Under the Dome is a great book. Easily top 10 for me. I guess if King makes one of his characters a right wing DB, then that must be a reflection of King himself.....or it could just be a character in a work of fiction. Hopefully King doesn't ever write about an Islamic fundamentalist terrorist, because I guess by your rationale, that would make SK Osama Bin Laden.
Sloth Love Chunk
yesOriginally Posted by BROWNINGS CHILDE
yes...or it could just be a character in a work of fiction
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't even notice the Cheney thing. I was too busy enjoying the story. Dunno, maybe that kind of stuff stands out more when your own beliefs don't align with author's. If it was truly just about not mixing religion and politics and fiction, well, please go make the same kind of posts about The Stand, 'Salem's Lot and DT books with Callahan. There's a pretty heavy-handed pro-Christian feel to The Stand. It's still one of my favourites and I'm taking it to have it signed in October.
I'm about the opposite of King's political opinions as can be, but I barely noticed those mentioned in Joyland. The story just grabbed me.
John
Yep. Sometimes you just have to accept that people are different and roll with it. My beliefs are not exactly in sync with King but they're pretty close. There are others though from whom I couldn't be further but I still love their books (Simmons, Koontz, Frank Miller, OSC, Heinlein, the guy who writes Fables). A good story is a good story, period.
LOL, I remember that every I've read Koontz (regrettably few so far), I thought, "Wow, that's exactly how I feel about [this or that]". As you just said, people are different (to say nothing of bears)
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nope. It's about him interjecting his political/religious bitterness into his stories. I don't much care what his political views are, whether they agree with mine or not. I don't care to read stories with any of that interjected. The Stand and 'Salem's Lot involved religion, but did not include opinions in favor one way or the other. None of the Dick Cheney stuff, or the NRA stuff, or the Baptist Preacher stuff was integral to the story and was just a matter of King spewing his personal bitter opinions. IMO as a story teller, that is irresponsible.
I think it produces a well-defined FICTIONAL character.
Sloth Love Chunk
Although I found the Jim Rennie right wing nut job caricature in UTD to be overkill at least it was within context of the story. The Cheney reference in Joyland came out of the blue and had no bearing on the story. The good news is If SK needs straw man characters for future novels he need look no further than the current administration for inspiration.
I'm gonna piggy back on this. I'm closest to the Towson location. I had to hunt for a copy. Nothing in the SK section, just two copies on the new in paperback section. It was an off day at the Towson location, tho. Hardly any employees around. I couldn't even find Curt and I always see him.
But, anyway, I really enjoyed this one. Ardai said the end made him cry and I wasn't too far behind. Gobbled it within a day, hit all the right emotional points.
Welcome to the forums Don!!
As to political/religon stuff in this book, there was so little I didn't even notice it. *shrug*
Christine
Welcome to the boards!!!I'm gonna piggy back on this. I'm closest to the Towson location. I had to hunt for a copy. Nothing in the SK section, just two copies on the new in paperback section. It was an off day at the Towson location, tho. Hardly any employees around. I couldn't even find Curt and I always see him.
But, anyway, I really enjoyed this one. Ardai said the end made him cry and I wasn't too far behind. Gobbled it within a day, hit all the right emotional points.
28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
Thankee, all. I am well met, I'll tell ya that!
I didn't get the impression that King was attacking the Christian faith given that the story seems to confirm the existence of the afterlife, something that Annie doesn't initially believe. Stephen King talked about God for an interview about Joyland and said he believes in intelligent design (or the possibility of it at least). Granted he has had a couple of negative depictions of Christianity in his books but I don't know how you can look at The Stand or Desperation or Father Callahan's arc in the last three Dark Tower books and see King as an anti-Christian writer. He doesn't strike me as being bitter either just because he has a few pointed views.
Also I really enjoyed the book but I am a bit amused for a line called "Hard Case Crime" that it's probably his most low-key story to date with the crime element only coming to the forefront in the last third of the story. I'm sure the publisher isn't complaining though.Joyland's probably one of those books that I'd give to someone who hasn't read a Stephen King book before and thinks that he's just a horror writer.
A hound will die for you, but never lie to you. And he'll look you straight in the face.
My Collection
Yeah, King's beliefs are definitely not "bitter", far from it.
King has stated repeatedly that he believes in God. He only has issues with certain excesses of organized religion.
He even sounded like he was waffling a bit on that during the interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air. But, yeah. I think his views have evolved a bit over the years, as is natural.
Los̶ ver 4 Life -- @shakyandspiky on Instagram -- PMs welcome
I really enjoyed the story as well, but you're right. There was little "HCC" to be had in it. It almost could have been a fifth novella in Different Seasons.I didn't get the impression that King was attacking the Christian faith given that the story seems to confirm the existence of the afterlife, something that Annie doesn't initially believe. Stephen King talked about God for an interview about Joyland and said he believes in intelligent design (or the possibility of it at least). Granted he has had a couple of negative depictions of Christianity in his books but I don't know how you can look at The Stand or Desperation or Father Callahan's arc in the last three Dark Tower books and see King as an anti-Christian writer. He doesn't strike me as being bitter either just because he has a few pointed views.
Also I really enjoyed the book but I am a bit amused for a line called "Hard Case Crime" that it's probably his most low-key story to date with the crime element only coming to the forefront in the last third of the story. I'm sure the publisher isn't complaining though.
28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
Yes.
I just finished this book about an hour ago. I didn't actually figure out who the killer was until it was revealed.
I really liked this book though. It sort of reminded me of Hearts In Atlantis, which is my favorite SK book. Just wish it could've been a little longer.
Hearts are tough, she said, most times hearts don't break, and I'm sure that's right . . . but what about then? What about who we were then? What about hearts in Atlantis?
this book is absolutely fucking awesome
interesting how people compare it to HiA or 22/11. I didn't like either of them, and I adored every word of Joyland.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes! Yes!It almost could have been a fifth novella in Different Seasons.
While reading Joyland, I was thinking 'this is the King who told us the stories 'Stand by Me' and 'Shawshank Redemption'!
Of course, I know logically that the same man wrote all the books, but somehow when the extraordinary circumstances and events of the story are stripped down to the mortal realm, the storyteller's voice comes through better. I guess Im trying to say that when King writes outside of the supernatural and/or metaphysical elements to a story, then his characters get all his attention...to the benefit of all.
I don't think he has to write outside of the supernatural for this (see It and The Stand to name just two), but this aside, I totally agree with you. Joyland is incredible.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How does Joyland compare to Colorado Kid? I would expect their voice to be similar, but I havent read The Colorado Kid.
Sloth Love Chunk
They can't be compared at all. The Colorado Kid is told in this unbearable, badly stylized voice of a narrator who feels obliged to say a wise saying in every line and a proverb in every paragraph, as if old people suddenly lose all ability to speak normally.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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