Later by Stephen King

Synopsis : The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine – as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave.

Review : I may have watched plenty of adaptations of Stephen King’s novels on TV or in the cinema, but it never occurred to me to read one of his books. Probably because most of the time, I was quite satisfied with these film adaptations, so I didn’t really feel the need to read them. So it was high time for me to correct this mistake. And as a first read to enter the vast universe of the master of horror, I stumbled upon this relatively short novel, ‘Later’ and I thought it could be a good starting point.

In this book, we follow Jamie Conklin, the young narrator of this story. And as is often the case with Stephen King’s stories, Jamie is not an ordinary child in the sense that he has a rather strange gift : he sees and hears the dead before they disappear.

From the first chapters, Jamie tells us, not without a touch of humor, about his childhood. Thus, the first third of the book reviews his childhood, adolescence, the relationships he has with his mother and Liz (the female cop), as well as his ability to see the dead. The main character of this story being very young, the tone is light and quite enjoyable to read despite the frequent use of strong language. Actually the author takes turns putting himself in the shoes of a little boy who becomes a teenager and then a young adult, all while adopting a first-person writing style in tune with his narrator and his different ages.

This also allows him to approach with a bit more lightness important and quite serious events that occurred in the 2000s, notably the subprime crisis and the Great Recession of 2008.

At first, it was quite interesting and this little boy is funny and very endearing. However, after about a hundred pages, it starts to feel a bit long. It’s dragging. Honestly, not much happens even though this story is supposed to be a horror story (as Jamie himself claims). The novel is less than 350 pages long (French edition), so inevitably, you begin to wonder when you’ll get some action. In the end, things don’t really get serious until Chapter 20.

As for me, the magic didn’t work and I didn’t really get hooked by this book. Perhaps not enough horror for my taste. I expected to read something that would give me a bit of a chill, but that was not the case here. Moreover, I would have liked to know more about the mysterious ‘dead light,’ but the novel does not provide any answers on this matter. On the other hand, I was surprised by the revelation thrown at us at the end of the book concerning the narrator; I admit I didn’t see that coming.

In conclusion, if you want to immerse yourself into Stephen King’s fascinating and anxiety-inducing universe, if you are looking for a good horror story or a thrill ride, then this book is not the best choice. However, it was a fairly entertaining read that helped pass the time.

Après de Stephen King

Résumé : Jamie n’est pas un enfant comme les autres : il a le pouvoir de parler avec les morts. Mais si ce don extraordinaire n’a pas de prix, il peut lui coûter cher. C’est ce que Jamie va découvrir lorsqu’une inspectrice de la police de New York lui demande son aide pour traquer un tueur qui menace de frapper… depuis sa tombe.
Obsédant et émouvant, ce nouveau roman de Stephen King nous parle d’innocence perdue et des combats qu’il faut mener pour résister au mal.

L’auteur se met à hauteur de petit bonhomme avec une aisance bluffante, pour chroniquer un apprentissage. Sabrina Champenois, Libération.

Stephen King au top de sa forme. Clementin Goldszal, Elle.

Une écriture toujours élégante. Dense et accrocheur. Michel Valentin, Le Parisien.

Traduit de l’anglais (États-Unis) par Marina Boraso.

Avis : J’ai beau avoir vu plein d’adaptations des romans de Stephen King à la télé ou au cinéma, jamais il ne m’est venu à l’esprit de lire un de ses livres. Probablement parce que la plupart du temps, j’étais assez satisfaite de ces adaptations cinématographiques, si bien que du coup je ne ressentais pas vraiment le besoin de les lire. Il était donc grand temps que je rectifie cette erreur. Et comme première lecture pour débuter dans le vaste univers du maître de l’épouvante, je suis tombée sur ce roman assez court, Après. Je me suis dit qu’il pourrait être un bon point de départ.

Dans ce livre, on suit Jamie Conklin, le jeune narrateur de cette histoire. Et comme c’est souvent le cas avec les histoires de Stephen King, Jamie n’est pas un enfant comme les autres en ce sens qu’il possède un don bien étrange : il voit et entend les morts avant qu’ils ne disparaissent.

Dès les premiers chapitres, Jamie nous raconte, non sans une note d’humour, sa jeunesse. Ainsi le premier tiers du livre passe en revue son enfance, son adolescence, les rapports qu’il entretient avec sa mère et Liz (la policière), ainsi que sa capacité à voir les morts. Le personnage principal de cette histoire étant très jeune, le ton est léger et assez agréable à lire malgré les gros mots fréquemment utilisés. Il faut dire que Stephen King se met tour à tour dans la peau d’un petit garçon devenu adolescent puis jeune adulte, le tout en adoptant un style d’écriture à la première personne, en phase avec son narrateur et ses différents âges.

Cela lui permet également d’aborder avec un peu plus de légèreté des sujets importants, des évènements assez graves survenus dans les années 2000, notamment la crise des subprimes et la Grande Récession de 2008.

Au début c’était assez intéressant et ce petit garçon est drôle et très attachant. Cependant, au bout d’une centaine de pages, on commence tout de même à trouver le temps long. Honnêtement il ne se passe pas grand-chose alors que cette histoire est supposée (et c’est Jamie lui-même qui l’affirme) être une histoire d’épouvante. Or le roman comporte moins de 350 pages et on finit donc immanquablement par se demander quand est-ce qu’on aura droit à un peu d’action. Finalement, les choses sérieuses ne commencent vraiment qu’à partir du chapitre 20, soit page 122.

En ce qui me concerne, la magie n’a pas vraiment opéré, je n’ai que moyennement accroché. Pas assez d’épouvante à mon goût sans doute. Je m’attendais à lire quelque chose qui me donne un peu de frissons mais ça n’a pas été du tout le cas ici. Qui plus est j’aurais bien aimé en savoir un peu plus sur la mystérieuse “lumière morte” mais le roman ne nous apporte aucune réponse à ce sujet. En revanche j’ai été surprise par la révélation qui nous est balancée en fin de livre et qui concerne le narrateur, j’avoue que je ne m’y attendais pas.

En conclusion, si vous voulez plonger dans l’univers fascinant et anxiogène de Stephen King, si vous êtes à la recherche d’une bonne histoire d’horreur, ou de sensations fortes, alors, ce livre n’est pas le meilleur des choix. Cependant c’était une lecture assez divertissante qui m’a permis de faire passer le temps.

 

Finders Keepers by Stephen King

Bill Hodges Trilogy, Book 2

Synopsis: The genius is John Rothstein, an iconic author who created a famous character, Jimmy Gold, but who hasn’t published a book for decades. Morris Bellamy is livid, not just because Rothstein has stopped providing books, but because the nonconformist Jimmy Gold has sold out for a career in advertising. Morris kills Rothstein and empties his safe of cash, yes, but the real treasure is a trove of notebooks containing at least one more Gold novel.

Morris hides the money and the notebooks, and then he is locked away for another crime. Decades later, a boy named Pete Saubers finds the treasure, and now it is Pete and his family that Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson must rescue from the ever-more deranged and vengeful Morris when he’s released from prison after thirty-five years.

Review: Stephen King’s new book tells the story of a young boy Peter Saubers who accidentally discovers a trunk filled with money but mostly notebooks containing the notes of an author who died several years earlier, John Rothstein. Where do these black notebooks come from and why were they buried near his house? We discover it little by little by learning the details of Morris Bellamy’s life, an obsessive fan of the author, who killed him for several reasons. The main reason is that Morris was disappointed with the storyline described for Jimmy Gold, Morris’s absolute hero. He wants to take revenge and to know the future of his hero, since Rothstein has decided to retire and not to offer his books.

This new book offers both an interesting thriller and a vision pushed to the extreme of the notion of fan (or obsessional fan). The two heroes (Pete and Morris) of this book are a little alike but will not make the same choices and one of them will resist and survive. It should also be noted that this book is the sequel of Mr Mercedes since we find some characters from the previous story and that the chronology of Black Carnets happens after the one of Mr Mercedes. However, this book can be read independently.

I had a good time with this book, but nothing happen much in 600 pages. For me, not one of the best of Stephen King, although the author may be more concentrated on the psychological aspect of the obsessive fan who can kill for books for a story that does not please him. The book is interesting on this aspect and gives an overview of the descriptive power of the author to feel the sensations and atmosphere: we are clearly caught in the story. A little more action would have pleased me though.

Balthier

 

Carnets noirs de Stephen King

Bill Hodges Trilogy, Tome 2

Résumé : En prenant sa retraite, John Rothstein a plongé dans le désespoir les millions de lecteurs des aventures de Jimmy Gold. Rendu fou de rage par la disparition de son héros favori, Morris Bellamy assassine le vieil écrivain pour s’emparer de sa fortune, mais surtout, de ses précieux carnets de notes. Le bonheur dans le crime ? C’est compter sans les mauvais tours du destin… et la perspicacité du détective Bill Hodges.

Après Misery, King renoue avec un de ses thèmes de prédilection : l’obsession d’un fan. Dans ce formidable roman noir où l’on retrouve les protagonistes de Mr. Mercedes (prix Edgar 2015), il rend un superbe hommage au pouvoir de la fiction, capable de susciter chez le lecteur le meilleur… ou le pire.

Avis : Le nouveau livre de Stephen King raconte l’histoire d’un jeune garçon Peter Saubers qui découvre par hasard une malle remplie d’argent mais surtout de carnets contenant les notes d’un auteur mort plusieurs années auparavant, John Rothstein. D’où viennent ces carnets noirs et pourquoi ont-ils été enterrés proches de sa maison ? On le découvre petit à petit en apprenant les détails de la vie de Morris Bellamy, un fan obsessionnel de l’auteur, qui l’a tué pour plusieurs raisons. La principale raison reste que Morris était déçu de la tournure de l’histoire décrite pour Jimmy Gold, le héros absolu de Morris. Il souhaite donc se venger et surtout savoir quel est le futur de son héros, puisque Rothstein a décidé de prendre sa retraite et de ne plus proposer ses livres.

Ce nouveau livre propose à la fois un thriller intéressant et une vision poussée à l’extrême de la notion de fan (voire de fan obsessionnel).  Les deux héros (Pete et Morris) de ce livre se ressemblent un peu mais ne feront pas les mêmes choix et l’un des deux résistera et survivra. Il est également à noter que ce livre est la suite de Mr Mercedes puisque l’on retrouve certains personnages de l’histoire précédente et que la chronologie des Carnets Noirs se passe après celle de Mr Mercedes. Toutefois ce livre-là peut se lire indépendamment.

J’ai passé un bon moment avec ce livre, mais il ne se passe pas grand-chose en 600 pages. Pour moi, pas un des meilleurs de Stephen King, même si l’auteur s’attarde peut-être plus sur l’aspect psychologique du fan obsessionnel capable de tuer pour des livres et pour une histoire qui ne lui plait pas. Le livre est intéressant sur cet aspect et donne un aperçu du pouvoir descriptif de l’auteur pour faire ressentir les sensations et l’ambiance : on est clairement happé par l’histoire. Un peu plus d’action m’aurait comblé.

Balthier

 

Revival by Stephen King

Synopsis: A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.

In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs — including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family’s horrific loss. In his mid-thirties — addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate — Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It’s a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe

Review: Stephen King’s book “Revival” is a horror novel that tells the life of Jamie Morton from his childhood in the 1960s up to his old age.

At the age of 6, he met Charles Jacobs, a Methodist pastor who had recently arrived in the small town of Harlow, with a rather atypical fascination by electricity and its power. Thanks to his studies on the potential of electricity, Jacobs succeeds in curing Connie, Jamie’s brother, of a tearing of the vocal cords. This is the beginning of a strong link between the two characters.

However, a personal drama (the death of his wife and son) will lead the pastor to lose faith and he will devote himself entirely to the study of secret electricity, initially to heal people but gradually this quest will lead the two characters at the gates of death to understand what happens after death. The dream of controlling life and death through a secret source of energy described in forbidden books ….

Stephen King still perfectly describes the scenes and it feels like we see the action going on with all the details. The only downside for me is that the story finally takes a long time to set up and the surnatural “horror” part only appears in the last 50 pages (on around 540). It is kind of a shame. The suspense also appears only in these last pages, even if one always wonders what Jacobs seeks and finds. It’s a quest for the grail to understand what happens after death and potentially also know how to resuscitate his family (his wife and son).

The other interest of the book is the evolution of the main character through the ages (which is quite nice) from the 60s to the present day, as well as the link between Jamie and Jacobs. Jamie is thankful to Jacobs for curing various people he is attached to, but he is aware that Jacobs is going too far in his quest to the detriment of the people he uses as guinea pigs.

A good book in the end (it’s the King anyway!!), although this is not the best I have read. With winks of which the most obvious is that of Mary Fay Shelley in direct connection with Frankenstein and the awakening of the dead by lightning …

3-5

Balthier

 

Revival de Stephen King

Résumé : Il a suffi de quelques jours au charismatique reverend Charles Jacobs pour ensorceler les habitants de Harlow, dans le Maine. Et plus que tout autre, le petit Jamie. Car l’homme et l’enfant ont une passion commune: l’electricite.

Trente ans plus tard, Jamie est un guitariste de rock ronge par l’alcool et la drogue. Il va croiser a nouveau le chemin de Jacobs, et decouvrir que le mot – renaissance – peut avoir plus d un sens.

Addiction, fanatisme, experimentations scientifiques… Un roman electrique sur ce qui se cache de l’autre cote du miroir. Hommage a Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne et Lovecraft, un King d’anthologie.

Avis : Le livre de Stephen King « Revival » est un roman d’horreur qui raconte la vie de Jamie Morton de son enfance dans les années 1960 à sa vieillesse de nos jours.

A l’âge de 6 ans, il fait la rencontre de Charles Jacobs, un pasteur méthodiste nouvellement arrivé dans la petite ville de Harlow,  plutôt atypique et fasciné par l’électricité et ses pouvoirs. Grâce à ses études sur le potentiel de l’électricité, Jacobs réussit à guérir Connie, le frère de Jamie, d’une déchirure des cordes vocales. C’est le début d’un lien fort entre les deux personnages.

Toutefois un drame personnel (la mort de sa femme et son fils) vont conduire le pasteur à perdre la foi et se consacrer entièrement à l’étude de l’électricité secrète, initialement pour guérir les gens mais petit à petit cette quête conduira les deux personnages aux portes de la mort et à la compréhension de ce qui se passe après la mort. Le rêve de commander la vie et la mort grâce à une source d’énergie secrète décrite dans des livres interdits….

Stephen King décrit toujours parfaitement les scènes et on a l’impression de voir l’action se passer tellement les détails sont nombreux. Le seul bémol pour ma part est que l’histoire met finalement beaucoup de temps à se mettre en place et l’ « horreur » n’apparait que dans les 50 dernières pages (sur 540 environ). C’est un peu dommage. Le suspense n’apparait également que dans ces dernières pages, même si on se demande toujours ce que cherche et va trouver Jacobs. La quête du graal pour comprendre ce qui se passe après la mort et potentiellement aussi comment rendre la vie aux personnes disparues (sa femme et son fils).

L’autre intérêt du livre porte sur l’évolution du personnage principal à travers les époques (ce qui est assez sympa) des années 60 à nos jours, ainsi que le lien qui lie Jamie et Jacobs. Jamie est reconnaissant à Jacobs pour avoir guéri différentes personnes auxquelles il est attaché, mais c’est lui qui est conscient que, finalement, Jacobs va trop loin dans sa quête au détriment des personnes qu’il utilise comme cobayes.

Un bon livre au final (c’est du King quand même !!), même si  ce n’est pas le meilleur que j’ai lu. Avec des clins d’œil dont le plus évident est celui de Mary Fay Shelley en lien direct avec Frankenstein et le réveil des morts par la foudre

3-5

Balthier

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Bill Hodges Trilogy, Book 1

Synopsis: In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again.

Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.

Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

Review: It’s been years since that I have not read a Stephen King novel and I admit that this is the first time I read one of his novels without any trace of fantastic elements (or at least from what I remember). I was very curious to rediscover this book, especially because I heard great things about his latest novels. Sp here I am with Mr. Mercedes.

We begin the story with a terrible murder where the persons where crashed by a car. Alas the killer was never found. The officer in charge of the case is now retired and thought it all behind him, until he receives a letter from the killer, taunting him and trying to enrage him. Yet Bill Hodges will not indulge in that game, and although he doesn’t go to the see the police, he is determined to understand what happened and to find that this killer who disappeared. But nothing will be easy and the culprit is on the alert, ready for anything to make the cop pay as he does not follow the rules.

I confess that I was completely carried away by the story. I was not sure what to expect but Stephen King has really mastered his story. Indeed, he takes us into a dark story, full of twists and he surprises us constantly. Yes, the atmosphere is unhealthy and the author is not afraid to use difficult topics, but it’s also what keeps us curious along the chapters. Brady, the killer is a complicated character and we will learn to discover him little by little. We try to understand his motivations, to see how he will act, but it is difficult to understand someone who is crazy like that. And we also have Hodges … It’s quite sad to see what retirement did to him but he eventually acquires a taste for things now that he has a new goal. Thus he will meet a wonderful woman, will help another ill person and will enroll many more persons in this story despite what he wanted to. But this investigation is not easy and our policeman will have to go through many difficult events to get a track. What about Janey, Jerome or Holly, the secondary characters who assist our hero? I confess that they’re all well done. It’s quite surprising to discover so many interesting characters, especially when they are not major. But yes, they all bring a special touch to the story.

Now you understand my enthusiasm for this new story. We’re taking away, abused and we hope throughout the story and I must say that it was a very good and captive investigation. I recommend it!

4

mellianefini