Stephen King's Bool

Stephen King is among the few writers who I will read, knowing little about the subject matter. Like Michael Crichton, King has a gift for consistency in spite of his prolific output. King has written books that are scary enough to make adults sleep with the lights on. I cannot begin to imagine what his nightmares must be like. I would presume his wife stopped asking what woke him long ago (in order that she may go back to sleep)! Lisey's Story is not one of those books. It is more cerebral. A love story with an edge.

Lisey's Story examines the marriage between a troubled writer and his stoic wife. The story explores both the unspoken language and special dialogue that evolves from spending a lifetime together. Language borrowed from childhood that they bring with them to their union as well as expressions that derive from decades spent together. This shared communication often creates meaning, different from the original intent of the actual spoken word. Stephen King crafts an interesting world of language where our female lead, Lisey Landon, finally comes to grips with the death of her writer husband.

It would have been easy for King to give Lisey's Story a purely cerebral context. The story spends a great deal of time reliving Lisey's past and experiencing her thoughts. But the goblins lurking in this story are not in Lisey's head. King demonstrates this by involving several characters in this book in the otherworldly experiences described. If King had allowed the entire sequence of events to take place from Lisey's own perspective, then the prevailing thought would be that Lisey has created her own reality (that woman is crazy). That is not the case. The goblins exist in a place shared by other characters, making the eerie undercurrent stronger.

King has always had a knack for writing novels that draw me in and munch away my time. Some of his novels are lengthy excursions into worlds that he crafts like the experienced tale weaver that he is. Lisey's Story is no different. Strong characters, interesting worlds and converging plot lines are carefully constructed to keep the reader rapt while consuming them with their destination. In the end, this book was not about overcoming the scary elements, but more about closure. It was also an examination of the creative process at work and the way (sources) language is crafted.

I could see where some readers might be disappointed in Lisey's Story. Because the book is more about the internal language shared between a tortured writer and his supportive spouse, those who are wired more toward the It type of plot might feel shorted. It really depends on the reader. The book itself is well constructed with language that makes the 500 plus page book seem much shorter. It is not necessarily a "quick read," but it also does not bog down. I liked the story, even it was not the story I expected.

In a nutshell...if you like the way Stephen King writes (his craftsmanship, if you will) then I believe you will enjoy Lisey's Story. This book demonstrates King's ability to take an idea and create an entire new world around it. King manages to introduce his readers to the internal language, then uses the language through repetition to reinforce his ideas. The skillful use of language was like, well...drinking from a pool. "The language pool...where we all go down to drink." Lisey's Story...a book that is certain to give you hours of reading enjoyment.