So That's How You Read A Stephen King Book!

image credit: albanykid.com
It’s not the same year as the one in “From a Buick 8″, but pretty close.
 All I could think of when I saw it was “Low men in yellow coats”
 driving big shiny cars.

I'm waiting for Revival.  It's like watching the clock with an hour left the day before school lets out for summer.  Time is moving ever slower.  Ticktock.

In the meantime, I've started my way back through books I never finished the first time.  Wizard and Glass and today the novel From A Buick 8.  I tried From A Buick 8 at least 3 times before -- and no magic.  Sorry.  Is something wrong with me?  What gives? I snapped it up on my way out the door because -- well, it was there on the shelf.  It's hard not  to pick The Stand up again.

As I drove, I listened to From A Buick 8.  I expected nothing; honestly, I've listened to this first CD already.  But as I listened, I forgot about the "plot" and got involved with the characters.  Especially a kid named Ned.  As I got more interested in the book, I realized what my problem has been with this particular novel.  I know there is something up with a  Buick; it's an alien car or something.  And I'm so excited, I think the story is about the Buick.  After all, Ned isn't in the title;  the Buick is!  But the novel isn't really as much about the Buick as it is the human characters.  

When I read From A Buick 8, I want King to tell me early on what's up with that car.  GET TO THE CAR!  But he takes his time with a lot of police jargon and character background.  Impatience has been my downfall.  But as I listened this time, King's magic worked and the characters and plot found a rhythm that worked for me.  I started falling in love with this little book.

So, not to self and the rest of you stuck on a King book -- stop worrying about plot and spaceships and settle into the characters.  As King talks about people, he will start to unravel a pretty awesome plot.

The book is also distracting because it's told from multiple points of view.  And, to make matters worse, it starts with a lady named "Sandy."  Only, Sandy is a guy.  But the opening line just says, "Sandy."  Only when I LISTENED  to the novel did it dawn on me, "OH!  Sandy is a dude!"  How long before I was supposed to pick up on that in print?

There are actually quite a few Stephen King books I never finished.  Do I feel bad about that?  No.  It just means I got impatient with the story telling and lost interest; but I'll be back.  But I do notice that many of the books I find most frustrating come from an era stretching from the mid 90's to early 2000's.  Books like Rose Madder, From A Buick 8, Gerald's Game and Cell.  (I did finish some of these books, they just didn't sweep me away.)  

The most recent story King has written that I failed to complete was Lisey's Story.  Yes, I get impatient with it.  There's a lot of build  up, and I can't figure out what this book is about!  I prefer the likes of 11.22.63 -- which runs hard  on plot early on and then settles into character development mid novel.  But King doesn't always play that game.

Finally, The Talisman is a novel I find difficult to engage with.  Why?  I don't know.  Maybe things feel a little forced to me; Jack Sawyer = Tom Sawyer and I roll my eyes.  The Talisman has one other  thing working against it, and I'll admit right now it's a stupid reason to complain.  I don't like the cover.  It doesn't say to me, "come read me."  It says to me, "If we print King's name big enough, you'll buy the book." 

CAT'S EYE: James Rebhorn Dies

With James Woods,
picture credit: yahoo.com/photos

James Rebhorn, called the man who played  people "in a suit" died Friday due to skin cancer.  He had roles in Homeland, “Meet the Parents,” “Independence Day,” “My Cousin Vinny," "Cold Mountain," and "Cat's Eye."

He was also one of the readers on From A Buick 8.

From A Buick 8 Journal #1

I started From A Buick 8 last week.  I was anxious to get to  this book,  partly because I know so little  about it.  It's about. . . a car.  It's not Christine. That's what I knew.

Now, since this is a journal, not a review, I am going to admit that I'm struggling with this book.  That's frustrating, because I so looked forward to it.

The book is told from the first person, with multiple points of view.  This gets a little  bit confusing.  And it's unclear why there are multiple points of view.  In Dolores Claiborne, the reason for the first person account was explained: It was a confession.  In 11/22/63, the first person approach was taken because it was a journal.  Of  course,  first person doesn't always have to have a "purpose" beyond the authors desire to write in first person!  But, when multiple points of view are employed, the reader is left wonder -- why are all these people talking to me?  Is this a scrap book?  Is this testimony?  It is hard to keep up with who is narrating which portion of the story.  There are moments when I'm asking myself, "What's happening?"

None of this is deadly to  the novel.  It just doesn't come out swinging, for me.

That said, the characters are extremely likable.  The story is engaging, and that gives lots of hope.  King gives us dogs and teens, two things we love and King is gifted at giving.  Add to that a really cool car -- a mystery car, and this should be a lot of fun.

I really enjoyed the scene where the police went over the car.  Things just don't make sense with this car.  Of course, it raises the question to the reader: If this is an alien car, why didn't the alien's know more about cars?  They didn't disguise it very well!

The Nation: King Is Underrated

I really enjoyed Charles Taylor article in The Nation (HERE) titled: "You Can't Always Get What You Want: On Stephen King."  In it he discusses the difficulty in catagorizing King, and the struggle mainstream media has had in understandng the wrtier.  He calls King "underrated" and quotes  critic Leslie Fiedler as saying “When all of us are forgotten, people will still be remembering Stephen King.”

Taylor writes,

"In a way, the National Book Foundation’s recognition was confirmation that King had become A Writer Who’s Better Than You Expect Him to Be. Just a year earlier, a great deal of public affection greeted the release of From a Buick 8, the first King novel to appear since the accident that had nearly killed him three years before (he was struck by a pickup while walking on the side of the road). Reviewers understood the story of a mysterious Buick Roadmaster that comes out of nowhere and brings violence and terror in its wake to be a metaphor for King’s brush with death. They weren’t wrong, but they also underestimated the book."

He spends quite a bit of time discussing From A Buick 8 and 9/11.  Very interesting! 

There's a lot more to the article, and all worth your time.