Dolores Claiborne Art
Works / Novels

Dolores Claiborne

Dolores Claiborne Art

Released

November 1993

Available Format(s)

Hardcover / Paperback / Audio / Movie / DVD

Publisher

Viking Press

Suspected of killing Vera Donovan, her wealthy employer, Dolores Claiborne tells police the story of her life, harkening back to her disintegrating marriage and the suspicious death of her violent husband, Joe St. George, thirty years earlier. Dolores also tells of Vera's physical and mental decline and of her loyalty to an employer who has become emotionally demanding in recent years. 

 

From the Flap

By her own account she's an old Yankee bitch. Dolores Claiborne: foul temper, foul mouth, foul life. Folks on Little Tall Island have been waiting thirty years to find out just what happened on the eerie dark day her husband, Joe, died--the day of the total eclipse. The police want to know what happened yesterday, when rich, bedridden Vera Donovan, the island's grand dame sans merci and Dolore's longtime employer, died suddenly in her care.

With no choice but to talk, Dolores Claiborne talks up a storm. "Everything I did, I did for love," she says, and this spellbinding novel is at once her confession and her defense. Given a voice as compelling as any in contemporary fiction, her story centers on a disintegrating marriage's molten core, where the mind's unblinking eye becomes huge with hate and a woman's heart turns murderous. It unfolds the strange intimacy between Dolores and Vera, and the link that binds them. It shows, finally, how fierce love can be, and how dreadful its consequences. And how the soul, harrowed by the hardest life, can achieve a kind of grace.

But that is for readers to judge. They will come away with different verdicts for Dolores, perhaps. But once taken inside the dark room of her life, lit by the brilliant intensity of Stephen King's storytelling, they will never forget her.

Characters

Hide List Show List
Name
Description
?, Brenda
Housekeeper for Vera Donovan in Baltimore
?, Clarice
Sister of Vera Donovan.
?, Cloris
Aunt of Dolores Claiborne
?, Patricia
Granddaughter of Jolene Aubuchon
Anderson, Tommy
Husband of Yvette and drinking friend of Joe St. George
Anderson, Yvette
Wife of Tommy Anderson
Aubuchon, Jolene
Grandmother of Patricia ?
Babcock, Cindy
Worked with Selena in laundry washing sheets for the Hotel
Bannister, Nancy
Stenographer from Kennebunk, Maine. Recorded the confession of Dolores Claiborne
Benoit, Mark
Arrested for drug trafficking with 4 bales of pot. Owned a boat "Maggie's Delight"
Benoit, Sonny
Found Joe St. George's body in the well.
Bissette, Andy
Police Chief who interrogated Dolores Claiborne over the death of Vera Donovan
Bissette, Maria
Wife of Andy Bissette
Bragg, Vincent
Broke his arm playing football
Bramball, Willy
Friend of Joe St. George Junior
Briarton, Henry
Took over as County Medical Examiner from McAuliffe
Brooks, Stevie
Went drinking with Joe St. George
Caron, John
Husband of Melissa. Neighbor of the St. Georges.
Caron, Melissa
Mother of Tania. Wife of John
Caron, Philo
Brother of John
Caron, Tanya
Friend of Selena St. George.
Carstains, ?
Owners of a place where Joe St. George built a porch
Claiborne, Dolores
The woman who confesses to the murder of her husband Joe St. George. Maiden name of Dolores St. George. Daughter of Patricia
Claiborne, Mr.
Father of Dolores.
Claiborne, Patricia (Trisha)
Mother of Dolores
Cullum, Arlene
Watched Selena St. George while Dolores was working for Vera Donovan
Devereaux, Mrs.
Selena worked in her laundry washing sheets for the hotel
DeWitt, Jimmy
Waiter at the Harborside Motel
Dispenzieri, Charlie
Owner of a boat on Little Tall Island.
Donovan, Helga
Daughter of Vera and Michael.
Donovan, Michael
Husband of Vera
Donovan, Vera
Woman Dolores was accused of killing. Wife of Michael and mother of Donald and Helga.
Doucette, Harry
Joe St. George owed him $20 when he died.
Doyon, Peter
Helped Joe St. George dowse a well
Forbert, Alicia
Sister of Joe St. George and wife of Jack Forbert.
Forbert, Jack
Husband of Alicia
Fox, Harley
Handyman who did some work for Vera Donovan
Freneau, Chip
Vera Donovan's doctor.
Gagnon, Jimmy
Handyman who did some work for Vera Donovan
Gigeure, Randy
Friend of Joe St. George Jr.
Greenbush, Alan
Business manager of Vera Donovan in New York
Huff, Reverend
Methodist minister
Jaegger, Brandon
Head of the New England Home for Little Wanderers
Jolander, Karen
Neighbor of the St. George family. Sister of Mabel.
Jolander, Mabel
Worked for Vera Donovan. Sister of Karen
Kenopensky, Ted
Friend of Vera Donovan
Langill, Laurie
Friend and Neighbor of Selena St. George
Lavesque, Gail
Worked for Vera Donovan on the day of the eclipse.
Marchant, Duke
Father of Sammy
Marchant, Sammy
Mailman who walked in and found Vera Donovan dead
Marshall, John
Dolores Claiborne worked part time for him.
McAuliffe, Dr. John
County Medical Examiner.
McCandless, Lisa (Lotty)
Friend of Dolores who worked at the Strayhorn house
McLeod, Chip
Husband of Hattie?
McLeod, Hattie
Called "Social Security" "Sociable Security"
Mercier, Lucien
Only mortuary owner in Little Tall Island
Mulcahey, Sandra
Fired by Vera Donovan
O'Hara, Dickey
Picked on Pete St. George at school
Pease, Mr.
Bank Manager at Coastal Northern Bank.
Pelletier, Dave
Mailman on Little Tall Island
Pinette, Norris
Bought radio off Dolores Claiborne after Joe StGeorge died
Porter, Skippy
Butcher on Little Tall Island
Proulx, Frank
Police officer. Brother of Susy.
Proulx, Susan Emma (Susy)
Helped at the Donovan house as a cleaner. Sister of Frank
Quist, Sonny
Garbage collector on Little Tall Island
Reed, Seth
Put a cap over the well that Joe St. George fell into
Richards, George
Mr. Claiborne worked in his hay fields
Robichaud, Neely
Mentioned by Dolores
Sheets, Mrs.
School guidance counselor in Jonesport High School
Sherrick, Edgar
Constable in Little Tall Island in 1959.
St George, Dolores
Married name of Dolores Claiborne
St George, Fred
Uncle of Joe St. George.
St George, Joe
Husband of Dolores.
St George, Joe Jr.
Son of Joe and Dolores.
St George, Pete
Son of Joe and Dolores.
St George, Selena
Daughter of Joe and Dolores.
St. George, Alicia
Sister of Joe St. George. Maiden name of Alicia Forbert
Stargill, Gordon
Worked with Joe St. George. Brother of Mike
Stargill, Mike
Worked with Joe St. George. Brother of Gordon
Strayhorn, ?
Owners of a place where Dolores worked
Tappert, Dougie
Checked Vera Donovan's furnace in 1962
Thibodeau, Garrett
Town Constable.
Thibodeau, Rick
Went Drinking with Joe St. George
Violette, Collie
Owner of a speedboat who took Dr. Freneau to Vera Donovan's house.
Wyndham, Shawna
Helped at the Donovan house as a cleaner.
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