Cell: A Novel by Stephen King Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Cell: A Novel
Book Review: A good ride that could have been better
Summary: 3 Stars
I started reading Stephen King in the 70's beginning with Salem's Lot. Like many of his fans I believe he did his best work in The Stand but also enjoyed Bag of Bones, Hearts in Atlantis, and The Green Mile. Cell was a fun book to read but lacked the character development, intriguing plot, and richness of language that is present in some of his other works. I might have gone a star higher if there would have been an Epilogue included in the book - there were just too many unanswered questions with no closure.
Overall it was good read and I'm still a fan. I'm looking forward to his next adventure.
Book Review: A good start, then tapers off
Summary: 3 Stars
Had I not read that really infuriating last line and the contrived last several pages this might have gotten 4 stars. As it stands, like another reviewer I believe that King is such a talenter writer that he makes us believe anything--ANYTHING!
Actually, the fact that a 'pulse' from a cell can wipe your brain and turn you into a zombie is pretty good. I liked the first 100 pages or so when things were just getting destroyed and chaotic, I even enjoyed the lone group of Clay, Tom and Alice. Another reviewer noted lustful eyes on Alice and there was a bit of that weaved in and out, several times I wondered of Clay's intentions but then King quickly made it clear they were honorable, just in case we started to frown at the lead character a little too long.
I think the book could have been scarier, with a lot less contrived moments, especially the ending. I'm still clueless; I did not like it. This should have been darker and heavier. Suspence built when the group meets with another group and are condemmed for excecution, but then tapers off when you see where it's going pages ahead.
A very looooong book, but it had its moments. But the ending left me with a bad taste--and I also don't buy that King doesn't own a cell phone. heh
Book Review: A great read
Summary: 4 Stars
This is one of King's better current novels. It is written in the "old" King style, with more violence and horror, than his other new novels, such as "Lisey's Story", and "The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon". These are good books, but I like the "old" King better. This book has a realistic plot, which makes it even scarier. Also good if you like apocalyptic and zombie tales, like I do.Book Review: A liberal diatribe disguised as a horror story.
Summary: 2 Stars
All in all, this is a decent book. There were just so many political statements! I love King, but seriously, he inserted his bizarre opinions on everything under the sun. We hear references to 9-11, roadside bombs, the "failure" of the Iraq war, FEMA, Hurricane Katrina (how dated will that seem 20 yrs from now?) how stupid and wacky Christians are, and, in the ultimate irony, we read about the evil of guns. He describes the people who own guns, basically, as idiotic rednecks who endanger their kids and their own lives with guns -YET, in the ultimate irony, the first thing our heroes do, is LOOT the "gun nut's" house, because... they need guns! That's right, whether it's a burglar or a zombie, people need guns for protection!
At any rate, I would have liked to have been given more of a sense of what was happening on a world wide basis - the novel was fairly myopic in only focusing on a handful of people, in a relatively small part of the US. Worth a read, but watch out for King's own insidious opinions, lest you become a zombie of leftist thought!
Book Review: A longer short story
Summary: 4 Stars
It's a good book as are most of SK's books. I only think that he kind of left us hungering for more. As one of his CR maybe I am a little egoistic and not used to having just a few pages of a good reading. For one that has just finished The Dark Tower series (the longer the better) I felt that SK simply put an end to an unfinished work. But the book is OK.