What did you guys think of "Bag of Bones"?

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Kacey Cunningham

Well-Known Member
May 25, 2016
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Chicago Area
Just got finished with this one, and have to say I'm extremely disappointed. The book didn't capture my heart as Stephen's books always do. There was no suspense, or shivers either for me. I felt it dragged on and on and on, without any real point. It all became jumbled for me. I felt he could have written this book in 200 pages with the same result. I felt myself rolling my eyes at points and thinking, "Come on Stephen, get ON with it!" The book had a promising story line to me, but I felt it all got lost in all the unnecessary jargon. Very disappointed.
 

Ebdim9th

Dressing the Gothic interval in tritones
Jul 1, 2009
6,137
22,104
Bag of Bones had a different feel to it, but like Rose Madder, and Lisey's Story, it's almost a 'the horrors and miracles of romance' novel .......although Rose Madder was more like escape and independence from a horrifically destructive relationship..... that actually kind of puts Insomnia in the Rose Madder thematic territory as well ......
 

grin willard

"Keep the change, you filthy animal!"
Feb 21, 2017
1,144
6,024
50
The damn thing, which I had no expectations of whatsoever, got going pretty good! Was this King's Julia (Peter Straub)? Maybe. I'll tell you, I do love me the "ghosting"! Many people seem to put this at the top of their King list. And some just don't get it at all. To me he just seemed to be letting the story unfold naturally. Reviews mention some borrowing of Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca". I never read it! Or seen the film. So I have no clue.

(Here, go nuts.)

The Mattie thing bugged me. I didn't like that one damn bit! But that's Steve-o for you. :suspect: I give it pretty high marks. I read it thru during a weekend. I had to know what happened! I watched half of the TV miniseries version with Pierce Bronson (Doc Creed's boyfriend), but never finished it -- it was kind of nicely done. I'm about to check the youtube!
 

joaniyofaus

Member
Apr 26, 2016
19
75
67
The damn thing, which I had no expectations of whatsoever, got going pretty good! Was this King's Julia (Peter Straub)? Maybe. I'll tell you, I do love me the "ghosting"! Many people seem to put this at the top of their King list. And some just don't get it at all. To me he just seemed to be letting the story unfold naturally. Reviews mention some borrowing of Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca". I never read it! Or seen the film. So I have no clue.

(Here, go nuts.)

The Mattie thing bugged me. I didn't like that one damn bit! But that's Steve-o for you. :suspect: I give it pretty high marks. I read it thru during a weekend. I had to know what happened! I watched half of the TV miniseries version with Pierce Bronson (Doc Creed's boyfriend), but never finished it -- it was kind of nicely done. I'm about to check the youtube!
I read Bag of Bones years ago, but only twice. It's one of the few SK books I haven't picked up again, but now you all have whetted my appetite, and I'm going to have to read it again RIGHT NOW!
 

joaniyofaus

Member
Apr 26, 2016
19
75
67
I read Bag of Bones years ago, but only twice. It's one of the few SK books I haven't picked up again, but now you all have whetted my appetite, and I'm going to have to read it again RIGHT NOW!
OK, I finished it again 2 days ago, and liked it a lot more than I remembered. I had forgotten all about the Rebecca references, and wasn't THAT a creepy movie?
I guess this isn't much help to the person who posed the original question (just looked back, and saw it was in 2014), but I can't help myself when it comes to discussions about SK's books.
Question, though.... I didn't get the Ralph Roberts connection.... I thought it was Ralph Merrill - the somewhat nasty owner of Emporium Galorium, and uncle of the nefarious Ace Merrill.....but no, that was Reginald Merrill. They feel like the same family, though.
Bill Dean, (Sara Laughs' caretaker) however, wasn't he the one in the Dark Tower who helped Roland and his Ka Tet escape from the Balazar mob?
 

FlakeNoir

Original Kiwi© SKMB®
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
44,082
175,641
New Zealand
OK, I finished it again 2 days ago, and liked it a lot more than I remembered. I had forgotten all about the Rebecca references, and wasn't THAT a creepy movie?
I guess this isn't much help to the person who posed the original question (just looked back, and saw it was in 2014), but I can't help myself when it comes to discussions about SK's books.
Question, though.... I didn't get the Ralph Roberts connection.... I thought it was Ralph Merrill - the somewhat nasty owner of Emporium Galorium, and uncle of the nefarious Ace Merrill.....but no, that was Reginald Merrill. They feel like the same family, though.
Bill Dean, (Sara Laughs' caretaker) however, wasn't he the one in the Dark Tower who helped Roland and his Ka Tet escape from the Balazar mob?
I think it was John Cullum that helped the Tet out with the Balazar mob.
 

joaniyofaus

Member
Apr 26, 2016
19
75
67
I think it was John Cullum that helped the Tet out with the Balazar mob.
!! Cry Pardon - you are, of course,entirely correct. They seem to be similar characters, though, at least in the start of Bag of Bones. I was sad with the way he (Bill Dean) changed during the story, like all the good in him sort of leached out.
But now I'm going to have to read the entire Dark Tower series again, and just when I thought I knew it so well.
By the way, FlakeNoir, your final comment makes me wonder if you are a Kiwi?
 

FlakeNoir

Original Kiwi© SKMB®
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
44,082
175,641
New Zealand
!! Cry Pardon - you are, of course,entirely correct. They seem to be similar characters, though, at least in the start of Bag of Bones. I was sad with the way he (Bill Dean) changed during the story, like all the good in him sort of leached out.
But now I'm going to have to read the entire Dark Tower series again, and just when I thought I knew it so well.
By the way, FlakeNoir, your final comment makes me wonder if you are a Kiwi?
I need to have a re-read of Bag of Bones, it's been so long I'm fuzzy on the details.

Yep, Kiwi. :smile:
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
OK, I finished it again 2 days ago, and liked it a lot more than I remembered. I had forgotten all about the Rebecca references, and wasn't THAT a creepy movie?
I guess this isn't much help to the person who posed the original question (just looked back, and saw it was in 2014), but I can't help myself when it comes to discussions about SK's books.
Question, though.... I didn't get the Ralph Roberts connection.... I thought it was Ralph Merrill - the somewhat nasty owner of Emporium Galorium, and uncle of the nefarious Ace Merrill.....but no, that was Reginald Merrill. They feel like the same family, though.
Bill Dean, (Sara Laughs' caretaker) however, wasn't he the one in the Dark Tower who helped Roland and his Ka Tet escape from the Balazar mob?
....Ralph Roberts?.....have you read Insomnia?.....
 

joaniyofaus

Member
Apr 26, 2016
19
75
67
Yes, I have read Insomnia - many times - and loved it. It's one of my favourites, but I don't get the Ralph Roberts connection in Bag of Bones. I have only just finished re-reading it (well, 3 days ago now) and still can't place him in it. What have I missed?
 

joaniyofaus

Member
Apr 26, 2016
19
75
67
I need to have a re-read of Bag of Bones, it's been so long I'm fuzzy on the details.

Yep, Kiwi. :smile:
Isn't it funny - we start out looking at the threads, and then realise that there's stuff in the books that simply haven't stuck to our little grey cells, and we have to go back and re read them, just to get back in the zone.
Kiwi, huh? Isn't it amazing to be able to be part of this forum on the other side of the world?
 

FlakeNoir

Original Kiwi© SKMB®
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
44,082
175,641
New Zealand
Isn't it funny - we start out looking at the threads, and then realise that there's stuff in the books that simply haven't stuck to our little grey cells, and we have to go back and re read them, just to get back in the zone.
Kiwi, huh? Isn't it amazing to be able to be part of this forum on the other side of the world?
I think I must have reached the age where I'm sure information is now leaking out faster than I'm putting it in. :biggrin2:

Yeah, a New Zealander... this is the part of the Internet that I love, it has put me here in this place. I started hanging out at the first incarnation of the SKMB back in 2004 and have just kind of grown up with it. It's always been my favourite place on the net.