Discussion Group for April 16th- The Talisman (King/Straub) (SPOILERS)

[Doc Creed]

cat in a bag
fljoe0
Dana Jean
Grant87

Make sure you share your thoughts when you have time. Usually I can give Dana Jean a run for her money discussing and dissecting a book but this time, despite enjoying this reread, I'm short on enthusiasm. I apologize for not pulling my weight as I did during The Stand discussions. Deej, looking forward to your insight and reminiscences.

 

[Dana Jean]

cat in a bag
fljoe0
Dana Jean
Grant87

Make sure you share your thoughts when you have time. Usually I can give Dana Jean a run for her money discussing and dissecting a book but this time, despite enjoying this reread, I'm short on enthusiasm. I apologize for not pulling my weight as I did during The Stand discussions. Deej, looking forward to your insight and reminiscences.

I will be back later with my comments.

 

[fljoe0]

I'm not sure why (because the book is seamless regarding who wrote which part) but I got the feeling Straub wrote the parts which dealt with Lily Cavanaugh's movie career and most of the backstory scenes dealing with Philip Sawyer and Morgan Sloat. From what I've read of Straub, these intricate scenes are more his style, I think. Do you know what I'm talking about?

I've never read a Peter Straub book but still It was nearly impossible to tell who wrote what. I'd pick up on a Kingism once in a while (like the arc sodiums) but for the most part couldn't say with any certainty what parts Stephen wrote.

 

[Dana Jean]

I've never read a Peter Straub book but still It was nearly impossible to tell who wrote what. I'd pick up on a Kingism once in a while (like the arc sodiums) but for the most part couldn't say with any certainty what parts Stephen wrote.

I have no doubt Stephen wrote Wolf's dying scene. With jack cradling him. I know he did.

Peter Straub is a stone cold T-1000 --he doesn't have that much sentimental goo. Stephen overflows with it when he needs to.

King can tap into the caring passion of love and friendship with a quiet and beautiful ease.

Straub taps into his cold cold heart and finds chunks of Good God! around every corner!

 

[fljoe0]

I like the part when Anders is bowing to Lord Jason (Jack) and he is giving Richard and him supplies and guns and food for their journey on the train. Jack senses that he is in the land, or near the land, which is depicted on the picture hanging on Speedy Parker's office, the picture he sees before his original journey into The Territories.

Ok, you answered a question I posed in the earlier thread if Richard and Jack took any food with them. When they were almost through the Blasted Land, I started wondering if they took any food and water with them. I didn't remember them loading any for the trip. I found it kind of funny that I started wondering that at the end of their journey after all of the things they had been through.

 

[fljoe0]

This book was a great adventure story. The novel is considered a fantasy novel but I think of it more as a thrilling adventure story. I'm surprised that Spielberg never did anything with this. I'm not sure if he still owns the movie rights but the last I heard he had owned them for a long time. Kids, danger and adventure. This story seems like it's right in his wheelhouse.

 

[Dana Jean]

This book was a great adventure story. The novel is considered a fantasy novel but I think of it more as a thrilling adventure story. I'm surprised that Spielberg never did anything with this. I'm not sure if he still owns the movie rights but the last I heard he had owned them for a long time. Kids, danger and adventure. This story seems like it's right in his wheelhouse.

Exactly. His areas of brillance.

 

[Doc Creed]

I've never read a Peter Straub book but still It was nearly impossible to tell who wrote what. I'd pick up on a Kingism once in a while (like the arc sodiums) but for the most part couldn't say with any certainty what parts Stephen wrote.

Yes, I do give them both credit for blending their styles together so seamlessly, as I said, but I do stand by my assessment that Straub probably commandeered most of the Interludes and certain other parts I mentioned. I do believe them when they say they purposely mixed up who wrote certain parts, so that they wouldn't be easily picked apart, but I still think their inherent styles (to their own consternation, perhaps) are too recognizable to remain camouflaged.

 

[Doc Creed]

I have no doubt Stephen wrote Wolf's dying scene. With jack cradling him. I know he did.

Peter Straub is a stone cold T-1000 --he doesn't have that much sentimental goo. Stephen overflows with it when he needs to.

King can tap into the caring passion of love and friendship with a quiet and beautiful ease.

Straub taps into his cold cold heart and finds chunks of Good God! around every corner!

I agree.

 

[fljoe0]

Yes, I do give them both credit for blending their styles together so seamlessly, as I said, but I do stand by my assessment that Straub probably commandeered most of the Interludes and certain other parts I mentioned. I do believe them when they say they purposely mixed up who wrote certain parts, so that they wouldn't be easily picked apart, but I still think their inherent styles (to their own consternation, perhaps) are too recognizable to remain camouflaged.

I think Dana Jean is right about Wolf's death scene being Stephen.

 

[Dana Jean]

Yes, I do give them both credit for blending their styles together so seamlessly, as I said, but I do stand by my assessment that Straub probably commandeered most of the Interludes and certain other parts I mentioned. I do believe them when they say they purposely mixed up who wrote certain parts, so that they wouldn't be easily picked apart, but I still think their inherent styles (to their own consternation, perhaps) are too recognizable to remain camouflaged.

And they do have very distinct voices and styles of getting the story across to the reader. So, the fact that they were so strategically seamless in the tone of the book is a real testament to their writing chops.

I know they will never ever reveal who wrote what, but I think it would be great fun if Straub and King said, Okay, here's 6 passages. Which of us wrote what? And then actually tell us. So much fun and would generate a renewed conversation for the next 30 years.

 

[fljoe0]

There's a passage I liked that had to do with Jack very reluctantly letting go of the Talisman and giving it to Richard

"It occurred to him dimly that you could only express your ownership of a thing in terms of how freely you could give it up"

 

[Dana Jean]

There's a passage I liked that had to do with Jack very reluctantly letting go of the Talisman and giving it to Richard

"It occurred to him dimly that you could only express your ownership of a thing in terms of how freely you could give it up"

What do you think? Who do you think wrote that?

 

[fljoe0]

And they do have very distinct voices and styles of getting the story across to the reader. So, the fact that they were so strategically seamless in the tone of the book is a real testament to their writing chops.

I know they will never ever reveal who wrote what, but I think it would be great fun of Straub and King said, Okay, here's 6 passages. Which of us wrote what? And then actually tell us. So much fun and would generate a renewed conversation for the next 30 years.

I wonder what the first draft process was like. I wonder if they traded chapters (or sections) not knowing where the other would take the story.

 

[fljoe0]

What do you think? Who do you think wrote that?

It's hard for me to say because I've never read Straub. (I have Ghost Story on my kindle so hopefully I will fix that issue soon) I can just kind of pick out things that sound like Steve.

 

[fljoe0]

Wasn't Wolf's brother (driving the limo back to Jack's) just the coolest cat?

Some of that was really hilarious like him listening to Run Through The Jungle over and over again at ear splitting levels.

 

[Doc Creed]

And they do have very distinct voices and styles of getting the story across to the reader. So, the fact that they were so strategically seamless in the tone of the book is a real testament to their writing chops.

I know they will never ever reveal who wrote what, but I think it would be great fun if Straub and King said, Okay, here's 6 passages. Which of us wrote what? And then actually tell us. So much fun and would generate a renewed conversation for the next 30 years.

LOL...exactly. If I had a gun to my head, I'd attribute the overtly sentimental and emotional parts (as you said) to King. Straub would probably just say that he knows King's writing style better than any of us, and he deliberately crafted his own King-pastiche. I'm not sure how any writer can convincingly replicate another writer's style, though. Hmmm. It'd be fun to know for certain, wouldn't it?

 

[Doc Creed]

Wasn't Wolf's brother (driving the limo back to Jack's) just the coolest cat?

Some of that was really hilarious like him listening to Run Through The Jungle over and over again at ear splitting levels.

That was funny. Come to think of it, there is humor throughout the whole book, especially with the villains (Morgan Sloat and Sunlight Gardener) toward the end. King has a way of making climactic moments funny for some reason (IT, Needful Things, The Tommyknockers); I don't think he can help it.

 

[Spideyman]

I think Dana Jean is right about Wolf's death scene being Stephen.

I'll put a third in there. Straub would not have cause the reader to get so emotional.

 

[Dana Jean]

It's hard for me to say because I've never read Straub. (I have Ghost Story on my kindle so hopefully I will fix that issue soon) I can just kind of pick out things that sound like Steve.

And doh! You said earlier that you hadn't read Straub. I spaced out on that and was focused on the quote.

It does sound like a Stephen thing to me.