...i Am Soooo Mad!

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Phantomking

Well-Known Member
Mar 26, 2008
122
117
Northeast USA
I really like the book outside of the supernatural elements. I love how Rosie gets the courage to leave and start a new life and I just felt that throwing in the things about
the bull and the temple and Rose Madder herself
were unnecessary.

One thing I am really impressed with is the great job Stephen King does with the character of Norman. You hate him immediately and cannot wait for him to get his comeuppance. That's also why I felt the supernatural part took away from the book because
Rose should have been the one to kill him and make him suffer instead of a supernatural spider
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
I thought this book would have been better without the supernatural elements, I would have preferred a straight thriller. Which is odd for me because usually I really like anything supernatural, but it almost felt out of place in the book. I haven't re-read it so I might have to give it another chance.
But that's one of the things I enjoy the most about sK in general, that he includes unusual and/or unexpected elements. They add dimension and a challenge for my imagination. It makes his stories more stimulating to me than other authors'.
 

MandarkC

Active Member
Mar 11, 2014
26
93
London, United Kingdom
I really like the book outside of the supernatural elements. I love how Rosie gets the courage to leave and start a new life and I just felt that throwing in the things about
the bull and the temple and Rose Madder herself
were unnecessary.

One thing I am really impressed with is the great job Stephen King does with the character of Norman. You hate him immediately and cannot wait for him to get his comeuppance. That's also why I felt the supernatural part took away from the book because
Rose should have been the one to kill him and make him suffer instead of a supernatural spider


I think though that the supernatural aspects in this book were meant to also be slightly allegorical to the way she changes her life around and how she gets over her fear of Norman, etc. etc.

I enjoyed the way Norman spiralled into a Jack Torrance style breakdown. I think
the spider killing him instead of Rose
was in a way, better, because she wouldn't take that guilt with her like you know she would if she actually did it. I think it would have ruined the person she was trying to become...and also because
at the end when she finds she also has rages, she would have freaked out and thought it was because she killed Norman
.

Hope that made sense! Just my take on it... (had to wiki the ending again (cheated a little heh-i wiki'd it before deciding to buy the book) because I'm almost through through the book)
 

RichardX

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2006
1,737
4,434
I thought this book would have been better without the supernatural elements, I would have preferred a straight thriller. Which is odd for me because usually I really like anything supernatural, but it almost felt out of place in the book. I haven't re-read it so I might have to give it another chance.

I agree with you on this. I read this book many years ago and didn't like it much. Re-reading it now and enjoying it more up to the point she enters the painting then my eyes started to roll back in my head. It's a bit jolting to go from an interesting reality based story of domestic abuse into the realm of fantasy. With the exception of the fantasy element the plot has some similarity to Mr. Mercedes. Or maybe that's just because I read them back to back. A kind of cat and mouse with a bad guy with no supernatural talents. I seem to recall King indicating Rose Madder was a book that he wasn't particularly satisfied with. But don't remember what his reasons were. It's a mixed bag, but the Norman character stands out as a creep. I sometimes think the reality based bad guys are much more terrifying than the supernatural ones because we know more than a few are out there.
 

Ebdim9th

Dressing the Gothic interval in tritones
Jul 1, 2009
6,137
22,104
Even in Gerald's Game there's a moment of the supernatural involved when that guy with the little bones in the box shows up at the foot of the bed.... I think there may be only a handful of Stephen King stories that don't have that element in them...
 

xkittyx

Unfound
Oct 14, 2007
757
975
38
Deerfield, OH
I've read this one a couple of times, and I really enjoyed it. I like the beginning, her slow wake up, and then boom, she's outta there, and Norman's craziness...
I might be the oddball, but I really loved the supernatural, the whole painting and the world inside. I've always been a huge fan of the Greek myths, so that drew me in, and then on a re-read, after I'd read the Dark Tower books, the whole world in the painting intrigued me for that as well.
How the city of Lud is mentioned, and something else I think, though my last re-read was a few years ago, so it's all foggy now
.
 

ALOT

Banned
Jun 10, 2011
130
278
Canada
It does feel somewhat similar.I wondered if there was a connection between this story and The Dark Tower series , and I suppose if Steve wanted to he could connect the dots through another installment of the series or a followup story to Rose Madder. But the references in this story are minor. The temple, the garden, the opening to another world...
 
Last edited:

M&P15

Deleted User
Feb 23, 2015
624
738
I really like the book outside of the supernatural elements. I love how Rosie gets the courage to leave and start a new life and I just felt that throwing in the things about
the bull and the temple and Rose Madder herself
were unnecessary.

One thing I am really impressed with is the great job Stephen King does with the character of Norman. You hate him immediately and cannot wait for him to get his comeuppance. That's also why I felt the supernatural part took away from the book because
Rose should have been the one to kill him and make him suffer instead of a supernatural spider

Exactly!!

I didn't know so many others felt the way I did.
 
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not_nadine

Comfortably Roont
Nov 19, 2011
29,655
139,785
Behind you
I am re-reading this. Great book. But...the one thing that has always bothered me is

how quickly Rose was able to find a helping hand, an address, a place to live, friends and a job, then a great job.

Oh, and a boyfriend

I realize that it is a fiction novel, but it could never be that easy - or all abused women leave just like that.

That's just me. It bugged.
 

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
239,271
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
I am re-reading this. Great book. But...the one thing that has always bothered me is

how quickly Rose was able to find a helping hand, an address, a place to live, friends and a job, then a great job.

Oh, and a boyfriend

I realize that it is a fiction novel, but it could never be that easy - or all abused women leave just like that.

That's just me. It bugged.
There was a time in my life when I wanted to escape from an unhealthy relationship. I remember looking up resources for abused women (he had only hit me once at that point but I was determined to escape after that one slap).

I finally took my father's advice and ended up going back to the Recruiting Centre where I had applied to get into the military the summer before.

So, yes, it did turn into a career but initially I just wanted a change/improvement in my life.

Looking back, I am glad I did. They say once a man hits you (even once!) it's a warning sign and to get out (he was also very jealous and possessive, trying to control how I dressed, etc.)

p.s. I really loved that book Rose Madder
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
There was a time in my life when I wanted to escape from an unhealthy relationship. I remember looking up resources for abused women (he had only hit me once at that point but I was determined to escape after that one slap).

I finally took my father's advice and ended up going back to the Recruiting Centre where I had applied to get into the military the summer before.

So, yes, it did turn into a career but initially I just wanted a change/improvement in my life.

Looking back, I am glad I did. They say once a man hits you (even once!) it's a warning sign and to get out (he was also very jealous and possessive, trying to control how I dressed, etc.)

p.s. I really loved that book Rose Madder
I'm very happy that you were able to get away from that man. All it takes is just the 'one time' for an abuser to kill you. I applaud you!