Desperation by Stephen King

Desperation. Stephen King. Published in 1996. My third reading of this novel. Still scares the shit out of me. This novel is pure horror. Has a companion Richard Bachman (Kings alter-ego) book, The Regulators. The two novels represent mirror universes to one another, and most of the characters present in one novel's world also exist in the other novel's reality, though the circumstances are very different.  Haven't reread The Regulators, if that tells you anything. Though I found it enjoyable when I read it in 1996. 

Gist of the novel is a group of people are abducted by a giant, possessed cop, Collier Entragian--great name--while traveling along the desolated Highway 50 near Reno, Nevada. We first meet this guy in terrifying fashion when he pulls over a couple after the license plate falls off of their car as they make their way across country. He finds weed in their trunk and drops shit like "I'm going to kill you," into their Miranda rights while taking them back to town. He also "saves" a family from a highway shooter, only to terrorize and murder them once in the fictitious Desperation. Turns out he is possessed by this horrifiying demon thing Tak that feeds on and uses meat suits while causing real damage in the desert. Once locked up with the other King usuals, a young prophet and novelist among them, the group fights to free themselves while trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. They also get messages from capital G God along the way. Some heavy shit. 

Turns out Tak has single-handedly wiped out an entire mining town in the course of a lazy afterrnoon. It is fucked up. When the novelist is arrested is some next-level gruesome, triggering shit. Just a heads up. 

Inspired when King drove across-country in 1991, during which he visited the small desert community near U.S. 50, just like the one in the novel. While there, he thought the town's inhabitants were all dead. He then asked who had killed them, and the idea that the town's sheriff had done so popped into his head. Thus a story was born.

Tight, claustrophobic, creepy, and effective. This is a slow, methodical burn with segments of true terror. One of my favorite of the 20 King novels I've read. I find it strange that it isn't ranked higher among his oeuvre. 

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

I'm Thinking of Ending Things. "For years, my life has been flat. I’m not sure how else to describe it. I’ve never admitted it before. I’m not depressed, I don’t think. That’s not what I’m saying. Just flat, listless. So much has felt accidental, unnecessary, arbitrary. It’s been lacking a dimension. Something seems to be missing." I hear ya. 

Debut novel Canadian writer Iain Reid. Published in 2016. Of the psychological thriller and horror fiction persuasion. 

Narrated, for the most part, by this guy Jake's unnamed girlfriend whom he's been dating for a few months. They met in a bar during trivia, so far so good. Jake gave her his phone number by writing it on a piece of paper and slipping it into her bag. Unlike real life, she calls him. Most of the story takes place months later as he takes her to meet his parents on their remote farm. She has been considering "ending things," i.e. breaking up with him, but has not done the deed. It is a long drive, and they engage in lengthy philosophical discussions. Again, love this shit. 

They get to the house and the parents are as fucking weird and creepy as anyone can be, which pretty much seals the deal. Most of the book takes place at said creepy locale. Then they leave after the weirdness becomes too much for someone you're about to break up with and the guy by the guy's high school. This is when things get really cray. 

Was feeling it about this point, but then, with 10 or so pages to go, the book turns to bullshit fiction. This is one of the rare books that I hated that I finished. That is mostly because I was really digging it, and then the end, which comes as a huge reveal, I found rage worthy. 

Huge fucking pump fake, this gimmicky bullshit ending. Ruins everything that came before. Get some red herring clues, but there is nothing that would make anyone think the ending that we get was coming in any way. Extremely unsatisfying. Do not recommend. But, hey, I'm no novelist and I'm sure some people will dig it. But, yeah, fuck this book.

Was turned into a movie since I read it. Hear it's good, adapted/directed by the great Charlie Kaufman. Also has some actors I find interesting. Trailer looks great too. Never watching that shit though. Sure it's bullshit, just like the novel. 

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

We Have Always Lived in the Castle. 1962 novel by Shirley Jackson. Last book before her death in 1965. Man, this book is dark and full of triggers. Gaslighting and family violence. Makes for a complex and sometimes unpleasant read of a total masterpiece. 

Gist of the book is that a wealthy Vermont family, devasted by the poisoning deaths of several relatives living on the estate, are more or less complete pariahs in the backwoods town they inhabit. It is to the point that only one of the three people living in the house can get food and things, and she is constantly harassed whenever she does. This is the eighteen-year-old Merricat Blackwood, the novel’s unreliable narrator. She lives with her uncle, Julian, and sister Constance, both of the Grey Gardens persuasion type shut-in. Things are going fine, I guess, until their relative Charles shows up, sort of woos/takes advantage of Constance, and looks for ways to steal the family fortune. He also maybe encourages the idiot townspeople to be cunty to the Blackwoods. This until, you know, possible poisoners get tired of his shit.
 
I’ve had a long fascination with the “other” and the way dumb fucks treat them in works of fiction and film. This is fucking dripping with that shit and is a significant theme in most of Jackson’s work.
 
Not sure I would have liked this book as much if I’d read it at another time in my life. But I am unfortunately able to identify with the agoraphobia of the main characters. Without giving too much away, it is brutal that, in the end, with the house barely livable, they choose to retreat further inward. With this time of covid coming to an end, with fear still present despite being vaccinated, I get the sentiment. 

Book Review: The Stand - Stephen King

Trippy read during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Loved it, of course, and started reading it again because of my slightly more extra time during quarantine and it being all timely and all. I've read something like 15 Stephen King books. Dude got me into reading when I was young. This was my second reading of this novel. The first was like 26 years ago. 

If you don't know, The Stand is a post-apocalyptic novel (up there with distopias as one of my favorite subgenres). The plot centers on a pandemic of a weaponized strain of influenza that kills 99.94% of the world's population. The few survivors in the United States form in two groups, the evil one led by Randall Flagg, the good one by committee, get it on at the end which concludes with a literal hand of god. 

Like I said, read this a long time ago. Seventh grade. There were parts that were definitely a little much for a sensitive, somewhat sheltered child such as myself (I'm thinking specifically about the many extremely violent deaths and extremely disturbing sexual violence), but I couldn't put it down. Plus, I've thought about it a lot since then and it still looms large. 

I'll say that I find several of the main characters a little milqutoast (Stu Redman, Mother Abagail) and others irritating. The Kid and The Rat Man are maybe two of my least favorite characters from any work of fiction. However, the novel features some of King's most vivid and well written (Larry Underwood, Harold Lauder), and others where we get just enough that we are left wanting so much more (Dayna Jurgens, Lloyd Henreid [these two are so damn interesting]). 

Depending on the day, this is my favorite Stephen King novel and favorite post-apocalyptic work from any genre. Though it is considered popular fiction, I think this work will be read in schools years from now. Like Twain or Mellville or Sir Walter Scott or someone like that. 

King said, of the book, "There’s something a little depressing about such a united opinion that you did your best work twenty years ago." While that may be the case, it's not like he didn't set a pretty damn near impossible bar to clear. Plus he gets pretty close once or twice a decade. Great shit.