Lisey's Story
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Should I stop reading it?
message 51:
by
Michael
(new)
-
rated it 4 stars
Nov 18, 2011 01:22PM
Never stop, ever. And another thing.... I've been using this website for a puny 3 weeks, so the baby ain't grown up yet, but still, do you know how many times I've already read a review that basically said "Wow, glad I persevered"? Of course, I haven't read this yet, and there's a horrible chance that you'll remember the advice of comment number 53 and others and wonder what we'd been taking. Stand by it though - keep reading. When I look at this on my shelf I don't have to hold back a groan and I've read enough King to know there's a fair chance it'll be worth it.
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Michael wrote: "Never stop, ever. And another thing.... I've been using this website for a puny 3 weeks, so the baby ain't grown up yet, but still, do you know how many times I've already read a review that basic..."Well said Michael!
I think I am way overdue for a King. I have had The Talisman on the shelf for quite some time (ever since I had a Book Club binge around a decade ago). I've seen mixed reviews but I as we've discussed, I've got to see for myself.
I gotta agree, it was my least fave King book and I am a massive fan of his. I found it tough to keep reading. I would advise you to stick with it anyway as I can never just stop reading a book halfway through. You will feel happier that you got through it rather than if you left it.http://divaliciouzbookreviews.blogspo...
I listened to the audiobook as well and very much enjoyed it. And I'm definitely not an audiobook type of person, they usually don't hold my interest. I would never recommend finishing a book if you hate it, but since you are undecided, I would say finish it.
I liked it, but I didn't love it the way I do most of King's books. Thankfully, I had bought the Audiobook on this one and didn't have to actually read it. I quickly gave it away to my mother, who thought it was a *meh* story at best.
I wouldn't continue with it. I love Stephen King, but this is definitely one of his weaker books. I would spend the time on something else. 'Needful Things' or 'The Dark Half' are two of my favourite SK novels.
I simply couldn't get through it and finally gave up.
Terri wrote: "OK...I read Lisey's Story. I finished it. I thought it was good--not great by any means. It had some themes in it that I liked. However, if you're REALLY struggling with it? No book is worth t..."Give Tommyknockers another try. It is a good story. I absolutely loved Under the Dome - the ending was great!
Lisey's bored the shit out of me, and i've read pretty much everything else he's written
Well there you have it. I guess nobody should read it! :)
Crazy,......I loved Lisey's Story and Duma Key while Christine, Cujo, and Carrie make me cringeand I liked Rose Madder but it was like Lisey
Okay..I am mad now...everyone complaining about Lisey's Story will get one BAD BOOL and a dose of Captin Trips...hee heewww.cattd.com
I thought this was one of his best !! Keep on (:
I actually really enjoyed this one. It was more emotional than some of his other works.
I loved this book, but it was only the second Stephen King book I'd ever read so I had few expectations. It's not an easy book to read. There are back stories within back stories within back stories. But I found it was well the worth the effort.
Well it's been nearly five months since my last confession here and no one has put me off yet. That includes you Jeremy at message 63, though I respect your view of course - (have you read The Talisman yet by the way? If not, shake it, it's glorious.) Back to the scheduled matter, I am a contrary little bastard in this respect and as you'll see from my message 53 my general view is that giving up is a bit like standing on the precipice and wearing a sign on my back saying "Push me!" I am of course looking forward to reading this, but astute viewers will probably ask why I haven't done so already. Fair point, you've got me there.
Lisey's Story is my favorite SK book! I know I'm in the minority but I read it in 2 days and was so moved and touched by the story. Also, Tommyknockers was the first SK book I read and one of my favorites. I guess I have very different tastes than most people in here. I would say though, if you haven't managed to like it this far in you should probably not bother. Some books may have a slow start but 1/3 in is enough to know if you like it or not.
Wow, how we all see things differently! I loved Lisey's story! One of my favorites.
I'm surprised to hear so many negative reviews re: Lisey's Story. I did a hybrid reading on this...half book, half audio cd so that I could continue the story while on the road. If you are struggling with reading the book, as recommended previously, give the audio book a try. Granted, there were a lot of 'out on limb' elements in this book...but I found it entertaining and strangely 'King'. I don't recall all the details, but I just remember it becoming really intense towards the end.
Me again - see messages 53 and 69 if ya want to, it may help, may not. Now I've read this, and I can actually see why people might get some of the way in and wonder where the hell it's going and why they should take the trip. It's meandering and allusive and often seems to be heading in about 5 directions at once. I'm sticking with my original "never give up" pontificating though, because the book is also human and ultimately finds its bearing, and surely Lisey and Scott would understand. Isn't the book after all a bit of a bool in itself?
I also struggled through this, but by the end I really glad that I did. The last half of the book is very interesting and made it worth the struggle (at least for me).
This was not my favorite Stephen King book, but I found that it started to comfortably fit for me around the same part that you're questioning now. I think part of it was because there were a lot of "breaks" in the narrative which represented Lisey's thoughts, and they always seemed so jarring. They let up after a while and it wasn't so distracting. The story is definitely a fantastical one, and this was Stephen King's most personal book. It's really more of a love story than anything else. If you keep reading, I hope you enjoy it. The Stand, The Shining, those are the books that are legacy for him. If you haven't read 11/22/63, his most recent one, you should. It's unbelievable.
This is a very interesting thread to me because Lisey's Story was the first Stephen King book I ever read and I LOVED it. And then went back to read some of his others and didn't care for them. I think maybe it's just a very different type of book and those who like his other books don't like this one so much. But I loved the love story...you can just feel the loss she feels, the hole Scott's death left in her life. And I loved the relationship with her sisters as well.
Definitely STOP reading this horrible book! I felt like I wanted to stab myself in the eye the entire time. I've read a lot of King's books and feel like this one isn't even the same realm! Waaay too indulgent. Give yourself a break and go read something worth your time!
Nancy wrote: "I actually liked Lisey's Story. I will agree it isn't one of his best and was really different from most of his books. One of my favorites is The Stand. But I love pretty much all of his books."The Stand...far and away his best. Second best was The Talisman.
I gave up reading Lisey's Story about two thirds through because I simply could not force myself to read another word. And I'm a huge SK fan. Usually I can feel something for King's characters, but Lisey I couldn't care less about. I really tried to empathise with her, but in the end I found it not worth the struggle. So there may well be a great resolution to the story, but I cannot be bothered to find out.
The only other SK book I have felt this way about was Gerald's Game, but I finished that one, which says something I guess.
King should have published this under a pseudonym because it seems those who dislike the book are fans of his other work. I liked it, but I am not a fan of supernatural and wished he had just left this entire book as a look at where someone goes in their mind to escape an overwhelming reality, and a look at how much the bond of marriage can bear.
I think Lisey's Story is one of Stephen King's best, bested only by Pet Sematary.
I hated this book so much I gave the new, hard covered edition I just paid $26 for, away to the person sitting next to me on a Phoenix to Boston flight and considered myself lucky I did not have to hold any longer! Life is too short for bad books!
Ed wrote: "I hated this book so much I gave the new, hard covered edition I just paid $26 for, away to the person sitting next to me on a Phoenix to Boston flight and considered myself lucky I did not have to..."I'm a huge Stephen King fan and to be honest I almost put it down. But I waited and waited and waited and about 2/3's of the way through the book . . . POW! I couldn't put it down. Give it another shot!
I liked it a lot. But then I didn't get stuck at the start . . . .
Stephen King's later books are in need of a ruthless editor!!
Robert wrote: "Stephen King's later books are in need of a ruthless editor!!"Good point Robert. I very much liked early Stephen King's "The Stand", "Salem's Lot", "It","Carrie", "Christine","Dolores Clayborne" etc. but the more recent "Duma Key","Lisey's Story", "The Dome","1964" etc. not so much. He has an original voice and imagination and I sincerely hope he gets his mojo back!
There is, for me, a sharp line of demarcation between the books he wrote prior to his accident, and those written after. It, the Stand, and the Talisman are my faves. The Cell just was terrible, in my opinion. It was the first book I read after his accident and I just felt his magic was in a coma, or something. Not to mention several movies with a similar theme were cropping up around the same time. I felt cheated.
Then, Duma Key came out and I was enchanted once again. I felt it just took a while for him to come back from that accident. The Dome was amazing to me.
But, Lisey's Story remains to this day, one of my least favorites.
I hated Lisey's Story...and I am a huge King fan. The story was difficult to read, and Lisey's colloquialism of replacing "fuck" with "smuck" drove me up the wall. There are many of his other books that are much more worth the read.
I enjoy 99% of King's work, and Lisey's Story is no different. I've read it at least 3 times. I know everyone is different, but there are some really poignant, beautiful things here, about family and about being a reader. I think it's worth the effort, not that it was an effort to me.
Anna-Kathrin wrote: "Chuck wrote: "I'm about 1/3 of the way through "Lisey's Story" and finding it extremely tough reading another page - Should I continue? Just can't quite get into it - This is a first for me after r..."KEEP READING! This also is 1 of my favorites
Chuck wrote: "I'm about 1/3 of the way through "Lisey's Story" and finding it extremely tough reading another page - Should I continue? Just can't quite get into it - This is a first for me after reading so many..."Just to satisfy my curiosity did you finish it ..... Personally i loved it.
I really like this book. It was weird and twisted and kind of confusing at times, but I felt the ending was worth the read. You'd have to finish it to find out for yourself, but I liked it.
Gerd wrote: "Hmm, I did stop reading around hundred pages in, makes me wonder if it may be worth a second try after all.Worst of his are probably "Dolores Claiborne" and "Gerald's Game", IMHO.
Actually loved..."
I hated Jerald's Game! Probably one of the only Stephen King books I didn't like.
Terri wrote: "OK...I read Lisey's Story. I finished it. I thought it was good--not great by any means. It had some themes in it that I liked. However, if you're REALLY struggling with it? No book is worth t..."Totally agree. I really didn't like the Regulators. It was really, really bad.
Dawn wrote: "I agree. Once I begin a book, I usually have to see it through to the end & finish it (unless it's mind-numbingly boring & unbearable), and while I'll read reviews & listen to opinions, I have to ..."From a Buick 8 is one of my guilty pleasures. It's the one I pick up when I just want a good, quick read that leaves me satisfied.
I am a huge King fan, I have all of his books and have read them all multiple times. Except for three. Gerald's Game I have only ever read once, when I was 14 and I hated it. And it wasn't my age. I had read things far more disturbing around that time (like The Fog). The second was From a Buick 8. I had to force myself through that one. The story itself was good, but really it should have been a short story. It was just way too drawn out. And then finally Lisey's Story. I got an autographed copy at a reading from the man himself right when it came out and the first thing I did when I got home that night was begin reading it. (My extra, unsigned copy of course.) And I couldn't even get past the fourth chapter. It was just so incredibly boring. And the worst part was he had insulted Rose Madder (which I absolutely loved) by saying he had always been disappointed in that book and he felt that Lisey's Story would make up for it. I wholeheartedly disagree. I am never usually one to not finish a book, but this is one time when I just can't face it. I have loved everything that's come out afterwards (and before - except for the two previously mentioned), but I just can't force myself to try this one again.
My all-time favorite SK books are The Talisman, Desperation, The Dark Tower Series (I have a tattoo from the fifth book on my right wrist) and It.
This book is one of my top ten book of King, I think you should continue, it´s a really amazing story!
I realy liked it, although it was a bit weird and wonderful even by Mr King's standards. I would say keep reading..
I love Stephen King but this was not one of his books that i enjoyed, I'm surprised i actually read it until the end, it was hard going.
I haven't met a Stephen King book yet that I didn't Love...Lisey's Story was one of the best! But hey, don't take my word for it...I'm a true King fan, so I might be a little biased!
It took me about half way through to get excited about it - After that I truly enjoyed it. What are your favorite King read?
Chuck wrote: "It took me about half way through to get excited about it - After that I truly enjoyed it. What are your favorite King read?"My absolute favorite would have to be, On Writing! It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it inspired my own writing beyond belief. The glimpses into SK's life and career during the course of this book are very profound. While I've truly enjoyed every SK book so far, the only other book of his that's touched me this deep was The Green Mile. If forced to pick a 'least favorite' it would be Pet Cemetery, but only because I didn't care much for the story-line itself. As for the writing aspects, it was dead on King, as usual!
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