After finishing Pet Sematary recently, I really wanted a chance to re-read The Shining. It’s spooky season after all! I have to say, having a few other Stephen King books under my belt really added to my enjoyment of this one.
This story was not what I thought it was going to be. I haven’t seen any of the adaptations of it so I just assumed you bury your pet and it comes back to life. It is and it isn’t. And more toward isn’t. Also, I feel dumb that I never noticed until it was pointed out in the book that it’s actually “cemetery” and not “sematary.”
Spoiler alert: No one’s head spins around in this one… but some may or may not be removed…
I’ve been trying to get into Stephen King, but it’s been hit or miss. I’ve read The Institute – 2 stars. Thinner – 4 stars, but my memory is more in the 2-star range. Probably because I hated the main character. Of course, I’ve read The Shining and Doctor Sleep, but I never gave these ones ratings (re-reads coming soon with ratings). Hmm… may I’ve liked him more than I realized. At any rate, if you want to make yourself into a Stephen King fan, read Misery!
“I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating – and it gets everywhere.” – Anakin Skywalker
Dern. This here is a tragedy. An epic tragedy, I reckon. Come to think of it, I don’t think anyone said “reckon” in this 858 page tome. Oh, and this may be an unpopular opinion, but I really, really did not like the character of Lorena…
Dust off your VCR, grab that unmarked tape, and press Play. You’re about to get… what’s that?… The tape is extinct? How does a tape go extinct? So is it a DVD now?… No, it’s a… what?!
A deadly virus running rampant and killing almost everyone who comes into contact with it. Scientists believe they’ve got a way to contain it, but the President won’t make the call. And now, the coronavirus, er, Andromeda Strain may be spreading even further!
Not all books with a child as the main character are kids’ books. Especially when the central kid witnesses a gruesome suicide right off the bat and then plays games with the FBI for fear that his own life is in danger from the Mafia. You know, John Grisham could write a sequel to this called “The Client” where this kid is in therapy the rest of his life…
The fact that the novel’s author, William Peter Blatty, also wrote the screenplay for the adaptation didn’t hurt anything. He obviously knew the characters the best and also the beats that would move the story along.