There are so many reviews of this book I'm only going to say that halfway through I found I couldn't put it down. Three days after finishing it I'm stThere are so many reviews of this book I'm only going to say that halfway through I found I couldn't put it down. Three days after finishing it I'm still frequently thinking about the characters. Can't think of any higher praise than that....more
I've been a Constant Reader of King since my childhood in the 1980's. This is the first Stephen King book I've actively, passionately disliked. There I've been a Constant Reader of King since my childhood in the 1980's. This is the first Stephen King book I've actively, passionately disliked. There have been a few I didn't love, but for the most part I've always come away with something. This one, though, I hated. Part of it was the more straight-forward mystery style of the book, a style I was expecting him to pull off with panache, but ends up falling flat. The writing felt unimaginative, with a tired Hollywood crime-drama plot and even more tired and lame villain who was hard to take seriously. (I have a stuffed vampire Beanie Baby way more scary than that guy.) I could have saved myself a day and just watched an episode of Criminal Minds. So why the 5 star rating?
I felt the author's age consciously in the writing style for the first time. He drops little comments about women and culture that feels from another era, things like "A 42 year old woman unafraid to sit in direct sunlight." I'd put it down to him trying to sound more like the older hard-boiled detective his main character is supposed to be, but I'd noticed it in 11/22/63 as well. It pulled me out of the story and made me ponder the fact that King is almost 70.
70! So I didn't like the book, but that honestly didn't matter to me. What I took away from it was that A. This is the first book of his in almost 30 years of reading that I really didn't like and WOW. What an accomplishment! and B. He's not going to be around forever, so I should probably take a moment to dash off an email telling him what his work has meant to me. A "thanks" for all the unforgettable characters, for all the nights I stayed up until dawn unable to put the book down, for all the passionate debate and talks with my friends after each book came out, and for the pathological fear of clowns and subway tunnels that I developed after. And for how every time I get the flu I don't get the flu, but come down with a case of Captain Trips. So consider my five-star review a little thank you for still trying new styles and for still writing. As long as you keep picking up the pen, Mr. King, I'll be there....more
I give this book a solid 3 and a half stars. It's a bit of a departure from her other books and very close stylistically to her early works. What surpI give this book a solid 3 and a half stars. It's a bit of a departure from her other books and very close stylistically to her early works. What surprised me was how unlikable her main character, Julia is. As the book progressed I liked her less and less until I almost put the book down for good. The reason I hung in was for Lorenzo's story, the composer who wrote the music central to the plot.
I'm glad I stuck with it until the end. Gerritsen does a neat trick where in just a few paragraphs my feelings towards Julia changes 180 degrees. I walked away from the story with a heart and mind full of sadness, love, admiration and a feverent prayer that history isn't about to repeat itself....more
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