I’ve been reading Stephen King books since I was about 12–my brother had a collection of his paperbacks that I would borrow and read and re-read. I think Different Seasons may have been my first, but I have read about 90% of Stephen King’s 63 books,and I am now preternaturally afraid of clowns, Plymouth Furys, and St. Bernards. When I discovered a new King book would be published (so soon after Mr. Mercedes) I was thrilled–and even more thrilled that it would be a return to old-fashioned horror-inducing scary-type King, rather than the hard-boiled detective approach of Mr. Mercedes and Joyland. Not that I didn’t enjoy both of those, but King does spine-tingling scary better than anyone.
Revival pays homage to the foundations of horror. It begins with a Thank You page that looks like this:
I had a feeling there would be allusions to Frankenstein based on the cover and the plot summary, and I was not disappointed. The basic story line is this: Jamie Morton meets Charles Jacobs when Jamie is 6 years old and Jacobs is the new pastor with a wife and young child. They reconnect years later at a carnival (with a brief reference to Joyland) and then, for a third time in Maine. I don’t want to offer any spoilers, but just know this is a classic King piece–where we read about human nature and human suffering. Topics covered include religion, playing in a band, young love, lighting storms, nightmares, and death. Pretty typical for King, but also pretty phenomenal. As I age, I find myself more and more enamored with his observations about life, death, and everything in between.
If you’re a King fan, this is a classic. If you’ve never read him, this is a great book to start with.
Some favorite quotes:
- “People say that where there’s life, there’s hope, and I have no quarrel with that, but I also believe the reverse. There is hope, therefore I live.”
- “Home is where they want you to stay longer.”
- “The fundamental difference between the sexes is this: men make assumptions, but women rarely do.”
- “Frightened people live in their own special hell. You could say they make it themselves, but they can’t help it. It’s the way they’re built. They deserve sympathy and compassion.”
- “Everyone needs a hobby,” he said. “And everyone needs a miracle or two, just to prove life is more than just one long trudge from the cradle to the grave.”
Today’s post is by Kate, VP of Secondary for PCTELA
Have a review you’d like to share? Send Kate an email kap17 @ scasd.org
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