Cell - Stephen King
I'm unsure of where to start with Stephen King's "Cell". It has a very powerful beginning, a calm opening of a normal day that goes terribly wrong. Mass murder ensues, blood, guts, gore, action all at once. It disrupts the calm King has opened with and shoves us into the midst of a world gone insane. This is where King thrives, in the descriptions and actions. His characters are all easy to emphasize with, and their actions during what is essentially the end of the world are believable. No one acts as a brave hero, they act as human beings caught in a whirlwind of torment. Clay, Tom, and Alice are our three "main" characters, though there is a plethora of characters to connect with. It's an interesting way of writing, having all these characters to root for and think of. Each one has their flaws, but that's what makes us all human, no? We find ourselves hoping for good endings for all, but are we going to get it? Where one character's story ends another continues, and where one seems wrong, another right. There is no one central being of goodness, there is just people, looking to survive, and that's what makes the writing in this book so good. Were not looking at heroes, were looking at survivors, and we WANT them to survive and King in all his glory is either going to give it to you, or rip it away from you. You just don't know until you get to the end. My only concern here is the plot, while it's a good story with good characters the plot just feels...weak at times, like he's struggling to decide what to do next. Honestly if this wasn't King and I didn't have the expectations I do for him I probably would have given it more leeway. But King is...my king! I love his books, and cherish them, so when something doesn't live up to his normal greatness, I notice.
Let's talk about the end, in a spoiler free manner of course. Yes, I can see where some people would feel let down by it. I can see where the stars get chipped away for this ending, and I felt the same way, at first. I re-read the book a year after my first reading, and found myself enjoying, and most importantly understanding the ending more than I had before. It's an interesting way to end a book, and though it does incite emotions (some rage, some sorrow, some confusion) I feel like that's what the author set out to do. And I can't fault an author who has achieved his goal. So while I personally would have liked a different ending (not better, just different), I'm not going to fault King for it, because even if I don't feel satisfied by it, it doesn't mean it's not well written.
Stephen King's Cell gets 4/5 stars from me. A good read, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea.
I'm unsure of where to start with Stephen King's "Cell". It has a very powerful beginning, a calm opening of a normal day that goes terribly wrong. Mass murder ensues, blood, guts, gore, action all at once. It disrupts the calm King has opened with and shoves us into the midst of a world gone insane. This is where King thrives, in the descriptions and actions. His characters are all easy to emphasize with, and their actions during what is essentially the end of the world are believable. No one acts as a brave hero, they act as human beings caught in a whirlwind of torment. Clay, Tom, and Alice are our three "main" characters, though there is a plethora of characters to connect with. It's an interesting way of writing, having all these characters to root for and think of. Each one has their flaws, but that's what makes us all human, no? We find ourselves hoping for good endings for all, but are we going to get it? Where one character's story ends another continues, and where one seems wrong, another right. There is no one central being of goodness, there is just people, looking to survive, and that's what makes the writing in this book so good. Were not looking at heroes, were looking at survivors, and we WANT them to survive and King in all his glory is either going to give it to you, or rip it away from you. You just don't know until you get to the end. My only concern here is the plot, while it's a good story with good characters the plot just feels...weak at times, like he's struggling to decide what to do next. Honestly if this wasn't King and I didn't have the expectations I do for him I probably would have given it more leeway. But King is...my king! I love his books, and cherish them, so when something doesn't live up to his normal greatness, I notice.
Let's talk about the end, in a spoiler free manner of course. Yes, I can see where some people would feel let down by it. I can see where the stars get chipped away for this ending, and I felt the same way, at first. I re-read the book a year after my first reading, and found myself enjoying, and most importantly understanding the ending more than I had before. It's an interesting way to end a book, and though it does incite emotions (some rage, some sorrow, some confusion) I feel like that's what the author set out to do. And I can't fault an author who has achieved his goal. So while I personally would have liked a different ending (not better, just different), I'm not going to fault King for it, because even if I don't feel satisfied by it, it doesn't mean it's not well written.
Stephen King's Cell gets 4/5 stars from me. A good read, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea.
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