Bracket #9: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999)

[mae]

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, 1999

Please vote for The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon using the following scale:

5: I loved it
4: It was good
3: Average
2: Only so-so
1: I didn't like it

If you haven't read this book yet, please vote Never Read. Feel free to discuss your votes in this thread.

[Daghain]

I gave it a three. It was okay.

[Jean]

hesitating between 4+ and 5-

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I was between a 3 and a 4. Ultimately felt compelled to give it a 4, because I did do a reread, and enjoyed it a second time. This places it beyond average for me.

[Sam]

I know many feel different, but this is truly one of my favorite of King's tales. 5 all the way.

[Kronz]

Nicely written and all but I don't feel compelled to read it again.

[Tito_Villa]

It was a 3 for me!

[divemaster]

3. Average

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

I don't know, I just could not get into this one. I don't remember it too well, but I disliked it a lot. The same can be said for The Colorado Kid. Some day I have to re-read both of these since they are so short and see if my opinion has changed.

[Woofer]

Hrm. This is a tough one for me. Parts of it are definitely a 5, but other parts seemed forced. I haven't reread it, so perhaps I'll give it another go soon. I'll have to sleep on my vote, though.

[mikeC]

Totally entertaining.

[Darkthoughts]

I gave it a 4. I gave it a 5 last year, but even though I enjoyed rereading it it didn't have the same impact. I think that's a downside of rereading sometimes.

What remains my favourite thing about this book, is King's ability to tell a great story using just one character (for the majority of the book.)

[pathoftheturtle]

I don't remember anything forced. I think it's a fine novel. However, there's nothing that makes it unique in SK's library.

Nevertheless, I can't see what it might have in common with The Colorado Kid... any particular reason you disliked both, 2ndbig?

[mae]

The poll has closed. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon has earned a FAS (final average score) of 3.353846154 or 67.08%, placing 4th in this bracket. It will not be moving on to Round 2. In 2009, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon also placed 4th with a FAS of 3.387096774, so it lost 0.033250620 (-0.98%) this time.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

Hi pathoftheturtle. I read so much I can't remember exactly why later King doesn't interest me as much as his earlier works, but I have the impression that his characters are uninteresting to me now, and I just can't relate to them or their problems. I could hardly put down books like FIRESTARTER, THE STAND, CUJO, THE DARK HALF, MISERY, THE GREEN MILE, etc. But starting with INSOMNIA, his books seem to be hit and miss for me now, mainly miss. The "gosh wow, this is so great!" just isn't there anymore (with a few exceptions), although THE CELL almost sparked again. DUMA KEY was mostly readable, and I devoured the passages when he was just starting to get into his painting, but I found that book to be too overwritten. I'm no critic, and never want to be one, but I know what I like!