Please tell me something happens in this book that will make the god awful prose style worth reading! 40 pages in and I'm ready to toss the damn thing into
the fireplace a set a match to it. I'm not a big fan of present tense to begin with, but this "we..." style is tortuous. I feel like I'm
trying to read a book while someone is talking to me and I'm only absorbing half of what I read. There's some fine imagery, especially when
"we" find Irma Freneau's body, but just as the style starts to dissolve, King and Straub barge in an "up we go again" for another 10
page flight through the town. Tell me this book is worth it.
Black House - King/Straub
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 Shadowtron |
Black House - King/Straub |
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Posts: 674 (06/02/08 18:33:11) Master Shockliner |
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JimPI |
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Posts: 1414 (06/02/08 18:39:21) Shocklineraholic |
I liked it as much, if not more, than Talisman.
And Talisman is one of my favorite King books.
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Son, the First Amendment protects you from the government, not from me. You can say whatever you want to out there. You come within reach of me, I'll exercise my right to give you a good ol' country ass whoopin'. --Trace Adkins, "Fightin' Words" |
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Shadowtron |
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Posts: 675 (06/02/08 18:50:34) Master Shockliner |
What did it for ya, Jim (without giving too much of the story away)?
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nkalanta |
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Posts: 12525 (06/02/08 18:52:48) |
The first 50 or so pages are difficult to get through - stick with it and it will be worth your time and effort.
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Shadowtron |
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Posts: 676 (06/02/08 18:55:21) Master Shockliner |
Yeah, I'm gonna soldier on.
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JimPI |
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Posts: 1415 (06/02/08 19:24:37) Shocklineraholic |
What did it for ya, Jim (without giving too much of the story away)? I just really liked the characterization of Jack as an adult. Plus, there's a character that plays a big role in the story that I just loved.
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Son, the First Amendment protects you from the government, not from me. You can say whatever you want to out there. You come within reach of me, I'll exercise my right to give you a good ol' country ass whoopin'. --Trace Adkins, "Fightin' Words" |
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LolLife84 |
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Posts: 1 (06/02/08 21:24:40) |
You Have to Read This Book - Black House (Paperback) I had started to lose my
faith in King's writing abilities of late (think Insomnia, Bag of Bones, and Hearts in Atlantis), as his books tended to be more of a snooze-fest than a
page-turning white-knuckle read. That has changed with Black House, an adventure that is a sequel to the Talisman, makes reference to the Gunslinger
series' characters, and is just an enjoyable read from start to finish. This is one book you'll be staying up past your bedtime to read.
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gfaherty |
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Posts: 3325 (06/03/08 02:36:47) Top-Tier Shockliner Demon |
Hmmm. Insomnia is my favorite King book. Bag of Bones was excellent. Hearts in Atlantis wasn't bad.
Black House? I made it to about page 100, and closed the cover in disgust. It was simply torturous to read, and I was a huge fan of the Talisman. This is the big black 'x' in King's and Straub's otherwise near-spotless careers.
JG Faherty
www.jgfaherty.com 'Everyone has a monster inside.' "Bones," in Cemetery Dance #58 (available now) "The Toll" and "Hybrids" in Wrong World, www.wrongworld.com (available now) "Experimental Subject," in Bits of the Dead "Family First," in Dark Territories |
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nkalanta |
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Posts: 12526 (06/03/08 03:25:21) |
I thought it had literary merit
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Steve Vernon Nova Scotia |
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Posts: 7201 (06/03/08 03:39:48) Top-Tier Shockliner Demon |
I've tried to get into BLACK HOUSE twice and give up around 50-70 pages in - and I loved The Talisman.
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johnlprobert |
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Posts: 42 (06/03/08 03:47:24) |
I read The Talisman & went straight onto (and straight through) Black House & enjoyed it as much
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Lou Sytsma |
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Posts: 749 (06/03/08 03:49:11) Master Shockliner |
Different strokes for different folks. I found Black House superior to The Talisman. The danger was more palpable plus the book has some of the best characters
ever in a King or Straub book.
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JudeWright |
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Posts: 18 (06/03/08 04:28:50) Apprentice Shockliner |
Lou Sytsma wrote: Derrida quoting bikers. "Nuff said.
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Cairnwood |
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Posts: 1489 (06/03/08 04:47:43) Veteran Shockliner |
I've been meaning to throw myself back into the Black House for years. It didn't strike my fancy at the time... I've always felt like I was missing
out though, not having finished it.
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Blu Gilliand |
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Posts: 1361 (06/03/08 07:50:39) Shocklineraholic |
Yeah, once you get past that first section, the book gets much, much better.
Blu |
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gfaherty |
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Posts: 3326 (06/03/08 09:21:15) Top-Tier Shockliner Demon |
Good one, Nanci!
JG Faherty
www.jgfaherty.com 'Everyone has a monster inside.' "Bones," in Cemetery Dance #58 (available now) "The Toll" and "Hybrids" in Wrong World, www.wrongworld.com (available now) "Experimental Subject," in Bits of the Dead "Family First," in Dark Territories |
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Shadowtron |
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Posts: 677 (06/03/08 13:25:24) Master Shockliner |
Cairnwood wrote: That is exactly my opinion. Especially with King saying that he and Straub had always intended to write a trilogy (whether that happens is anyone's
guess). I soldiered on and manged another 20 pages since starting the thread. And I'm pleased to say that it has picked up. When we're meeting
characters and what have you, then I get completely lost in the story. The last 20 pages have been far better than the first 40. I have renewed hope and will
continue forward. Wish me luck, hehehe.
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Stephen Bacon |
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Posts: 279 (06/03/08 13:32:02) Shockliner |
It does get better after the opening part of the book.
I enjoyed Black House. I think of it as a horror novel. I thought of The Talisman as a fantasy novel. |
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eldritch00 |
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Posts: 1993 (06/03/08 15:25:31) Shocklineraholic |
I've read neither The Talisman nor Black House, but for some reason,
I'm more inclined towards the latter. I used to wonder if I should just read Black House without reading
The Talisman, but if it's going to be a trilogy, I don't know. Maybe I should wait.
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