaci贸n. Tanto la que hace referencia al pueblo y lo destrozado que est谩, como a la que gira entorno al misterio de este curioso mal que est谩 azotando "Deseperaci贸n". El origen de este ser y todo lo que envuelve su existencia me ha parecido muy bien traido y, en parte, me ha recordado a "It", cosa que siempre es una alegr铆a. El grupo de superviventes que tienen que enfretarlo tambi茅n me ha gustado un mont贸n y de hecho no he podido dejar ver cierta similitud con los perdedores de "It" tambi茅n, pero en su versi贸n adulta. Me ha gustado mucho leer como iban llegando al pueblo, como algunos iban cayendo poco a poco. Sobre todo me han gustado mucho Cynthia, Mary, Johnny y, por supuesto, el villano.
Y para rematar una buena lectura de King, nos encontramos con un final potente, tenso y bien llevado. Amo profundamente a este autor, pero la pega que muchas veces suelo encontrar en sus libros son sus finales, as铆 que me he llevado una alegr铆a al descubrir que el de "顿别蝉别蝉辫别谤补肠颈贸苍" es de los muy buenos. La 煤nico que no me ha gustado tanto y que me ha llevado a dejarlo en 4,5 estrellas y no las cinco es el tema religioso, con el Dios todopoderoso que todo lo puede. Si el tema religi贸n hubiera estado un pel铆n relajado se hubiera llevado las cinco. A煤n as铆 ha entrado en mi top 5 libros de King. Ahora a por su hermano mellizo "Posesi贸n".
October 3, 2019
What I learned from this book: tall people are The Devil. *lol*
This was 鈥� not the most excellent King I鈥檝e read so far, but pretty good nonetheless.
There are four groups of people: a young couple (Mary and Peter Jackson), a family of four (father, mother, an 11-year-old boy and his younger sister), a washed-up writer, the writer鈥檚 assistant (who has to follow him at a little distance while his boss is crossing the USofA on his motorcycle) and a hitchhiker he鈥檚 picked up not too long ago.
These four groups have one thing in common: they are each either stopped by a cop out on the highway or are connected to the people who have been arrested and thus end up in the small town of Desperation.
The problem is that there is something profoundly wrong with the cop. From supposedly planted weed, to eerie phrases that steal into his speech pattern, unnerving the people he鈥檚 talking to.
Also unnerving is the fact that the town is empty. From the recently re-opened mines to the main street. Not a soul to be seen.
And here鈥檚 a third unnerving fact: the animals (from coyotes to buzzards and scorpions) seem to have been instrumentalized too.
But why / how?
Well, that is exactly what the people are trying to find out after shit hits the fan and they realize they鈥檝e pretty much landed in hell.
One thing I was definitely not into was the whole religion schtick. I know King isn鈥檛 religious himself, so that makes it a little better, but the pious message is strong in this one (or King鈥檚 sarcasm is too weak here). I honestly hoped . Alas.
For those of you who are reading Stephen King, regularly even, this will be one of those rewarding stories that have some slight connection to others, telling us of .
I really liked the atmosphere in the little town, when we didn鈥檛 know quite what was wrong though we could already be sure that something was VERY wrong indeed. The origin story itself was cool as well though how they found out 鈥� I don鈥檛 know. Not to mention that I hated all the instrumentalized animals .
Like I said, very enjoyable, but not King鈥檚 best.
By the way, my audiobook was narrated by King himself and let me tell you: the man is a darn good audiobook narrator!
P.S.:
This was 鈥� not the most excellent King I鈥檝e read so far, but pretty good nonetheless.
There are four groups of people: a young couple (Mary and Peter Jackson), a family of four (father, mother, an 11-year-old boy and his younger sister), a washed-up writer, the writer鈥檚 assistant (who has to follow him at a little distance while his boss is crossing the USofA on his motorcycle) and a hitchhiker he鈥檚 picked up not too long ago.
These four groups have one thing in common: they are each either stopped by a cop out on the highway or are connected to the people who have been arrested and thus end up in the small town of Desperation.
The problem is that there is something profoundly wrong with the cop. From supposedly planted weed, to eerie phrases that steal into his speech pattern, unnerving the people he鈥檚 talking to.
Also unnerving is the fact that the town is empty. From the recently re-opened mines to the main street. Not a soul to be seen.
And here鈥檚 a third unnerving fact: the animals (from coyotes to buzzards and scorpions) seem to have been instrumentalized too.
But why / how?
Well, that is exactly what the people are trying to find out after shit hits the fan and they realize they鈥檝e pretty much landed in hell.
One thing I was definitely not into was the whole religion schtick. I know King isn鈥檛 religious himself, so that makes it a little better, but the pious message is strong in this one (or King鈥檚 sarcasm is too weak here). I honestly hoped . Alas.
For those of you who are reading Stephen King, regularly even, this will be one of those rewarding stories that have some slight connection to others, telling us of .
I really liked the atmosphere in the little town, when we didn鈥檛 know quite what was wrong though we could already be sure that something was VERY wrong indeed. The origin story itself was cool as well though how they found out 鈥� I don鈥檛 know. Not to mention that I hated all the instrumentalized animals .
Like I said, very enjoyable, but not King鈥檚 best.
By the way, my audiobook was narrated by King himself and let me tell you: the man is a darn good audiobook narrator!
P.S.:
January 23, 2021
"Those who do not learn the lessons of the past are condemned to repeat it."
This one听is about a bunch people who, while traveling along 'Lonely' Highway 50 in Nevada, get tricked and abducted by a huge 6'7" town deputy who is clearly absolutely insane and get taken to the mining town of听Desperation and thrown into cells.....
It's a good verus evil story which I absolutely loved, I just couldn't put it down, when I had to go and do something I was always looking forward to getting straight back to it - it's one of those addictive reads.
I've read most of Stephen King's books and he's still blowing my mind, I've put Desperation off for years and now that I've finally read it - it's one of the best one I've read for years!
Must read!! Tak!
This one听is about a bunch people who, while traveling along 'Lonely' Highway 50 in Nevada, get tricked and abducted by a huge 6'7" town deputy who is clearly absolutely insane and get taken to the mining town of听Desperation and thrown into cells.....
It's a good verus evil story which I absolutely loved, I just couldn't put it down, when I had to go and do something I was always looking forward to getting straight back to it - it's one of those addictive reads.
I've read most of Stephen King's books and he's still blowing my mind, I've put Desperation off for years and now that I've finally read it - it's one of the best one I've read for years!
Must read!! Tak!
February 4, 2021
A one time thriving town in the Nevada desert Desperation is about to give up its secrets. An average King read in that it starts so well and the middle's so good, that comes to an end that can't live up to the expectation built!
DESPERATION by STEPHEN KING - My terrible Instagram review:
I gave it a W...
W for delightfully Weird covers of most editions.
W for Wild start that takes you on a demented first third of the book.
W for Weak finish in comparison to the intense and gripping earlier parts of the book, and W for Weak characterisation compared to the very high standard King has set.
W for Will probably never read again, but Worth this reread.
DESPERATION by STEPHEN KING - My terrible Instagram review:
I gave it a W...
W for delightfully Weird covers of most editions.
W for Wild start that takes you on a demented first third of the book.
W for Weak finish in comparison to the intense and gripping earlier parts of the book, and W for Weak characterisation compared to the very high standard King has set.
W for Will probably never read again, but Worth this reread.
September 11, 2007
So, I dropped the pretention and read a Stephen King novel. True, I read several of King's works...in middle school...but I thought that it was time to give him another chance. After all, King's popularity is eclipsed only by, oh, I don't know...Jesus? Well, not Jesus...but someone popular.
I'll admit, the story was engaging. King has a way with propelling his story-lines over hundreds of pages without taking a breath. Or so it would seem. Unfortunately, the mediocrity of his prose is, at best, distracting and at worst infuriating. How many internal monologues can one author insert haphazardly into a single paragraph? I don't know, but King sure does: twenty-seven. Seriously though, King's writing suffers from a lack of ingenuity. Metaphors are ham-fisted and cliched, character development is superficial at best, and the dialogue is trite and unconvincing. The upshot to King's fast-paced, yet uninspired, novel? It only took a few hours to finish.
I'll admit, the story was engaging. King has a way with propelling his story-lines over hundreds of pages without taking a breath. Or so it would seem. Unfortunately, the mediocrity of his prose is, at best, distracting and at worst infuriating. How many internal monologues can one author insert haphazardly into a single paragraph? I don't know, but King sure does: twenty-seven. Seriously though, King's writing suffers from a lack of ingenuity. Metaphors are ham-fisted and cliched, character development is superficial at best, and the dialogue is trite and unconvincing. The upshot to King's fast-paced, yet uninspired, novel? It only took a few hours to finish.
January 16, 2015
Awesomesauce!!
I closed the book with a wicked smile across my face.
First, the boy character made this book.
Second, the way this story makes you feel like you're right there. Third, how can you not love a 600+ page King novel. The bigger the better in my opinion. One of his best for sure.
I closed the book with a wicked smile across my face.
First, the boy character made this book.
Second, the way this story makes you feel like you're right there. Third, how can you not love a 600+ page King novel. The bigger the better in my opinion. One of his best for sure.
January 5, 2024
Gory, old school King.
It鈥檚 always a great set up - strangers thrown together by 鈥渃hance鈥� must survive or fall as a group - and in King鈥檚 hands it is of course wholly frightening, bizarre, and horrifying.
Unlike King鈥檚 other books which feature ultimate showdowns between Good and Evil, this one puts an actual name on Good and runs with it. I鈥檓 not enough of a King scholar to know why he chose to include God here, when that is not usually a feature of his story telling, but of course, because it鈥檚 King it鈥檚 no kindly fellow you get.
Next month I鈥檒l be reading the novel written as the twin to Desperation: by Richard Bachman. It will be interesting to see how they compare.
It鈥檚 always a great set up - strangers thrown together by 鈥渃hance鈥� must survive or fall as a group - and in King鈥檚 hands it is of course wholly frightening, bizarre, and horrifying.
Unlike King鈥檚 other books which feature ultimate showdowns between Good and Evil, this one puts an actual name on Good and runs with it. I鈥檓 not enough of a King scholar to know why he chose to include God here, when that is not usually a feature of his story telling, but of course, because it鈥檚 King it鈥檚 no kindly fellow you get.
Next month I鈥檒l be reading the novel written as the twin to Desperation: by Richard Bachman. It will be interesting to see how they compare.
October 16, 2024
Another 500 page dud from King. King did not just write short duds. He wrote long epic duds with multiple sub plots, numerous boring characters and terrible long epic endings.
November 22, 2022
Rating: 猸愨瓙猸愨瓙猸�
Genre: Horror
In a deserted mining town called Desperation, a group of people has had their lives changed forever. The terror and evil that they face in Desperation are unprecedented. All these characters are stopped by a crazy police officer, but what appeared at first to be a normal routine thing turns out to be a far more sinister thing than what they thought. In this town, the war between the forces of good and evil will start. God has the final say, though!
This is the first time I've read this novel. I remember watching the television movie adaptation a long time ago and not liking it at the time. I can鈥檛 remember a thing from that movie either. But this book is everything I love about Stephen King鈥檚 stories. Like many of his other stories, it has horror, intrigue, religion, mystery, and thrills that are combined together to create a marvelous story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
All the characters in this book were fantastically developed. It felt like I was on a journey with them, experiencing all the fear they felt and the terrible things they had to go through. David was such an amazing character. I can鈥檛 remember when it was the last time I read a child character that was written so beautifully and who had such an important role in a story. The impact each of these characters has is huge. This review will spoil nothing for you. My advice is just to read this amazing story. I LOVED IT.
Note: Desperation is a part of my reading of Stephen King鈥檚 The Dark Tower series. This is Book No.13 of the 24 books I am going to read for this series.
Genre: Horror
In a deserted mining town called Desperation, a group of people has had their lives changed forever. The terror and evil that they face in Desperation are unprecedented. All these characters are stopped by a crazy police officer, but what appeared at first to be a normal routine thing turns out to be a far more sinister thing than what they thought. In this town, the war between the forces of good and evil will start. God has the final say, though!
This is the first time I've read this novel. I remember watching the television movie adaptation a long time ago and not liking it at the time. I can鈥檛 remember a thing from that movie either. But this book is everything I love about Stephen King鈥檚 stories. Like many of his other stories, it has horror, intrigue, religion, mystery, and thrills that are combined together to create a marvelous story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
All the characters in this book were fantastically developed. It felt like I was on a journey with them, experiencing all the fear they felt and the terrible things they had to go through. David was such an amazing character. I can鈥檛 remember when it was the last time I read a child character that was written so beautifully and who had such an important role in a story. The impact each of these characters has is huge. This review will spoil nothing for you. My advice is just to read this amazing story. I LOVED IT.
Note: Desperation is a part of my reading of Stephen King鈥檚 The Dark Tower series. This is Book No.13 of the 24 books I am going to read for this series.
October 30, 2017
螠慰谓慰 魏伪喂 渭慰谓慰 纬喂伪 蔚魏蔚喂谓慰 蟿慰 蟺蟻蠅蟿慰 1/3 蟺慰蠀 蠀蟺慰蟽蠂蔚胃畏魏蔚 蟺慰位位伪, 伪位位伪 未蔚谓...
蟺慰蟽慰 伪蟺慰纬慰畏蟿蔚蠀蟿喂魏慰 慰蟿伪谓 蔚谓伪 尾喂尾位喂慰 尉蔚魏喂谓伪 蟺慰位位伪 蠀蟺慰蟽蠂慰渭蔚谓慰 魏伪喂 蟺慰位蠀蠀蠀蠀 未蠀谓伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟿蔚位喂魏伪 魏伪蟿伪位畏纬蔚喂蟼 谓伪 魏慰喂蟿伪蟼 蟺慰蟽蔚蟼 蟽蔚位喂未蔚蟼 渭蔚谓慰蠀谓 蠅蟼 蟿慰 蟿蔚位慰蟼....
螘蔚蔚蔚蔚蔚渭渭渭渭 蟿喂 纬喂谓蔚蟿伪喂? 蔚蠂蠅 蠁蟻喂魏伪蟻蔚喂 !!!
螕喂伪 谓伪 未慰蠀渭蔚, 蟿喂 位蔚蔚喂 魏伪喂 伪蠀蟿慰蟼 慰..未蟻慰渭慰蟼..
蟺慰蟽慰 伪蟺慰纬慰畏蟿蔚蠀蟿喂魏慰 慰蟿伪谓 蔚谓伪 尾喂尾位喂慰 尉蔚魏喂谓伪 蟺慰位位伪 蠀蟺慰蟽蠂慰渭蔚谓慰 魏伪喂 蟺慰位蠀蠀蠀蠀 未蠀谓伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟿蔚位喂魏伪 魏伪蟿伪位畏纬蔚喂蟼 谓伪 魏慰喂蟿伪蟼 蟺慰蟽蔚蟼 蟽蔚位喂未蔚蟼 渭蔚谓慰蠀谓 蠅蟼 蟿慰 蟿蔚位慰蟼....
螘蔚蔚蔚蔚蔚渭渭渭渭 蟿喂 纬喂谓蔚蟿伪喂? 蔚蠂蠅 蠁蟻喂魏伪蟻蔚喂 !!!
螕喂伪 谓伪 未慰蠀渭蔚, 蟿喂 位蔚蔚喂 魏伪喂 伪蠀蟿慰蟼 慰..未蟻慰渭慰蟼..
August 23, 2017
鈥淒olls with no little girls around to mind them were sort of creepy under any conditions.鈥澨�
Tak
As a constant King reader, I was looking forward to diving into his twisted mindset again, for believe it or not this was my first King book this year and immediately from page one it felt like home. The whole setting for this book lends itself well to the extreme creepy factor from the ghost town in the middle of a desert to听the long stretches of highway that just give this unsettling feeling like something bad is about happen.
鈥淵ou said 'God is cruel' the way a person who's lived his whole life on Tahiti might say 'Snow is cold'. You knew , but you didn't understand." He stepped close to David and put his palms on the boy's cold cheeks. "Do you know how cruel your God can be, David. How fantastically cruel?鈥�
The plot revolves around this isolated town called Desperation which is located in Nevada, it seems deserted and the only inhabitant is the sheriff who patrols Highway 50 where a bunch of outsiders will, unfortunately, cross paths with the devil听himself. Somehow, they get pulled over for some sort of technicality with the law and are brought to Desperation and all hell breaks loose.
My experience reading this polarizing, before starting this I read that the book was too heavy on the religiousness or 鈥減reachy鈥� and I was still not put off by that because The Stand also drew some inspiration from the Bible and used that to explore the Good vs Evil trope it was done smartly and the characters didn鈥檛 feel like biblical prophets but when it came to this book it felt like I was literally being talked down at. The plot was steady and the suspense was incredible as one would expect with a King but the second half the religious ideologies overtook the storyline.
鈥淚n these silences, something may rise鈥澨�
The characters had a similar effect with the plot, at the beginning each individual had such a strong presence but they slowly dwindled鈥� The whole idea of free will in regards to religion was touched on but once the characters started losing their own personal belief and started making really dumb decisions my enjoyment level started plummeting.
Apart from all that the book is really fast paced, devouring the 700pages in a weeks time and the gore factor was top notch. Exploring addiction and alcoholism was well done as the subject hits close to home for Stephen King. I would definitely still recommend it for the sharp writing and atmosphere but it isn鈥檛 like my favorite King book, I have read better. Still, you sound check it out if the premise sounds interesting or if you are King addict.
I would definitely check out The Regulators to see how the narratives pair together.
Have you read it what are your thoughts on it?
___________________________________________________
Really conflicted about this I need to get thoughts my order
January 3, 2025
There were a LOT of interesting social issues tied into the paranormal and religion here. Stephen King is notorious for his love/hate relationship with God and religion in many of his novels, and that held true here as well.
I loved the way that he used the "power of prayer" as an actual powerful force. The overall premise of an old mining town and people
Overall, the characters are well defined. However, only one facet of the villain is made as real and clear, which was a bit of a disappointment. Entragian was the strength in character on this one. he was so brilliantly terrible. Being stuck on one a few words of a language got a bit annoying and repetitive. I was also a bit confused at the mudding of the Vietnamese and Chinese cultures that could have been done more clearly.
Worth a read, and was interesting. Not the strongest of King's novels for me, but definitely happy to have finally read this one.
Quotes that stood out to me:
鈥淥h shit, the mummy's after us, let's all walk a little faster鈥�
鈥淟ife is more than just steering a course around pain.鈥�
鈥淭he trouble with sobriety, Johnny had found, was that you remembered all the things you had to be scared of.鈥�
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4.
I loved the way that he used the "power of prayer" as an actual powerful force. The overall premise of an old mining town and people
Overall, the characters are well defined. However, only one facet of the villain is made as real and clear, which was a bit of a disappointment. Entragian was the strength in character on this one. he was so brilliantly terrible. Being stuck on one a few words of a language got a bit annoying and repetitive. I was also a bit confused at the mudding of the Vietnamese and Chinese cultures that could have been done more clearly.
Worth a read, and was interesting. Not the strongest of King's novels for me, but definitely happy to have finally read this one.
Quotes that stood out to me:
鈥淥h shit, the mummy's after us, let's all walk a little faster鈥�
鈥淟ife is more than just steering a course around pain.鈥�
鈥淭he trouble with sobriety, Johnny had found, was that you remembered all the things you had to be scared of.鈥�
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4.
December 21, 2019
Great connections between lust and death. Must read!!
May 17, 2020
4.5
Es, sin duda alguna, uno de los libros m谩s sanguinario, crudo y violento que pudo escribir S.K.
Los personajes est谩n muy bien la verdad, y la trama no es mala para ser un libro de 718 p谩ginas.
驴Qu茅 si lo recomiendo? S铆, para los que han le铆do libros as铆 de largos. Para alguien que apenas comienza, no.
Una frase: "la mentira es ficci贸n, la ficci贸n es arte, y por consiguiente todo arte es mentira".
Es, sin duda alguna, uno de los libros m谩s sanguinario, crudo y violento que pudo escribir S.K.
Los personajes est谩n muy bien la verdad, y la trama no es mala para ser un libro de 718 p谩ginas.
驴Qu茅 si lo recomiendo? S铆, para los que han le铆do libros as铆 de largos. Para alguien que apenas comienza, no.
Una frase: "la mentira es ficci贸n, la ficci贸n es arte, y por consiguiente todo arte es mentira".
September 19, 2017
It has ups and downs and definitely could have trimmed at least 75 pages or so with better editing, I think, but a good read. Heavy on the religious aspects, for a King novel. After reading this one, though, I ALWAYS have to then immediately read 'The Regulators', which is the 'other side of the story' written by King's friend, 'Richard Bachman'...--Jen from Quebec :0)
April 19, 2024
He quedado 鈥渢raumada鈥� con este libro, es muy impactante. Si bien el t铆tulo hace referencia al nombre del pueblo donde transcurre la historia, tambi茅n es la sensaci贸n que le produce al lector desde que empieza a leer hasta el final.
Lo sent铆 como estar dentro de una pel铆cula, todo muy visual sensitivo. El temor, la angustia, el horror se te pega en la piel. Es un libro que tiene mucho gore (muertes sangrientas), las escenas repulsivas aparecen una y otra vez.
Es una historia en la que los personajes pasan a ser peones en un juego de ajedrez de alguien m谩s, y llega un momento en que son conscientes de ello pero no pueden impedirlo. Eso me gener贸 como lectora angustia y te lleva a preguntarte el sentido de nuestra existencia.
Esta novela te va llevando de la mano, adentr谩ndose cada vez en una capa mas profunda de los hechos. Al inicio podr铆amos pensar que lo que acontece es realista, pero luego nos vamos dando cuenta, a la par que los personajes, que hay algo sobrenatural implicado. La tensi贸n va permanentemente en aumento, sin un momento de pausa.
Finalmente aparecen todas las explicaciones, todo tiene su l贸gica, no hay un hilo fuera del ovillo. Esta cuidado todo detalle y la complejidad que presenta es deliciosa.
Les dejo un video sobre el dec谩logo de King (por si les interesa):
Lo sent铆 como estar dentro de una pel铆cula, todo muy visual sensitivo. El temor, la angustia, el horror se te pega en la piel. Es un libro que tiene mucho gore (muertes sangrientas), las escenas repulsivas aparecen una y otra vez.
Es una historia en la que los personajes pasan a ser peones en un juego de ajedrez de alguien m谩s, y llega un momento en que son conscientes de ello pero no pueden impedirlo. Eso me gener贸 como lectora angustia y te lleva a preguntarte el sentido de nuestra existencia.
Esta novela te va llevando de la mano, adentr谩ndose cada vez en una capa mas profunda de los hechos. Al inicio podr铆amos pensar que lo que acontece es realista, pero luego nos vamos dando cuenta, a la par que los personajes, que hay algo sobrenatural implicado. La tensi贸n va permanentemente en aumento, sin un momento de pausa.
Finalmente aparecen todas las explicaciones, todo tiene su l贸gica, no hay un hilo fuera del ovillo. Esta cuidado todo detalle y la complejidad que presenta es deliciosa.
Les dejo un video sobre el dec谩logo de King (por si les interesa):
June 4, 2014
UUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHH I FEEL SO BETRAYED BY THIS DUMB BOOK.
The first half, maybe even two thirds and I was all HEY THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE KING NOVEL. A creepy rural Nevada cop starts kidnapping innocent travelers!? Like all post-AA King, they're all thinly veiled representations of parts of his personality/personal history!? THE COP IS POSSESSED BY AN ANCIENT EARTH-GOD WITH POWER OVER THE LOWER BEASTS OF THE DESERT?@?!!? DUDE!
There's a movie adaptation where RON PERLMAN PLAYS THE COP!? DOUBLE DUDE!!
And then... I mean. You know how King can't write an ending? (And neither can his son for that matter, file that away for later...) How every single novel ends with a MAJOR deus ex machina??
Usually he can come up with a better name for his 'deus' than God.
The entire second half of Desperation is a pile of proselytizing garbage. Literally every single obstacle encountered in the latter 300 pages is resolved by a character praying. PRAYING.
PRAYING.
I am so upset. So upset. This got two stars for each hundred pages I could stand.
So upset.
The first half, maybe even two thirds and I was all HEY THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE KING NOVEL. A creepy rural Nevada cop starts kidnapping innocent travelers!? Like all post-AA King, they're all thinly veiled representations of parts of his personality/personal history!? THE COP IS POSSESSED BY AN ANCIENT EARTH-GOD WITH POWER OVER THE LOWER BEASTS OF THE DESERT?@?!!? DUDE!
There's a movie adaptation where RON PERLMAN PLAYS THE COP!? DOUBLE DUDE!!
And then... I mean. You know how King can't write an ending? (And neither can his son for that matter, file that away for later...) How every single novel ends with a MAJOR deus ex machina??
Usually he can come up with a better name for his 'deus' than God.
The entire second half of Desperation is a pile of proselytizing garbage. Literally every single obstacle encountered in the latter 300 pages is resolved by a character praying. PRAYING.
PRAYING.
I am so upset. So upset. This got two stars for each hundred pages I could stand.
So upset.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2024
Mr. King i bow down to you for such a masterpiece you鈥檝e created!
Love love love
5/5
Love love love
5/5
December 23, 2019
No recordaba lo bueno que es.
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