The Talisman / Black House

[Cutter]

The Talisman/Black House set comes from Grant; I believe there's a deal where you can get it with the purchase of an artist's edition of DT 7 that may still be available on the Donald M. Grant website.

Yep, but it's the other way around. Buy the Talisman/Black House Gift Set at $165 and get a free DT VII Artist Edition. there is a different link to see this deal instead of the one posted above.

https://secure.grantbooks.com/z-sk-dt-7.html

I actually bought this deal and it was worth every penny!

[Randall Flagg]

Great info. Thanks. I agree, that price for the gift set AND a DTVII artist edition is a deal.

[Darkthoughts]

Whats the postage to the UK for that deal Nerak? Thought I'd shortcut and ask you here this time

[ZoNeSeeK]

The Talisman has been optioned as a miniseries a while ago, i think. Check out the IMDB entry:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384580/

[Storyslinger]

Very cool, Thanks Zone

[Jon]

I wanted Henry from the Black House to show up in Dt7 sooo badly!

[Darkthoughts]

Henry Leyden is one of my favourite King characters ever!!

[Wuducynn]

I wanted Henry from the Black House to show up in Dt7 sooo badly!

Thats funny, because I felt the same way about Lord Malshun!

[obscurejude]

I have read the Talisman several times over the years. When I was younger, the quest motif made an indelible impression over me and secured my place among other "constant readers." I enjoyed Black House, but found it a little more difficult to get into. I think the story really began to pick up after Jack began to acknowledge his past. Before that point, it was hard to see him as the as the same character from the Talisman. I loved the DT connections in Black House and really hoped that Jack would show up in the final novels, but of course he didn't.

[Wuducynn]

There is a third one supposed to come out sometime within the next ten or fifteen years. I'm looking forward to that a lot.

[obscurejude]

There is a third one supposed to come out sometime within the next ten or fifteen years. I'm looking forward to that a lot.

I read that somewhere too CK. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but yes, I'd love to see a third volume.

[Storyslinger]

Wouldn't we all

[obscurejude]

Yes we would.

[ATG]

The Talisman was one of the most magical reads ever.

[BedOfRoses]

I read Talisman last year and thought it was so good. I just started reading Black House and am loving it so far. I love Henry Leyden, too!

[ZoNeSeeK]

Does anyone know the history behind Straub and King? why they decided to collaborate?

[Matt]

That's a good question, I know that one of the characters in Duma Key mentions Straub as a writer to look at.

Side bar but cool I thought

[Brice]

Does anyone know the history behind Straub and King? why they decided to collaborate?

The idea of writing "The Talisman" first took form when Stephen King moved with his family to London in early 1977. It was there he met Peter and Susan Straub, along with their children, and the two writers became friends, both being fans of each other's work. After a short friendship, King and his family left after only three months back to the United States. Straub and King had talked multiple times before about collaborating to write a book, but nothing ever surfaced until ten years after King moved back, when the Straubs moved to the United States as well. According to King, after Straub moved, "the talk got serious," and they began writing. Their literary friendship did not end after the publication of "The Talisman". In 1999 they began working on a sequal to "The Talisman", dealing with Jack Sawyer as an adult. It was published in 2001, entitled Black House.

[dante]

Ohhhh, I love these two books so much, so forgive me if I get a little gushy for the next few minutes.

It definitely isn't because of the Dark Tower connection. I know that because I read The Gunslinger 10 or so years ago, didn't like it too much at the time, and only just picked it up again about 2 months ago and now love the series (I'm up to Wolves of Calla). I read Black House and The Talisman and loved them so much more at the time.

It isn't the fact that it's a story which spans time, either, as in young Jack and older Jack over the two books. That's because I read them out of order and started with Black House first, as my mum got it for me for a Christmas gift a few years ago. I didn't even know it was a 'part 2' until I properly read the sleeve notes.

In fact, I'm not sure what it is that keeps pulling me back to these books again and again. Especially Black House. I love the intro. I love that lazy flight across French Landing before we meet the first few characters.

Right here and now, as an old friend used to say, we are in the fluid present, where clear-sightedness never guarantees perfect vision. Here: about two hundred feet, the height of a gliding eagle, above Wisconsin's far western edge, where the vagaries of the Mississippi River declare a natural border. Now: an early Friday morning in mid-July a few years into both a new century and a new millennium, their wayward courses so hidden that a blind man has a better chance of seeing what lies ahead than you or I. Right here and now, the hour is just past six a.m., and the sun stands low in the cloudless eastern sky, a fat, confident yellow-white ball advancing as ever for the first time toward the future and leaving in its wake the steadily accumulating past, which darkens as it recedes, making blind men of us all.

How could anyone not love that?

I love the bikers and their adventure out to the Black House, and what it does to them when they try to enter and then leave. I love the talking raven, and Henry Leyden

Spoiler:

especially his demise, and the message he leaves for Jack to find after he's been killed by Burney

I'm not sure what it is in it that touched me and made me love it. I definitely love Black House so much more than The Talisman, even though they're two parts of the same story. It's probably my favourite King book, and having worked out it's connections with the Tower I suppose I'll love it even more now, and will have to re-read once I'm done with the Tower (, I'm not sure I'll ever be done with the Tower now it's captured me, but you know what I mean) so I can pick up on all the character/location connections with fresh eyes.

Actually, thinking about it I'm going to have to get Mr Dante to hide my copy, so I'm not tempted to read it before finishing the Tower series

[mia/susannah]

I very much enjoyed the Talisman, I have not read the Black House. I will purchase this book when I get the chance though. It sounds very interesting

[Girlystevedave]

I felt like I kinda had to force myself to finish Black House...I was left wanting more.

[MonteGss]

I totally love both of these books. I will admit that the first few pages of BH was a little hard for me to get into (i didn't really dig the fly-by of the city) but once Jack was finally re-introduced it picked up the pace and I fell for it. Henry Leyden is such a great damned character. Oh, I'm a big fan of the Twinner concept too.

[Jean]

dante, you are my queen!

of course Black House is the top of the tops! everything you mentioned, and then the astounding concept of slippage, and opopanax, and the glorious Thunder Five, and the ridiculous Wendell Green, and that fantastic moment on the road

Spoiler:

when they tell Mr.Munshun he won't go no further,

and lots more and more.
It's one of the fullest, richest books of my life, I love every word of it.

[alinda]

Dante your words greatly expressed
the feelings I have for this book.
I was so in love with Jack and his
earlier adventures, I was downright
eager to get on with his tale.
I also loved that flying over intro.
Right here, right now.....yeah!
Everything you & Jean mentioned
were wonderful catalists of my
imagination. Saving all the children
really got me too, reminded me of
the children I met in "the system"
when trying to adopt my boys...
A third installment is tops on my
wish list of books I'd like to see
published.

[MonteGss]

A third installment is tops on my
wish list of books I'd like to see
published.

Hell yeah!