Here is the place for your thoughts and discussions................Discussion Group Read for June 10, 2020 ---Secret Window, Secret Garden by Stephen King
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Here is the place for your thoughts and discussions................
When there is a movie version of a story I re-read, sometimes there are certain actors from the movie that I picture as I re-read. The movie performance was so good, it's almost impossible not to metally cast this actor in the story as it's being read. I can't read Misey without seeing Kathy Bates and I can't read Carrie without seeing Sissy Spacek.
I never pictured Johnny Depp as Mort as I was reading but when it came to John Shooter, John Turturro is who I see.
I never pictured Johnny Depp as Mort as I was reading but when it came to John Shooter, John Turturro is who I see.
....I was intrigued that Steve had two similar "dichotomy" tales out around the same time....one, this novella and of course-The Dark Half.....intrigued because I wondered(and still do)how much these malign "others" reflected his inner struggles with writing and addiction?.....his "intervention" was done in the same general time frame.....
And I think Misery was just a couple of years before these 2 stories and all 3 of the stories show the author character struggling with and questioning his work (as well as the demons).
....yes!....he has given us so much enjoyment over the years, while purging himself of personal fears and demons.....catharsis for all kinda.....
If you look at the 3 stories in order, the author character is getting crazier. In Misery, the author is a victim and the crazy belongs to the fans. In Dark Half, the author thinks he's going crazy but there's a lot more to it than that. In the 3rd story, the author character is bats*t nuts.
Maybe that mirrors how Steve was feeling as he was dealing with his own demons during this time.
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....excellent observations my friend, and very true.......
Excellent observation by fljoe0 and GNTLGNT . This is why the group discussions have brought about many varied thoughts and ideas.
Once again, long time since first read. SK 's psychological thriller. One aspect I enjoyed within this story were the breaks between SK setting up a scene, and then what the character was thinking.
It is all about the ending.
Have not viewed the movie. Always prefer the books, but am interested to see the differences.
Once again, long time since first read. SK 's psychological thriller. One aspect I enjoyed within this story were the breaks between SK setting up a scene, and then what the character was thinking.
It is all about the ending.
Have not viewed the movie. Always prefer the books, but am interested to see the differences.
Do you think the story also deals with an author's fear of accidentally copying someone else? Of course, Mort didn't accidentally copy someone else, he stole someone else's story but before he remembered that incident, he was going through scenarios where he may have read someone else's work and forgotten about it and then turned it into a story.
I'm reminded of a hilarious story that John Irving told in the Afterward of A Prayer For Owen Meany. John Irving was writing Owen Meany and he wrote something that sounded familiar to him and he was afraid that he had accidentally lifted it from someone else. So, he asked his wife to read what he wrote and asked her if it was familiar to her. She told him that it was familiar to her because he had written it in Cider House Rules.
I'm reminded of a hilarious story that John Irving told in the Afterward of A Prayer For Owen Meany. John Irving was writing Owen Meany and he wrote something that sounded familiar to him and he was afraid that he had accidentally lifted it from someone else. So, he asked his wife to read what he wrote and asked her if it was familiar to her. She told him that it was familiar to her because he had written it in Cider House Rules.
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....and for some reason, the implacable foe from this weeks tale gave me bigger whim whams than Thad’s other half....he seemed more genuinely human I think is why....the dark half was semi-cartoonish....
...I’m sure there’s an element of that worry every time King fires up his PC, but you may be right on point with that extra layer....Do you think the story also deals with an author's fear of accidentally copying someone else? Of course, Mort didn't accidentally copy someone else, he stole someone else's story but before he remembered that incident, he was going through scenarios where he may have accidentally read someone else's work and forgotten about it and then turned it into a story.
I'm reminded of a hilarious story that John Irving told in the Afterward of A Prayer For Owen Meany. John Irving was writing Owen Meany and he wrote something that sounded familiar to him and he was afraid that he had accidentally lifted it from someone else. So, he asked his wife to read what he wrote and asked her if it was familiar to her. She told him that it was familiar to her because he had written it in Cider House Rules.
Do you think the story also deals with an author's fear of accidentally copying someone else? Of course, Mort didn't accidentally copy someone else, he stole someone else's story but before he remembered that incident, he was going through scenarios where he may have read someone else's work and forgotten about it and then turned it into a story.
I'm reminded of a hilarious story that John Irving told in the Afterward of A Prayer For Owen Meany. John Irving was writing Owen Meany and he wrote something that sounded familiar to him and he was afraid that he had accidentally lifted it from someone else. So, he asked his wife to read what he wrote and asked her if it was familiar to her. She told him that it was familiar to her because he had written it in Cider House Rules.
I think any author worries to a degree. We have all seen within the SKMB how careful SK is about reading/ seeing other works. Can only imagine as time goes on, how easy it could be to unwittingly "copy" someone else.
Reminder: group read for June 17, 2020..........The Library Policeman by Stephen King.
BUMP:
Reminder: group read for June 17, 2020..........The Library Policeman by Stephen King.
Reminder: group read for June 17, 2020..........The Library Policeman by Stephen King.
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
Oh boy! I have this book in hardcover (had to go searching through my library) - I was worried that I did not and it would be too late to order it from the library (I think it takes a few days if you reserve a book)
Will read it today/tonight
Yikes! Maybe I better get started soon - it's more like a novella than a short story (it has been years since I first read it)
Thanks Spideyman
Finally finished, this was the last one I needed to catch up on. This one is the most familiar to me, I think because of the movie. It has been a long time since I have seen the movie, too. But I did see the actors in my head as well. Even Amy, she was played by Maria Bello in the movie, who then went on to play the main character in Big Driver, as well.
Interesting side note...I did just google the cast of the movie, because I could see Maria Bello's face but could not come up with her name.
Anyway, Ted was played by Timothy Hutton, who we all know was in The Dark Half.
This is one of those stories that is always the best the first time around, just because of the ending. You spend the whole time feeling sorry for Mort and his troubles with Amy, with Shooter. Then all of a sudden Mort is the villain. That is not easily forgotten, the shock of it only really works the first time. But, that does not take away from the enjoyment of a reread, at least for me.
Like I said, it has been a while since I saw the movie but I kept expecting Alan Pangborn to show up in the story. Was he in the movie or am I getting it mixed up with The Dark Half in my head? Castle Rock does not appear in this story, so I don't know why I expected that, unless they made the movie a Castle Rock story, or I'm just mixing the two stories up.
This was a fun reread, all the way around All 4 novellas were great to revisit again.
Edited to say, I just looked at the whole cast list for the movie, Alan Pangborn was not a character. So I was just mixing them up in my head.
Interesting side note...I did just google the cast of the movie, because I could see Maria Bello's face but could not come up with her name.
Anyway, Ted was played by Timothy Hutton, who we all know was in The Dark Half.This is one of those stories that is always the best the first time around, just because of the ending. You spend the whole time feeling sorry for Mort and his troubles with Amy, with Shooter. Then all of a sudden Mort is the villain. That is not easily forgotten, the shock of it only really works the first time. But, that does not take away from the enjoyment of a reread, at least for me.
Like I said, it has been a while since I saw the movie but I kept expecting Alan Pangborn to show up in the story. Was he in the movie or am I getting it mixed up with The Dark Half in my head? Castle Rock does not appear in this story, so I don't know why I expected that, unless they made the movie a Castle Rock story, or I'm just mixing the two stories up.
This was a fun reread, all the way around All 4 novellas were great to revisit again.
Edited to say, I just looked at the whole cast list for the movie, Alan Pangborn was not a character. So I was just mixing them up in my head.