Finder's Keepers

[Kaos]

Finder's Keepers

Stephen King tries his hand a second time at straightforward drama, no supernatural forces involved. 

The first novel in this tableau was Mr. Mercedes. It wasn't bad, but wasn't up to typical Stephen King standards. Admittedly the standards had fallen of late as King had begun to repeat himself and tell the same story in a different way far too often.  So America's horror king (and the writer I would most like to be) drifted into potboiler land.  Mercedes was a little uneven and it was clear to me that King was trying to find his way through a world where he couldn't just spring a demon out of somebody's ass to move the narrative along.

Finder's Keepers shows that he's making significant strides toward finding that path.  It's a little bloated (as are all King works) but he keeps the story on a fairly solid pace throughout.  It's no Carrie or The Stand, but what is? 

The story revolves around the lives of two people similarly obsessed with the works of a great American author who approach their reverence and a stunning find in different -- yet similar -- ways. 

There were a few too many coincidences for my liking and the end of the story left me wanting just a little. It could/should have wrapped up a little differently.  But I didn't write it. 

I would suggest reading Mr. Mercedes first because many of the characters in that book cross over to this one.  Unless you remember the backgrounds of each of those parties, some of the action and references won't make sense in the larger scheme. King assumes you'll be familiar with the work and doesn't bother much with backstory on them. 

I think King is the best writer of my generation.  Even his bad books, even the stories that don't go where they should have a style that many try to imitate but few duplicate.  He has a way of turning the occasional phrase that makes me truly jealous. It's a trait I wish I had.

For the record, there's a description of the town in Salem's Lot that is to me, almost perfect. Changed me.  It made me want to learn how to write like that.  And I've tried. Failed. But tried. 

[wesfau2]

This will sound funny given his sales numbers, but I maintain that King is the most underrated writer of the modern era.

When the public at large grasps the enormity of his intertwined universe and the overarching story that weaves through his entire catalog he will be long dead, unfortunately.

[WiregrassTiger]

I don't read much but Steve King and any of the rest of you can lope my mule.

[Tiger Wench]

King is a sexual sadist who fortunately turned to writing to release his inner demons instead of becoming a serial killer.  No normal person can put his thoughts onto paper in the way he does and not be very deeply disturbed.  He has a great deal of talent and skill and is an amazing author with a very dark perverse core.

The Stand is one of my all time favorite books, but the sadism and unnecessary and gratuitous homoerotic bullshit that is in no way germane to the story quite frankly makes me uncomfortable, and you guys know I am not a prude when it comes to sex in any form.  It's the fact that it just totally unnecessary, adds nothing to the plot, but he includes it anyway, like he's exorcising some demon onto paper because if he doesn't flush it out, it will eat his soul.  The violence, the gore, not a problem.  The crudity and the just downright nasty scenes make me skip whole paragraphs.  I will never read Needful Things again for that reason.

The Shining will to me always be his master work.  To this day I cannot read that book if I am alone.  The visceral fear that my mental images give me simply from reading words on a printed page - I am jealous of the skill that takes to evoke that kind of response in another person WITH WRITING.

But I still think he is one sick bastard.

[Kaos]

The Stand is one of my all time favorite books, but the sadism and unnecessary and gratuitous homoerotic bullshit that is in no way germane to the story quite frankly makes me uncomfortable, and you guys know I am not a prude when it comes to sex in any form.  It's the fact that it just totally unnecessary, adds nothing to the plot, but he includes it anyway, like he's exorcising some demon onto paper because if he doesn't flush it out, it will eat his soul.  The violence, the gore, not a problem.  The crudity and the just downright nasty scenes make me skip whole paragraphs.  I will never read Needful Things again for that reason.

Seriously? 

Those scenes are central to the overall depravity of the characters.  Without the sexual component of his relationship with Nadine, Harold would just be a frustrated wimp unable to act on the hatred that burned in his heart.  He had to have that jumpstart to move from consideration to action. It has a basis in history.  How many men have gone from bad to raw evil because a woman guided them with her goodies?

Yeah, the gun-butt rape is a little discomfiting but that's as it should be.  It shows Trash's deep need to please as well as the depths to which he will stoop to achieve that end. It also cements the sociopathic tendencies of Kid.  Could he have done it a different way?  Sure. But why?

Would you have the Game of Thrones guy omit the rapes and depravity that make Joffery, Ramsey and the others so unpalatable?  What about Walking Dead?  The TV show blinked and didn't allow the governor to maul Maggie. Implied possibly.  But that, too, was necessary to illustrate the depravity. 

There are a lot of sick people out there. What people do in real life is far worse than anything King can dream up and write about.  I don't think that part of his writing comes from anything other than finding another hook to shock and frighten people who are immune to the violence and the gore. 

[Tiger Wench]

Seriously? 

Those scenes are central to the overall depravity of the characters.  Without the sexual component of his relationship with Nadine, Harold would just be a frustrated wimp unable to act on the hatred that burned in his heart.  He had to have that jumpstart to move from consideration to action. It has a basis in history.  How many men have gone from bad to raw evil because a woman guided them with her goodies?

Yeah, the gun-butt rape is a little discomfiting but that's as it should be.  It shows Trash's deep need to please as well as the depths to which he will stoop to achieve that end. It also cements the sociopathic tendencies of Kid.  Could he have done it a different way?  Sure. But why?

Would you have the Game of Thrones guy omit the rapes and depravity that make Joffery, Ramsey and the others so unpalatable?  What about Walking Dead?  The TV show blinked and didn't allow the governor to maul Maggie. Implied possibly.  But that, too, was necessary to illustrate the depravity. 

There are a lot of sick people out there. What people do in real life is far worse than anything King can dream up and write about.  I don't think that part of his writing comes from anything other than finding another hook to shock and frighten people who are immune to the violence and the gore.

The stuff with Nadine I get. That is germane.

But the other example you give is exactly what I was talking about and you obviously knew it. The Kid  that rapes Trashcan gets killed off in the very next scene. The scene was even cut from the abridged version of the story. It was not necessary, served no purpose, added nothing to the story, and was unnecessarily crude in a book already chock full of graphic shit. It was gratuitous. And quite disgusting. By that point in the story we already know without a shadow of a doubt that the world as we knew it is gone and everything is fucked up. Trashcan has already repeated "My life for you" ad nauseum so we get it that he is malleable and brainwashed to serve Flagg. That scene was sick and twisted for his own kinky pleasures.

[Kaos]

That scene was sick and twisted for his own kinky pleasures.

Or for the sake of those who needed that extra jolt. 

[Tiger Wench]

Or for the sake of those who needed that extra jolt.

Good for you, I guess.

[Kaos]

Good for you, I guess.

I can think up some pretty sick stuff.  But not like he does. 

[Shug Dye]

What about Revival? Any good?

[WiregrassTiger]

What about Revival? Any good?

I enjoyed it until that snake bit me.

[chinook]

I enjoyed it until that snake bit me.

Unfortunately for us ...it didn't kill you. 

[GH2001]

Unfortunately for us ...it didn't kill you.

Rough crowd today.

[Snaggletiger]

Rough crowd today.

Shut up, bitch.

[WiregrassTiger]

Unfortunately for us ...it didn't kill you.

Oh, yeah? Well.....fuck you.

[Jumbo]

Unfortunately for us ...it didn't kill you.

Bring your brooms....

[AUownsU]

I don't remember any demon's popping out of someone's ass in Stand By Me. The again its been a while since I saw it.