Revival discussion thread *SPOILERS*

[jhanic]

Probably one of my least favorite endings to a king novel ever.

For me, that "honor" goes to Cell.

John

[CyberGhostface]

I guess one question I have is if this ending applies to the rest of the SK universe.

Because in The Stand and Desperation at least there appears to be, if not God himself, then at minimum some sort of benevolent force guiding the universe and intervening directly or indirectly to stop evil forces.

Whereas Revival says "There is no god, just some Lovecraftian abomination that enslaves humanity via giant ants."

[divemaster]

James Kidd of The Independent had problems with the book’s ending.

“Where 'Revival' falls down, if not quite apart, is in its climax,” he wrote. “But after Revival’s finely judged first 5/6ths, the conclusion feels rushed and unbalanced…. 'Revival' is fine if not vintage King, but that still makes it tastier than most bestsellers out there.”

The first half of the book is decent but the ending feels rushed and contrived.

I have to say I was pretty disappointed and even plain out confused at all that crap at the end. ... Probably one of my least favorite endings to a king novel ever.

I just finished Revival and am sad to say I didn't like it much. However, I seem to be on the opposite pole as most folks here with criticism. I thought the ending was by far the best part of the book. It was the first 5/6th that went nowhere for me. I didn't feel any real connection to the main character (Jamie) and the antagonist was really weak. This surprises me, as King is usually so good at developing his characters. Not only the "good guys," but also the "baddie" (whether that be a supernatural entity such as a possessed car, evil clown-thing, a haunted hotel, dark man; or just a bad dude such as Rose Madder's ex), as well as his supporting characters (Wireman, anyone?). I didn't dislike Jamie, he just never clicked for me. Maybe it's because we see him at three stages of his life and don't really get a chance to know him at any of them (especially the first two).

And the Jacobs character? Very weak. He's not evil or even really bad. And his obsession didn't instill any kind of horror, unease, or foreboding throughout the book at all. I actually kindof liked the guy.

Now, the climax and ending *did* click with me. As a huge fan of Lovecraft, I really appreciated the homage to the "Cyclopean landscapes" and "Old Ones," etc. "Mother" would have made a great antagonist, but we only get a few pages of all that.

So, this doesn't go into my worst-King pile, but it goes into my "read it once and have no interest in ever reading it again" pile.

Which is disappointing because much of King's recent work has been so very very good.

[SystemCrashOverRide]

I will say, that for whatever reason the "something happened" mantra really stuck in my head. I found it creepy the first time it happened to Jamie, and every time it was uttered afterwards. Something something something happened happened happened. Creepy.

The ants were also a nice touch, but I agree with others that Jacobs didn't really seem that evil, even at his utmost "mad scientist" he just seemed a bit excited and insistent.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

Overall, I have to say I'm a little disappointed. I didnt really dislike the book, but I had such high hopes for it. When being compared to Pet Semetary as his scariest book, with his darkest ending to date, I managed to convince myself that this book would be a return to form for King, possible harkening back to the Bachman days. It fell short. I thought the first half or so was a good coming of age story with a great fall from innocence story entwined. As a guitar player for over 20 years, I could really identify with those parts relating to Jamie's life as a musician and enjoyed that aspect of the book. However, I felt like the book lost its bearings about 2/3 of the way through, and never fully recovered. I thought there was going to be some kind of Frankenstein ending, and too an extent there was, but it did not resonate with me. I love Lovecraft, and while I get the nod to one of King's major influences, I felt that it was trying too hard to be a nod to Lovecraft. The ending felt like fanfiction, something I never want to see from SK. All in all, it was a decent book, by no means bottom tier for King, but it was certainly not top shelf.

[mikeC]

Oh boy. Just finished, now have to go to the puppy kitten sunshine store.

[stephenkingcast]

I really enjoyed Revival for what it was, and I was re-reading Pet Sematary the day before I bought it, so the parallels were fully on display for me. While it may not be as scary as Pet Sematary (when people compare the two, I don't think that's what they're comparing), as an exploration on death, it makes for a perfect companion piece. If anyone's interested, I have a podcast review available on www.stephenkingcast.podbean.com

[stephenkingcast]

I think that you're supposed to like Jacobs. At least, you're not supposed to hate him or fear him. He's a different type of villain. He isn't a Jack Torrance, pennywise, or Flagg. By establishing him first as a genuinely good man who suffered a horrifying loss (that cost him both his family and his soul), he always remains somewhat of a sympathetic character. Even in the end, he's still the man who was set down on this road with the death of his wife and child. ("Where is my little boy's face ?" is one of the most horrific things King has put to paper)

[jhanic]

I think that you're supposed to like Jacobs. At least, you're not supposed to hate him or fear him. He's a different type of villain. He isn't a Jack Torrance, pennywise, or Flagg. By establishing him first as a genuinely good man who suffered a horrifying loss (that cost him both his family and his soul), he always remains somewhat of a sympathetic character. Even in the end, he's still the man who was set down on this road with the death of his wife and child. ("Where is my little boy's face ?" is one of the most horrific things King has put to paper)

I agree. Jacobs seems one of the most sympathetic villains King has done. It's virtually impossible to hate him.

John

[Erin]

Just finished reading it last night. While I did thing the ending was a bit rushed, after I finished reading (at nearly 2am because I couldn't stop at that point), I sat there seriously creeped out for a bit before I went to sleep. I also really liked the character of Jamie and felt quite connected to him. Overall, I felt like it was pretty good, but not one of his best.

[Cordial Jim]

I really enjoyed Revival. It's not one of his best (I'd put it in that 30-35 slot range), but it's King so it's pretty darn good. Lots of memorable scenes and quotes. I really liked the characters of Jamie Morton and Charles Jacobs. As a rock-n-roll guy, I absolutely adored all the music references and scenes. The scenes with Chrome Roses gigging were glorious! Best band name ever. I also really liked how the narrative covered a time period of over 50 years. The ending was a little bit of a let down for me, but it still built a heck of a lot of suspense. It was creepy and it made you think (which is always a good thing). Add Charles Jacobs to the list of particularly memorable SK characters. A man on a mission. Clinical trials be damned!

[Merlin1958]

I thoroughly enjoyed it, but agree it's not his best work. The ending concept was very creepy and well written, but my first thought upon completion was, "This is basically a short story that got away from him".

[Ben Staad]

Finally finished this up last night and enjoyed the book. Following a character throughout stages of their life worked for me and I almost wondered if the author was reminiscing slightly about his own life and seriously contemplating the big mystery of the after life when creating this story.

[mikeC]

I've never seen this Saul Bass movie but I wonder if it was a subliminal inspiration for Steve:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_IV

Is Steve trying to say something about human nature/fleetingness of life/live life to the fullest with this book? If the ending weren't so silly I would say maybe he is. I kind of want to be completely dismissive about this book but I want to give Steve the benefit of doubt. He's never been one to write allegories (besides the addiction AA stuff) before or maybe I just never noticed.

[Roland of Gilead 33]

Phase IV i have seen that film. man is that a shitty film. anyways i got this for X-mas and it's nice to be on here. i got a new puter early this year. and i kept forgetting to add this on the new puter. anyways i'm only on Chapter 2 so i dunno what to think of it just yet.

[webstar1000]

I LOVES this book. It was really nostalgic and I loved the villain in many ways. Great King book and very happy with it!

[Ricky]

Finished it last night. Like some others said, I really liked the first 50-60 pages and thought it was a great intro. From there, though, it just seemed to go on and on without anything really exciting happening. It's almost as if SK was writing the story just to get to the few pages in the climax (which, while exciting, was kind of a disappointment after reading so many reviews and marketing materials that kept saying how dark it was). I kept thinking that Jacobs was going to try and resurrect Patsy and Morrie (now that would have been dark) rather than just wanting to glimpse what was after death.

Also, what are everyone's opinions on the "afterlife" that Jamie and Jacobs saw? To me it seems like it was a version of an afterlife, not the afterlife. Maybe a version of Hell? It would make sense, especially since Jacobs didn't really know what was behind the door he was opening. Maybe there are many doors and he just picked the wrong one to open.

[Bev Vincent]

Boy, does this book ever do well on a second reading. There is a lot of subtle foreshadowing that makes sense once you know what is going to happen at the end. Many, many mentions of ants and the evil female presence beyond (which is reminiscent of the Other from Bag of Bones). You have to realize that Jamie Morton is telling this story after his final encounter with Charlie Jacobs, so he knows where the story's headed from page 1.

I'm listening to the audio version. David Morse is a great narrator.

[mikeC]

David Morse is a great narrator.

Yes. Hope he does more.

[Girlystevedave]

*I've scrolled through this thread since I know there are spoilers abound.

I'm halfway through and I'm really enjoying it. I've just read the part where Jamie and Hugh are swapping stories about their experiences with being "healed". I must say, the part with Jamie waking up in the field behind the hotel, jabbing the fork into his arm, and repeatedly saying "Something Happened" was very eerie. I'm obviously dying to know just what in the hell happened while he was undergoing the shock treatment.
Also, I never get tired of King making reference to his other works in his stories; the former name of the band Jamie was in being called The Gunslingers, Rev. Jacobs mentioning working at Joyland, the number 19 being mentioned, etc.

[bdwyer19]

Finished it last night. Like some others said, I really liked the first 50-60 pages and thought it was a great intro. From there, though, it just seemed to go on and on without anything really exciting happening. It's almost as if SK was writing the story just to get to the few pages in the climax (which, while exciting, was kind of a disappointment after reading so many reviews and marketing materials that kept saying how dark it was). I kept thinking that Jacobs was going to try and resurrect Patsy and Morrie (now that would have been dark) rather than just wanting to glimpse what was after death.

Also, what are everyone's opinions on the "afterlife" that Jamie and Jacobs saw? To me it seems like it was a version of an afterlife, not the afterlife. Maybe a version of Hell? It would make sense, especially since Jacobs didn't really know what was behind the door he was opening. Maybe there are many doors and he just picked the wrong one to open.

I just finished reading if last night. I thought the same thing about the afterlife. Jacobs had done so many twisted things throughout the years, that we were catching a glimpse of his Hell. Unfortunately, he was taking all of those he cured with him. I would think his wife and son, along with Jamie's sister ended up in a more peaceful place.

Still, reading the last 50 pages right before bed was not smart! Very creepy ending!!

[Jon]

Ultimately mediocre. I found the first 50 or 60 pages slow and the total mediocre... not just for King. It had some potential points. Had King explored the lightning and the particular pole...but he did not.

On to the next book hoping for more.

[Jon]

and I loved the villain in many ways.

I MUST say that I can see this as a TV series with Anthony Michael Hall as Jacobs.

I don't see a series often at all so that IS saying something! I think it could be done.

[Merlin1958]

and I loved the villain in many ways.

I MUST say that I can see this as a TV series with Anthony Michael Hall as Jacobs.

I don't see a series often at all so that IS saying something! I think it could be done.

I would think more like, John Boy. Richard Thomas?

[Girlystevedave]

I finished this the other day. I hate to say it, but I wasn't too happy with the ending. The story was great, but seemed to build and build up to nothing. As Ricky mentioned in his post, I was really expecting to find out that Jacobs was going to attempt to resurrect his wife and son. That would have been much darker (as reviews all over the place have implied that the ending was) than huge ants running some version of hell or purgatory or whatever it was.