I think the entire world must know how much I adored Stephen King's 11.22.63 - I raved about that book for weeks, and still will if people give me half a chance. It's hardly surprising then, that I jumped at the chance to read Joyland when Titan Books offered me a copy to review. It's released on June 7th over here in the UK, so pick up a copy if you're looking for a great crime novel with a creepy twist.
Plot summary: College student Devin Jones took the summer job at Joyland hoping to forget the girl who broke his heart. But he wound up facing something far more terrible: the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and dark truths about life - and what comes after - that would change his life forever.
A riveting story about love and loss, about growing up and growing old - and about those who don't get to do either because death comes for them before their time - JOYLAND is Stephen King at the peak of his storytelling powers.
While I've only read two of Stephen King's books previously (I'm not sure if this makes me more qualified to review this one, or less), I'm obviously aware of his reputation for horror and general creepiness. 11.22.63 certainly fits within this description, amazing though it was. Joyland, however, is definitely more of a crime book, although perhaps I should have gathered that earlier from the silhouette of a gun on the spine and the word 'CRIME' in big letters. Hey ho.
This isn't a criticism; far from it. I like a good crime story as much as the next person. I'm just stating that I have almost no idea if this is new territory for Stephen King or not. There are occasional references to ghosts and psychic powers, but these are secondary to the basic whodunnit.
The tone and style are just as perfect as 11.22.63. It has an almost semi-formal style - not chatty or colloquial, and yet wonderfully accessible. I was completely engrossed in the prose, despite not really finding the plot anything special. The author has a gift for atmosphere and description, possibly something to do with the sheer amount of detail. He's clearly gone out of his way to research the carnival world, as evidenced by the casual semi-bibliography at the back. I could easily imagine myself to physically be at Joyland with Devin and Erin.
Speaking of Devin... Stephen King's characters always seem so real somehow. Perhaps it's because this is written in the first person, but Devin Jones may as well have been a living, breathing person to me. I could have done without his recent heartbreak woes (several times I contemplated sliding Joyland to one side and picking up a book on sparkly unicorns instead), but that's more due my own recent self-pitying episodes than a fault in the actual writing. *mopes*
The ending itself wasn't all that great. Due to the general crime theme, I was expecting some shock revelation... and didn't really get one. It was more of an "Oh." moment than an "OH!" one. There was a huge build-up and there was clearly an attempt at a climax, but it fell a little flat for me. I wasn't bothered about who the murderer was really, and when we found out it seemed fairly mundane.
Joyland is worth reading just for the atmosphere and the setting. Stephen King is a supremely talented author (although that's not news to any of us) and his prose is genuinely amazing. However, this does seem to be a little flat - possibly due to the less-than-impressive ending. Do buy this and devour it like I did though, as that's just a minor flaw in a very entertaining (if not particularly surprising) crime novel.
'The Prestige. The Prestige. The Prestige. The Prestige. The Prestige.' This is all anybody coming even vaguely close to me has heard me say for the last four days. Except maybe a snarled instruction to get out of my light. I love this book more than chocolate and Christmas. You know when you've finished a book and you loved it, but now you want to cry because you can never again have the joy of discovering it for the first time? Case in point.
Two 19th century stage illusionists, the aristocratic Rupert Angier and the working-class Alfred Borden, engage in a bitter and deadly feud; the effects are still being felt by their respective families a hundred years later. Working in the gaslight-and-velvet world of Victorian music halls, they prowl edgily in the background of each other's shadowy life, driven to the extremes by a deadly combination of obsessive secrecy and insatiable curiosity. At the heart of the row is an amazing illusion they both perform during their stage acts. The secret of the magic is simple, and the reader is in on it almost from the start, but to the antagonists the real mystery lies deeper. Both have something more to hide than the mere workings of a trick.
The atmosphere in The Prestige is intense. Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier both perform a similar illusion in their stage show, but neither can work out quite how the other magician does so. The necessity of hiding their secrets consumes both illusionists until both will go to any length to expose the other. The book begins with the descendant of Alfred Borden travelling to meet that of Rupert Angier, to get an explanation for a strange presence haunting him. The diaries of the two deceased magicians are brought to the fore and a plot full of misunderstanding, jealousy and daring is unravelled.
It can be quite hard to follow. Both of them write as if to themselves and so make no pains to be comprehensible. It's brilliantly done though - despite being inside the head of the illusionists, certain secrets aren't revealed until the very end. Others are made known to the reader right from the beginning but remain hidden to the enemy. It keeps you guessing throughout; I was absolutely desperate to understand everything. It's easily one of my favourite book conclusions of all time - it's fantastic and unforeseeable.
It's dark, intense and creepy with those eerie traditional Victorian vibes. It's not Young Adult and it's not an easy read but it's worth every single second invested in it. It's not particularly fast-paced or action-packed but the atmosphere and thought processes more than make up for it. Each magician has their own version of an event that frequently contradicts the others, and this is what makes it so clever - only by reading the memoirs of both can you attempt to understand.
It was made into a film in 2006 and I'm desperate to see it. It was directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Hugh Jackman - so even if I didn't fall madly in love with the book I'd still want to watch it. I just can't see how they've pulled it off - it must have been very difficult to adapt. I'll be back to tell you all what it's like, but at the minute I'm too anxious to even watch the trailer!
Reading back through this, I can see how uninformative this review is. Hopefully I'll do better when I've seen the film, but I really struggled to write this. It's impossible to do this book justice without actually reading it for yourself. I just feel like a novel that's better than this one simply cannot exist.
I was sent this book as a RAK by Colleen Mullen but I can't seem to find an e-mail or contact details for her. I haven't thanked her properly, so if anyone knows where to find her, that'd be great :)
First off, there is absolutely no reason not to read this. It's free on a Kindle or whatever eBook reader you use and it's so short I've read leaflets on high blood pressure that were longer than this. Most important though, it's really, really good.
The story is set circa 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, New York, in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a lanky schoolmaster from Connecticut, who competes with Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt, the town rowdy, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, only daughter of a wealthy farmer. As Crane leaves a party at the Van Tassel home on an autumn night, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman, supposedly the ghost of a Hessian trooper who lost his head to a cannonball during the American Revolutionary War.
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| Terrifying. Seriously. | |
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One day I'm going to shock you all and not write this, but hey - the story is nothing like the blurb. My best friend threatened to have that inscribed on my grave once, which was slightly morbid but not entirely unjustified. Anyway, it's more domestic than creepy. A large portion of the book is backstory, as Ichabod's Crane's history, demeanor and desires are described in great detail and then another portion is given over to his flirtation with a farmer's daughter. Finally, the last little bit is the creepy bit, although the Scooby Doo version was scarier. No, really, it scared the bejeezuz out of me when I was about fourteen eight.
Despite that, I did enjoy it. I would preferred a little more Headless Action but it was written in a wonderfully engrossing manner and every leaf and stone is described in amazing detail. I wish the mystery could have been wrapped up a little better, but the Horseman himself was sufficiently creepy.
The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparation of a figure on horseback, without a head. It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War, and who is ever and anon seen by the country folk hurrying along in the gloom of night, as if on the wings of the wind.
A quick read that's definitely worth it, but don't expect to be terrified!
I've wanted to re-read this ever since I first heard the film that's coming out, featuring Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps. I'll post a link to the trailer at the bottom, but it looks amazing. I'm not sure Mr Radcliffe will ever be anything but Harry Potter, but I guess we'll find out in early 2012. In the meantime, Hannah from Once Upon A Time was nice enough to send me a copy of the book after we had a lengthy discussion of the suitability of Mr Radcliffe.
Proud and solitary, Eel Marsh House surveys the windswept reaches of the salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway. Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summonded to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, the house's sole inhabitant, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the shuttered windows. It is not until he glimpses a wasted young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black - and her terrible purpose.
I really, really enjoyed this. I've got a thing for creepy, old-fashioned ghost stories - they're just so much more intense than more modern ones. Ms Hill is particularly skilled at creating atmosphere and describing the terror and anxiety Mr Kipp is feeling. I think that's what makes The Woman in Black so great - you can really feel how frightened Arthur is, and so it forces you to feel the same way.
I suppose it's fairly conventional in a way - residents of the local village that refuse to speak of the House and a small dog that snarls and barks when there's nothing there. But somehow, it's better than that. The ghost herself isn't your usual villain either. She's not evil exactly, just slightly creepy and sinister, but that only adds to the mystery and suspense really.
That said, I only 'liked' this book until the very end. After that, I loved it. I have read it before, but not in a number of years so I'd completely forgotten the ending. Without explaining further, just know it's one of the best endings to a novel I've ever read.
Looking at the trailer, they seem to have changed quite a few bits for the film- I don't really understand the presence of the children and they seem to have added more action. But then, I suppose you can't make a film out of Daniel Radcliffe just stood there looking scared a lot. It looks good though - I can't wait!
