Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Hodder & Stoughton (2022), Edition: 1, 448 pages
Description
Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself, and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and his aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it. Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member FormerEnglishTeacher
I know it’s almost blasphemous to give a 3/5 rating to a Stephen King book, but that’s about all I can do on this one. I’ve read several of King’s books, and I’ve enjoyed some more than others. “11-22-63” was my favorite, and this one, “Fairy Tale,” was my least favorite. For one
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thing, I’m not a fan of fantasy, and much of the book is fantasy. Second, it’s just too darned long. Why King felt it necessary to stretch this tale into 600 pages is beyond me. The characters were likable enough, although the quick scene where the main character loses his virginity was down right ridiculous. I’m not quite sure why King threw that in. The next time I decide to invest the time in a book this long, I’ll research the reviews a little more to make sure it’s something up my alley. This one wasn’t. Show Less
LibraryThing member travelgirl-fics
i've always said king was a great storyteller, but this book really goes out of its way to prove he's also an amazing writer. unusual plot, great characters, taut dialogue, and fascinating world-building... in a few years, i'd love to see another story from this universe...
LibraryThing member dwcofer
I was eagerly awaiting Stephen King’s newest novel, but in the end was sadly disappointed. The first third of the book was great. A young boy of 17, Charlie Reade, saves Howard Bowditch, an old man living a hermit-like existence, after he fell off of a ladder. Charlie comes by twice daily to tend
But the rest of the book, about 400 of the 600 pages, was a terrible disappointment. Mr. Bowditch dies and leaves his home, which had fallen into disrepair, to Charlie in exchange for taking care of him in his last days. Mr. Bowditch leaves Charlie a tape recording describing a hole in his backyard that leads to another world. In this world, there is a sundial that can turn back time. The dog is elderly and in bad health, so Charlie sets off for this other world to place the dog on the sundial and restore him to his youth.
The characters in the first part of the book are wonderful, well developed and the relationships between them well illustrated. They are likeable, even Mr. Bowditch, who is much like a Scrooge. It is easy to relate to them. But in the fantasy world, the characters are not so well developed and are mere shadows of real characters. This part of the book was terribly boring and I really wanted to DNF the book, but by this time, I’d invested too much time to ditch it, so I plowed on. There was nothing special about the fantasy portion of the book, no horror, just boring. The book’s ending was sudden and expected. Of course, Charlies succeeds in his mission and makes it back home safely. Once the fantasy portion of the book begins, the characters from the first part of the book never return. It’s like they just disappeared. King takes 200 pages to get us involved in their lives, then drops them, never to be seen again. Very disappointing.
One of my biggest complaints about King’s books the past few years is how he feels compelled to insert his own political views and statements into the story, especially relating to religion (God? What God?), gun control, Trump, nuclear weapons, capital punishment, and climate change. I do not care what King’s views are on these subjects. He is certainly entitled to his beliefs. But I don’t need them inserted and jammed down my throat in a story. Just tell me a story and entertain me. I can do without the preaching. This is a trend that has appeared in several of King’s book over the past decade.
Overall, I was disappointed with the book, and I really wanted to like it. I give it a couple of stars for the first third of the book, which is really good. The book could easily have been made into two books. One of this world with Charlie and Mr. Bowditch and another book of the fantasy world. But then it wouldn’t be a 600 page King tome. If you really feel compelled to read the book, get it from the library and don’t waste your money on it.
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to Mr. Bowditch and takes care of his dog. This part of the novel, while drawn out, was beautiful. Charlie, despite having been influenced in the past by friends to commit some really mean deeds, deep down has a loving and tender heart. But the rest of the book, about 400 of the 600 pages, was a terrible disappointment. Mr. Bowditch dies and leaves his home, which had fallen into disrepair, to Charlie in exchange for taking care of him in his last days. Mr. Bowditch leaves Charlie a tape recording describing a hole in his backyard that leads to another world. In this world, there is a sundial that can turn back time. The dog is elderly and in bad health, so Charlie sets off for this other world to place the dog on the sundial and restore him to his youth.
The characters in the first part of the book are wonderful, well developed and the relationships between them well illustrated. They are likeable, even Mr. Bowditch, who is much like a Scrooge. It is easy to relate to them. But in the fantasy world, the characters are not so well developed and are mere shadows of real characters. This part of the book was terribly boring and I really wanted to DNF the book, but by this time, I’d invested too much time to ditch it, so I plowed on. There was nothing special about the fantasy portion of the book, no horror, just boring. The book’s ending was sudden and expected. Of course, Charlies succeeds in his mission and makes it back home safely. Once the fantasy portion of the book begins, the characters from the first part of the book never return. It’s like they just disappeared. King takes 200 pages to get us involved in their lives, then drops them, never to be seen again. Very disappointing.
One of my biggest complaints about King’s books the past few years is how he feels compelled to insert his own political views and statements into the story, especially relating to religion (God? What God?), gun control, Trump, nuclear weapons, capital punishment, and climate change. I do not care what King’s views are on these subjects. He is certainly entitled to his beliefs. But I don’t need them inserted and jammed down my throat in a story. Just tell me a story and entertain me. I can do without the preaching. This is a trend that has appeared in several of King’s book over the past decade.
Overall, I was disappointed with the book, and I really wanted to like it. I give it a couple of stars for the first third of the book, which is really good. The book could easily have been made into two books. One of this world with Charlie and Mr. Bowditch and another book of the fantasy world. But then it wouldn’t be a 600 page King tome. If you really feel compelled to read the book, get it from the library and don’t waste your money on it.
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LibraryThing member kimkimkim
“Sometimes we look because we have to remember. Sometimes the most horrible things are what give us strength.”
With Stephen King “You get used to the amazing, that’s all.” Unfortunately when you look for and expect the amazing and what you find is more typical and mundane we find fault.
I liked the book, thought is was a bit long and drawn out, thought I could put it down but believed it was worth the push to finish it.
With Stephen King “You get used to the amazing, that’s all.” Unfortunately when you look for and expect the amazing and what you find is more typical and mundane we find fault.
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The error is ours, the readers, not King’s. The title is Fairy Tale and that is what he has written - unique in that he has mashed up cell phones with Giants, IMAX with mermaids and Gogmagog with nuclear weapons. References to old tales and new technologies - lots to get lost in - lots to think about.I liked the book, thought is was a bit long and drawn out, thought I could put it down but believed it was worth the push to finish it.
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LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
Charlie Reade rescues a cranky old man, Mr. Bowditch from a fall that could've killed him. In keeping a promise with the Divine, Charlie does odd jobs for Mr. Bowditch and falls in love with his dog, Radar. But there is something sinister about the property that Bowditch lives on - an old storage
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shed where odd things seem to happen. When Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling him of another world and how to get there through the shed. For the love of Radar, Charlie enters the other world where he can turn back time for the dog, and gets himself into a world of fairy tales where he is the prince. This once vibrant world is now under a curse. Can Charlie make a difference? Show Less
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
“I’m sure I can tell this story. I’m also sure no one will believe it. That’s fine with me. Telling it will be enough. My problem—and I’m sure many writers have it, not just newbies like me—is deciding where to start.”
After seventeen year old Charlie Reade tentatively investigates
There’s no denying Fairy Tale is slow to start, had this been written by any other author I would likely have have given up on it, but I trusted that the investment would be worth it.
I was charmed by the main characters, Charlie and Howard, and Radar, a German Shepherd and Bowditch’s faithful companion, who steals Charlie’s heart. King’s character development is on point as always and the relationship between the eager teen, eccentric old man, and loyal dog is heartwarming.
It’s Charlie and Radar who enter King’s otherworld, a kingdom named Empis, for reasons best left for you to discover. Their journey becomes one of adventure, magic, horror, and heroics, told with suspense and excitement. Readers will recognise elements of, or references to, familiar fairy tales and fantasy classics, from Brothers Grimm ‘Goose Girl’, to Ray Bradbury’s ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ during their journey. Of course King has combined them in creative ways and added his own, often dark, twist.
As with all of King’s stories, Fairy Tale is also speckled with pop culture references, oblique commentary on current social woes, puerile humour, and ‘easter egg’ references to his other works.
I enjoyed Fairy Tale, it’s escapism that champions kindness, care, courage, and hope, all sorely needed in today’s world, but it if I’m honest I was underwhelmed. It just wasn’t as captivating as I hoped
After seventeen year old Charlie Reade tentatively investigates
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the frantic barking coming from what has locally been dubbed the ‘Psycho House’, Charlie discovers its injured, reclusive resident, Howard Bowditch, his ageing dog Radar, and an otherworldly realm in need of a saviour.There’s no denying Fairy Tale is slow to start, had this been written by any other author I would likely have have given up on it, but I trusted that the investment would be worth it.
I was charmed by the main characters, Charlie and Howard, and Radar, a German Shepherd and Bowditch’s faithful companion, who steals Charlie’s heart. King’s character development is on point as always and the relationship between the eager teen, eccentric old man, and loyal dog is heartwarming.
It’s Charlie and Radar who enter King’s otherworld, a kingdom named Empis, for reasons best left for you to discover. Their journey becomes one of adventure, magic, horror, and heroics, told with suspense and excitement. Readers will recognise elements of, or references to, familiar fairy tales and fantasy classics, from Brothers Grimm ‘Goose Girl’, to Ray Bradbury’s ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ during their journey. Of course King has combined them in creative ways and added his own, often dark, twist.
As with all of King’s stories, Fairy Tale is also speckled with pop culture references, oblique commentary on current social woes, puerile humour, and ‘easter egg’ references to his other works.
I enjoyed Fairy Tale, it’s escapism that champions kindness, care, courage, and hope, all sorely needed in today’s world, but it if I’m honest I was underwhelmed. It just wasn’t as captivating as I hoped
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LibraryThing member tangledthread
More fantasy fiction than horror. In some ways it is derivative of most contemporary fantasy and sci-fi literature. Dragged a bit through the middle.
LibraryThing member DrApple
As always, when Stephen King writes about kids the characters ring true and capture my heart. Charlie Reade is a normal high school kid, athlete, and all around good guy. When he hears a dog howling and a call of distress, he has to investigate and finds his elderly neighbor has fallen and broken
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his leg. Charlie calls an ambulance and volunteers to help the neighbor in every way he can: feeding the dog, doing little projects around the house, taking care of him when he's released from the hospital. Through these interactions, he becomes aware of the neighbor's secret, an alternate universe accessed by stairs that descent into darkness in a shed in the back yard. Charlie's adventures in this alternate world keep you reading. King creates this imaginary world so that it feels real and the characters within it have strong appeal. Show Less
LibraryThing member soelo
5 stars for the first third of the book. It reminded me of Stand By Me in the best way. 3 stars for the second and third acts. It was a weird combo of Maze Runner and Hunger Games. The resolution was nice though.
I don't read horror but I appreciate the non-horror movies that King has written, so
I don't read horror but I appreciate the non-horror movies that King has written, so
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this one intrigued me. Gross things and fighting kind of bore me, so that took away from the fantastic parts. There were a few too many characters to get attached to any besides Charlie and Radar. Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
What it says on the tin—with lots of cross-references to Rumplestilskin, Cthulhu, and even some Stephen King works, a young man crosses over into a magical world and is recognized as a promised prince who can rescue the realm from the darkness/illness that is killing it. He even becomes blond and
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blue-eyed, which seems more fraught than King seems to think it is. But there’s a leisurely build to that as the young man first becomes attached to an elderly man and, more significantly, his elderly dog. It’s concern for the dog that sends him into the fantasy world, and that’s the strongest part of the book. Otherwise it’s not peak King. Show Less
LibraryThing member AnnieMod
"I think all worlds are magic. We just get used to it."
When Charlie Reade utters these words towards the end of the novel, they made me realize that I will never write a better review of it than these two sentences. And yet, I'll try - because giving up was never an option for Charlie and not even
Stephen King had been one of my favorite writers since my teen years - I like his style and I like his storytelling, regardless of the genre he decides to use for his next story. In the last decade or so, I've rarely read him - as I know I like most of what he writes, I tend to leave him for later so I can explore new authors. Which may be fun but I don't read the authors I really like so in a bit of a shift in my reading patterns, these days I try to read the new books by my authors as soon as they come out.
If you expect straight horror, look elsewhere. "Fairy Tale" is a love letter to the fairy tales (not the watered down versions but the original ones) and to the genres which spawned out of them - horror and fantasy.
Once upon a time, there was a boy called Charlie Reade. He lost his mother when he was young and his father found solace at the bottom of a bottle (or 3), leaving his young son to fend for himself. By the time we meet Charlie, in the year that changed his life forever, the father had dried out and the two men had found peace. Until Charlie hears one of his neighbors crying for help and goes to help, falling in love with the man's dog in the process and finding that there is more than one world and his quiet street contains the gateway to one of those other worlds.
The first quarter of the novel is the story of a 17 years old boy helping a cranky old man and a very old dog called Radar. It can be set anywhere in USA and it is as mundane as it can be. But somewhere under it, we start getting some flashes of something else - a hint of a fairy tale here, a mentioned horror book there. Then Charlie decides to do all he can to save the dog's life and the boy and the dog are off to an adventure - to a world that could not exist and yet exists.
There is a curse, there is a princess, there is a talking horse, there is a dungeon and fights to the death. There is another portal and evil. And then there is Charlie - the promised prince, the only chance of a kingdom that had fallen to evil.
Some of the details are gruesome but the novel stays mostly in the fantasy genre and rarely crosses into horror. And while the story itself is compelling and keeps you wanting to read more to see what happens next, it is the references to the stories that came before that make this book really great. Some are mentioned directly, some parallels are just left there, some you see from the corner of your eye. From the Disney stories to the old tales; from Lovecraft to Bradbury - all the old tales are there - in a world where a lot of them may just be. Because what if all of those stories are not born in one's imagination? What if they were real... somewhere?
King is not the first to play with the idea of the fairy tales being real somewhere. He won't be the last. The novel reminded me a bit of Jo Walton's [Among Others], albeit a lot more brutal and very different. But the same nod to the old stories and to what came before is there and one can spend hours looking for them and being reminded of the stories that made up a genre.
When Charlie Reade utters these words towards the end of the novel, they made me realize that I will never write a better review of it than these two sentences. And yet, I'll try - because giving up was never an option for Charlie and not even
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trying is going to be disrespectful to the young man who told us the story. So here it goes. Stephen King had been one of my favorite writers since my teen years - I like his style and I like his storytelling, regardless of the genre he decides to use for his next story. In the last decade or so, I've rarely read him - as I know I like most of what he writes, I tend to leave him for later so I can explore new authors. Which may be fun but I don't read the authors I really like so in a bit of a shift in my reading patterns, these days I try to read the new books by my authors as soon as they come out.
If you expect straight horror, look elsewhere. "Fairy Tale" is a love letter to the fairy tales (not the watered down versions but the original ones) and to the genres which spawned out of them - horror and fantasy.
Once upon a time, there was a boy called Charlie Reade. He lost his mother when he was young and his father found solace at the bottom of a bottle (or 3), leaving his young son to fend for himself. By the time we meet Charlie, in the year that changed his life forever, the father had dried out and the two men had found peace. Until Charlie hears one of his neighbors crying for help and goes to help, falling in love with the man's dog in the process and finding that there is more than one world and his quiet street contains the gateway to one of those other worlds.
The first quarter of the novel is the story of a 17 years old boy helping a cranky old man and a very old dog called Radar. It can be set anywhere in USA and it is as mundane as it can be. But somewhere under it, we start getting some flashes of something else - a hint of a fairy tale here, a mentioned horror book there. Then Charlie decides to do all he can to save the dog's life and the boy and the dog are off to an adventure - to a world that could not exist and yet exists.
There is a curse, there is a princess, there is a talking horse, there is a dungeon and fights to the death. There is another portal and evil. And then there is Charlie - the promised prince, the only chance of a kingdom that had fallen to evil.
Some of the details are gruesome but the novel stays mostly in the fantasy genre and rarely crosses into horror. And while the story itself is compelling and keeps you wanting to read more to see what happens next, it is the references to the stories that came before that make this book really great. Some are mentioned directly, some parallels are just left there, some you see from the corner of your eye. From the Disney stories to the old tales; from Lovecraft to Bradbury - all the old tales are there - in a world where a lot of them may just be. Because what if all of those stories are not born in one's imagination? What if they were real... somewhere?
King is not the first to play with the idea of the fairy tales being real somewhere. He won't be the last. The novel reminded me a bit of Jo Walton's [Among Others], albeit a lot more brutal and very different. But the same nod to the old stories and to what came before is there and one can spend hours looking for them and being reminded of the stories that made up a genre.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
Pretty much true to its title, this King novel is a lot closer to fantasy than horror. It reminded me a bit of [Eyes of the Dragon] and [The Talisman], and of course there were references to [The Dark Tower] series with its interconnected worlds. The characters were endearing, and the fairy tale
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allusions were fun, but I felt it could have been a great deal shorter than it was and would have packed a stronger punch. Show Less
LibraryThing member yoda1489
So far, very hard to get into.
LibraryThing member bookczuk
I started with hard copy, but switched to an audio version because couldn't stand missing reading time since I had projects I needed to do to get the house ready for visitors. I was not a Stephen King fan until we both got older and mellowed a bit. Really enjoyed the hidden nuggets in this one.
LibraryThing member MontzaleeW
Fairy Tale
By Stephen King
King just gets better and better with age! I think this has to be his best book yet! I loved every character, well, the likable ones! I had to read it slowly because I was so worried about the dog! I was afraid to see what would happen!
I borrowed this audio version from the
This starts as a touching story about a grouchy man with an old dog and a boy that helps him just because it was the right thing to do. But this man has secrets like no other. When he finally has to tell the boy the truth, it's beyond believable. But then he sees it for himself.
Situations change and the boy must make a dangerous trip into this unknown world to save the dog he has grown to love. He hasn't much time because the dog is dying fast. He isn't sure where, or how to get to the place he needs to go but he is determined to try. Little does he know what waits for them both.
So exciting and suspenseful. World building and characters are King's specialty!
By Stephen King
King just gets better and better with age! I think this has to be his best book yet! I loved every character, well, the likable ones! I had to read it slowly because I was so worried about the dog! I was afraid to see what would happen!
I borrowed this audio version from the
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library and the narrator was so tremendous! Wow! Definitely the way to absorb this book that transports you to another world.This starts as a touching story about a grouchy man with an old dog and a boy that helps him just because it was the right thing to do. But this man has secrets like no other. When he finally has to tell the boy the truth, it's beyond believable. But then he sees it for himself.
Situations change and the boy must make a dangerous trip into this unknown world to save the dog he has grown to love. He hasn't much time because the dog is dying fast. He isn't sure where, or how to get to the place he needs to go but he is determined to try. Little does he know what waits for them both.
So exciting and suspenseful. World building and characters are King's specialty!
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LibraryThing member joecanas
Stephen, I guess it was fantasy to wish for an editor with the courage to cut all those inconsequential descriptions of mud, wind, sky, ears, shoes, fur, eyes, stairs, rugs, bugs, walls, etc. This fatally dull Tale barely has enough oomph for a short story... yet it's 598 pages long. Fairy tales
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are short, dammit... but this is a meandering pandemic therapy journal with a pretty cover. (And yes, I am a Constant Reader who has devoured most of your half-century of output. You've written so many amazing things... so of course you're entitled to three duds: Tommyknockers, Lisey's Story, and now Fairy Tale.) Show Less
LibraryThing member villemezbrown
Stephen King pens a Lovecraftian ode to fairy tales infused with some touches of Ray Bradbury, Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars, and King's own Dark Tower mythos.
I had just watched the film adaptation of Mr. Harrigan's Phone, so the beginning with a high school boy befriending a
Like a lot of King's books, it is way too long but the narration keeps you reading along even in the duller stretches.
I had just watched the film adaptation of Mr. Harrigan's Phone, so the beginning with a high school boy befriending a
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cantankerous old man with some secrets was comfortably familiar. But the looming horror in the real world (so to speak) gives way to a fantasy world with a fairly standard dystopian YA vibe, including a death tournament and an evil leader to be defeated.Like a lot of King's books, it is way too long but the narration keeps you reading along even in the duller stretches.
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LibraryThing member tibobi
The Short of It:
My prediction is that lovers of fantasy will absolutely love Fairy Tale. However, that is not me.
The Rest of It:
Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes into the deepest well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a
Although the fantasy elements didn’t win me over, the main character and dog did. Charlie Reade is probably right up there with my favorite King characters. And Radar, his aging canine sidekick, made me like this book even though the fantasy parts didn’t score any points with me. The one thing that is always true, is that King is a heck of a storyteller. He pulls me right in and I keep drinking his Kool-aid. Willingly.
While Charlie is caring for his injured neighbor, he stumbles across a mysterious shed, hears some strange sounds and becomes all too aware of how Radar reacts to those noises. Who is in that shed? What is in that shed and what could his neighbor Mr. Bowditch be hiding?
I may be the only reader to notice this but I found some similarities between Fairy Tale and Murakami’s Killing Commendatore and The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. At one point Fairy Tale felt very familiar to me and yet it wasn’t at all what I expected from King. It was at this point that I began to skim a little. It’s a chunk of a book and it felt a tad repetitive but I also wanted to finish it.
Have you read it? What are your thoughts? King fans might be surprised by this one but fans of fantasy might find a new favorite in Fairy Tale.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
My prediction is that lovers of fantasy will absolutely love Fairy Tale. However, that is not me.
The Rest of It:
Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes into the deepest well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a
Show More
parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for that world or ours. ` IndieboundAlthough the fantasy elements didn’t win me over, the main character and dog did. Charlie Reade is probably right up there with my favorite King characters. And Radar, his aging canine sidekick, made me like this book even though the fantasy parts didn’t score any points with me. The one thing that is always true, is that King is a heck of a storyteller. He pulls me right in and I keep drinking his Kool-aid. Willingly.
While Charlie is caring for his injured neighbor, he stumbles across a mysterious shed, hears some strange sounds and becomes all too aware of how Radar reacts to those noises. Who is in that shed? What is in that shed and what could his neighbor Mr. Bowditch be hiding?
I may be the only reader to notice this but I found some similarities between Fairy Tale and Murakami’s Killing Commendatore and The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. At one point Fairy Tale felt very familiar to me and yet it wasn’t at all what I expected from King. It was at this point that I began to skim a little. It’s a chunk of a book and it felt a tad repetitive but I also wanted to finish it.
Have you read it? What are your thoughts? King fans might be surprised by this one but fans of fantasy might find a new favorite in Fairy Tale.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
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LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
I am a huge Stephen King fan. I own and have read every one of his books. This one took me longer than usual to read. But, this has also been a rough couple of months for me. Once everything settled down, I was able to sit down and finish it. I'm glad I read it but it wasn't one of my favorites.
LibraryThing member thanesh
Book 72 that I have read from Stephen King. As a constant reader this the latest offering from King written during the pandemic was a welcome change. Not really a fan of fantasy per say although I have dabbled in this genre in the past this book which is a mixture of fantasy and horror was
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enjoyable. There is also a strong theme of love that pervades this story - love of a boy and his dog, love of a boy for his mon and dad and a woman from another land. Make no mistake it is a long book that winds, twists and turns. Will make a good feature length movie which I will certainly watch when it comes out. Show Less
LibraryThing member flourgirl49
As an avid Stephen King fan, I found this book to just be OK - in fact, kind of boring. I prefer his full-on horror novels, particularly his short stories. There were touches of The Wizard of Oz, Game of Thrones, and Lord of the Rings, and I suppose it's difficult to write a fairy tale without
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referencing some of the most well-known stories that have gone before. But that's what we've come to expect from King above all - originality! This tale seemed somewhat stale and was therefore disappointing to me. Show Less
LibraryThing member Twink
Oh, I'm a long time fan of Stephen King's writing. I love getting lost in his imaginings - other worlds, other times, what we can't see, what we can see, (but don't want to) and more. Each book is new and fresh, infused with the touch only King can bring to a tale.
The latest book is Fairy Tale.
"...spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher - for that world or ours."
I love the amount of detail King puts into his characters, settings, plotting and world building. They paint vivid mental images for me, bringing the story to life. Charlie is a great lead, easy to like and root for. And there's a dog. :0) I loved the whole idea of another world with a hidden entrance just waiting for the reader. King pulls out pieces of childhood fairy tales and weaves them into his imagined world. And as we know, not all tales are fairies and lightness....
I chose to listen to Fairy Tale. Seth Numrich was the reader and he was the perfect choice. (He has read a previous King book and I enjoyed his narration) The protagonist is a seventeen year old boy and Numrich's voice embodied the mental image I had created for Charlie. There are a wealth of characters in the book and Numrich does a fantastic job of providing different voices for the players, making it easy to know who is speaking. And there are some real challenging characters. He absolutely brings the book to life with his voice. The action, emotions, danger and more are easily portrayed. His voice is easy to understand, pleasant to listen to and is well enunciated. There's a nice little gravelly tone to his voice as well. His reading speed accentuated the dialogue. Fairy Tale makes for addictive listening. There's more around the next corner, and the next and the next. The run time of Fairy Tales is only 24 hours and 6 minutes. Yes, only, as I could have listened to much, much more!
The latest book is Fairy Tale.
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What a wealth of possibilities that title hinted at! I think this descriptor from the publisher sums it up nicely."...spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher - for that world or ours."
I love the amount of detail King puts into his characters, settings, plotting and world building. They paint vivid mental images for me, bringing the story to life. Charlie is a great lead, easy to like and root for. And there's a dog. :0) I loved the whole idea of another world with a hidden entrance just waiting for the reader. King pulls out pieces of childhood fairy tales and weaves them into his imagined world. And as we know, not all tales are fairies and lightness....
I chose to listen to Fairy Tale. Seth Numrich was the reader and he was the perfect choice. (He has read a previous King book and I enjoyed his narration) The protagonist is a seventeen year old boy and Numrich's voice embodied the mental image I had created for Charlie. There are a wealth of characters in the book and Numrich does a fantastic job of providing different voices for the players, making it easy to know who is speaking. And there are some real challenging characters. He absolutely brings the book to life with his voice. The action, emotions, danger and more are easily portrayed. His voice is easy to understand, pleasant to listen to and is well enunciated. There's a nice little gravelly tone to his voice as well. His reading speed accentuated the dialogue. Fairy Tale makes for addictive listening. There's more around the next corner, and the next and the next. The run time of Fairy Tales is only 24 hours and 6 minutes. Yes, only, as I could have listened to much, much more!
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LibraryThing member theWallflower
Look, I don’t think I’m making any grand statement when I say that King can write. We all know that. He’s been writing since the 1970’s and I’ve statistically proven his books have never gone down in popularity or quality, even after getting sober, even after getting hit by a truck, even
But we’ve all known that King is not sophisticated. He’s not Proust. He’s not “Where the Crawdads Sing” or “The Goldfinch”. Which is fine. King writes for the masses. And that’s fine. I want to write for the masses. I’m just saying that with a title like "Fairy Tale" you might be expecting epic beautiful prose and elaborate imagery like in female-written fantasy. Nope. King just tells it like it is, but somehow comes up with enough detail that never lets you down.
In fact, you get 26% of the way through the book before anything fantastical happens. Before that, it’s just about a boy and his old man. But I’m still here for it, because the characters are awesome. We’ve got a funny old crotchety man and a kind teenage boy who’s just trying to keep a promise.
This is King’s Covid-19 pandemic story. It’s what he wrote when he was depressed and locked in and just wanted to write something fun. And he has done just that, though with a streak of King darkness running through. It’s not the story of the year–some might complain that a book so epically thick and titled something as foundational as "Fairy Tale" would be so, but it’s not "11/22/63". And that’s fine by me. It’s the story it needs to be and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You have to set your expectations that it’s going to be long and settle in for it. I try to avoid doorstops, but this one is worth it.
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after being shoved out of a tree by his son Joe Hill.But we’ve all known that King is not sophisticated. He’s not Proust. He’s not “Where the Crawdads Sing” or “The Goldfinch”. Which is fine. King writes for the masses. And that’s fine. I want to write for the masses. I’m just saying that with a title like "Fairy Tale" you might be expecting epic beautiful prose and elaborate imagery like in female-written fantasy. Nope. King just tells it like it is, but somehow comes up with enough detail that never lets you down.
In fact, you get 26% of the way through the book before anything fantastical happens. Before that, it’s just about a boy and his old man. But I’m still here for it, because the characters are awesome. We’ve got a funny old crotchety man and a kind teenage boy who’s just trying to keep a promise.
This is King’s Covid-19 pandemic story. It’s what he wrote when he was depressed and locked in and just wanted to write something fun. And he has done just that, though with a streak of King darkness running through. It’s not the story of the year–some might complain that a book so epically thick and titled something as foundational as "Fairy Tale" would be so, but it’s not "11/22/63". And that’s fine by me. It’s the story it needs to be and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You have to set your expectations that it’s going to be long and settle in for it. I try to avoid doorstops, but this one is worth it.
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LibraryThing member bearlyr
Classic Stephen King? Not exactly, this isn’t very scary! That said, this is another great tome by the king! This is probably not what you would expect, based on the title alone. Fairy Tale is however a great read, it has a bit of everything including a couple world class villains!
If you
If you
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haven’t read this book yet, you’re missing out! Show Less
LibraryThing member lee.gabel
I hate rating a Stephen King book lower than four stars, but I think this book just wasn't for me. I loved how it began and ended (yes it has a satisfying ending), but the middle dragged. If you're into fairy tales as a whole, you'll probably enjoy it, but I needed more dialogue and more action.
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Best Male Narrator — 2023)
British Book Award (Shortlist — 2023)
Globe and Mail Top 100 Book (Horror — 2022)
BBC 50 Best Books of 2022 (2022)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022-09-06
ISBN
1399705415 / 9781399705417
Local notes
17yo Charlie Reade inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher - for their world or ours.