Cell: A Novel by Stephen King Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Cell: A Novel
Book Review: Bad Bad Very Bad
Summary: 1 Stars
King can really tell a good story. But he does not this time. What could otherwise have been a good zombie apocalypse is spoiled by the author's constant pop culture references. It got so out of hand at one point I threw the book across the room when King had his characters (who were running for their lives at the time, mind you) weigh in on a fight in the media between has-been dj Moby and rap/actor Eminem. This is just one example. And there are hundreds. Every time you are about let go and enjoy the dark spooky narrative, a silly conversation like this popped up. Ruined it.Book Review: Best since "The Stand"
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been reading "Kings" books from the start,they are all very good but this one has got to be the best since "The Stand".Readers are going to be shocked at what happens in this Book..Your going to love it.Book Review: Better than I expected from a zombie book
Summary: 4 Stars
I picked up this book a couple of weeks ago because I hadn't read any King for the last 2 or 3 years, and I wanted to give this one a try. King has always been one of my favorite contemporary authors, but I initially wondered if a "zombie" book could live up to King's literary standards. I was pleasantly surprised. While "Cell" contains all of the gore you would expect from this kind of story, it wasn't, for the most part, the kind of intimate violence that really makes you squirm.
While not my favorite King novel, "Cell" was surprisingly satisfying. The writing style is a bit of a throwback to his earlier work, which is cool, but as many reviewers have noted, the character development in "Cell" is a bit shallower. I think this is intentional, though. All of the characters are fantastic, but readers only become intimately involved with Clay, the novel's protagonist, and the character whose view colors everything in the novel, including the other characters. It is really Clay's story anyway, so what we know of the other players is filtered through his experience.
Please ignore reviewers' comments relating "Cell" to "The Stand." The only real similarity is that the scenarios of both novels are somewhat apocalyptic. Beyond that, they are completely different. "Cell" reminded me more of H.G. Wells's "War of the Worlds."
"Cell" is about how people deal with horriffic situations. It's about the inherent magnetism we share as human beings, constantly searching for commonalities and community. And it is about survival on both sides of the fence.
Brutal and tender, "Cell" is a good read. It got me back on the King train.
Book Review: Big disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
I don't want to regurgitate what others have said except to say that King phoned this one in (pun intended). It starts off promising but winds down to a snails pace, to becoming downright silly in later pages. There is nary a sense of menace after the first 70 or 80 pages. What a drag. I am an avid King fan and this could have been good. Sad.Book Review: Calling All Zombie Fans
Summary: 4 Stars
Unless you live under a rock, people know that Mr. King's name is synonmous with the words "instant bestseller." At this point in his very productive career, he could pump out a friggin' instruction manual about clipping ear/nose hairs and the thing would still rocket to number one on The New York Time's Bestseller List. But this doesn't diminish the fact that the author knows how to spin a good yarn as well as give the reader multiple heebie-jeebies. "Cell" has many of the standard ingredients found in some of his earlier books, such as "Salem's Lot" and "The Stand." A horrifying apocalyptic situation which propels the reader into wondering what is going to happen next? Mr. King has always been good at developing his characters to the point in which you are shocked when one of them dies. The book isn't wrapped up in a neat, little package where all the questions are answered. This may frustrate some readers. Part horror, part character study and part adventure make Mr. King's book a fun, light read. I had creepy zombies in my dreams for a few days. If a story can leave that kind of impression on my subconscious, it's got to be pretty darn good.