The Talisman--Bracket 4 Winner!!

[Aaron]

http://www.thedarktower.org/gallery/data/510/medium/The_Talisman_Face1.jpg
The Talisman
Viking, 1984


Bracket #4

Voting for this Book is Closed

Final Average Score: 4.536585366

Bracket 4 Winner
The Talisman will advance to Round 2

[Daghain]

I love, love, love this book. I would have given it a 10 if I could, but I had to settle for 5. :)

[Tiffany]

5!!!
I don't think there's anything about this book that I don't love.

[Aaron]

I just finished this book. It took me about five tries to actually get past that lagging spot right after the business at the Oatley Tap, but once I finally got over that hump I positively loved it. Gets a 5 from me.

[mae]

I'm the one Never Read one :(

[jayson]

I gave it a 5, but I'd give it a 500 if I could. Along with The Stand it is one of my two favorite non-DT books by King.

[Daghain]

Pablo, READ IT NOW! You won't be sorry. :)

[jayson]

Absolutely Pablo. You are excused from posting, get to a bookstore!!!

[mae]

Daghain, I bet I won't. I rarely am with King's works. Never really. I don't think I'll be able to give many if any 2s here.

[Daghain]

You are seriously missing out, my friend. You need to move this one to the top of your "to read" list. :D

[mae]

Absolutely Pablo. You are excused from posting, get to a bookstore!!!

Oh I have the book. Time's the problem...

[jayson]

I understand that problem. I wish I had more time to read. Still, I agree with Dags, push that one to the top of your "to read" list so the next time you have time it's ready to go. As much as you love King, you will be glad you read this one once you've read this one.

[Sam]

This was always on my "to read" list but always kept getting bumped by something else. One day I'll read it. Obviously I haven't read Black House either.

[sarah]

five for me. Jack Sawyer and Wolf are some of my all time favorite characters.

[alinda]

I also would give it a higher score , but this one gets a BIG 5 from me as well!

[Heather19]

Never read. Tried to once and got about 150 pages in, but just couldn't get into the story, so I put it down, and there it's remained.

[Aaron]

That sounds like the same problem that I had, Heather. Try reading Black House first. It worked for me. :D

[gsvec]

I read this one when it came out in 1984 and it didn't really do much for me. It was so long ago and I'm a much different person than I was back then, so I'm probably due to read it again. Based on all your comments, it sounds like I'll fall in love with it!

[Heather19]

That sounds like the same problem that I had, Heather. Try reading Black House first. It worked for me. :D

Will Black House make sense if I haven't read Talisman first? And will it spoil anything big from the first one?

[jayson]

Will Black House make sense if I haven't read Talisman first? And will it spoil anything big from the first one?

It should definitely make sense. I think either one can function independently of the other.

I don't think it will spoil anything at all. The books are related in that they have some of the same characters in them, but I can't really think of anything specific in Black House that would give away anything in The Talisman. Someone correct me if I've forgotten something.

[Heather19]

Thanks Jayson. Maybe I'll try to give it a shot.

[jayson]

You're quite welcome Heather. I would definitely try again to push through the first part because once stuff starts happening, it never really stops happening until the end. I love that story.

[NeedfulKings]

Wolf. What else can I say.

5!!!!!

[Bethany]

WOLF RIGHT HERE AND NOW!!!
That's a five from me!
Talisman and Dark House are my faves.

[The Lady of Shadows]

WOLF!

JACKY WHERE ARE YOU?

man what a book. when
jack said the plural of wolf was wolves and wolf about had an anuerysm laughing at him so hard. i still can't use the proper plural of wolf.



does that really count as a spoiler? oh well, it does now.

[ManOfWesternesse]

A 5 for me. Great Book.

[Darkthoughts]

Another 5. This was the book that got me back into King after a 5 year gap.

[Matt]

5 from me, I loved it.

I read it once in the way back when but it was listening to it that really brought it home.

I would suggest it on audio to anyone that is having a problem getting over certain parts, it's very well done.

[mae]

I just can't get into audio at all. At all.

[Matt]

Hmmm...must be a person by person thing Pablo.

I can't listen anytime but during my commute (30 mins/twice a day)...but it is wonderful for that.

[mae]

Must be, and I know lots of people like to listen to books. But to me the whole point of a book is to read it. It's textural, physical. It's also mental. I'm reading at my own pace. I re-read certain things if I don't catch them for some reason. And, to be honest, from what I heard of audiobooks, it really irks me when the narrators start doing voices. I don't know why, and I know most people appreciate that. To me it just comes off as grating, for whatever reason. So, that's why I'm not into audio. I do enjoy listening to King read his own work, and when "Blood and Smoke" came out, remember it was touted these stories would never be published on paper. So I bought the CD and listened, and I enjoyed them. "1408" scared the shit out of me, mostly because of the music - another reason I don't like audiobooks. I need total quiet when I read, and music is too distracting to concentrate on the words.

Anyway, sorry to ramble off-topic. Just wanted to get that out of my system. It's been a long week. Sorry if I offended any audio fans :)

[Matt]

No offense at all, different strokes and all that.

However, most of what you have described, I have never run into.

I believe that could be considered a "theatrical presentation" with music and all of that. The books I listen to are just a straight reading. The reader will sometimes change pitch or tempo for other characters but not so much. (this is why George Guidall's characters all sound like old people to me...even Jake :lol:)

As far as the hands on aspect, I totally agree with you. There is something about actually turning the pages that makes a book special but there are also tons of advantages to having it read to you. Which is, of course, the oldest format for story telling there is. :rock:

I love both listening and reading.

[Aaron]

Ditto on that. I read most of my books, but there is something intensely satisfying about listening to a book when you're driving. Too bad my current car only has a cassette deck--the only books I can find on cassette now are old 80s titles. :lol:

[The Lady of Shadows]

**ahem**

i have rose madder on cassette

just sayin'



ETA: and LT's theory of pets i think and several other king titles.

[Heather19]

Ditto on that. I read most of my books, but there is something intensely satisfying about listening to a book when you're driving. Too bad my current car only has a cassette deck--the only books I can find on cassette now are old 80s titles. :lol:

Check the bargain books at Barnes & Noble, or even used book shops. I've come across many of King's titles on cassette for very cheap.

[Hannah]

Will Black House make sense if I haven't read Talisman first? And will it spoil anything big from the first one?

It should definitely make sense. I think either one can function independently of the other.

I don't think it will spoil anything at all. The books are related in that they have some of the same characters in them, but I can't really think of anything specific in Black House that would give away anything in The Talisman. Someone correct me if I've forgotten something.

I can only think of one major spoiler given away by Black House for those that haven't read The Talisman.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I guess that I am in the minority on this one. I thought the Talisman was slow to start and laborious. Some parts were definetly worth the trouble, particularly scenes from the Sunlight Home. Overall, I thought that the book was somewhat disconnected. This was the first book that I have ever read that was coauthored. Although I love independent works from both King and Straub, It seemed obvious which passages were written by which author. I have not read Black House, as I expect more of the same, though I will probably eventually pick it up. The book was not terrible or anything, and certainly has merit if only for its connections to the DT. But, I do not feel that it can compete with The Stand, Salem's Lot, The Shining, It, etc...
No offense

[Jean]

I guess that I am in the minority on this one. I thought the Talisman was slow to start and laborious. Some parts were definetly worth the trouble, particularly scenes from the Sunlight Home. Overall, I thought that the book was somewhat disconnected. This was the first book that I have ever read that was coauthored. Although I love independent works from both King and Straub, It seemed obvious which passages were written by which author. I have not read Black House, as I expect more of the same, though I will probably eventually pick it up. The book was not terrible or anything, and certainly has merit if only for its connections to the DT. But, I do not feel that it can compete with The Stand, Salem's Lot, The Shining, It, etc...
No offense
I feel very much the same about The Talisman, only I was a lot more bored by the final part (about one eighth of the text) than the beginning; the only part I really liked was the Sunlight Home, and the whole Wolf line. I swear Black House is nothing like that, it's in my top five! Whether you are going to like it or not, don't let your impression of the Talisman influence your anticipations of the Black House, they are miles apart.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

Thanks for the insight Jean. I have The Black House, and I excpect to read it as it is one of only a few that I have not read. (The Black House, Lisey's Story, The Colorado Kid, Storm of the Century, The Plant, Just After Sunset..... I think thats it)
Anyway, I'll let you know after I read it.

[Randall Flagg]

It seemed obvious which passages were written by which author.
You say that, and we can never confirm (without King and Straub's answering).
I'll find the info, but as they collaborated, each tried to imitate the writing "style" of the other.