Lisey’s Story

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Author: Stephen King

Genre: Horror, Mystery

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:

Lisey Landon is the widow of Scott Landon, a popular and prolific fiction writer. The story begins two years after Scott’s death, as Lisey begins the painful process of cleaning out Scott’s home office, and confronts memories that are both poignant and frightening. She also faces family challenges, including a sister who suffers from mental illness and is taking a turn for the worse, and harassment from memorabilia collectors who want access to Scott’s notes and personal effects.

Early on, we are introduced to Scott and Lisey’s “interior language of marriage,” which includes unique new words such as “bool.” A bool is a gift, a prize, or a prank. As boys, Scott and his older brother, Paul, had a game called “Hunting the Bool,” or simply “Bool Hunt.” Paul would hide a candy bar or soda, and place a series of clues which Scott was to follow to the bool.

As Lisey sorts through Scott’s things, she finds that he has left a bool hunt for her. The clues involve finding things he has left in strategic locations, and reliving old memories, many of which she had forgotten or repressed. Among these memories are Scott’s explanations of the mental illness that runs in his family, his abusive father, and a mysterious other world that he visited from time to time for healing and story ideas, but which ultimately destroyed him.

Lisey’s Story is an intimate look at a close and loving marriage, with all its imperfections, and the grieving process of a widowed partner. It is also a story about family members taking care of each other in times of need. As with most of King’s books, the characters are realistic, multifaceted, and easy to relate to.

My Thoughts:

I don’t usually like horror stories, and since Stephen King is known for writing them, I avoided his books for a long time. Eventually, someone recommended one of them to me, and I discovered that calling King’s books “horror novels” does not do them justice. They are primarily about the humanity of the characters; about flawed or damaged human beings transcending their weaknesses and rising to the challenges that face them.

Lisey’s Story is the latest of many Stephen King novels I have read. At first glance, it didn’t appear to be the kind of book I like. I selected it because of good experiences with King’s other books such as Hearts in Atlantis and the Dark Tower/Gunslinger series.

I am glad I read it. I feel that my life is a little bit richer as a result.

Potentially Offensive Content:

Profanity, violence, blood, sexual content, torture of adults and children, disturbing images.

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