The Talisman
£53.63
Two masters proving their worth in fantastical glory... - It may not be the sort of book that the stereotypical horror author would produce, but if there is one thing that regular readers of these authors should be recommended, take a chance on this - it s a real gem! And for those who have no affiliation to either writer, this novel has definite merit.What is most surprising about this dual effort is that King and Straub (both distinguished scribes in their own right) manage to create a single voice: a reader would be hard-pushed to separate the individual authors.But at the heart of this story is not a single voice but the sense of duality (a common staple in more classic Gothic fiction). As our protagonist Jack Sawyer passes to and from the Territories we, as readers, glimpse what is another world, one which later becomes the fantastic back-drop of King s DARK TOWER series. But the key is the reader ONLY glimpses this other world. The authors manage to retain that sense of mystique and intrigue, which overall establish the sense of fantasy in the novel, with the reader never certain of what is to come, and relishing each little detail thereafter.Before we begin this epic we are reminded of Hucklebury Finn and we conclude with a reference to Twain s other child hero, Tom Sawyer. The suggestion is that this is the authors homage to those books that they grew up with. For King, children have played an important part in his writing, but this is his coupe de grace of the children s fantastic playground (although IT pushes for a close second). It is the ultimate tale of children succeeding in the face of adversity, but at the same time there is the sense that this is a coming of age story: for in the child Jack, we can all too easily see the man that he will become.THE TALISMAN encompasses a richness that is more common of King s earlier novels and Straub s GHOST STORY. This is definitely a journey of excitement through the badlands of the minds of two outstanding narrators working as one. The reader is left gasping, which is promptly replaced by the need for more, bringing us to BLACK HOUSE...
A fantastic story, brillantly told! - This teaming of Straub and King provides the reader with what they would expect from King and much much more. It follows the journey of Jack Sawyer, a young boy who is trying to save his mother. With parallel worlds, werewolfs and the terrifying arch enemy of Jack, Morgan Sloat, it leads you through every emotion you could imagine and is impossible to put down. And the ending does not disappoint! A fantastic story brilliantly told, it should be read again and again!!!
I cannot sum this book into one line... - I got the book for my birthday when I was nine, and since then (ten years) I have read the book to tatters! The cover was lost long ago, and masking tape is the only thing keeping the book from falling apart. So, why do I love the book so much? This is strange, but here goes. When I was nine, I read this story of how a twelve year old boy travelled across the country to save his mother life. The book empowered me. I remember thinking Sure, if I were twelve, I could do that if I had to. Over the years (and many readings later) I finished the book for the Xth time, and realized that I was twelve. It was really kind of a strange moment for me, because I remembered what I had thought to myself three years before. I reexamined my situation, and concluded that, yes, if I had to, I could still have done what Jack did as a twelve year old. Now, looking back, I am inclined to doubt whether any twelve year old could go through what Jack did and not die or go insane. Years of becoming an adult have led me down the path of underestimating the youth of the world. But, then I remember what I thought when I first read the book, and what I thought when I was twelve, and it s like I can reconnect with what it was like to be a kid, with the ideals I had at the time. Doing so has done a great deal for me, it prevents me from passing judgement so quickly on the naive youth of the day, and forces me to realign my current ideals with those that I cherished in the past. In short, I guess, it s helped me hang onto my childhood. I m not sure if the book will do all of this for you, Potential Reader, but judging by the other opinions on this page, I bet it could. Buy it for yourself this Christmas, or for your kid or your friend s kid. This book is just as timeless as Tom Sawyer, and so much more empowering.
I cannot sum this book into one line... - I got the book for my birthday when I was nine, and since then (ten years) I have read the book to tatters! The cover was lost long ago, and masking tape is the only thing keeping the book from falling apart. So, why do I love the book so much? This is strange, but here goes. When I was nine, I read this story of how a twelve year old boy travelled across the country to save his mother life. The book empowered me. I remember thinking Sure, if I were twelve, I could do that if I had to. Over the years (and many readings later) I finished the book for the Xth time, and realized that I was twelve. It was really kind of a strange moment for me, because I remembered what I had thought to myself three years before. I reexamined my situation, and concluded that, yes, if I had to, I could still have done what Jack did as a twelve year old. Now, looking back, I am inclined to doubt whether any twelve year old could go through what Jack did and not die or go insane. Years of becoming an adult have led me down the path of underestimating the youth of the world. But, then I remember what I thought when I first read the book, and what I thought when I was twelve, and it s like I can reconnect with what it was like to be a kid, with the ideals I had at the time. Doing so has done a great deal for me, it prevents me from passing judgement so quickly on the naive youth of the day, and forces me to realign my current ideals with those that I cherished in the past. In short, I guess, it s helped me hang onto my childhood. I m not sure if the book will do all of this for you, Potential Reader, but judging by the other opinions on this page, I be t it could. By it for yourself this Christmas, or for your kid or your friend s kid. This book is just as timeless as Tom Sawyer, and so much more empowering.