September 22nd, 1998 heralded the arrival of a new King book and, maybe, a new King era: Bag of Bones. At the time of publication Sai King would have been a spry fifty-one. Many of his fans were delighted to see a return to horror and ghosts and his familiar stomping grounds, Maine, but what surprised us most of all was an acute change in tone. Who was this new sagacious, almost grandfatherly, voice? Although he'd written literary novels in the past (Dolores Claiborne, for example), there was a new wind blowing up from the cellar, a wise and introspective voice. This is the literary voice we'd hear again, like snatches of mournful songs from Ophelia, in books like Lisey's Story, Duma Key, and Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Considering the accident that would befall him the next year, it was eerily prescient.
Mike Noonan is another writer protagonist, who despite a crippling fear of writer's block, is still reeling from the sudden death of his wife, Joanna. She was his first reader and the love of his life. This time, though, it feels personal. We know that Noonan is not a thinly disguised King, but, like never before, we hear King's heartbeat on every page. Not until the creation of Lisey and Scott Landon would we see this dynamic again.
I think this is one of his better novels and I appreciate the gothic complexities and hair pin turns. This is a book where Maine is once again beautifully brought to life. Pet Sematary and The Tommyknockers were the last two novels to achieve this kind of ambience, I think.
Yep, the fridge magnets have spelled it out: BAG OF BONES TURNS 20.
It doesn't seem real. Twenty years?
What do you think of this book? Please, share your thoughts.
Mike Noonan is another writer protagonist, who despite a crippling fear of writer's block, is still reeling from the sudden death of his wife, Joanna. She was his first reader and the love of his life. This time, though, it feels personal. We know that Noonan is not a thinly disguised King, but, like never before, we hear King's heartbeat on every page. Not until the creation of Lisey and Scott Landon would we see this dynamic again.
I think this is one of his better novels and I appreciate the gothic complexities and hair pin turns. This is a book where Maine is once again beautifully brought to life. Pet Sematary and The Tommyknockers were the last two novels to achieve this kind of ambience, I think.
Yep, the fridge magnets have spelled it out: BAG OF BONES TURNS 20.
It doesn't seem real. Twenty years?
What do you think of this book? Please, share your thoughts.