Lisey's Story by Stephen King

Despite Stephen King being my favourite author, someone who's annual book I can't wait to read, I foundLisey's Story disappointing. I am not saying it is a bad book, but for me it did not meet the page-turning brilliance I have come to expect.

The biggest problem for me was the time it took to get going, or for it even to make sense. I am well used to King carefully building the back story before the story really kicks off, but in this case, combined with the mystery of what the hell was going on, made it just too long in my opinion.

Having said that, once it did get going the story did become a really good page turner. As usual the characters were well developed, in a real world, and I genuinely felt that I knew and cared about them.

The story itself is clearly very personal to King, in that it deals with a widow dealing with the affairs of here writer husband two years after his death. Considering King's two near death experiences in recent years (Being hit by a truck while out walking and more recently Pneumonia), there is a real element of his reality in the story. The story is not about King and his wife Tabitha, but there are obvious touch-points where the fictional life mirrors the reality.

So, it is still a good read, but to my mind one of the weakest novels in King's portfolio. I think any King fan will still enjoy it, but would not recommend it as first King book, as it is not representative of his work.



Since reading Lisey's Story I have watched the BBC2 programme Mark Lawson Talks To Stephen King, an interview in which King discusses Lisey's Story, his motivation for it, and the influences of his life in the novel. I wish that I have seen the interview before reading the book - I have had it recorded but not watched as I was keen to read the book first! I think knowing the back story/motivation behind the book would certainly have increased my pleasure reading it, despite some small spoilers. It has certainly now left me with a more positive feel for the book.