Fairy Tale by Stephen King

 

I am not a fan of horror.  How do I know? I read Pet Sematary back in high school and I am still scarred. (Shiver)

I am, however, a big fan of fantasy.  And great dogs. :-)

Stephen King is inarguably one of America's best and greatest writers.  I was so excited that he wrote a non-horror story during the pandemic.  Santa brought me this tome (598 pages) for Christmas and I saved it for my Spring Break Vacation.  I love having a special book for a special occasion!

This was a good read.  It was not a GREAT read, so I was a tiny bit disappointed.  Maybe my hopes and expectations were too high because of the author.  I absolutely loved his novel 11 22 63 (again, not horror, more time travel and butterfly effect, but with those details and word choices and sentences that are pure King).  So I just knew I would totally love this one too.  I felt like the premise for Fairy Tale was not really very original, even if the characters, their backstory and current predicaments definitely were.  Charlie is a teenager who lost his mom which drove his dad to drink, and yet Charlie plays the hero for his dad's health as well as that of the scary and mysterious neighbor Bowditch, whose own health crisis, alerted to Charlie by his trusty dog, Radar, is the catalyst for an adventure down a rabbit hole to another world.  A world in trouble and just waiting for a Savior.  The characters he meets and befriends (and...loves??) in this other world are quirky and tragic and hilarious and weird.  I expect that from King.  Gross Giants and rude leprechauns and an evil force and a sad princess?  Oh yeah, baby, now we are talking.  It felt a little like an expanded YA fantasy novel, which I don't mind, but have read before.  

Here's what I liked:  I liked Bowditch.  What a great name for the crazy man who lives in the creepy house with his Cujo dog (yes, King references Cujo.  HAHAHAHA!)   I bow to King for this; he can write and flesh out a character with words like no other.  Bowditch might have been my favorite character.  Such a curmudgeon, I could just SEE his facial expressions!

I liked all the literary references.  I won't list them here (ok, just one - LOVECRAFT.  #iykyk), they are fun to discover as you read.  But King definitely has a sense of humor, warped though it may be, and I loved it.

I loved that in this fantasy story of other worlds and impossible tortures, King also weaves in the devastation of loss, of alcoholism, and the difficulties during and support necessary for coming out of addiction.  I loved that the relationship between man and dog was so vital to this story.  It made these characters real.  Even if they are moving in and out of a magical land.

I loved that even at almost 600 pages, this story never felt too long.  I was invested.  It kept me interested even though you know it will have some sort of happy ending for our hero.  The ending was good and necessary, but wasn't necessarily done with a big red bow, if you know what I mean.  Satisfying.  Charlie is believable, he has faults, but such a big heart.  King asked himself "what could I write that would make me happy?"  And his answer was a devastated Kingdom with smashed statues and a palace with tall glass towers....and so it began. 

Please, Mr. King, please do give us another non-horror based book, if not next, then soon!

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

 

What a fun read.  Which is exactly what I said about the first book in this series if I am not mistaken!

I bought The Thursday Murder Club in New York City at The Mysterious Bookshop.  I bought this second in the series at Beacon Hill Books in Boston.  I am really feeling the pressure of my own mystery now:  where will I buy book three???  (Suggestions, anyone??)

We learn a lot more about Elizabeth in this installment of our favorite septuagenarian solvers of murders.  Someone from her past shows up and creates havoc and a trail of clues to follow, which are even more twisty-turny than in the first story!  Again, the banter here is stellar.  I laughed out loud at some comments and phrases and attitudes (that sweet little Joyce is hilarious, but watch out for her!).

I loved Ibrahim's outlook on life, or the missing out of same.  I loved trying to figure out which character is the funniest.  (It is a tie.)  Or the Smartest. (Ditto)  Or my favorite.  (Well, Joyce, I think actually.)  I died laughing over a whole scene about emojis and spent half the novel trying to figure out who the murderer(s?) is and half the novel trying to figure out which English actors should play each of the characters in a movie version.  (I want to play Joyce!  Or, maybe Sally Field except she isn't English and I am still mad that an Englishwoman played Scarlett O'Hara so I will also need to insist that the Thursday Murder Club be portrayed by English actors.  I am nothing if not consistent)

Do you even want a synopsis?  I don't think you need one, but here goes:  Stolen diamonds, the Mob, an ex, a tattoo or two, a dog named Alan, a trip to Antwerp, friendship bracelets, one smart kid, several dead bodies, a randy drug dealer who has the hots for Bogdan (wait, maybe he is my favorite), Chris and Donna and the woman who connects them, hair plugs.... and like I said, a whole lot of fun.  I read the whole thing in a day on a long plane ride, perfect for travel or the beach or when you need a lighter but very engaging read.