Finders Keepers Discussion (Spoilers)

[zelig]

I don't see a discussion thread for Finders Keepers over here in Cara Laughs, so figured I'd start one.

I just finished the book and loved it! Read it in 2 days. Although I wasn't crazy about Mr Mercedes, I did like it, but this one is way better. A real page turner and so intense at the end, there were times I had to stop and catch my breath.

I made a few note as I was reading. Here's some random thoughts and parts that resonated with me.

There's a line, "If you're looking for optimism, buy a Harlequin Romance". I liked the whole concept preceding this line where Andy, the bookstore guy says how the purpose of American culture is to create a norm. And goes on to explain this means that extraordinary people must be leveled. Which is why Rothstein writes Jimmy Gold into someone unexceptional at the end of the last published work.

Through this, Morris becomes so attached to the outcome and so angry over the apparent "sell out" of Jimmy Gold, and being the sociopath that he is, takes it too far in what he did to Rothstein.

But what I like is how Rothstein continues the arc in the unpublished work in his handwritten journals that never get published, hinting that there can in fact be a second "Golden Age" in our lives. That we still can be extraordinary.

One funny part is the scene where Catch-22 get's a bullet through it, and Hodges looks at it and says "That's got to hurt the resale price."

As readers and collectors, I feel we can relate to so much of this story. How we can become so emotionally attached to characters in novels, mostly because of how well we can relate to them and their circumstances, and what might be going on in our lives at the time.

I was a little bumbed about the fate of the notebooks, but I guess Pete gets to retell what he read through his story in The New Yorker.

I predicted the end where it circles back to Hartsfield in the hospital, and we can see how this sets up the 3rd book nicely.

Lots to be said about this book, but those are some thoughts. Great book!

[stroppygoblin]

The end is an interesting twist as both Mr Mercedes and FK were very much in the 'Crime Novel' genre and contained nothing supernatural. It seems in book 3, SK is on more familiar territory.

[zelig]

Yes that's a good point. I think the 3rd book will still fit in the crime novel genre though, but with the supernatural element as well.

[jhanic]

I'll be a bit surprised if book 3 (The Suicide Prince) will have anything supernatural in it.

John

[WeDealInLead]

I was the first person through the doors at the Chapters and twenty-four hours later, I've finished the book. It went down real smooth. I like it much more than Mister Mercedes.

I won't repeat everything Zelig has written as he's right on the money. I do have one complaint -- though it's more of an observation -- Hodges once again doesn't seem to be solving the case so much as it's coincidentally falling into his lap.

Overall, it's a solid 4/5. I liked it more than Doctor Sleep, Mister Mercedes and Revival. It can go toe to toe with Joyland and 11/22/63 any time. IMO, of course. I would've absolutely loved it if I were in my teens. In a way, it's an R rated adventure book, or The Goonies on 'roids.

[Ben Mears]

Yes that's a good point. I think the 3rd book will still fit in the crime novel genre though, but with the supernatural element as well.

I will be disappointed if SK resorts to including a supernatural element to the third book although it certainly appears that way based upon the final paragraph of FK.

[Kingfan24]

Was a small portion of this based upon the events of that guy who brok into kings house looking for stuff?

[cowboy_ed]

interesting how pete manages to speed-dial his sister mere seconds after turning his phone off

was a nice little story, but it relies a little bit too much of coincidences and stuff working itself out instead of actual detective work. hodges and co. arent really involved here, they just sort of turn up as it resolves itself.

[Ben Mears]

interesting how pete manages to speed-dial his sister mere seconds after turning his phone off

was a nice little story, but it relies a little bit too much of coincidences and stuff working itself out instead of actual detective work. hodges and co. arent really involved here, they just sort of turn up as it resolves itself.

Agree. It seems like the only reason Bill Hodges and his crew were involved was to set up the third book. I would have preferred that they had been left out of FK and just had it be a tangential story to MM. The Bill Hodges/Brady Hartfield set up could have been handled with a prologue in the final book.

[jhanic]

I don't know--I DID enjoy the "maturation" of Holly and Jerome in FK.

John

[Merlin1958]

You forgot to mention this, Paul. LOL

Spoiler:

[jhanic]

I finished my reread of Finders Keepers this morning and I still liked Mr. Mercedes more. Mr. Mercedes has a tension and suspense that I did not find in Finders Keepers. Not that it's bad (by no means) but I just enjoyed Mr. Mercedes more. I did, however, really like the ending of Finders Keepers--it hints at what may be coming in the third book. I can't wait!

John

[Cordial Jim]

300 pages in and absolutely LOVING this book! A book collectors dream Stephen King book! I love the fact that he dedicated this book to John D. MacDonald and worked in yet another reference to my man Travis McGee. I was absolutely floored that he mentioned The Executioners in that pivotal scene involving Morris and Andrew. That was some kind of awesome! Here's the book for those who havn't seen it.

[killjoy72]

Great looking book, Jim!

I finished my reread of Finders Keepers this morning and I still liked Mr. Mercedes more. Mr. Mercedes has a tension and suspense that I did not find in Finders Keepers. Not that it's bad (by no means) but I just enjoyed Mr. Mercedes more. I did, however, really like the ending of Finders Keepers--it hints at what may be coming in the third book. I can't wait!

John

I agree with ya, John. I think liked MM just a tad bit more, and was a little surprised with how little Hodges and company are actually in this one. Their inclusion almost felt more like the typical nod to the Kingverse rather than a sequel to Mr.Mercedes. Like calling Cujo a sequel to The Dead Zone, or Needful Things a sequel to The Dark Half.
I was actually disappointed with that supernatural bit at the end. Doesn't fit with the feel of the other two books in this series at all, and came off a bit pandering. Still, overall it was a great, fast paced read, with a lot of it's themes hitting close to home for a lot of us I'm sure.

[Ben Mears]

Overall an entertaining read. Minor things I didn't care for: Tyrone Feelgood, "HollyBerry", and another round-up picnic. Not happy with the apparent supernatural element that was introduced with Brady Hartfield for the final book. Based on its original title I'm guessing that Hartfield, by way the damage inflicted by Holly and the Happy Slapper, will have some type of psychic ability to induce people who wrong him to commit suicide or have major accidents. It will lead to some type of final confrontation between he and Hodges that concludes the End Of Watch.

[Ricky]

Finished it today. I enjoyed it, but liked Mr. Mercedes much more. I also thought MM was more suspenseful and an overall more fun, exciting, summer read. Unlike Mr. Mercedes, I didn't really have any problems setting Finders Keepers down.

Liked the new characters and their development, but I also wish Hodges and Co. had played a more prominent role (and given more space in the novel). In a lot of ways it seemed like two novels spliced together: Pete and Morris; and Hodges & Co. You could almost take out the Hodges portions and City Center/Brady references and have a completely unrelated novel to the MM trilogy.

I'm wondering if End of Watch might revolve around

Spoiler:

the investigation/backstory into the nurse that killed herself in Brady's ward.

[zelig]

It's interesting how some of you preferred MM. I much preferred FK. But you do make interesting points. It's funny but whenever I think back to the book I seem to automatically focus on the stories in the Rothstein notebooks which we never get to see. I'm not sure if you'd call that a sub-plot but to me, the whole concept of these missing novels and the continuation of the Jimmy Gold story arc, was just as interesting to me as the rest of the story.

[Merlin1958]

It's interesting how some of you preferred MM. I much preferred FK. But you do make interesting points. It's funny but whenever I think back to the book I seem to automatically focus on the stories in the Rothstein notebooks which we never get to see. I'm not sure if you'd call that a sub-plot but to me, the whole concept of these missing novels and the continuation of the Jimmy Gold story arc, was just as interesting to me as the rest of the story.

I agree with you, Paul. Both are fine books, but I prefer FK's. JMHO

[mtdman]

I liked FK much more than Mr Mercedes. Part of the reason is that Hodges and his trio are not the focus of the story. I liked the Morris and Pete characters and those 2 story lines. This could have been a stand alone book without the Hodges Trio in it at all. I honestly don't like those 3 characters, and they are cliche and boring, imo. This is a much better novel than MM, but overall below the best stuff King has written. One par with Joyland, but below his early stuff. I still think that 11/22/63 is the best book he's written in the last 10 years.

I have one question. What about the half dozen notebooks Pete kept out of the pile in order to sell to Andrew? The ones he hid behind the baseboards in his room?

Also, is it weird that I have rooted for the villain in both these books? I was really pulling for Morris and hated that they burned the notebooks.

[Girlystevedave]

I've just started the book, so I'm scrolling right past all the spoilers, but..
I really think I'm enjoying this more than Mr. Mercedes.

[Dan]

I have one question. What about the half dozen notebooks Pete kept out of the pile in order to sell to Andrew? The ones he hid behind the baseboards in his room?

Good question. It's now been nearly a month since I finished the book but didn't he take these and pack them away with the others when he hid the stash? If not, great catch.

[mtdman]

I have one question. What about the half dozen notebooks Pete kept out of the pile in order to sell to Andrew? The ones he hid behind the baseboards in his room?

Good question. It's now been nearly a month since I finished the book but didn't he take these and pack them away with the others when he hid the stash? If not, great catch.

IIRC he kept a half dozen out to sell to Andrew when he went to the book store on Monday. They were never mentioned after, and it didn't mention him grabbing those before heading to the rec center for the final confrontation. I kept waiting for that reveal and that the kid got to sell them and make the $$ for college and the school for his sister.

[webstar1000]

Just finished the book. I liked it a lot. I really love all of Kings work but I preferred Finders more. I think Paul is bang on in what he said. I have to be honest though... I think Revival was better than both of them. I really enjoyed that book... A lot. Cannot wait to see what Happens in the last book of this series

[CyberGhostface]

Wasn't crazy about 'Mercedes' but I enjoyed this one. Still it's a rather quick read and tbh I don't think I'll be thinking about it much unlike the end of 'Revival' which haunted for me days afterwards...

Hodges isn't my favorite protagonist and I'm not crazy about Jerome and Holly either so I was a bit happy that a most of the book revolved around Pete and Morris instead.

[Bev Vincent]

Listening to the book on audio as a re-read. Realized that the terms of Rothstein's will were realized, in the long run!